Chelsea have the lead against Aston Villa at home!
It’s the least the Blues deserve after 38 minutes of pure domination. They’ve barely let Villa out of their own half, yet haven’t tested Emi Martinez nearly enough.
In the end, as is so often the case in these situations, the goal comes from as scrappy a source as it could. Reece James hung up a dangerous in swinging corner to the near post, and the crowd of players underneath it were so concerned with wrestling each other that none of them actually went for the ball to clear it.
It dropped into the net, although it appeared to take an accidental touch off Joao Pedro’s shin as it dropped, but even the replays couldn’t quite be sure.
You can see the goal in the clips embedded here:
Joao Pedro gets a slight touch on Reece James' cross to give Chelsea the lead! 🔵 pic.twitter.com/1oNWaMLRC2
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) December 27, 2025
[Footage from Sky Sports Premier League]
Chelsea need to add goals to good play
It’s a well deserved goal for Chelsea, who can’t now rest on their laurels. They need to make their dominance pay and score at least one more. They can’t expect Villa to be this poor in the second half.
Our midfield has been imperious and our defence solid. Our wingers need to deliver, and Cole Palmer needs to take the right risks at the right time. JP has the goal here, but needs better movement in open play.
In other news…
Enzo Maresca admitted ahead of today’s game that he was frustrated that people were still talking about his comments from a couple of weeks ago relating to a lack of support within the club.
Maresca was also asked about Chelsea’s record against the top teams in the league and admitted there was room for improvement in that area as they prepare to take on an in-form Villa team who have surged ahead of them in the table.
