Dead at Half-Time, Relentless by Full-Time: How Emery Broke Chelsea

2025-12-28

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Aston Villa were bullied, outplayed, and offered nothing for an hour at Stamford Bridge. Twenty-nine percent possession. No shots. One goal down. Seasoned Villa fans were already bracing themselves.Then Unai Emery changed everything.On this My Old Man Said post-mortem show, we dissect one of the most revealing wins of the season. A game that looked dead and buried until a triple substitution flipped the script, Ollie Watkins reminded everyone what a proper centre-forward does, and Villa scored twice in a twenty-minute burst that left...

Aston Villa were bullied, outplayed, and offered nothing for an hour at Stamford Bridge. Twenty-nine percent possession. No shots. One goal down. Seasoned Villa fans were already bracing themselves.

Then Unai Emery changed everything.

On this My Old Man Said post-mortem show, we dissect one of the most revealing wins of the season. A game that looked dead and buried until a triple substitution flipped the script, Ollie Watkins reminded everyone what a proper centre-forward does, and Villa scored twice in a twenty-minute burst that left Chelsea flat on their backs.

We get into why the first half was arguably Villa’s worst of the season, how Chelsea’s energy and game management exposed familiar issues, and why Emery’s in-game reading of matches is now a genuine competitive advantage. There’s deep discussion on Watkins’ impact, the mentality shift under Emery, and the growing pattern of Villa winning games without control, possession, or apology.

This isn’t about pretty football or stats. It’s about resilience, timing, and a team that no longer folds when things go wrong. Villa are now ten points clear of Chelsea, racking up wins from losing positions, and quietly building the foundations of a serious Champions League push.

Unsustainable? Maybe. Uncomfortable? Definitely. Effective? Absolutely.

UTV

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Credits:

David Michael - @myoldmansaid

Chris Budd - @BUDD_music

Phillip Shaw - @prsgame

Music production & creation - David Michael

My Old Man Said - https://www.myoldmansaid.com