Chelsea 1-1 Aston Villa: 5 talking points as Frank Lampard trades bring mixed results

Olivier Giroud’s fine header was disallowed by Anwar El Ghazi’s second-half draw when a highly off-set Chelsea side was limited to a 1-1 draw by Aston Villa.

Giroud encountered a Ben Chilwell cross at the near post to head past Emiliano Martinez in the 34th minute, after an equal first half hour in west London.

Chelsea were punished for a slow start to the second half when El Ghazi broke loose at the back post to shoot in the equalizer in the 50th minute.

The game became increasingly frantic as it progressed, with Christian Pulisic and John McGinn closing in before Chilwell nearly grabbed all three points for the hosts with a volley in overtime.

But neither side could find the winner as the points were shared between the top two four contenders.

Here are five talking points from Stamford Bridge.

1. Lampard spins with a mixed effect

Frank Lampard made six changes to the starting eleven defeated 3-1 by Arsenal for the visit of Aston Villa.

The Chelsea manager cited the hectic match schedule when he explained his picks before the game, saying: “It is impossible to ask the same 11 to play again in two days at the same level, so the changes are natural anyway.”

But the overwhelming rotation was also needed after a losing streak of three losses in four Premier League games.

The changes were felt more in defense and attack; three of the four first-choice runners were rested, while Timo Werner and Tammy Abraham were retired by Callum Hudson-Osoi and Olivier Giroud.

Lampard was quickly vindicated for his decision to start Giroud and Hudson-Odoi on attack, as the former opened the scoring and the latter was Chelsea’s brightest player in the first half.

But the defensive changes didn’t produce the desired effect and the Blues’ bottom line was caught off guard when Anwar El Ghazi pushed unmarked off the back post early in the second half.

It was an unusually sloppy goal that Chelsea conceded given their excellent defensive record this season, and will likely cause players like Kurt Zouma, Thiago Silva and Reece James to withdraw for the next outing.

2. Giroud does well at the start

At the start of the season, few would have expected Olivier Giroud to still be the No. 9 Frank Lampard was becoming midway through the season.

Timo Werner came in for a handsome sum last summer and Tammy Abraham looked set to build an 18-goal campaign.

But the duo found themselves on the bench for Aston Villa’s visit, and Lampard’s decision to leave them for Giroud was rewarded.

The 34-year-old showed his instinctual movement and clinical eye for goal when he opened the scoring with a header in the first half.

The goal was Giroud’s third in four Premier League games, while £ 47m forward Werner is in the midst of a 10-match scoreless streak.

The World Cup winner also shone with his strength and heist game, pairing well with men of natural width Callum Hudson-Odoi and Christian Pulisic.

3. Smith takes a different tack

While Chelsea made sweeping changes, Aston Villa made just one for their trip to West London, with Dean Smith forced to put Ezri Konsa in center defense in place of the suspended Tyrone Mings.

“There are two lines of thinking,” Villa’s coach said before the game. “You have to rotate and get new legs in the team or continue with momentum and confidence. And for me the momentum and confidence stood out.”

Smith was rewarded for his faith in his regular XI starters, who have led the club to fifth place in the league after narrowly avoiding a slump last season.

Rather than upset the balance with the rotation, he lined up his stars in form and Anwar El Ghazi scored his fifth goal in five games to snatch a well-deserved point.

Villa has a fantastic balance this season and quality runs through the team, from goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez to Ollie Watkins up front.

Another positive result against a ‘Big Six’ team leaves them firmly in the running for a European spot.

4. Chilwell shines again

In just 13 appearances, Ben Chilwell has already matched his season-best total of four assists this season.

His shot from the left flank was typically accurate, as he found Olivier Giroud at the near post, giving the Frenchman a simple task to open the scoring.

The English international continues to comply with the £ 45 million fee Chelsea paid Leicester for his services last summer, and has established himself as one of the most important players on Frank Lampard’s team.

A steady departure on the touchline, Chilwell seemed the most comfortable member of a heavily rotated backline and nearly scored a spectacular winner in overtime.

5. The four main ramifications

Of course, it’s early in the season to talk about who will finish in the Champions League places at the end of the season.

But Frank Lampard will be well aware that his team, which is sixth in the table, lost two more points in the fiercely competitive race for the top four.

Not only that, Chelsea dropped points to one of their direct rivals at Aston Villa, which ranks one spot above the Blues on goal difference with two games in hand.

Lampard was answering questions about whether Chelsea are title contenders just a few weeks ago. He now finds him outside the top four with just one win in five games.

There is no talk of the title anymore, and Lampard is under pressure to change the way of the Blues.

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