Chelsea thrashed hapless Aston Villa 8-0 on Sunday in the most emphatic victory of the season to date to climb to third place in the Premier League.

Goals from Fernando Torres, David Luiz and Branislav Ivanovic put last season's Champions League winners 3-0 up at the interval, before Frank Lampard marked his 500th Premier League start with a long-range goal.

Three Brazilian substitutes deepened Villa's woe -- Ramires making it 5-0 from Lucas Piazon's pass in the 75th minute and Oscar netting from the penalty spot before Eden Hazard scored a fine seventh.

Ramires got on the score-sheet again in injury time as Chelsea recorded their second 8-0 victory in the Premier League after a previous annihilation of Wigan Athletic in May 2010. It was Villa's heaviest ever Premier League defeat.

Manchester United hold the Premier League record for the widest winning margin, having beaten Ipswich Town 9-0 in March 1995.