Chelsea 4 Aston Villa 1

By Mark Bradley, PA Sport Chief Soccer Writer

If you want a job done properly, then do it yourself.

Chelsea player-boss Gianluca Vialli has seen his three main strikers labour in front of goal over the past few weeks.

But when the cast of understudies took over for the Worthington Cup third round tie against Aston Villa, with Vialli among the eight changes from last Sunday's game at Leeds, they produced a command performance.

Star billing went to Vialli himself, who put his side level in the first-half after Mark Draper's early deflected free-kick, produced a stunning second on 66 minutes and sealed the match with his hat-trick goal just five minutes from the end.

With strike partner Tore Andre Flo completing a rout of the Premiership leaders that would have been even bigger without some marvellous saves from Michael Oakes, it was a performance full of determination, skill and clinical finishing from the player-boss.

Yet it was also marred by the booking he received in the dying seconds as he led the Chelsea protests against a red card for skipper Dennis Wise, who was dismissed for a dangerous two-footed tackle on Darren Byfield which threatened to lead to an on-pitch melee.

Vialli even walked over to counterpart John Gregory to continue his angry arguments before substituting himself with seconds left.

The Chelsea boss had clearly had one eye on Saturday's Premiership rematch between the two sides as well as on the demands of Europe as he selected his side.

Only Wise, Michael Duberry and Celestine Babayaro remained in the cup holders' side from the weekend yet Villa, who won the tournament in 1994 and 1996, also made six changes.

Given the depth of both clubs' squads, there was nevertheless an impressive array of talent on display and it proved to be a breathtaking cup tie packed with action and incident.

Chelsea could have been 2-0 up within three minutes as Oakes saved from Flo only to see Gustavo Poyet blaze the rebound against the bar, while the Villa keeper had to fling himself to his right to deny Mark Nicholls moments later.

But it was actually the visitors who took the lead against the run of play, with Draper's free-kick from the edge of the penalty area deflecting off Poyet's shoulder up into the air and leaving keeper Dmitri Kharine rooted to the spot as it went in.

Flo and Vialli were combining well up front, yet it was Poyet who looked most likely to equalise as he forced Oakes into a quite remarkable one-handed save and then rose high to put another effort over the bar.

Or so it seemed until Bernard Lambourde capitalised on a mix-up in the Villa midfield, broke clear and when he was tackled by Steve Watson, the ball fell to Vialli, who side-footed home from 10 yards out.

Watson, making his full debut, was fortunate not to give away a penalty just before the break as he appeared to foul Flo, but Chelsea resumed their domination in the second-half as Wise and Vialli both came close.

Villa, with Alan Thompson on for Riccardo Scimeca, looked to be slowly inching their way back into the match as the tempo dropped momentarily.

However, it proved a false dawn for the visitors as Vialli scored his second with an exquisite touch of skill, receiving a low cross from Poyet with his back to goal, turning his marker in a flash of the eye and shooting past the helpless Oakes.

Flo scored Chelsea's third two minutes later with a thunderous header from Wise's free-kick and could have had two more if it had not been for yet more superb saves from Oakes.

Villa were by now crumbling away and Vialli completed the rout five minutes before the end with a shot on the run that gave Oakes no chance.

There was still time for Wise's red card and angry exchanges between the players that somewhat spoiled a tremendous cup game.

The inquests and recriminations are sure to continue until Villa return to Stamford Bridge on Saturday.

Teams

Chelsea: Kharine, Petrescu (Terry 86), Babayaro, Poyet, Vialli (Harley 90), Wise, Duberry, Flo, Lambourde, Nicholls (Clement 76), Morris.

Subs Not Used: Hitchcock, Zola.

Sent Off: Wise (87).

Booked: Petrescu, Vialli.

Goals: Vialli 32, 67, Flo 71, Vialli 85.

Aston Villa: Oakes, Charles (Vassell 75), Wright (Jaszczun 74), Ehiogu, Watson, Taylor, Draper, Joachim, Grayson, Scimeca (Thompson 56), Byfield.

Subs Not Used: Rachel, Samuel.

Booked: Taylor, Thompson.

Goals: Draper 10.

Att: 26,790

Ref: G Barber (Pyrford).