Chelsea 1-2 Aston Villa – Ollie Watkins Brace Secures Comeback Victory

Aston Villa extended their winning streak to 11 matches as Ollie Watkins scored twice to overturn Chelsea in a 2-1 comeback victory at Stamford Bridge, leaving the home crowd booing their side off. The result highlighted Chelsea’s recurring struggles to protect a lead.

Chelsea seemed on course for a morale-boosting win after João Pedro’s lucky first-half goal, which capped a dominant opening spell for the hosts. However, Unai Emery’s second-half tactical changes turned the tide, with Watkins and Morgan Rogers combining decisively to swing the game in Villa’s favour.

Chelsea started strongly, controlling possession and territory under the watch of suspended coach Enzo Maresca. Cole Palmer and Enzo Fernández missed good opportunities before João Pedro’s deflected corner beat Emiliano Martínez. Villa posed little threat before halftime, with Chelsea’s central defence comfortably handling Rogers and Donyell Malen. Yet, Chelsea failed to build on their advantage—a costly pattern once again.

The match shifted just before the hour when Emery introduced Watkins as part of a triple substitution. The striker made an immediate impact, finishing after Robert Sánchez’s initial save rebounded, with Rogers providing the assist for the equaliser. Villa’s confidence soared as Chelsea’s control slipped.

Watkins completed the turnaround when Rogers delivered a precise corner for the striker to power a header home, silencing Stamford Bridge and sending the away fans into jubilation. Chelsea tried to respond with substitutions, but Villa held firm to secure another memorable victory.