Leaders City hit six in Boxing Day goal feast
MANCHESTER - Manchester City led the way in a bumper Boxing Day goal feast in the Premier League on Sunday with a 6-3 win over Leicester City sending them six points clear at the top of the standings.
The opening five games of the COVID-19 impacted festive program delivered 26 goals with Arsenal romping to a 5-0 win away to bottom club Norwich City and Chelsea enjoying a 3-1 win at Aston Villa.
Tottenham Hotspur beat Crystal Palace 3-0 while Southampton enjoyed a surprise 3-2 win at West Ham United. Pep Guardiola's City are on 47 points with Liverpool, whose match against Leeds United was called off due to COVID-19 cases in the Yorkshire team, on 41 points. Third-placed Chelsea are also on 41 points, while Arsenal move up to fourth place on 35 points.
Meanwhile, Arsenal's fourth straight win came in convincing fashion at Carrow Road with Mikel Arteta's side taking a sixth minute lead through Bukayo Saka who finished off a fine, flowing move.
Chelsea fell behind at Villa when a Matt Targett cross flew in off the head of defender Reece James but Jorginho brought Thomas Tuchel's side level from the spot just before the break.
Romelu Lukaku, a halftime substitute, put Chelsea ahead with a fine glancing header from a Callum Hudson-Odoi cross and then in stoppage time he was brought down by Ezri Konsa and Jorginho again made no mistake from the spot.
Spurs stretched their unbeaten Premier League run under new manager Antonio Conte to six games thanks to a strong display against a Palace side reduced to 10 men for the second half.
Lucas Moura created goals for Harry Kane and Son Heung-min and bagged one himself as Tottenham comfortably beat a Palace team for whom manager Patrick Vieira missed the game because of a positive COVID-19 test.
Palace had winger Wilfried Zaha was sent off in the 37th minute but by that time Spurs were already well on top.
James Ward-Prowse scored one and created another as Southampton took three points from their visit to London Stadium against a West Ham side that have gone five games without a win.
In the day's late fixture Brighton & Hove Albion ended an 11-game winless run as they beat Brentford 2-0 to move ninth -Leandro Trossard and Neal Maupay were on target before halftime. Wolverhampton Wanderers v Watford and Burnley v Everton were also postponed due to COVID outbreaks.