The momentum shifted several times as we hosted Aston Villa at the Bridge in the FA Cup, but neither side could find the goal they needed to book their place in the fifth round tonight.

The visitors started in the ascendancy, but once Youri Tielemans' header had been saved by Djordje Petrovic and Douglas Luiz's goal correctly ruled out by VAR for handball, it was Chelsea who were on the front foot.

We had our chances to win the game, especially during the first half when goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez kept his team in it, denying Cole Palmer and Noni Madueke with his feet when one-on-one.

After the break, Palmer couldn't take advantage when gifted an opportunity by a poor Martinez kick and Petrovic kept out Matty Cash at full stretch, but the longer the match went on the more inevitable a replay became.

Let-off for the Blues

Villa should have taken the lead just over 10 minutes in. The award of the free-kick – and booking for Thiago Silva – were debatable, but when the cross came into the box from the set-piece, Conor Gallagher’s slip allowed Youri Tielemans a free header eight yards out. He should have given his team the lead, but headed down into the ground, allowing Djordje Petrovic to react quickly and tip over the bar.

Moments later the visitors did have the ball in the net, when Moussa Diaby’s hopeful shot deflected off Alfie Gilchrist and ricocheted in the box, falling for Douglas Luiz to tap in, but VAR intervened and ruled the goal out after replays showed the Brazilian had controlled with his hand.

Chelsea take charge

This FA Cup tie was starting to open up, though, and next it was the Blues who were unlucky not to be in the lead, on more than one occasion. First Emiliano Martinez made two good saves with his feet to deny Noni Madueke and Cole Palmer one-on-one, and then the Argentine keeper sprawled across his line to claw the ball away after a Villa defender almost headed a Madueke cross into his own goal.

Martinez made an even better save to stop an own goal around 30 minutes in. There was lovely skill down the left by Raheem Sterling and Palmer in the build-up, before the latter drilled a low cut-back towards the edge of the six-yard box. Ezri Konsa got there just before Madueke, but could only turn it goalwards, leaving him thankful when his keeper reacted to palm it back out.

The first half ended with Chelsea very much on top, and we had been from the moment VAR disallowed that Luiz goal, but this FA Cup tie was still goalless and finely poised after the opening 45 minutes, even if it took one more save by Martinez in added time to keep out Benoit Badiashile's back-post header.

There was a lively start to the second half as both sides looked to up the tempo a bit, resulting in decent chances at either end. Neither found the net, though. Palmer’s round-house volley was easy on the eye, but wide of the target, while Diaby’s finish from an angle wasn’t hit cleanly, allowing Petrovic to collect easily.

Chances dry up

Things quietened down after that, although those in Blue were becoming increasingly frustrated by some of the officials’ decisions, especially when they failed to award a foul after Madueke was wrestled to the ground.

After Martinez had done so much to deny us the opening goal before half-time, he nearly gifted it to us midway through the second half. His scuffed kick hit Palmer’s heels and looped into the air behind the Villa defence, but unfortunately Cole misjudged the flight of the ball as he attempted to volley it first-time on its way back down.

Meanwhile, we were thankful to our own goalkeeper for keeping it at 0-0 with just under 20 minutes remaining, Petrovic at full stretch to tip Matty Cash’s low drive around his right-hand post.

By the time we reached the last 15 minutes, Ben Chilwell, Mykhailo Mudryk and Armando Broja had all been introduced from the bench in an effort to find a winning goal. It turned out to be in vain, though, as the opportunities for both teams became increasingly sparse as the game went on, meaning the two teams will need to be separated on another night.

What it means

Both teams will have their hat in Sunday's draw for the FA Cup fifth round for now, before this tie will be decided in a replay at Villa Park, on a date to be confirmed.

What is next

Chelsea return to Premier League action next week for an away trip to take on Liverpool at Anfield on Wednesday 31 January, with kick-off at 8.15pm.

The teams

Chelsea (4-3-3): Petrovic; Gilchrist (Chilwell 65), Disasi, Thiago Silva, Badiashile; Gallagher (c), Caicedo, Enzo (Chukwuemeka 89); Madueke (Mudryk 77), Palmer, Sterling (Broja 77)
Unused subs: Bergstrom, Merrick, Williams, Castledine, Washington
Booked: Thiago Silva 9

Aston Villa (4-4-2): Martinez; Cash (Carlos 82) , Konsa, Lenglet, Moreno; Tielemans (Zaniolo 82), Luiz, Kamara, McGinn (c); Diaby (Bailey 90+1), Watkins
Unused subs: Olsen, Wright, Munroe, Chambers, Iroegbunam, Kellyman

Referee: Robert Jones

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