Premier League: Chelsea 2-0 Aston Villa - Mason Mount shines, Chelsea holds 4th place 

The triumph at Villa marked Chelsea's fifth straight victory across all competitions since Potter replaced Thomas Tuchel at Stamford Bridge.

After three wins in the Premier League, Graham Potter can thank goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga for much of the credit for keeping the hosts at bay in the first half at Villa Park.

Before Sunday, Chelsea had already climbed to fourth place in the Premier League thanks to three consecutive wins.

Aston Villa, however, had only won once in their previous five Premier League games, putting them in 16th place heading into GW11.

The Villans should have been rewarded for their efforts, but Mount's early goal for Chelsea after a poor header from Mings placed them behind.

Before halftime, Villa had many promising scoring opportunities, but Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga made several crucial stops, including an excellent finish on Danny Ings' penalty kick attempt.

In a tense first half, Ben Chilwell avoided getting sent off for a reckless sliding challenge on Ramsey, and then Raheem Sterling smacked the crossbar with a bending shot.

At halftime, Potter made two substitutions to rectify Chelsea's poor performance. Kalidou Koulibaly and Cesar Azpilicueta came on, and the Blues were immediately more stable. Even yet, Villa was still in the lead until Mount's free-kick went off Martinez's head.

After Mount's dipping free-kick fooled goalie Emiliano Martinez in the 65th minute, Villa had no chance of coming back and winning.

The day couldn't have been more different for Mings and Mount, with England boss Gareth Southgate sitting in the stands to run the rule over part of his England team.

Mings has been cut from the England squad after he gave Mount Chelsea the lead in the tournament's opening game. He has little chance of being recalled for the World Cup in Qatar.

Because of this win, Chelsea is in fourth place with 19 points after nine games, just four behind London rivals Tottenham Hotspur.

The pressure on Villa manager Steven Gerrard, jeered by Chelsea fans throughout the game, has increased as the team has dropped to 16th place, only one point above the relegation zone.

Graham Potter on Chelsea's form

"It was a tough game. Aston Villa made us suffer, especially in the first half even though we took the lead. They put us under pressure and our goalkeeper made some good saves," Potter on Aston Villa's performance.

"It's crucial coming back from the Champions League game to respond. I'm delighted for the players, and it's a big three points for us. They have good players; the crowd gets involved in the game.

"Results are important and it's relentless, that's how we have to manage the players and the squad."