Aston Villa 0 - 4 Chelsea

Aston Villa 0 - 4 Chelsea

Alexandre Pato scores on debut as Chelsea and Pedro punish sorry Aston Villa

Away team scorers
Ruben Loftus-Cheek 26
da Silva Alexandre Pato 45 +2:19 Pen
Rodriguez Pedro 46
Rodriguez Pedro 59



This might have been considered the first meaningless game of the season but at least Chelsea recorded something of note to pile another layer of misery on Aston Villa. It took 63 days for Alexandre Pato to make his Chelsea debut but the Brazilian needed only 22 minutes to break his duck.

Matt Miazga, signed in January from New York Red Bulls, also made his debut, starting at centre-half, Jake Clarke-Salter was given 15 minutes and Ruben Loftus-Cheek impressed for 90 in an attacking midfield role, providing proof that despite a season to forget Chelsea have much to look forward to in the near future.

For Villa, not so much. There might have been a new man in charge – albeit temporarily – in Eric Black but it was the same pitiful story. Only Jordan Ayew showed a smidgen of fight and it said much that the disgruntled home fans were barely surprised to witness another embarrassing defensive surrender. Villa have long been down but their relegation could be confirmed as early as next week depending on Norwich City’s and Crystal Palace’s results before then.

It is hard, however, not to feel sorry for the beleaguered supporters who are still turning up to witness a weekly horror show from a team containing more Villains than Villans. “Proud history. What future?” read several hundred pieces of paper risen on the Holte End before kick-off. A scrawled bedsheet behind the opposite goal went further: “No fight, no pride, no respect. No hope.”

Such has been the absence of quality here this season, when Villa strung a few passes together 20 minutes in shouts of “Olé!” went up from all four stands. That was as good as things got. After the move broke down, to a predictable chorus of sarcastic boos, Cesc Fàbregas pitched a ball forward to Pedro, who was marginally offside before lofting the ball over Brad Guzan. His tasty finish was correctly scratched out.

Chelsea did not have to wait much longer for the opener, but first came the arrival of Pato, who replaced the injured Loïc Rémy after 23 minutes. The Brazilian’s pass started the move for Loftus-Cheek’s first league goal. It was Mikel who displayed the samba-like dance moves, though, jigging his way past Carlos Sánchez and Ashley Westwood and then feeding to Pedro, who found César Azpilicueta. The defender’s cross from the right was met by Loftus-Cheek, taking a deflection off Joleon Lescott en route.

Ayew did have a couple of chances to equalise denied by Thibaut Courtois but the result was in effect settled when Pato was brainlessly hauled down in the penalty area by Aly Cissokho in first-half injury time. Pato slotted the penalty to Guzan’s right.

Only 51 seconds of the second half had elapsed when Pedro deepened the wound further, finishing off a lovely move involving Pato and the half-time substitute Oscar. The former Barcelona attacker scored his second when tapping in after Guzan could only parry an elementary save from Pato before the hour mark.

Guzan was greeted by ironic cheers when he managed to smother a tame Branislav Ivanovic free-kick 11 minutes from the end, while Alan Hutton was given a second yellow after a late tackle on Loftus-Cheek five minutes afterwards. But by that point Villa’s fans had found more entertainment in a paper plane contest from the aforementioned protest material. Some of them even found their target.

Guardian