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In their final game of the Premier League campaign, Chelsea fell to a disappointing 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa. However, Tottenham's victory over Leicester City means the Blues have secured a highly sought after top-four finish.
Chelsea traveled to Villa Park on Sunday afternoon in need of a win to secure their place in the UEFA Champions League places. The Blues were seated in third place, one point above Leicester City and two above Liverpool.
In a dire performance from Thomas Tuchel’s men, goals from former winger Bertrand Traore and El Ghazi ensured the Villans raced to a deserved two-goal lead.
England full-back Ben Chilwell pulled one back for the Blues with 20 minutes remaining on the clock, but the hosts held on to their lead thanks to their tenacious defending.
However, results elsewhere ensured Chelsea sneaked into the top-four as Tottenham claimed a 4-2 victory over FA Cup winners Leicester City.
Chelsea can now breathe a sigh of relief and clean the dust from under their feet ahead of their Champions League final clash against Manchester City on Saturday. Below is how we rate the Chelsea players from their 2-1 loss to Aston Villa.
Chelsea player ratings
Edouard Mendy 5/10
The Chelsea shot-stopper was largely undisturbed as Chelsea were on the front foot while he was on the pitch. However, he was let down by a lapse in concentration by his defenders as they left Bertrand Traore unmarked in the box to fire home the opener. Mendy was hauled off at halftime due to an injury after colliding with the post while trying to keep out Traore’s strike.
Reece James 6/10
One of the best players from the rest of the collectively poor squad. He performed his duties diligently as he kept Ollie Watkins quiet all game. He showed his versatility as he performed brilliantly when moved into midfield in place of Kovacic.
Thiago Silva 6/10
Another vintage performance from the veteran centre-back. He was dependable at the center of Chelsea’s three-man defense, accurately distributing the ball as Chelsea played out from behind. He finished the game with three clearances and two tackles, and won four of his six attempted duels.
Antonio Rudiger 5.5/10
An uncharacteristically quiet performance from the ever-lively German. He made no tackles or interceptions and won just one aerial duel all game. However, he kept the ball moving whenever in possession and was very accurate with his passing, completing over 93% of them.
Cesar Azpilicueta 5/10
The Chelsea captain was more or less the only bright spark for the Blues down the right flank. He constantly marauded forward to join the attack and whipped in dangerous crosses into the Aston Villa penalty box. However, his night turned sour after he received an early bath for a foul on Jack Grealish.
Jorginho 4/10
It was a game to forget from the Chelsea midfielder. He was off the pace at the center of the park and failed to grow into the game as it progressed. Despite his accurate ball distribution, he was poor defensively and was solely at fault for the hosts’ second goal after giving away a cheap penalty in the second half.
Mateo Kovacic 4/10
It was a poor outing from the Croatian midfielder, who seemed to lack match fitness. He occasionally put Chelsea under threat as he gave the ball away in dangerous areas. Kovacic resulted in needless fouling as he tried to make amends and was booked for a foul on Villa star Jack Grealish.
Ben Chilwell 6.5/10
Chilwell had a slow start to the game as he was often sloppy on the ball in the first half. However, he grew into the tie in the second half and would finish as one of their best performers. The England international pulled one back for Chelsea in the 70th minute after connecting to a cross from Christian Pulisic.
Christian Pulisic 3.5/10
Another shambolic performance from the Chelsea forward, who has simply run out of steam at the business end of the season. He constantly struggled to link up with his team-mates and often failed to get past his marker. Other than his assist to Chilwell’s goal, he offered nothing for the Blues.
Mason Mount 5/10
A surprisingly uneventful outing from Chelsea’s player of the year. He missed a couple of glorious chances in either half that could have put the Blues back in the game.
Timo Werner 6/10
Timo Werner was vivacious playing up top in the Chelsea attack. His pace made him a thorn in the flesh for the Aston Villa defenders, who struggled to keep up with him. He created few chances for his side, but struggled to cope with aerial balls given the opposition defenders' height advantage.
Player ratings for Chelsea substitutes
Kepa Arrizabalaga 5/10
The Spaniard came off the bench for the injured Edouard Mendy and had a decent outing. There was nothing he could do about El Ghazi’s penalty as it was a well-taken strike.
Hakim Ziyech 5.5/10
He replaced the struggling Jorginho in the 60th minute and tried his best to inject life into the Chelsea attack. He ultimately failed to spark a comeback for the Blues, who were simply poor in the game.
Kai Havertz 4.5/10
Kai Havertz came on for Mateo Kovacic in the 66th minute. However, he failed to make an impact and missed two glorious chances to pull one back for the Blues.
