LONDON
\nUnder-pressure Chelsea manager Graham Potter said he took responsibility after a 2-0 loss at home to Aston Villa on Saturday sent the Blues into the bottom half of the Premier League tables.
\nOllie Watkins gave Villa an early lead before a superb strike by John McGinn, fresh from starring in Scotland\u2019s shock Euro 2024 win over Spain, made it 2-0 in the 56th minute with Chelsea booed off the field by their own fans come full-time at Stamford Bridge.
\nDefeat saw Villa leapfrog the hosts into ninth place, with the result leaving Chelsea, for so long used to being title-contenders, in 11th \u2013 below local rivals Fulham \u2013 and five points off any European spot.
\n\u201cI don\u2019t like to blame anybody, I have to take responsibility,\u201d said Potter.
\nAs for the jeers of the fans, the former Brighton boss added: \u201cWe can feel the pain of the supporters… I understand when you lose at home, the emotion of the game is such that people are going to be disappointed and frustrated and angry.
\n\u201cWhere we are in the league table, no one\u2019s happy with. Whatever criticism comes I have to accept.\u201d
\nOnce again Chelsea paid dearly for a lack of cutting edge up front. They had 27 shots on target to Villa\u2019s five \u2013 but the Birmingham club made two of their chances count.
\n\u201cThe intention of the team was there,\u201d said Potter. \u201cYou can tell by how many times we got in their box, the shots we had. There was a positive intent but the scoreline is painful for us.\u201d
\nThis was Villa\u2019s fifth away win since Unai Emery became manager in October, and they are now just one point off Liverpool in eighth, and just two points shy of a European place.
\nWatkins has been a central figure in that run, scoring 10 goals this season and looking a revitalised player since Emery replaced Steven Gerrard.
\n\u201cThe first thing is his commitment to practice every day, trying to improve,\u201d said Emery. \u201cWe\u2019re trying to help him to use his characteristics and his skill in our shape. He is very demanding every day to try to practice. We think he can improve.\u201d
\nWatkins broke the deadlock in the 18th minute, capitalising on a slack header from Marc Cucurella before lobbing the ball over Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga.
\nEmiliano Martinez, Argentina\u2019s World Cup-winning goalkeeper, preserved Villa\u2019s lead by diving low to his left to deny Kai Havertz.
\nVilla captain McGinn doubled the lead in style with a well-struck curling effort from 25 yards out.
\nChelsea worked hard but rarely threatened a goal. One consolation for the Blues was the sight of defender N\u2019Golo Kante, a 2018 World Cup winner with France, coming off the bench in the 57th minute to make his first senior appearance for Chelsea under Potter, having been sidelined since August.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
LONDON Under-pressure Chelsea manager Graham Potter said he took responsibility after a 2-0 loss at home to Aston Villa on Saturday sent the Blues into the bottom half of the Premier League tables. Ollie Watkins gave Villa an early lead before a superb strike by John McGinn, fresh from starring in Scotland\u2019s shock Euro 2024 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":323489,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-323477","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sports"},"yoast_head":"\n