In a concerning streak for Chelsea, the Blues endured their third consecutive game without scoring as they were defeated 1-0 by Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge.
Returning from a goalless draw against Bournemouth and a 1-0 loss to Nottingham Forest, Chelsea’s season took a further dip as they struggled to find the back of the net against Villa.
Despite numerous opportunities in the first half, Chelsea failed to capitalize, mirroring their recent struggles in front of goal.
Both teams entered halftime deadlocked at 0-0, with the first half ending unusually early due to the conclusion of added time.
However, the match took a turn for the worse for Chelsea as they were reduced to ten men in the 60th minute when Malo Gusto received a red card for his challenge on Lucas Digne, despite initially appearing to win the ball. VAR intervened, leading to his dismissal.
This setback forced Chelsea’s manager Mauricio Pochettino to make a tactical change, with Ben Chilwell replacing Mykhailo Mudryk.
Despite Chelsea’s resilience with ten men, Villa eventually broke the deadlock when Ollie Watkins scored after an initial block by Levi Colwill.
The result leaves Chelsea in 14th place on the Premier League table, just four points clear of the relegation zone, raising questions about Pochettino’s tenure, which has shown little improvement.
To make matters worse, Chelsea fans voiced their dissatisfaction with audible boos echoing through the stands as the match concluded.