Alexandre Pato scores on debut, Pedro hits double as Chelsea crush Aston Villa
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Updated 02/04/2016 at 14:08 GMT
Premier League, Villa Park – Aston Villa 0 Chelsea 4 (Loftus-Cheek 26, Pato 45, Pedro 46, 59)
Pedro celebrates after scoring the fourth goal for Aston Villa
Image credit: Reuters
Aston Villa slumped to their seventh successive league defeat and a step closer towards inevitable relegation after a 4-0 thrashing at home to a new-look Chelsea team shorn of many regular starters.
Alexandre Pato, who signed from Corinthians in January, came off the bench to replace Loic Remy in the 23rd minute and had a hand in the first goal for Ruben Loftus-Cheek just three minutes later.
The 26-year-old Brazilian then won a penalty before stepping up to score the spot-kick just before half-time.
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Alexandre Pato scores the second goal for Chelsea from the penalty spot
Image credit: Reuters
Pedro then notched a double in the second half to leave Aston Villa - who had Alan Hutton sent off late on - floundering at the bottom of the table.
Defeat for Villa means they are potentially one loss away from relegation after equalling the club record 10 defeats in a season, set in 2013-14.
Chelsea become the third team to win 200 PL away matches, after Manchester United and Arsenal after their biggest away win of the season and are now 15 games without defeat.
TALKING POINT
No heart and no fight from Villa. The banners from many of the fans rang true as Villa slumped to another embarrassing defeat. Proud past, what future?
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Aston Villa fans with a banner in protest
Image credit: Reuters
MAN OF THE MATCH
Pedro (Chelsea) An assured performance, capped off by a second-half brace.
PLAYER RATINGS
Aston Villa: Guzan 5, Hutton 5, Richards 6, Lescott 6, Cissokho 6, Sanchez 5, Westwood 6, Gana 6, Gil 6, Gestede 6, Ayew 7. SUBS: Bacuna 6, Grealish 7.
Chelsea: Courtois 6; Azpilicueta 6, Ivanovic 6, Miazga 6, Baba 7; Mikel 6, Fabregas 7; Pedro 8, Loftus-Cheek 7, Kenedy 6; Remy 6. SUBS: Jake Clarke-Salter 6, Oscar 7, Pato 7.
KEY MOMENTS
22’ – Pato comes on to make his Chelsea debut, replacing the injured Loic Remy.
26’ – GOAL! Aston Villa 0-1 Chelsea: Ruben Loftus-Cheek slots home Azpilicueta’s cut back to score his first Premier League goal for Chelsea.
38’ – GUZAN SAVE: He denies Baba a first with his legs at the near post.
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Ruben Loftus Cheek celebrates after scoring the first goal for Chelsea
Image credit: Reuters
45’ – CHELSEA CLOSE: Loftus-Cheek almost has a second, sliding his shot just wide after pouncing on Sanchez’s poor pass.
45+2’ - GOAL! Aston Villa 0-2 Chelsea: Alexandre Pato is wrestled to the floor in the box by Cissokho and gets up to score his first for Chelsea.
46 – GOAL! Aston Villa 0-3 Chelsea: Pedro slots Chelsea further ahead after Oscar’s neat cut back.
59’ – GOAL! Aston Villa 0-4 Chelsea: Guzan palms Pato’s shot tamely into the path of Pedro, who completes the rout.
85’ – RED CARD: Hutton sees red after a second bookable offence
KEY STATS
Villa lose seven consecutive PL matches, for the third time since the beginning of 2015.
Matt Miazga makes his debut in PL for Chelsea. He is the first player from the United States to play for the club in the PL.
Alexandre Pato scores on his PL debut. The last Chelsea player to do so was Pedro on 23 August 2015 versus West Bromwich Albion.
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Alexandre Pato celebrates after scoring the second goal for Chelsea
Image credit: Reuters
Ruben Loftus-Cheek (20-070) became the youngest English goalscorer for Chelsea in the PL since Glen Johnson (19-252) scored for the club on 1 May 2004 against Southampton.
Pedro scores his second brace of this PL season, after he scored twice versus Newcastle on 13 February.
Chelsea have won eight of the last nine Premier League meetings, with the exception being a 1-0 away defeat two years ago.
Villa have lost ten matches at home - equalling club record 10 defeats in a season, set in 2013-14.
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