Conor Gallagher's beautiful late strike gave Chelsea and Mauricio Pochettino the least they deserved with a 2-2 draw... while Aston Villa's second-half display will concern Unai Emery

There were fans with flares outside of Villa Park's Trinity Road Stand turning the air claret and blue as the team coaches arrived. 'On our way, on our way, to the Champions League, we're on our way,' they slurred after a thirsty Saturday build-up.

Even the bloke with a broken ankle was hopping along to the chant on his one good leg. They expected an easy victory against a Chelsea team that have resembled a £1billion travelling circus at times this season, not least in their five-goal mauling at Arsenal in midweek.

Yet there was nothing clownish about this performance from Mauricio Pochettino's Chelsea. They showed as much courage as we have seen from them all season, battling back from 2-0 down at half-time to draw 2-2 with strikes from Noni Madueke and Conor Gallagher.

It was the least they deserved and Chelsea would have won this match were it not for VAR disallowing Axel Disasi's stoppage-time header after a nudge in the back of Diego Carlos by Benoit Badiashile. Referee Craig Pawson was surrounded by blue at full-time. Chelsea were furious, feeling they were unfairly denied a terrific turnaround as Pochettino's assistant Jesus Perez tried desperately to drag his protesting players away.

Pochettino described it as a 'normal challenge' afterwards, bewildered by how Pawson saw it as legal in real time and then change his mind at his monitor. Chelsea's boss repeated the word 'damaged' in his media interviews, insisting VAR is harming our great game as he added: 'If we want to be the best league in the world, it should be protecting the spectacle and the decision. Now, we have to move on and it will be in the headlines, the disallowed goal.'

Villa departed with a strange sense of relief and regret. Relieved that they did not lose, but regretful over how they failed to go a full nine points clear of Tottenham in their pursuit of Champions League football. 

Seven will have to do, as Unai Emery said: 'Chelsea showed the power. We got one point. We achieved one very great objective we had during the season – to get Europa League and to still be a contender with Tottenham trying to get fourth position. You have to be motivated, excited, very proud of our work.'

Chelsea have so many men injured, you could name an XI using a little artistic licence, and it would be worth close to half a billion pounds in transfer value.

Cole Palmer was back in the line-up at least, the club's top goalscorer now over the illness which saw him miss their humiliation at Arsenal. Just like that trip to the Emirates Stadium, however, Chelsea's clean sheet lasted less than four minutes here.

It involved dire defending as a single pass from Pau Torres cut out Madueke and Trevoh Chalobah. That led to a cut-back by Lucas Digne for John McGinn, who bundled the ball over the line via Marc Cucurella.

Villa looked to shovel salt into Chelsea's wounds after that own goal by scoring an immediate second, with Digne striking the side-netting and Ollie Watkins testing Djordje Petrovic.

Out of nowhere, Chelsea then equalised, or so they thought. Moises Caicedo's ball over the top was collected nicely by Nicolas Jackson, the now shaven-headed striker producing a confident finish over Emiliano Martinez. Unfortunately for Chelsea, VAR ruled he was offside.

A series of chances went to waste for Chelsea thereafter, the worst of them being squandered by Jackson when Cucurella's hanging cross found him unmarked and he headed into the post from six yards.

The visiting supporters sang Bob Marley's Three Little Birds, insisting 'every little thing is gonna be alright'. In the 42nd minute, however, Villa doubled their lead as Morgan Rogers scored through the legs of Chalobah from the edge of the box after Chelsea's defence failed to clear.

Pochettino's players had created more than enough chances to score. They had managed almost 80 per cent possession at Villa Park. And yet, they trailed 2-0 at half-time.

At the start of the second half, Emery made a change, but not one we were expecting as Martinez was replaced by Robin Olsen. Cucurella tried to test the new goalkeeper's nerves within a minute of the restart but only blasted the ball into the North Stand.

In the 49th minute, Caicedo and Douglas Luiz engaged in a minor scrap, earning each a caution. Caicedo soon took his anger out on the ball but his rocket sailed into Olsen's arms.

Chelsea started to create chances all over again. Madueke beat Digne when he cut inside but could not find the far corner. Thiago Silva, still going strong at 39, sent a header goalward but Matty Cash threw his body in the way to block.

Then, at long last, Chelsea scored. It started with Villa trying to play out from the back, only for Gallagher to show why he is the Premier League's best presser by pinching possession off Luiz. That led to Madueke directing the ball into the bottom corner to half the deficit.

Chelsea were all over Villa with Olsen needed to punch clear Madueke's cross-cum-shot. Villa Park was showing its nerves, unsure if they would hold on to this win.

Chelsea's performance deserved a point, if not all three, and it was the captain Gallagher who saved them from defeat in the 81st minute. A beautiful finish it was, too, as the ball sailed beyond the reach of Olsen and into the top corner.

In stoppage time, Palmer had the chance to win it. He was one-on-one after a defensive cock-up by Villa but could not beat Olsen. From the subsequent corner, Disasi scored, but VAR told Pawson that there had been a push by Badiashile on Carlos. No goal, Pawson decided via his monitor, leaving Chelsea proud of their players but furious that they were denied the victory.