Chelsea did not just lose the match at Villa Park on Saturday; their composure was utterly undone. That sense of being wholly in control of the title race, of slowly reeling in all rivals, was dispelled in an emotionally disorientating 25-minute spell.

Finishing with nine men and with their manager sent to the stands, Chelsea were exposed. They left Villa Park harbouring a sense of injustice, clearly distraught by a disallowed ‘goal’ and at least one contentious sending-off, even if the second red card was indisputable.

But the sight of Ramires leaving a stamp on Karim El Ahmadi and John Terry and Branislav Ivanovic, among others, remonstrating so vehemently has perhaps revealed a deeper vulnerability. What was beginning to look like an inexorable march to the title — Chelsea’s last League defeat was 3-2 at Stoke on December 7 — has been disrupted.

‘We are not in the title race,’ said Mourinho. ‘We are in a match race. We play every match, we try to win. We give everything. That’s our race.’

As everyone knows and despite Mourinho’s protestations, Chelsea are not only in the race but were many people’s favourites before Saturday.

But he also knows his side’s weaknesses. This is no invincible side, not even one of the great Chelsea teams.

And the manner in which they lost their heads suggests that deep down they know it, too.

To deal with the contentious incidents, Chelsea have a case in that the game’s turning point, the sending-off of Willian, was a marginal decision.

That said, the first yellow he received from referee Chris Foy on 25 minutes — an awful challenge through the back of El Ahmadi — was as close to being red as can be.

The second yellow, for a nudge on Fabian Delph as the Villa midfielder and man of the match strode through the middle, was less certain.

But Delph was streaking away, Willian was desperate and his touch unbalanced him, so Chelsea’s cause for complaint is relatively minor.

The remaining grievances can be dealt with swiftly.

Nemanja Matic controlled the ball with his right arm before putting it in the net from close range on 42 minutes and it was correctly disallowed; Ramires stamped on El Ahmadi as the Moroccan came across to win the ball on 90 minutes — a clear red card.

That incident took place in front of the benches and Mourinho encroached on to the pitch as Gabriel Agbonlahor, who had been substituted, rushed to grab Ramires.

But then so did many other coaching staff from both teams. Only the referee will be able to tell us if he was abused, but Mourinho denies that.

Perhaps Chelsea reacted so emotionally because Foy is the man who sent off Didier Drogba and Jose Bosingwa in the infamous match at QPR three years ago, during which Terry racially abused Anton Ferdinand. Foy has now sent off eight Chelsea players in his career.

But Mourinho’s dismissal, headline stealer that it is, was merely incidental. The deeper truth obscured by this melee is that Aston Villa played extremely well. ‘I thought we were outstanding,’ said boss Paul Lambert.

‘The decision didn’t change the game. My team, to a man, were brilliant.’

Though Willian’s dismissal was pivotal, it did not wholly change the balance of the game. Villa had been excellent. They pressed and they ran like demons.

Delph aside, Christian Benteke, Ashley Westwood and Andreas Weimann were outstanding. Long before the controversy, Villa had been getting in behind Chelsea, creating chances and playing on the front foot.

Lambert could point to Benteke’s volley on 39 minutes and the delightful link-up involving Agbonlahor, Benteke and Weimann on 63 minutes that needed a desperate leg from Matic to divert the Belgian’s shot wide.

Chelsea were better in the opening period of the second half, when Eden Hazard began to find his exquisite range, sidestepping Leandro Bacuna on 51 minutes and forcing a Brad Guzan save, then setting up Oscar on 62 minutes for a shot that was hacked away.

But Villa’s midfield ultimately had the upper hand, Delph coaxing the foul from Willian that led to red on 68 minutes and then scoring a delightful winner on 82.

Delph nipped in front of Ivanovic on halfway to sprint goalwards.

He released Marc Albrighton, who returned the ball with a decent, low cross. Sensing he might overrun the ball, Delph checked and impishly backheeled into the far corner.

On 90 minutes Delph saw another shot rebound off Petr Cech on to the crossbar. Deservedly, rather than controversially, Villa had beaten the champions elect

—Daily Mail