Chelsea impress again with convincing win as Aston Villa struggles continue

Chelsea continued to impress under head coach Enzo Maresca as Aston Villa were beaten comprehensively 3-0 at Stamford Bridge, extending the visitors’ winless streak to eight games.

Maresca saw his side score from two finely worked moves in the first half then from a Cole Palmer special late on, turning in a statement performance that showcased the rapid improvements that have been made since the Italian took charge.

Nicolas Jackson got the opening goal, profiting from ceaseless work from Marc Cucurella who won the ball in midfield and then streaked into the box to cross, before Enzo Fernandez finished off a wonderful move for his second goal in as many games.

Palmer curled in a blinder seven minutes from time but by then the fight was long gone from Unai Emery’s side who appeared bereft of belief as their fallow streak wore on.

Villa have now won just one of their last eight in the league and in the first half they looked like a team labouring under the weight of the world. Chelsea by contrast began ferociously, pinning Villa in their own half, seemingly out to disprove Maresca’s assertion that the Blues are not title contenders.

That energy bore fruit with a goal after seven minutes. A heavy touch in midfield from Jaden Philogene allowed Cucurella to spirit the ball away from him and up to the feet of Jadon Sancho. He returned it to Cucurella on the charge, the full-back gliding into the box and crossing low for Jackson to knock it coolly against the post and in.

Robert Sanchez denied Ollie Watkins midway through the half, standing up well in a one-on-one to answer those who had questioned his position as Chelsea number one.

At the other end, Emiliano Martinez endured a less edifying 45 minutes. There was the bizarre spectacle of an indirect Chelsea free-kick eight yards form goal when Villa’s goalkeeper picked up Pau Torres’ back-pass. Villa crowded all 11 players between the ball and their goal line and between them kept out Palmer’s rasping strike.

It would be half to forget for Martinez. He engineered another surreal moment when he seemingly failed to see Jackson who was standing three feet away, inexplicably passing the ball straight to his feet. The goalkeeper then injured himself in the scramble to win it back off a startled Jackson, and would not emerge for the second half, replaced by Robin Olsen.

Chelsea scored an excellent second before half time. Moises Caicedo, filling in at right-back but stepping into midfield with Chelsea in possession, clipped the ball forward for Fernandez who knocked it square to Palmer. Fernandez found space to receive Palmer’s return ball, flicking the ball up with his first touch and then pinged it with the outside of his right boot into the bottom corner.

Villa looked deflated and understandably so. Chelsea had run rings around them in the first half as the gloom hanging over Emery and his players showed no sign of lifting.

John McGinn was denied by Sanchez at the start of the second half when he looked to bend a low shot around Chelsea’s goalkeeper, who later had Levi Colwill to thank for clearing Jhon Duran’s header off the line.

It was the sum of what they would offer their travelling fans. It remained only for Palmer to whip Chelsea’s third high beyond a static Olsen to cap an excellent win.