Aston Villa vs Chelsea: Tactical Analysis & Match Report (2-1)

Tactical Shift: Neto as a Striker

The highlight tactical shift from Maresca was his use of Neto as a striker. This move made a lot of sense, as Neto provides a significant threat in behind Villa’s high defensive line. He is a dynamic player who moves off the ball to find and create space. Neto’s rotations were effective, and his ability to exploit transitional moments was key, as demonstrated when Chelsea opened the scoring through such a sequence.

Chelsea weren’t afraid to go long in the middle third by playing balls over Villa’s backline, utilizing James’ passing range to find the wide men. Both Nkunku and Gusto are not 1v1 specialists, so their off-ball movement was critical to unlocking Villa’s mid-block. Apart from the goal, Chelsea created additional chances through this route.

Missed Opportunities and Careless Errors

Although Chelsea went into half-time with a 1-0 lead, their performance still was not satisfactory. This dissatisfaction stemmed from the number of careless mistakes that led to turnovers. I’m not referring to transitional phases but rather to settled possession periods where a loose touch or careless pass would result in a turnover.

This poor decision-making meant that Chelsea couldn’t establish any rhythm in the first half. Even with a lead at the break, it didn’t feel like they had control over the tie. Villa, on the other hand, did well after going down, pinning Chelsea back and building their attacks by testing Chelsea’s defensive mid- and low-blocks. This was particularly evident in the second half, where Villa completed their comeback.

A key issue was the lack of leadership and poor decision-making, which prevented Chelsea from controlling the tempo of the match. At crucial moments, the team needed to slow down or speed up the play, but this decision was never made. Leaders or experienced players on the field should help make these decisions.

This absence of a clear leadership figure became apparent in Chelsea’s failure to control the game. Despite the presence of players like James, Tosin Adarabioyo, and Nkunku, Chelsea struggled to adapt. There is a qualitative aspect to squad building that needs to be addressed, particularly when it comes to leadership and experience.

In the second half, Emery made a crucial tactical change by bringing on Marcus Rashford for Ramsey. This substitution saw a shift in Villa’s width on the left. In the first half, Maatsen provided the width for Villa down the left, with Cash staying more conservative. Now, Rashford held the width, providing a greater 1v1 threat for Villa down that flank.