Chelsea&#39;s processional march towards the Premier League title continued at Swansea City&#39;s expense on Saturday as last season&#39;s champions Leicester City dropped into the bottom three.

Antonio Conte&#39;s side were not firing on all cylinders against a resolute Swansea side managed by their former assistant manager Paul Clement but second-half goals by Pedro and Diego Costa made sure of a 3-1 victory.

They are now 11 points ahead of Manchester City who have 13 games left to play and while Italian Conte is too cagey to start proclaiming his side winners already, only a monumental loss of form can deny them the title.

Chelsea&#39;s victory made it mathematically impossible for Leicester to catch them as they are 42 points behind the leaders going into their home clash with Liverpool on Monday - their first fixture since the sacking of manager Claudio Ranieri.

Leicester will start that game third bottom after Crystal Palace&#39;s 1-0 victory over Middlesbrough at Selhurst Park on Saturday took them out of the relegation zone.

Patrick van Aanholt&#39;s 34th-minute goal was enough to take Palace to 17th place with 22 points, one ahead of Leicester and Hull City who drew 1-1 at home with Burnley.

Boro also have 22 points but are sliding towards the drop zone after nine league games without a win.

Bournemouth are another side being sucked into the relegation battle after a 2-1 defeat at West Bromwich Albion despite taking a fourth-minute lead through Josh King&#39;s penalty. Craig Dawson and Gareth McAuley replied for West Brom who are clear in eighth place.

In-form Everton continue to harbour hopes of catching the top four and beat bottom club Sunderland 2-0 to move within six points of fourth-placed Arsenal.

Romelu Lukaku made the points safe for Everton with 10 minutes remaining, taking his tally for the season 17, level at the top of the scoring charts with Arsenal&#39;s Alexis Sanchez.

Sunderland&#39;s fourth defeat in six games left them on 19 points.

Watford host West Ham United in the day&#39;s late kickoff while on Sunday Tottenham Hotspur can trim Chelsea&#39;s lead by a point if they win at home to Stoke City.

(Reuters)

Antonio Conte is too cagey to start proclaiming his side winners already, but only a monumental loss of form can deny them the title

Chelsea's processional march towards the Premier League title continued at Swansea City's expense on Saturday as last season's champions Leicester City dropped into the bottom three. Antonio Conte's side were not firing on all cylinders against a resolute Swansea side managed by their former assistant manager Paul Clement but second-half goals by Pedro and Diego Costa made sure of a 3-1 victory. They are now 11 points ahead of Manchester City who have 13 games left to play and while Italian Conte is too cagey to start proclaiming his side winners already, only a monumental loss of form can deny them the title. Chelsea's victory made it mathematically impossible for Leicester to catch them as they are 42 points behind the leaders going into their home clash with Liverpool on Monday - their first fixture since the sacking of manager Claudio Ranieri. Leicester will start that game third bottom after Crystal Palace's 1-0 victory over Middlesbrough at Selhurst Park on Saturday took them out of the relegation zone. Patrick van Aanholt's 34th-minute goal was enough to take Palace to 17th place with 22 points, one ahead of Leicester and Hull City who drew 1-1 at home with Burnley. Boro also have 22 points but are sliding towards the drop zone after nine league games without a win. Bournemouth are another side being sucked into the relegation battle after a 2-1 defeat at West Bromwich Albion despite taking a fourth-minute lead through Josh King's penalty. Craig Dawson and Gareth McAuley replied for West Brom who are clear in eighth place. In-form Everton continue to harbour hopes of catching the top four and beat bottom club Sunderland 2-0 to move within six points of fourth-placed Arsenal. Romelu Lukaku made the points safe for Everton with 10 minutes remaining, taking his tally for the season 17, level at the top of the scoring charts with Arsenal's Alexis Sanchez. Sunderland's fourth defeat in six games left them on 19 points. Watford host West Ham United in the day's late kickoff while on Sunday Tottenham Hotspur can trim Chelsea's lead by a point if they win at home to Stoke City. (Reuters)

Chelsea surge 11 points clear, Leicester drop into bottom three

Pep Guardiola watched his resurgent Manchester City side stamp themselves as Chelsea&#39;s closest pursuers in the Premier League title race on Monday but was still adamant that &quot;the gap is too big&quot; for his team to catch the runaway leaders.

A well-deserved 2-0 win at Bournemouth&#39;s Dean Court, a venue at which other major contenders like Liverpool have slipped up this season, saw City move from fifth to second, eight points behind Antonio Conte&#39;s men.

Yet though expressing his delight at seeing how his side are progressing so smoothly now, Guardiola was adamant that Chelsea&#39;s lead was just too &quot;massive&quot; to be clawed back.

&quot;The gap is too big,&quot; he told Sky Sports, after celebrating a goal from Raheem Sterling and another that was credited to Bournemouth defender Tyrone Mings, although Sergio Aguero was still claiming it.

&quot;Yesterday they (Chelsea) didn&#39;t win (in a 1-1 draw with Burnley) but they play so solid, it&#39;s so difficult to create chances (against them).

&quot;The gap is still so massive. It&#39;s important is for us to focus on our game, and improve our performance, and my feeling in the last games is our performances are much, much better.&quot;

His protestation that eight points is &quot;massive&quot; does not bear the closest examination with so many Premier League games being so competitive this season but Guardiola is concentrating his sights primarily on winning a Champions League spot.

&quot;The gap between the second and the sixth clubs is so close (four points separates City from their neighbours Manchester United), so today we started the game in fifth place and now we are second,&quot; he said.

&quot;So that means everybody&#39;s still there. Up and down...lose a game and you&#39;re going to be down, so it will be a good battle to qualify for the Champions League.&quot;

If City are to make a concerted title push, Aguero demonstrated again that he could yet play a significant part amid speculation that he could leave at the end of the season.

Once his new starlet Gabriel Jesus had to go off with an ankle injury after quarter of an hour, Aguero, in his third successive match on the bench, was called into action and although for large parts of the game he looked rusty, he still had a key role in City&#39;s second goal.

Although Mings was credited with getting the final touch, the important thing was the Argentine&#39;s sharpness as he latched with alacrity on to Sterling&#39;s cross and Guardiola was left thrilled for him.

&quot;He played good, he won, he fight, scored a goal for his confidence and for us, it&#39;s so important. I&#39;m so happy for him,&quot; said the manager.

Asked if it underlined his importance to City&#39;s challenge, he added: &quot;Of course. It&#39;s so important. When you play in a big team with a lot of competition for places, we need all the players.&quot;

Including young Jesus, whose first setback in his meteoric start to life in the Premier League saw him hobble off with what Guardiola hopes is only a minor injury.

&quot;Tomorrow morning, we&#39;ll know exactly - but hopefully, hopefully...I&#39;m going to pray tonight that it&#39;s not going to be a big issue,&quot; Guardiola said.

(Reuters)

The 2-0 win Monday night pushed up Guardiola's side from fifth to second on the points table

Pep Guardiola watched his resurgent Manchester City side stamp themselves as Chelsea's closest pursuers in the Premier League title race on Monday but was still adamant that "the gap is too big" for his team to catch the runaway leaders. A well-deserved 2-0 win at Bournemouth's Dean Court, a venue at which other major contenders like Liverpool have slipped up this season, saw City move from fifth to second, eight points behind Antonio Conte's men. Yet though expressing his delight at seeing how his side are progressing so smoothly now, Guardiola was adamant that Chelsea's lead was just too "massive" to be clawed back. "The gap is too big," he told Sky Sports, after celebrating a goal from Raheem Sterling and another that was credited to Bournemouth defender Tyrone Mings, although Sergio Aguero was still claiming it. "Yesterday they (Chelsea) didn't win (in a 1-1 draw with Burnley) but they play so solid, it's so difficult to create chances (against them). "The gap is still so massive. It's important is for us to focus on our game, and improve our performance, and my feeling in the last games is our performances are much, much better." His protestation that eight points is "massive" does not bear the closest examination with so many Premier League games being so competitive this season but Guardiola is concentrating his sights primarily on winning a Champions League spot. "The gap between the second and the sixth clubs is so close (four points separates City from their neighbours Manchester United), so today we started the game in fifth place and now we are second," he said. "So that means everybody's still there. Up and down...lose a game and you're going to be down, so it will be a good battle to qualify for the Champions League." If City are to make a concerted title push, Aguero demonstrated again that he could yet play a significant part amid speculation that he could leave at the end of the season. Once his new starlet Gabriel Jesus had to go off with an ankle injury after quarter of an hour, Aguero, in his third successive match on the bench, was called into action and although for large parts of the game he looked rusty, he still had a key role in City's second goal. Although Mings was credited with getting the final touch, the important thing was the Argentine's sharpness as he latched with alacrity on to Sterling's cross and Guardiola was left thrilled for him. "He played good, he won, he fight, scored a goal for his confidence and for us, it's so important. I'm so happy for him," said the manager. Asked if it underlined his importance to City's challenge, he added: "Of course. It's so important. When you play in a big team with a lot of competition for places, we need all the players." Including young Jesus, whose first setback in his meteoric start to life in the Premier League saw him hobble off with what Guardiola hopes is only a minor injury. "Tomorrow morning, we'll know exactly - but hopefully, hopefully...I'm going to pray tonight that it's not going to be a big issue," Guardiola said. (Reuters)

Man City beat Bournemouth but Pep says gap with Chelsea 'too big'

Chelsea extended their lead atop the Premier League to 10 points on Sunday as the team they seem destined to succeed as champions, Leicester City, sank to yet another defeat.

Bidding to go 12 points clear, Chelsea had to settle for a point after home debutant Robbie Brady&#39;s arcing 24th-minute free-kick earned Burnley a deserved 1-1 draw at Turf Moor.

While the title beckons for Chelsea, it is receding deeper into memory for Leicester, who were left one point and one place above the relegation zone by a 2-0 defeat at Swansea City.

&quot;I wanted the start of a &#39;new season&#39; today, but it is the same. It is unbelievable,&quot; said Leicester manager Claudio Ranieri.

&quot;We started well, but their first two shots on goal are goals. It is very difficult to come back from that. It is unbelievable, this season.

&quot;We have two problems: conceding goals and not scoring. We have to speak together to find the solutions. It is not possible to continue in this way.&quot;

Leicester became the first English champions to lose five successive games since Chelsea in 1956 and the first team to go six games without scoring at the start of the year since Stoke City in 1985.

Leicester&#39;s owners gave Ranieri a vote of confidence after last weekend&#39;s 3-0 loss to Manchester United, but the post-game rallying cry issued by goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel had little effect.

Swansea overcame the loss of former Leicester loanee Nathan Dyer to an early ankle injury to score twice in the latter stages of the first half at the Liberty Stadium.

Centre-back Alfie Mawson broke the deadlock in the 36th minute with an emphatic volley after Federico Fernandez had nodded Robert Huth&#39;s clearing header back into the penalty area.

Swedish left-back Martin Olsson landed a hammer blow in first-half stoppage time when he hared onto Gylfi Sigurdsson&#39;s first-time pass to rifle a shot past Schmeichel at his near post.

&nbsp;

Conte &#39;disappointed&#39; 
 
Ranieri made a double change at half-time, sending on Ben Chilwell and Islam Slimani, but the closest they came to establishing a foothold was a shot from the latter that was blocked by Lukasz Fabianski.

Swansea manager Paul Clement, named the Premier League&#39;s Manager of the Month for January, has now seen his team win four games from six since his appointment as the successor to Bob Bradley.

The Welsh club pulled four points clear of danger and now have a full two weeks to prepare for their trip to leaders Chelsea.

&quot;My job was to come in in January and put confidence back into the team, get them playing better and get them organised,&quot; said Clement. &quot;I&#39;m happy with the response from the players.&quot;

Chelsea continue to sit pretty at the top of the pile, although their advantage will be eroded to eight points if Pep Guardiola&#39;s Manchester City win at Bournemouth on Monday.

Antonio Conte&#39;s side took a seventh-minute lead at Turf Moor when Victor Moses slipped Pedro in to steer a low shot past Burnley goalkeeper Tom Heaton.

But Burnley levelled through &pound;13 million ($16.2 million, 15.3 million euros) record signing Brady&#39;s fine free-kick and managed to prevent Chelsea from registering a single shot on target in the second half.

&quot;We must be disappointed at the point because I think this type of game we could win,&quot; said Chelsea manager Conte.

&quot;We know there is a long way (to the end of the season). It is important to work and play this type of game and fight.&quot;

Burnley manager Sean Dyche, whose side have won 29 of their 30 points at home, said: &quot;It was a strong performance against a top, top side.

&quot;I want us to be awkward to play against and be productive and we showed that.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

While the title beckons for Chelsea, chances are receding for Leicester, who were left one point and one place above the relegation zone

Chelsea extended their lead atop the Premier League to 10 points on Sunday as the team they seem destined to succeed as champions, Leicester City, sank to yet another defeat. Bidding to go 12 points clear, Chelsea had to settle for a point after home debutant Robbie Brady's arcing 24th-minute free-kick earned Burnley a deserved 1-1 draw at Turf Moor. While the title beckons for Chelsea, it is receding deeper into memory for Leicester, who were left one point and one place above the relegation zone by a 2-0 defeat at Swansea City. "I wanted the start of a 'new season' today, but it is the same. It is unbelievable," said Leicester manager Claudio Ranieri. "We started well, but their first two shots on goal are goals. It is very difficult to come back from that. It is unbelievable, this season. "We have two problems: conceding goals and not scoring. We have to speak together to find the solutions. It is not possible to continue in this way." Leicester became the first English champions to lose five successive games since Chelsea in 1956 and the first team to go six games without scoring at the start of the year since Stoke City in 1985. Leicester's owners gave Ranieri a vote of confidence after last weekend's 3-0 loss to Manchester United, but the post-game rallying cry issued by goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel had little effect. Swansea overcame the loss of former Leicester loanee Nathan Dyer to an early ankle injury to score twice in the latter stages of the first half at the Liberty Stadium. Centre-back Alfie Mawson broke the deadlock in the 36th minute with an emphatic volley after Federico Fernandez had nodded Robert Huth's clearing header back into the penalty area. Swedish left-back Martin Olsson landed a hammer blow in first-half stoppage time when he hared onto Gylfi Sigurdsson's first-time pass to rifle a shot past Schmeichel at his near post. Conte 'disappointed' Ranieri made a double change at half-time, sending on Ben Chilwell and Islam Slimani, but the closest they came to establishing a foothold was a shot from the latter that was blocked by Lukasz Fabianski. Swansea manager Paul Clement, named the Premier League's Manager of the Month for January, has now seen his team win four games from six since his appointment as the successor to Bob Bradley. The Welsh club pulled four points clear of danger and now have a full two weeks to prepare for their trip to leaders Chelsea. "My job was to come in in January and put confidence back into the team, get them playing better and get them organised," said Clement. "I'm happy with the response from the players." Chelsea continue to sit pretty at the top of the pile, although their advantage will be eroded to eight points if Pep Guardiola's Manchester City win at Bournemouth on Monday. Antonio Conte's side took a seventh-minute lead at Turf Moor when Victor Moses slipped Pedro in to steer a low shot past Burnley goalkeeper Tom Heaton. But Burnley levelled through £13 million ($16.2 million, 15.3 million euros) record signing Brady's fine free-kick and managed to prevent Chelsea from registering a single shot on target in the second half. "We must be disappointed at the point because I think this type of game we could win," said Chelsea manager Conte. "We know there is a long way (to the end of the season). It is important to work and play this type of game and fight." Burnley manager Sean Dyche, whose side have won 29 of their 30 points at home, said: "It was a strong performance against a top, top side. "I want us to be awkward to play against and be productive and we showed that." (AFP)

Burnley ties Chelsea, Swansea City tops Leicester City 2-0

Eden Hazard scored a sublime solo goal as Premier League leaders&nbsp;Chelsea&nbsp;thrust a dagger into Arsenal&#39;s title aspirations with a 3-1 victory at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.

The Belgian winger left a trail of defenders in his wake to double&nbsp;Chelsea&#39;s lead in the 53rd minute, in between a contentious header by Marcos Alonso and a late lob from Arsenal old boy Cesc Fabregas.

It was&nbsp;Chelsea&#39;s 11th home victory in succession and their 16th win in 18 league games, stretching their lead over third-place Arsenal to a huge 12 points with 14 games of the season remaining.

&quot;I think we are showing we deserve to stay on top of the table,&quot; said&nbsp;Chelsea&nbsp;manager Antonio Conte.

&quot;I am very pleased for my players. In every session they show me great attitude and great will to fight and win this league.&quot;

Chelsea&nbsp;have been close to unplayable since Conte changed their system to a 3-4-3 during their 3-0 loss at Arsenal on September 24 and it seems only a matter of time until they are crowned champions.

For Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, who watched from the stands as he served the third game of a four-match touchline ban, his side&#39;s season is following a wearily familiar pattern.

Arsenal have lost their last five games at the Bridge and had conceded 13 unanswered goals prior to Olivier Giroud&#39;s stoppage-time consolation.

Beaten for the fourth time in nine league games, they once again face the prospect of a run-in given suspense only by the tussle for Champions League places.

Wenger felt Alonso&#39;s goal was &quot;100 percent a foul&quot; on Hector Bellerin, but conceded: &quot;We were really naive and not clinical in our defending. Then&nbsp;Chelsea&nbsp;looked the better side.&quot;

With a raft of midfielders unavailable, Wenger was obliged to start with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain alongside Francis Coquelin in the middle, while Theo Walcott replaced Giroud in attack.

Bellerin forced off

Arsenal had conceded two goals in the first 13 minutes of Tuesday&#39;s 2-1 loss at home to Watford.

They almost caught&nbsp;Chelsea&nbsp;cold here, Alex Iwobi curling wide after Thibaut Courtois overhit a pass towards David Luiz.

But after Gary Cahill had headed into the ground and over the bar at the other end,&nbsp;Chelsea&nbsp;went ahead in the 13th minute with a goal that left Arsenal&#39;s fans fuming.

Pedro sent a cross into the box from the right that Diego Costa headed against the bar at the near post, sending the ball spinning into the air.

As Bellerin got himself in position to head it away, and with Walcott watching on impassively, Alonso flew in, cleaning his fellow Spaniard out with his forearm and heading the ball home.

Referee Martin Atkinson allowed the goal to stand and Arsenal&#39;s disappointment was compounded by the sight of a dazed Bellerin being led down the tunnel, with Gabriel taking his place.

Chelsea&nbsp;were buoyant, Costa driving a shot into the side-netting and Pedro forcing Petr Cech to push the ball behind from Alonso&#39;s accurate cut-back.

But Arsenal ended the first half strongly, Courtois producing a stunning one-handed save to turn Gabriel&#39;s header over the bar and then dropping onto a tame effort by Mesut Ozil.

It took a last-ditch tackle by Laurent Koscielny to prevent Hazard scampering clear early in the second half, but when the&nbsp;Chelseanumber 10 picked up the ball minutes later there was no getting it back.

After striding onto a loose ball in the centre circle, he beat Koscielny, shrugged off Coquelin, leaving him flat on his back, and then outfoxed Koscielny again before squeezing a shot past Cech.

On the touchline, Conte celebrated with even greater abandon than usual, leaping into the crowd.

There were flickers from Arsenal, Courtois clawing away a deft header from substitute Danny Welbeck, before Fabregas lobbed in from 25 yards after Cech shanked the ball straight to him.

Giroud reduced the arrears, heading in from Nacho Monreal&#39;s cross.

(AFP)

The Blues won 3-1 in the London derby, with Eden Hazard's solo goal the highlight of the match

Eden Hazard scored a sublime solo goal as Premier League leaders Chelsea thrust a dagger into Arsenal's title aspirations with a 3-1 victory at Stamford Bridge on Saturday. The Belgian winger left a trail of defenders in his wake to double Chelsea's lead in the 53rd minute, in between a contentious header by Marcos Alonso and a late lob from Arsenal old boy Cesc Fabregas. It was Chelsea's 11th home victory in succession and their 16th win in 18 league games, stretching their lead over third-place Arsenal to a huge 12 points with 14 games of the season remaining. "I think we are showing we deserve to stay on top of the table," said Chelsea manager Antonio Conte. "I am very pleased for my players. In every session they show me great attitude and great will to fight and win this league." Chelsea have been close to unplayable since Conte changed their system to a 3-4-3 during their 3-0 loss at Arsenal on September 24 and it seems only a matter of time until they are crowned champions. For Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, who watched from the stands as he served the third game of a four-match touchline ban, his side's season is following a wearily familiar pattern. Arsenal have lost their last five games at the Bridge and had conceded 13 unanswered goals prior to Olivier Giroud's stoppage-time consolation. Beaten for the fourth time in nine league games, they once again face the prospect of a run-in given suspense only by the tussle for Champions League places. Wenger felt Alonso's goal was "100 percent a foul" on Hector Bellerin, but conceded: "We were really naive and not clinical in our defending. Then Chelsea looked the better side." With a raft of midfielders unavailable, Wenger was obliged to start with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain alongside Francis Coquelin in the middle, while Theo Walcott replaced Giroud in attack. Bellerin forced off Arsenal had conceded two goals in the first 13 minutes of Tuesday's 2-1 loss at home to Watford. They almost caught Chelsea cold here, Alex Iwobi curling wide after Thibaut Courtois overhit a pass towards David Luiz. But after Gary Cahill had headed into the ground and over the bar at the other end, Chelsea went ahead in the 13th minute with a goal that left Arsenal's fans fuming. Pedro sent a cross into the box from the right that Diego Costa headed against the bar at the near post, sending the ball spinning into the air. As Bellerin got himself in position to head it away, and with Walcott watching on impassively, Alonso flew in, cleaning his fellow Spaniard out with his forearm and heading the ball home. Referee Martin Atkinson allowed the goal to stand and Arsenal's disappointment was compounded by the sight of a dazed Bellerin being led down the tunnel, with Gabriel taking his place. Chelsea were buoyant, Costa driving a shot into the side-netting and Pedro forcing Petr Cech to push the ball behind from Alonso's accurate cut-back. But Arsenal ended the first half strongly, Courtois producing a stunning one-handed save to turn Gabriel's header over the bar and then dropping onto a tame effort by Mesut Ozil. It took a last-ditch tackle by Laurent Koscielny to prevent Hazard scampering clear early in the second half, but when the Chelseanumber 10 picked up the ball minutes later there was no getting it back. After striding onto a loose ball in the centre circle, he beat Koscielny, shrugged off Coquelin, leaving him flat on his back, and then outfoxed Koscielny again before squeezing a shot past Cech. On the touchline, Conte celebrated with even greater abandon than usual, leaping into the crowd. There were flickers from Arsenal, Courtois clawing away a deft header from substitute Danny Welbeck, before Fabregas lobbed in from 25 yards after Cech shanked the ball straight to him. Giroud reduced the arrears, heading in from Nacho Monreal's cross. (AFP)

Chelsea beat Arsenal to zoom off to 12-point lead

Simon Mignolet went from zero to hero as Liverpool prevented Chelsea from significantly extending their lead at the Premier League summit in a 1-1 draw at Anfield on Tuesday.

The Belgian goalkeeper was caught daydreaming as David Luiz put Chelsea ahead with a first-half free-kick, but after Georginio Wijnaldum equalised, his penalty save denied Diego Costa a late winner.

With Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur dropping points, victory would have sent Chelsea 11 points clear, but instead Antonio Conte&#39;s side had to content themselves with eking their advantage up to nine points.

&quot;It`s a pity Diego Costa missed the penalty because he played very well,&quot; said Chelsea manager Conte.

&quot;We had different chances to score goals, but we must be happy with the result and the performance because it is not easy to play away at Liverpool.&quot;

Liverpool remain 10 points off the pace in fourth place, but although they have won just one of their nine matches in 2017, they avoided losing four successive home games for the first time since 1923.

While the point did little to enhance their title hopes, it was a much improved display by Jurgen Klopp`s men after successive exits from the League Cup and FA Cup against Southampton and Wolverhampton Wanderers.

&quot;I`m not sure happy is the right word to say how I`m feeling, but I`m proud of the boys because they did outstanding things against a really good side,&quot; Klopp told BT Sport.

&quot;I`m happy we could give this sign and create this atmosphere. It was a good performance.&quot;

Costa`s squandered 77th-minute penalty, awarded for a foul on him by Joel Matip, meant Chelsea failed to win for only the second time in 17 league games, but the title remains theirs to lose.

Klopp had trumpeted his team`s ability to beat &quot;anyone else in this league&quot; in the match programme and with England pair Nathaniel Clyne and Adam Lallana back from injury, his men began sharply.Their aggressive pressing prevented Chelsea from settling into a rhythm and Wijnaldum saw a rasping shot parried by visiting goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.

Conte, clad in a tracksuit and puffer jacket that recalled former manager Jose Mourinho`s attire during Chelsea`s pivotal 2-0 win here in 2014, kicked the ball away in frustration at one point.

But in the 24th minute a combination of exquisite technique and inexcusably lax defensive attentiveness gave Chelsea the breakthrough.

As Luiz advanced to strike his free-kick, 25 yards from goal and to the left of centre, Mignolet was gesticulating to his team-mates on the edge of the area.

The Brazilian struck the ball with ferocious but controlled power and it zipped over the wall before crashing in via the left-hand post, with Mignolet rooted to the spot.

Liverpool should have levelled four minutes into the second half when Roberto Firmino hoisted the ball clear of the bar from 15 yards out after Eden Hazard had slid in to rob Clyne.

But following a sight of goal at the other end for Victor Moses, who clipped the post after charging down James Milner`s clearance, the home side levelled in the 57th minute.

Jordan Henderson`s deep cross from the right was headed back across goal by Milner, with a touch from Moses enabling Wijnaldum to direct a low header beneath Courtois`s despairing dive.

Sadio Mane made his Liverpool comeback in place of Philippe Coutinho, his Africa Cup of Nations quest with Senegal having been ended by his squandered penalty against Cameroon in the quarter-finals.

But here it was Costa who fluffed his lines from 12 yards as Mignolet dived to his right to shovel away the Chelsea striker`s poorly struck spot-kick.

Pedro Rodriguez, on for Willian, came close to sparing Costa`s blushes with a snapshot that flashed wide, while Firmino could only direct a header straight at Courtois at the opposite end.

(AFP)

'It's a pity Diego Costa missed the penalty because he played very well,' said Chelsea manager Conte

Simon Mignolet went from zero to hero as Liverpool prevented Chelsea from significantly extending their lead at the Premier League summit in a 1-1 draw at Anfield on Tuesday. The Belgian goalkeeper was caught daydreaming as David Luiz put Chelsea ahead with a first-half free-kick, but after Georginio Wijnaldum equalised, his penalty save denied Diego Costa a late winner. With Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur dropping points, victory would have sent Chelsea 11 points clear, but instead Antonio Conte's side had to content themselves with eking their advantage up to nine points. "It`s a pity Diego Costa missed the penalty because he played very well," said Chelsea manager Conte. "We had different chances to score goals, but we must be happy with the result and the performance because it is not easy to play away at Liverpool." Liverpool remain 10 points off the pace in fourth place, but although they have won just one of their nine matches in 2017, they avoided losing four successive home games for the first time since 1923. While the point did little to enhance their title hopes, it was a much improved display by Jurgen Klopp`s men after successive exits from the League Cup and FA Cup against Southampton and Wolverhampton Wanderers. "I`m not sure happy is the right word to say how I`m feeling, but I`m proud of the boys because they did outstanding things against a really good side," Klopp told BT Sport. "I`m happy we could give this sign and create this atmosphere. It was a good performance." Costa`s squandered 77th-minute penalty, awarded for a foul on him by Joel Matip, meant Chelsea failed to win for only the second time in 17 league games, but the title remains theirs to lose. Klopp had trumpeted his team`s ability to beat "anyone else in this league" in the match programme and with England pair Nathaniel Clyne and Adam Lallana back from injury, his men began sharply.Their aggressive pressing prevented Chelsea from settling into a rhythm and Wijnaldum saw a rasping shot parried by visiting goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois. Conte, clad in a tracksuit and puffer jacket that recalled former manager Jose Mourinho`s attire during Chelsea`s pivotal 2-0 win here in 2014, kicked the ball away in frustration at one point. But in the 24th minute a combination of exquisite technique and inexcusably lax defensive attentiveness gave Chelsea the breakthrough. As Luiz advanced to strike his free-kick, 25 yards from goal and to the left of centre, Mignolet was gesticulating to his team-mates on the edge of the area. The Brazilian struck the ball with ferocious but controlled power and it zipped over the wall before crashing in via the left-hand post, with Mignolet rooted to the spot. Liverpool should have levelled four minutes into the second half when Roberto Firmino hoisted the ball clear of the bar from 15 yards out after Eden Hazard had slid in to rob Clyne. But following a sight of goal at the other end for Victor Moses, who clipped the post after charging down James Milner`s clearance, the home side levelled in the 57th minute. Jordan Henderson`s deep cross from the right was headed back across goal by Milner, with a touch from Moses enabling Wijnaldum to direct a low header beneath Courtois`s despairing dive. Sadio Mane made his Liverpool comeback in place of Philippe Coutinho, his Africa Cup of Nations quest with Senegal having been ended by his squandered penalty against Cameroon in the quarter-finals. But here it was Costa who fluffed his lines from 12 yards as Mignolet dived to his right to shovel away the Chelsea striker`s poorly struck spot-kick. Pedro Rodriguez, on for Willian, came close to sparing Costa`s blushes with a snapshot that flashed wide, while Firmino could only direct a header straight at Courtois at the opposite end. (AFP)

Premier League: Mignolet stars for Liverpool as match with Chelsea ends in draw

Diego Costa returned for Chelsea with deadly effect on Sunday, scoring in the 2-0 win over Hull City which increased their lead at the top of the Premier League to eight points after Arsenal had earlier taken up the mantle as their nearest pursuers.

The Gunners beat Burnley 2-1 at the Emirates where the real drama came in injury time when each side scored a penalty and Arsene Wenger clashed with the fourth official after being sent off for disputing the first spot-kick.

By contrast, the day&#39;s other game seemed routine, with Southampton beating the ailing champions Leicester City 3-0.

Chelsea are odds-on to succeed Claudio Ranieri&#39;s side as victors in May after posting their eighth successive home league win against a Hull side which had Ryan Mason taken to hospital after a sickening clash of heads with Gary Cahill.

The stage was set perfectly for the returning Costa to make more headlines after being said by the club to be missing with injury against Leicester last week while British media reported he was unsettled by the prospect of a big-money move to China.

Manager Antonio Conte said before the game that he had been happy with Costa&#39;s mentality and he will have been even more pleased with the goal that put the Blues ahead in first-half injury time after good work on the right by Victor Moses.

The strike sparked a bizarre celebration in which the Spanish international made gestures with both hands that suggested he had just silenced the chatter about his future in the best way possible.

Indeed he had. Costa&#39;s goals -- this was his 52nd on his 100th appearance for the club -- remain the main reason why Chelsea are such hot favourites for the title as they now stand on 55 points with Arsenal on 47, Tottenham Hotspur on 46 and Liverpool on 45.

Costa eventually left to a rousing reception late after Cahill settled matters by rising above the visiting defence to head home the second on 81 minutes.

&quot;Now we have (a lead of) eight points and there are 16 games to play. I think me and my players have good experience to understand that in this league it will be very tough until the end,&quot; Conte told reporters.

Across London, the goals came even later at the Emirates where the final minutes left the crowd -- and managers -- breathless.

After the game&#39;s astonishing finale, which saw Alexis Sanchez net the winner in the 98th minute, a relieved Wenger apologised for his earlier clash with the fourth official.

However, Arsenal&#39;s manager may face an FA charge for appearing to push Anthony Taylor near the tunnel following his dismissal by referee Jon Moss after Burnley&#39;s 93rd-minute penalty had been converted by Andre Gray.

&quot;I didn&#39;t see any penalty from outside but I should have shut up and I apologise, even if I was frustrated,&quot; said Wenger.

Gray&#39;s goal proved just the start of the action as referee Moss, who had already sent off Arsenal&#39;s Granit Xhaka for a wild 65th minute tackle, awarded the Gunners a penalty of their own when Ben Mee raised a leg to the advancing Laurent Koscielny.

Penalty-taker Sanchez possessed the only cool head in the ground, dinking the ball over the Burnley keeper to secure an astonishing win for Arsenal, who had taken the lead through Shkodran Mustafi&#39;s 59th-minute header.

At Southampton, Ranieri had no complaints with Leicester&#39;s defeat, even offering an apology for confusing his players with some of his recent tactical variations.

&quot;I think (in) the last matches I changed (the team&#39;s) shape to try to help my players play better but maybe I made mistakes,&quot; he said.

Poor defending allowed first-half goals for James Ward-Prowse and Jay Rodriguez while Dusan Tadic&#39;s late penalty only confirmed that Leicester, in 15th place just five points above the drop zone, are in free fall and in serious trouble.

(Reuters)

The Gunners beat Burnley 2-1 at the Emirates

Diego Costa returned for Chelsea with deadly effect on Sunday, scoring in the 2-0 win over Hull City which increased their lead at the top of the Premier League to eight points after Arsenal had earlier taken up the mantle as their nearest pursuers. The Gunners beat Burnley 2-1 at the Emirates where the real drama came in injury time when each side scored a penalty and Arsene Wenger clashed with the fourth official after being sent off for disputing the first spot-kick. By contrast, the day's other game seemed routine, with Southampton beating the ailing champions Leicester City 3-0. Chelsea are odds-on to succeed Claudio Ranieri's side as victors in May after posting their eighth successive home league win against a Hull side which had Ryan Mason taken to hospital after a sickening clash of heads with Gary Cahill. The stage was set perfectly for the returning Costa to make more headlines after being said by the club to be missing with injury against Leicester last week while British media reported he was unsettled by the prospect of a big-money move to China. Manager Antonio Conte said before the game that he had been happy with Costa's mentality and he will have been even more pleased with the goal that put the Blues ahead in first-half injury time after good work on the right by Victor Moses. The strike sparked a bizarre celebration in which the Spanish international made gestures with both hands that suggested he had just silenced the chatter about his future in the best way possible. Indeed he had. Costa's goals -- this was his 52nd on his 100th appearance for the club -- remain the main reason why Chelsea are such hot favourites for the title as they now stand on 55 points with Arsenal on 47, Tottenham Hotspur on 46 and Liverpool on 45. Costa eventually left to a rousing reception late after Cahill settled matters by rising above the visiting defence to head home the second on 81 minutes. "Now we have (a lead of) eight points and there are 16 games to play. I think me and my players have good experience to understand that in this league it will be very tough until the end," Conte told reporters. Across London, the goals came even later at the Emirates where the final minutes left the crowd -- and managers -- breathless. After the game's astonishing finale, which saw Alexis Sanchez net the winner in the 98th minute, a relieved Wenger apologised for his earlier clash with the fourth official. However, Arsenal's manager may face an FA charge for appearing to push Anthony Taylor near the tunnel following his dismissal by referee Jon Moss after Burnley's 93rd-minute penalty had been converted by Andre Gray. "I didn't see any penalty from outside but I should have shut up and I apologise, even if I was frustrated," said Wenger. Gray's goal proved just the start of the action as referee Moss, who had already sent off Arsenal's Granit Xhaka for a wild 65th minute tackle, awarded the Gunners a penalty of their own when Ben Mee raised a leg to the advancing Laurent Koscielny. Penalty-taker Sanchez possessed the only cool head in the ground, dinking the ball over the Burnley keeper to secure an astonishing win for Arsenal, who had taken the lead through Shkodran Mustafi's 59th-minute header. At Southampton, Ranieri had no complaints with Leicester's defeat, even offering an apology for confusing his players with some of his recent tactical variations. "I think (in) the last matches I changed (the team's) shape to try to help my players play better but maybe I made mistakes," he said. Poor defending allowed first-half goals for James Ward-Prowse and Jay Rodriguez while Dusan Tadic's late penalty only confirmed that Leicester, in 15th place just five points above the drop zone, are in free fall and in serious trouble. (Reuters)

Premier League: Costa returns, scores in 2-0 win over Hull; Arsene is sent off

&nbsp;

Nigeria midfielder John Obi Mikel has become the latest big name player to join the Chinese Super League gold rush after leaving Chelsea for Tianjin Teda.

Mikel, who failed to make a single appearance for Antonio Conte&#39;s side this season, had a medical examination in the port city, 130 kilometres from Beijing as the Asian Football Confederation confirmed the deal.

The 29-year-old, who spent more than a decade at Stamford Bridge, was given a free transfer by the London club and will earn $173,432 a week in China, according to local media reports.

After joining Chelsea in 2006, Mikel was part of a squad that won a Champions League crown, two Premier League titles and four FA Cups.

Chinese clubs have made several high-profile signings over the last month with Argentine striker Carlos Tevez moving to Shanghai Shenhua for a reported $87.65 million. Less than a week later, Brazilian midfielder Oscar joined local rivals Shanghai SIPG from Chelsea. Elsewhere in Europe, Serbia midfielder Nemanja Gudelj, moved to Tianjin from Dutch club Ajax.

At the end of December, Cristiano Ronaldo&#39;s agent had said the World Player of the Year had turned down the chance to leave Real Madrid for an unnamed Chinese club for a transfer fee of $315.24 million.

Amid the spending spree, the country&#39;s General Administration of Sport described the excess of some Chinese clubs as &quot;a grave phenomenon&quot;.

(Reuters)

John Obi Mikel has become the latest big name player to join the Chinese Super League

Nigeria midfielder John Obi Mikel has become the latest big name player to join the Chinese Super League gold rush after leaving Chelsea for Tianjin Teda. Mikel, who failed to make a single appearance for Antonio Conte's side this season, had a medical examination in the port city, 130 kilometres from Beijing as the Asian Football Confederation confirmed the deal. The 29-year-old, who spent more than a decade at Stamford Bridge, was given a free transfer by the London club and will earn $173,432 a week in China, according to local media reports. After joining Chelsea in 2006, Mikel was part of a squad that won a Champions League crown, two Premier League titles and four FA Cups. Chinese clubs have made several high-profile signings over the last month with Argentine striker Carlos Tevez moving to Shanghai Shenhua for a reported $87.65 million. Less than a week later, Brazilian midfielder Oscar joined local rivals Shanghai SIPG from Chelsea. Elsewhere in Europe, Serbia midfielder Nemanja Gudelj, moved to Tianjin from Dutch club Ajax. At the end of December, Cristiano Ronaldo's agent had said the World Player of the Year had turned down the chance to leave Real Madrid for an unnamed Chinese club for a transfer fee of $315.24 million. Amid the spending spree, the country's General Administration of Sport described the excess of some Chinese clubs as "a grave phenomenon". (Reuters)

Chelsea's Mikel joins Chinese Super League

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte shrugged off a record-wrecking 2-0 defeat by Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday, insisting his players must dust themselves down and restart their Premier League title quest.

Two Dele Alli headers meant Chelsea&#39;s hopes of winning a 14th consecutive Premier League game -- which would have been a record in a single campaign -- foundered at White Hart Lane.

Italian Conte, however, said the defeat was very different to the 3-0 reverse they suffered at Arsenal on Sept. 24, since when they have been unstoppable.

&quot;We are disappointed but also we must be pleased for our run as 13 wins in this league is not easy,&quot; Conte told reporters.

&quot;But this is a different defeat to the one in September because today we lost the game, but showed that we were a team.

&quot;Against Arsenal, we weren&#39;t a team, today we were.&quot;

Chelsea could have gone eight points clear at the top with a first victory at White Hart Lane since 2012 and while five points is still a healthy margin over nearest rivals Liverpool, Conte insists the title race is now wide open.

Tottenham moved up to third, seven points behind, ahead of Manchester City on goal difference while Arsenal are a point further adrift and Manchester United two further back.

&quot;Today we lost against a good team, a really strong team and don&#39;t forget Tottenham fought last season for the title,&quot; Conte said. &quot;They are improving, and they are one of the six teams that can fight to win the title.

&quot;We are top of the table because we are working a lot, but for sure this league is very tough and we must continue to work and improve. A defeat can happen against Tottenham, now it&#39;s important to restart.&quot;

Conte&#39;s side had boasted the meanest defence in the league until Wednesday&#39;s defeat so the nature of both Tottenham&#39;s goals -- carbon-copy crosses and headers -- was a surprise.

Tottenham have now conceded the least goals -- 14 in 20 games.

&quot;It is strange for us to concede these goals because we are defending well, and they are in a crucial moment,&quot; he said.

&quot;At the end of the first half and then in the second half after we miss the chances to score, but this can happen.

&quot;My priority is to win again. The training doesn&#39;t change if you win or you lose. We have to continue to work.&quot;

(Reuters)

Chelsea lost 2-0 to Tottenham, but are still top of the league

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte shrugged off a record-wrecking 2-0 defeat by Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday, insisting his players must dust themselves down and restart their Premier League title quest. Two Dele Alli headers meant Chelsea's hopes of winning a 14th consecutive Premier League game -- which would have been a record in a single campaign -- foundered at White Hart Lane. Italian Conte, however, said the defeat was very different to the 3-0 reverse they suffered at Arsenal on Sept. 24, since when they have been unstoppable. "We are disappointed but also we must be pleased for our run as 13 wins in this league is not easy," Conte told reporters. "But this is a different defeat to the one in September because today we lost the game, but showed that we were a team. "Against Arsenal, we weren't a team, today we were." Chelsea could have gone eight points clear at the top with a first victory at White Hart Lane since 2012 and while five points is still a healthy margin over nearest rivals Liverpool, Conte insists the title race is now wide open. Tottenham moved up to third, seven points behind, ahead of Manchester City on goal difference while Arsenal are a point further adrift and Manchester United two further back. "Today we lost against a good team, a really strong team and don't forget Tottenham fought last season for the title," Conte said. "They are improving, and they are one of the six teams that can fight to win the title. "We are top of the table because we are working a lot, but for sure this league is very tough and we must continue to work and improve. A defeat can happen against Tottenham, now it's important to restart." Conte's side had boasted the meanest defence in the league until Wednesday's defeat so the nature of both Tottenham's goals -- carbon-copy crosses and headers -- was a surprise. Tottenham have now conceded the least goals -- 14 in 20 games. "It is strange for us to concede these goals because we are defending well, and they are in a crucial moment," he said. "At the end of the first half and then in the second half after we miss the chances to score, but this can happen. "My priority is to win again. The training doesn't change if you win or you lose. We have to continue to work." (Reuters)

Premier League: Restart title quest, Conte tells players after loss

Arsenal&#39;s Olivier Giroud produced a piece of New Year&#39;s Day magic to keep Arsenal in sight of Premier League leaders Chelsea while Harry Kane&#39;s double bolstered Tottenham Hotspur&#39;s ambitions as London&#39;s triple assault on the title continues.

Frenchman Giroud connected with Alexis Sanchez&#39;s cross with a scorpion-like backheeled volley 17 minutes into his side&#39;s derby against Crystal Palace while Alex Iwobi made it 2-0 with a second-half header.

Arsenal had started the game outside the top four after Tottenham&#39;s 4-1 rout of a feeble Watford briefly lifted Mauricio Pochettino&#39;s side into third place in the table.

Kane scored Tottenham&#39;s first two goals, both from assists by right back Kieran Trippier, while Dele Alli made the points safe after some woeful Watford defending shortly before the break. Alli grabbed his second immediately after the interval.

At the halfway point of the season Chelsea, who on Saturday equalled Arsenal&#39;s 2001-02 record of 13 consecutive wins in the same Premier League campaign, have 49 points from 19 games.

Liverpool have 43 while Arsenal have 40, one more than Tottenham who are above Manchester City on goal difference. Manchester United complete the top six below which there is a yawning nine-point gap to seventh.

The Holiday fixtures continue thick-and-fast over the coming days with Chelsea aiming to set a new record of 14 consecutive wins when they visit in-form Tottenham on Wednesday.

Liverpool are at Sunderland on Monday when Manchester City host Burnley, while Arsenal are at Bournemouth on Tuesday.

Whatever happens in the weeks ahead though, few goals are likely to be replayed as much as Giroud&#39;s stunning opener.

Having played a neat flick early in a liquid Arsenal counter-attack, Giroud rumbled forward into the area. Sanchez&#39;s cross was not the best, falling a little behind the Frenchman, but he jack-knifed his body as he tumbled forward, connecting with his left heel.

The ball soared past diving Palace keeper Wayne Hennessey and bounced down and in off the underside of the crossbar.

&quot;I tried to take it on the back heel from behind me and I had some luck,&quot; said Giroud, who has struggled to earn a starting berth this season.

&quot;It was about luck, I didn&#39;t have good balance but it was a great feeling,&quot; added Giroud whose goal was similar to Henrikh Mkhitaryan&#39;s for Manchester United on Boxing Day but from further out.

&quot;It was nice for the me and the team and was my best one.&quot;

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger added: &quot;I have been a bit spoiled over the year by the exceptional quality of the players I&#39;ve had, but it will be remembered as an exceptional goal.

&quot;Olly is very good in front of goal, but I&#39;ve never seen this kind of goal from him.&quot;

Iwobi&#39;s header provoked a brief but largely ineffectual flurry from Palace and former England manager Sam Allardyce still awaits his first win since replacing Alan Pardew in the hot seat.

Palace remain two points above the bottom three.

Kane marked his 100th Premier League game with two clinical finishes to take his top-flight tally to 59.

He opened the scoring in the 27th minute with a cool finish having been played in by Trippier and then showed his poaching instinct to connect with the fullback&#39;s inviting cross.

Alli punished Younes Kaboul&#39;s weak clearance and made it 4-0 as Tottenham ran riot in the rain.

Kaboul scored injury-hit Watford&#39;s late consolation.

&quot;The first half was one of the best we&#39;ve played this season,&quot; said Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino whose side go into the Chelsea game buoyed by four successive wins.

&nbsp;

(Reuters)

Kane marked his 100th Premier League game with two clinical finishes to take his top-flight tally to 59

Arsenal's Olivier Giroud produced a piece of New Year's Day magic to keep Arsenal in sight of Premier League leaders Chelsea while Harry Kane's double bolstered Tottenham Hotspur's ambitions as London's triple assault on the title continues. Frenchman Giroud connected with Alexis Sanchez's cross with a scorpion-like backheeled volley 17 minutes into his side's derby against Crystal Palace while Alex Iwobi made it 2-0 with a second-half header. Arsenal had started the game outside the top four after Tottenham's 4-1 rout of a feeble Watford briefly lifted Mauricio Pochettino's side into third place in the table. Kane scored Tottenham's first two goals, both from assists by right back Kieran Trippier, while Dele Alli made the points safe after some woeful Watford defending shortly before the break. Alli grabbed his second immediately after the interval. At the halfway point of the season Chelsea, who on Saturday equalled Arsenal's 2001-02 record of 13 consecutive wins in the same Premier League campaign, have 49 points from 19 games. Liverpool have 43 while Arsenal have 40, one more than Tottenham who are above Manchester City on goal difference. Manchester United complete the top six below which there is a yawning nine-point gap to seventh. The Holiday fixtures continue thick-and-fast over the coming days with Chelsea aiming to set a new record of 14 consecutive wins when they visit in-form Tottenham on Wednesday. Liverpool are at Sunderland on Monday when Manchester City host Burnley, while Arsenal are at Bournemouth on Tuesday. Whatever happens in the weeks ahead though, few goals are likely to be replayed as much as Giroud's stunning opener. Having played a neat flick early in a liquid Arsenal counter-attack, Giroud rumbled forward into the area. Sanchez's cross was not the best, falling a little behind the Frenchman, but he jack-knifed his body as he tumbled forward, connecting with his left heel. The ball soared past diving Palace keeper Wayne Hennessey and bounced down and in off the underside of the crossbar. "I tried to take it on the back heel from behind me and I had some luck," said Giroud, who has struggled to earn a starting berth this season. "It was about luck, I didn't have good balance but it was a great feeling," added Giroud whose goal was similar to Henrikh Mkhitaryan's for Manchester United on Boxing Day but from further out. "It was nice for the me and the team and was my best one." Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger added: "I have been a bit spoiled over the year by the exceptional quality of the players I've had, but it will be remembered as an exceptional goal. "Olly is very good in front of goal, but I've never seen this kind of goal from him." Iwobi's header provoked a brief but largely ineffectual flurry from Palace and former England manager Sam Allardyce still awaits his first win since replacing Alan Pardew in the hot seat. Palace remain two points above the bottom three. Kane marked his 100th Premier League game with two clinical finishes to take his top-flight tally to 59. He opened the scoring in the 27th minute with a cool finish having been played in by Trippier and then showed his poaching instinct to connect with the fullback's inviting cross. Alli punished Younes Kaboul's weak clearance and made it 4-0 as Tottenham ran riot in the rain. Kaboul scored injury-hit Watford's late consolation. "The first half was one of the best we've played this season," said Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino whose side go into the Chelsea game buoyed by four successive wins. (Reuters)

Giroud gem inspires Arsenal, Kane hits double for Spurs

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp believes a little more luck on the injury front is all that is separating his team from Premier League leaders Chelsea as the Reds prepare to face Stoke City on Tuesday.

The Anfield club spent Christmas in second place in the Premier League table but trailed Chelsea by six points as they struggle to stay in touch with Antonio Conte&#39;s in-form side.

Liverpool have only lost twice all season but are currently missing the influential Philippe Coutinho as they prepare for the first of two home games before the end of the year.

&quot;I am pretty sure that until now Chelsea are maybe the team that have had the most luck with injuries. We lost Phil and Daniel (Sturridge) and Danny Ings in difficult moments when you really could use them,&quot; Klopp told Sky Sports News.

&quot;If it&#39;s Hazard and Costa at Chelsea, is it the same afterwards?&quot;

Coutinho is not likely to return before the new year due to an ankle injury while defender Joel Matip is also struggling as the Reds look forward to welcoming Stoke and then Pep Guardiola&#39;s Manchester City to Merseyside over the next week.

&quot;We cannot rush the situation and we don&#39;t want to rush it. We have to accept the more or less bigger steps in his improvement with this serious injury,&quot; Klopp said of Coutinho.

&quot;Whenever he is back, the season is long enough that he can help us. We cannot rush it just because there are a few games now. That cannot have an influence on our decisions.&quot;

Klopp, who had his squad in for training on Christmas Day despite the extra 24 hours to prepare for the visit of Stoke, could stick with an unchanged starting line-up as Liverpool look to build on successive wins at Middlesbrough and Everton.

Simon Mignolet should keep his place in goal after recording clean sheets in these matches as Liverpool look to maintain their impressive record at home.

They are unbeaten in nine home games in all competitions this season and haven&#39;t lost at Anfield since Stoke won 1-0 there in the EFL Cup semi-final second leg on January 26 -- Liverpool eventually won that tie on penalties.

&#39;Be positive&#39;&nbsp; 
Mid-table Stoke head to Merseyside having failed to win in three matches, including a 2-2 draw at home to Leicester City in their last outing when they squandered a two-goal lead.

Stoke could not have asked for a tougher festive period, with this game being followed by a trip to Chelsea on New Year&#39;s Eve but Hughes is backing his team to spring a surprise.

&quot;We are under no illusions as to how good they both are and how difficult the matches will be for us, but we have to go into the games with real belief,&quot; said Hughes.&nbsp;

&quot;Not many people are thinking we have a chance of gaining positive results but that certainly isn&#39;t the case within our camp.

&quot;Of course they have players who can hurt us, but we have players who can hurt them too. We went to Liverpool last year and beat them and we also got our first point at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League so we know we can go to these places and be positive.&quot;

The game will see Wales midfielder Joe Allen return to Anfield for the first time since moving to Stoke in a &pound;13 million ($15.9m, 15.2m euros) deal in the close season.

&quot;I don&#39;t think he&#39;s going to be turning up there with the intention, &#39;I&#39;ll show everybody they were wrong -- I feel bitter about my time there and how I was allowed to leave&#39;&quot;, said Hughes, who is without the banned Marko Arnautovic.

&quot;Clubs move players on. That&#39;s football. I think players always want to do well when they go back to a club, but he has nothing to prove.&quot;

(AFP) 
&nbsp;

Liverpool are six points short of league leaders Chelsea

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp believes a little more luck on the injury front is all that is separating his team from Premier League leaders Chelsea as the Reds prepare to face Stoke City on Tuesday. The Anfield club spent Christmas in second place in the Premier League table but trailed Chelsea by six points as they struggle to stay in touch with Antonio Conte's in-form side. Liverpool have only lost twice all season but are currently missing the influential Philippe Coutinho as they prepare for the first of two home games before the end of the year. "I am pretty sure that until now Chelsea are maybe the team that have had the most luck with injuries. We lost Phil and Daniel (Sturridge) and Danny Ings in difficult moments when you really could use them," Klopp told Sky Sports News. "If it's Hazard and Costa at Chelsea, is it the same afterwards?" Coutinho is not likely to return before the new year due to an ankle injury while defender Joel Matip is also struggling as the Reds look forward to welcoming Stoke and then Pep Guardiola's Manchester City to Merseyside over the next week. "We cannot rush the situation and we don't want to rush it. We have to accept the more or less bigger steps in his improvement with this serious injury," Klopp said of Coutinho. "Whenever he is back, the season is long enough that he can help us. We cannot rush it just because there are a few games now. That cannot have an influence on our decisions." Klopp, who had his squad in for training on Christmas Day despite the extra 24 hours to prepare for the visit of Stoke, could stick with an unchanged starting line-up as Liverpool look to build on successive wins at Middlesbrough and Everton. Simon Mignolet should keep his place in goal after recording clean sheets in these matches as Liverpool look to maintain their impressive record at home. They are unbeaten in nine home games in all competitions this season and haven't lost at Anfield since Stoke won 1-0 there in the EFL Cup semi-final second leg on January 26 -- Liverpool eventually won that tie on penalties. 'Be positive' Mid-table Stoke head to Merseyside having failed to win in three matches, including a 2-2 draw at home to Leicester City in their last outing when they squandered a two-goal lead. Stoke could not have asked for a tougher festive period, with this game being followed by a trip to Chelsea on New Year's Eve but Hughes is backing his team to spring a surprise. "We are under no illusions as to how good they both are and how difficult the matches will be for us, but we have to go into the games with real belief," said Hughes. "Not many people are thinking we have a chance of gaining positive results but that certainly isn't the case within our camp. "Of course they have players who can hurt us, but we have players who can hurt them too. We went to Liverpool last year and beat them and we also got our first point at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League so we know we can go to these places and be positive." The game will see Wales midfielder Joe Allen return to Anfield for the first time since moving to Stoke in a £13 million ($15.9m, 15.2m euros) deal in the close season. "I don't think he's going to be turning up there with the intention, 'I'll show everybody they were wrong -- I feel bitter about my time there and how I was allowed to leave'", said Hughes, who is without the banned Marko Arnautovic. "Clubs move players on. That's football. I think players always want to do well when they go back to a club, but he has nothing to prove." (AFP)

Klopp says little more luck on injury front, and they'll go top

&nbsp;Chelsea tightened their stranglehold on the Premier League after a 1-0 win at Crystal Palace earned them an 11th consecutive victory and sent them nine points clear on Saturday.

Yet another Diego Costa goal meant Antonio Conte&#39;s unstoppable side remained firmly on course for the title despite the fog enveloping Selhurst Park in the day&#39;s early kickoff.

Champions Leicester City had striker Jamie Vardy sent off as they trailed 2-0 at Stoke City before battling back to draw 2-2, Daniel Amartey scoring a late equaliser.

Sunderland finally began to see some daylight at the bottom as a 1-0 home win over Watford edged them off the foot of the table, ahead of Swansea City and Hull City who both lost.

Chelsea have triumphed in 14 of their opening 17 league matches under Conte, a feat never achieved before by a manager new to England&#39;s top flight.

They have also won 11 in a row in a single season for the first time as the Italian continues to try and eclipse the kind of domination Jose Mourinho enjoyed in his first stint at Stamford Bridge from 2004-07.

&quot;If I don&#39;t say I am pleased for this record I am dishonest. I am not a person who loves stats but it&#39;s my first season in England and to win 14 games out of 17 is fantastic,&quot; former Juventus and Italy coach Conte told a news conference.

&quot;I like to see the present but I look more to see the future and I want the future to be special for us. The only way for this is to work.

&quot;We have room to improve. We are working on our principles. This season I&#39;ve tried to play with different formations. Now we&#39;ve found a good balance offensively and defensively.&quot;

Palace could find no chink in Chelsea&#39;s armour even though the visitors were not particularly threatening in the first half when they rarely threatened Wayne Hennessey&#39;s goal.

Conte&#39;s men have become ruthlessly efficient though.

Costa only needed one chance to score, climbing to head Cesar Azpilicueta&#39;s inviting cross into the corner of the net two minutes before the interval.

It proved sufficient as Palace made little impact after the break despite plenty of huff and puff.

&quot;I have to say that was as good a defensive display as you&#39;ll see,&quot; Palace manager Alan Pardew said. &quot;We couldn&#39;t find a way through, even on set plays which we&#39;re strong at.&quot;

Leicester salvaged only their second away point of the season in strange circumstances.

Vardy saw red for a 28th-minute lunge on Mame Biram Diouf before a Bojan penalty and Joe Allen tap-in put Stoke 2-0 up.

Leonardo Ulloa&#39;s header halved the deficit after the break before Amartey&#39;s late leveller.

Patrick van Aanholt&#39;s goal proved decisive for Sunderland as they climbed above Swansea, beaten 3-0 at Middlesbrough, and Hull who struck the woodwork three times before losing 1-0 to a Mark Noble penalty at West Ham United.

Manchester United will aim for a third consecutive win later on Saturday at West Bromwich Albion.

(Reuters)

With a 1-0 win at Crystal Palace, Chelsea is nine points clear on Saturday

Chelsea tightened their stranglehold on the Premier League after a 1-0 win at Crystal Palace earned them an 11th consecutive victory and sent them nine points clear on Saturday. Yet another Diego Costa goal meant Antonio Conte's unstoppable side remained firmly on course for the title despite the fog enveloping Selhurst Park in the day's early kickoff. Champions Leicester City had striker Jamie Vardy sent off as they trailed 2-0 at Stoke City before battling back to draw 2-2, Daniel Amartey scoring a late equaliser. Sunderland finally began to see some daylight at the bottom as a 1-0 home win over Watford edged them off the foot of the table, ahead of Swansea City and Hull City who both lost. Chelsea have triumphed in 14 of their opening 17 league matches under Conte, a feat never achieved before by a manager new to England's top flight. They have also won 11 in a row in a single season for the first time as the Italian continues to try and eclipse the kind of domination Jose Mourinho enjoyed in his first stint at Stamford Bridge from 2004-07. "If I don't say I am pleased for this record I am dishonest. I am not a person who loves stats but it's my first season in England and to win 14 games out of 17 is fantastic," former Juventus and Italy coach Conte told a news conference. "I like to see the present but I look more to see the future and I want the future to be special for us. The only way for this is to work. "We have room to improve. We are working on our principles. This season I've tried to play with different formations. Now we've found a good balance offensively and defensively." Palace could find no chink in Chelsea's armour even though the visitors were not particularly threatening in the first half when they rarely threatened Wayne Hennessey's goal. Conte's men have become ruthlessly efficient though. Costa only needed one chance to score, climbing to head Cesar Azpilicueta's inviting cross into the corner of the net two minutes before the interval. It proved sufficient as Palace made little impact after the break despite plenty of huff and puff. "I have to say that was as good a defensive display as you'll see," Palace manager Alan Pardew said. "We couldn't find a way through, even on set plays which we're strong at." Leicester salvaged only their second away point of the season in strange circumstances. Vardy saw red for a 28th-minute lunge on Mame Biram Diouf before a Bojan penalty and Joe Allen tap-in put Stoke 2-0 up. Leonardo Ulloa's header halved the deficit after the break before Amartey's late leveller. Patrick van Aanholt's goal proved decisive for Sunderland as they climbed above Swansea, beaten 3-0 at Middlesbrough, and Hull who struck the woodwork three times before losing 1-0 to a Mark Noble penalty at West Ham United. Manchester United will aim for a third consecutive win later on Saturday at West Bromwich Albion. (Reuters)

Premier League: Eleven in row for Chelsea

Leaders Chelsea stretched their Premier League winning run to a club record-equalling 11 as Diego Costa&#39;s header shortly before halftime secured a 1-0 victory at London rivals Crystal Palace on Saturday.

The Spain international climbed high to connect with Cesar Azpilicueta&#39;s cross in the 43rd minute, guiding a header beyond the reach of Wayne Hennessey at a foggy Selhurst Park.

It was Costa&#39;s 13th league goal of the season and took his Chelsea haul to 50 in all competitions.

Chelsea were well worth the win and had chances to extend the lead after the break with Marcos Alonso and N&#39;Golo Kante forcing fine saves from Hennessey before Alonso struck the underside of the crossbar with a free kick.

Antonio Conte&#39;s side have 43 points from 17 games, nine more than Liverpool and Arsenal who are not in action on Saturday. Palace have won only once in their last 11 league games and remained three points above the bottom three.

(Reuters)

Striker Diego Costa scored just before half-time to help his club stretch its lead

Leaders Chelsea stretched their Premier League winning run to a club record-equalling 11 as Diego Costa's header shortly before halftime secured a 1-0 victory at London rivals Crystal Palace on Saturday. The Spain international climbed high to connect with Cesar Azpilicueta's cross in the 43rd minute, guiding a header beyond the reach of Wayne Hennessey at a foggy Selhurst Park. It was Costa's 13th league goal of the season and took his Chelsea haul to 50 in all competitions. Chelsea were well worth the win and had chances to extend the lead after the break with Marcos Alonso and N'Golo Kante forcing fine saves from Hennessey before Alonso struck the underside of the crossbar with a free kick. Antonio Conte's side have 43 points from 17 games, nine more than Liverpool and Arsenal who are not in action on Saturday. Palace have won only once in their last 11 league games and remained three points above the bottom three. (Reuters)

Chelsea beat Crystal Palace to win 11th straight win

Cesc Fabregas&#39;s goal earned Chelsea a 1-0 victory at Sunderland on Wednesday -- their 10th in succession -- as Antonio Conte&#39;s side surged six points clear at the Premier League summit.

Fabregas, who came in for Nemanja Matic, curled in from Willian&#39;s 40th-minute cut-back to establish Chelsea&#39;s longest winning run within the same league campaign since 2005-06.

There were also wins for Liverpool, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur, while Zlatan Ibrahimovic&#39;s 88th-minute strike earned Manchester United a 2-1 win at Crystal Palace.

Chelsea, for whom Eden Hazard missed out due to a knock, have won all 10 league games they gave played since losing 3-0 at Arsenal on September 24, keeping eight clean sheets.

But it took a flying save from goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois to prevent Patrick van Aanholt snatching a point for bottom club Sunderland at the death.

Conte&#39;s men are six points clear of Liverpool, who stole above Arsenal into second place courtesy of a 3-0 win at Middlesbrough in which Adam Lallana scored twice.

Having seen his side beaten 4-3 at Bournemouth and then held to a 2-2 draw by West Ham United, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp dropped goalkeeper Lorus Karius for Simon Mignolet.

His team went ahead in the 29th minute when Lallana headed in from England team-mate Nathaniel Clyne&#39;s right-wing cross.

Lallana teed up Divock Origi to add a second on the hour and eight minutes later the Belgian returned the favour as Lallana claimed his second goal.

Liverpool moved above Arsenal on goal difference, Arsene Wenger&#39;s side having lost 2-1 at Everton on Tuesday.

In further bad news for Arsenal, City, Tottenham and United all closed in on them.

Rondon&#39;s headed hat-trick

Pep Guardiola&#39;s City hit back after successive defeats against Chelsea and champions Leicester City by winning 2-0 at home to Watford.

Guardiola, who dropped John Stones and reverted to a back four, saw his side prevail thanks to goals in each half by Pablo Zabaleta and David Silva.

City remain fourth, seven points adrift of Chelsea, but only a point below Liverpool and Arsenal.

Tottenham are three points back in fifth place after Christian Eriksen scored twice in a 3-0 home win over Hull City, with Victor Wanyama also on target.

Having beaten Spurs 1-0 on Sunday, United recorded back-to-back league wins for the first time since August by edging Palace to remain three points below Mauricio Pochettino&#39;s men in sixth place.

Jose Mourinho&#39;s side went ahead in first-half stoppage time at Selhurst Park when Ibrahimovic chested down Juan Mata&#39;s free-kick for Paul Pogba to score from close range.

United were pegged back in the 66th minute when James McArthur beat David de Gea at his near post, but with full-time beckoning Pogba freed Ibrahimovic to dink home his 14th goal of the season.

West Bromwich Albion climbed to the heady heights of seventh place after a hat-trick of headers by Salomon Rondon gave Tony Pulis&#39;s men a 3-1 home win over third-bottom Swansea City.

The Venezuelan striker became the first player to score a headed Premier League hat-trick since Everton&#39;s Duncan Ferguson in December 1997. Wayne Routledge replied for Swansea.

West Ham pulled clear of the relegation zone after Mark Noble tucked away the rebound from his own penalty to secure a 1-0 home win over Burnley.

Stoke City survived the 22nd-minute dismissal of Marko Arnautovic for a studs-up lunge at Sofiane Boufal to secure a 0-0 draw at home to Southampton.

(AFP)

Chelsea have won all 10 league games they gave played since losing 3-0 at Arsenal on September 24

Cesc Fabregas's goal earned Chelsea a 1-0 victory at Sunderland on Wednesday -- their 10th in succession -- as Antonio Conte's side surged six points clear at the Premier League summit. Fabregas, who came in for Nemanja Matic, curled in from Willian's 40th-minute cut-back to establish Chelsea's longest winning run within the same league campaign since 2005-06. There were also wins for Liverpool, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur, while Zlatan Ibrahimovic's 88th-minute strike earned Manchester United a 2-1 win at Crystal Palace. Chelsea, for whom Eden Hazard missed out due to a knock, have won all 10 league games they gave played since losing 3-0 at Arsenal on September 24, keeping eight clean sheets. But it took a flying save from goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois to prevent Patrick van Aanholt snatching a point for bottom club Sunderland at the death. Conte's men are six points clear of Liverpool, who stole above Arsenal into second place courtesy of a 3-0 win at Middlesbrough in which Adam Lallana scored twice. Having seen his side beaten 4-3 at Bournemouth and then held to a 2-2 draw by West Ham United, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp dropped goalkeeper Lorus Karius for Simon Mignolet. His team went ahead in the 29th minute when Lallana headed in from England team-mate Nathaniel Clyne's right-wing cross. Lallana teed up Divock Origi to add a second on the hour and eight minutes later the Belgian returned the favour as Lallana claimed his second goal. Liverpool moved above Arsenal on goal difference, Arsene Wenger's side having lost 2-1 at Everton on Tuesday. In further bad news for Arsenal, City, Tottenham and United all closed in on them. Rondon's headed hat-trick Pep Guardiola's City hit back after successive defeats against Chelsea and champions Leicester City by winning 2-0 at home to Watford. Guardiola, who dropped John Stones and reverted to a back four, saw his side prevail thanks to goals in each half by Pablo Zabaleta and David Silva. City remain fourth, seven points adrift of Chelsea, but only a point below Liverpool and Arsenal. Tottenham are three points back in fifth place after Christian Eriksen scored twice in a 3-0 home win over Hull City, with Victor Wanyama also on target. Having beaten Spurs 1-0 on Sunday, United recorded back-to-back league wins for the first time since August by edging Palace to remain three points below Mauricio Pochettino's men in sixth place. Jose Mourinho's side went ahead in first-half stoppage time at Selhurst Park when Ibrahimovic chested down Juan Mata's free-kick for Paul Pogba to score from close range. United were pegged back in the 66th minute when James McArthur beat David de Gea at his near post, but with full-time beckoning Pogba freed Ibrahimovic to dink home his 14th goal of the season. West Bromwich Albion climbed to the heady heights of seventh place after a hat-trick of headers by Salomon Rondon gave Tony Pulis's men a 3-1 home win over third-bottom Swansea City. The Venezuelan striker became the first player to score a headed Premier League hat-trick since Everton's Duncan Ferguson in December 1997. Wayne Routledge replied for Swansea. West Ham pulled clear of the relegation zone after Mark Noble tucked away the rebound from his own penalty to secure a 1-0 home win over Burnley. Stoke City survived the 22nd-minute dismissal of Marko Arnautovic for a studs-up lunge at Sofiane Boufal to secure a 0-0 draw at home to Southampton. (AFP)

Premier League: Chelsea 1-0 Sunderland, Ibra rescues Man Utd

English soccer club Chelsea issued a public apology to former striker Gary Johnson on Saturday for the sexual abuse he suffered as a young player, and said it had been wrong to insist on a confidentiality clause when paying him compensation.

Johnson, 57, said on Friday that he had been abused by former Chelsea chief scout Eddie Heath in the 1970s, receiving 50,000 pounds from the club in settlement in 2015. In a statement the club said their former player had &quot;suffered unacceptably&quot; and they had &quot;no desire to hide any historic abuse we uncover from view&quot;.

Chelsea added that an external review would establish whether they carried out a proper investigation when the allegations first surfaced. &quot;We are fully committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of all children and young people who are in our care or attending our premises. Their welfare is of paramount importance,&quot; said the club.

Johnson, who played for the first team between 1978 and 1981, joined Chelsea in 1970 when he was 11 and told the Mirror newspaper that he had been groomed from the age of 13 by Heath who was chief scout from 1968 to 1979. Heath died before the allegations became public.

When Chelsea agreed to the compensation deal with Johnson they initially did not accept any blame and insisted on the confidentiality clause, which they agreed to waive only last week. Chelsea now accept the clause was &quot;inappropriate&quot;.

&quot;In light of what we know now about the wide-scale abuse in football clubs in the 1970s and 1980s, it now believes that the use of such a clause, while understandable, was inappropriate in this instance,&quot; the club said. &quot;We certainly have no desire to hide any historic abuse we uncover from view. Quite the opposite.&quot;

The club said that although Johnson&#39;s solicitors had said other boys had been abused by Heath, they had not been able to identify any. The allegations of child sex abuse in English soccer from the 1970s through to the 1990s have shocked Britain.

In a sign of how widespread the abuse might have been, British police said on Thursday that about 350 victims had come forward to report sexual abuse within soccer clubs and indicated the number was likely to rise.

Britons are still reeling from another massive paedophile scandal involving television and radio presenter Jimmy Savile, who abused hundreds of youngsters over six decades.

(Agencies)

The public admission comes as Britain reels from the revelation that a massive number of football players were sexually abused as children

English soccer club Chelsea issued a public apology to former striker Gary Johnson on Saturday for the sexual abuse he suffered as a young player, and said it had been wrong to insist on a confidentiality clause when paying him compensation. Johnson, 57, said on Friday that he had been abused by former Chelsea chief scout Eddie Heath in the 1970s, receiving 50,000 pounds from the club in settlement in 2015. In a statement the club said their former player had "suffered unacceptably" and they had "no desire to hide any historic abuse we uncover from view". Chelsea added that an external review would establish whether they carried out a proper investigation when the allegations first surfaced. "We are fully committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of all children and young people who are in our care or attending our premises. Their welfare is of paramount importance," said the club. Johnson, who played for the first team between 1978 and 1981, joined Chelsea in 1970 when he was 11 and told the Mirror newspaper that he had been groomed from the age of 13 by Heath who was chief scout from 1968 to 1979. Heath died before the allegations became public. When Chelsea agreed to the compensation deal with Johnson they initially did not accept any blame and insisted on the confidentiality clause, which they agreed to waive only last week. Chelsea now accept the clause was "inappropriate". "In light of what we know now about the wide-scale abuse in football clubs in the 1970s and 1980s, it now believes that the use of such a clause, while understandable, was inappropriate in this instance," the club said. "We certainly have no desire to hide any historic abuse we uncover from view. Quite the opposite." The club said that although Johnson's solicitors had said other boys had been abused by Heath, they had not been able to identify any. The allegations of child sex abuse in English soccer from the 1970s through to the 1990s have shocked Britain. In a sign of how widespread the abuse might have been, British police said on Thursday that about 350 victims had come forward to report sexual abuse within soccer clubs and indicated the number was likely to rise. Britons are still reeling from another massive paedophile scandal involving television and radio presenter Jimmy Savile, who abused hundreds of youngsters over six decades. (Agencies)

Chelsea apologises to abused former player, Gary Johnson

Chelsea came from behind to secure a dramatic 3-1 win at Manchester City and forge clear at the top of the Premier League as their top-of-the-table clash ended in a mass brawl and two City players were sent off on Saturday.

Diego Costa, the league&#39;s leading marksman, scored his 11th of the season on the hour to equalise, substitute Willian notched on the counter-attack 10 minutes later and Eden Hazard sealed Chelsea&#39;s eighth straight win in the 90th minute.

Gary Cahill had given City a deserved lead just before halftime, slicing the ball into his own net with a clumsy attempted clearance, and the home side had chances to wrap up the points after the break as Kevin De Bruyne missed from three metres when it seemed easier to score.

In stoppage time, with Chelsea already guaranteed a four-point lead at the top, mayhem broke out following a terrible tackle by Sergio Aguero on David Luiz.

The Argentine was shown a red card and, as players piled in, Fernandinho was also dismissed for pushing Cesc Fabregas over the advertising hoardings.

It was the first time a team had finished a game with nine men in the Premier League for eight years yet, for large parts, it had looked as if it could be the end of Chelsea&#39;s purple patch with City largely dominating until Pep Guardiola&#39;s men were again found out defensively.

Several times, Aguero came close, thwarted by a brilliant Cesar Azpilicueta block and heading wide from De Bruyne&#39;s pinpoint cross.

Yet City&#39;s goal was a soft one with Cahill displaying technical deficiency, trying to clear Jesus Navas&#39;s cross with his right foot when he needed to use his left.

City piled on the pressure after the break with De Bruyne forcing a fine save from Courtois and more comedy defending almost gifting a goal for Aguero before De Bruyne&#39;s open-goal miss from Navas&#39;s cross.

It was a costly error as Fabregas found Costa with a lovely, long ball which he controlled on his chest before outsmuscling Nicolas Otamendi and firing the equaliser.

Costa then put Willian clean through, the Brazilian firing across Claudio Bravo into the corner before he marked his goal with an emotional raising of his black armband to honour those who died in the Chapecoense air crash.

After Hazard had latched on to a long ball from Marcos Alonso to sprint clear of Aleksandar Kolarov and net the third, City&#39;s frustration got the better of them as Aguero&#39;s wild knee-high lunge on Luiz resulted in furious scenes with all 22 players and staff being involved in a melee.

Luiz, with his knee bandaged afterwards, refused to be drawn on Aguero&#39;s challenge.

&quot;I don&#39;t like to speak about these type of things. Aguero is an amazing player who does a lot for football,&quot; he told Sky Sports.

&quot;I want to dedicate this win to the people who died in Brazil. It was difficult to get my head together as I had some friends there. We just need to pray for the victim&#39;s families.&quot;

(Reuters)

The top-of-the-table clash ended in a mass brawl that saw two City players sent off

Chelsea came from behind to secure a dramatic 3-1 win at Manchester City and forge clear at the top of the Premier League as their top-of-the-table clash ended in a mass brawl and two City players were sent off on Saturday. Diego Costa, the league's leading marksman, scored his 11th of the season on the hour to equalise, substitute Willian notched on the counter-attack 10 minutes later and Eden Hazard sealed Chelsea's eighth straight win in the 90th minute. Gary Cahill had given City a deserved lead just before halftime, slicing the ball into his own net with a clumsy attempted clearance, and the home side had chances to wrap up the points after the break as Kevin De Bruyne missed from three metres when it seemed easier to score. In stoppage time, with Chelsea already guaranteed a four-point lead at the top, mayhem broke out following a terrible tackle by Sergio Aguero on David Luiz. The Argentine was shown a red card and, as players piled in, Fernandinho was also dismissed for pushing Cesc Fabregas over the advertising hoardings. It was the first time a team had finished a game with nine men in the Premier League for eight years yet, for large parts, it had looked as if it could be the end of Chelsea's purple patch with City largely dominating until Pep Guardiola's men were again found out defensively. Several times, Aguero came close, thwarted by a brilliant Cesar Azpilicueta block and heading wide from De Bruyne's pinpoint cross. Yet City's goal was a soft one with Cahill displaying technical deficiency, trying to clear Jesus Navas's cross with his right foot when he needed to use his left. City piled on the pressure after the break with De Bruyne forcing a fine save from Courtois and more comedy defending almost gifting a goal for Aguero before De Bruyne's open-goal miss from Navas's cross. It was a costly error as Fabregas found Costa with a lovely, long ball which he controlled on his chest before outsmuscling Nicolas Otamendi and firing the equaliser. Costa then put Willian clean through, the Brazilian firing across Claudio Bravo into the corner before he marked his goal with an emotional raising of his black armband to honour those who died in the Chapecoense air crash. After Hazard had latched on to a long ball from Marcos Alonso to sprint clear of Aleksandar Kolarov and net the third, City's frustration got the better of them as Aguero's wild knee-high lunge on Luiz resulted in furious scenes with all 22 players and staff being involved in a melee. Luiz, with his knee bandaged afterwards, refused to be drawn on Aguero's challenge. "I don't like to speak about these type of things. Aguero is an amazing player who does a lot for football," he told Sky Sports. "I want to dedicate this win to the people who died in Brazil. It was difficult to get my head together as I had some friends there. We just need to pray for the victim's families." (Reuters)

EPL: Chelsea come from behind to beat Man City 3-1, top league

Eden Hazard scored twice as Chelsea exploited a slip-up by Manchester City to claim top spot in the Premier League by stylishly crushing Everton 5-0 on Saturday.

Marten de Roon&#39;s stoppage-time equaliser earned Middlesbrough a 1-1 draw at City and Antonio Conte&#39;s Chelsea took advantage to move a point clear of Pep Guardiola&#39;s side at the summit.

&quot;When you win in this way it&#39;s fantastic because we played good football with good intensity,&quot; Conte told BT Sport.

&quot;All the players played in the right way with and without the ball. We created many chances to score and also it&#39;s the fifth clean sheet in a row, which is fantastic.

&quot;It is fantastic to be top of the league.&quot;

Arsenal and Liverpool could also surpass City before the weekend is out, the former tackling Tottenham Hotspur in Sunday&#39;s North London derby and the latter entertaining Watford.

Elsewhere, bottom club Sunderland ended their wait for a first win of the season at the 11th attempt by coming from behind to win 2-1 at Bournemouth despite having Steven Pienaar sent off.

At Stamford Bridge, Chelsea produced one of their most scintillating performances in recent memory as the 2014-15 champions made it five straight wins without conceding a goal.

Hazard opened the scoring in the 19th minute, drifting in from the left to drill a shot into the bottom-right corner, and a minute later Pedro Rodriguez teed up Marcos Alonso for the hosts&#39; second.

Diego Costa made it 3-0 three minutes before half-time, slamming home at the back post after Nemanja Matic flicked on Hazard&#39;s corner to bring up his ninth goal of the campaign.

Chelsea&#39;s fourth goal was a jewel, Pedro returning Hazard&#39;s pass with a sweet back-heel and the Belgian dancing into the box from the right before lashing home with his left foot.

Pedro volleyed in the fifth, in the 65th minute, after Everton goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg parried a shot from Hazard.

City went into their game on the back of a stirring 3-1 Champions League win over Barcelona and Boro&#39;s former Barca goalkeeper Victor Valdes looked determined to restore Catalan pride at the Etihad Stadium.

He saved brilliantly from Sergio Aguero and David Silva, only for Aguero to put the hosts ahead in the 43rd minute by converting Kevin De Bruyne&#39;s sumptuous cross for his 150th goal in 223 City appearances.

Barnes late show&nbsp;

Boro showed more attacking intent in the second half, former City striker Alvaro Negredo almost catching out Claudio Bravo with an audacious lob from his own half before Bravo saved smartly from Adam Forshaw.

After Aguero had squandered a late chance, Dutch midfielder De Roon met George Friend&#39;s deep cross with a thumping header to earn Boro a dramatic point.

&quot;We did absolutely everything to win the game. It is a pity,&quot; said Guardiola, whose side have drawn their last three home league games 1-1 following previous stalemates against Everton and Southampton.

&quot;It is a miss because we have dropped six points in the last three home games, but we are still there. We have to move forward.&quot;

Sunderland remain bottom, below Swansea City on goal difference, but manager David Moyes belatedly has a victory to his name following a hard-fought success at Bournemouth&#39;s Vitality Stadium.

After Adam Smith had teed up Dan Gosling to bundle in an 11th-minute opener for Bournemouth, Victor Anichebe equalised with his first Sunderland goal.

Pienaar was sent off just before the hour after receiving a second yellow card for a lunge on Junior Stanislas, but Jermain Defoe netted a 74th-minute winner from the spot after Smith felled Anichebe.

&quot;It is a big relief,&quot; Moyes told Sky Sports. &quot;We owed the supporters the victory. They have kept with us.

&quot;We needed a win, but it is only one. We need a few more.&quot;

There was late drama at Turf Moor as Burnley withstood a Crystal Palace fightback to prevail 3-2 courtesy of Ashley Barnes&#39;s 94th-minute strike.

Sam Vokes and Johann Berg Gundmundsson put Burnley 2-0 up, only for Palace to hit back through second-half goals by substitute Connor Wickham and Christian Benteke.

But in the fourth minute of stoppage time, Gudmundsson crossed for Barnes to fire home and condemn Palace -- who later hit the post through Andros Townsend -- to a fourth straight defeat.

Stoke City drew 1-1 at West Ham United, Bojan Krkic exploiting an error by home goalkeeper Adrian to equalise in the 75th minute after a Glenn Whelan own goal had put the hosts ahead.

(AFP) 
&nbsp;

Man City slipped up, drawing 1-1 with Middlesbrough

Eden Hazard scored twice as Chelsea exploited a slip-up by Manchester City to claim top spot in the Premier League by stylishly crushing Everton 5-0 on Saturday. Marten de Roon's stoppage-time equaliser earned Middlesbrough a 1-1 draw at City and Antonio Conte's Chelsea took advantage to move a point clear of Pep Guardiola's side at the summit. "When you win in this way it's fantastic because we played good football with good intensity," Conte told BT Sport. "All the players played in the right way with and without the ball. We created many chances to score and also it's the fifth clean sheet in a row, which is fantastic. "It is fantastic to be top of the league." Arsenal and Liverpool could also surpass City before the weekend is out, the former tackling Tottenham Hotspur in Sunday's North London derby and the latter entertaining Watford. Elsewhere, bottom club Sunderland ended their wait for a first win of the season at the 11th attempt by coming from behind to win 2-1 at Bournemouth despite having Steven Pienaar sent off. At Stamford Bridge, Chelsea produced one of their most scintillating performances in recent memory as the 2014-15 champions made it five straight wins without conceding a goal. Hazard opened the scoring in the 19th minute, drifting in from the left to drill a shot into the bottom-right corner, and a minute later Pedro Rodriguez teed up Marcos Alonso for the hosts' second. Diego Costa made it 3-0 three minutes before half-time, slamming home at the back post after Nemanja Matic flicked on Hazard's corner to bring up his ninth goal of the campaign. Chelsea's fourth goal was a jewel, Pedro returning Hazard's pass with a sweet back-heel and the Belgian dancing into the box from the right before lashing home with his left foot. Pedro volleyed in the fifth, in the 65th minute, after Everton goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg parried a shot from Hazard. City went into their game on the back of a stirring 3-1 Champions League win over Barcelona and Boro's former Barca goalkeeper Victor Valdes looked determined to restore Catalan pride at the Etihad Stadium. He saved brilliantly from Sergio Aguero and David Silva, only for Aguero to put the hosts ahead in the 43rd minute by converting Kevin De Bruyne's sumptuous cross for his 150th goal in 223 City appearances. Barnes late show Boro showed more attacking intent in the second half, former City striker Alvaro Negredo almost catching out Claudio Bravo with an audacious lob from his own half before Bravo saved smartly from Adam Forshaw. After Aguero had squandered a late chance, Dutch midfielder De Roon met George Friend's deep cross with a thumping header to earn Boro a dramatic point. "We did absolutely everything to win the game. It is a pity," said Guardiola, whose side have drawn their last three home league games 1-1 following previous stalemates against Everton and Southampton. "It is a miss because we have dropped six points in the last three home games, but we are still there. We have to move forward." Sunderland remain bottom, below Swansea City on goal difference, but manager David Moyes belatedly has a victory to his name following a hard-fought success at Bournemouth's Vitality Stadium. After Adam Smith had teed up Dan Gosling to bundle in an 11th-minute opener for Bournemouth, Victor Anichebe equalised with his first Sunderland goal. Pienaar was sent off just before the hour after receiving a second yellow card for a lunge on Junior Stanislas, but Jermain Defoe netted a 74th-minute winner from the spot after Smith felled Anichebe. "It is a big relief," Moyes told Sky Sports. "We owed the supporters the victory. They have kept with us. "We needed a win, but it is only one. We need a few more." There was late drama at Turf Moor as Burnley withstood a Crystal Palace fightback to prevail 3-2 courtesy of Ashley Barnes's 94th-minute strike. Sam Vokes and Johann Berg Gundmundsson put Burnley 2-0 up, only for Palace to hit back through second-half goals by substitute Connor Wickham and Christian Benteke. But in the fourth minute of stoppage time, Gudmundsson crossed for Barnes to fire home and condemn Palace -- who later hit the post through Andros Townsend -- to a fourth straight defeat. Stoke City drew 1-1 at West Ham United, Bojan Krkic exploiting an error by home goalkeeper Adrian to equalise in the 75th minute after a Glenn Whelan own goal had put the hosts ahead. (AFP)

EPL: Chelsea crush Everton 5-0, storm to top of league standings

Chelsea made it a miserable return for Jose Mourinho as they hammered his Manchester United side 4-0 at Stamford Bridge on Sunday in the Premier League.

Pedro Rodriguez opened the scoring after just 30 seconds and Chelsea did not look back, Gary Cahill, Eden Hazard and N&#39;Golo Kante completing an emphatic victory.

He saw his side squander a chance to level when Zlatan Ibrahimovic headed over after Antonio Valencia had stood up a cross from the right.

More slack defending allowed Chelsea to double their lead in the 21st minute, Cahill slamming home after Hazard&#39;s corner had struck Ander Herrera and bounced down inside the six-yard box.

Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois had been relatively untroubled up to that point, although he produced a smart double save to repel Herrera&#39;s left-foot effort and Jesse Lingard&#39;s follow-up.

It was an ideal first half for Chelsea, but David Luiz was fortunate to escape with only a yellow card after planting his studs in Marouane Fellaini&#39;s knee five minutes before half-time.

Mourinho changed tack at half-time, sending on Juan Mata for Fellaini and moving Marcus Rashford up front alongside Ibrahimovic in a 4-4-2 formation.

Lingard sought to sound the revolt for United, wriggling away from a pair of Chelsea players and unleashing a crisp drive that Courtois had to push away.

But in the 62nd minute it was game over. Nemanja Matic&#39;s pass down the inside-left channel found Hazard, who checked inside Smalling and steered a shot into the bottom-right corner.

Kante completed the rout, darting between Smalling and the sleep-walking Paul Pogba to tuck away his first Chelsea goal since his close-season switch from Leicester City.

Mourinho was appointed by United in May after being sacked by Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich for a second time last December. With seven major titles across two spells, Mourinho is Chelsea&#39;s most successful ever manager, but his return to his old stomping ground ended in one of the most chastening results of his career.

Antonio Conte&#39;s side have now won three consecutive league games without conceding a goal and climbed to fourth place, just a point below leaders Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool.

(AFP) 
&nbsp;

Pedro, Cahill, Hazard & Kante ripped apart Manchester United's poor defence, taking Chelsea to fourth place in the Premier League standings

Chelsea made it a miserable return for Jose Mourinho as they hammered his Manchester United side 4-0 at Stamford Bridge on Sunday in the Premier League. Pedro Rodriguez opened the scoring after just 30 seconds and Chelsea did not look back, Gary Cahill, Eden Hazard and N'Golo Kante completing an emphatic victory. He saw his side squander a chance to level when Zlatan Ibrahimovic headed over after Antonio Valencia had stood up a cross from the right. More slack defending allowed Chelsea to double their lead in the 21st minute, Cahill slamming home after Hazard's corner had struck Ander Herrera and bounced down inside the six-yard box. Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois had been relatively untroubled up to that point, although he produced a smart double save to repel Herrera's left-foot effort and Jesse Lingard's follow-up. It was an ideal first half for Chelsea, but David Luiz was fortunate to escape with only a yellow card after planting his studs in Marouane Fellaini's knee five minutes before half-time. Mourinho changed tack at half-time, sending on Juan Mata for Fellaini and moving Marcus Rashford up front alongside Ibrahimovic in a 4-4-2 formation. Lingard sought to sound the revolt for United, wriggling away from a pair of Chelsea players and unleashing a crisp drive that Courtois had to push away. But in the 62nd minute it was game over. Nemanja Matic's pass down the inside-left channel found Hazard, who checked inside Smalling and steered a shot into the bottom-right corner. Kante completed the rout, darting between Smalling and the sleep-walking Paul Pogba to tuck away his first Chelsea goal since his close-season switch from Leicester City. Mourinho was appointed by United in May after being sacked by Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich for a second time last December. With seven major titles across two spells, Mourinho is Chelsea's most successful ever manager, but his return to his old stomping ground ended in one of the most chastening results of his career. Antonio Conte's side have now won three consecutive league games without conceding a goal and climbed to fourth place, just a point below leaders Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool. (AFP)

Football: Chelsea thrash Mourinho's Manchester United 4-0

Roberto Di Matteo has been handed the task of restoring Aston Villa&#39;s fortunes after the seven-times English champions announced the Italian as their new manager today.

The 46-year-old, who won the Champions League during a short spell in charge of Chelsea in 2012, takes over weeks after the club was relegated from the Premier League.
&quot;It&#39;s a wonderful honour for me to become manager of this great football club and I&#39;m looking forward to the challenge of taking Aston Villa back to its rightful place,&quot; Di Matteo said.

Former Chelsea team mate and coach Steve Clarke has been appointed as Di Matteo&#39;s assistant.

Di Matteo has previously worked as a manager in the second-tier Championship, gaining promotion with West Bromwich Albion in 2009-10.

Villa will be hoping that their new manager can have a similar impact after a dreadful season in which they finished bottom with only three wins and sacked two managers, Tim Sherwood in October and his replacement Remi Garde in March.

Swiss-born former Italian midfielder Di Matteo played for Lazio and Chelsea. He once scored after 42 seconds in the 1997 FA Cup final against Middlesbrough.

He won two FA Cups, a League Cup and a UEFA Cup Winners&#39; Cup while at Stamford Bridge and returned to Chelsea as assistant manager to Andre Villas-Boas in 2011, stepping up as interim manager when the Portuguese was sacked in March 2012.

Against all expectations, he guided Chelsea to a Champions League semi-final defeat of Barcelona and then beat Bayern Munich on penalties in the final in their own stadium.

Di Matteo was rewarded by being appointed manager on a permanent basis&nbsp;but by November&nbsp;he had fallen out of favour and was sacked after a Champions League defeat by Juventus.

Since then&nbsp;he managed Schalke 04 in the Bundesliga but resigned in May 2015.

Di Matteo's appointment is a result of the club's performance in the Premier League. This former Italian midfielder had won the Champions League and FA Cup with Chelsea in 2012

Roberto Di Matteo has been handed the task of restoring Aston Villa's fortunes after the seven-times English champions announced the Italian as their new manager today. The 46-year-old, who won the Champions League during a short spell in charge of Chelsea in 2012, takes over weeks after the club was relegated from the Premier League. "It's a wonderful honour for me to become manager of this great football club and I'm looking forward to the challenge of taking Aston Villa back to its rightful place," Di Matteo said. Former Chelsea team mate and coach Steve Clarke has been appointed as Di Matteo's assistant. Di Matteo has previously worked as a manager in the second-tier Championship, gaining promotion with West Bromwich Albion in 2009-10. Villa will be hoping that their new manager can have a similar impact after a dreadful season in which they finished bottom with only three wins and sacked two managers, Tim Sherwood in October and his replacement Remi Garde in March. Swiss-born former Italian midfielder Di Matteo played for Lazio and Chelsea. He once scored after 42 seconds in the 1997 FA Cup final against Middlesbrough. He won two FA Cups, a League Cup and a UEFA Cup Winners' Cup while at Stamford Bridge and returned to Chelsea as assistant manager to Andre Villas-Boas in 2011, stepping up as interim manager when the Portuguese was sacked in March 2012. Against all expectations, he guided Chelsea to a Champions League semi-final defeat of Barcelona and then beat Bayern Munich on penalties in the final in their own stadium. Di Matteo was rewarded by being appointed manager on a permanent basis but by November he had fallen out of favour and was sacked after a Champions League defeat by Juventus. Since then he managed Schalke 04 in the Bundesliga but resigned in May 2015.

Roberto Di Matteo is Aston Villa's new manager

Atletico Madrid president, Enrique Cerezo, has ruled out Chelsea forward Diego Costa&#39;s possible return to the Vicente Calderon stadium this summer, despite reports suggesting otherwise. 
 
The arrival of Michy Batshuayi at Chelsea from Marseille has led to reports in England and Spain that Costa, who has scored 36 goals in 77 games since joining Chelsea in 2014, could move back to Atletico, a team he helped capture the La Liga title, a King&#39;s Cup and two Super Cups in his four years with the outfit. 
 
New Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has said the Spain international will stay put, describing him as a player of fundamental importance, and now Cerezo has ruled out his return.&nbsp;Costa is under contract at Chelsea until June 2019. 
 
&quot;He is a great player, who is very much loved, but he is a Chelsea player,&quot; Cerezo told reporters.&nbsp;&quot;The issue is as it was six months ago or even a year ago, he is a Chelsea player. I&#39;ve always said that Costa is a Chelsea player and has a contract with Chelsea. That&#39;s the end of this issue.&nbsp;The day we have a number nine we will announce it. We are looking for one and once we have him, we will announce it.&quot; 
 
The 27-year-old Costa was handed a start for Conte&#39;s first match in charge, a 2-0 pre-season defeat to Rapid Vienna on Saturday. 
 
(Reuters)

New Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has said the Spanish player will stay put, describing him as a player of fundamental importance

Atletico Madrid president, Enrique Cerezo, has ruled out Chelsea forward Diego Costa's possible return to the Vicente Calderon stadium this summer, despite reports suggesting otherwise. The arrival of Michy Batshuayi at Chelsea from Marseille has led to reports in England and Spain that Costa, who has scored 36 goals in 77 games since joining Chelsea in 2014, could move back to Atletico, a team he helped capture the La Liga title, a King's Cup and two Super Cups in his four years with the outfit. New Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has said the Spain international will stay put, describing him as a player of fundamental importance, and now Cerezo has ruled out his return. Costa is under contract at Chelsea until June 2019. "He is a great player, who is very much loved, but he is a Chelsea player," Cerezo told reporters. "The issue is as it was six months ago or even a year ago, he is a Chelsea player. I've always said that Costa is a Chelsea player and has a contract with Chelsea. That's the end of this issue. The day we have a number nine we will announce it. We are looking for one and once we have him, we will announce it." The 27-year-old Costa was handed a start for Conte's first match in charge, a 2-0 pre-season defeat to Rapid Vienna on Saturday. (Reuters)

Atletico Madrid president Cerezo rules out Costa's return this summer

Animated Chelsea manager Antonio Conte launched his Premier League career with a battling 2-1 victory over West Ham United thanks to Eden Hazard`s penalty and a last-gasp Diego Costa strike in an intense London derby on Monday. 
 
Fiery Spain striker Costa, lucky to be on the pitch after a wild challenge on keeper Adrian, thumped a low shot into the net in the 89th minute, sending Conte jumping for joy and embracing his coaching staff and several fans behind the dugout. 
 
&quot;I think the team played a good game with a great intensity and spirit,&quot; said Conte. &quot;It is important to find the right spirit and intensity, we know we can improve and we must improve a lot, but today I am pleased for my players.&quot; 
 
Conte, 47, has worked his new squad hard in the run-up to the season, with double training sessions. 
 
&quot;I saw a lot of good things, lots of things they were working on in the last days,&quot; he said. &quot;We have been working for only one month... I know we can improve through the work. But today it was important to get the victory.&quot;&nbsp; 
 
West Ham`s James Collins had threatened to spoil the Italian`s debut with a fine half-volleyed goal in the 78th. 
 
Hazard had given the home side a deserved lead straight after halftime, smashing the ball into the roof of the net from the penalty spot after Michail Antonio needlessly tripped up Chelsea`s Spanish full back Cesar Azpilicueta in the area.&nbsp; 
 
Furious pace 
 
For Conte, who took Italy to the Euro 2016 quarter-finals, the match at Stamford Bridge offered a taste of the physical side of English football and his charges looked ready for it.&nbsp; 
 
The contest had started at a furious pace, although first-night nerves sometimes got in the way of quality football. 
 
Chelsea midfielder N`Golo Kante, signed from last season`s surprise champions Leicester City, got an early yellow card for bringing down striker Andy Carroll in the fourth minute. 
 
But there were also touches of brilliance from the 2015 league champions, who plunged down the table last season losing manager Jose Mourinho to the sack in the process. 
 
Monday`s Chelsea side looked leaner, fitter and more motivated than under Mourinho at the start of last season. 
 
The lively Hazard proved a constant irritation to the east Londoners, who were missing several players through injury, and the Belgian international won the man-of-the-match award.&nbsp; 
 
In the second half Bilic`s Hammers side found it tough to string more than two passes together.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;Let`s be honest. Apart from the first 15 minutes and the time we equalised, they were better than us,&quot; Bilic added. 
 
The home team did suffer a scare when the bearded Costa, looking like a swashbuckling pirate, threw himself into a studs up challenge with Adrian and was lucky not to get a red card. 
 
&quot;I didn&rsquo;t see the situation,&quot; said Conte. &quot;I saw him put the pressure on the keeper and then try to stop. In my opinion I think the referee took the right decision.&quot; 
 
Costa`s escape was certainly lucky for Chelsea after the Spaniard received a pass from new signing Michy Batshuayi and fired a low shot into the net for the late winner. 
 
(Reuters)

The fiery striker struck a 89th-minute winner, although he was lucky to have stayed on the pitch after a rash tackle on West Ham keeper

Animated Chelsea manager Antonio Conte launched his Premier League career with a battling 2-1 victory over West Ham United thanks to Eden Hazard`s penalty and a last-gasp Diego Costa strike in an intense London derby on Monday. Fiery Spain striker Costa, lucky to be on the pitch after a wild challenge on keeper Adrian, thumped a low shot into the net in the 89th minute, sending Conte jumping for joy and embracing his coaching staff and several fans behind the dugout. "I think the team played a good game with a great intensity and spirit," said Conte. "It is important to find the right spirit and intensity, we know we can improve and we must improve a lot, but today I am pleased for my players." Conte, 47, has worked his new squad hard in the run-up to the season, with double training sessions. "I saw a lot of good things, lots of things they were working on in the last days," he said. "We have been working for only one month... I know we can improve through the work. But today it was important to get the victory." West Ham`s James Collins had threatened to spoil the Italian`s debut with a fine half-volleyed goal in the 78th. Hazard had given the home side a deserved lead straight after halftime, smashing the ball into the roof of the net from the penalty spot after Michail Antonio needlessly tripped up Chelsea`s Spanish full back Cesar Azpilicueta in the area. Furious pace For Conte, who took Italy to the Euro 2016 quarter-finals, the match at Stamford Bridge offered a taste of the physical side of English football and his charges looked ready for it. The contest had started at a furious pace, although first-night nerves sometimes got in the way of quality football. Chelsea midfielder N`Golo Kante, signed from last season`s surprise champions Leicester City, got an early yellow card for bringing down striker Andy Carroll in the fourth minute. But there were also touches of brilliance from the 2015 league champions, who plunged down the table last season losing manager Jose Mourinho to the sack in the process. Monday`s Chelsea side looked leaner, fitter and more motivated than under Mourinho at the start of last season. The lively Hazard proved a constant irritation to the east Londoners, who were missing several players through injury, and the Belgian international won the man-of-the-match award. In the second half Bilic`s Hammers side found it tough to string more than two passes together. "Let`s be honest. Apart from the first 15 minutes and the time we equalised, they were better than us," Bilic added. The home team did suffer a scare when the bearded Costa, looking like a swashbuckling pirate, threw himself into a studs up challenge with Adrian and was lucky not to get a red card. "I didn’t see the situation," said Conte. "I saw him put the pressure on the keeper and then try to stop. In my opinion I think the referee took the right decision." Costa`s escape was certainly lucky for Chelsea after the Spaniard received a pass from new signing Michy Batshuayi and fired a low shot into the net for the late winner. (Reuters)

Costa's last-gasp strike gives Conte a winning start

Leicester City manager Claudio Ranieri is confident Riyad Mahrez will stay at the club after midfielder N&#39;Golo Kante&#39;s Chelsea move triggered speculation that the influential winger could follow suit. 
 
Leicester have already had to fight off advances from several clubs to keep striker Jamie Vardy and left wing-back Jeffrey Schlupp, and Ranieri was certain of retaining the majority of the Premier League title-winning squad. 
 
Mahrez remains the subject of interest from several clubs, including Spanish champions Barcelona, according to the British media, while Vardy rejected Arsenal and signed a new deal at Leicester last month. 
 
&quot;Only Kante wanted to go, that&#39;s okay. But I understood him, he came from a little team in France and had a fantastic season. I said to him, stay with us and have another year with us, but he wanted to go,&quot; Ranieri told British media. 
 
&quot;Everybody here is happy and yes, he wants to stay. No other players will go away. We will stay together. The football continues without Riyad or without Kante, but Riyad will stay with us for all of the years.&nbsp;It&#39;s important to maintain the group, with the spirit, with the humility. That&#39;s important for me.&quot; 
 
Leicester&#39;s head of recruitment Steve Walsh, who was instrumental in bringing both Mahrez and Kante to the club, has been heavily linked with the director of football role at Everton. 
 
Ranieri has already lost a major part of his backroom staff when highly-rated scout Ben Wrigglesworth went to Arsenal in January and Rob MacKenzie was installed as Tottenham Hotspur&#39;s head of talent identification in February.&nbsp;Leicester will kick off their title defence with a trip to the KC Stadium, where they will face promoted Hull City on August 13. 
 
(Reuters)

Leicester have already had to fight off advances from several clubs to keep striker Jamie Vardy and left wing-back Jeffrey Schlupp

Leicester City manager Claudio Ranieri is confident Riyad Mahrez will stay at the club after midfielder N'Golo Kante's Chelsea move triggered speculation that the influential winger could follow suit. Leicester have already had to fight off advances from several clubs to keep striker Jamie Vardy and left wing-back Jeffrey Schlupp, and Ranieri was certain of retaining the majority of the Premier League title-winning squad. Mahrez remains the subject of interest from several clubs, including Spanish champions Barcelona, according to the British media, while Vardy rejected Arsenal and signed a new deal at Leicester last month. "Only Kante wanted to go, that's okay. But I understood him, he came from a little team in France and had a fantastic season. I said to him, stay with us and have another year with us, but he wanted to go," Ranieri told British media. "Everybody here is happy and yes, he wants to stay. No other players will go away. We will stay together. The football continues without Riyad or without Kante, but Riyad will stay with us for all of the years. It's important to maintain the group, with the spirit, with the humility. That's important for me." Leicester's head of recruitment Steve Walsh, who was instrumental in bringing both Mahrez and Kante to the club, has been heavily linked with the director of football role at Everton. Ranieri has already lost a major part of his backroom staff when highly-rated scout Ben Wrigglesworth went to Arsenal in January and Rob MacKenzie was installed as Tottenham Hotspur's head of talent identification in February. Leicester will kick off their title defence with a trip to the KC Stadium, where they will face promoted Hull City on August 13. (Reuters)

Riyad Mahrez will not follow Kante out of Leicester, says Ranieri

Belgium striker Michy Batshuayi is set to join Chelsea from Ligue 1 club Olympique Marseille, French sports daily L&#39;Equipe reported today. 
 
The 22-year-old Batshuayi is expected to sign a five-year contract for the Premier League side for a transfer fee of some 40 million euros ($44.30 million), the newspaper said without citing sources. 
 
Marseille had reached a deal with another Premier League club, Crystal Palace, earlier this week but Batshuayi turned down the offer, L&#39;Equipe wrote. 
 
Batshuayi had to pass a medical in Bordeaux, France, where Belgium are based for the European Championship finals, and Chelsea could announce the deal later today, according to the French newspaper. 
 
Batshuayi who joined Marseille from Belgian side Standard Liege in 2014, scored 23 goals in all competitions this season. 
 
Belgium face Wales on Friday in Lille for a place in the semi-finals of Euro 2016. 
 
(Reuters)

Michy Batshuayi who joined Marseille from Belgian side Standard Liege in 2014, scored 23 goals in all competitions this season

Belgium striker Michy Batshuayi is set to join Chelsea from Ligue 1 club Olympique Marseille, French sports daily L'Equipe reported today. The 22-year-old Batshuayi is expected to sign a five-year contract for the Premier League side for a transfer fee of some 40 million euros ($44.30 million), the newspaper said without citing sources. Marseille had reached a deal with another Premier League club, Crystal Palace, earlier this week but Batshuayi turned down the offer, L'Equipe wrote. Batshuayi had to pass a medical in Bordeaux, France, where Belgium are based for the European Championship finals, and Chelsea could announce the deal later today, according to the French newspaper. Batshuayi who joined Marseille from Belgian side Standard Liege in 2014, scored 23 goals in all competitions this season. Belgium face Wales on Friday in Lille for a place in the semi-finals of Euro 2016. (Reuters)

Batshuayi to join Chelsea, L'Equipe reports

Real Madrid have no intention of making a quick profit on striker Alvaro Morata after the Champions League winners opted to take him back to the Bernabeu from Juventus last month, the Spanish side&#39;s manager Zinedine Zidane has said. 
 
Real sold Morata to Juventus two seasons ago but included a buy-back clause in his contract, which they exercised in July after the forward scored 27 goals in 93 games in Italy and three for Spain during the European Championship. 
 
Media reports in Spain and Britain suggested that Real would cash-in on the 23-year-old by selling him immediately, with Arsenal and Chelsea said to be vying for his signature, but Zidane insisted Morata was part of his plans. 
 
&quot;Yes, Morata is a Real Madrid player,&quot; he told reporters in Michigan following his team&#39;s 3-2 win over Chelsea in the International Champions Cup at the weekend. &quot;We&#39;re delighted to have him back, back to his original home. He&#39;s going to remain a Real Madrid player.&quot; 
 
(Reuters) 
&nbsp;

Real Madrid had sold Morata to Juventus two seasons ago but included a buy-back clause in his contract

Real Madrid have no intention of making a quick profit on striker Alvaro Morata after the Champions League winners opted to take him back to the Bernabeu from Juventus last month, the Spanish side's manager Zinedine Zidane has said. Real sold Morata to Juventus two seasons ago but included a buy-back clause in his contract, which they exercised in July after the forward scored 27 goals in 93 games in Italy and three for Spain during the European Championship. Media reports in Spain and Britain suggested that Real would cash-in on the 23-year-old by selling him immediately, with Arsenal and Chelsea said to be vying for his signature, but Zidane insisted Morata was part of his plans. "Yes, Morata is a Real Madrid player," he told reporters in Michigan following his team's 3-2 win over Chelsea in the International Champions Cup at the weekend. "We're delighted to have him back, back to his original home. He's going to remain a Real Madrid player." (Reuters)

Zidane insists Alvaro Morata is staying with Real Madrid

Daniel Sturridge scored twice as Liverpool strolled into the League Cup third round with a 5-0 win at Burton Albion yesterday, while Chelsea edged third-tier Bristol Rovers 3-2. 
 
Divock Origi, Roberto Firmino and Sturridge all scored as Liverpool, last season&#39;s beaten finalists, crushed Championship side Burton, who are managed by ex-Liverpool midfielder Nigel Clough. 
 
Michy Batshuayi marked his full Chelsea debut with a brace against Bristol Rovers, while Victor Moses was also on target as manager Antonio Conte enjoyed a third straight competitive win. 
 
&quot;This was a very serious, professional display from our side,&quot; Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp told Sky Sports. 
 
&quot;There were nice goals, nothing to criticise. It was humid today, not easy for either team. We gave a few players match-time because that&#39;s important. Some only got minutes in pre-season.&quot; 
 
Premier League teams Crystal Palace, Everton, Hull City, Swansea City and Stoke City also went through, Peter Crouch scoring a hat-trick for Stoke in a 4-0 win at Stevenage. But Watford lost 2-1 at home to third-tier Gillingham after extra time and West Bromwich Albion were beaten 4-3 on penalties by League One side Northampton Town following a 2-2 draw. 
 
Klopp handed a debut to Cameroonian centre-back Joel Matip and welcomed back Senegalese winger Sadio Mane following a shoulder injury at Burton&#39;s Pirelli Stadium. 
 
Mane teed up Origi to break the deadlock with a clever back-heel in the 15th minute before Nathaniel Clyne crossed for Firmino to head in the visitors&#39; second goal. 
 
A Tom Naylor own goal just after the hour made it 3-0 and Sturridge came off the bench to complete the rout with a late brace, tapping in James Milner&#39;s cross and slamming home from Mane&#39;s pass. 
 
At Stamford Bridge, Batshuayi put Chelsea ahead in the 29th minute by sweeping in Nemanja Matic&#39;s cross and two minutes later Pedro Rodriguez set up Moses for a tap-in. 
 
Batshuayi claimed a second from Ruben Loftus-Cheek&#39;s cross, but Bristol Rovers scored either side through Peter Hartley and Ellis Harrison to keep Conte&#39;s men on their toes until the final whistle. 
 
Liverpool and Chelsea, League Cup winners in 2015, both entered the tournament in the second round because they are not involved in European competition this season. 
 
Manchester United, holders Manchester City, Arsenal, Leicester City, Tottenham Hotspur, Southampton and West Ham United will all enter the competition in round three. 
 
(AFP)

Premier League teams Crystal Palace, Everton, Hull City, Swansea City and Stoke City also went through

Daniel Sturridge scored twice as Liverpool strolled into the League Cup third round with a 5-0 win at Burton Albion yesterday, while Chelsea edged third-tier Bristol Rovers 3-2. Divock Origi, Roberto Firmino and Sturridge all scored as Liverpool, last season's beaten finalists, crushed Championship side Burton, who are managed by ex-Liverpool midfielder Nigel Clough. Michy Batshuayi marked his full Chelsea debut with a brace against Bristol Rovers, while Victor Moses was also on target as manager Antonio Conte enjoyed a third straight competitive win. "This was a very serious, professional display from our side," Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp told Sky Sports. "There were nice goals, nothing to criticise. It was humid today, not easy for either team. We gave a few players match-time because that's important. Some only got minutes in pre-season." Premier League teams Crystal Palace, Everton, Hull City, Swansea City and Stoke City also went through, Peter Crouch scoring a hat-trick for Stoke in a 4-0 win at Stevenage. But Watford lost 2-1 at home to third-tier Gillingham after extra time and West Bromwich Albion were beaten 4-3 on penalties by League One side Northampton Town following a 2-2 draw. Klopp handed a debut to Cameroonian centre-back Joel Matip and welcomed back Senegalese winger Sadio Mane following a shoulder injury at Burton's Pirelli Stadium. Mane teed up Origi to break the deadlock with a clever back-heel in the 15th minute before Nathaniel Clyne crossed for Firmino to head in the visitors' second goal. A Tom Naylor own goal just after the hour made it 3-0 and Sturridge came off the bench to complete the rout with a late brace, tapping in James Milner's cross and slamming home from Mane's pass. At Stamford Bridge, Batshuayi put Chelsea ahead in the 29th minute by sweeping in Nemanja Matic's cross and two minutes later Pedro Rodriguez set up Moses for a tap-in. Batshuayi claimed a second from Ruben Loftus-Cheek's cross, but Bristol Rovers scored either side through Peter Hartley and Ellis Harrison to keep Conte's men on their toes until the final whistle. Liverpool and Chelsea, League Cup winners in 2015, both entered the tournament in the second round because they are not involved in European competition this season. Manchester United, holders Manchester City, Arsenal, Leicester City, Tottenham Hotspur, Southampton and West Ham United will all enter the competition in round three. (AFP)

Liverpool cruise, Chelsea squeeze in League Cup

A crackdown on behaviour will kick in when the new English season starts with referees instructed to show yellow and red cards to unruly players, the Premier League said on Wednesday. 
 
The unedifying sight of snarling players berating officials over decisions or hurling abuse has been the scourge of the game and the Premier League, English Football League and Football Association have all clearly had enough. 
 
In a joint directive the three organisations said disrespect towards match officials had to stop. 
 
&quot;We and our clubs have been discussing for some time concerns that certain elements of player behaviour are overstepping the mark -- the mass confrontations, overt displays of dissent and offensive language,&quot; Richard Scudamore, the Premier League&#39;s executive chairman, said on Wednesday. 
 
&quot;We are viewed by millions week in week out -- including lots of young people -- and it is our collective position that these types of behaviour should no longer be tolerated,&quot;&nbsp; 
 
Vigorous discipline clamp down&nbsp; 
 
From the start of this season, players who use offensive language towards officials will be punished with a red card, while aggressive physical contact will also earn an instant sending off. 
 
More yellow cards are likely as referees have been told to book all players who run to officials, stand face to face with them or aggressively invade their personal space. 
 
If a referee is surrounded by multiple players, he is mandated to book at least one of the offenders, and Premier League executive chairman Richard Scudamore insisted there will be no softening of the approach if it leads to a flurry of dismissals early in the season.&nbsp; 
 
The behaviour of coaches and technical staff will also be more strictly controlled. 
 
Repeat offenders 
 
Football League chief executive Richard Harvey said the new directives were not just an idle threat. 
 
&quot;To be clear, this is a set of instructions from the football authorities to referees to take action against certain behaviour that we will not tolerate in our matches,&quot; he said. 
 
Incidents which underlined the need for a new hardline approach include Leicester striker Jamie Vardy abusing referee Jonathan Moss after being controversially sent off for diving against West Ham in April and the series of brawls that marred Tottenhams crucial draw at Chelsea and led to big fines for both clubs. 
 
&quot;That (Chelsea game) wasnt a trigger for this but it underscored a good reason why we needed to get a move on. We are saying this behavioural stuff, which is pretty black and white, isnt acceptable, &#39;&#39; FA chief executive Martin Glenn said.&nbsp; 
 
In the Premier League West Bromwich Albion were the worst offenders last season with 11 yellow cards shown for dissent, according to a survey in the Guardian. 
 
The Premier League will for the first time meet all clubs prior to the season in a bid to ensure the plan is understood and Championship clubs have contributed to a fund that will pay for full-time referees in the second tier. 
 
The Football League season kicks off on Aug. 5 with the Premier League starting a week later. 
 
(AFP, Reuters) 
&nbsp;

The Football Association, the Premier League and the Football League join forces to stamp out aggressive posturing in Premier League

A crackdown on behaviour will kick in when the new English season starts with referees instructed to show yellow and red cards to unruly players, the Premier League said on Wednesday. The unedifying sight of snarling players berating officials over decisions or hurling abuse has been the scourge of the game and the Premier League, English Football League and Football Association have all clearly had enough. In a joint directive the three organisations said disrespect towards match officials had to stop. "We and our clubs have been discussing for some time concerns that certain elements of player behaviour are overstepping the mark -- the mass confrontations, overt displays of dissent and offensive language," Richard Scudamore, the Premier League's executive chairman, said on Wednesday. "We are viewed by millions week in week out -- including lots of young people -- and it is our collective position that these types of behaviour should no longer be tolerated," Vigorous discipline clamp down From the start of this season, players who use offensive language towards officials will be punished with a red card, while aggressive physical contact will also earn an instant sending off. More yellow cards are likely as referees have been told to book all players who run to officials, stand face to face with them or aggressively invade their personal space. If a referee is surrounded by multiple players, he is mandated to book at least one of the offenders, and Premier League executive chairman Richard Scudamore insisted there will be no softening of the approach if it leads to a flurry of dismissals early in the season. The behaviour of coaches and technical staff will also be more strictly controlled. Repeat offenders Football League chief executive Richard Harvey said the new directives were not just an idle threat. "To be clear, this is a set of instructions from the football authorities to referees to take action against certain behaviour that we will not tolerate in our matches," he said. Incidents which underlined the need for a new hardline approach include Leicester striker Jamie Vardy abusing referee Jonathan Moss after being controversially sent off for diving against West Ham in April and the series of brawls that marred Tottenhams crucial draw at Chelsea and led to big fines for both clubs. "That (Chelsea game) wasnt a trigger for this but it underscored a good reason why we needed to get a move on. We are saying this behavioural stuff, which is pretty black and white, isnt acceptable, '' FA chief executive Martin Glenn said. In the Premier League West Bromwich Albion were the worst offenders last season with 11 yellow cards shown for dissent, according to a survey in the Guardian. The Premier League will for the first time meet all clubs prior to the season in a bid to ensure the plan is understood and Championship clubs have contributed to a fund that will pay for full-time referees in the second tier. The Football League season kicks off on Aug. 5 with the Premier League starting a week later. (AFP, Reuters)

Football governing bodies warn unruly Premier League stars

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