European Soccer

BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND - APRIL 02: Alexandre Pato of Chelsea converts the penalty to score his team's second goal during the Barclays Premier League match between Aston Villa and Chelsea at Villa Park on April 2, 2016 in Birmingham, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images) — BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND – APRIL 02: Alexandre Pato of Chelsea converts the penalty to score his team’s second goal during the Barclays Premier League match between Aston Villa and Chelsea at Villa Park on April 2, 2016 in Birmingham, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

Alexandre Pato marked his long-awaited Chelsea debut with a goal as the Blues won 4-0 to leave crisis club Aston Villa teetering on the brink of relegation at the end of a miserable week.

Having parted company with manager Remi Garde on Tuesday, and then seen Gabriel Agbonlahor suspended amid an investigation into his conduct, interim Villa boss Eric Black presided over a limp performance at a frustrated Villa Park, where supporters voiced their anger and despair and displayed banners venting their feelings.

On the pitch, Ruben Loftus-Cheek’s first Premier League goal gave Chelsea the lead before Pato’s introduction for his maiden Chelsea appearance following his signing in January.

The Brazilian soon converted a penalty he won himself and he was also instrumental in the second half, combining with countryman Oscar to create two goals for Pedro, as the Blues’ slender hopes of a top-six finish were given a boost.

Alan Hutton’s late sending off ended a dismal afternoon on another low note for Villa, who have suffered seven defeats in a row for a second time this season.

With Gary Cahill and John Terry both ruled out with minor injuries, Chelsea handed a debut to 20-year-old defender Matt Miazga, while Micah Richards and Carlos Sanchez returned to the Villa side.

Villa have endured heavy criticism from supporters for a perceived lack of effort this season, but Carles Gil sought to energise his side with a number of surging runs forward in a tepid opening.

At the other end, Pedro turned smartly to create the space to shoot from 20 yards and his bending effort was only just wide of Brad Guzan’s goal.

A knock for Loic Remy saw the Frenchman replaced by Pato after 22 minutes, and a few moments later the visitors took the lead.

John Obi Mikel’s quick feet pulled Villa apart in midfield and Chelsea shifted the play out to Cesar Azpilicueta, whose low cross was side-footed into the net by Loftus-Cheek via a slight deflection off Joleon Lescott.

Villa almost hit back when Gil latched onto Jordan Ayew’s pass and arrowed in a shot from a tight angle, but Thibaut Courtois was equal to it and made a diving save.

Alexandre Pato scores the second goal for Chelsea from the penalty spot

There were further chances for Villa to level matters, but the game drifted out of their reach in first-half injury time when Aly Cissokho wrestled Pato to the ground in the area and the Brazilian lashed his penalty beyond Guzan.

The introduction of Oscar further galvanised Chelsea after the break, and he combined brilliantly with Pato to set up Pedro, who slammed home from close range a minute after the restart.

As Villa fans held up a banner that read ‘No fight, no pride, no effort, no hope’, their players offered little to challenge the accuracy of those statements, and Chelsea soon made it 4-0 when Guzan could only palm Pato’s shot into the path of Pedro, who gladly netted his second of the game.

Just as it looked as bad as it could get for Villa, Hutton was dismissed late on for a challenge on Loftus-Cheek that earned him a second yellow card, and a late chance for Ayew went begging along with any remaining shreds of hope Villa fans might have had of staying up this season.

Key Opta stats:

– Ruben Loftus-Cheek scored his first Premier League goal in his 11th appearance for Chelsea.

– Alexandre Pato is the sixth Brazilian to score on his Premier League debut, following Geovanni, Robinho, Gilberto, Ilan and Willian.

– Oscar assisted Pedro’s first goal within a minute of entering the field at half-time.

– Two of the five occasions Aston Villa have lost by four goals or more at Villa Park in the Premier League have come in 2015-16 (also 6-0 v Liverpool).

– Chelsea have now set the longest unbeaten run of any team in the Premier League this season, going 15 games without a loss (W7 D8).

– Villa have lost seven consecutive games for the second separate time this season.

– Guus Hiddink remains unbeaten in the Premier League since he returned as Chelsea boss (W6 D8).

Ryland James,AFP

Berlin (AFP) – Eric Dier’s superb injury-time header sealed England’s stunning fightback victory from two goals down to claim a 3-2 win over world champions Germany in Berlin on Saturday.

A fierce Toni Kroos strike had given Germany the lead just before the break while a pin-point Mario Gomez header put the hosts 2-0 up on 57 minutes.

But the tide turned England’s way midway through the second-half which led to three unanswered goals.

A Harry Kane strike gave England hope before Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy grabbed the equaliser just three minutes after coming on.

But it was Dier’s winning header just before the final whistle from a Jordan Henderson corner which stunned the World Cup holders at Berlin’s Olympic Stadium.

“We played brilliant today. I thought we fully deserved the win,” Kane told ITV.

“We had a lot of chances that on another day we probably could have scored two more. We’re all buzzing. We never gave in and what a night.”

Gomez said he and his teammates were stunned by England’s fightback.

“It’s difficult to understand. We were playing a very good match, were leading 2-0 against a very strong team and had other chances to score,” said the veteran.

“But then we left too much space for our opponents.”

It was an impressive display from Roy Hodgson’s England to give them plenty of hope ahead of the summer’s European championships in France and they will be looking to keep up their impressive form on Tuesday when they take on the Netherlands at Wembley.

In contrast, Joachim Loew’s Germany have plenty to work on after a poor display ahead of Tuesday’s clash with Italy in Munich.

Both sides were missing their first-choice captains with Bastian Schweinsteiger and Wayne Rooney out with knee injuries.

Loew started just five of the team which won the 2014 World Cup final, but still fielded 472 caps worth of experience which dwarfed inexperienced England’s tally of 161.

Hodgson opted for the Tottenham Hotspur quartet of Kane, Danny Rose, Dier and 19-year-old Dele Alli.

Gomez looked to have given Germany the lead when he fired across Jack Butland into the England net with 27 minutes gone, but the linesman flagged for offside.

Replays, however, showed the Besiktas striker, on loan from Roma, was onside.

Nevertheless, Germany took the lead on 43 minutes.

Real Madrid’s Kroos tried his luck from the edge of the area and beat Butland at the near post.

England were forced into the first change just before the half-time whistle as the injured Butland was replaced by Southampton’s Fraser Forster.

Germany doubled their lead on 57 minutes when captain Sami Khedira’s long-range pass found Gomez and the burly striker headed home.

But momentum started to swing England’s way with Kane’s neat turn on 61 minutes giving him the space to drill his shot into the bottom corner.

Hodgson brought on Everton’s Ross Barkley and Vardy for the final 19 minutes.

Vardy produced the desired effect with a superb flick with his instep from Nathaniel Clyne’s low cross from the right to beat Germany’s goalkeeper Manuel Neuer.

Alli could have got on the scoresheet when the Tottenham midfielder fired over the bar unmarked in the area six minutes from time.

But England were not to be denied as Dier headed home to the delight of the travelling fans as the visitors maintained their record of never having lost to Germany in Berlin in nine meetings.

Recommend: personalloandial.com

Dier seals England’s superb fightback win over Germany

Like Us On Facebook