It’s a classy move by Chelsea and classy assist by (who else, by the way?) Cole Palmer.

He arrows a pass to the feet of Fernandez who places a smart finish beyond Martinez from just inside the area.

Villa look way off the pace defensively and their slump is threatening to become a crisis.

Goal! 36 min: Chelsea 2-0 Aston Villa (Fernandez)

35 min: Chelsea are pushing. Villa are wobbling. Sancho buys a yard of space in the box and fires a shot goalwards but it’s high and wide. He has a word with the ref after, as if he wants a penalty, but his claim is waved away. Perhaps he got a little shove in the back but nothing major.

Goal! 34 min: Manchester United 1-0 Everton (Rashford)

Tottenham … 0
Fulham … 0

(latest score)

30 min: Deary me! After claiming that cross from Neto, Martinez dallies with the ball having put it on the deck, looking to play a pass to a defender. He eventually plays a quite dreadful pass which is almost straight into the path of Jackson, who is trying to press the ball and be a nuisance. I say almost into the path, because it’s slightly behind the striker, but he still takes a touch towards goal, and Martinez dives desperately to block. That could have raised the comedy stakes considerably.

29 min: Neto advances threateningly down the Chelsea right. He checks back and then floats a delighfully inviting cross towards the far post. Martinez does well to leap and claim it.

It is also sans goals at Tottenham v Fulham.

Manchester United … 0

Everton … 0

(latest score)

25 min: Scenes. Chelsea line up the free-kick from about 10 yards. Villa are of course lined up, camped on the goal line. Fernandez touches the ball to Palmer, who slams a shot straight at Martinez. Lavia has a follow up effort that is also blocked. Villa get away with it!

23 min: Drama! Palmer mugs Tielemans on the edge of the Villa box. He turns and drills a powerful shot which is going into the bottom corner. Martinez saves, and then the ref says that it was a backpass from Pau Torres after the ball was parried by the goalie! Free-kick for Chelsea near the penalty spot! Literally just outside the six yard box!

21 min: Sancho threatens again on the left for Chelsea. Lavia with a smart ball in behind. But Villa manage to cover.

18 min: It’s been a lively start at the Bridge, with the caveat that Chelsea showed zero interest in pressing the ball in the opening moments. The Aston Villa defenders were just standing there wondering what to do with the ball. I wonder Maresca told them to do that? Maybe a chance to have a nice little rest before getting into the game properly?

“Luke, Morning greetings from Free State California,” writes Mary Waltz. “Looking at Everton’s December fixtures this may be the only chance for Everton to pick up points. This says a lot about both squads. Sigh.”

I’m still chuckling about Ruben Amorim’s thoughts on what to expect from Everton, that he gave on Friday:

“It’s going to be a different match, with a lot of fighting, a lot of long balls, second balls … a quality coach that understands the league.”

Oh yes, a quality coach, but terrible football, you understand. I like the cut of Amorim’s jib.

15 min: Villa stream forward again and Watkins is one on one! Albeit from an angle. His teammate Rogers is in the middle, praying for a pass. But Watkins shoots and Sanchez saves.

13min: Amusing emails aside, football is happening at Stamford Bridge. Villa break and Tielemans has a sniff of goal from inside the box. But Chelsea close him down and then break at high speed, and nearly fashion a sniff of their own, down the other end.

This is the kind of Sunday football email, from Richard Hirst, that I can really get behind:

“Much discussion about how Spursy it would be for them to lose today. Well there are two teams involved and the Fulham equivalent of Spursy is Fulhamish. Given that last weekend we lost 4-1 at home to a team in the relegation zone, it would be very Fulhamish to win today. But if the Fulhamish/Spursy thing is for Fulham to win, then that is the expectation. So, in fact, the real Fulhamish/Spursy thing would be for Spurs to win. Clear so far?

“And now that I’ve jinxed Spurs by saying they will win, Fulham will win. ”

The Villa players were protesting that Philogene was fouled by Cucurella but their protestations were utterly futile.

Goalless at Old Trafford and Tottenham Stadium.

Cucurella does well to whip the ball away from Philogene with Chelsea’s players in advanced areas after a set-piece. He exchanges passes with Sancho and plays a low ball into the middle, which takes a nick off a defender. Jackson tucks in a tidy finish off the near post. And that is 1-0.

Goal! 7 min: Chelsea 1-0 Aston Villa (Jackson)

6 min: Morgan Rogers tries to make a break in midfield, down the middle, and appears to be fouled from behind. But the referee lets play continue and Chelsea can clear.

Bill Leslie and Alan Smith are back with us on comms. Sancho cuts in from the Chelsea left and links with Palmer. A quiet start so far overall though.

This is interesting: Chelsea are showing no interest in pressing from the front early doors.

David Jones has been pressed into service as lead commentator. This is big.

Sky Sports have got some audio problems so the presenter and pundits are commentating for the moment.

I had some team news problems and said Bailey was starting for Villa which was wrong. Apologies.

First half kick off!

Maresca has made 10 changes from the midweek win at Heidenheim. Jadon Sancho is the player to keep his place in the lineup.

How big is three points against Aston Villa, Enzo Maresca is asked. (I live for this stuff.)

“It’s a big game,” Maresca says. “It will be a tough game, the same as the rest. We are not focused on the top four. We are just focused on the game.”

Is it a formation change? “It could be. We’ll see.”

Great, thanks for that. And why is he starting with Jadon Sancho?

“Jadon Sancho is doing well … he was very good in the Conference League. I said many times. He’s very important for us, and hopefully he can help us.”

Second comment on this: “What a team. I love football hehe.”

Don’t we all mate.

The live game on a well-known sports broadcaster is Chelsea v Aston Villa. I must say that after Tottenham v Roma on Thursday, the most entertaining game I’ve seen in ages, I’d rather watch Spurs v Fulham.

But as a wise person once said: “It is what it is.”

I could have sworn Micah Richards just called his fellow pundit Daniel Sturridge “Dave”. It was all getting a bit heated in the studio there for a second.

Tottenham v Fulham teams

Manchester United v Everton teams

Chelsea v Aston Villa teams

Preamble