Latest: Chelsea 2 Aston Villa 0 – Costa strikes as Blues close in on victory

Diego Costa’s eighth goal for Chelsea put the Blues on the verge of victory in Jose Mourinho’s 250th game in charge.

The £32m summer signing nodded home Cesar Azpilicueta’s inch-perfect left-wing cross to double Chelsea’s lead on the hour mark.

Oscar had put them in front in the seventh minute when he turned in Willian’s cut-back.

The diminutive midfielder was denied a second goal moments after Costa struck by Aly Cissokho’s outstanding sliding clearance.

Chelsea dominated territory and possession in the first half and went ahead with their first attack. Willian saw a shot turned away by Villa keeper Brad Guzan but laid the rebound off to Oscar to finish.

The visitors’ best chance of the first half came on 15 minutes when Chelsea failed to clear a corner and Cissokho hooked just wide of the post.

But the rest of the half belonged to Chelsea.

Cesc Fabregas dragged a shot well wide, Costa had a header saved and curled a shot over while Willian twice fired over.

However, Villa were the better side in the first 15 minutes of the second half and Fabian Delph came close to an equaliser with a rasping drive which just beat the post.

Nathan Baker’s header from Ashley Westwood’s free-kick dropped on to the top of the net, while at the other end Costa nodded an Ivanovic delivery straight at Guzan.

He made no mistake a few minutes later though when he got ahead of Baker to head in Azpilicueta’s outstanding centre.

Oscar thought he’d made it three when he was sent clear and poked the ball past the advancing Guzan, only for Cissokho to scramble back and hack off the line.

Chelsea: Courtois; Ivanovic, Cahill, Terry, Azpilicueta; Matic, Fabregas; Willian, Oscar, Hazard (Schurrle 67); Costa.
Subs: Cech, Zouma, Filipe Luis, Mikel, Remy, Drogba.

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