Ollie Watkins hails ‘amazing’ Aston Villa comeback win at Chelsea

Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins could barely contain his delight after coming off the bench to inspire a stunning 2-1 comeback victory over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

Villa looked in trouble after falling behind to João Pedro’s first-half goal, scored from a Reece James inswinging corner, as the hosts controlled much of the opening 45 minutes. But a decisive triple substitution from Unai Emery changed the course of the contest — and Watkins was the catalyst.

Introduced early in the second half, the England international needed only minutes to make his mark, levelling the score before heading home a dramatic 84th-minute winner to seal all three points in west London.

Speaking after the final whistle, Watkins summed up the occasion in typically understated fashion.

“Amazing, amazing win,” he said.
“Obviously, for me personally, to come on and score two goals is a great feeling.

“But to keep up this run and to come away here and beat Chelsea at a tough place is amazing — it’s the word to sum it up, really.”

The brace took Watkins to five goals for the season and underlined his importance, even when deployed as an impact substitute.

The victory carried significance well beyond the result itself. Villa’s win equalled the club’s all-time record of 11 consecutive victories, a feat previously achieved in September 1897, March 1914 and now again in December 2025.

It also extended their Premier League winning streak to eight matches, their longest run in the top flight since a nine-game sequence between October and December 1910.

Having followed Villa closely this season, the defining feature of this run has been adaptability — and Saturday was another clear example.

Watkins was quick to credit Unai Emery for the changes that turned the game on its head, describing the Spaniard’s in-game management as decisive.

“He changed it because Chelsea were going man for man,” Watkins explained. “But they had the extra centre-back when we were going long.

“So when I came on in the second half, he brought Sancho on the wing and Morgan, and I think it gave us a little bit more space. Then he put Youri in the No.10, so we had an extra body up there.

“Tactical genius, I would say.”

Those tweaks stretched Chelsea’s defensive structure, creating the space Watkins needed to punish them twice.

Villa’s ability to recover from a difficult first half — and do so away from home against elite opposition — continues to reinforce their status as genuine contenders near the top of the table.

However, it remains too early to draw firm conclusions about where this run will ultimately lead. The festive schedule offers little respite, and sustaining intensity across multiple competitions will be the next major test.

For now, though, Villa’s belief — and Watkins’ finishing — show no sign of slowing.

Villa will look to carry this momentum into the next round of fixtures, where rotation and recovery will be vital. With confidence high and tactical clarity evident, Emery’s side now face the challenge of maintaining standards as expectations rise.

Is this Aston Villa run sustainable — and can anyone stop them right now?