Enzo Fernandez of Chelsea celebrates with teammate Pedro Neto
All smiles for Chelsea pair Pedro Neto and Enzo Fernandez
Chelsea showcased their top four credentials as they blew away out-of-form Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge.
Enzo Maresca's men got off to a quick start and took a seventh-minute lead with Nicolas Jackson again finding the net, his eighth in the Premier League this season already, turning a fine left-foot volley past Emi Martinez after Marc Cucurella's cutback.
Enzo Fernandez, captaining the side in Reece James' exit, doubled the home side's lead before the break, the Argentine midfielder following up last week's goal at Leicester by latching onto Cole Palmer's pass and firing past international team-mate Martinez.
Martinez was replaced at the break after suffering an injury during the first period and Jackson had a chance to extend the lead further early in the second period but blazed over Robin Olsen's goal.
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[
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Villa huffed and puffed, with ex-Blues midfielder Ross Barkley's goalbound header denied by Levi Colwill as it looked set for the back of the net. But despite Unai Emery making changes in a bid to inspire a comeback, it was the home side who looked more likely to grab the game's third goal.
Ultimately however it was the Blues who looked more likely to grab the game's third goal, as home fans chanted the name of their Italian boss and they duly did so with Palmer's stunning 84th minute strike, his 30th goal in 46 Premier League games for the Blues.
Here are five talking points from Stamford Bridge...
Nicolas Jackson celebrates after his eighth Premier League goal of the season
Nicolas Jackson celebrates after his eighth Premier League goal of the season
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Image:
Chelsea FC via Getty Images)
1. No longer Cole Palmer FC
Make no mistake, Chelsea's No.20 is still their outstanding player and most likely match winner. I mean, just look at the quality of his goal.
But as opponents have become increasingly wary of his threat, and are therefore being that little bit more proactive in trying to deal with the England playmaker, Chelsea are finding new routes within which to attack and, thus, new ways to win football matches. No longer do they need to be worried about being 'Cole Palmer FC' and little else.
Given the amount spent and the quality attacking players signed in recent windows, it shouldn't be a surprise. But it has still needed others to step up and make the difference, and certainly they're doing that.
Jackson is having a fine second season, really taking his centre-forward play up a level, while Fernandez has responded to his manager's calls with much-improved displays recently. Jadon Sancho is starting to look like the threat we all saw at Borussia Dortmund during his two spells there, but never quite managed at Manchester United, while Pedro Neto, Noni Madueke and Moises Caicedo have all kicked on too and have been on hand to make the difference in key moments too.
Which is great. Especially when, as his fine strike showed, he's more than capable of providing an outstanding moment himself too.
Cole Palmer celebrates scoring his team's third goal (
Image:
Getty Images)
2. An actual backpass!
It’s not often you see a back pass awarded in the Premier League. And to be honest, I’m not even sure this one should’ve been. Was it a back pass?
Emi Martinez spilled Palmer’s shot and Pau Torres took a touch, seemingly readying himself to clear. Martinez was up quick, called and picked up the ball as the Spaniard pulled his foot away and didn’t clear.
Stuart Attwell was quick on the whistle, much to the delight of the home fans. Villa, unsurprisingly were furious with the decision.
Thankfully for the Villans’, Martinez flew off his line and made a fine stop to deny Palmer, with a barricade of white shirts also darting and throwing their bodies on the line to block.
Cole Palmer of Chelsea has an in-direct free kick inside the penalty box saved by Emiliano Martinez
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Image:
Getty Images)
3. The madness of Martinez
Speaking of Emi Martinez, according to the major worldwide individual award ceremonies of recent times, he's the best goalkeeper in the world.
There's no doubt, that in big moments, he comes up huge for both his club and his country - there's perhaps no bigger reason that Lionel Messi finally won the World Cup and claimed Copa America success in recent years than the Argentina No.1's emergence.
And he's been a huge part of Villa's rise under Unai Emery. The £20million they paid Arsenal has been made to look extremely astute business indeed.
But he's certainly prone to the odd calamitous moment, as witnessed in west London by both the aforementioned backpass decision and then, moments later, his attempt to play out from the back where he gave the ball not to a team-mate, but straight to Jackson.
On both occasions, to his credit, he came to Villa's rescue. But for all his brilliance in those big moments, this was a reminder that, when it comes to the big 'keeper, his team-mates and coaches certainly have to take the rough with the smooth.
He lasted only 45 minutes after taking a knock, with deputy Olsen coming on.
4. Fofana worry
At his best, Wesley Fofana is an excellent, versatile defender, an ideal partner to Levi Colwill at the heart of Chelsea's defence. Unfortunately, injuries continue to hamper the France centre-back's progress.
He hobbled off here in the second half with another problem and the issues that continue to blot his copybook have to be a worry.
Hopefully, his exit here was more precautionary than anything else.
Enzo Fernandez of Chelsea FC celebrates scoring their teams second goal (
Image:
Getty Images) Don't Miss
5. Top four realisations
On this evidence, only one of these sides have real hopes of finishing in the top four this season.
Villa did outstandingly well to reach the Champions League last season, tremendous coaching and perhaps a number of players playing well above themselves as they rode the crest of a wave.
But balancing Europe and Premier League duties is proving difficult and their recent run of eight games - in all competitions - without victory has seen them slide down into the bottom half. We're only at the start of December, but some players are starting to look a little tired, be it physically or mentally.
And, unlike Chelsea, they don't have the squad depth that perhaps they'd like.
The Blues are balancing Europe - admittedly UEFA's third competition, the Conference League - but Maresca is basically flipping between a Premier League lineup and a Euro XI at this stage; hell, Cole Palmer isn't even registered for Europe right now. That's proving to be a major help on the Thursday-Sunday grind, and after seemingly constant change over the past 18 months, things are now settling down and things appear much brighter at Stamford Bridge.
Where the top four is concerned, they again proved they're very much in the mix.
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