GIANFRANCO ZOLA added Aston Villa to his growing list of victims with a devastating display of world class finishing.

The tiny Italian destroyed Villa's championship dream with a decisive two-goal burst in the space of just four minutes.

It was the £4.5 million striker's first Premiership double since his arrival from Parma last month and more than enough to shatter Villa's five-match winning streak.

Now, Chelsea boss Ruud Gullit is ready to make superstar striker Gianluca Vialli wait on the bench to make his first team return.

Brian Little's side have seen their title odds slashed in the wake of Sunday's 5-0 demolition of Wimbledon's long unbeaten run.

But all the title talk was coming from Gullit's revitalised side after soccer's latest superstar import had restored London pride.

Zola, playing the first Christmas soccer of his career, was given the perfect introduction to festive football by Villa's generous defence.

First he was allowed to cut across from the right before delivering a low 65th-minute shot which beat keeper Mark Bosnich with the aid of a slight deflection off Ugo Ehiogu. And four minutes later, Zola was first to react to another Bosnich blunder when the Australian keeper hesitated and then missed as he came out to collect a back-header from Fernando Nelson.

The Chelsea hot-shot was left all on his own at an acute angle, but didn't even hesitate before squeezing his shot inside the near post for his fourth goal in seven games in English football.

Little complained: "Bosnich could have done better with both goals. The first was slightly deflected but he certainly should have dealt with the second goal long before there was any danger."

Gullit, just as pleased with his side's first clean sheet in 17 games, was full of praise for his latest signing. "The rest of the team have been supplying the bullets and he's our big gun to finish them off," he said. "His first couple of weeks were always going to be difficult, but now he has moved into a house, has settled in and is beginning to feel appreciated by everyone else here.

"The other players like the fact that even though he is such a very good player technically, he is still prepared to work hard, run back and do his fair share of defending."

But just as crucial to this victory was Gullit's own role in the middle of a three-man defence. Deputising for the suspended Frank Leboeuf Gullet showed the class that made him the world's greatest player to blunt Villa's previously rampant attack.

Villa, looking to establish a club record sixth successive Premiership victory, managed just one real effort on goal.