Mason Mount found the net twice as Graham Potter recorded a fourth consecutive victory as Chelsea boss in a 2-0 win over Aston Villa. However, while the 23-year-old impressed, the Blues boss has Kepa Arrizabalaga to thank for extending the club's unbeaten run to five matches.
The Spaniard performed admirably at Villa Park to keep the west Londoners in the game, with acrobatic stops and snappy reflex saves. Kepa finally showed glimpses of why Chelsea paid £71.6million for his services.
Potter seems to have revitalised the shot-stopper, who walked off the pitch applauding the travelling support with a smile on his face after fighting through years of sorrow. So, with that being said, football.london has taken a look at how the national media reacted to the Villa Park victory.
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The Guardian
"The last thing Steven Gerrard needed was to encounter a goalkeeper who chose this occasion to produce the best performance of his Premier League career," wrote Nick Ames of The Guardian. "Kepa Arrizabalaga has not had too many afternoons such as this over the past four years but he denied Aston Villa with an outstanding exhibition of his art.
"Marc Cucurella had a horror show of a first half at left centre‑back before being replaced, Potter deploying Kalidou Koulibaly and César Azpilicueta at the interval to shore things up. Raheem Sterling’s selection at right wing-back in Reece James’s absence was an experiment curtailed during Villa’s purple patch; he was belatedly moved forward and, from a rare attack, curled a shot onto the bar.
"For now, Chelsea are simply relieved that Arrizabalaga pulled off the impossible here."
The Mirror
"Appointed in November of last year, the former Rangers boss was tasked with helping Villa get to the next level following the sacking of Dean Smith," Ben Husband of The Mirror wrote of Gerrard. "However, 11 months on, the Midlands outfit remain mired in relegation trouble with just nine points from 10 games.
"The defeat to Chelsea was largely of Villa’s own making, with mistakes from Tyrone Mings and Emi Martinez gifting Mason Mount his two goals. With the home side desperate for a positive result, they got off to the worst possible start when a wayward Mings header fell into the path of Mount who couldn’t miss.
"Villa then had a host of chances to equalise, with Chelsea indebted to an inspired performance from Kepa Arrizibalaga to keep the scores level. And with 25 minutes remaining Mount scored his second when a dipping free-kick beat Martinez after the Argentine moved the wrong way as he struck it."
Daily Mail
"Villa Park was nearly half-empty at full-time and those who remained, booed, with some catcalls directed at Gerrard as he walked down the tunnel," Tom Collosmosse wrote. "‘Sacked in the morning!’ shouted the travelling fans, and a small group in the Holte End joined in. There are certainly some uncomfortable days ahead and Thursday’s trip to Fulham looks vital.
"Improved display or not, Gerrard’s side have won only twice this term. Chief executive Christian Purslow and sporting director Johan Lange looked grim-faced in the directors’ box. Owners Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens have spent more than half a billion in the transfer market and will expect more bang for their buck."
The Express
"Under Potter, Mount appears to have a new lease of life," Joe Krishnan wrote. "The shackles have been taken off and the 23-year-old is thriving in a central No. 8 role, taking on the role as the link man between midfield and the front three. Potter has quickly recognised his value as a box-to-box attacking midfielder and he repaid his faith with a fine strike for the free-kick to finally end his barren run in front of goal."
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