A goal in each half did the damage and moved today’s visitors to Stamford Bridge above us in the table.

In an end-to-end and action-packed first half, it was Villa who emerged with a goal, scored by Ollie Watkins after a misplaced header from Marc Cucurella. John McGinn had hit the Chelsea woodwork before then but the Blues had the vast majority of the attacks but with nothing to show from them.

Mykhailo Mudryk had the best chance but his shot was saved and Ben Chilwell had the ball in the net just before the interval but the goal was chalked off for a foul.

Chelsea hopes of a better second half were quickly dashed when John McGinn made it 2-0 to the Midlanders with a fierce drive.

There was one piece of good news from the match. N’Golo Kante came on during the second half, a hamstring injury and surgery having kept him out since the second game of the season.

The selection

There were three changes from the previous outing two weeks' earlier. Wesley Fofana was out injured but Reece James was fit to play having missed the midweek England game. He lined up in a back-three with Kalidou Koulibaly and one of the players coming in, Marc Cucurella.

Ruben Loftus-Cheek was drafted in at right wing-back and Mykhailo Mudryk was preferred to Christian Pulisic who had been ill during the week.

Early blow

An international break always brings uncertainty over how any team will restart their season. The Blues had won three out of the previous four with the most recent result the draw at home to Everton, when the visitors levelled the score late on.

Villa came into this game in very similar form having won three and drawn one of their last four.

The visitors picked up the first caution of the game within just four minutes. Kai Havertz picked up Kepa’s quick roll out and was tripped by Boubacar Kamara as he raced forward. The Villa player’s bad start to game almost became a lot worse when he was robbed of the ball inside his area by Mudryk but the winger’s shot hit the goalie.

At the other end, Watkins dragged an early shot wide when well placed. McGinn came a lot closer to scoring on 16 minutes with a first-time shot from the edge of the area which beat Kepa but came back off the bar. A minute later Villa did take the lead.

It came from a long ball forward towards Watkins with Cucurella and Koulibaly close to him. It was the Spaniard who got his head to the ball first but unfortunately with only enough power for it to fall in space from where the Villa centre-forward lifted over Kepa for a 1-0 lead.

Chances come

From that setback, a quick response was desirable and Joao Felix went close with a shot and Enzo headed a James cross wide.

Midway through the half, the dangerously advancing Chilwell went down under a challenge from Konsa and was convinced it was a foul. The referee disagreed and with it being just outside the area, VAR was not asked to give a verdict.

A great opportunity for an equaliser came and went after Kovacic split the West Midlanders’ defence. One on one with Emiliano Martinez, Mudryk’s low effort lacked the power to beat the World Cup-winner.

From a much more difficult angle, Chilwell had a shot blocked too, Kovacic again the provider, and Joao Felix hooked wide after a goalmouth scramble. A Chilwell cross then fell just behind the run of Havertz with the Villa defence stretched.

A bouncing Havertz effort was saved by the Argentinean before Stamford Bridge thought it had witnessed an equaliser moments before half-time. From a trademark Enzo lift of the ball into the danger zone, Chilwell of all people headed it in but a push on the back of Ashley Young had been spotted and the goal was ruled out.

There had been no shortage of Blues attacks since going a goal behind but the finishing had not been there, while Villa looked capable on the counter.

Welcome return but after further setback

Chelsea continued to attack at the start of the second half but with only long-range shots to show from it, a double substitution was being prepared with Noni Madueke and N’Golo Kante getting ready, the latter for his first football since mid-August.

However they would come on to chase a two-goal deficit after a McGinn thunderbolt flew into the Shed End net, the ball having fallen the midfielder’s way after a corner. Kepa must be sick of the sight of Scotland internationals on the back of his midweek outing for Spain.

There was brief hope of a Chelsea penalty after a Joao Felix shot was saved and bounced back onto Tyrone Mings but a VAR review saw no handball. Kante could have made a near-instant impact but fired wide.

Further changes were made, with Conor Gallagher and Christian Pulisic brought on in another double switch, but the frequent chances that had proceeded the second goal largely stopped in the wake of it.

What's next?

We are back at the Bridge as soon as this Tuesday for our rearranged Premier League fixture against Liverpool, beaten 4-1 by Man City earlier today. The match is an 8pm kick-off.

Chelsea (3-4-3): Kepa; James, Koulibaly, Cucurella (Pulisic 80); Loftus-Cheek (Kante 58), Enzo, Kovacic (c) (Gallagher 80), Chilwell; Havertz, Joao Felix, Mudryk (Madueke 58).

Subs Bettinelli, Badiashile, Chalobah, Chukwuemeka, Mount.

Booked Kovacic 39, Chilwell 54, Enzo 68

Aston Villa (4-2-3-1): Martinez; A Young, Konsa, Mings, Moreno (Digne 89); Kamara (Chambers h-t), Douglas Luiz (Dendoncker 87); McGinn, Buendia (Bailey 76), Ramsey; Watkins.

Subs Sinisalo, Wright, Carlos, Duran, Traore.

Scorers Watkins 17, McGinn 56

Booked Kamara 4, Chambers 84, Digne 90+4

Referee Andy Madley

Crowd 40,082