Premier League release official statement on Aston Villa vs Chelsea controversy
Aston Villa’s 4-1 loss to Chelsea was filled with big moments, as Ollie Watkins’ offside goal in the first half could have been the big difference in the match.
The Villans hosted Liam Rosenior’s side at Villa Park in an all-important Premier League clash on Wednesday that had the weight of Champions League football riding on it.
Unai Emery’s side took the lead early on before Joao Pedro levelled things up, but before Chelsea went on to fire another three past Villa, the hosts thought they had regained the lead in the first half.
Morgan Rogers slipped Watkins through on goal before the Aston Villa striker hit the back of the net, only for his finish to be controversially ruled out after a VAR overturn.
The Premier League Match Centre X account revealed information on why VAR decided to overturn Jarred Gillett’s initial decision to give the goal.
- Read more: Ollie Watkins hailed for ‘incredible’ moment that may have been overlooked in Aston Villa vs Chelsea
This is how close Ollie Watkins was to scoring
Watkins has been on a goal drought and looks to be on track for one of his worst seasons in an Aston Villa shirt in terms of attacking contribution.
The Englishman had plenty of chances to score in the first half, and though his offside goal was unfortunate, he really should have had his name on the scoresheet before that chance even came.
- Watkins had two shots on target in the first half
- He missed one “big chance”
After VAR’s footage concluded the number nine was in fact in an offside position for the goal, the review shows just how tight the call was.
As seen below, Watkins’ toenail appears to be in an offside position, showcasing just how cruel football can be sometimes.
Sometimes luck goes your way, but right now, Villa aren’t getting much of it.
- Read more: Tyrone Mings chasing shadows, Ezri Konsa even worse – Aston Villa player ratings vs Chelsea
Aston Villa’s defence at sixes and sevens vs Chelsea; stats prove it
A serious question may now be asked about Villa’s defence following the result against Chelsea. It felt like every time the visitors broke, they had a chance of scoring.
The fact that the Blues were able to get in so many goal-scoring opportunities regularly was a mystery, and when they did, Emi Martinez was not helped by the defence in front of him.
| Shots | 15 |
| Shots on target | 8 |
| Big chances | 5 |
| Big chances missed | 2 |
| xG | 3.92 |
| Goals | 4 |
The visitors were allowed to get a whopping total of 15 shots off in the game, creating an xG of 3.92, scoring four goals and still missing two big chances.
On another night, it could have been even worse somehow, as Emery will have to reassess his defensive options before the next match.
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