Chelsea took sole possession of the Premier League leadership by blanking Newcastle United 2-0 on Saturday, while title rivals Manchester City failed to get full points after drawing Everton 1-1.
Chelsea began the day dead-level with City, but with the defending champions dropping points for only the second time in 10 matches, Jose Mourinho’s side moved two clear.
Newcastle had beaten Chelsea 2-1 in the reverse fixture and despite still being without a manager following Alan Pardew’s departure, looked capable of pulling off a repeat in the first half at Stamford Bridge.
Photo: EPA
Petr Cech was deputizing in goal for Chelsea due to a finger injury to Thibaut Courtois and had to save from Remy Cabella and Yoan Gouffran, while Moussa Sissoko powered a shot against the post.
Chelsea lost Cesar Azpilicueta to an apparent groin injury in the 37th minute, but went ahead six minutes later when Oscar tapped in Branislav Ivanovic’s cross.
Mourinho’s team were far from their best, but added a delightfully constructed second goal just before the hour, with Diego Costa gathering a clever back-heel from Oscar and drilling in his 15th goal of the campaign.
Photo: AFP
At Goodison Park, Everton enjoyed the best of the first half against City. The visitors went ahead in the 74th minute when Fernandinho helped a deflected shot from David Silva over the line with his head, but Steven Naismith equalized for the Toffees four minutes later, glancing home a Leighton Baines free-kick.
Meanwhile, Alan Pardew made the perfect start on his return to Crystal Palace as manager by overseeing a 2-1 comeback victory over Tottenham Hotspur.
Pardew was taking charge of his first league game since leaving Newcastle to join the club he represented as a player.
Palace’s prospects of claiming a first win in nine league games looked bleak when Harry Kane fired Spurs ahead in the 48th minute. However, a 68th-minute Dwight Gayle penalty drew Palace level before Jason Puncheon’s 80th-minute finish inflicted Spurs’ first defeat in seven league games.
The hosts should have been facing a much tougher task when Kyle Walker whipped in a 22nd-minute cross toward Christian Eriksen, but he somehow shot wide.
James McArthur had spurned a good chance to head Palace in front from Gayle’s left-wing cross and 10 minutes before the break, Glenn Murray spurned an even better opportunity.
Palace’s disappointment was compounded three minutes after the restart when Kane showed why he is one of the most talked-about strikers in England this season.
The forward found space on the edge of Palace’s area and drilled a low shot beyond Julian Speroni and into the bottom-left corner.
After their recent impressive run, which included a 5-3 rout of Chelsea on New Year’s Day, Tottenham should have moved through the gears and killed the game off, but Palace showed impressive resilience to work their way back into the game.
They levelled after Stambouli was adjudged to have fouled Ledley after sliding in, allowing Gayle to equalize from the spot.
The momentum was with Palace and with Wilfried Zaha causing problems after coming on for Murray, they went ahead in 80th minute when the winger set up Puncheon, who fired home from long range.
At the Stadium of Light, Serbian Lazar Markovic scored his first league goal as improving Liverpool closed to within four points of the top four by beating Sunderland 1-0.
“Our confidence is returning,” Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers told BT Sport.
West Ham United spurned a chance to climb to fifth after being held to a 1-1 draw at Swansea City, while Burnley climbed out of the relegation zone and dragged Queens Park Rangers into the bottom three with a 2-1 home win over Harry Redknapp’s side.
Bottom-club Leicester City closed to within three points of safety by winning 1-0 at home to Aston Villa, with Paul Konchesky slamming in the only goal in first-half stoppage time.
In his first league game as manager, Tony Pulis saw West Bromwich Albion climb to 14th place after Saido Berahino’s 78th-minute goal secured a 1-0 home win over Hull City, who sank into the relegation zone.
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