Aston Villa secured a thrilling 2-1 victory over Chelsea at Villa Park, with Marco Asensio delivering two crucial goals. The Spanish forward, who joined Villa on loan from Paris Saint-Germain earlier in February, took center stage in a match that saw Chelsea’s struggles continue.
Chelsea started strong, taking the lead in the ninth minute when Enzo Fernandez tapped in a low cross from Pedro Neto. The visitors dominated the early stages, with Fernandez and Cole Palmer both coming close to doubling the advantage. Meanwhile, Villa’s Ollie Watkins forced Chelsea goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen into multiple saves, keeping the home side in the match.
The momentum shifted in the second half when Villa boss Unai Emery introduced Marcus Rashford. His impact was immediate, as he stretched to meet a cross from Matty Cash, setting up Asensio for the equalizer. Initially ruled offside, the goal was later awarded after a VAR review confirmed Fernandez had played Rashford onside.
Chelsea had opportunities to regain the lead, with Palmer missing two key chances. His first effort curled just wide, while his second was cleared off the line by Villa’s Ezri Konsa after hesitating to shoot.
With the match nearing its end, Villa found the winning goal in the 89th minute. Rashford played in Asensio, whose shot slipped through Jorgensen’s hands and rolled into the net. The error proved costly for Chelsea, whose goalkeeping issues have been a recurring problem this season.
The loss marked Chelsea’s fourth defeat in five matches, leaving them in sixth place, one point behind the top four. Villa, sitting just behind them in seventh, boosted their hopes of securing a Champions League spot.
