Aston Villa 1-0 Chelsea

Aston Villa rounded off their mid-season training camp in the Middle East with a 1-0 victory over Chelsea.

Captain John McGinn netted the only goal of the game in the seventh minute at Al Nahyan Stadium in Abu Dhabi, as Villa stepped up their match fitness in readiness for the return of Premier League action in two weeks’ time.

The impressive Arjan Raikhy hit the woodwork while Leon Bailey was denied by a super stop from Chelsea goalkeeper Marcus Bettinelli.

At the other end, Omari Hutchinson curled against a post for Chelsea and Robin Olsen had to be alert to palm away Lewis Hall’s strike.

Following Villa’s 2-2 draw against Brighton & Hove Albion in Dubai on Thursday, it was another opportunity for Unai Emery to utilise his ranks amid the desert heat.

Victory for the Villans saw them lift the inaugural CBF | Al Wahda Challenge Cup, closing the curtain on their trip ahead of a home fixture against Villarreal on Thursday.

Villa showed one change from the draw against Brighton three days ago, Raikhy coming in for the injured Emi Buendía.

Amid vocal support from Villa’s travelling supporters and international fans, Olsen was forced into a routine early stop to deny Hutchinson.

And it was Villa who opened the scoring with seven minutes on the clock, Lucas Digne breaking down the left and playing inside for Ollie Watkins, who flicked the ball on for McGinn to convert from 12 yards.

Hutchinson was proving a livewire for Chelsea and curled against the far post in the 12^th minute.

Both teams were looking lively in the final third in what was an entertaining encounter, with Watkins thwarted by a good save from Bettinelli, who did well to punch clear Douglas Luiz’s subsequent inswinging corner.

Luiz again tested Bettinelli from distance just before the break before Raikhy clipped the outside of a post from distance as Villa held a narrow advantage at the interval.

Kadan Young was introduced at half-time, but it was Olsen who came to Villa’s rescue within two minutes of the restart as he got down quickly and produced a superb one-handed save to deny Hall.

Olsen’s impressive stop was matched by opposite number Bettinelli in the 57^th minute as he got down well to keep out Bailey’s strike after the Jamaica international found himself clean through.

Head coach Emery turned to Calum Chambers, Ludwig Augustinsson, Cameron Archer and Danny Ings just after the hour.

And it was left-back Augustinsson who was denied by Bettinelli in the 76^th minute, with Marvelous Nakamba and Tommi O’Reilly getting match action late on.

However, there was still time for late drama as Ings fired wide when well placed while Chambers produced a superb block to ensure Villa secured victory.

Villa line-up: Olsen, A Young, Konsa (Chambers 63), Mings, Digne (Augustinsson 63), McGinn (c) (T O’Reilly 84), Kamara, Luiz (Nakamba 84), Raikhy (K Young 46), Bailey (Archer 63), Watkins (Ings 63).

Subs: Marschall, Zych, Feeney, Bogarde, Revan.