Aston Villa defeat Chelsea 2-1 in Premier League: Key stats
What's the story
Aston Villa staged a stunning comeback to defeat Chelsea 2-1 in Matchweek 18 of the Premier League clash at Stamford Bridge. The win, which was their 11th consecutive victory across all competitions, keeps them firmly in the title race, just three points behind league leaders Arsenal. Villa, who edged past Manchester United in Matchweek 17, claimed another massive win. Here are further details and stats.
Tactical change
Villa's strategy shift leads to comeback
Joao Pedro had given Chelsea an early lead with a goal from Reece James's corner. Despite Chelsea's dominance in the first half, Unai Emery's tactical changes turned the game around for Villa. An error from Benoit Badiashile allowed Ollie Watkins to score an equalizer. The striker then headed in Youri Tielemans's corner in the 84th minute, sending the visiting supporters and dugout into wild celebrations.
Match highlights
Chelsea's missed opportunities and Villa's resilience
Despite having a strong first half, Chelsea failed to convert their chances into goals. Cole Palmer and Enzo Fernandez were among the players who missed key opportunities. Villa goalkeeper Emi Martinez was instrumental in keeping his team in the game by saving shots from Pedro and a mis-hit cross from James.
Future implications
Villa's title bid remains alive, Chelsea's top-four hopes dented
The victory keeps Villa's title challenge alive while denting Chelsea's hopes of finishing in the top four. The Blues now sit fifth, a whopping 13 points off the top of the table. After 18 matches, Chelsea are 5th with 29 points (W8 D5 L5). On the other hand, Villa are third with 39 points collected. Emery's men collected their 12th win of the season (D3 L3).
Numbers
Here are the match stats
Chelsea had 62.8% ball possession and an xG of 2.14. Villa's xG read 1.05. Chelsea had three shots on target from 14 attempts. Villa managed 8 shots on from 11 attempts. Both sides created two big chances each. Chelsea managed 44 touches in the opposition box with Villa making 17 such touches.
Watkins
Watkins produces these numbers
In 202 Premier League matches, Watkins has raced to 80 goals. In addition, he has 35 assists. In the 2025-26 season, Watkins has raced to 5 goals (A1) from 18 matches. As per Opta, Watkins is the first player in Premier League history to score the winning goal on three separate occasions at Stamford Bridge against Chelsea (April 2023, September 2023, December 2025).
Do you know?
Villa like coming from behind
Across the last three Premier League seasons, Emery's Aston Villa have won more points from losing positions than any other Premier League side (54).
Duo
Chelsea's James and Pedro shine
James has been involved in six Premier League goals this season in 17 games (2 goals, 4 assists). As per Opta, these are as many as in his previous three seasons in the competition (2 goals, 4 assists in 45 games). Former Brighton forward Pedro scored his 28th Premier League goal (A13) in what was his 107th appearance. Since joining Chelsea, Pedro has amassed six goals and three assists this season in the Premier League.