In the final reckoning it was easier for Chelsea to talk about misfortune in front of goal and rage at a referee who played only two of the allotted three minutes at the end of the first half. Mauricio Pochettino could argue his spluttering side’s second consecutive defeat at an increasingly irate Stamford Bridge would have been avoided had Jarred Gillett not dismissed Malo Gusto for a risky challenge on Lucas Digne early in the second half, handing Aston Villa the chance to take control of a game that had threatened to run away from them at times.
Yet the problem with blaming the officials is that Chelsea are no longer in the habit of making their own luck. It was no surprise to see them miss clear chances when they were on top and repeatedly make bad decisions in the final third. Pochettino’s side have scored five times in six league games and this match was heading only one way once Chelsea were down to 10 men. Ollie Watkins, with his first goal of the season, gave Villa victory via a cool finish with 17 minutes left.
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