Chelsea rock title rivals City, Sunderland off the bottom

Sanchez scores hat-trick as Arsenal record a 5-1 victory against West Ham

Chelsea cemented their position on top of the Premier League with a 3-1 victory at title rivals Manchester City, who had Sergio Aguero and Fernandinho dismissed in a fiery finale, while Sunderland climbed off the bottom with a 2-1 win against Leicester yesterday.
Gary Cahill’s own goal from a Jesus Navas cross gifted City the lead on the stroke of half-time, but Diego Costa equalised with a clinical finish in the 60th minute. Costa capped a dominant display by setting up substitute Willian for Chelsea’s second goal in the 70th minute before Eden Hazard struck to send Antonio Conte’s men four points clear of City at the top.
City’s frustration boiled over in stoppage-time with red cards for Aguero and Fernandinho, the former for an ugly lunge on David Luiz, the latter for pushing Cesc Fabregas over an advertising board. “It was very tough and the game was open until the end. There were lots of chances for both teams to score,” Conte said. “I saw lots of character from my team and that’s very important to grow. But we must continue to work and improve.” Aguero, City’s star striker, faces a four-match ban and boss Pep Guardiola said: “It’s a pity it finished like this. I don’t like that. I apologise for what happened.”
Chelsea’s eighth successive league victory condemned Guardiola to a first defeat at Eastlands, where his side have now gone four home games without a win. City were left to rue some profligate finishing as Kevin de Bruyne hit the crossbar from close-range before Chelsea’s equaliser.
Later, Alexis Sanchez scored three goals and made an assist as Arsenal recorded a 5-1 victory at West Ham’s London Stadium. The Chilean set up Mesut Ozil for the opener before hitting a hat-trick, while Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain also added his name to the scoresheet with a superb curling finish.
Andy Carroll scored a consolation goal for West Ham, who remain just two points above the relegation zone following yesterday's loss.
Arsenal rise to second with a point more than City, and three points behind leaders Chelsea. Liverpool, currently third, can tie for the top spot if they beat Bournemouth today.
At the Stadium of Light, Sunderland took the lead in the 64th minute when Leicester defender Robert Huth deflected a Jan Kirchhoff header into his own net. Jermain Defoe grabbed Sunderland’s second goal in the 77th minute and although Japan striker Shinji Okazaki reduced the deficit three minutes later, the hosts held on for a third win in their last four league games.
Struggling champions Leicester remain just two points above the relegation zone after a fifth successive league game without a win.
Harry Kane’s double and a brilliant strike from Son Heung-Min inspired Tottenham as they got back on track with a 5-0 demolition of Swansea. Mauricio Pochettino’s fifth placed team suffered their first league defeat of the season at Chelsea last weekend, but they won for just the second time in their last seven league games after opening the scoring in the 39th minute at White Hart Lane.
England forward Kane drilled in the penalty after Kyle Naughton was harshly ruled to have fouled Dele Alli. A superb volley from Son, who leapt acrobatically into the air to unleash his shot, doubled Tottenham’s lead just before half-time and ended the South Korean’s 10-match goal drought.
Kane struck again four minutes after the interval and Christian Eriksen claimed Tottenham’s final two goals in the 70th and 90th minutes to leave Swansea bottom of the table.
Crystal Palace striker Christian Benteke eased the pressure on boss Alan Pardew with a brace in a 3-0 win over Southampton at Selhurst Park.
After six successive defeats, including an astonishing late meltdown in a 5-4 loss at Swansea last weekend, Pardew finally got a lucky break when Palace went ahead in the 33rd minute.
Southampton keeper Fraser Forster miskicked Jose Fonte’s backpass to gift the simplest of tap-ins to former Liverpool forward Benteke.
James Tomkins netted for Palace in the 36th minute and Benteke marked his 26th birthday with his second goal in the 85th minute to secure the Eagles’ first win in their last eight league games.
Stoke eased to a 2-0 win against Burnley as Jonathan Walters struck in the 20th minute and Marc Muniesa bagged his first Premier League goal in the 35th minute. West Bromwich Albion climbed to sixth place, ahead of Manchester United, with 3-1 victory over Watford at the Hawthorns.
Jonny Evans put Albion in front with a powerful header from Chris Brunt’s 16th minute corner and Brunt made it two in the 34th minute when he fired home with a 25-yard free-kick.
Christian Kabasele got one back for Watford on the hour, but their hopes of a comeback were ended when Roberto Pereyra was sent off for kicking James McClean in the 84th minute and Matt Phillips scored Albion’s third in the final moments.

Results
West Ham 1 (Carroll 83) Arsenal 5 (Ozil 24, Sanchez 72, 80, 86, Oxlade-Chamberlain 84)
Crystal Palace 3 (Benteke 33, 85, Tomkins 36) Southampton 0
Manchester City 1 (Cahill 45-og) Chelsea 3 (Costa 60, Willian 70, Hazard 90)
Stoke 2 (Walters 20, Muniesa 35) Burnley 0
Sunderland 2 (Huth 64-og, Defoe 77) Leicester 1 (Okazaki 80)
Tottenham 5 (Kane 39-pen, 49, Son 45+1, Eriksen 70, 90) Swansea 0
West Brom 3 (Evans 16, Brunt 34, Phillips 90) Watford 1 (Kabasele 60)
Playing today
Bournemouth v Liverpool (1330 GMT), Everton v Manchester United (1600 GMT)
Playing tomorrow
Middlesbrough v Hull (2000 GMT)