Aston Villa suffered a 3-0 defeat at Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, with Romelu Lukaku bagging a double in a clinical performance.
Villa impressed throughout, particularly in the first half, as we created countless opportunities but were unable to convert while on top. That ultimately proved to be our undoing, with Ollie Watkins guilty of missing several chances as went in behind at the break.
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Conversely, Lukaku was clinical in front of goal while Mateo Kovacic got his name on the scoresheet too for the hosts, with Villa and Dean Smith no doubt left frustrated after producing a really positive performance but coming away empty-handed.
So, how did the Villa players rate vs Chelsea?
Jed Steer, 6 – Couldn’t really do much to deny three clinical finishes, and given it was a rare start between the posts, did well in the circumstances for the most part as he looked a little shaky at times.
Ezri Konsa, 6.5 – Defensively did well and made a key intervention early on in a solid display while he also posed a threat at the other end from set pieces.
Axel Tuanzebe, 5 – Should have done better for the opening goal as although it was really good centre-forward play from Lukaku, Tuanzebe will be disappointed that he didn’t do more to keep him out.
Tyrone Mings, 4.5 – Similarly to Konsa, was a problem for Chelsea in their own box and was having a good game in the first half. However, made a killer mistake after the break which proved to be a pivotal moment in the game.
Matty Cash, 6 – A really good shift from our right-back turned right wing-back for this one, as he defended resolutely and got forward whenever possible to offer an attacking threat too.
Douglas Luiz, 6.5 – Did well to give us control in midfield, particularly in the first half, as he ticked over possession well under pressure and got the ball forward smartly to start attacking plays.
John McGinn, 7 – An all-action performance from the combative midfielder as he wasn’t shy in sticking a foot into a tackle as well as applying pressure high up the pitch. Really lively display as he impressed again.
Jacob Ramsey, 7 – Huge positive so far this season has been Ramsey’s performances. Showing growth and more confidence thus far as he’s making his presence felt in midfield and is showing good awareness and positioning to find pockets of space to attack in the opposition half.
Matt Targett, 5 – A decent shift overall but struggled to really take control down that left flank. Little doubt he’s going to continue to improve game by game though.
Danny Ings, 5 – Didn’t really get into the game this time as he had to tweak and adjust his role with Watkins coming back into the side. Not as effective or influential, but hopefully the pair will build a better understanding in time.
Ollie Watkins, 5.5 – Looked really threatening and had a number of chances but couldn’t quite find the finish. Great to have him back as he was also pivotal in applying pressure high up the pitch as our first line of defence, but will hopefully find that sharpness again soon.
Substitutes
Leon Bailey, 5.5 – Lively after coming on as he showed flashes of his quality with his pace, movement and skill on the ball.
Bertrand Traore, 5 – Didn’t have a great deal of time to influence the game, but again, good to have him back on the pitch and getting back to full fitness.
Marvelous Nakamba, N/A