“Yet they had the nerve to hate him”, “One of us” – Chelsea fans react to what star player did despite not playing in 2-0 defeat to Aston Villa

While Mason Mount didn't feature in Chelsea's 2-0 defeat to Aston Villa, he was appreciated by fans for getting on the pitch and applauding the home supporters after the match.

Goals from Ollie Watkins and John McGinn handed the Blues a defeat at Stamford Bridge, which knocked them out of the top ten of the Premier League table.

It was a tough pill to swallow for fans, players, and anyone closely associated with the club. Mount, who was an unused substitute in the game, kept his spirits high and got on the pitch to applaud the fans despite the defeat. Judging by the reaction of the Stamford Bridge faithful, they appreciated his gesture.

Mount has been one of the Blues' most crucial players in recent years. The attacking midfielder, however, has struggled to perform consistently this season.

In 32 appearances, Mount has scored only three goals and has provided six assists. His contractual situation is complicated as well. The 24-year-old's current contract will expire in the summer of 2024 and there have been no breakthroughs regarding an extension. Hence, the club might look to offload him this summer to avoid losing him on a free.

The player, deservingly, earned plaudits for his gesture despite the criticism he has received this season from Chelsea fans. One fan wrote on Twitter:

"One of us."

Another echoed the same sentiment, writing on Twitter:

"Yet they had the nerve to hate him smh."

Here are some of the best reactions from Chelsea fans after Mason Mount's gesture after the clash against Aston Villa:

Chelsea manager Graham Potter examined the team's performance following defeat against Aston Villa

Speaking to the media after the defeat against Aston Villa, Graham Potter examined Chelsea's performance.

Villa's first goal came after Marc Cucurella's misdirected header set Ollie Watkins through on goal, who lobbed the ball over Kepa Arrizabalaga. A few minutes later, Mykhaylo Mudryk missed an easy chance which would have leveled the scores.

Potter pointed these factors out, telling the media after the game (via Evening Standard):

"We wanted to attack, we wanted to use Marc and Reece as two laterals, that’s where the space would be and they can construct attacks well. I thought we got some good opportunities from an attacking perspective, won the ball back, high as well. I think we had a 1v1 with Mischa [Mudryk] a couple of times."

The 47-year-old added:

“It’s an error for the first goal and whenever there’s an error there’s always something you can do better.”

Chelsea, currently 11th in the league table, will return to action on April 4 to take on Liverpool in a home clash.