Chelsea were held to a 0-0 draw by Aston Villa as both sides squandered opportunities at Stamford Bridge on Friday in their fourth-round FA Cup fixture.
Chelsea had scored six in their previous outing, dispatching Middlesbrough to reach next month’s League Cup final against Liverpool.
But Mauricio Pochettino’s men found Villa a tougher nut as a combined 23 shots from both sides failed to yield a winner.
In a rematch of the 2000 FA Cup final won by Chelsea, John McGinn spurned Villa’s best chances in each half.
Emiliano Martinez made fine saves from Chelsea’s Noni Madueke and Cole Palmer to set up a replay at Villa Park.
“The performance was good, we just weren’t clinical enough. To face a team like Aston Villa who are doing fantastic in the Premier League, I think it’s a very good signal that we are improving,” Pochettino said.
Nottingham Forest were held to a 0-0 draw by Championship giant-killers Bristol City at Ashton Gate.
City enjoyed a shock win over West Ham in a third round replay earlier in January and once again they made life difficult for Premier League opponents.
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