Aston Villa vs Chelsea LIVE: Premier League result, final score and reaction tonight

Follow all the fallout from Villa Park

Match Preview: Aston Villa vs Chelsea on 26/12/2021

Follow all the action as Aston Villa host Chelsea in the Premier League this Boxing Day.

Steven Gerrard will be forced to watch from afar after Aston Villa’s head coach tested positive for Covid-19. Villa will hope his absence doesn’t detract from their momentum, having won four of their six games since Gerrard took charge, with their only two defeats coming against Manchester City and Liverpool. That upturn in form has seen Villa return to the top half of the table and they will hope to take advantage of Chelsea’s recent inconsistency this afternoon.

After such a brilliant start to the season, Thomas Tuchel’s side have faltered in recent weeks due to a combination of attacking absences and wasteful finishing. Back-to-back draws against Everton and Wolves have left the Blues six points adrift of Manchester City in the title race, although a 2-0 victory over Brentford in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals helped to regain some of their momentum. Follow all the latest updates below:

Aston Villa vs Chelsea

• 28 mins: Villa open scoring as Targett cross skims off James’ head for own goal
• 34 mins: Jorginho equalises from penalty spot after Cash fouls Hudson-Odoi
• 56 mins: Substitute Lukaku puts Chelsea in front with headed goal
• 90+3 mins: Jorginho scores his second penalty of the day to wrap up Chelsea victory

[26 December 2021 16:48 · Michael Jones]

GOAL! Man City 6 - 3 Leicester (Sterling, 87’)⚽️

87 mins: Sterling dribbles into the right side of the box and wins a corner for Manchester City. This one is whipped in towards Ruben Dias who heads the ball down into the six-yard box where Sterling turns the ball into the back of the net! That’s game over now.

[26 December 2021 16:46 · Michael Jones]

Man City 5 - 3 Leicester

84 mins: James Maddison is a frustrating figure out there. He gets a long talking to from the referee and needs to be careful as he’s already on a yellow card. Since Aymeric Laporte’s goal Manchester City have kept Leicester pretty quiet.

[26 December 2021 16:42 · Michael Jones]

Man City 5 - 3 Leicester

81 mins: Daniel Amartey is almost caught on the ball by Riyad Mahrez as Leicester try to play out from the back. Mahrez leans on the defender though, Amartey goes down and luckily is awarded a free kick.

[26 December 2021 16:40 · Michael Jones]

Man City 5 - 3 Leicester

78 mins: Arsenal and Tottenham have each scored again and both London sides lead their respective matches 3-0. There’s another cracking game going on at the London Stadium where West Ham are currently chasing Southampton, the Saints have a 3-2 lead over the Hammers.

Lookman and Thomas combine on the left side for Leicester with Thomas making a run into the box and Lookman sending him the ball. Thomas chips a cross to the back post where Marc Albrighton pops up and heads an effort at goal wide of the near post!

[26 December 2021 16:37 · Michael Jones]

Man City 5 - 3 Leicester

75 mins: James Maddison fouls Fernandinho just outside his own box and is shown a yellow card for booting the ball away. Ruyad Mahrez and Ilkay Gundogan stadn over the free kick. It’s Mahrez who takes it and his effort at goal is fired straight into the wall. The ball comes back to him but his second attempt at goal is booted high and wide.

[26 December 2021 16:35 · Michael Jones]

Aston Villa vs Chelsea: Line-ups

Aston Villa XI: Martínez, Cash, Targett, Konsa, Mings, Luiz, Sanson, Buendia, Watkins, Ings, Ramsey

Chelsea XI: Mendy, Rudiger, Alonso, Jorginho, Silva, Kante, Pulisic, Chalobah, Mount, Hudson-Odoi, James

[26 December 2021 16:33 · Michael Jones]

Man City 5 - 3 Leicester

72 mins: Hamza Choudhury is on for Leicester replacing Youri Tielemans. Kevin De Bruyne is alos off and Phil Foden has come on for Manchester City.

There are less than 20 minutes to go at the Etihad, can Leicester find a way back into the game?

[26 December 2021 16:30 · Michael Jones]

GOAL! Man City 5 - 3 Leicester (Laporte, 69’)⚽️

69 mins: Another one! Manchester City win a corner and this time it’s whipped into the middle of the box. Aymeric Laporte is up there for the home side and he rises above his marker to win the header and guide it across goal and into the top corner! Great finish, City lead by two goals once again.

[26 December 2021 16:25 · Michael Jones]

GOAL! Man City 4 - 3 Leicester (Iheanacho, 65’)⚽️

65 mins: What is happening here?! Leicester attack on the counter again with Maddison giving the ball to Lookman. He returns the pass as Maddison makes a run across the front edge of the box. He shoots and draws a leaping save out of Ederson who palms it onto the crossbar. The ball bounces out to Iheanacho who turns it into the back of the net!

[26 December 2021 16:22 · Michael Jones]

Man City 4 - 2 Leicester

62 mins: Man City look to try an restore a two-goal cushion with Bernardo Silva driving the ball forwa down the left side. He swings a cross deep into the opposite side of the box where Mahrez brings the ball down and then chips an attempted pass straight into the side-netting.