Chelsea 3-0 Aston Villa PLAYER RATINGS: Who has won over Blues fans? Who failed to take his chance? And who shone despite playing out of position?

Chelsea brushed aside Aston Villa to win 3-0 at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League on Sunday.

Goals from Nicolas Jackson, Enzo Fernandez and Cole Palmer saw the Blues register a third straight win in all competitions.

Conversely, Villa have now gone eight games without a win.

Perhaps more worrying than the result for Villa was the sight of goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez leaving the field with an injury problem.

KIERAN GILL was at Stamford Bridge for Mail Sport. Read on for his player ratings. 

Chelsea beat Aston Villa 3-0 in the Premier League at Stamford Bridge on Sunday afternoon

CHELSEA (4-2-3-1)

Robert Sanchez – 7.5

Pressure is being placed on Sanchez by second-choice Jorgensen, but he denied Watkins twice in the first half while leaving far fewer hearts in mouths than usual when passing from the back.

Moises Caicedo – 8

Chelsea’s best midfielder started at right back but his moving into the middle saw the home side line up with a back three. Caicedo impresses you more with each passing performance.

Wesley Fofana – 7.5

Big responsibility on the right side of central defence as had to cover for the wandering Caicedo. Battled with Watkins throughout, winning more of those duels than he lost, until injury claimed him.

Levi Colwill – 7.5

Chelsea’s best defender with the bonus being that he is one of their own, as he produced a goal-line clearance to deny Barkley to make sure the score stayed 2-0 in the 73rd minute.

Marc Cucurella – 8

Aggressive in winning possession before flying forward and producing the ball into Jackson for 1-0. Chelsea fans now love him, having previously used him as a target of their ire.

Marc Cucurella pictured flying though the air after a challenge with Jaden Philogene-Bidace

Romeo Lavia – 8

Tried to follow up Palmer’s squandered indirect free-kick but his blast too was blocked by the Villa brick wall. With Lavia in midfield, Chelsea carry an air of assurance.

Enzo Fernandez – 8.5

Pushed up into pockets to join Palmer and it paid off as the Englishman fed the Argentinian for 2-0. Put in an all-action performance in midfield, justifying his selection.

Pedro Neto – 7.5

When he busted a gut to get back into his own third to win the ball, the supporters showed him their love. Neto was relentless down the right, going forward and backwards.

Cole Palmer – 8

Good work from Palmer in pinching possession from Tielemens before their indirect free-kick inside of the box. Assisted Fernandez, and then scored the goal of the game, a belter from 20 yards.

Cole Palmer (right) got Chelsea’s third goal – his eighth of the season in the Premier League

Jadon Sancho – 7.5

First Premier League start since October. Involved in the one-two with Cucurella before Jackson’s opener as he and Neto showed why they were both selected to start over Madueke and Co.

Nicolas Jackson – 7.5

Forensic finish for 1-0 as Cucurella’s ball looked behind him, with the striker coming back to haunt his old coach Emery. Nearly got a second goal when Martinez gifted him possession.

SUBS

Benoit Badiashile (for Fofana, 60) – 7

Came in for Fofana, who is worryingly injured again, and comfortably saw out the clean sheet.

Christopher Nkunku (for Jackson, 70) – 6.5

Fired narrowly wide in stoppage time as he looked to get involved in the party.

Noni Madueke (for Sancho, 70) – 6.5

Had not done enough of late to earn a starting place, but assisted Palmer as a substitute.

Joao Felix (for Palmer, 86) – N/A

Malo Gusto (for Lavia, 86) – N/A

MANAGER: Enzo Maresca – 7.5

Orchestrated as comfortable a win that Chelsea have managed in his tenure.

Enzo Maresca pictured waving at fans in the crowd following Sunday’s impressive victory

ASTON VILLA (4-2-3-1)

Emiliano Martinez – 4

Villa’s wind-up merchant bizarrely picked up a back pass but managed to avoid conceding to that indirect free-kick. Yet leaked two goals in total before being replaced at half-time injured.

Matty Cash – 5

When Cash closes his eyes tonight, he may see visions of Sancho dancing with the ball in front of him. Not the easiest Sunday afternoon for Cash and his defensive colleagues.

Ezri Konsa – 5

Villa’s analysts will have warned their defenders how Fernandez likes to drift forward from midfield and yet he had time to strike to give Chelsea their comfortable two-goal lead.

Ezri Konsa (right) was part of a Villa defence that struggled to deal with an energetic Chelsea

Pau Torres – 5

Touched the ball back to Martinez, expecting his goalkeeper would launch it long. Then he picked it up! Villa survived that bizarre situation by blocking the indirect free-kick.

Lucas Digne – 5

Neto had his number in their individual battles and a fair crunching challenge from Caicedo left him equally as bruised as Villa struggled to handle Chelsea’s vast array of attacking talent.

Boubacar Kamara – 4.5

Villa’s midfield were outmuscled by Chelsea’s, one such moment in the second half seeing Fernandez steal possession before Jackson fired over.

Youri Tielemans – 5

One of those who was robbed of possession too easily by Chelsea’s circling vultures. The visitors’ plan seemed to be a simple one – try to get Watkins running in behind.

Youri Tielemans pictured (left) trying to hold off a challenge from Chelsea forward Pedro Neto

Jaden Philogene – 5

Wiped out by Cucurella in the build-up to Chelsea’s opener – fairly, I should add – and booked for diving in the second half as he tried to win a cheap penalty which was never one.

Morgan Rogers – 5

Villa’s star boy did not have nearly enough of an impact here as he was hooked after 66 minutes. Instead, it was Palmer who we saw performing the ‘cold’ celebration.

John McGinn – 6

Villa occasionally got in down his flank as Caicedo inverted into midfield, but in truth, McGinn was among the wasteful culprits as Chelsea won this contest comfortably.

Ollie Watkins – 5.5

Failed to take his chance after shrugging off Fofana as Sanchez saved the one-on-one, and later failed to capitalise on another opportunity as his running in behind was never rewarded.

England striker Ollie Watkins has now only scored one goal in his last eight games for Villa

SUBS

Robin Olsen (for Martinez, 45) – 5.5

Came on at 2-0 down and lost 3-0 as Chelsea probed throughout.

Ross Barkley (for Kamara, 62) – 5.5

Received a warm welcome from his former fans as he came on.

Jhon Duran (for Rogers, 66) – 5.5

Chelsea wanted Duran in the summer but he could not come back to haunt them here.

Leon Bailey (for Philogene, 66) – 5.5

Thankless task coming on to try to change the outcome and could not do so.

Emi Buendia (for Watkins, 84) – N/A

MANAGER: Unai Emery – 5

Villa never looked like troubling Chelsea here as their struggles continued.

REFEREE: Stuart Attwell – 6

Called it all correctly, even the dives.