**BY YANN TEAR**
Chelsea comfortably brushed aside an out-of-form Aston Villa – who arrived without a win in seven matches – to cement the growing belief that this is a top four side, at the very least.
Here are the main takeaways.
**THE LINE-UPS**
**Chelsea** (4-2-3-1): Sanchez – Caicedo, Fofana (Badiashile 60), Colwill, Cucurella – Lavia (Gusto 86), Fernandez – Sancho (Madueke 70), Palmer (Felix 86), Neto – Jackson (Nkunku 70)
Unused subs: Jorgensen, Tosin, Mudryk, Viega
**Villa** (4-2-3-1): Martinez (Olsen h/t) – Cash, Konsa, Torres, Digne – Kamara (Barkley 62), Tielemans – McGinn, Rogers (Duran 66), Philogene (Bailey 66) – Watkins (Buendia 84)
Unused subs: Carlos, Mings, Maatsen, Bogarde
**SNAPSHOT OF THE GAME**
The Blues got the perfect start after just seven minutes when the effervescent Marc Cucurella won possession on the edge of the Villa box and sent in a low cross that Nicolas Jackson crashed in off the near post for his eight goal of an increasingly prolific campaign.
The dominant hosts doubled the lead on 36 minutes when skipper Enzo Fernandes drilled into the bottom corner after being picked out by Palmer. Unai Emery’s team were mostly feeble. Ollie Watkins missed a couple of chances – one a fine block from Robert Sanchez – but otherwise offered little.
Cole Palmer, quiet by his standards, added icing on the cake seven minutes from the end with a lovely curler from just outside the box.
Villa looked tired after their midweek Champions League efforts against Juventus and disappointed.
**TACTICAL APPROACH**
The right-back conundrum for Chelsea was resolved with Moises Caicedo detailed in that unaccustomed position. The former Brighton man drifted into midfield when the Blues had possession.
The absence of Reece James once more and Malo Gusto’s recent illness meant Enzo Maresca preferred to have the Frenchman on the bench at kick-off.
Changes from the win at Leicester last weekend included Romeo Lavia, Jadon Sancho and Pedro Neto coming in for Felix, Benoit Badiashile and Noni Madueke. What didn’t change was the high-press which pressured Villa into mistakes.
**STAR MAN**
Enzo Fernandez. The Chelsea skipper was an awesome midfield presence throughout. He was one of the chief reasons the visitors struggled to make an impression. Bagged his second goal of the season – his first coming at the King Power Stadium last weekend.
Cucurella was also very good. Involved in the opener and won a ton of tackles to nail down his side of the pitch.
**BEST MOMENT**
For novelty value, maybe the indirect free-kick for Chelsea 10 yards out for one of those rarely seen moments where a defender is penalised for playing the ball back to his own keeper. Pau Torres had the ball and dithered rather than clear. After Martinez had picked up the ball, ref Stuart Attwell decided it counted as a deliberate backpass.
It’s always fun to see nine players massed on the goal-line. Nothing came of it as Villa managed to charge down the kick from Palmer and Lavia’s follow up and Emi Martinez celebrated as if a penalty had been saved.
The warm home applause for Villa sub and ex-Chelsea midfielder Ross Barkley was a good moment.
**MOAN OF THE MATCH**
Jackson not punishing Villa even more. He missed one gilt-edge opportunity when Martinez inexplicably gifted him a pass (the Argentine injured himself retrieving his mistake and went off at half-time). The striker also blazed over after Fernandez had outmuscled a player on the centre circle to play in an inviting pass that was blazed over.
**TALKING POINTS DOWN THE PUB**
They couldn’t could they? After a few pints the fantasy will kick in that the Blues might yet have a say in the title race. After all, if Arsenal are in the conversation, why not the Blues, who have the same number of points.
The gap to Liverpool was always going to remain fairly significant, whatever the outcome of the Liverpool v Man City clash later. But there is a solidity and increasing level of togetherness that bodes well for this young team. Their first 45 minutes today in particular was highly impressive.
**WHAT THE BOSS HAD TO SAY**
Enzo Maresca’s views to come
_Pictured top: Cole Palmer tries to beat the defence massed on the line for an indirect free-kick (Picture: ALAMY)_