Chelsea extend unbeaten streak with victory over Villa as Spurs slip up against Fulham

Chelsea extended their unbeaten run to six matches across all competitions with a comfortable 3-0 win over Aston Villa, deepening Villa’s winless streak to eight games.

Despite insisting that his side are not title contenders, Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca’s rebuilding efforts appear to be paying off, with the team now level on points with second-placed Arsenal and eyeing Champions League qualification.

Nicolas Jackson opened the scoring in the 7th minute, volleying in Marc Cucurella’s cross for his eighth goal of the season. Enzo Fernandez doubled Chelsea’s lead in the 36th minute with a composed finish, while Cole Palmer sealed the win in the 83rd minute with a strike from the edge of the box. Villa’s frustrations were compounded by a failed foul appeal in the build-up to Jackson’s goal.

Meanwhile, Tottenham’s top-four hopes took a hit after a 1-1 draw with 10-man Fulham. Brennan Johnson gave Spurs the lead in the 54th minute from a Timo Werner pass, but Tom Cairney equalized for Fulham in the 67th minute. Cairney’s red card in the closing minutes, following a VAR review, left Fulham down a man but Spurs unable to capitalize.