Aston Villa 2-1 Chelsea

Aston Villa triumphed 2-1 over Chelsea on the final day of the Premier League season to celebrate the return of 10,000 supporters inside Villa Park.

Bertrand Traore, impressive against his former club, fired Villa ahead from 12 yards off the underside of the crossbar via a corner routine to register his seventh league goal of the season just before half-time.

Anwar El Ghazi doubled the advantage from the penalty spot in the 52^nd minute, his 10^th of the campaign, after Traore had been upended by Jorginho.

Ben Chilwell pulled one back for the visitors to set up a nervy finale, which saw Blues skipper Cesar Azpilicueta sent off late on.

But it was Villa who triumphed to record victory in the club’s 1,000^th Premier League fixture – marking in style the end of a long 15-month wait without fans at Villa Park.

It was a 16^th win of the season for Dean Smith’s side, seven more than last season, as Villa finished the 2020/21 campaign in 11^th place on 55 points.

It represents the club’s highest top-flight points tally for 11 years and highest league finish for a decade.

Dean Smith named an unchanged starting line-up, opting for the same XI who impressively claimed a 2-1 victory at Tottenham Hostpur in midweek.

The inclusion of Emi Martinez and Matt Targett against the Blues ensured the duo had started all 38 league fixtures this term.

And they earned deserved recognition ahead of kick-off as Martinez was awarded the club’s 2020/21 Supporters’ Player of the Season and Targett collected the Players’ Player of the Season honour.

The atmosphere was raucous inside Villa Park as ‘Allez, Allez, Allez’ reverberated around the stadium, but it was Chelsea, having won 10 of the last 12 meetings between the two sides, who largely dominated the opening quarter of the encounter.

Martinez was called upon to save from Chilwell, Mason Mount and Timo Werner while Traore tested Edouard Mendy at the other end.

Mount blazed a glorious chance off target from 12 yards in the 24^th minute before John McGinn won the ball off Mateo Kovacic in a dangerous position and fired just wide prior to the half-hour mark.

Villa were gaining momentum and posing plenty of problems for the Chelsea defence as the first half wore on.

And it was the hosts who struck first to gain the crucial breakthrough just before the break, unmarked Traore sweeping home Targett’s low corner into the ground and off the underside of the crossbar.

Targett narrowly avoided unknowingly putting through his own net shortly after the restart, Christian Pulisic’s shot deflecting off him and flying inches wide.

But, against a Chelsea side unbeaten under Thomas Tuchel in eight away league matches, it was soon 2-0 as Villa doubled their advantage from the penalty spot.

Jorginho fouled Traore in the area and El Ghazi stepped up to send substitute goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga, on at half-time, the wrong way.

In response, Mount fired narrowly off target from distance, Werner saw a goal disallowed for offside and sub Kai Havertz directed an effort over the crossbar from close range.

Chilwell reduced the arrears in the 70^th minute when he volleyed home Pulisic’s cross, despite the best efforts of Martinez to prevent the ball crossing the line.

Carney Chukwuemeka was introduced off the bench, just days after his first-team bow against Spurs.

Chelsea kept pushing in search of a leveller, Azpilicueta drilling just wide from long range before Martinez saved with his legs to deny Chilwell in the 87^th minute.

Azpilicueta was dismissed following a clash with Jack Grealish and, despite five minutes injury time, it was Villa who held firm to finish the campaign with back-to-back wins, sealing their first victory on the final day of the season since 2011.