This archive report was first published on 21 June 2020.
Chelsea's Champions League hopes received a significant boost with a 2-1 comeback win over Aston Villa on June 21, 2020. The victory saw the Blues move five points ahead of fifth-placed Manchester United.
Chelsea dominated the game from the start, but it took until the 21st minute for them to force Orjan Nyland into a save. Ruben Loftus-Cheek, making his first Premier League appearance in 13 months, eased back into action during the first half.
However, it was Villa who took the lead in the 43rd minute after stunning the Blues with a stunning free-kick. Kortney Hause scrambled in the rebound from six yards to give Villa a first-half lead.
Chelsea bossed possession after the break but needed an extra dimension. It came in the form of Christian Pulisic and Ross Barkley, who were introduced within 10 minutes of the restart.
The duo proved decisive as the Blues scored twice in 121 seconds to turn the game. First, Pulisic levelled the score after an hour, firing in Cesar Azpilicueta's deep cross from close range. Then, Giroud was gifted too much space to turn and his effort took a deflection off Conor Hourihane before beating Nyland.
Villa were stunned, and all Chelsea needed to do was maintain their focus. The hosts lacked confidence, and Nyland tipped Willian's drive over, but Jota almost earned Villa a fortunate point when he fired wide with two minutes left.
