Chelsea secured a place in next season’s Champions League despite losing to Aston Villa, Thomas Tuchel’s side sealing a top-four spot ahead of Leicester City.
The Blues had started the final day of the Premier League season in third spot, knowing victory over their mid-table opponents would guarantee a place in the group stages of Europe’s prestigious knockout club competition.
Tuchel’s side carved out the better chances but fell behind when Bertrand Traore’s attempt went in off the underside of the crossbar following Matt Targett’s corner.
It went from bad to worse for Chelsea when Edouard Mendy was injured, making him a doubt for next Saturday’s Champions League final with Manchester City.
Substitute keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga was beaten by Anwar El Ghazi’s second-half penalty after former Chelsea player Traore was fouled by Jorginho, before Ben Chilwell pulled one back for the visitors from close range.
Chelsea finished the game with 10 men after captain Cesar Azpilicueta’s straight red card for a foul on Jack Grealish, but Leicester’s home defeat by Tottenham means Tuchel’s side finish the season in fourth on 67 points – one more than fifth-placed Leicester.
From ninth to Champions League spot
On a dramatic final day, Tuchel and his players experienced a full range of emotions before it was finally confirmed they had secured a Champions League group place.
It is an impressive achievement considering the Blues were ninth when Tuchel took charge in January, and of course his side could yet end the season by being crowned champions of Europe.
But they will have to play better – and show more discipline – than they did against Villa if they are to win in Porto next weekend after their first Premier League away defeatunder the German.
Traore was unmarked when he fired Villa ahead, while Jorginho’s foul on the Villa midfielder gifted the hosts a second goal from the spot.
Azpilicueta can have few complaints about his red card but most worrying for Tuchel will be the fitness of Mendy.
The Senegal keeper has settled well since arriving from Rennes in September and proved a calming influence on the defenders in front of him. Tuchel will hope his injury does not hamper his plans for next weekend.
Testing summer for Villa
Villa ended a highly satisfactory season with a thrilling win in front of their own fans, and their total of 55 points is 20 more than they managed last season when they escaped relegation on the final day of the campaign.
In front of England boss Gareth Southgate, who names his squad for the European Championship on Tuesday, Villa produced a performance oozing character – but manager Dean Smith faces a big summer.
Grealish’s return from injury has added energy to the side but will the captain be at his hometown club next season?
The midfielder, who finished the league season with six goals and 10 assists, continues to attract attention which will no doubt only intensify should he be picked for England for the delayed Euro 2020.
Fellow midfielder Ross Barkley looks likely to return to Chelsea now his loan is over but Villa’s future appears to be in good hands.
Ollie Watkins has ended his debut top-flight season with 14 goals while goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez has proved a bargain, the Argentine keeping 15 Premier League clean sheets since arriving for £17m last September.
Villa’s edge over Chelsea – the stats
- Aston Villa have taken four points from Chelsea in the Premier League this season, more than they had from their previous 11 league meetings (W1 L10).
- Jorginho finished the season as Chelsea’s highest scorer in the Premier League with seven goals – all from the penalty spot. He is the Blues’ lowest-scoring top-scorer in a top-flight campaign since 1974-75.
- Anwar El-Ghazi’s penalty for Aston Villa was the 100th spot-kick scored in the Premier League in 2020-21, the first campaign in the competition to reach triple figures for penalty goals.
- Chelsea’s Ben Chilwell registered his eighth goal involvement in the Premier League this season (3 goals, 5 assists) – among defenders, only Trent Alexander-Arnold has been involved in more (9).
What’s next?
While Aston Villa’s players head off for a break, Chelsea now turn their thoughts to Saturday’s Champions League final against Manchester City in Porto (20:00 BST).
Player of the match
HavertzKai Havertz
Aston Villa
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Squad number7Player nameMcGinn
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Squad number15Player nameTraoré
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Squad number19Player nameNakamba
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Squad number18Player nameTargett
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Squad number11Player nameWatkins
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Squad number5Player nameMings
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Squad number26Player nameMartÃÂnez
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Squad number21Player nameEl Ghazi
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Squad number10Player nameGrealish
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Squad number30Player nameHause
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Squad number60Player nameChukwuemeka
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Squad number4Player nameKonsa
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Squad number41Player nameRamsey
Chelsea
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Squad number29Player nameHavertz
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Squad number11Player nameWerner
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Squad number21Player nameChilwell
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Squad number16Player nameMendy
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Squad number2Player nameRüdiger
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Squad number6Player nameThiago Silva
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Squad number24Player nameJames
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Squad number10Player namePulisic
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Squad number28Player nameAzpilicueta
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Squad number17Player nameKovacic
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Squad number22Player nameZiyech
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Squad number1Player nameArrizabalaga
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Squad number5Player nameJorginho
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Squad number19Player nameMount
Line-ups
Aston Villa
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 26MartÃÂnezBooked at 81mins
- 4Konsa
- 30Hause
- 5Mings
- 18Targett
- 7McGinnBooked at 65mins
- 19NakambaBooked at 74mins
- 15TraoréSubstituted forChukwuemekaat 73′minutes
- 10Grealish
- 21El GhaziSubstituted forRamseyat 79′minutes
- 11Watkins
Substitutes
- 1Heaton
- 3Taylor
- 6Douglas Luiz
- 9Wesley
- 27El Mohamady
- 39Davis
- 41Ramsey
- 52Philogene-Bidace
- 60Chukwuemeka
Chelsea
Formation 3-4-2-1
- 16MendySubstituted forArrizabalagaat 45′minutesBooked at 90mins
- 24James
- 6Thiago Silva
- 2Rüdiger
- 28AzpilicuetaBooked at 89mins
- 5JorginhoBooked at 45minsSubstituted forZiyechat 60′minutes
- 17KovacicBooked at 49minsSubstituted forHavertzat 66′minutes
- 21Chilwell
- 19Mount
- 10Pulisic
- 11WernerBooked at 45mins
Substitutes
- 1Arrizabalaga
- 3Alonso
- 4Christensen
- 15Zouma
- 18Giroud
- 20Hudson-Odoi
- 22Ziyech
- 23Gilmour
- 29Havertz
- Referee:
- Stuart Attwell
- Attendance:
- 10,000
Live Text
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Match ends, Aston Villa 2, Chelsea 1.
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Second Half ends, Aston Villa 2, Chelsea 1.
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Kepa Arrizabalaga (Chelsea) is shown the yellow card.
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Thiago Silva (Chelsea) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Foul by Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa).
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Attempt blocked. Hakim Ziyech (Chelsea) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
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César Azpilicueta (Chelsea) is shown the red card for violent conduct.
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César Azpilicueta (Chelsea) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Foul by Jack Grealish (Aston Villa).
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Attempt saved. Ben Chilwell (Chelsea) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Hakim Ziyech.
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Attempt missed. Ben Chilwell (Chelsea) left footed shot from the left side of the box is high and wide to the left. Assisted by Thiago Silva.
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Foul by Christian Pulisic (Chelsea).
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Marvelous Nakamba (Aston Villa) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Corner, Chelsea. Conceded by Matt Targett.
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Emiliano MartÃÂnez (Aston Villa) is shown the yellow card.
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Corner, Chelsea. Conceded by Ezri Konsa Ngoyo.
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Corner, Chelsea. Conceded by Marvelous Nakamba.
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Ben Chilwell (Chelsea) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Foul by Jacob Ramsey (Aston Villa).
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Substitution, Aston Villa. Jacob Ramsey replaces Anwar El Ghazi.
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