What caused Austin MacPhee anger as Carney Chukwuemeka takes Aston Villa taunts in Chelsea draw

BirminghamLive brings you the talking points from Aston Villa's 0-0 draw against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge

Aston Villa are in the hat for the fifth round of the FA Cup, but will have to beat Chelsea in their fourth round replay to advance to the next stage of the competition after a goalless draw at Stamford Bridge.

Villa were lucky to go into the break on level terms despite VAR ruling out Douglas Luiz’s goal after the Brazilian handled the ball before tapping into an empty net. Emi Martínez made several top saves as Chelsea took control of the game after Villa thought they had broken the deadlock in the 12th minute.

Matty Cash came the closest to winning the game for Villa in the second period as his effort was tipped around the post by Dorde Petrovic. The draw ensured Villa avoided defeat away to a Premier League club in the FA Cup for the first time since a 1-1 draw at Newcastle in the 2000-01 third round, ending a run of seven straight such defeats.

READ MORE | John Townley's Aston Villa player ratings after Chelsea stalemate as Martinez, McGinn and Cash impress

READ MORE | Unai Emery fires warning to Aston Villa players after Chelsea FA Cup stalemate

Here are the talking points from Villa’s draw…

EMERY: VILLA GREW INTO THE GAME

Just like to the stalemate Villa played out at Goodison Park before the winter break, Emery’s side were denied a goal through VAR and could’ve won the game late on. On another day, they’ve have won the game but that’s now one goal in the three games for Villa.

Emery isn’t worried by the lack of goals in recent matches and claimed the draw was a fair result on the night.

"There were two different halves in the match,” he told the BBC. “The first half was more or less for them and they created chances. But we played very well defensively, very well in our own box and we played very well with Emiliano Martinez.

"Second half we got better. We created chances and we were in their box. We were controlling the game. But at the end, I think this draw, for both teams, is what they deserve.

"It's very important to compete and adapt to each opponent. We did that today. We tried to keep our mind and game plan clear. In the second half we tried to get progressively better."

SET-PIECES PAYING OFF...NEARLY

The goal Alex Moreno scored against Everton, which was subsequently ruled out for offside, came from a set-piece routine. Luiz’s disallowed tap-in at Stamford Bridge also came after a corner routine following a free-kick.

Austin MacPhee, standing on the edge of Villa’s technical area, was organising the players and bellowing instructions as John McGinn stood over a free-kick which he had won by slaloming past a number of Chelsea players who tried to bring him down.

The Villa skipper played a short free-kick to Moreno, who then picked out Youri Tielemans in the box, but the Belgian headed the ball into the ground which allowed Petrovic to tip the ball over the bar. Tielemans really should have done better, but it was that well-worked set-play which led to Luiz’s goal, later to be ruled out.

After Petrovic saved Tielemans header, MacPhee turned back around towards the away bench and was visibly angry, shaking his fists in fists in frustration that Villa hadn’t opened the scoring from the set-play.

MARTINEZ HEROICS

Villa has the chances to win the game, but only because Martinez kept Chelsea at bay in both halves. He denied Noni Madueke in a one-on-one situation minutes after VAR ruled Villa’s goal out, before Cole Palmer was also foiled by the Argentina number one.

Clement Lenglet played a pass across his box which Palmer intercepted, but Martinez bailed his teammate out by denying Palmer’s effort with his legs. Martinez did make an error in the second half when his clearance was blocked by Palmer inside the box, but the Chelsea playmaker tried to volley the ball and fluffed his lines.

"He played amazing today,” Emery said of Martinez. “He saved us two or three times. And then he was always ready to cover our centre-backs in behind. Emiliano today, we needed him. And really he played like he is - number one.

“Now we play at home, of course we wanted to win the match but now we accept this draw. We play at home in two weeks with our supporters.

“This competition is important for everybody. We want to be contenders as well. The message is clear, we want to try to be contenders in this competition. Of course it is difficult, but today we showed it."

Chelsea boss and Martinez’s compatriot Mauricio Pochettino was also full of praise for the Villa ‘keeper after full-time.

"Of course he is a world champion and is world class,” he said. “It's always so difficult to beat them.

"Of course it will be difficult but it is also an opportunity for us to keep growing and improving and of course we will take it in this way."

POCHETTINO HAILS VILLA IN VERDICT

Pochettino also insisted that his side’s performance against Villa proved what a long way they have come in recent weeks. That is, of course, testament to how impressive Villa have been this season.

“I think it was a very good game, I think we dominated more of the beginning,” Pochettino said. “Then in the second half, after 70 minutes, we start to drop our energy because we played three days ago, and of course that is a massive difference.

"When we were with the full energy we were the better side. Now is to think about the replay and of course move on and try to recover the players for the next game.

"I am so happy with the performance of the whole team, I think the performance was good we just weren't clinical enough. For them to face a team like Aston Villa who are doing fantastic in the Premier League and are in the top four, I think it's a very good signal that we are improving.

"Of course we wanted to win. we were not clinical enough. But we created chances and we need to keep believing and now we move on."

AWAY FANS TEASE CARNEY

It wasn’t the first time Chukwuemeka has been named in a Chelsea squad to face Villa, it was the third such occasion, but the midfielder made his first appearance against his former club on Friday night.

While 6,000 away fans were packed in at Stamford Bridge, they were sure to let Chukwuemeka thought of his decision to leave the club back in the summer of 2022 in favour of a move to west London.

As Chukwuemeka went to warm-up in the first half, Villa fans chanted: ‘You used to play for a big club’. They then poked more fun at the Chelsea man, chanting: ‘One game, you’ve only played one game’.

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