Asensio double, Rashford assists fire Aston Villa past Chelsea

Aston Villa rallied from behind to defeat Chelsea 2-1 at Villa Park, thanks to a second-half double from Marco Asensio and crucial assists from Marcus Rashford.

Chelsea took an early lead through Enzo Fernandez, but Asensio’s goals, both assisted by Rashford, turned the tide.

Fernandez opened the scoring in the ninth minute, tapping home Pedro Neto’s cross. However, the introduction of Rashford at halftime proved pivotal for Villa.

Asensio’s first goal was initially ruled offside, but was awarded after a VAR review showed Rashford being played onside by Fernandez. The former Real Madrid forward then secured the victory with a late winner, his shot slipping through goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen’s grasp.

This latest goalkeeping error adds to Chelsea’s woes, with Jorgensen replacing the error-prone Robert Sanchez.

Chelsea’s form has dipped, with four losses in their last five games, leaving them sixth in the table, one point outside the top four. Villa, who drew with Liverpool in midweek, are now just one point behind Chelsea in seventh, reigniting their Champions League qualification hopes.

Chelsea’s manager, Enzo Maresca, had called their previous performance against Brighton their “worst” of the season, but remained confident in their top-four chances. However, this defeat dealt a significant blow to their aspirations.

After Fernandez’s early goal, Villa pushed for an equalizer, with Ollie Watkins denied by Jorgensen and a crucial block from Marc Cucurella.

Rashford’s introduction at halftime changed the game. He set up Asensio’s first goal and then provided the assist for the winning goal.

Chelsea had chances to regain the lead, with Cole Palmer missing two key opportunities. But it was Villa who secured the points, courtesy of Asensio’s late strike and Jorgensen’s goalkeeping error.