Chelsea suffered a 2-0 loss against Aston Villa in the Premier League, with goals scored by Ollie Watkins and John McGinn.
Watkins struck first with a lobbed first-half finish, followed by McGinn’s magnificent long-range effort near the hour mark.
The defeat caused Chelsea to stumble at Stamford Bridge, leaving them five points behind the top seven and potential European qualification.
On the other hand, Unai Emery’s visitors moved up the league table with the win, keeping them in contention for a surprise continental berth.
Although Chelsea was fortunate when McGinn hit the crossbar with a fine volley, they were not so lucky in the 18th minute. A mix-up between Marc Cucurella and Kalidou Koulibaly allowed Watkins to capitalize and score a goal over a bemused Kepa.
Ben Chilwell also believed he had an equalizer in first-half injury time, but referee Andy Madley disallowed it for a shove on Ashley Young in the build-up.
Matters only worsened for the Blues when they failed to clear a corner, and McGinn punished them with a sensational strike through a crowded box in the 56th minute, doubling the deficit.
To attempt to make a comeback, Chelsea turned to N’Golo Kante, who made his first appearance since last August. Despite the substitution, Villa did not sit back and continued to challenge their opponents until the final whistle.
Overall, the match was a disappointment for Chelsea and a significant win for Aston Villa.
While Chelsea will have to fight harder to secure a spot in Europe, Villa remains in contention for the same.
