For 59 minutes, Aston Villa were slammed against the ropes by Chelsea. Down 1-0 at Stamford Bridge, Unai Emery had to take action. His triple sub changed the game.
Ollie Watkins was the hero, scoring twice in what Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp called “one of the great sub-influences in Premier League history”. But Jadon Sancho and Amadou Onana, who were sent on alongside Watkins, also played their part as Villa’s intensity and attacking thrust reached new levels.
“A tactical genius” was how Watkins later described his head coach to Sky Sports. It certainly looked like a brilliant intervention from Emery.
Ollie Watkins celebrates off the bench after scoring Aston Villa’s equalizer against Chelsea
Villa looked like a team headed for defeat, but they equaled a club record with 11 wins on the spin in all competitions. They could easily have scored more if not for some sharp saves from Chelsea keeper Robert Sanchez.
With three points separating them from Premier League leaders Arsenal, Villa have a chance to level with the Gunners at the Emirates on Tuesday, live on Sky Sports.
Perhaps we should have seen it coming. Villa have gained more points this season despite losing positions than any other team in the Premier League. “We knew the second half was going to be different,” Emery said, hinting at the resilience and belief within his team that they could get back into the game. But it was still a great comeback.
Meanwhile, Chelsea have wasted 11 points in the league this season while leading at Stamford Bridge.
Indeed, the success of Emery’s triple change was in marked contrast to Chelsea’s own trio of substitutes, who were introduced 10 minutes later, had no impact on the game.
In fact, Chelsea slowed down after bringing on Liam Delap, Jamie Gittens and Maro Gusto.
During his 21-minute cameo, there was one shot between the three substitutes. Striker Delap did not take a touch in the box but was booked 70 seconds after coming on.
Cole Palmer seemed less than impressed, being sent off shortly after, despite hints before the game that he would play 90 minutes. It summed up the hosts’ frustration at how this game got away from them.
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Jamie Redknapp and Steve Sidwell discuss Aston Villa’s chances in the Premier League title race
Afterward, Blues manager Enzo Maresca, who was watching the game from the press box due to suspension, lamented his team’s struggle to deal with the stumbling blocks in the game.
“It’s difficult to analyze at the moment because we need to understand why when we concede goals we struggle to control the game in a better way,” Maresca said. “It may be an experience, and you may need to analyze it and understand it.”
He ultimately lost the tactical battle to Emery, but it was costly. While Villa are enjoying a good run near the top of the Premier League, Chelsea are as close to Leeds in 16th as Villa are in third.
Read more: How Emery turned things around with a triple change
Aston Villa transformed with three substitutions in the 59th minute.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Watkins detailed how Emery changed Villa’s approach with the three changes.
“Chelsea were playing man-to-man, but when we went long they had an extra centre-back, so he changed that.
“When I came on in the second half, he put Jadon Sancho and Morgan Rodgers on the wing and Youri Tielemans in the No. 10. So we got an extra player there. He’s a tactical genius.”
The changes were drastic.
Chelsea had 71 percent possession in the first half and had an expected goals scored of 1.93. Villa didn’t get a single shot.
Momentum graph shows how Aston Villa’s triple change midway through the second half changed the course of play
After being substituted on the hour, Villa had nine shots on target and eight on target. Chelsea conceded 56% of possession with just three shots on target.
In subsequent remarks, Maresca pointed out that his team had appealed a penalty against Ian Maassen for handball. Chelsea manager said: “It feels like a penalty.” “It was clearly a handball and (Pedro) Neto was behind and could have tapped in, but the referee said no.”
VAR determined that Maassen’s arm was in its natural position when Alejandro Garnacho’s cross hit him.
But irrespective of the controversy over this arrangement, Chelsea must reflect on how they allowed themselves to run away in a game they dominated, and how their opponents’ mid-game changes changed the tide in a way that their own substitutes could not.
