It was a challenging opening 45 minutes for the Blues, who fell behind just before the 20-minute mark when Markie Meade’s lofted effort broke the deadlock for the hosts.

Villa doubled their lead before the interval as Jack McGrath converted from the penalty spot after Rodrigo Fortes was brought down in the area, leaving Chelsea 2-0 down at the break.

Although we were the brighter side in the second half, and enjoyed the greater share of possession and chances, we were unable to find a way through. Gordon’s stoppage-time finish proved only a consolation, and we returned to Cobham empty-handed as our 13-game unbeaten league run came to an end.

Difficult first half

Our Saturday afternoon league fixture began at a high tempo, with Villa creating the first clear opening. Striker Meade hammered an effort on target from inside the penalty area, but Hudson Sands reacted sharply to palm the ball away and prevent an early deficit.

Villa continued to apply pressure. Fortes whipped in a curling corner that drifted dangerously towards goal, and Sands was again alert to punch clear. The loose ball fell to Leon Routh, who drilled a low strike towards the near post, yet our keeper stood firm to produce another solid save.

The breakthrough arrived soon after. Sustained pressure forced a mistake in our back line, and Meade capitalised, intercepting a loose back pass before lofting a composed finish over Sands, who had been caught off his line.

Villa doubled their advantage moments later. Fortes showcased his quick footwork to weave into the penalty area and was brought down by Riley Ebho as the defender attempted to recover. The referee pointed to the spot without hesitation. McGrath stepped up and powered his penalty into the bottom corner to extend the hosts’ lead to two.

Our afternoon became more challenging just past the half-hour mark when Charlie Holland was forced off through injury, meaning Under-18 head coach Dan Hogan brought winger Kobe Barbour into the fold.

Hogan, ably assisted by the recently-appointed Under-18 assistant coach Frazer Robertson, saw his side go close in the final stages of the first half as we searched for a route back into the contest. Reggie Watson drove forward in possession and looked to link with Chizaram Ezenwata, but Villa’s defence remained compact and disciplined, limiting us to half-chances.

We headed into the interval two goals down and with plenty of work to do after the break.

Back out to battle

Chelsea returned to the pitch with renewed urgency, pushing forward from the outset in search of a breakthrough on away turf.

Our first opportunity of the second half arrived when Dante Waite sent a long, looping pass upfield. Barbour showed good control to bring it down before unleashing a strike inside the penalty area, but Owen Asemota reacted well to deny the close-range effort.

Mathis Eboue was next to threaten. The winger embarked on a surging run down the flank and fired a venomous shot from a tight angle, yet the Villa keeper remained equal to it. Moments later, Watson delivered a teasing, whipped cross into the box and Eboue met it with a powerful header, only to see the ball bounce down and over the bar.

Growing frustration

We thought we had pulled a goal back when Nicoll-Jazuli squared the ball to Ezenwata just inside the penalty area. The striker struck a powerful right-footed effort on target, but the Villa keeper produced an outstanding save to somehow keep it out.

Watson then had a chance to spark a late response as we entered the closing stages. After Waite was fouled just outside the box, our midfielder stepped up to take the free-kick. His effort cleared the wall and looked destined for the top corner, only to crash against the side of the post.

Our goal eventually arrived deep into stoppage time. Barbour teed up Gordon, who slid a composed diagonal finish into the back of the net. However, the whistle sounded almost immediately after the restart, bringing a frustrating afternoon for the Blues to a close.

What's next

Our young Blues return to Under-18 Premier League action on Saturday 21 February, when we host Southampton at Cobham. Kick-off is at 11am. Supporters around the world can watch the match live and free of charge on the Chelsea Official App and the website.

The teams

Chelsea (4-3-3): Hudson Sands; Riley Ebho (Heze Grimwade 81), Dante Waite, Olutayo Subuloye (c), Calvin Diakite; Charlie Holland (Kobe Barbour 31), Mahdi Nicoll-Jazuli, Reggie Watson; Ibrahim Rabbaj (Sol Gordon h-t), Chizaram Ezenwata, Mathis Eboue
Unused subs: Antoni Miernik, Gabriel Sambou
Scorer: Gordon 90+3
Booked: Eboue33

Aston Villa: Owen Asemota, Junior Wilson, Rodrigo Fortes (Lennon Melhuish 83), Teddie Bloomfield (c), Finlay Barnard, Leon Routh, Oscar Johnson (Vinnie Hayward 83), Fletcher Boyd, Markie Meade (Elijah Briscoe 76), Cole Ramsey (Clay Atkins 70), Jack McGrath
Unused sub: Rhys Oakley
Scorers: Meade 19, McGrath (p) 26
Booked: Meade 45, Barnard 61