Chelsea make statement with comeback win at City
CHELSEA sent a strong statement to the rest of the Premier League yesterday with a 3-1 comeback win at Manchester City that extended their lead in the table.
Second-half goals from Diego Costa, Willian and Eden Hazard gave the Blues an eighth straight league win and moved them four points clear of Liverpool and City.
“Today was tough and the game was open until the end,” Chelsea manager Antonio Conte told Sky Sports.
“I saw lots of character from my team and that’s important to grow. But we must continue to work and improve.”
City went in front through Cahill’s own goal justbefore half-time, but wasted opportunities to build on the lead.
They also finished with nine men after Sergio Aguero and Fernandinho were sent off in stoppage time.
“There is quite a sour feeling running through everyone’s mind,” City’s John Stones said. “It is a difficult one to take in the end. The scoreline didn’t reflect the way we played. We should have won 3-1.”
After Fernandinho had an opener disallowed for offside, City went ahead when Cahill got his feet tangled and volleyed Jesus Navas’s cross past Thibaut Courtois.
The hosts then failed to pad their advantage after the break, with the most glaring miss coming when Kevin de Bruyne hit the crossbar in front of an open goal.
Chelsea levelled on the hour, as Costa chested down a long ball in the area and scored his league-best 11th goal.
The visitors went in front 10 minutes later as Willian finished off a counterattack and Hazard settled things in the 90th minute on another counter.
“We gave everything on the pitch,” Cahill said. “It was a test for us, it shows another side to our football.
“That’s eight wins now, which we can build on.”
The ugly scenes at the end were sparked by Aguero’s lunge on Luiz, as the defender came across to clear the ball. There was pushing and shoving – and a bit more by Fernandinho – as both sets of players clashed on the field.
Much has been made of the renewal of the managerial rivalry between City’s Pep Guardiola and Man United’s Jose Mourinho this season, but it seems Guardiola rates Conte as his biggest managerial rival, having described the Italian as a “master tactician”, and “maybe the best” manager in the world. This defeat shows just why. Christian Benteke scored a brace as Crystal Palace beat Southampton 3-0 to end a sixgame losing streak.
Sunderland climbed off the bottom of the table with a 2-1 win over Leicester that left the champions just two points above the relegation places.
Harry Kane and Christian Eriksen both scored twice as Tottenham thrashed Swansea 5-0 at White Hart Lane yester- day, dealing the Welsh club its heaviest loss under new manager Bob Bradley.
Kane ended a week in which he signed a new 5½-year deal with Spurs by scoring either side of Son Heung-min’s acrobatic strike. The hosts were 3-0 up after 49 minutes at their north London stronghold.
Eriksen rounded off a con- vincing win with goals in the 70th minute and then in injury time for fifth-placed Tottenham.
Swansea dropped back to the bottom of the standings, a week after picking up their first win under American coach Bradley.
West Brom beat Watford 3-1 to move up to sixth, and Stoke are ninth after beating Burnley 2-0, while Arsenal thrashed West Ham 5-1 in yesterday’s late game.
Chilean international Alexis Sanches grabbed a hattrick, while, Mesut Oezil and Alex Oxlade- Chamberlain scored a goal apiece. Andy Carroll netted a consolation goal for the Hammers. – DPA