Gary Neville believes Chelsea are going to be "very difficult to stop" winning the Premier League title this season following their latest performance against Aston Villa.

Romelu Lukaku scored twice, with Mateo Kovacic netting in between the Belgium striker's goals, in a comfortable 3-0 win against Villa on Saturday evening.

The three points for the Blues lifted them back to joint-top of the top-flight table, alongside Liverpool and Manchester United, who are both also unbeaten at this early stage of the season.

Chelsea have been tipped by many to challenge for the league title this season, especially after sealing the club-record £97.5million signing of Lukaku last month, with the 28-year-old scoring three goals in as many games after returning to west London.

United, meanwhile, cruised past Newcastle on Saturday in what was the long-awaited return of Cristiano Ronaldo, who inevitably scored twice on his second debut at Old Trafford.

Neville, formerly of United of course, has been speaking about Chelsea's chances of challenging for the Premier League title this season with his old club, Liverpool, who won 3-0 against Leeds United on Sunday, and Man City, who have won their last three matches following an opening day defeat to Tottenham.

"It was interesting because Newcastle, you'd expect Man United to beat Newcastle in the way that they did, with or without Ronaldo, but I went home from Salford to watch the Chelsea vs Villa game and Villa played well, they're a decent side," Neville said when speaking on his own Sky Sports podcast on Sunday evening.

"But Chelsea again just looked robotic, methodical. When he scored that first goal, Lukaku, I just thought it's ominous.

"There's a feeling about Chelsea - clean sheets, the strikers scoring, guaranteed, players in behind them, the midfield, that they're going to be very difficult to stop.

"The talk will be all about Manchester. Pep Guardiola's Manchester City, Cristiano Ronaldo's Manchester United, but Chelsea, everyone knows they're serious.

"We've watched them now two or three times this season. I watched them at Anfield against Liverpool, they're just a good team. Good at Arsenal, they have Tottenham next week away from home, that will be interesting.

"It's a brilliant Premier League and I'm looking forward to what is going to come in the next few months.

"We have to let it develop. Everyone is trying to predict the title this early on: Are Man United going to win the title, City, Chelsea? But Liverpool are really in it [the race for the title], they really are in it."