Chelsea Vs Aston Villa [1–2] – Premier League 2025/2026: How Unai Emery Tactics Flipped The Game After Half-Time – Tactical Analysis

Chelsea were defeated by Aston Villa 2-1 at Stamford Bridge in Gameweek 18 of the 2025/2026 Premier League season.

It was a game of two halves, where Chelsea controlled the first 45 minutes, having a lion’s share of ball possession (71%).

They had 10 shots compared to none from their opponents, out of which seven were from inside the penalty area.

The Blues ended up scoring their solitary goal from a corner-kick.

The second half saw a different Villa side, especially after the triple substitution at the hour mark; one of the introductions, Ollie Watkins, ended up being the driving force behind the comeback.

The Villans had a total of 11 shots in the second half, seven more than the hosts; seven of those shots were from inside the penalty area, and eight were on target.

This indicates a staggering difference compared to the first half.

Through this tactical analysis, we aim to identify the causes of the two halves being so significantly different in attacking flow, i.e., the first half being in Chelsea’s favour and the second in Villa’s favour.

Chelsea Vs Aston Villa Lineups & Formations

Lets look at how Enzo Maresca and Unai Emery fielded their squads.

The hosts, Chelsea, played in a 4-2-3-1 formation.

Robert Sánchez started in goal, behind a back four of skipper Reece James (right-back), Trevoh Chalobah (right centre-back), Benoît Badiashile (left centre-back), and Marc Cucurella (left-back).