Aston Villa’s eight-match winning run in the Premier League continued with a comeback victory at Chelsea.
It’s league leaders Arsenal up next for the unlikely title challengers…
As for the Blues, a favourable fixture swing awaits – but what could have been a four-point gap between themselves and Villa is now 10.
Here are our Scout Notes from Stamford Bridge.
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CASH + KAMARA BANNED
Villa will have to do it the hard way if they are to complete the double over Tuesday’s opponents, Arsenal.
Matty Cash (£4.9m) and Boubacar Kamara (£4.9m) were both booked for the fifth time this season on Saturday evening. As a result, they will serve a one-match ban in Gameweek 19.
While Amadou Onana (£4.8m) for Kamara is a straightforward swap, there’s not an obvious deputy at right-back with Andrés GarcÃa (£3.9m) barely used in 2025/26. It might be Lamare Bogarde (£4.0m) playing there at the Emirates, then, unless Pau Torres (£4.3m) recovers to allow Victor Lindelof (£4.5m) to move to full-back.
CUCURELLA INJURY CONCERN
Chelsea have their own full-back concern for Gameweek 19 but due to injury and not suspension.
Marc Cucurella (£6.2m), who has been a near-permanent fixture at left-back this season, came off midway through the second half against Villa.
“Because he was complaining about hamstring, so we don’t know if it’s an injury now or not. So he asked for the change.” – Enzo Maresca on why Marc Cucurella was subbed
Malo Gusto (£5.0m) came on for Cucurella at left-back, having been dropped for Enzo Fernandez (£6.5m) initially.
PALMER FUMES AT SUBSTITUTION
Cole Palmer‘s (£10.4m) 71st-minute substitution wasn’t injury-related, however. The England international was visibly angry about being taken off, days after his boss said he was ready for a full game.
Enzo Maresca explained afterwards that the withdrawal was made with Gameweek 19 in mind. Is Palmer finally ready to play every three days, something Maresca said wasn’t possible a fortnight ago?
“No, no, no. He was working very good. He was on the ball and off the ball, pressing, he was very good. We have another game now in 48 hours, so he was good and we are happy that he’s back.” – Enzo Maresca on if he had a problem with Cole Palmer’s angry reaction
POSITIVES FOR CHELSEA AHEAD OF FIXTURE SWING
While Gameweeks 21 and 24 have been mentioned as opportunities to pick up Chelsea players, there is a school of thought that suggests getting them now, given how porous Bournemouth are currently (ironically, the Cherries’ sole clean sheet in the last two months came against the Blues).
And there were positives to take from the Villa defeat, even though the flawed Blues remain a slow work in progress.
Maresca’s troops were the dominant side in the first hour, with Villa not having a single shot in the opening 45 minutes.
Palmer, Enzo and the excellent Reece James (£5.7m) all fired narrowly wide, Joao Pedro (£7.2m) was desperately close to poking in Pedro Neto‘s (£7.3m) cross, a last-ditch slide from John McGinn (£5.4m) prevented Alejandro Garnacho (£6.4m) from tapping in Palmer’s low ball, and James nearly inadvertently scored with a whipped delivery from out wide.
The ball did fortuitously find the net after 37 minutes: James’s corner deflecting in off Pedro’s back. That was one of a game-high three chances that James created. He’s in good nick right now.
Sustaining performances over 90 minutes is a problem for Chelsea. They did it the other way round in Gameweek 17, struggling against Newcastle United before coming into the game.
With the more favourable fixtures ahead, prolonged spells of excellence may not be as necessary, of course.
WATKINS BRACE + WHY ROGERS DIDN’T GET AN ASSIST
Savvy second-half substitutions have been a feature of Unai Emery’s reign and his triple change just before the hour mark helped swing a contest they had been on the ropes for.
Ollie Watkins (£8.5m) was one of the players brought on; remember that Emery said recently that Villa had to manage his workload due to a niggly knee.
The striker made it six attacking returns in five Gameweeks with his second-half brace. First latching onto Morgan Rogers’ (£7.4m) pass to restore parity, he nodded in the winner from Youri Tielemans‘ (£5.9m) corner. He drew another save from Robert Sanchez (£4.9m) and nearly teed up a Kamara goal, too.
Without the handicap of chronic knee pain, Rogers’ minutes are more secure than Watkins. An ever-present starter this season, the midfielder completed 90 minutes for the 16th time in 18 matches.
He was unlucky not to return, having teed up a (saved) big chance for Ian Maatsen (£4.2m). Even more unfortunate, he was denied an assist for Watkins’ first goal.
The reason, if you didn’t spy it, was that Sanchez saved Watkins’ initial effort from Rogers’ pass. The ricochet onto Watkins’ knee then counts as a second shot, so no assist.
