*Blues edge it over Villa*

These were the nearly teams of last season, and it was plain to see why. They nearly gave us a good game, but something was missing from either side; in Chelsea’s case it was ruthlessness, in Aston Villa’s, adventure.

A single goal - Ugo Ehiogu diverting Dan Petrescu’s shot home - was enough to give Chelsea the point, deservedly so, and protect an unbeaten record at the expense of Villa’s.

Villa were beaten three times by Chelsea last season, twice in the Premiership and also in the Worthington Cup. The visitors’ cautious approach to the game duly reflected a mixture of awe and apprehension in opposition to a team whose crisp passing and sharp movement had so accentuated their fall from the grace of League leadership for four months.

And then again, to sit back, absorb pressure and hit on the counter is Villa’s way, often at home as well as away. It works well enough when the team is fresh, of mind and body, but the chasing and closing down involved is always likely to take its toll as the season progresses.

They were fortunate to encounter initially a Chelsea side whose game was a few degrees out and that is their problem. When their passing is astray, the avenues of movement shut down, and Chelsea do not have the variety of pace and aerial threat that make Manchester United and Arsenal a cut above the rest of the English field.

Petrescu, for example, usually so precise in his work, was guilty of a couple of messy misses that would have settled the team and set them on their way.

From Gianfranco Zola’s neat through-ball, he chipped over the bar early on, then again just before half-time, from Dennis Wise’s pass, a revitalised David James in the Villa goal out to him quickly.

The goalkeeper, looking the better for a move from Liverpool that has renewed his confidence, also tipped over Zola’s curling free-kick acrobatically and dived low to clutch the little Italian’s header from Albert Ferrer’s cross.

It was all so frustrating for Chelsea; on another day they might also have had a penalty when Zola went down under challenge from Ugo Ehiogu, but the referee Neale Barry, admirably, was not fooled and waved play on.

Jody Morris, making his first start of the season in place of the injured Didier Deschamps, gave Chelsea a neat look in midfield where his contest with Villa’s lively Lee Hendrie, who was replacing the dropped George Boateng, offered hope to English football.

It was just that the end product was inaccurate, the Villa defence, well marshalled by Gareth Southgate, who was wearing a headband to protect a cut behind an ear, was more comfortable than it might have been.

At the other end, Villa threatened only fitfully. Hendrie’s volley promised ambition early on, but it was not until just before half-time that Ed De Goey in the home goal was at all troubled, the Dutchman pushing away Dion Dublin’s header from Alan Thompson’s corner with comparative ease.

Then five minutes into the second half it came right for Petrescu and Chelsea.

Gustavo Poyet chipped a hopeful ball forward, which Ehiogu cleared poorly, heading only into the path of Petrescu. The Villa defender quickly sought to make amends and chased across but could only divert the Romanian’s cross-shot past James.

Now Chelsea were rampant. The hitherto subdued Chris Sutton was just too high with an overhead kick and Poyet dived to head a fraction wide, both chances fashioned by Petrescu.

Villa brought on Paul Merson and Steve Stone in a belated effort to poach a point. But even then Chelsea, with Tore Andre Flo and the debutante Gabriele Ambrosetti also introduced, still had the stronger armoury.