Aston Villa vs Chelsea LIVE: FA Cup result and reaction after Enzo scores a stunning free kick as Blues win
Unai Emery’s side play hosts in this fourth round replay but who will reach the next stage of the competition?
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Your support makes all the difference.Chelsea silenced the doubters and relieved some of the mounting pressure on manager Mauricio Pochettino with a confident 3-1 win over Aston Villa in the FA Cup fourth round.
The west London club had slipped into the bottom half of the table following back to back defeats to Liverpool and Wolves, but a youthful Chelsea showed fight and spirit at Villa Park.
Conor Gallagher opened the scoring with his first goal of the season for Chelsea in the 11th minute, with Nicolas Jackson, who had just returned from the Africa Cup of Nations doubling his side’s lead 10 minutes later.
In the second half Enzo Fernandes all but secured his side’s place in the next round with a stunning free kick straight into the top corner, and even a late consolation goal from Moussa Diaby could not deter Chelsea.
The previous fixture between the teams ended in a goalless draw at Stamford Bridge with Villa creating more chances on goal despite Chelsea seeing more possession. With the support of their home fans the midlands club will be hoping to get over the line and set up a fifth-round clash against Leeds or Plymouth Argyle.
Follow all the action below plus get the latest odds and tips right here:
Mauricio Pochettino is just a convenient fall guy for Chelsea’s ills – who would want to replace him?
“No one is safe,” said Mauricio Pochettino. And if the reality that he is the fifth man to take charge of a Chelsea game in the brief, ignominious reign of Clearlake Capital offers some proof, so does the maxim that it is cheaper to change the manager than the players. Especially when the context is that the manager was only given a two-year deal while 14 of the players have contracts until the 2030s, five more until 2029 and a further eight until 2028.
Such continuity ought to provide reassurance. Not when Chelsea are mired in the lower half of the table, for a second successive season, and when perhaps only one arrival in their £1bn recruitment drive – the outstanding anomaly Cole Palmer – can be classed as a definitive success.
Mauricio Pochettino is just a convenient fall guy for Chelsea’s ills
The strategy of Todd Boehly and the Clearlake group does not stand up to scrutiny, but it is the manager who will likely pay the price for their mistakes amid fury at Stamford Bridge
Aston Villa vs Chelsea
There’s some early team news from Chelsea:
Trevoh Chalobah – in team training for reconditioning phase.
Robert Sanchez – joined partial team training for reconditioning phase.
Levi Colwill – beginning reconditioning phase.
Marc Cucurella – continuing to undergo his rehabilitation programme.
Wesley Fofana – continuing to undergo his rehabilitation programme.
Reece James – continuing to undergo his rehabilitation programme.
Romeo Lavia – continuing to undergo his rehabilitation programme.
Lesley Ugochukwu – continuing to undergo his rehabilitation programme
Aston Villa vs Chelsea
There has been a lot of talk surrounding Mauricio Pochettino’s future at Chelsea in recent days.
Their league position following the Wolves defeat is almost identical to the one they found themselves in a year ago, that prompted the sacking of former manager Graham Potter.
Mauricio Pochettino rejects claims he said Chelsea players ‘are not good enough’
Mauricio Pochettino has rejected suggestions he said Chelsea’s players are not good enough, claiming his words following Sunday’s defeat by Wolves were taken out of context.
Immediately after the 4-2 loss at Stamford Bridge that left his team in the bottom half of the Premier League table, the Argentinian appeared to say he did not have the squad to significantly remedy the club’s plight.
Mauricio Pochettino rejects claims he said Chelsea players ‘are not good enough’
The Argentinian appeared to say he did not have the squad to significantly remedy the club’s plight.
Aston Villa vs Chelsea
Good evening and welcome to The Independent’s live blog coverage of the FA Cup fourth-round replay between Aston Villa and Chelsea.
The Blues have been subject to two heavy defeats in their last two matches, a 4-1 loss at Anfield, followed by a 4-2 home defeat to Wolves, but will want to bounce back and perform in the cup.
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