Chelsea 0-0 Aston Villa

Aston Villa played out a goalless draw with Chelsea in the FA Cup fourth round at Stamford Bridge on Friday night.

A pulsating first half saw Douglas Luiz’s 12^th-minute goal disallowed for handball after a VAR check before Emi Martínez took centre stage.

The goalkeeper made two fine saves when one-on-one with Cole Palmer and Noni Madueke before denying the latter again with a spectacular reflex stop.

Palmer spurned two further chances for the Blues in the second half, but it was Villa who provided the greater attacking threat as Matty Cash, Ezri Konsa and John McGinn all came close to finding a winner.

The sides will now do it all again in a replay at Villa Park next month.

Cash and Youri Tielemans were brought in to face the Blues as Villa chased a third consecutive win at Stamford Bridge, and the latter was straight into the action when his downward header was tipped over the crossbar.

The resulting corner was worked short to Moussa Diaby on the edge of the box, and the Frenchman’s shot was deflected into the path of Luiz, who took the ball down and tapped into an empty net.

However, replays showed that Villa’s No.6 had controlled the ball with his hand and the goal was chalked off.

Buoyed by the reprieve, the hosts pushed forward and drew two fine saves out of Martínez. First the Argentine kicked away Madueke’s shot when the winger found space on the right before using his feet once again to deny Palmer from close range.

Palmer was pulling the strings for Chelsea and when he laid the ball across for Madueke after 30 minutes the winger seemed destined to score. Martínez had other ideas, though, and somehow clawed his shot off the goal line and away to safety.  

Both sides had chances before the first half came to an end as Villa’s goalkeeper saved Benoit Badiashile’s header and Tielemans curled an effort over the bar from the edge of the box.

Palmer volleyed wide as the Blues threatened at the start of the second half before Villa began to control possession, calling Djordje Petrovic into action via Luiz’s skidding drive.

The pulsating first half had given way to a cagey second period as both teams struggled to find their fluency in attack, and a mistake almost handed Chelsea the opening goal after 68 minutes.

Martínez drilled a clearance straight at Palmer, who watched the ball loop up into the air before scuffing a volley tamely to the goalkeeper from inside the box.

Cash struck late to beat Middlesbrough in round three and he came close to putting his side in front when he drove forward and unleashed a left-foot drive that was tipped around the post.

Fellow defender Konsa slashed a half-volley wide after the ball dropped to him from a corner as the away side looked more likely to snatch a winner.

And in the dying minutes, McGinn turned an effort wide of the far post as the teams couldn't be separated.