English League Cup quarter-finals Aston Villa 2 Chelsea 1A bad week for Chelsea became even worse last night. Beaten at home by Bolton at the weekend, they have gone out of this cup to another of the Premiership's less fancied sides. If Claudio Ranieri's job is hardly on the line, the Italian will go to Fulham on Saturday under greater scrutiny than ever.
Lacking fluency and penetration, Chelsea were finally punished for a below-par performance when Neil Sullivan failed to hold a shot by the impressive Juan Pablo Angel and Gavin McCann followed up to put Aston Villa in the semi-finals.
It had seemed that Joe Cole's equaliser to Angel's fine opener would force extra-time.
Hernan Crespo wasted a late chance and Thomas Sorensen made a brilliant, injury-time stop from John Terry's header, but Ranieri may reflect that he selected the wrong starting team.
Chelsea were better once Frank Lampard came on, and then Crespo offered support to Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink in a 4-4-2, but often they were disrupted by Villa's sheer energy.
Ranieri's pre-match tinkering involved not just personnel, including a start for Sullivan, but a different formation. Chelsea started with three at the back.
That defence was almost exposed early on, with Sullivan denying Darius Vassell with his legs after a mistake by Claude Makelele, and it was no great surprise when Villa took the lead just after the quarter-hour.
Ranieri's frustration had been plain even before the lively Angel scored. Seizing on an error by William Gallas, who allowed the ball to bounce over him, the Colombian took his chance spectacularly. Having jinked past an unusually leaden Terry, he lashed a shot from outside the area which Sullivan will be disappointed to have let in, but which highlights showed would have tested any goalkeeper.
Chelsea were struggling. There was little fluency or penetration to their passing, though Villa deserved credit because they were pulling men back and closing down quickly. Once ahead, they were happy to strike on the counter.
In midfield, Lee Hendrie, McCann and Peter Whittingham were barely allowing Chelsea to breathe. David O'Leary's players were displaying an intent which Chelsea were failing to match.
Though Ranieri's team had almost all the ball up to the interval, they created next to nothing.
It was a sign of their frustration that Hasselbaink argued with Ronny Johnsen, and the sight of Hasselbaink colliding with Damien Duff shortly after summed up Chelsea's start.
Duff and Cole, who had been asked to operate behind Hasselbaink, were barely figuring. Duff was robbed too regularly, though his pass did provide Chelsea's one notable chance of the first half.
Five minutes before the interval the Dubliner sent Cole scampering towards goal. There were defenders in attendance but he struck a shot which Thomas Sorensen saved well.
At the other end, Sullivan had been quiet, and he will be grateful the officials failed to see him push McCann's head into the turf after they collided.
It was no surprise that Ranieri brought on Lampard for the second half because the midfielder's steadiness and bite had been missed. Yet he could not make an instant impact and Ranieri finally made the further changes his team needed by bringing on Crespo and Jesper Gronkjaer.
Though Chelsea restarted by doing most of the pressing, they were once more struggling to create chances. After Sullivan saved from Angel, Crespo shot wide but the Argentinian made amends by crossing for Cole to bundle in an equaliser.
Guardian Service
ASTON VILLA (4-4-2): Sorensen; Delaney, Mellberg, Johnsen, Samuel; Hendrie (Hitzlsperger, 70), McCann, Whittingham, Barry; Vassell (S Moore, 52), Angel (Crouch, 83). Subs not used: Postma, Ridgewell. Booked: Delaney, Sorenesen.
CHELSEA (3-4-2-1): Sullivan; Melchiot, Terry, Gallas; Johnson (Gronkjaer, 56), Makelele (Lampard, h-t), Geremi, Babayaro; Duff (Crespo, 56), Cole; Hasselbaink. Subs not used: Ambrosio, Desailly. Booked: Terry, Gallas.
Referee: N Barry.
