07 February 2024 , 21:53
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Chelsea eased into the FA Cup fifth round after producing a professional performance to beat Aston Villa 3-1 and set up a tasty tie against Leeds at Stamford Bridge.
Mauricio Pochettino's side started on the front foot and opened the scoring in the 11th minute as Conor Gallagher finished off a fine attacking move. That put the Blues firmly in the ascendancy and it didn't take them long to double their advantage when Nicolas Jackson headed home.
It was the reaction most Chelsea fans would have wanted after back-to-back Premier League defeats and they scored a third moments after half-time, with Enzo Fernandez firing home a superb free-kick. Moussa Diaby pulled one back for Villa late on but it proved to be a consolation.
Here are six talking points from Villa Park.
Gallagher's rare strike
Having failed to score in his 34 previous appearances, Gallagher netted a rare goal to give Chelsea the lead in the West Midlands. The England international started off the move after the Blues won the midfield battle before slotting Jackson in down the left-hand channel. He then pulled the ball back to Madueke, who had the awareness to play into Gallagher and the midfielder coolly fired into the top corner.
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It was an excellent finish from Gallagher, who ran away to celebrate alongside Enzo Fernandez as the 7,000 travelling Blues were sent into delight. In fact, that was Gallagher's first Chelsea goal since scoring in the 3-1 victory over Bournemouth back in May 2023.
Conor Gallagher celebrates after scoring for Chelsea against Aston Villa (Getty Images)Jackson back with a bang
Following Senegal's disappointing last 16 exit from the African Cup of Nations, Jackson returned to the Chelsea squad to face Wolves on Sunday. He came on the final 27 minutes, before being recalled to the starting XI against Villa for the first time since the 3-2 win over Luton in December.
After contributing to Chelsea's opener, Jackson got his name on the scoresheet in the 21st minute. Malo Gusto's cross was met by the former Villarreal man and he calmly headed the ball into the bottom corner. The 22-year-old was a threat throughout the game and caused Villa issues with his pace in behind.
Nicolas Jackson scored his ninth of the season against Aston Villa (Getty Images)Impressive Enzo
Fernandez has been criticised by some for his performances in recent weeks, but the Argentina international showed exactly what he was capable of against Villa. He was impressive throughout and scored a stunning 25-yard free-kick to put Chelsea in cruise control just after half-time.
After being fouled, Fernandez picked himself back up and struck a superb free-kick with his instep and into the top corner, giving compatriot Emi Martinez little chance. That was Fernandez's fifth Chelsea goal since arriving from Benfica for a then club record £105million last January.
Enzo Fernandez's stunning free-kick made it 3-0 to Chelsea (Getty Images)Silva on the bench
Thiago Silva was dropped to the bench for the trip to Villa - a matter of days since his wife, Belle Silva, reacted angrily to the Blues' 4-2 defeat against Wolves at Stamford Bridge. Pochettino made three changes to his Chelsea side, with Silva, Raheem Sterling and Christopher Nkunku coming out.
In his pre-match interview, Pochettino was quizzed about the reason behind Silva's absence. He told ITV: "I am professional, I always pick my players on performance and balance. I understand the question but I am to be calm because I am professional and will always make the decision based on the professional side of it."
A perfect Chelsea response
After damaging back-to-back Premier League losses against Liverpool and Wolves, Chelsea responded in perfect fashion to ease the immediate pressure on boss Pochettino. It was an excellent performance from the Blues, who had previously failed to beat Villa twice without scoring a goal this season.
But Chelsea were in control from the get go and showed class to book their place in the fifth round against Leeds at Stamford Bridge. The Blues will face the Championship side on Wednesday, February 28 - three days after taking on Liverpool in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley.
Dismal Villa
Villa boss Emery will be left scratching his head after what he witnessed from his side against Chelsea. They simply did not get going and struggled to hand the tempo and intensity from Pochettino's Blues. Defensively, Villa were all over the place, while their finishing at the other end left a lot to be desired.
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Defeat for the Villains was their second successive at home following last Tuesday's 3-1 loss against Newcastle, after going almost a year unbeaten at Villa Park. Next up for Villa is a critical Premier League game against Manchester United on Sunday as they try and cement their place in the Champions League places.