Chelsea were left frustrated as their stoppage-time winner at Aston Villa was ruled out by VAR, with the match ending 2-2 at Villa Park. Axel Disasi headed home in the fourth minute of added time to seemingly complete a remarkable comeback from two goals down, but the effort was disallowed after Benoit Badiashile was judged to have fouled Diego Carlos in the build-up.
Villa had dominated the first half, taking the lead after just four minutes when Marc Cucurella deflected John McGinn's scuffed shot into his own net. Morgan Rogers doubled the advantage just before the break with a low strike from the edge of the area, leaving Chelsea facing another difficult night following their 5-0 defeat at Arsenal.
Mauricio Pochettino's side responded strongly after the interval. Noni Madueke pulled one back in the 62nd minute after Conor Gallagher robbed Douglas Luiz, and Gallagher levelled the contest with a curling effort 10 minutes from time. Chelsea pushed for a winner and thought they had found it through Disasi, only for VAR to intervene.
The draw dealt a blow to Villa's hopes of securing Champions League qualification, as they missed the chance to move nine points clear of fifth-placed Tottenham, who hold three games in hand. Villa remain favourites for a top-four finish but face a tough run-in with Spurs still to play Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City.
For Chelsea, the performance offered some encouragement after a turbulent week, with Pochettino able to take positives from his side's spirited fightback despite their inconsistent season continuing.
