Chelsea 2-1 Aston Villa: 5 Talking Points & Tactical Analysis | Premier League 2019-20
Normal services were resumed at Stamford Bridge, as Chelsea ran out as 2-1 winners over newly-promoted Aston Villa to keep pace with Manchester City and Leicester City inside the top four.
Tammy Abraham marked his return to the fold with a smart header and an assist for Mason Mount, who lashed in a venomous volley to help his side regain advantage after Trezeguet had clawed the hosts back with a fortuitous goal.
The Blues were far from impressive in the opening exchanges, as passes were often overcooked, possession was lost cheaply and there was a clear lack of urgency and sharpness in the way they went about chasing their first league win in three matches.
However, Frank Lampard's troops turned the game on its head by upping their tempo, leaving the Chelsea faithful with a taste of their expansive, eye-catching football.
They could easily have added another, if not more than one. But, three points was all that was required under pressurising circumstances against the Villans. And Chelsea capped off a well-taken victory without much fuss in the end.
On that note, we analyse the major talking points from the Blues' narrow win over Dean Smith's Aston Villa.
1. Chelsea flourished down the right but lacked incision
As envisaged, Chelsea hogged most of the ball in the first-half, with almost all Aston Villa players inside their own territory. Despite the dominant display and Abraham's goal, the away side headed into the break with a smile.
They got their goal through Trezeguet, on the back of suicidal marking from the Chelsea defenders. What could have been an easy clearance on the far post turned out to be a free hit for the Egyptian.
Besides just the goal that held their spirits, Villa were happy to sit back, enjoy their share of spells and hit the hosts on the counter. Chelsea just couldn't pick the final ball, with Willian being one of the dishonourable members of the guilty party.
The veteran winger failed to pick a pass and was just not decisive with the situation and what was required of it. While he provided an example, the likes of Azpilicueta and Mount too, gave away the ball cheaply on a few occasions.
There was an attacking overload from the right, but very little of it turned into joy. The crosses were just not up to the mark.