Chelsea qualify for the Champions League despite Aston Villa defeat
By Mueez Ajao
– Chelsea qualified for the Champions League despite losing 2-1 at Aston Villa in the Premier League on Sunday as they pipped Leicester City to a top-four spot by one point, helped by London rivals Tottenham, who beat Leicester on a dramatic final day.
– A Kasper Schmeichel’s own goal and two late Gareth Bale strikes at the King Power stadium allowed Chelsea to squeeze into the lucrative competition despite their 2-1 away loss at Aston Villa in the 38th matchday.
– As a result, the Blues will not be relying on their upcoming Champions League final clash with Manchester City to secure next year’s spot as their league performance was just enough to finish top four.
– The Blues went 2-0 down at Villa Park after both Bertrand Traore and Anwar El Ghazi scored, with Ben Chilwell’s 70th-minute strike not enough to avoid defeat.
– Thomas Tuchel’s side spent much of the 90 minutes outside the top four in the live table and pushed to secure at least a draw by bringing both Kai Havertz and Hakim Ziyech on from the bench.
– Making matters slightly worse, Cesar Azpilicueta got a late red card for slapping Jack Grealish in the face, which signified the emotions on show in the Midlands.
– However, even after a host of missed chances, they couldn’t find an equaliser and needed help from their London rivals to get over the line in the league.
