Player Ratings: Aston Villa 1-3 Chelsea | Premier League

Romelu Lukaku was introduced at half time as he made his return following Covid-19 self-isolation and he returned with a bang. 11 minutes into the second half and he met Hudson-Odoi’s cross to guide his header into the bottom corner to turn the game around to give Chelsea the lead for the first time.

Tuchel will be pleased to see the Belgian make an instant impact which saw the Blues hold on at the end. And in stoppage time, it was game set and match. Lukaku was fouled by Konsa in the box and Jorginho bagged his second from the spot to become the first player in Premier League history to score 10 penalties in a single calendar year to complete a 3-1 win.

Here are how the Chelsea players fared at Villa Park:

 Edouard Mendy - 6.5/10

Question marks will go over Mendy's role in the first goal, with the goalkeeper getting a hand to Reece James' deflection. However, he redeemed himself as he played a proactive role at the back, sweeping up on several occasions to prevent Aston Villa's counter attacks.

 Trevoh Chalobah - 7/10

Playing well in a fantastic battle against Ollie Watkins, Chalobah was taken off at the half as the Blues went more attacking. The defender was playing well until his substitution, stopping the Villa counter attacks well in the first period.

 Thiago Silva - 8/10

Another fantastic performance from the Brazilian before being replaced early in the second-half. The defender showed his class with neat passing and fantastic positioning to be in the right place at the right time for the Blues.

 Antonio Rudiger - 7/10

The German rarely puts a foot wrong nowadays and once again put in a solid performance for the Blues. Villa's attacks down the right were limited by Rudiger, who also contributed on the counter attacks, playing the ball out from the back on several occasions.

Reece James - 5.5/10

Possible James' worst performance in a Chelsea shirt, at least this season. The first-half saw the defender score an unfortunate own goal but all of Aston Villa's attacks came down their left-hand side. The second-half saw James put into the back three, where he improved and didn't do much wrong aside from blasting a free-kick miles over the bar.

N'Golo Kante - 7/10

It is clear that Chelsea are much worse off without their midfield man Kante, who settled into the match. The French international was on hand to intercept and break down the Aston Villa attack on several occasions before being replaced.

 Jorginho - 8/10

Cool and calm. Another brilliant performance capped off by not one but two fantastic penalties despite Emiliano Martinez's attempts to put him off. The captain kept focused and led his team to an important victory.

 Marcos Alonso - 6.5/10

A better performance from the Spaniard, who was involved often in the Chelsea attack. Whilst it is clear that Chelsea are missing Ben Chilwell, Alonso is proving that he can fill in when needed.

Mason Mount - 7/10

Another decent performance from the Englishman, who was involved in all that was good for Chelsea. The midfielder hit the bar with an outrageous attempt in the first-half but should have scored in the second, beating Emiliano Martinez before sliding wide.

Christian Pulisic  - 6.5/10

An anonymous first-half, being bullied as a false-9 saw Pulisic struggle. However, being put into a right wing-back role in the second period, allowing him to operate in wider areas, saw an improved performance from the American.

 Callum Hudson-Odoi - 7/10

Despite having a golden opportunity to score, Hudson-Odoi could not find the back of the net but proved that he has the potential to be the go-to creator for Thomas Tuchel in the future. His chemistry with Romelu Lukaku saw the youngster link-up with the Belgian as they made life tough for Aston Villa.

Bench

Romelu Lukaku - 9.5/10 - 45'

The super-sub showed why Chelsea paid a club-record fee for him in the summer. Lukaku bullied his defenders from the first minute he came on right up until the last, pushing through in the dying moments to win a penalty. His initial goal showed just what he is capable of, beating Tyrone Mings to head home and turn the match around.

Andreas Christensen - 7/10 - 52'

The Dane did not put a foot wrong, replacing Thiago Silva and looked comfortable throughout.

Mateo Kovacic - 7.5/10 - 63'

The man that Chelsea have missed in recent weeks, showing how he understands fellow substitute Romelu Lukaku. Kovacic broke the press and showed he was not dispossessed easily in the second period. The Croatian should have had an assist, unselfishly playing Hudson-Odoi in for a golden chance.