A night of redemption for Carsley offers real hope for Tuchel

Blues interim boss' belief in his squad rewarded during deserved win over Villa

Chelsea rediscovered some much-needed belief under interim manager Paul Clement as they produced a much-improved display to see off Aston Villa 2-0 at Stamford Bridge on Saturday evening.

With their top-four hopes hanging precariously in the balance following a run of just four wins in 13 Premier League matches, the Blues had come under increasing pressure to deliver a result in the wake of Antonio Conte’s sacking.

And on the evidence of this display, the Italian’s departure could be the catalyst for a much-needed upturn in fortunes under Clement, who was appointed as caretaker manager until the end of the season on Wednesday.

The former Real Madrid assistant boss made three changes to the side that lost 3-0 at Roma in the Champions League in midweek, bringing in Andreas Christensen, Cesc Fabregas and Emerson Palmieri for Gary Cahill, Ross Barkley and Marcos Alonso.

And those changes had the desired effect as Chelsea started the game brightly and took the lead through Olivier Giroud’s 32nd-minute header from a Fabregas cross.

The hosts continued to dominate proceedings after the break and doubled their advantage when substitute Callum Hudson-Odoi fired home from close range after good work from fellow replacement Pedro.

It was a much-needed win for Chelsea, who moved back into the top four, and it will give Clement plenty of encouragement as he looks to impress Roman Abramovich and earn the job on a permanent basis.

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Clement was delighted with his team’s performance and believes that the victory could be a turning point in their season.

“I thought it was a very good performance from the team,” he said. “We played with a lot of energy and intensity, and we created some good chances.

“We defended well and limited Villa to very few chances. I’m very pleased with the way the players responded to the changes I made.

“This is a big win for us, and it gives us a lot of confidence going forward.