Cole Palmer’s party piece adds gloss as Chelsea compound Aston Villa’s worries | Premier League

Bad news for slapstick comedy fans: Chelsea appear to be serious again. Forget the back passes, the farcical defending and the stupid red cards if you happen to turn up at Stamford Bridge any time soon. It’s all about relentless control these days and Chelsea, who are developing well under Enzo Maresca, had it in spades during this dominant win over Aston Villa.

Sure, there were a few scares, not least when Ollie Watkins spurned an opportunity to cancel out Nicholas Jackson’s eighth goal of the season, but the bottom line was that the result was never in any real doubt. Chelsea’s young talents played with authority throughout and although Maresca was quick to quash talk of a title challenge, the Italian could be delighted with the way his players beat Villa with ferocious pressing and energetic attacks.

The only downside for the Chelsea head coach was defender Wesley Fofana, who left with a thigh injury. Otherwise, however, there was much to savor. Maresca loved Jackson’s hunger, he saw Moises Caicedo flourish as a back-up right-back and praised Marc Cucurella, whose decisive tackle on Jaden Filogen provided the spark as Chelsea went ahead in the seventh minute.

“We tried to play with personality,” said Unai Emery, still to reverse the slump that saw Villa slide from top-four contenders to mid-table scramblers. “We tried to stop them in the high press. But Chelsea showed he was different. They are stronger. They have no doubts like last year.”

Maresca maintained a sense of perspective, insisting his side must become more battle-hardened if they are to match the likes of Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City. However, it was hard not to get carried away when Cole Palmer, who had earlier set up Enzo Fernandez to score his second goal in as many games, rounded off the scoring with that routine brilliance that has become his calling card.

“If I go out and enjoy my football, the goals and assists will come,” Palmer said. “It all depends on the manager, the desire he puts into the sessions and what the players give him.”

Although Villa have made several successful forays at Stamford Bridge in recent seasons, Chelsea were better equipped to deal with Emery’s tactics this time around. There is a click to style now. Spells of inexplicable drift are rarer.

Villa, who have lost five of their last seven games in all competitions, slowly read the room. They were startled by sudden bursts of aggression from Chelsea. Jackson didn’t give Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez and England defender Ezri Konza a moment’s rest as they tried to build from the back.

The tone was set and Chelsea, level on points with second-placed Arsenal, soon pounced. Pedro Neto saw a cross from the right headed in, but Filogen hit hard and was never going to win 50-50 with Cucurella.

Chelsea pulled away when the ball went to Jaden Sancho, who was brilliant on his first league start in over a month. The winger waited for Cucurella’s overlapping run and then played a pass to the left-back, whose deflected cross Jackson had to tap home with a shot that went wide of the near post.

Villa responded well at the start. There was a moment of danger when Watkins crossed after Fofana slipped. However, the England striker has one goal in his last eight appearances and his weak strike failed to extend Robert Sanchez’s lead.

Nothing was running for Villa. Chelsea squeezed them. Distraught, Villa made some strange decisions. Youri Tielemans almost paid for Palmer’s loss of the ball. Martinez saved the striker’s shot but then lifted the ball when Pau Torres passed it back to him. Stuart Atwell almost looked embarrassed that he had to take Chelsea’s indirect free-kick.

Martinez denied Palmer’s follow-up effort, but the folly continued when he fed a right to Jackson. The striker looked surprised and failed to take advantage.

With Romeo Lavia and Fernandes controlling the midfield, however, the second goal was only a matter of time. That proved to be the case when Palmer opened Villa with a sharp pass. No one tracked Fernandez and the midfielder curled a shot past Martinez from the edge of the area.

game over? Quite a lot. Villa, who replaced the injured Martinez with Robin Olsen, made a few forays but they look like a shadow of their former selves. Has the Champions League tired them out? “We’re not a surprise like last year,” Emery said.

Nor are they as consistent as Chelsea. They pushed for a third, Jackson shot and got it when Noni Madueke found Palmer after coming off the bench. Palmer had worked hard on the ball and here was the reward: a left-footed shot that curled past Olsen from 25 yards, cementing Chelsea’s lead.