Victory puts Chelsea 10 points clear at top

Strikes by Hazard and Costa see off the Hammers

Eden Hazard and Diego Costa were on target as Chelsea swatted aside West Ham 2-1 to take a 10-point lead at the top of the Premier League.

Two of Chelsea’s three Premier League defeats this season were away to Arsenal and Tottenham, and West Ham beat them in the EFL Cup in a match marred by crowd trouble at the London Stadium.

Those scenes – of violence and a Chelsea defeat – were not repeated here, although one fan hurdled the advertising hoardings to remonstrate with celebrating Chelsea players after Hazard’s goal before he was wrestled away.

Chelsea head coach Antonio Conte may be taking nothing for granted in the title race, but his side are showing little sign of slipping up.

Spurs are the Blues’ nearest rivals with 11 games to go, but third-placed Manchester City could move eight points behind by winning their game in-hand.

West Ham’s direct tactics were predictable, but Chelsea withstood the bombardment until Manuel Lanzini’s stoppage-time strike.

Slaven Bilic would have anticipated the visitors playing on the counter-attack, but his side could not stop Chelsea going in front once N’Golo Kante had intercepted a Robert Snodgrass pass intended for Sofiane Feghouli.

The opening goal came after 25 minutes, from a promising position for

Picture: Getty Images. Eden Hazard scores Chelsea’s first goal in last night’s Premier League match against London rivals West Ham.