Premier League - Brilliant Chelsea humble Villa

Eurosport - Mon, 06 Oct 11:35:00 2008

Chelsea produced a magnificent performance to claim a 2-0 Premier League win against Aston Villa that could have been much more emphatic.

2008-2009 Chelsea-Aston Villa Joe Cole scores Chelsea's first goal - 0

First-half goals from Joe Cole and Nicolas Anelka kept Luiz Felipe Scolari's side top of the table, ahead of Liverpool on goal difference, but the manner of the performance provided a stark warning to Chelsea's title rivals.

They simply overwhelmed Martin O'Neill's highly-rated Villa side, unleashing wave after wave of attacks and racking up 27 shots.

And this was with three key components of their vaunted spine - Ricardo Carvalho, Michael Essien and Didier Drogba - missing through injury.

John Terry played after shrugging off a back injury, while Branislav Ivanovic replaced centre-back Alex, who has a buttock complaint.

Cole started the game and supplied the opening goal but, worryingly, went off with another injury just before the hour mark.

That could have significant ramifications with England playing World Cup qualifiers against Kazakhstan and Belarus in the next 10 days.

Having drawn away to Romanians Cluj in midweek, Chelsea started like a side with a point to prove and tore into their opponents.

Michael Ballack and Florent Malouda both had early shots while Anelka squandered two good chances - all within the first 10 minutes.

Anelka then turned provider, setting the superb Frank Lampard up with a neat lob, but the midfielder headed just wide on 16 minutes.

But the goal was not long in coming. In the 16th minute Malouda intercepted a poor clearance. He found Lampard, who in turn slid a superb ball to Cole, whose finish was hard and true past the overworked Brad Friedel.

Soon afterwards Anelka hit the crossbar with a long-range piledriver and Lampard tested Friedel with a powerful free-kick. Relentless stuff.

O'Neill would have prayed to get into half-time just one goal down, but it was not to be.

Just over a minute before the break Ashley Cole pulled a low ball back to the edge of the box. Friedel parried Ballack's shot, then Anelka's follow-up, but could do nothing about the third attempt, also from Anelka.

Villa's best chance of the day came moments later, when Gabriel Agbonlahor had time and space at the edge of the Chelsea area but fired off a disappointing shot.

Villa brought on Carlos Cuellar - for the hapless Curtis Davies - and James Milner but the onslaught continued in the second half.

First Ballack fired over from close range, then teenage substitute Franco Di Santo went close, then John Obi Mikel.

Chelsea's lack of clinical finishing can be Scolari's only complaint - something denied them by Drogba's absence with a knee injury.

But still it was devastating stuff, cementing their status as favourites to retain their Premier League title.

Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal, Hull. Scolari's Chelsea appear ready to see off any challengers.

Alex Chick / Eurosport

Comment 64 - 83 of 83

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  1. chelsea good team but let your feet down and work­ together and results are coming from big fan[ malta]

    From Raymond, on Tue 7 Oct 5:12AM

  2. Alex has a buttock problem? looks like Abramovich­ finally scored!

    From greg k, on Mon 6 Oct 6:43PM

  3. Nothing has been won yet of the top four which manager­ has the most experience of actually winning it?

    From borza, on Mon 6 Oct 3:57PM

  4. "cementing their status as favourites to retain­ their Premier League title."

    Retain? Haven't­ Man Utd won the last two years? Sounds like the writer­ of this piece is a Chelsea fan reliving the glory years­ under Mourinho. :-P

    From zakzimmerman, on Mon 6 Oct 2:07PM

  5. Utd and arsenal fans keep on about this spoilt brat­ syndrome, they are hypocrites, they need to take a good­ long look a themselves they are bitter and twisted, and­ cannot handle the new force in football, so shut up or­ grow up come on the Chels

    From leigh.honeyman, on Mon 6 Oct 9:02AM

  6. Friedel must have been the best player on the pitch­ lol...

    From Yea-Joon, on Mon 6 Oct 8:00AM

  7. No matter what non-Chelsea Fans may want to say, it is­ left for them. All i am concerned about is the­ character and spirit of the Team and continue maintain­ the top shot of all the competition we are. The­ introduction of Ivanovic into the centre defence line,­ he really did well. My prayer is that "Big­ Phil" should continue to use him instead of Alex­ in that position when Carvaho is available.

    From Sunny, on Mon 6 Oct 7:56AM

  8. rrepun_7 and modernist_uk are idiot jealous fans..dont­ care about this morons coz they can say anything what­ they want but the fact Chelsea playing beautifully­ against Aston Villa even spent less money last 2 season­ and 4 key players injured

    From andrew, on Mon 6 Oct 7:31AM
  9. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    Cbelsea are going to drop point, points, pointsss.­ There fan should not be over exited that there are at­ the top of the table. they will surely drop down.

    From tunde, on Mon 6 Oct 7:04AM

  10. Get lost Olugbayi you have more mouth than a cow has­ udder

    From peterhdendy, on Mon 6 Oct 6:56AM

  11. Every man should note this, as i found many of cheap­ comment over chelsea's progress...
    Every big club­ has their giant-money more than people can think­ normally...
    Man U, Milan, Internazionale, REAL MADRID,­ Barcelona, has their own history not only in the field­ but also in the financial record....
    So if everyone­ want to talk this money issue again, i tell you. Even­ UNITED STATES need more money from your own pocket­ today!!!! So be happy if you dont realize that.

    From chrys, on Mon 6 Oct 6:49AM

  12. Get lost Olugbayi you have mouth than a cows got udder

    From peterhdendy, on Mon 6 Oct 6:48AM

  13. No African Cup to help out Man-Utd this­ season..we'll see who's the real boss.
    Chelsea­ may be champs by Xmas!

    From OMC, on Mon 6 Oct 5:37AM

  14. Hail The Blues!!!!! money didnt buy success, it's­ only provide a bridge to the gap between success and­ failure. dont talk @#$%!!! if money is the main factor,­ how come spurs ended up in the bottom of the league­ even after spending almost 100 million pound???? you­ just hate others that wealthier than you!! @#$% U!!!­ CHELSEA FOR LIFE!!!!

    From Uzer, on Mon 6 Oct 4:37AM

  15. man u is rubbish, chelsea is superb

    From maggie, on Mon 6 Oct 3:43AM

  16. brilliant chelsea!!! blue is the colour...

    From D Pensioner, on Mon 6 Oct 3:42AM
  17. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    Am I confused are or Manchester United the Champions of­ Europe and England? Chelsea won 2 league titles after a­ sudden injection of money, and, now they (and­ especially their fans) feel somehow as if they are a­ team that is respected by others (and/or somehow­ deserving of glory). I suppose it's spoilt-brat­ syndrome... As much as I dislike Liverpool, at least­ they have a history, and a team-ethic that has been­ handed down from generation to generation, manager to­ manager (just like the United, or even City). What do­ Chelsea have? They grind teams down. Woohoo. No-one­ respects the way they play, or are supported/handled.­ United and Arsenal have won the league more times than­ Chelsea in the modern era. Liverpool and United the­ Champions league. All three teams play more attractive­ football. Chelsea are an ugly team that has won­ nothing, relatively speaking. Wasn't it this time­ last season that they were "going to win­ everything", and yet they won nothing? Did nobody­ see United play like artists yesterday? I am­ desperatelty confused!!? Does money buy the media, too?­ Hope not.

    Royal Madrid fan in London

    From modernist_uk, on Mon 6 Oct 2:40AM
  18. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    Am I confused are or Manchester United the Champions of­ Europe and England? Chelsea won 2 league titles after a­ sudden injection of money, and, now they (and­ especially their fans) feel somehow as if they are a­ team that is respected by others (and/or somehow­ deserving of glory). I suppose it's spoilt-brat­ syndrome... As much as I dislike Liverpool, at least­ they have a history, and a team-ethic that has been­ handed down from generation to generation, manager to­ manager (just like the United, or even City). What do­ Chelsea have? They grind teams down. Woohoo. No-one­ respects the way they play, or are supported/handled.­ United and Arsenal have won the league more times than­ Chelsea in the modern era. Liverpool and United the­ Champions league. All three teams play more attractive­ football. Chelsea are an ugly team that has won­ nothing, relatively speaking. Wasn't it this time­ last season that they were "going to win­ everything", and yet they won nothing? Did nobody­ see United play like artists yesterday? I am­ desperatelty confused!!? Does money buy the media, too?­ Hope not.

    Royal Madrid fan in London

    From modernist_uk, on Mon 6 Oct 2:40AM

  19. @#$% you rrepun_7, you smell like @#$%.We don't­ need losers, be gone. CHELSEA 4 LIFE

    From henry, on Mon 6 Oct 1:09AM

  20. I PLEDGE MY ALLIGENCE 2 D GREATEST CLUB IN D WORLD­ [CHELSEA FOOTBALL CLUB] DOWN ManU,school boys[arsenal­ fc] and pretender's liverpool.i have got one word 2­ say CHELSEA

    From erunsman, on Mon 6 Oct 1:06AM
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