Aggie Beever-Jones scored her ninth goal of the season, a sweet strike, and Maika Hamano and Kadeisha Buchanan both netted their first for the club as Chelsea played almost the entire game with an extra player, following the early sending off of Villa goalkeeper Anna Laet.

Fielding a much-changed side, with Catarina Macario starting for the first time, the squad strength came to the fore with almost total domination throughout the game.

The win, in what was Emma Hayes's 200th WSL game as manager, takes her side back to the top of the league table.

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Chelsea, going into the game with a 100 per cent record over Villa in the WSL and having beaten the Midlanders 6-0 in the away game back in November, knew nothing other than a good win today would suffice in this oh-so-tight title race.

After the rigours of the loss away at Manchester United three days earlier, Hayes opted to ring the changes with only the goalkeeper and three of the defence left the same.

Villa numbers cut

There was drama inside the first five minutes. One of the Chelsea players back in the side, Sjoeke Nusken, was alert enough to intercept a loose pass and shoot from long range low towards goal. Leat instinctively made a save but had been caught comfortably outside of her penalty area.

It could only be a red card for the New Zealand international and although the Blues could not convert the resulting free-kick, we already had a significant advantage.

The quest for the opening goal was underway. Beever-Jones came close to finding Hamano in front of goal but it was the supplier on that occasion who was the first to find the target, and it was with an accomplished finish too.

A crafty chip from Sophie Ingle to Fran Kirby had started the attack. Niamh Charles crossed deep and it was with a volley back across goal that Beever-Jones found the net. There were 18 minutes played.

Maika makes it two

Charles continued to exploit the extra space by getting forward and delivering well but it was from a set-piece, a Macario corner, that the next effort on goal came. Nusken paddled the ball wide on that occasion.

There was a second goal before half-time. Beever-Jones and Macario drove the ball forward down the middle, Ashley Lawrence sent it across from the right, Macario helped it on its way, and Hamano was able to slide the ball past replacement goalie Sophia Poor from close range.

Now, with a solid advantage established, it was all about whether we could improve the goal difference further.

Aerial power prevails

Beever-Jones could have been the first scorer in the second half as well as the first, but after leaving Noelle Maritz trailing in her wake, the 20-year-old missed the target, much to her own frustration.

Kirby sent a difficult chance wide as well but Villa were never likely to withstand this type of pressure.

Goal number three, scored just past the hour-mark, came when a corner from Macario was diverted into the net off the back of Buchanan’s head from six yards out. The Blues had tested Villa in the air all game and it paid off with the centre-back joining the list of Chelsea goalscorers on her 46th appearance.

Before the end, Poor did well to keep out a close-range Kirby shot and also saved from substitute Guro Reiten, but she and the rest of her depleted side had been well beaten.

What it means

This is a game-in-hand we had over Man City and we have drawn level on points and move two goals ahead on goal difference with four games to play. City now play twice in the WSL while we concentrate on the Champions League.

What’s next?

It is straight into the Champions League semi-final with the away leg in Barcelona first, this Saturday lunchtime. The second leg follows a week later before the Blues are next back in WSL action, on the first day of May when we travel to Liverpool.

Chelsea Hampton; Lawrence, Carter (Cuthbert 69), Buchanan, Charles (c) (Reiten 56); Ingle; Beever-Jones (Rytting Kaneryd 81), Nusken, Kirby, Hamano; Macario (Ramirez 69)
Unused subs Musovic, Perisset, Leupolz
Scorers Beever-Jones 18, Hamano 38, Buchanan 64
Booked Ingle 61, Lawrence 77

Aston Villa Leat; Patten, Corsie (c), Maritz; Mayling (Lehmann 81), Dali (Hanson 69), Nobbs, Daly; Taylor, Magill (Mullett 81), Salmon (Poor 5)
Unused subs Gregory, Leon
Sent-off Leat 4
Booked Corsie 8,Maritz 45+4

Referee Melissa Burgin