London: Jose Mourinho said defensive reasons caused him to leave Eden Hazard out of Chelsea's starting line-up as the Premier League champions returned to winning ways with a 2-0 victory against Aston Villa.


Eden Hazard

Hazard was a surprise omission from the Chelsea starting 11 on Saturday, but the Blues thrived in his absence as an opener from Diego Costa and an own goal from Alan Hutton secured a crucial three points to ease the pressure on Mourinho.