Football

Conte sets Chelsea record

Chelsea coach Antonio Conte. File Photo: Internet

Spanish forward Pedro Rodriguez scored twice as red-hot leaders Chelsea crushed Bournemouth 3-0 on Monday to register a club-record 12th consecutive Premier League victory.

Pedro struck either side of Eden Hazard's 50th English league goal at Stamford Bridge as Antonio Conte's side opened up a provisional nine-point lead at the summit in the Boxing Day action.

Olivier Giroud prevented Arsenal losing more ground, his 86th-minute header snatching a 1-0 win over West Bromwich Albion.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored one goal and set up two others as Manchester United closed to within three points of the Champions League places by beating Sunderland 3-1, while champions Leicester City lost again.

Chelsea's victory over Bournemouth left them one win short of Arsenal's 2002 record of 13 successive victories within the same top-flight season.

Pedro broke the deadlock in the 24th minute, curling a left-foot shot into the top corner from Fabregas's pass following a neatly worked corner.

Hazard made it 2-0 four minutes into the second half, rolling a penalty into the bottom-right corner after he had drawn a foul from Simon Francis, with Pedro adding a deflected shot in stoppage time.

Manchester United enjoyed a far less complicated afternoon, sinking Sunderland to record a fourth successive league win for the first time under manager Jose Mourinho.

Daley Blind opened the scoring in the 39th minute, striding onto Ibrahimovic's lay-off and steering a shot into the bottom-right corner.

Ibrahimovic got on the scoresheet nine minutes from time, slotting past Jordan Pickford to chalk up his 17th goal of the season, before Henrikh Mkhitaryan sealed victory with a clever back-heel.

United drew level on points with fifth-place Tottenham Hotspur, who visit Southampton on Wednesday.

Sam Allardyce was denied victory in his first game as Crystal Palace manager after Troy Deeney's 100th Watford goal earned his side a 1-1 draw at Vicarage Road.

Champions Leicester's woes continued as they were condemned to a ninth defeat of the campaign by Everton, who won 2-0 at the King Power Stadium courtesy of Kevin Mirallas and Romelu Lukaku.

West Ham United eased their relegation fears by winning 4-1 at second-bottom Swansea, while Andre Gray's late effort gave Burnley a 1-0 win over Middlesbrough.  

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Conte sets Chelsea record

Chelsea coach Antonio Conte. File Photo: Internet

Spanish forward Pedro Rodriguez scored twice as red-hot leaders Chelsea crushed Bournemouth 3-0 on Monday to register a club-record 12th consecutive Premier League victory.

Pedro struck either side of Eden Hazard's 50th English league goal at Stamford Bridge as Antonio Conte's side opened up a provisional nine-point lead at the summit in the Boxing Day action.

Olivier Giroud prevented Arsenal losing more ground, his 86th-minute header snatching a 1-0 win over West Bromwich Albion.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored one goal and set up two others as Manchester United closed to within three points of the Champions League places by beating Sunderland 3-1, while champions Leicester City lost again.

Chelsea's victory over Bournemouth left them one win short of Arsenal's 2002 record of 13 successive victories within the same top-flight season.

Pedro broke the deadlock in the 24th minute, curling a left-foot shot into the top corner from Fabregas's pass following a neatly worked corner.

Hazard made it 2-0 four minutes into the second half, rolling a penalty into the bottom-right corner after he had drawn a foul from Simon Francis, with Pedro adding a deflected shot in stoppage time.

Manchester United enjoyed a far less complicated afternoon, sinking Sunderland to record a fourth successive league win for the first time under manager Jose Mourinho.

Daley Blind opened the scoring in the 39th minute, striding onto Ibrahimovic's lay-off and steering a shot into the bottom-right corner.

Ibrahimovic got on the scoresheet nine minutes from time, slotting past Jordan Pickford to chalk up his 17th goal of the season, before Henrikh Mkhitaryan sealed victory with a clever back-heel.

United drew level on points with fifth-place Tottenham Hotspur, who visit Southampton on Wednesday.

Sam Allardyce was denied victory in his first game as Crystal Palace manager after Troy Deeney's 100th Watford goal earned his side a 1-1 draw at Vicarage Road.

Champions Leicester's woes continued as they were condemned to a ninth defeat of the campaign by Everton, who won 2-0 at the King Power Stadium courtesy of Kevin Mirallas and Romelu Lukaku.

West Ham United eased their relegation fears by winning 4-1 at second-bottom Swansea, while Andre Gray's late effort gave Burnley a 1-0 win over Middlesbrough.  

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