Aston Villa staged a dramatic late comeback to beat Chelsea 2-1, with Marco Asensio netting twice from Marcus Rashford assists to keep their Champions League hopes alive.
Unai Emery’s side looked destined for defeat after Enzo Fernández fired Chelsea ahead early, finishing off a slick move orchestrated by Pedro Neto.
The Blues dominated the opening exchanges, with Neto proving a constant threat, but they failed to capitalize on their chances.
Villa, sluggish in the first half, found their spark after the break when Emery introduced Rashford.
The on-loan Manchester United forward made an instant impact, setting up Asensio’s equalizer just before the hour mark.
As the game neared its end, Rashford delivered another pinpoint cross for Asensio, whose hopeful shot should have been a routine save for Chelsea’s Filip Jorgensen.
However, the Danish goalkeeper fumbled, allowing the ball to slip through his gloves and hand Villa all three points.
The result moves Villa to within a point of Chelsea, who could rue their failure to sign an elite goalkeeper in their pursuit of a top-five finish.
Meanwhile, Emery’s January acquisitions of Rashford and Asensio proved decisive, showing the difference quality reinforcements can make in a tight Champions League race.
