CHELSEA MOVED 11 points clear at the top of the Premier League following a 3-1 win over Swansea at Stamford Bridge today.
A goal on the brink of half-time from Fernando Llorente cancelled out Cesc Fabregas’ opener and gave the visitors hope of earning an unlikely point.
However, second-half efforts from Pedro and Diego Costa handed the hosts all three points.
Chelsea surged 11 points clear at the top of the Premier League as Pedro inspired a 3-1 win over Swansea, while Leicester’s gloom deepened as the troubled champions plunged into the relegation zone on Saturday.
Antonio Conte’s leaders won for the 17th time in their last 20 league games to push them a step closer to the title.
Cesc Fabregas, restored to the team in place of Nemanja Matic, was making his 300th Premier League appearance and the former Arsenal star marked the milestone in the 19th minute with his 46th goal in the competition.
Picked out inside the penalty area by Pedro’s cut-back, Fabregas nimbly adjusted his stride before clipping his shot past Lukasz Fabianski.
Despite being out-played for much of the first half, Swansea snatched an equaliser seconds before the interval at Stamford Bridge.
Gylfi Sigurdsson’s long free-kick caught the Blues napping and Spanish striker Fernando Llorente rose to head powerfully beyond Thibaut Courtois.
But Chelsea’s dominance was rewarded in the 72nd minute when Pedro’s routine long-range effort slipped past a weak attempted stop by Fabianski.
Diego Costa wrapped up the points when he finished off Eden Hazard’s pass in the 84th minute for his 17th goal of the season.
With second placed Manchester City’s scheduled derby against Manchester United postponed due to their rivals’ League Cup final date with Southampton on Sunday, Chelsea have opened up a huge lead at the top.
Third placed Tottenham can trim Chelsea’s advantage to 10 points if they beat Stoke on Sunday.
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That banner was pretty big Patrice.
Evra is and always was a tramp! He is quite happy to throw the racism card out when it suits him as well.
@Let free speech live: What’s that supposed to me, “when it suits him”?
There’s a thing in football called “Kick racism out of Football”, you might have heard of it. Players and supporters alike were encouraged to come forward if they witnessed any, Evra did and gets castigated is some quarters for it. Class act !!
@Adrian Costigan: I like Evra even as a Liverpool fan, a great personality it has to be said, but his behaviour here is not to be condoned. If he was racially abused he should have reported it to officials and not spectacularly attacked the fools as he did. Because of his behaviour he has lost his job at Marseille when it could have been a better situation for everyone.
@Daniel Donovan: Officials have proven time and again they’ll do nothing… Hell if a player walks off because of the abuse he’s the one who gets in trouble. I hope Evra loosened a few of that little gobsh#ies teeth at least…
@Adrian Costigan: Notice how Suarez is never involved in the kick it out campaigns or the CL Say no to Racism one where all the best male and female players in the world are involved. But I suppose they can’t have a racist saying what he want when it suits him .
@Let free speech live: you’re some clown
@Adrian Costigan: Sam Bethal would agree with me, Suarez was also innocent but the fa had it in for him. John Terry got a smaller suspension and he was guilty.
@Daniel Donovan: but he didn’t bite anyone , that’s was all in everybody’s imagination it was just that the FA and the whole world had it in for him
@Hoof Hearted: He did bite other players, more than once, he’s still not a racist Evra is a liar simples.
@Let free speech live: and the lip readers are liars also. Is that you Marcus, PiG etc ..
@Hoof Hearted: Evra played the race card (not for the first time) falsely and the fa decided to make an example of him to cover up the fact the fa are racist. To summarise for you Evra is a liar and Suarez was his victim.
@Let free speech live: “Suarez was his victim”, ha ha ha. Good one to brighten up a dull Monday evening.
Liverpool fan by any chance ?
@Hoof Hearted: Didn’t think there was lip readers involved in the Suarez/Evra one, think you’re mixing up with the terry one.
The Suarez/Evra was basically a your we’d against mine.
Don’t get me wrong Suarez no angel and what he said wasn’t to be nice but I don’t think it was to be racist either.
Still doesn’t make sense that he Suarez/Evra incident resulted in much larger ban for Suarez than John terry when it was clear as day what he said and was far worse
@Adrian Costigan: Liverpool fan of course, what gave it away? Suarez was the victim, punished severely with no solid proof. Terry guilty of racism in a court of law and half the ban of Suarez. The fa are racist and set an example with the immigrant but not with the English captain.
@Let free speech live: yes I’m sure it still hurts you but time you got over it , Suarez was guilty! The FA had a 36 page report on him on the incident. That’s why Liverpool didn’t contest the decision cause they new he was guilty then. So put away your t-shirt now, in the same box as your Liverpool Premier League winners shirt is probably a good place
@Hoof Hearted: Sure Liverpool have never won the Premier league what drugs are you on? Give me some so I can pretend they have like you. I’m over it Suarez gone on to better things and Evra finally showing his true colours.
@Let free speech live: spoken like a true scouser.
@Daniel Donovan: you are not a Liverpool fan
@Let free speech live: he went on to better things !!! So biting two more people was better things. You really are a rose tinted clown Marcus
@Let free speech live: go bite someone
@Marc GIennon: Utd fans are a sensitive bunch, who would of thought?
One way to get a move
Evra is a snivelling squelly little beatch! Went running to the fa like a little coward after suarez. Check out the video of him and his French int. teammates. Calling them n…er this and n…er that. Horrible little tramp, hope they throw the book at him. Real victim indeed
@Rusty Nuts: no surprised your nuts are rusty it much be from all the crying
@Hoof Hearted: *surprise*
@Rusty Nuts: * Not Actually!
The amount of money this man gets at the end of each week is criminal .Getting shouted at and abused is part of the game simple as
@Terry O Shea: being abused is part of it ? having your family or a sick member of your family abused , wishing horrible things on you or a family member is part of the game is it. It doesn’t matter how much a player is paid they are still human beings with emotions and feelings. When you become a famous person or professional sports person you don’t shut down and become a robot
Ridiculous thing to say
@Olllie B: footballer isnt a profession,its the most dishonerable sport on the planet,they take dives,dirty tackles,heckle the reff,dont use video reply,they get paid a fortune but professional there anything but,yobs