Chelsea have Spurs to thank for Champions League place despite Aston Villa loss

Aston Villa's Jack Grealish (left) and Chelsea's Mateo Kovacic clash at Villa Park. Picture: Nick Potts/PA

Aston Villa 2 Chelsea 1 

Chelsea scraped into next season’s Champions League despite losing 2-1 at Aston Villa after Leicester City’s 4-2 home defeat to Tottenham Hotspur allowed them to finish fourth in the Premier League.

Thomas Tuchel’s side missed a series of half-chances, Mason Mount the worst culprit before former Chelsea winger Bertrand Traore gave Villa a 43rd-minute lead.

Anwar El Ghazi made it 2-0 on 52 minutes from the spot after Traore was tripped but Ben Chilwell (70) gave Chelsea hope before captain Cesar Azpilicueta was sent off for pushing Jack Grealish in the face.

Aston Villa (4-2-3-1): Martinez 7; Konsa 7, Hause 7, Mings 7, Targett 8; Nakamba 6, McGinn 6; Traoré 8 (Chukwuemeka 73, 6), Grealish © 7, El Ghazi 7 (Ramsey 79, 6); Watkins 6.

Substitutes: Heaton, Taylor, Luiz, Wesley, El Mohamady, Davis, Ohilogene-Bidace.

Booked: McGinn, Martinez.

Chelsea (3-4-2-1): Mendy 6 (Arrizabalaga 46, 6); James 6, Thiago Silva 6, Rüdiger 6; Azpilicueta © 5, Kovacic 6 (Havertz 67, 6), Jorginho 6, Chilwell 7; Pulisic 6, Mount 7, Werner 6.

Booked: Jorginho, Werner.

Sent off: Azpilicueta.

Substitutes: Alonso, Christensen, Zouma, Giroud, Hudson-Odoi, Ziyech, Gilmour.

Referee: Stuart Attwell 7/10.