Chelsea 3-0 Aston Villa: Enzo Maresca's team extends lead over Villa to solidify top-four aspirations

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Chelsea 3-0 Aston Villa: Enzo Maresca

The match got off to a blazing start as Chelsea quickly took the lead with the first shot of the game. Marc Cucurella was the hero of the moment, winning the ball in a fierce battle against Jaden Philogene. Despite protests from Aston Villa players for a free-kick, the referee allowed play to continue as Cucurella found Nicolas Jackson, who calmly slotted the ball home from close range for his eighth Premier League goal of the season.

Aston Villa's first chance fell to Ollie Watkins, who did brilliantly to beat Wesley Fofana to the ball. The England striker was bearing down on goal but goalkeeper Robert Sanchez was quickly off his line to make a smart block.

Chelsea had the chance to extend their advantage after Emiliano Martinez picked the ball up after a touch from Pau Torres. Referee Stuart Attwell whistled for a pass back to hand Chelsea an indirect free-kick from around eight yards out. With all the Villa players back on the goal line, the ball was touched to Cole Palmer and his powerful shot was brilliantly kept out by Martinez.

In a mad few moments from the Villa goalkeeper, he then almost gifted Chelsea a second as he inexplicably passed the ball straight to Jackson, but the Chelsea striker's heavy touch allowed the Argentina international to recover.

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Chelsea's dominance continued and they finally extended their advantage just before the break. Enzo Maresca's side won the ball high up before Palmer's slick pass found Enzo Fernandez, who finished emphatically from the edge of the penalty area.

Villa created another opening for Watkins in stoppage time at the end of the first half with Philogene playing the striker in on goal, but he was again denied by Sanchez to send Chelsea in at the break with a deserved two-goal advantage.

Sanchez was in action early in the second half as Villa, who were forced into a change at the break with goalkeeper Martinez replaced by Robin Olsen, worked the ball to John McGinn. The Villa captain bent a shot towards the far corner but the Chelsea goalkeeper pushed the ball to safety with the offside flag eventually going up against McGinn.

The second half lacked the tempo of the first and the game started to fizzle out as a Villa revival never materialised.

That was until Palmer's special strike into the top corner sealed a big win that sees Chelsea, who move up to third and level on points and goal difference with Arsenal, open up a six-point gap to Villa as Emery's side drop into the bottom half of the table in 12th.