Aston Villa 2-1 Chelsea player ratings: Super-Sub Rashford sparks second-half comeback to break five-game winless streak
Aston Villa ended a five-game Premier League winless streak by coming from behind to defeat Chelsea 2-1 at Villa Park this evening.
Enzo Fernández put the visitors ahead early in the match. However, Marcus Rashford, who came off the bench, played a key role in Villa’s second-half comeback, with Marco Asensio converting both of his crosses. This marks the second time Rashford assisted the same player twice in a Premier League match, having previously done so for Anthony Martial against Sheffield United in June 2020.
FT: Aston Villa 2-1 Chelsea
Chelsea have now failed to win any of their last four Premier League games in which they led at half-time (L2 D2). 👀#AVLCHE | @bet365 | #Ad pic.twitter.com/Pan8MtuyqJ
— Squawka Live (@Squawka_Live) February 22, 2025
This season, Villa won three Premier League matches after trailing at halftime, which matches their joint-most ever in a single Premier League season, previously achieved in 2007/08.
On the other hand, Chelsea now lost two Premier League games this season after leading at halftime, which is more such defeats than they experienced in the previous five seasons combined (1). The only season in which they lost more games in this situation was in 1996-97, when they lost three.
Aston Villa player ratings
Emiliano Martínez: 71%
In another match without a clean sheet, Martinez delivered a strong performance, making five saves, two of which were inside the box. However, his long ball accuracy was just 40%, which was a drawback, as he often put his teammates in a difficult position by relinquishing possession.
Ian Maatsen: 59%
Playing against his former club, the Dutch international made two interceptions, more than any Aston Villa player, and completed six clearances, which also ranked Maatsen first among his teammates in this category.
Tyrone Mings: 61%
Picked up a knock early in the second half, which ultimately limited his participation as he came off for Lamare Bogarde in the 59th minute. Before exiting, Mings had a solid performance, achieving an impressive 92.9% pass retention rate and completing seven passes into the final third, the most of any Villa player while he was on the pitch. He won two aerial duels, produced two crucial blocks, and made one last-man tackle.
Ezri Konsa: 58%
Konsa made a crucial intervention with a last-ditch clearance to deny Cole Palmer when the game was tied at 1-1. He was also the only Villa player to successfully execute an offside trap. No other home player won possession in the defensive third more times than he did, achieving this four times.
Matty Cash: 53%
He was lucky to avoid punishment when his loss of possession resulted in Enzo shooting over. Cash would suffer a painful landing to conclude the first half. Cash, making his first start since his recent injury, left the game with 20 minutes remaining. He made one interception that helped retain possession, although his earlier error leading to a shot negatively impacted his final rating.
Youri Tielemans: 69%
Once again, Tielemans put in a shift. The Belgian midfielder won possession seven times in the middle third of the field, created one clear goal-scoring opportunity, and made three tackles. Only his central midfield partner, McGinn, won more duels. The one drawback was that Tielemans only succeeded in half of his attempted take-ons.
John McGinn: 70%
Had a speculative effort go over Filip Jørgensen just before halftime. He was kept busy in Villa’s midfield as Chelsea frequently transitioned from defence to attack. He successfully won 11 duels and completed all his attempted take-ons, but a late yellow card undoubtedly affected his final score.
Jacob Ramsey: 53%
He started on Villa’s left flank but was seldom involved, recording just 18 touches of the ball, which was the third-fewest of any Villa player in the opening half. Ramsey did not have a shot on goal, create a single chance, or attempt any take-ons. He was substituted at halftime and replaced by Marcus Rashford (78%), who contributed to Villa’s equaliser and later their winning goal. This was the first time since October 2020 that the on-loan Manchester United forward recorded two assists in a single Premier League match.
Morgan Rogers: 62%
Rogers had another inconsistent outing. Despite completing a team-high of three take-ons, he was dribbled past on two occasions. Playing from the flanks, he did not attempt a single shot on goal but managed to create one goalscoring opportunity, although it was not classified as a big chance.
Marco Asensio: 69%
He didn’t have the best game until he found himself in the right place to bundle home Villa’s equaliser. Asensio then netted an 89th-minute winner. It was the first he’s netted 2+ goals in a match since September 2021 (three for Real Madrid against Mallorca).
Ollie Watkins: 54%
No one in a Villa shirt had more shots on goal than Watkins, who had four attempts, with two of those on target. He missed one significant chance as well. Watkins also had seven touches in the opposition’s half, more than any of his teammates, which highlights that he could have performed better.
Chelsea player ratings
Filip Jørgensen: 48%
Had a relatively quiet game until the second half when Aston Villa began to gain momentum. Jørgensen should have done better on both of Villa’s goals. The second goal was a clear goalkeeping error, which will no doubt frustrate his manager. As Sky Sports commentator Rob Hawthorne pointed out, Chelsea currently has two backup goalkeepers and lacks a definitive number one.
Levi Colwill: 52%
Colwill cannot be blamed much for Chelsea’s disappointing performance, as the Blues centre-back won two aerial duels and completed five passes into the final third. However, his retention rate was below 90%, and his ground duel success rate was only 33.3%.
Trevoh Chalobah: N/A
His involvement lasted eight minutes before he left the field due to a suspected injury, with Tosin Adarabioyo (56%) taking his place. Adarabiyo recorded two interceptions and successfully completed six passes into the final third.
Reece James: 59%
Interestingly, he was placed in a central midfield role, and James went on to complete seven passes into the final third, more than any other Chelsea player. His four entries into the penalty area also led the team in that metric. Additionally, James achieved a 100% success rate in take-ons and recorded one interception. Despite this promising performance, it’s unlikely that he will continue to play in this position long-term.
Marc Cucurella: 51%
He was dribbled past on two occasions. Cucurella, typically an asset going forward from left-back, was rarely involved in Chelsea’s most promising attacks. However, he did win possession five times in the defensive third, indicating how much he was on the back foot after Villa turned the game around.
Enzo Fernández: 68%
He broke a nine-game scoring drought by tapping in Neto’s cross from close range. Enzo had the opportunity to double his efforts before the half-hour mark, yet his shot narrowly missed the target, sailing just above Martinez’s goal.
Moisés Caicedo: 54%
Once again, Caicedo delivered a combative performance in the middle third, winning possession five times and making a crucial interception inside the penalty box, although he was dribbled past once.
Malo Gusto: 49%
Chelsea conceded two goals, both resulting from individual errors. Jorgensen was responsible for the second goal, while Gusto was at fault for Villa’s equaliser. Gusto made another error, which led to a shot on goal, overshadowing his positive contributions. Despite these mistakes, he won two tackles, completed four clearances, regained possession six times in the defensive third, and blocked one cross.
Pedro Neto: 62%
His drive forward led to Chelsea scoring the opening goal, with Enzo Fernandez connecting perfectly with his cross. It was a big chance created and recorded as an intentional assist. He’s been involved in two goals in his last three Premier League appearances (1 goal, 1 assist), as many as he managed in his previous 18 matches in the competition.
Christopher Nkunku: 58%
Nkunku had one shot on target in another frustrating outing. He also registered one lay-off pass completed, which was fewer than James and Fernandez in the Chelsea midfield.
Cole Palmer: 69%
No player in a Chelsea shirt completed more take-ons than Palmer, who managed two. He was one of only two players from the visiting team to create a big chance. However, he registered just one shot on target and missed a clear opportunity to score when he had the goal at his mercy, only for Konsa to block his effort just outside an empty Villa goal.
How do Squawka player ratings work?
Squawka’s new player rating system is wholly stats-based. Player scores are based on the numbers they put up across a range of on-ball events, from goals scored to tackles won.
We tailored each score to the players’ respective positions using extensive research and expertise. For example, forwards are rated on metrics like shots on target, touches in the opposition box, and big chances created. Meanwhile, centre-backs are rewarded for winning aerial duels, making blocks, successful long-range passes, etc.
