Chelsea fight to earn 2-1 win at struggling Villa
Chelsea boosted their hopes of securing Champions League football next season as second-one half goals from Christian Pulisic and Olivier Giroud secured a good 2-1 comeback win at relegation-threatened Aston Villa found in the Premier League on Sunday.
The effect left Chelsea fourth on 51 points from 30 games, five before fifth-placed Manchester United, while Villa's hopes of avoiding the drop were dented because they stayed second-bottom on 26 points, one point adrift of the safety zone.
Alternative Pulisic equalised on the hour and Giroud netted the winner several minutes later on after defender Kortney Hause had fired the house side in advance against the go of play in the 43rd minute along with his first Premier League target.
Hause achieved a good rare accomplishment of scoring found in each of England's leading four divisions when he scrambled in a close-collection rebound after Chelsea keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga parried a great Anwar El Ghazi shot from a wonderful cross by Douglas Luiz.
"We dominated, but it is the story of some of our games, we need to be more clinical," Chelsea manager Frank Lampard informed Sky Sporting activities. "But I can give the players some leeway because they've had lots of time away. We showed great persona and top quality in the next half to succeed the game."
Chelsea had 76% of the possession found in the opening half and missed a good string of chances, with Villa keeper Oerjan Nyland twice denying Mason Mount while Mateo Kovacic volleyed in . wide from the advantage of the penalty location.
Arrizabalaga was first also forced into action at the other end when he parried a ferocious El Ghazi shot from 25 metres, even while Ruben Loftus-Cheek failed to get a feel on Mount's low cross at the far post in the 39th minute.
American Pulisic equalised 5 minutes after coming about, when he stabbed a Cesar Azpilicueta cross off the underside of the bar at the much post as Villa's defence finally cracked under intense Chelsea pressure.
Azpilicueta delivered another informing assist two minutes later, threading the ball to Giroud from a good flowing maneuver and the Frenchman's deflected shot on the change gave Nyland no prospect.
Villa missed a gilt-edged chance to snatch a draw in the 87th minute when Spanish substitute Jota drove a great opportunist shot in . wide of the far content after a sloppy clearance by Chelsea defender Andreas Christensen.
