Chelsea defeated Aston Villa 3-0 at home on Sunday thanks to goals from Nicolas Jackson, captain Enzo Fernandez, and Cole Palmer.
This victory moved Chelsea up to joint second place in the Premier League standings.
The home team exploited a weary-looking and mistake-prone Aston Villa team, who have now lost eight games in all competitions, by playing free-flowing football.
When Senegal striker Jackson deftly side-footed a Marc Cucurella cross from the left in the seventh minute, slamming it in off the post, the Londoners took the lead.
In the 36th minute, Enzo Maresca’s team exploited dubious defence when Palmer feed Fernandez, who then steadied himself and scored between Matty Cash and Ezri Konsa.
But in the 83rd minute, Palmer outperformed both of his teammates by putting a beautiful left-footed shot into the top corner of Robin Olsen’s net as a substitute goalie.
In the fifteenth minute, Chelsea keeper Robert Sanchez closed down England attacker Ollie Watkins, who had the best of Villa’s opportunities.
He was at his mercy when he failed to fully make touch with the ball in the final minute of the first half, and Sanchez made the save.
Argentina custodian Emiliano Martinez hurt himself diving to recover a ball he had mistakenly sent to Jackson’s foot, forcing Villa, who drew 0-0 with Juventus in the Champions League midweek, to substitute Robin Olsen at halftime.
With tails up, Chelsea’s substitutes could have scored late on if Olsen hadn’t made two saves from Joao Felix and Noni Madueke, then Christopher Nkunku’s attempt had gone wide.
Before the late kickoff between table-toppers Liverpool and fifth-place Manchester City, Chelsea moved into a tie for second place, level with Arsenal on points and goal differential.
Villa fell to eleventh place.
