Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio combine to propel Aston Villa to victory over Chelsea

Chelsea took an early lead when Enzo Fernandez (9) was left unmarked and calmly slotted home Pedro Neto's cross. However, the momentum shifted once Rashford entered the field.

The Manchester United loanee replaced Jacob Ramsey at half-time, and it wasn't long before his extended leg passed the ball to Asensio, who marked his first goal for Villa (57).

After leveling the score, Villa gained confidence, and the same pair combined again for the winning goal in the 89th minute. Asensio's shot squeezed past Filip Jorgensen following another assist from Rashford.

Both Rashford and Asensio were signed on loan during the January transfer window, and they now appear to be settling in well under Unai Emery, with their efforts lifting Villa to just one point behind Chelsea in sixth place, while Chelsea missed the chance to enter the top four.

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery said:

"We've been strong in our last three home games in the Premier League. We were demanding of ourselves because, despite playing well, we weren't getting the results we wanted."

Emery praised Rashford's influence after coming on at halftime and contributing two assists in the 2-1 victory over Chelsea.

"We weren't happy with the first half, as we conceded and weren't in control. But progressively, we started improving."

"We talked about how we needed to respond in the second half, with the energy we required. I'm very happy with how we reacted and took the three points."

"Today, we had opportunities, and we capitalized on them."

Bringing in high-profile players during the transfer window always generates excitement, but success is never guaranteed.

Rashford and Asensio will take the spotlight after their two key contributions in the comeback against Chelsea. But the positives extend beyond them.

Donyell Malen has been impressive in all six of his appearances, Andres Garcia has become a fan favorite after recovering from a mistake against Liverpool, and Axel Disasi made a strong impression against Liverpool, with his absence being felt when Tyrone Mings was injured.

Though the January transfer window is always a challenging period for signings, early signs suggest that Villa may have completed a "masterclass" in the market, as Sky Sports' Jamie Redknapp put it.

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca reflected on the loss:

"This is probably the toughest defeat of the season. The reason is that the reaction against Brighton was brilliant, but this moment is not enough."

"Our team is capable. We tried to exploit Pedro on the wing, and it worked well. We're just unlucky right now, and we need to turn that around."

"In this league, you have to be clinical. The difference comes in the box, and we didn't convert our chances."

Chelsea's struggles continue. Maresca's side has now dropped 15 points from winning positions this season, with 13 of those points lost since Boxing Day.

While Chelsea looked promising early on with Pedro Neto surging forward and Cole Palmer playing confidently, Villa fought back, and Chelsea had no answers for Rashford and Asensio.

Chelsea are fortunate that they have a game in hand over Villa in seventh and that Bournemouth lost to Wolves. However, their current form remains concerning.

After failing to make an impact in their 3-0 loss to Brighton last week, Chelsea crumbled again late against Villa. These two devastating defeats to rivals for a Champions League spot have only added to their woes.

Maresca had stated before the match that each game is now a "final" for Chelsea, but if that's truly the case, silverware seems a long way off.

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