Stamford Bridge Picture by Paul Lagan
By Paul Lagan at Stamford Bridge
Chelsea 3 v Aston Villa 0
Cole Palmer scored another wonder goal as Chelsea outclassed free-falling Aston Villa 3-0 at Stamford Bridge this afternoon.
First half strikes from Nicolas Jackson Enzo emphasised the Blues' superiority, but it was Palmer's easy-flowing elegance and sensational curling left-footer on 83 minutes which sealed the game and justified his growing reputation as one of the world's developing superstars.
The Blues return to third in the Premier League.
It was Chelsea's first attack, but it was a goal.
On seven minutes the Blues produced a powerful counter, which saw Marc Cucurella take the ball off Jaden Philogene rather aggressively, a one-two with Jadon Sancho then saw the ball zipped across the six-yard box, and Jackson was first to react and clipped the ball home after it bounced off Emiliano Martinez's right post.
The visitors almost equalised on 15 minutes, but a breakaway saw Ollie Watkins snatch the ball off Moises Caicedo. He raced into the Chelsea area and tried to send a low ball past Sanchez.
But the England striker's effort was too close to Sanchez who gleefully snaffled the ball.
An indirect free kick was awarded to Chelsea on 22 minutes after Martinez basically picked up a short back pass from Pau after the goalkeeper parried away Palmer's daisy-cutter.
It not often that the goal-line is covered with players but that's what happened.
The Villa defence held firm, and when Enzo tapped the ball to Palmer, Martinez was on the spot to block the shot and it was eventually cleared.
Jackson really should have scored when Martinez inexplicably tapped the ball to him. But the striker, probably as surprised as anyone in the stadium failed to prod home and Martinez managed to throw his body on ball and player.
With 10 minutes left in the first half, the Blues doubled their lead when some smart interplay involving Palmer and Enzo, saw the Argentina midfielder toe-poke home from the edge of the Villa penalty area.
Watkins had a great chance to pull a goal back deep into added time.
Enzo lost the ball and it fell to the striker, who got a shot away, but Sanchez dived well to his left to stop the goal-bound effort.
There was one change at half-time, Martinez was replaced in goal with Robin Olsen
Chelsea were forced into making a substitution on 59 minutes when Wesley Fofana limped off – Benoit Badiashile replaced him.
Head coach Enzo Maresca then brought on some fresh legs in Noni and Christopher Nkunku, off went and Sancho on 70 minutes.
It was game over on 83 minutes when the first real piece of exceptional play saw Palmer receive the ball on the edge of the Villa area. He took one touch before curling a wonderful left-footed in-swinger that sailed round a Villa defender and smashed into the top left hand corner of Olsen's net. The goalkeeper didn't even move.
Malo Gusto and Joao Felix then came on to replace Palmer and Romeo Lavia and the game drifted to it's inevitably conclusion
**Teams: Chelsea: Sanchez, Caicedo, Cucurella, Enzo, Fofana, Jackson, Lavia, Neto, Palmer, Colwill, Sancho**
**Subs:Jorgensen, Badiashile, Felix, Gusto, Noni, Mudryk, Nkunku, Tosin, Veiga**
**Aston Villa:Martinez, Cash, Digne, Torres, Kamara, Konza, McGinn, Philogene, Rogers, Tielemans, Watkins**
**Subs:Bailey, Barkley, Bogarde, Buendia, Duran, Maatsen, Mings, Olsen, Carlos**