Aston Villa 2-1

Independent:
Chelsea 2 Aston Villa 1
Blues top as Branislav Ivanovic escapes red card to deny Villa
Sam Wallace
 
There were times when maintaining Chelsea's unbeaten home league record during his first spell at Stamford Bridge was as easy for Jose Mourinho as walking his Yorkshire terrier around Holland Park. Tonight was a reminder that in the Premier League of 2013, life will be different.

Chelsea are top of the league with six points from their first two games in the space of four days, which is a position that Mourinho will not want to concede easily, especially come the game at Old Trafford on Monday. But they were made to work damn hard for it tonight by a fine Aston Villa performance that stretched Chelsea all the way and might even have merited more.
The winning goal was headed past Brad Guzan by Branislav Ivanovic on 73 minutes, a fine finish, albeit with a touch of offside about it. Yet minutes earlier, the Chelsea right-back had caught Christian Benteke, Villa’s goalscorer, with a flailing elbow. It was by no means a clear-cut red card but may have earned a dismissal from some referees.
Extensive petitioning by John Terry and Frank Lampard followed and referee Kevin Friend opted to show Ivanovic the yellow rather than the red. When the ball struck Terry’s raised arm in the penalty area in injury-time at the end of the game, Friend did not react and the Villa bench were incensed.
For Lambert there were no doubts. “We have been ‘done’ by two big decisions”, said the Villa manager. On Saturday it could be said that he benefited from the performance of Anthony Taylor in the win over Arsenal but this is the Premier League and life moves on quickly. Tonight Villa left London convinced that with a different referee they might still be unbeaten.
Upon such decisions are games decided and this was a real beauty; it shaped up to be a hard night for Villa at first but this young team held their own in impressive style. Three academy graduates in the starting XI; three more signed from Football League clubs. Paul Lambert’s team are maturing nicely.
As for Mourinho, after the blitz of Hull in the first half on Sunday, this was the dogfight that tested his team’s mettle. Afterwards he blamed himself for not making more changes from the Sunday's side – he made only two – but praised the resilience of his team. Certainly, in the difficult moments they dug out a result and they relied heavily upon Petr Cech when the pressure was intense.
“The team fought very hard and sometimes you have to win because you play fantastic football, “Mourinho said. “Sometimes when you don’t do that you have to play based on other things and tonight other things gave us the game.” Against Manchester United at Old Trafford on Monday, Mourinho’s side will have to be more polished, and they will also have to demonstrate the fight they showed against Villa.
At times in the first half, certainly in the opening stages, Villa struggled to contain a Chelsea side that looked determined to build on the solid work of their first half performance against Hull City on Sunday. In those opening stages of the game, Chelsea worked their opponents hard all over the pitch. It was relentless and Villa did well to stay in touch.
They could not prevent the breakthrough, an own goal by Antonio Luna on six minutes after Oscar’s pass into the left channel unzipped the Villa defence and let Eden Hazard in on goal. His shot was actually well-saved by Guzan but the goalkeeper succeeded only in pushing it against Luna, running towards his own goal, from where it was deflected into the net.
Weaker teams would have allowed themselves to be steam-rollered. With Juan Mata back in the team the three little maestros at Chelsea’s creative heart last season were re-united. And they passed the ball beautifully at times but the problem was Demba Ba, who took Fernando Torres’ place. Ba scarcely made an impression on Villa’s defence which had to be reshuffled when Ciaran Clark picked up a bad cut to his head and Jores Okore was sent on to replace him.
For the whole of that first half, Lambert’s young team worked the full press on Chelsea. It is hard going to shut down a team as sharp as this one but they made an excellent job of it. As for Chelsea, they tried to get Ba into the game with the long balls over the top hit by Terry or Gary Cahill. But Ba is no Didier Drogba and he could not make it stick.
As for Villa, they had two good chances and they took the second. The first fell to Andreas Weimann who did not get a clean connection on a header at the back post when Luna had got free down the left and crossed for him. It was the first time that Ivanovic had let anyone in behind him but when he did for the second time, Villa scored.
Gabby Agbonlahor, who worked hard all half without much chance to run with the ball, saw his chance to take on the Serb. A frustrating player at times, Agbonlahor only has three England caps but on his day he can take on the best of them. Having got behind Ivanovic he found Benteke with a fabulous cut-back. The Villa centre-forward needed one touch to take the ball onto his left and another to sweep it past Cech and in off the post.
In the absence of any deal for Wayne Rooney on the horizon, Benteke looks exactly the kind of striker that Mourinho could do with. Less so, Ba whose distinctly unimpressive evening came to a close on 64 minutes when he was replaced by Romelu Lukaku, a change that might have been made much earlier. Later, when Mourinho was asked about Benteke he described him as ‘a great player for a certain style of football’, which is no compliment at all.
Mourinho also substituted Mata and introduced Andre Schurrle. By that point there was a case for saying that Villa were on top. They had certainly created the better chances at that point. Agbonlahor had curled a Matt Lowton pass across goal just over. Weimann should have done better with a back-post volley from Benteke’s cross.
There are never more than a few chances to put Chelsea away when they are at home and those passed Villa by. Then came a game-changing two minutes when Ivanovic first caught Benteke with an elbow and was only booked by referee Friend. Then, within two minutes, the Serbian was the most decisive when Lampard struck a free-kick into the box and it was the Chelsea right-back who connected with a powerful header past Guzan. He looked offside when the ball was struck.
The Terry handball, and a fine save from Cech from Weimann followed. Chelsea had hung on which, on a difficult night, is a sign of a team who, whatever the circumstances, will not give up the fight easily.

Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Cech; Ivanovic, Cahill, Terry, Cole; Ramires, Lampard; Mata (Schurrle, 65), Oscar (Van Ginkel , 84), Hazard; Ba (Lukaku, 65). Substitutes not used Schwarzer (gk), Mikel, Schurrle, De Bruyne, Azpilicueta.

Aston Villa (4-3-3): Guzan; Lowton, Vlaar, Clark (Okore, 43), Luna; El Ahmadi (Tonev, 82), Westwood, Delph; Weimann, Benteke, Agbonlahor. Substitutes not used Steer (gk), Bennett, Bacuna, Helenius, Stylla.

Referee K Friend (Leciestershire)
Man of the match Delph
Match rating 8

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Guardian:
Chelsea go top but Branislav Ivanovic's winner has Aston Villa raging

Chelsea 2
Antonio Luna 6 o.g.,
Branislav Ivanovic 73
 
Aston Villa 1
Christian Benteke 45 +2:49
 
Amy Lawrence at Stamford Bridge

There could have been red cards, instead there were scarlet faces. José Mourinho and Paul Lambert threatened to overheat as tempers flared and controversy swirled around Chelsea's match-winner, Branislav Ivanovic.
The Serbian defender tilted an intriguing contest towards the blue corner with a solid header in the 73rd minute. The fact that he courted dismissal on either side of the goal as he challenged Christian Benteke – first with an arm in the face and then with a high kick – left Villa cursing.
Lambert was unequivocal in his view that the referee had cost his team not once, but twice, as Chelsea also benefited from a benevolent nod from the official in stoppage time, after John Terry's raised arm met Fabian Delph's cross. "It's easy to sit here with sour grapes. We've been done by two big decisions," he said. " They are game-changers."
Naturally Mourinho disagreed, welcoming the referee's interpretation of events wholly. He even went so far as to come over almost nostalgic at the sight of Lambert's explosive touchline theatrics. "Paul has a certain type of personality – he reminds me of myself 10 years ago when I was complaining every decision, when I wanted to coach my team and at the same time have a whistle at my lips. He's a young manager, very intelligent, he will change."
Some sympathy for Lambert was understandable, as Villa played energetically and broke dangerously enough to merit more reward than the moral satisfaction to have improved enormously on their last showing here, which ended in a club record 8-0 nightmare.
The expectancy of home dominance is part of life under Mourinho at Stamford Bridge and all went according to plan early on. Chelsea eased into the lead in the seventh minute. Oscar's vision split Villa open – his superb pass took three opposition players out of the game – enabling Eden Hazard to pelt into the box. The Belgian's cross was tricky for Brad Guzan, who could only palm the ball straight into the chest of the onrushing Antonio Luna.
Once they were in front Chelsea looked in the mood to suffocate Villa with endless, mesmerising possession. It was pedestrian and soporific, as they mustered a few half-chances but nothing else of note in the first period to test Guzan seriously.
For all Mourinho's talk pre-match about his wish to see more "intensity" from his team, and a hunger to "destroy" teams, Chelsea played the first half as if they were content to pootle along in first gear.
Villa found a Mourinho-drilled Chelsea a tougher nut to crack than a shaky Arsenal, so eking a path back into the game was a tougher challenge than they had last weekend, when they also needed to recover from an early setback. But recover they did.
Undaunted, they chipped away patiently and slowly began to drag some of the initiative away from Chelsea. The equaliser came in first-half stoppage time, as their two most influential attacking figures combined again. Gabriel Agbonlahor was able to dart away down the left flank, and his pass fell to Villa's master marksman. Christian Benteke cushioned the ball with his right foot and placed it with his left. Petr Cech, seeking his 200th clean sheet for Chelsea, would have to wait.
Chelsea trod a thin line as they probed in search of some end product. On the hour Agbonlahor took aim with a wonderful chance on the break. His curling shot arced just over the crossbar. Then Andreas Weimann connected fiercely with Benteke's cross and Cech pulled off a vital save. It was a head-in-hands moment for the watching Lambert, who sensed another improbable mission days after the opening day win across London.
Mourinho acted, withdrawing Demba Ba and Juan Mata – neither of whom looked to have done much to endear himself to the new coach – and passing the baton to the trickery of André Schürrle and the hulking brawn of Romelu Lukaku, who showed his potential when he grazed the side-netting.
With 20 minutes to go fortune turned Chelsea's way. Ivanovic took a huge risk as he caught Benteke in the face with a raised arm. Lambert fumed on the touchline but the referee chose yellow instead of red.
A couple of minutes later Lampard swung in a free-kick and – inevitably – the name on the shirt of the man who thundered in to plant a bullet header past Guzan was none other than … Ivanovic.
Chelsea still needed Cech to protect the win courtesy of another fine save with his legs from Weimann's effort. It was hard luck for Villa while Chelsea amble on, not entirely convincingly but with six points to take into the match at Old Trafford.
A brighter Chelsea with more attacking force will need to be in action then.

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Telegraph:

Chelsea 2 Aston Villa 1

By Henry Winter, Stamford Bridge

Jose Mourinho’s love-in with Chelsea continues after a second date at the Bridge but he did need a couple of winks from Lady Luck.
Two poor pieces of officiating by the referee, Kevin Friend, understandably enraged the visitors, Aston Villa. Branislav Ivanovic should have been dismissed for an elbow a minute before heading the winner. John Terry should have been punished for a handball in the last minute.
An animated Paul Lambert went in to see the referee afterwards. The Football Association’s newly tweaked retrospective disciplinary process may be scrutinised after this, especially the Ivanovic decision, although it would be a surprise if the FA acted.
It was a pity that the focus should inevitably be on some hapless refereeing as this was a really good game, particularly in the second half when Villa showed why they have grown so much under Lambert, why Mourinho’s barbs about Villa’s “didn’t play a lot’’ style afterwards were a nonsense (and will have Barcelona fans reminding him of Inter Milan’s visit to the Nou Camp in 2010).
Fabian Delph, arguably man of the match along with Petr Cech, was a nimble, ball-playing presence in midfield, eclipsing Frank Lampard.
Gabby Agbonlahor is enjoying a fine calendar year, Andi Weimann hardly lacks technique while Christian Benteke is the type of prolific frontman Chelsea crave — and why they are going back in for Wayne Rooney on Tuesday.
Mourinho also noted Lambert’s disputing of every decision. Mr Pot? Please meet Mr Kettle.
Lambert handled Mourinho’s jibes well, focusing on praising his players. Rightly so. With a fraction of Chelsea’s budget, Villa look a force. Four days after winning at Arsenal, Villa really rattled Chelsea . But for Friend’s mistakes and Cech’s shot-stopping, Villa could have won here.
There must be a concern for Mourinho over how Chelsea tailed off, as against Hull City on Sunday, although they perked up when Romelu Lukaku came on to replace the disappointing Demba Ba.
Lukaku has to start. He offers more energy, focus and a goal threat than Ba or Fernando Torres currently. The past two games confirm why Mourinho still pursues Rooney.
For all these issues, Chelsea are top with six points and the club are united under Mourinho.
Chelsea’s returning idol wrote emotionally in his programme notes about the “unique” and “fantastic” reception the fans had given him before the Hull game, a match attended by his family who saw exactly why he “wanted to come back”.
On Wednesday night, the romance rolled on, particularly when Chelsea fans savoured the build-up to their sixth-minute goal.
It was the speed and accuracy of Chelsea’s one-touch passing that unhinged Villa’s defence.
Ashley Cole started the move, tucked in on the left, drilling the ball quickly to Lampard, who turned it immediately on to Oscar. The Brazilian was starting in the centre of Chelsea’s creative trident, although occasionally switching with the right-sided Juan Mata. Oscar picked out Eden Hazard, infiltrating in from the left.
The Belgian tried to work the ball around Brad Guzan, but the American parried the ball out. Unfortunately for Villa, the ball cannoned into Antonio Luna and back in past Guzan.
Villa rallied midway through the first half. Lambert has them playing with belief, their 4-3-3 system both compact and bold. Gone are the nerves of last season, the thumpings as experienced against Chelsea .
Karim El Ahmadi sent a shot wide while Benteke kept trying to get past Terry but the Chelsea captain was equal to the heavyweight task for 44 minutes. Terry’s enduring determination was shown when throwing himself in ahead of Benteke, then El Ahmadi. It made his later lapse so strange.
Chelsea almost added a second when Mata, Hazard and Lampard set up Oscar, whose shot went wide. Ciaran Clark then departed, his forehead accidentally sliced open by the studs of Ba. Jores Okore, a Chelsea fan who turned down the club, came on at centre-half and eventually settled well alongside Ron Vlaar.
Villa equalised just before the break, Agbonlahor getting the better of Ivanovic and cutting the ball back to Benteke, who finally had escaped Terry. Benteke controlled Agbonlahor’s pass instantly, then swept it left-footed past Cech.
The second half was a mix of flair and brimstone. Agbonlahor curled a shot over. Weimann was denied at the near post by Cech.
Controversy then gate-crashed the Bridge. Ivanovic jumped aggressively at Benteke, catching the striker in the neck with his elbow. Friend deemed it worthy only of a yellow, a lucky escape.
Chelsea fans thought back to Benteke’s elbow on César Azpilicueta last May, the Belgian receiving only a yellow (although later dismissed for placing his studs in Terry’s chest).
Shortly afterwards, Ivanovic leapt to head in Lampard’s free-kick, further sending Villa into meltdown. Lambert and Mourinho exchanged contrasting views.
The temperature was really rising now. Benteke tried to wreak some retribution, flying into Ivanovic as they contested an aerial ball. As Ivanovic fell, he flicked out a foot and caught Benteke, who was bemused when Friend then cautioned him.
Villa had been expecting justice to prevail and for Ivanovic finally to receive his marching orders, this time with a second yellow. They shook their heads in disbelief when it was Benteke who was punished.
Lambert was livid. Mourinho was calmer, chatting with the fourth official, Stuart Attwell. He blew out his cheeks as Villa kept pressing. Only a wonderful save with his feet by Cech denied Weimann.
In the final minute, Agbonlahor headed down Delph’s free-kick, Terry clearly handled, Friend waved play on and Villa’s frustration was complete.
They returned north fuelled with indignation but also surely buoyed by a realisation that they can live with the big teams. Chelsea need to sustain their excellence over 90 minutes, particularly with Monday’s trip to Old Trafford pending.

================

Mail:

Chelsea 2 Aston Villa 1:

Rattled Mourinho and Lambert square up on touchline as Ivanovic header wins it for Blues (but should Serb have seen red?)

By Neil Ashton

Jose Mourinho’s truce with the Barclays Premier League lasted just one game. This didn’t quite reach the depths of his poke in Tito Vilanova’s eye when in charge of Real Madrid but it was close enough for discomfort.
First the Chelsea boss was shaken by Christian Benteke’s equaliser and he then steamed into Aston Villa manager Paul Lambert.
Mourinho knows Chelsea got lucky. They won this re-arranged fixture when Branislav Ivanovic, who could easily have been sent off for elbowing Benteke, powered the winner beyond Brad Guzan.
By then Stamford Bridge had been treated to Mourinho’s full repertoire: flailing arms, three touchline rows with a purple-faced Lambert and countless run-ins with fourth official Stuart Attwell.
‘Paul has a certain personality on the touchline and a certain way of behaving with comments,’ claimed Mourinho. ‘He reminds me of me ten years ago, but with experience he will change.’
It was vintage Mourinho, spiky and unabridged. He doesn’t care who he upsets, so long as his team are winning. Even Rui Faria, Mourinho’s faithful assistant, jumped off the bench to confront Lambert during another ugly touchline exchange.
Villa should have had two penalties, decisions scandalously overlooked by referee Kevin Friend who failed to spot the nudge on Andreas Weimann, or John Terry’s handball in the closing minutes.
‘We’ve been done by two big decisions,’ claimed Lambert. ‘Ivanovic should have been sent off.’
Mourinho responded, labelling Villa a physical, long-ball team who constantly boot balls up to Benteke. It was unfair and inaccurate.
Lambert and Villa deserve sympathy, heading back to Birmingham without a point when they might have won all three.
When two teams play like this, with exuberance and energy, taking on lung-busting runs and responding to the demands of their passionate fans, you don’t want the game to end.
At times Stamford Bridge was caught in a trance, mesmerised by Eden Hazard’s ability to pick out Juan Mata with a fading 40-yard crossfield pass.
Chelsea went ahead through the sweetest of moves involving Frank Lampard, Oscar and Hazard, who was denied the credit for the goal when Antonio Luna deflected the ball beyond Guzan.
There was the effort of Gabby Agbonlahor down the left for Villa, providing the outlet that earned his team two penalties at Arsenal on Saturday. He provided the killer pass, an angled cut-back into the path of Benteke to score Villa’s equaliser at the end of the first half. This is the Agbonlahor of 2006, the man who nearly earned a move to Chelsea under Mourinho first time around. He was awesome.
Under Lambert he has remodelled his game, a real team player as Villa respond to their manager’s intensity and enthusiasm on the touchline.
The equaliser provoked some intense celebrations from Lambert and his coaching staff. Mourinho was in the technical area, the knot on his tie slipping further down his shirt as the game wore on.
He has put himself under this pressure, demanding the killer touch from his team ahead of Monday’s game against Manchester United at Old Trafford.
There will be rotation, as Fernando Torres discovered when he didn’t even make the bench after starting Sunday’s opener against Hull.
Demba Ba got his chance, but Chelsea are a striker light. The Senegal forward is good, just not good enough for a club with Premier League and Champions League aspirations.
In another era it would be easy to conclude that Ba was picked as a message to Abramovich, a reminder that they need another forward before the transfer window closes. They will be back for Wayne Rooney, with one last attempt after Monday’s clash at Old Trafford.
Ba was eventually replaced by Romelu Lukaku and it wasn’t a moment too soon for Chelsea’s increasingly restless fans. By then Agbonlahor could have put Villa in front with a swirling effort on the hour and a Weimann volley went wide of Cech’s post.
‘Come on Chelsea’ the home fans shouted as Ron Vlaar and Jores Okore - who came on after Ciaran Clark went off with a head injury - stopped almost everything. They were unlucky to be beaten in the air by Ivanovic, scoring with a header to prompt another icy glare towards Lambert from Mourinho.
Two games into his return to Chelsea, he wouldn’t have it any other way.

Chelsea: Cech 7, Ivanovic 6, Cahill 7, Terry 8, Cole 6, Ramires 6, Lampard 6, Oscar 6 (Van Ginkel 84min), Mata 6 (Schurrle 65), Hazard 7, Ba 4 (Lukaku 65).

Subs: Mikel, De Bruyne, Schwarzer, Azpilicueta.
Booked: Ivanovic

Goal: Luna (og) 7, Ivanovic 73.

Aston Villa: Guzan 6, Lowton 6, Vlaar 7, Clark 6 (Okore 43), Luna 7, El Ahmadi 7 (Tonev 82), Westwood 7, Delph 7, Weimann 6, Benteke 7, Agbonlahor 7.

Subs: Bennt, Bacuna, Helenius, Steer, Sylla.

Booked: El Ahmadi, Westwood, Benteke

Goal: Benteke 45

Attendance: 41,527

Referee: Kevin Friend

================

Mirror:

Chelsea 2-1 Aston Villa: Cries of ref justice as returning Mourinho make it two wins from two
 
Ivanovic nets decisive goal just after red-card let-off and late Terry handball goes unpunished to leave visitors feeling robbed

Darren Lewis

Forget this idea that he returns as the Cuddly, Happy One.
Forget the idea returns to the Premier League a more calm, considered, less-confrontational boss to the one that quit these shores back in September 2007.
When the heat was on in this compelling contest all that went right out of the window.
Welcome back Jose. We thought we'd lost you.
Sparks flew on the touchline as the Chelsea boss clashed first with the fourth official then Paul Lambert with the Blues struggling to contain the Scot's tenacious Aston Villa team.
And Mourinho will be reflecting on his six Premier League points well aware that he emerged from this face-off very much the Lucky One.
Aston Villa were robbed. Pure and simple.
Referee Kevin Friend bottled it and denied them a 93rd-minute penalty when John Terry handled Gabby Agbonlahor's header.
Friend also produced a 70th-minute yellow when Villa felt, justifiably, it should have been red for a forearm smash by Branislav Ivanovic on Christian Benteke.
Minutes later, the Serb scored the winner.
Referees are living in cloud cuckoo land if they don't believe they deserve criticism for the kind of decision-making that cost Villa the points here.
Why on earth should bosses stay silent when faced with the kind of ineptitude that rendered the efforts of Lambert's men meaningless?
The Villa boss came out fighting afterwards, and rightly so.
It will be nothing short of a disgrace if Lambert is cited by the FA for speaking his mind on the issue.
Even Chelsea fans will know that the referee had a shocker.
Villa were excellent. Chelsea, not so much.
The Europa League holders had been charged by Mourinho with replicating the ruthlessness with which Manchester City dismissed Newcastle on Monday.
And when a helpless Antonio Luna turned a deflected Eden Hazard shot into his own net after just five minutes, the floodgates did indeed look set to open.
Mourinho and his men soon found, however, that this Villa vintage is nothing like the timid, relegation-haunted side eaten alive 8-0 on this same pitch last season.
They were organised, efficient and stunned the Bridge into silence when Benteke netted on the stroke of half-time.
The Belgian, who tormented Chelsea before being sent off at Villa Park in the penultimate game of last season, lasted all 90 minutes this time around.
And when his chance came, he took it with aplomb.
First, he killed a cross from Agbonlahor with his left foot in the box, then he totally ignored the advancing Terry to let fly.
The effort smacked the inside of the Cech's near post and, with the Chelsea keeper beaten, nestled in the back of the net.
What a bit of business from Lambert to keep him from the clutches of big-spending Spurs this summer.
What a bit of business to keep the free-scoring frontman committed to the cause.
Benteke has now scored 17 league goals in 2013 - three more than any other player in the Premier League.
He also looks set to fill his boots again this season.
It all made for a tense and enthralling second half.
Mourinho may be undefeated in 61 matches here at the Bridge but he has failed to win any of his last four against the Villa.
Agbonlahor and Andy Weimann could have extended that sequence but failed to find the target with good chances and the Blues' defence all over the place.
Then Chelsea got lucky. Big time.
Friend was most definitely Villa's foe when he decided to only caution Ivanovic for that challenge on Benteke.
From Frank Lampard's free-kick three minutes later, Ivanovic headed home.
Even then, Villa had chances late on to earn themselves a point.
Cech was forced into a top save from Weimann with four minutes left and did even better from Agbonlahor in added time.
As it is, the Special One lives to die another day.
On this occasion he would very much prefer to be a lucky general.

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Express:

Chelsea 2 - Aston Villa 1: Branislav Ivanovic has so sweet a taste for Jose Mourinho

IT WAS never going to be easy all the way. This one was a grind, a battle from start to end. But Jose Mourinho will not care – his Chelsea are top of the table.

By: Tony Banks

After the glory and glamour of their opening day victory over Hull, the Special One’s team had to work for this. And they needed their share of the luck.
An early own-goal by Antonio Luna seemed set to signal another romp – but Paul Lambert’s men hung in and levelled through the excellent Christian Benteke.
Branislav Ivanovic could have been sent off for a foul on Benteke as Chelsea struggled to contain the young Belgian.
But then Ivanovic headed home a Frank Lampard free-kick – and the Blues had edged it.
This was a game that gave them the chance to set down a marker after beating Hull by establishing an early lead in the table.
Victory would also give Mourinho’s troops the psychological advantage of a three-point lead over title rivals Manchester United when they go into Monday’s showdown at Old Trafford.
Mourinho sprang a surprise when he left Fernando Torres out of his side in favour of Demba Ba, and did not even name the Spaniard on the bench, as he also brought Juan Mata back into his side.
Villa’s last trip to Stamford Bridge, in December last year, ended in the humiliation of an 8-0 defeat – the heaviest in their history.
At that stage manager Lambert’s young side looked doomed for the drop. But a late rally from the youngsters to whom he stayed faithful staved off relegation.
Chelsea had begun against Hull with a ferocious half-hour blitz – and they were off and running again early on last night. Villa strung five men across the midfield to try to stifle Mourinho’s men, but they were undone after just seven minutes.
Lampard found Oscar, whose clever pass put Eden Hazard away behind the defence. The Belgian’s shot was pushed away by keeper Brad Guzan, but it bounced straight back into the net off the chest of luckless Luna.
Oscar fired a low shot wide and then the Brazilian cut an effort over the angle as once again Chelsea dominated possession.
Villa’s only worthwhile effort was a 30-yard-drive from Karim El Ahmadi which flew well wide. It was clear though, that this was not going to be another Hull. Villa were sitting deep and looking to catch Chelsea on the break. Mourinho’s team were finding it hard to break them down.
Ba offered more muscularity and sheer pace than Torres up front, but whether he offered the cutting edge that Mourinho is looking for to complete this team was debatable.
Jose Mourinho, Chelsea, Branislav Ivanovic, Christian Benteke, Paul Lambert, Aston VillaVan's the man: Ivanovic heads in Chelsea’s winner
This was a game that gave Chelsea the chance to set down a marker after beating Hull by establishing an early lead in the table
But in first-half injury-time, with their first serious attack, Villa were level. Gabby Agbonlahor burst down the left and crossed, and Benteke had far too much room as he took a touch and cracked his shot low into the corner off the post.
It was the first hiccup of the glorious new era. How would Mourinho and his team react? The answer was, not spectacularly.
The three wizards, Hazard, Mata and Oscar, enjoyed plenty of possession. But they kept running into blind alleys as Villa funnelled back and covered diligently. Mourinho’s team badly lacked any width.Hazard wasted a golden chance as the ball fell to him, but Villa went closer still when Luna’s ball went all the way across the area and Agbonlahor’s shot skimmed an inch over the crossbar.
Then Andreas Weimann met Luna’s cross unmarked at the far post, but Petr Cech pulled off a crucial save.
Ivanovic was lucky to stay on the field after his elbow felled Benteke. But three minutes later the big Serb broke the deadlock.
Substitute Romelu Lukaku was fouled, and when Lampard swung in a free-kick, there was Ivanovic to bullet home his header. Mourinho was then involved in a furious touchline row with Lambert after Ivanovic caught Benteke with a high kick. But it was the Belgian who was booked for dangerous play.
Twice Cech saved Chelsea as he pulled off superb blocks from Weimann and then the Blues somehow survived when John Terry appeared to handle in his own area – to Lambert’s fury.

Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Cech 7; Ivanovic 7, Cahill 7, Terry 7, Cole 6; Ramires 7, Lampard 6; Mata 6 (Schurrle 65, 6 ), Oscar 7 (Van Ginkel 84,6), Hazard 8; Ba 6 (Lukaku 65, 6). Booked: Ivanovic. Goals: Luna 7 og, Ivanovic 73.

Villa (4-5-1): Guzan 6; Lowton 6, Vlaar 7, Clark 6 (Okore 43, 6), Luna 6; Weimann 6, Delph 7, Westwood 6, El Ahmadi 7 (Tonev 82,6),Agbonlahor 6; Benteke 7. Booked: El Ahmadi, Westwood, Benteke, Guzan. Goal: Benteke 45.

Referee: Kevin Friend (Leicestershire).

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Star:
Chelsea 2 - Aston Villa 1: Fury as Branislav Ivanovic escapes red card and hits winner

BRANISLAV IVANOVIC survived a red-card offence to leave Aston Villa feeling blue.

By Adrian Kajumba

The Serbian defender swung out an arm at Christian Benteke, escaped dismissal, and moments later headed home Frank Lampard's free-kick for a 72nd-minute winner.
Villa were right in the game at that point thanks to Benteke.
Just a few days after his double downed Arsenal, Big Ben was at it again in the capital.
The Belgian powerhouse bagged a brilliant first-half equaliser to wipe the smile off Jose Mourinho's face.
Mourinho's men had earlier made the perfect start to their bid to kick off their title bid with two wins out of two.
Antonio Luna's own-goal had gifted Chelsea an early lead.
But they were pegged back when Benteke struck on the stroke of half-time. Chelsea kicked off under orders from Mourinho to start destroying their
opponents after taking their foot off the gas in their 2-0 win over Hull.
That was the last thing Villa needed to hear after their traumatic visit to the Bridge last season.
Paul Lambert's youngsters were taught a lesson they would never forget when they were on the wrong end of an 8-0 Christmas stuffing.
Benteke scores his third in two games in the leagueBenteke scores his third in two games in the league

“Chelsea were rampant and Oscar went close from 25 yards as Villa were having trouble getting out of their half.”
But on the eve of Villa's Bridge return Lambert claimed the thrashing last December helped turn his boys into men.
And a return to the scene of their biggest top-flight defeat held no fears for revitalised Villa after their fine start to the campaign.
Villa piled more misery on crisis club Arsenal by humiliating them 3-1 on their own patch to suggest brighter days are ahead after their brush with relegation last season.
Mourinho also had a pre-match message for Eden Hazard, telling the flying winger that he might be a top talent but is not yet a top player.
The Special One's words sparked an immediate response from the Belgian as Chelsea burst out of the blocks.
He was in the mood from the off and played such a big part when the Blues took a seventh-minute lead.
Ashley Cole and Lampard worked the ball to Oscar on the edge of the box after Villa struggled to clear a Hazard cross.
Oscar spotted a gap in the Villa defence and threaded an inch-perfect pass through it to put Hazard in on goal.
Brad Guzan did brilliantly to parry Hazard's effort that seemed to be heading for the far corner but could only palm the ball onto unlucky left-back Luna who could do nothing as the ball deflected off him into his own net.
Chelsea were rampant and Oscar went close from 25 yards as Villa were having trouble getting out of their half.
Villa finally halted the one-way traffic after 20 minutes when they threatened for the first time.
Chelsea teammates celebrate with IvanovicChelsea teammates celebrate with Ivanovic
Chelsea switched off at a free-kick allowing Fabian Delph to set Luna free down the left.
His cross found Andreas Weimann but his poorly directed header hit Cole and Chelsea cleared.
Villa suffered another blow just before half-time when defender Ciaran Clark was forced off with a head injury and replaced by debut-making summer signing Jores Okore. Chelsea were heading towards the break on top but the half ended on a high for the visitors when Benteke hauled Villa level with a goal out of the blue.
Their looked to be little danger when Gabby Agbonlahor received the ball down the left with his route to goal blocked by Ivanovic.
Yet the in-form striker has pace to burn and put his foot on the gas to speed past the Serbian and crossed for Benteke, who took a touch to buy himself a yard away from John Terry before smashing the ball past Petr Cech.
The first-half pattern continued after the break with Chelsea asking most of the questions. But Villa only had a couple of desperate penalty appeals from Demba Ba and Juan Mata to worry about before Hazard swept an effort well wide from Ivanovic's throw in.
Villa posed problems on the break and Chelsea had two escapes. Agbonlahor curled inches over after Delph dummied Matt Lowton's pass across goal, and Cech stuck out a leg to deny Weimann with a brilliant save from close range.

CHELSEA: Cech, Ivanovic, Cahill, Terry, Cole, Ramires, Lampard, Oscar, Mata, Hazard, Ba. Subs: Mikel, Schurrle, De Bruyne, van Ginkel, Lukaku, Schwarzer, Azpilicueta.
ASTON VILLA: Guzan, Lowton, Vlaar, Clark, Luna, El Ahmadi, Westwood, Delph, Weimann, Benteke, Agbonlahor. Subs: Bennett, Okore, Bacuna, Helenius, Steer, Sylla, Tonev. Referee: Kevin Friend.

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Birmingham Mail:
Chelsea v Aston Villa    

Gregg Evans

Villa were robbed a share of the spoils at Stamford Bridge as Branislav Ivanovic’s late second half goal secured another win for Chelsea.
The Serbian was fortunate to be on the pitch when he thundered in the winner after elbowing Christian Benteke just a minute before his 75th-minute winner.
A further blow for Villa came in stoppage time when John Terry appeared to handle Gabby Agbonalhor’s header only for referee Kevin Friend to wave play on.
It meant that Benteke’s stunning first-half strike - which levelled the scores at the break after Antonio Luna’s early own goal -eventually counted for nothing.
Just like on Saturday Villa conceded after six minutes.
Oscar split the claret and blue backline into two by playing in Eden Hazard down the right.
The Belgian cut inside and saw his shot saved by Brad Guzan but it cannoned off the head of Luna - Villa’s hero at the Emirates - and into the net.
Unfortunately for the Spaniard he could do nothing about it and was left counting his unlucky stars.
Lambert cut a frustrated figure on the sidelines.
Desperate for his side to push forward he almost played every pass, header, cross and tackle in his own mind.
But it had little effect early on.
Chelsea were dominant and looked as though they could step it up a gear if they needed to.
Ramires, Oscar and Frank Lampard dominated the midfield areas yet they didn’t create too much.
Oscar had three shots from outside the box that either went high or wide and that was about it until just before half time.
Andreas Weimann had a decent chance for the visitors when Luna found him unmarked towards the back post but Ashley Cole did well to block his header.
Villa were handicapped once again when Ciaran Clark went out with a gash to his head on 41 minutes.
It followed Nathan Baker dismissal through injury against Arsenal at the weekend and meant that Jores Okore came on for his debut.
The Danish defender’s first involvement was a foul, then he was easily turned by Demba Ba, only for the striker to shoot feebly at Brad Guzan,
What happened next was like a bolt out of the blue.
Villa ploughed forward on a rare attack with Agbonahlor down the left.
His pace and trickery caught Ivanovic off guard and one quick look up found Benteke in the box.
The bustling Belgian had no right to score from where he was, but he unleashed an unstoppable effort which
flew in via Petr Cech’s right-hand post to send Villa’s travelling army wild.
After the interval they returned with their tails up and were inspired by Lambert’s relentless energy in the dugout.
Just past the hour mark his side had two glorious chances to take the lead.
First, on 61 minutes Matt Lowton found Agbonlahor lurking outside the penalty box with no-one around him.
The in-form forward raced onto his pass and smashed a curling strike at Cech, but it went just inches over the bar.
Less than two minutes later Villa had another chance to race into the lead.
Benteke collected the ball from deep and cut inside.
He spotted Andreas Weimann at the back post and floated a delicate cross into his path.
Weimann slid and volleyed towards goal but Cech got down well to tip it around the post.
By this stage Jose Mourinho had seen enough and immediately threw on forwards Romelu Lukaku and Andre Schurrle.
It didn’t have the immediate effort but it certainly proved be a game-changing move as Chelsea found a spark.
It came after a fiery altercation with match-winner Ivanovic and Benteke.
The Serbian defender lifted his elbow towards Benteke’s head causing the Villa hitman to crumble on the floor.
Replays suggested that he was lucky to stay on the pitch as he escaped with just a yellow card - much to Lambert and the rest of the Villa team’s anger.
Within a minute, the right-back headed in Lampard’s deep free-kick at the back-post to add insult to injury.
Lukaku fired into the side-netting as the hosts found gaps in the Villa defence, but it was Villa who finished strong.
Benteke set up Weimann with a flick on, only for the forward to be denied by the Cech’s legs.
Then in stoppage time Agbonlahor’s header crashed off Terry’s hand in the penalty area but Friend waved play on and Chelsea held firm.

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