Chelsea 3-0 Aston Villa: Palmer’s Screamer Leaves Blues Third in the Premier League.

Cole Palmer is brilliant and Chelsea romp to an obliterating victory, remaining level with Arsenal on points but in third place in order of alphabetical order.

Chelsea made a bold statement at Stamford Bridge when they crushed Aston Villa 3-0 to jump up to third in the Premier League table . Nicolas Jackson, Enzo Fernandez and an extra man from Cole Palmer earned the win, leaving Chelsea one point behind Arsenal, only ranked in alphabetical order.

Villa, meanwhile, kept sinking down the table, finishing bottom of the table with eight straight losses in all competitions.

Blues Dominate First Half

From the opening whistle on, Chelsea had everything under control. Enzo Maresca’s guards fired and, not surprisingly, the game quickly ended. Nicolas Jackson made it seven minutes in, coolly chipping his shot off the post and into the net.

Aston Villa were waiting for a reply. Ollie Watkins flicked aside a defender to set up a cross with Chelsea keeper Robert Sanchez, but his curled effort was saved.

Chelsea pressed, and the pressure paid off in the 36th minute. Enzo Fernandez one-twoed Cole Palmer and calmly chipped the ball into the far post for a 2-0 lead. Villa had a chance on the horn before the break, but once again Sanchez kept Watkins out.

Cole Palmer’s Moment of Magic

The second half was Chelsea’s period of control as they dominated the match. Villa failed to rally at all, and the Blues punished their inactivity with a moment of sublime nirvana from Palmer in the 83rd minute.

The young midfielder, in the throes of good form, took possession outside the box, sprung forward, and sent a thunderbolt into the top left-hand corner. The Stamford Bridge faithful went into a frenzy, and Chelsea won the game in style.

Chelsea in the Mix?

Chelsea’s silent rise up the table cannot be ignored with this win. Two points back of Arsenal and a point or two behind leaders Manchester City, the Blues could be real title favourites, especially if Liverpool struggle as the Champions League heats up.

The confidence that Chelsea have brought with their slashed key men has been a game-changer. Five of their players against Villa had just returned from Thursday’s UEFA Conference League trip to Heidenheim. Villa, on the other hand, looked tired from their Champions League midweek match against Juventus.

MVP: Cole Palmer Man of the Match: Connor Cook

Cole Palmer was hot again. The teenager did all the good Chelsea could muster, tying up neatly with Fernandez for the second and ending his day with a spectacular individual effort. It is no secret that Palmer is an integral part of Chelsea’s pursuit of silverware.

What’s Next?

Chelsea will be looking to maintain their winless run with a midweek Premier League visit to Southampton. Meanwhile, Villa need to do everything they can to beat Brentford at home as they look to snap their unbeaten run.