Costa keeps Chelsea on top as City lose cool
Diego Costa starred as Premier League leaders Chelsea roared back to win 3-1 on Saturday in an ill-tempered game at Manchester City, who had Sergio Aguero and Fernandinho dismissed.
Gary Cahill’s own goal gifted City the lead, but Costa equalised and teed up substitute Willian before Eden Hazard struck to send Antonio Conte’s men four points clear of Manchester City at the summit.
City’s frustration boiled over in stoppage time with Aguero and Fernandinho red-carded, the former for a disgraceful lunge on David Luiz, the latter for pushing Cesc Fabregas over an advertising board.
It was the second time in succession that Chelsea had come from behind to win, having done so against Tottenham Hotspur last weekend, as they recorded their eighth successive victory.
Pep Guardiola tasted defeat at the Etihad Stadium for the first time as City manager and has now seen his side go four home games without a win.
They were left to rue some profligate finishing, but it was referee Anthony Taylor who attracted the home fans’ ire after rejecting four penalty appeals.
A muscular injury sustained by Nemanja Matic forced Conte to change his starting XI for the first time in seven games, with Fabregas coming into the team in central midfield.
Guardiola showed his respect for Chelsea’s recent run by mirroring the Londoners’ shape with a back three of his own, as he made six changes from last weekend’s 2-1 win at Burnley.
Chelsea were given encouragement in the early stages, Hazard curling wide and failing to exploit a situation that saw him round City goalkeeper Claudio Bravo.
But as the half wore on, so City began to pin their opponents back and so Taylor became an increasingly central figure.
He had already denied City what would have been a very harsh penalty for handball against Cahill when Cesar Azpilicueta’s under-hit back-pass gifted Aguero a run on goal. Luiz leant into Aguero as the Argentine sought to run past him, sending him crashing to the deck, but Taylor waved play on to the fury of the home support.
Shortly before half-time, Ilkay Gundogan appeared to be caught by N’Golo Kante as he shaped to shoot from Aguero’s lay-off, but again Taylor was unmoved.
City had offered the greater threat, with Aguero threatening on three occasions, and the final minute of the half yielded the breakthrough.
Allowed to advance to the edge of the Chelsea box, Jesus Navas dispatched a pacy cross that Cahill contrived to shin past Thibaut Courtois.
Forced into an early change in the second half as Pedro Rodriguez succumbed to an earlier knock, with Willian coming on, Chelsea appeared at risk of being submerged.
Courtois saved from Kevin De Bruyne and David Silva, while Cahill had to slide in and clear after Aguero intercepted Marcos Alonso’s back-pass and rounded Courtois.
Alexis Sanchez grabbed a 15-minute hat-trick as Arsenal shook off any hangover from their midweek League Cup defeat to thrash West Ham United 5-1 and climb to second in the Premier League on Saturday.
The visitors toyed with struggling West Ham for most of the derby at the London Stadium but did not finish them off until Sanchez’s lethal second-half intervention.
The Chile international has now been involved in six of Arsenal’s last eight league goals, scoring five, and he earned high praise from manager Arsene Wenger whose decision to play him as an orthodox striker is paying off handsomely.
Crystal Palace 3 Southampton 0 Manchester City 1 Chelsea 3 Stoke City 2 Burnley 0 Sunderland 2 Leicester City 1 Tottenham Swansea Hotspur 5 City 0 West Bromwich Watford 1 Albion 3 TEAM P W D LGDPtS Chelsea 14 11 1 2 21 34 Liverpool 13 9 3 1 18 30 Man City 14 9 3 2 15 30 Arsenal 13 8 4 1 15 28 Tottenham 14 7 6 1 14 27