Chelsea missed the chance to climb back into the top four positions in the Premier League table as they fell to a 2-1 defeat against Aston villa at Villa Park.
Chelsea took the lead in the game after just nine minutes. Pedro Neto beat his marker on the right and made his way into the box, Enzo Fernandez was in the right place to tap his cross in from just yards out. The Blues resisted some pressure from Villa to take the lead into the half time break in what was a pretty even match between two sides aiming to play Champions League football next season.
Villa equalised in the second half when half-time substitute Marcus Rashford played the ball back for Marco Asensio. The goal was initially ruled out for offside, but VAR replays showed that Rashford was onside when the ball was played.
With just one minute of normal time remaining, the two same players combined again when Asensio again met Rashford’s cross. His strike squirmed under Filip Jorgensen to give Villa the lead.
The loss leaves Chelsea in fifth place in the table, one point behind Manchester City, who have a game in hand.
The race for top four at the end of the season could be a tight one, meaning that eyes could be on how rivals get on in their fixtures. With that in mind, here is a look at what lies ahead in the next few weeks for both Chelsea and their top four rivals.
Chelsea
February 25 vs Southampton (H) at 8.15pm – Premier League
March 6 vs FC Copenhagen (A) at 5.45pm – Conference League
March 9 vs Leicester City (H) at 2pm – Premier League
March 13 vs FC Copenhagen (H) at 8pm – Conference League
March 16 vs Arsenal (A) at 1.30pm – Premier League
Nottingham Forest
February 23 vs Newcastle (A) at 2pm – Premier League
February 26 vs Arsenal (H) at 7.30pm – Premier League
March 3 vs Ipswich Town (H) at 7.30pm – FA Cup R5
March 8 vs Manchester City (H) at 12.30pm – Premier League
March 15 vs Ipswich Town (A) at 3pm – Premier League
Man City
February 23 vs Liverpool (H) at 4.30pm – Premier League
February 26 vs Tottenham (A) at 7.30pm – Premier League
March 1 vs Plymouth Argyle (H) at 5.45pm – FA Cup R5
March 8 vs Nott’m Forest (A) at 12.30pm – Premier League
March 15 vs Brighton (H) at 3pm – Premier League
Bournemouth
February 22 vs Wolves (H) at 3pm – Premier League
February 25 vs Brighton (A) at 7.30pm – Premier League
March 1 vs Wolves (H) at 3pm – FA Cup R5
March 9 vs Tottenham (A) at 2pm – Premier League
March 15 vs Brentford (H) at 5.30pm – Premier League
Newcastle United
February 23 vs Nott’m Forest (H) at 2pm – Premier League
February 26 vs Liverpool (A) at 8.15pm – Premier League
March 2 vs Brighton (H) at 1.45pm – FA Cup R5
March 10 vs West Ham (A) at 8pm – Premier League
March 16 vs Liverpool (N) at 4.30pm – Carabao Cup Final
Aston Villa
February 25 vs Crystal Palace (A) at 7.30pm – Premier League
February 28 vs Cardiff City (H) at 8pm – FA Cup R5
March 4 vs Club Brugge (A) at 5.45pm – Champions League L16
March 8 vs Brentford (A) at 5.30pm – Premier League
March 12 vs Club Brugge (H) at 8pm – Champions League L16
