Grayson’s heroes use their heads
BARNSLEY keeper Adam Davies was in unbeatable form as an action-packed clash somehow finished 0-0.
Davies denied Chris O’Grady with a good save low to his left and then produced an even better save to foil the former Barnsley striker.
He pulled off a double save from Tom Flanagan and O’Grady on the hour and made a point-blank stop from substitute Stuart Beavon at the near post in added time.
Burton boss Nigel Clough said: “We have hit the target a lot and the goalkeeper has made some good saves.
“When one hits him on the head and loops over the bar in the 91st minute we know it just might not be our day.”
Barnsley boss Paul Heckingbottom said: “We have got to be pleased with the clean sheet.
“We had to defend really well and when they did breach us, Davo did really well with a double save at his near post and then one at the end that hit him so you know he is in the right place for that one.” JORDAN HUGILL and Callum Robinson netted first-half headers as Simon Grayson’s Preston made it 12 matches without a win for Rotherham.
Richard Wood headed the Millers back in it after 71 minutes but Marnick Vermijl sealed victory with nine minutes remaining.
The opener came in the 22nd minute when Hugill nodded in off a post from Greg Cunningham’s cross.
Five minutes later, Aiden McGeady tricked his way down the left before teeing up Robinson for an easy finish from six yards.
Rotherham boss Kenny Jackett brought on Peter Odemwingie and he showed great skill before crossing for Wood to beat Chris Maxwell.
But PNE broke rapidly down the left and Daniel Johnson centred for sub Vermijl to tap in at the back post.
Jackett said: “We’ve given poor goals away again which has put them in control.”
Grayson said: “We played some good stuff but also mixed it up and battled and scrapped when we had to.”
Chelsea boss Antonio Conte warmly celebrated a five-match winning streak that saw them go top of the table. And also without conceding a goal. The little Italian, who surely one day is going to have a touchline heart attack with his frenzied antics, has to send home for special lozenges to ease his throat.
He shouts so much that his vocal cords give up after games. His wife thinks he sounds sexy. Chelsea fans think their football is just as inviting.
They are in dreamland. Even cheekily chanting, ‘Boring, boring Chelsea’ as the goals flowed, although they sooned turned to, ‘We are top of the league’ at the final whistle.
Two goals from man of the match Eden Hazard was the icing on the cake. There was also time for a late cameo role for skipper John Terry. Heady days.
Chelsea fans thought nothing could get much worse than last season. Little did they realise that a revolution was about to happen.
They watched Chelsea get off to a flyer and had their mouths opened further with two goals inside 70 seconds from the 19th minute.
A third before half-time and it was all over.
Chelsea let off fireworks from the top of a stand then proceeded to match them on the pitch.
Even David Luiz, a player they believed had left his best days behind, is reborn.
He no longer gives Chelsea fans kittens with his once wayward and nonchalant approach. He is now top cat. Here is a defender on top of his game and spraying long, raking passes that often carried sting.
And in Hazard they must surely have the most complete player in the Premier League. He not only makes goals but scores beauties. This was Chelsea in full flow and Victor Moses was unlucky with a thunderous shot that rocked an Everton post in the 34th minute.
At 2-0 down Toffess boss Ronald Koeman was forced to make a tactical change as he brought on Kevin Mirallas for Bryan Oviedo to try and stop the one-way flow. It failed. Chelsea added a third in the 42nd minute with Nemanja Matic heading on Hazard’s corner and Diego Costa was left to drive home his 41st goal in 65 games.
Everton didn’t come to be makeweights and ferociously threw themselves into tackles but they were totally outplayed by a side that had not conceded a goal in their previous four games.
Chelsea always held the aces and they inevitably took the lead.
Pedro won the ball in midfield and fed Costa who then passed to Hazard.
With three Everton defenders around him, the Belgian magician managed to cut inside and squeeze a shot beyond Maarten Stekelenburg. Then just over a minute later it was two after wingback Marcos Alonso had started and finished the move.
He won the ball in his own half, passed to Costa, who moved it on to Pedro and his cross was met by… Alonso who had raced 50 yards to hit home his first goal for the club.
Conte’s decision to reshuffle his side’s defensive strategy a month ago has worked like a dream.
When you add that sort of defensive solidity to the attacking verve being shown by Hazard, Costa and a superconfident Moses then you can see why they are menacing title challengers.
Conte has also got Costa’s head in the right place as the sulky petulance of last season is being replaced with a regular flow of goals from the Spain star that has him at the head of the scoring charts.
He was subject of a dreadful ankle-high tackle from Seamus Coleman that needed medical attention but ref Robert Madley saw nothing despite being only yards away.
There was little Everton could do to stem the tide. They offered heart but could never match Chelsea and Hazard added a fourth in the 56th minute after a clever Pedro backheel.
Pedro then got in on the act, turning home in the 65th minute after Costa and Hazard had carved the opening and forced Stekelenburg to palm the ball out.