Mount and Kepa shine as Chelsea beat Aston Villa to maintain Potter's unbeaten start

Mason Mount and Kepa Arrizabalaga were Chelsea’s stars as they helped to maintain Graham Potter’s unbeaten start in the Premier League with a 2-0 win over Aston Villa on Sunday.

Mount bagged a brace at Villa Park in front of watching England manager Gareth Southgate.

But the visitors needed goalkeeper Kepa to produce several stunning first-half stops to deny Jacob Ramsey and Danny Ings with Chelsea on the ropes.

The Blues have now won their last five games in all competitions – keeping four clean sheets – and consolidated fourth spot in the league.

Defeat was harsh on an improved Villa, who rattled Chelsea but slipped closer to the drop zone. Manager Steven Gerrard joined Villa when the club was 16th and two points above the relegation places. They are now 16th and a point above the bottom three almost 12 months into his reign.

Chelsea were gifted a sixth-minute lead thanks to disastrous defending from Tyrone Mings.

Ramsey hardly covered himself in glory as he allowed Ben Chilwell to get past him and a half-hearted tackle only helped the ball loop towards Mings. The defender was alone but completely miscued his header and it spun backwards for Mount to volley past an exposed Emi Martinez in the Villa goal.

ASTON VILLA RATINGS: Emiliano Martinez - 5. No chance with Mount's opener but his positioning was at fault for the Chelsea midfielder's second from a free kick. EPA

Chelsea, without the injured Reece James and Wesley Fofana, were vulnerable at the back and needed an outstanding save from Kepa to stay ahead after 21 minutes. Ollie Watkins wriggled free on the left and cut back for John McGinn to fire at Kepa, the ball ran to Ramsey to force the goalkeeper into a brilliant low stop, turning the strike on to the post. He