Romelu Lukaku scored his first Premier League goal since September and Jorginho struck from the penalty spot twice as Chelsea beat Aston Villa 3-1.
Thomas Tuchel’s side had fallen behind to a Reece James own goal in the 28th minute, but they restored parity shortly after thanks to a Jorginho spot-kick.
Half-time substitute Lukaku then headed home for the first time in the top flight since he scored a brace against Villa at Stamford Bridge on September 11, before Jorginho added a third with another penalty in stoppage time.
The victory meant Chelsea moved level on points with second-placed Liverpool, who have a game in hand, while Villa slipped to 10th after earlier moving up to ninth following Leicester City’s heavy defeat to Manchester City.
The closest either side went in an even opening 25 minutes was Mason Mount’s looping cross from the right that clipped the top of Emiliano Martinez’s crossbar.
Villa went ahead shortly before the half-hour mark when Matt Targett’s left-wing cross was inadvertently diverted over Edouard Mendy by the head of James.
It did not take long for Chelsea to pull level, though, Jorginho rolling in from the spot in the 34th minute after Matty Cash had clumsily brought down Callum Hudson-Odoi inside the area.
Lukaku wasted little time in making an impact after being introduced at the break, the Belgium international stealing in ahead of Tyrone Mings to head home Hudson-Odoi’s left-wing cross in the 56th minute.
Mount inexplicably rolled wide after rounding Martinez and the Villa goalkeeper thwarted Hudson-Odoi late on, but Jorginho sealed all three points by stroking home from 12 yards after Ezri Konsa had brought down a marauding Lukaku.
What does it mean? Villa downed by familiar foe
Villa, whose manager Steven Gerrard watched on from home after testing positive for COVID-19 earlier in the week, started brightly but were soon pegged back by Jorginho.
They must have known their fate was sealed when Lukaku was introduced at half-time. The former Inter striker has now scored nine goals in 10 Premier League appearances against Villa; he has not scored more against any other opponent in the big-five European leagues in his career.
