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 24 - 43 of 83

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  1. May I suggest all you moronic little tur*s that follow the boys from the cesspit aka stamford bridge make the most of your current run. With MU starting to motor your days are numbered. Cretins

    From Mike S, on Sun 5 Oct 10:10PM

  2. DEAR VILLA FAN, CHELSEA ONLY SCORED TWO TODAY AS THEY DIDN'T WANT TO EMBARRASS YOU AS YOU HAVE BEEN PLAYING QUITE WELL AGAINST THE LESSER TEAMS IN THE PREMIERSHIP

    From webisan1, on Sun 5 Oct 9:58PM

  3. wilfrextasy - either write proper English or f**k off you cretin

    From Mike S, on Sun 5 Oct 9:56PM

  4. chelsea r awsome....6 players injured stil a comfartable win...against high flying aston villa....i m a aston villa fan...but shud say....thy r real giants...i m sure thy wil win premier league fa nd champions league this season...plz give us atleast 1 trophy of carling cup....the toughest away game is over...cmon AV.... aim 4r top 4......chelsea destroy manutd liverpool nd arsenal..so tht v cud get thr..................................aston villa 4r lyf...bt chelsea r real champs........hail AV

    From harsh s, on Sun 5 Oct 9:39PM

  5. CHELSEA WILL NEVER WIN ANY @#$% THING THIS YEAR.BAD LUCK !!!

    From Olugbayi, on Sun 5 Oct 9:37PM

  6. well done the blues im an everton fan your team has been so impressive this season and keep the flucky red side off the top

    From mark_chll, on Sun 5 Oct 9:26PM

  7. chelsea rule!!!!!!!!!

    From haider_tuma, on Sun 5 Oct 9:04PM

  8. A magnificent play by Chelsea,no doubt we'll get back our trophy this season. All you hatters beware! A blue fan i remain 4 life!!! Mola k from 9ja.

    From Mola k, on Sun 5 Oct 9:01PM

  9. I HATE CHELSEA !!!

    From Olugbayi, on Sun 5 Oct 8:56PM

  10. i love the way all manure and liverscum fans think chelsea are moneybags.liverpool were founded on moores pools money.manure have always had plenty of funds to spend.rooney tevez berbatov rio ronaldo were all purchased for a tidy sum.chelsea were awesome today.frank especially fantastic.

    From george, on Sun 5 Oct 8:55PM

  11. the columnist is really surely stupid. retain the title that MAN U won. stupid idiot

    From ogbo i, on Sun 5 Oct 8:48PM

  12. Come on ROMAN'S ARMY. Continue conquering. The title is ours' six matches 2 d end of d season. BOOM SHA SHA all ye foes of dem blues.ENYINNA 4rm port-harcourt, Nigeria.

    From onyeukwu, on Sun 5 Oct 8:44PM

  13. Well done the Blue Boys!! Just think how good we could be if Anelka could manage to score at least two out of three open goals. Winning again with key players injured is becoming the norm now . Keep going you Blues we could just win the Premiership this season.
    Just hope Liverpool don,t have the same injuries as Chelsea, Without Torres there just an average team, same as Man United without the "must get away" baby and "sometimes I might bother to play" Rooney.

    C'mon you Blues

    From webisan1, on Sun 5 Oct 8:34PM

  14. How come Chelsea would retain the league title. I thought the Red Devile are champions.

    Idiotic Colunmist. @#$% hole.

    From adewaleadediran2005, on Sun 5 Oct 8:28PM

  15. as well as recieving alot of money

    From Keitho, on Sun 5 Oct 8:28PM

  16. Well done the Blues, 56 years of following drakes ducklings et al are paying off at last.

    From Michael Stanton Chambers, on Sun 5 Oct 8:21PM

  17. Great game from Chelsea. But i think they(chelsea) need to be more effective in front of goal. I mean 30 shots and only 2 goals? not good enough for me

    From vitalydutchak1, on Sun 5 Oct 8:17PM

  18. well to be blunt, we aint a @#$% team and today you truly pi ssed on our parade.
    villa till i die , i think that you may just take the title this time around.

    From mouse, on Sun 5 Oct 8:00PM

  19. Well done guys. i was very worried before the game because of the number of injuries in the team, most especially with the difficulties Anelka is having playing upfont alone. I think we need to put more efforts not to lose points particularly at home to likes of Spurs-Totteham and others. We need to finish the business by December.

    Wishing the injured ones speedy recovery.

    Well Done FLS and well done Guys.

    -From Bee

    From Abiola, on Sun 5 Oct 7:56PM

  20. Lungi, what language do you speak??? Well done Chelsea

    From United, kids, wife, on Sun 5 Oct 7:55PM
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