April 28, (THEWILL) – Chelsea exhibited pure resilience in their English Premier League clash against Aston Villa on Saturday, battling back from a two-goal deficit to salvage a 2-2 draw at Villa Park. This result delivered a blow to Villa’s aspirations for a coveted top-four finish and UEFA Champions League qualification.
The visitors found themselves trailing early as Marc Cucurella inadvertently deflected the ball into his own net in the fourth minute. Morgan Rogers compounded Chelsea’s woes by netting Villa’s second goal just before half-time. However, rather than capitulating as they did in their recent 5-0 thrashing at Arsenal, the Blues demonstrated character and determination to claw their way back.
Noni Madueke ignited Chelsea’s resurgence in the 62nd minute, finding the back of the net from 10 yards out. The dramatic equaliser arrived in the 81st minute when Conor Gallagher curled a sublime effort into the far corner from the edge of the area.
Deep into stoppage time, Chelsea thought they had secured an unlikely victory when Villa keeper, Robin Olsen, turned Axel Disasi’s effort into his own net, but the goal was disallowed due to a foul by Benoit Badiashile, leaving Mauricio Pochettino and his side frustrated.
The draw leaves Villa seven points clear of fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur, who have three games in hand, including Sunday’s highly anticipated North London derby against EPL leaders, Arsenal. While Villa remain favourites for the fourth UCL spot, their advantage has been diminished, and they must swiftly regroup ahead of their Europa Conference League semi-final first leg against Olympiakos on Thursday.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
