Chelsea overcame obdurate opposition from Aston Villa to secure a hard-fought 2-1 win at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday that maintained their early momentum in the fledgling Premier League season.
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Breezy 2-0 victors over Hull City in their opening game on Sunday, Chelsea had to dig much deeper against Paul Lambert's side but eventually prevailed through a header from Branislav Ivanovic with 17 minutes to play.
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As against Hull, Chelsea had taken an early lead, this time through an own goal from Antonio Luna, but Villa refused to surrender and claimed an equaliser on the stroke of halftime when Christian Benteke lashed home.
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Victory in an occasionally ill-tempered game, brought forward due to Chelsea's involvement in the Uefa Super Cup on August 30, will give Jose Mourinho enhanced belief that his side are ready for the battle sure to await them at Manchester United on Monday.
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"That was very hard. I missed that about the Premier League!" said Mourinho, who returned to Chelsea in June after leaving Real Madrid.
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"Normally matches in the Bernabeu, we win every match very comfortable. I told Paul Lambert that they deserve a point. It wouldn't be unfair."
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Villa manager Lambert could take solace from the doggedness of his side's display, four days on from their impressive 3-1 win at Arsenal and eight months after a humiliating 8-0 defeat on the same pitch.
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However, he was furious that Ivanovic went unpunished for an alleged elbow on Benteke and that Chelsea skipper John Terry was not penalised for an apparent handball in stoppage time.
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"It is easy to come on here and have sour grapes, but it is there for everybody to see. He (Ivanovic) clearly elbowed Christian Benteke, it was a sending off," Lambert said.
Aston Villa is a very wonderful football club so I must kudos their team for giving Chelsea and Mourinho a tough time!