Chelsea 0-1 Aston Villa: 5 Talking Points as 10-man Blues suffer another loss | Premier League 2023-24

Mauricio Pochettino's tough start to life as Chelsea boss continued as they lost 1-0 to Aston Villa in the Premier League on Sunday, September 24.

Chelsea were looking to put their season back on track after winning just one of their first five games. They made one change from the 0-0 draw against Bournemouth with Moises Caicedo replacing Lesley Ugochukwu.

Aston Villa, on the other hand, had three wins from their first five. They made five changes from their loss in Europe midweek, with the likes of Ollie Watkins and Moussa Diaby returning to the lineup.

It was the home side that dominated possession for most of the first half but they were unable to create any notable chances. Nicolas Jackson came closest after a smart Mykhailo Mudryk pass but he was unable to beat Emi Martinez in the Villa goal.

On the other hand, Robert Sanchez had to pull off a couple of great saves to keep it goalless at the break.

The second half looked to be more of the same until Malo Gusto received a straight red after lunging into Lucas Digne on a tackle. The challenge was looked at by VAR who confirmed the sending-off for the youngster.

Chelsea then made a few changes to shore up their defence, with Ben Chilwell coming on for Mudryk and Ugochukwu coming on for Jackson.

However, Villa did end up capitalizing on their man advantage. The home side committed too many bodies forward and Diaby set up Watkins. The striker had his initial effort blocked before bundling home the rebound to make it 1-0.

Chelsea remained in the bottom half of the table following the loss while Villa climbed up to the Europa League places. Here are five talking points from the game.

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#5 The Villa defence had a composed outing

Aston Villa were one of few sides coming into the game that had conceded double-digit goals in the Premier League. However, Emery's men put in a much-improved performance against the Blues. The back four were solid throughout and Boubacar Kamara was impressive in midfield.

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#4 The red card to Gusto changed the game

Chelsea looked like the side more likely to score until Malo Gusto received a straight red for his dangerous tackle on Digne. The 20-year-old launched into a loose ball and ended up catching the Villa left-back and received his marching orders.

Despite being down a man, Pochettino's side still sent bodies forward and paid their price by conceding off a counter-attack.

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#3 Chelsea's attack continues to lack teeth

Pochettino's side have struggled to find the back of the net this season, an issue that plagued them throughout the previous campaign as well. Their attackers, including Jackson and Raheem Sterling, seemed to lack chemistry. Jackson, especially, found himself offside too many times. The Blues need to start finding ways to score if they want to get over this bad run.

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#2 Aston Villa are enjoying a good season

Unai Emery's men had a horror start to their campaign, receiving a thrashing at the hands of Newcastle United. However, they have since got back on track and bagged four wins in their next five matches.

Their smart investments including Moussa Diaby and Pau Torres have paid off and they look to be in contention for European qualification once again.

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#1 A horrendous run continues for Chelsea

It grew from bad to worse for Chelsea after the loss to Aston Villa. The Blues find themselves in the bottom half of the table and have just six wins in the entirety of 2023. With over £1 billion invested into the squad, fans will demand a turnaround in fortunes quickly.