Chelsea see-off Villa after penalty shoot-out

LONDON: Chelsea embarked on their EFL (Carabao) Cup campaign making hard work of their win against Aston Villa. It took a penalty shoot-out for the European champions to progress to the last 16 stage with both sides ending normal time with a goal each. With Reece James converting the final shot at goal, the result was 4-3 on penalties in favour of the London club.

With first choice goalkeeper Edouard Mendy recovering from injury, Kepa Arrizabalaga had his second successive game and had the opportunity to display his heroics when it mattered in the penalty shoot-out. His brilliant one-handed save to deny Villa midfielder Marvellous Nakamba from the spot, after Villa had missed another chance, brought an end to the Midland team’s hopes of progress in the competition.

Chelsea rested some of their first-choice players, with an eye on the next big game in the Premier League against Manchester City, bringing in several reserves for this match. For a while it looked as if the reshuffled side might fail with the visitors equalising just ten minutes after Timo Werner had put Chelsea ahead in the 54th minute.

James had positioned himself on the edge of the opposition’s box and sent a cross into the six-yard area. Werner was quick to move in and rose unchallenged to head home with Jed Steer only managing to get a touch on the ball. It was the German’s first goal for the club since early May in the Champions League semifinal against Real Madrid.

After an equal balance of play in the first half Chelsea had raised the tempo but it was against the run of play that Villa’s 19-year-old Cameron Archer scored, heading in a cross from Matt Cash.

Archer also had an earlier chance in the last minute of the first half when Bertrand Traore sent a superb pass but Archer’s drive from it was blocked by the advancing Arrizabalaga and Chelsea were fortunate that the follow-up shot by Anwar El Ghazi was cleared off the line by James.

With Chelsea pressing hard throughout the second half, chances were created and missed. Werner should have scored a second goal but he flicked narrowly wide from a pass by Hakim Ziyech. There were further missed chances by Chelsea in a late surge. Callum Hudson-Odoi had his low-cross shot well saved by Villa keeper Steer.

Ziyech sent a shot just wide of the far post and Mason Mount, who was brought on at half time to replace N’Golo Kante, missed a sitter when his shot went wide from close range.

Fifteen minutes before normal time, Chelsea’s $97.5 million striker Romelu Lukaku and Ross Barkley came on as Chelsea looked for the winning goal but Villa held firm, taking the game to penalties which saw them miss their second and third attempts while Chelsea’s Ben Chilwell sent his team’s fourth shot crashing against the bar before James celebrated with the final attempt.