Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images
Expertly taken goals from Nicolas Jackson, captain Enzo Fernández and Cole Palmer earned Chelsea a 3-0 home win over Aston Villa on Sunday, lifting them to joint second in the Premier League table.
Playing free-flowing football, the home side took advantage of a tired-looking and error-ridden Aston Villa side who have now failed to win in eight games in all competitions.
Chelsea made their mark early when striker Jackson neatly side-footed a Marc Cucurella cross from the left, knocking it in off the post in the seventh minute.
Enzo Maresca’s side took advantage of questionable defending in the 36th minute when Fernandez was fed by Palmer before steadying himself and firing home between Matty Cash and Ezri Konsa.
Palmer outdid both his teammates, however, lofting an exquisite left-foot shot into the top corner of substitute goalkeeper Robin Olsen‘s net in the 83rd minute.
“I think if I go out and enjoy my football, the goals and assists will come,” Palmer told Sky Sports. “It’s all down to the manager, the desire that he puts into the sessions and what the players give to him.”
England striker Ollie Watkins had the best of Villa’s chances but Chelsea keeper Robert Sánchez closed him down one-on-one in the 15th minute.
In the last minute of the first half, he failed to fully make contact with the ball with the goal at his mercy and Sanchez made the save.
Villa, who drew 0-0 in midweek with Juventus in the Champions League, had to replace Argentina keeper Emiliano MartÃnez with Robin Olsen at half-time after he injured himself diving to retrieve a ball he had passed in error to the feet of Jackson.
With tails up, Chelsea’s substitutes might have added to the score late on but for a double-save by Olsen from João Félix and Noni Madueke, closely followed by an attempt from Christopher Nkunku who sent his shot wide.
Chelsea moved joint second, level on points and goal difference with Arsenal, before the late kickoff between table-toppers Liverpool and fifth-placed Manchester City. Villa dropped to 11th.