Aston Villa 1-3 Chelsea: What Were The Key Talking Points As The Blues Spring An FA Cup Upset At Villa Park?

In what was a real FA Cup shock on Wednesday night, Chelsea stormed their way into the fifth-round as they secured a 3-1 victory against Aston Villa.

While there might be mounting speculation over Mauricio Pochettino’s long-term future at Stamford Bridge, the Blues took an early lead as Conor Gallagher powered home after 11 minutes.

With Senegal international Nicolas Jackson silencing Villa Park after doubling Chelsea’s lead midway through the first half, the ex-Tottenham boss should be dreaming of the chance to mount a genuine FA Cup charge this year.

Watching Enzo Fernandez notch a shock third strike just nine minutes after the interval, Aston Villa will certainly feel that they missed out on a real opportunity in the Midlands.

Although Moussa Diaby might have bagged a late consolation strike for Thursday’s hosts, the top-four contenders are seeking some recent stability.

With Chelsea securing a fifth-round showdown against historic rivals Leeds for February 28th, we have taken a look at the main talking points from Villa Park.

Chelsea draw a line under their away day nightmare

Although Chelsea might have eventually mounted an EFL Cup semi-final comeback last month as they stormed their way past Middlesbrough, the Blues have continued to receive a reputation for their glaring issues on the road this season.

Signing off January with an action-packed 4-1 loss away at Liverpool, Pochettino’s men arrived at Villa Park having lost six of their previous seven showdowns outside of west London.

Notching just a single Premier League victory away from Stamford Bridge since returning from November’s international break, Wednesday’s guests are now hoping to find some defensive resolve outside of the capital.

Remarkably not recording a single clean sheet on their travels since a 2-0 victory against local rivals Fulham way back on October 2nd, Chelsea should take plenty of positives away from a clinical performance here.

Hoping to secure back-to-back domestic victories on their travels for the first time since opening 2024. Chelsea will be next seen over the weekend when they travel to Crystal Palace.

Villa seeking some recent stability

Flying out of the traps when opening up the 2023/24 campaign, Aston Villa have continued to receive a string of plaudits from across England’s elite this season.

However, while Wednesday’s hosts might still find themselves dreaming of the chance to book a famous Champions League ticket, Unai Emery’s side do have the feel of a squad seeking some recent stability.

Although the former Arsenal boss might have seen his top-four contenders breeze their way to a routine 5-0 romp away at leading relegation scrappers Sheffield United last weekend, that is the only victory that Villa have recorded from their previous five appearances across all competitions.

Hit with another 3-1 defeat against Newcastle on when signing off January, Emery’s men have also suffered back-to-back domestic defeats in front of their own supporters for the first time in 12 months.

Desperate to claim an immediate boost this weekend, Emery’s side will be next seen when they welcome Manchester United to the Midlands for another heavyweight showdown.

Pochettino eases some of the pressure on his shoulders

Putting in a nightmare performance over the weekend as they eventually slumped to a 4-2 drumming at home against Wolves, it is no secret that Pochettino has found mounting pressure on his position in west London.

While the Argentinian tactician might have had plenty of explications on his shoulders when arriving at Stamford Bridge last summer, Pochettino has had little to cheer about this season.

Almost sat in in Premier League limbo and seeking a real miracle in their bid to book a crucial European return in 2024, the former Tottenham boss has also come under plenty of scrutiny for his pragmatic approach.

However, although the Blues might be dealing with an extended crisis while on Premier League duties, Chelsea and Pochettino should take plenty of positives away from a shock performance on Wednesday night.

Springing a real upset at Villa Park and securing an eye-catching fifth-round FA Cup showdown against historic rivals and Championship high-flyers Leeds, the former Premier League champions will be desperate to use their midweek display as a platform to build on.

Match Report

Aston Villa: Martinez, Cash, Carlos, Lenglet, Moreno, Kamara, Luiz, McGinn, Tielemans, Bailey, Watkins

Subs: Diaby, Zaniolo, Ramsey, Iroegbunam

Chelsea: Petrovic, Gusto, Diasi, Badiashile, Chilwell, Fernandez, Caicedo, Madueke, Gallagher, Palmer, Jackson

Subs: Nkunku, Sterling, Silva, Gilchrist

Goals: Aston Villa: Diaby (90+1’) – Chelsea: Gallagher (11’), Jackson (21’), Fernandez (54’)

Yellow Cards: Aston Villa: Carlos – Chelsea: Fernandez, Petrovic

Red Cards: N/A

Referee: Thomas Bramall