VILLA PARK — A first sighting of Chelsea post lockdown told us two things; their top four rivals must hope the Court of Arbitration rules against Manchester City in the appeal against a Champions League ban to free up fifth spot; Villa must hope for a miracle to stay in the Premier League.
Though they led for an hour, the idea Villa might hold on for victory was as likely as Usain Bolt winning a marathon. As goals go Villa’s fell somewhere between ugly, comedy and larceny.
A rare free-kick in the Chelsea half two minutes before the break went wide to Jack Grealish. He touched it inside for Luiz to whip in a cross, which Kortney Hause tucked away at the second attempt.
Hause was almost too embarrassed to celebrate, but out of duty he ran to the corner flag followed by a gaggle of team-mates.
Though Frank Lampard wore that arms-folded-look-of-thunder to which he is so attached it seemed he might be putting it on for the cameras for all the menace that goal conjured.
Substitute Christian Pulisic ended the silliness from close-range on the hour and, two minutes later, Giroud got properly serious with a fine turn and shot.
It is obviously tempting to credit Lampard, who hooked Loftus-Cheek and Kovacic 10 minutes after the restart, with the foresight to shake things up. In truth the pattern of the half mirrored the first. Weight of numbers rather than vision told in the end with Villa simply running out of luck.
Chelsea had a man over in the Villa box inside two minutes. Willian slipping the ball to overlapping Mason Mount, who chose to square it instead of putting his laces through the thing. Well, it had been a long time, 16 weeks in fact since the last roll out of Premier League Sunday matches.
Chelsea’s 4-5-1 ensemble had the run of it in the opening period, their one-touch, quick footed, fluid rhythms keeping the ball out of the reach of Villa. Olivier Giroud, predominantly back-up to Tammy Abraham in the pre-Covid-19 era, was given first licks as the lone striker.
Willian and Ruben Loftus-Cheek, making his first appearance since rupturing an Achilles tendon a year ago, provided the width with Mason Mount floating centrally ahead of Mateo Kovacic and N’Golo Kante.
Villa were set up to weather a storm. This acquired a literal dimension as the players warmed up in a heavy shower that blew in without warning.
Mount made a better decision shortly before the drinks break with a hefty left-footer of the kind that might have shredded a lesser keeper than Orjan Nyland. David de Gea at Tottenham for example. Nyland did his job here, beating the shot away with rock solid hands.
In what is essentially a training ground atmosphere under Project Restart, Chelsea were faithful to the setting, using Villa as no more than an exercise to test shape and tighten drills.
Kovacic was the next to have a go, slapping one in from distance. The ball took a touch off Douglas Luiz, forcing Nyland to fumble awkwardly.
Chelsea’s technical superiority, with Mount impressively to the fore, wanted an audience not only to appreciate the quality but to add intensity to the occasion.
The missing theatrical element seemed to let Villa off the hook since it removed the sense of dread that weighs heavily on home teams under the cosh.
The pasting they were taking was thus without shame or consequence as long as Chelsea continued to faff about in front of goal.
Without a crowd to answer to Villa kept absorbing the pressure, whacking it clear and hoping for a mistake or a break.
Fate did all it could to further a cause that looks beyond salvation. Villa needed a calamitous mishap from Hawk-Eye to remain intact against Sheffield United in their first game back and looked a division apart against Chelsea.
With matches against Liverpool, Manchester United and Wolves in the next four games plus a trip to Newcastle you wonder where the wins they need might come.
They don’t remotely look like scoring from open play and let in too many goals.
Villa were so bad you might argue that any assessment of Chelsea is pointless. That said there was sufficient purpose and hunger to please Lampard.
Mount in particular was impressive, dropping deep to take responsibility for shaping the play and probing intelligently.
Chelsea’s strength was reflected in a bench that included Pulisic, Ross Barkley – who also made a difference replacing Loftus-Cheek – Tammy Abraham and Reece James. Teenage prodigy Billy Gilmour did not even make the pitch. All this plus Timo Werner and Hakim Ziyech to come.
A stiffer test awaits on Thursday with the visit to Stamford Bridge of Manchester City. Lampard, who looks increasingly assured in his job, appears ready for it.
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from Football – inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/2YWPAWw
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