Palmer stars as Chelsea brush aside Aston Villa

Cole Palmer shone in a comfortable Chelsea win over an Aston Villa side whose worrying winless run extended to eight matches.

Nicolas Jackson gave Chelsea a seventh-minute lead, squeezing a first-time finish past Emi Martinez after Marc Cucurella forced Jadon Philogene into a mistake on the edge of his own box before crossing.

Enzo Fernandez then volleyed in the second in the 36th minute.

The Argentina midfielder finished with his right foot after an excellent touch with his left, following a good ball from Palmer, with Moises Caicedo having won the ball in midfield.

Palmer then curled in a sensational left-foot finish from the edge of the box in the 83rd minute to seal victory.

The England international, like Jackson, now has eight Chelsea goals for the season.

Chelsea were dominant, registering more than 64% possession, could have scored more - Jadon Sancho threatened, while Palmer squandered a chance from eight yards out following an indirect free-kick after a mistake by Villa pair Martinez and Pau Torres.

For Villa, Ollie Watkins had a frustrating day, missing a good chance in the 15th minute and one just before half-time after a mistake from Fernandez.

It was a day to forget all round for the visitors, with Villa goalkeeper Martinez forced off at half-time with an injury.

In a second half where Chelsea continued to dominate, their only setback was an injury to Wesley Fofana. John McGinn and substitute Ross Barkley had half-chances, but the visitors could not find a way back.

Chelsea have risen up to joint-second in the Premier League table on 25 points while Villa drop to 12th on 19 points.

Unai Emery is currently enduring the longest winless run of his tenure at Villa, having not won in eight matches, since the 2-0 Champions League win over Bologna in October.

Chelsea frequently faced accusations of over-reliance on Palmer last season - so much so that then-manager Mauricio Pochettino challenged his players in April to show they were not the "Cole Palmer team".

That team finished last season with six consecutive wins before Pochettino's exit - and this term, under Enzo Maresca's leadership, they are emerging as a side with multiple threats.

Jackson has 18 goal involvements in his past 21 games - scoring 13 times and adding five assists - an average of almost one a game.

Fernandez is also proving his attacking worth, scoring in his past two Premier League matches and providing an assist against Arsenal in the game before that.

Maresca's selection demonstrated Chelsea's great attacking depth, with Noni Madueke and Joao Felix dropped to the bench as Pedro Neto and Sancho came in to play on the wings.

And that's not to mention Christopher Nkunku and Mykhailo Mudryk. Nkunku is Chelsea's top scorer this season with 11 goals, albeit mostly coming in Europe's third-tier competition, the Conference League. Mudryk, the £88m winger, is also delivering in Europe.

Maresca's only difficulty is ensuring his players get the minutes on the pitch. Jackson looked disappointed to be coming off in the 70th minute, and there are reports Nkunku is frustrated with his role deputising for him.

Chelsea are more than just Palmer but, as he showed in the 83rd minute, they still have his quality to fall back on.

Villa are already contending with a run of poor form as they face the challenge of combining Champions League demands with their domestic programme.

Their first campaign in Europe's top club competition since 1983 has been a success so far, but it is understandable that, at this stage of the season, they are struggling to balance that with the rigours of the most competitive domestic league in football.

Argentina goalkeeper Martinez had a rare bad day, losing the ball in his own area, and giving away a indirect free-kick eight yards out after a mix-up with defender Torres.

The World Cup-winner then injured his hand when dealing with a mistake in a challenge with Jackson.

That only adds to Emery's woes as he looks to turn around the club's fortunes.

Robin Olsen, who came on for Martinez, could now get a run in the team - and has big shoes to fill if the two-time world goalkeeper of the year is out for any length of time.

Source: BBC Sport