Chelsea 4-2 Stoke: Blues match Arsenal's Premier League winning run

Chelsea 4-2 Stoke

Chelsea matched Arsenal's record for the most consecutive Premier League wins in a season with a thrilling 4-2 victory against Stoke on New Year's Eve.

The Blues have now won 13 games in a row - the same as the Gunners side from the 2001/02 campaign - and took the lead just after 30 minutes thanks to Gary Cahill's header. 

But Bruno Martins Indi scored the fastest second-half goal of the season just 54 seconds after the restart to get Stoke level, before Willian scored his first of two goals ten minutes later to put the Blues back ahead. 

The Potters continued to test their hosts, though, with Peter Crouch scoring his first Premier League goal since the final day of the 2014/15 season in the 64th minute before Willian netted again a minute later to make it 3-2. 

Willian scored twice during the match at Stamford Bridge

Diego Costa - returning to the side after a suspension on Boxing Day - had the final word with five minutes of normal time to play to round off the victory and send Chelsea nine points clear.

The first-half was a slow burner, with a shot from N'Golo Kante - also back in the side after his one-game ban - in the seventh minute being the pick of the action from the opening exchanges.

Gary Cahill celebrates scoring the opening goal with David Luiz during the Premier League thriller

Lee Grant was then called into action twice in quick succession to deny Chelsea. The first came in the 19th minute as Costa rounded Mame Biram Diouf on the left of the box, but his shot was kept out by the diving chest of the goalkeeper before he collected the rebound after it came off the back of Martins Indi.

He was in action again three minutes later to palm away a Cahill header before Charlie Adam saw his own headed effort skim wide from a Xherdan Shaqiri corner in the best chance of the half for Stoke.

Stoke celebrate their second equaliser thanks to Peter Crouch's tap in

Grant produced another heroic save in the 33rd minute to deny Costa once again. David Luiz played a sublime ball down the field that picked out the striker, who turned Ryan Shawcross before shooting, but the Stoke stopper was off his line to block the effort. He then recovered well to palm away the rebound from Eden Hazard.

But Grant could do nothing about the resulting corner, as Cahill rose above the Stoke defence in the box to power home from a Cesc Fabregas corner to put the hosts in front heading into the break.

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It was a goal-laden second half and Stoke equalised with their first shot on target within a minute of the restart. Adam fired a delightful free kick into the box that found the head of Crouch at the back post, that the striker nodded into the path of Martins Indi who steered the ball home.

Chelsea were in front again ten minutes later, though, in what was a fine team goal. Victor Moses got away from Erik Pieters on the right of the box before his low cross found Hazard in the middle. The Belgian took one touch to put the ball into the path of Willian who curled home a delightful effort through four Stoke players.

Willian controls the ball during the game at Stamford Bridge

With 26 minutes of the game to play, the Potters again got themselves level to give the Premier League leaders another obstacle to overcome. A great long ball from Adam found Crouch at the top of the box, who produced great control to try and find a way into the box with support from Bojan. The latter the picked out Diouf on the right, whose cross was turned home by Crouch after he got ahead of Cesar Azpilicueta. 

Chelsea on brink of record

Chelsea beat Stoke to extend their winning run to 13 games. Can they break the PL record?

But amid the elation, Stoke switched off momentarily and allowed Chelsea to again go ahead a minute later. A loose pass from the visitors set off Fabregas towards the box, who slipped in Willian on the right and he took a few steps before hitting home from a tight angle to beat Grant. 

Diego Costa scored the fourth goal for Chelsea with five minutes of the game to play

Both sides had chances to get the next goal as the game headed towards a thrilling conclusion, with a gut-busting break from Willian, Hazard and Costa seeing the striker power a shot over the bar before a sublime Glen Johnson cross was poked wide by Azpilicueta who was ahead of a waiting Crouch. 

Costa had the final say of the game though, coming with five minutes of normal time to play. A throw-in from Marcos Alonso was headed into the box by Adam, arriving at the feet of the Chelsea striker who beat both Shawcross and Martins Indi before nestling the ball into the back of the net. 

Willian celebrates the first of his two goals with David Luiz

The Blues can now set a new Premier League record for the most consecutive wins in a single season when they face London rivals Tottenham on Wednesday evening, aiming for their 14th victory. 

Player ratings

Chelsea: Courtois (7), Cahill (7), Azpilicueta (7), David Luiz (7), Alonso (7), Fabregas (7), Kante (6), Moses (7), Hazard (7), Costa (8), Willian (8).

Subs used: Matic (6), Ivanovic (4), Chalobah (4).

Stoke: Grant (7), Johnson (6), Shawcross (6), Martins Indi (7), Pieters (7), Allen (6), Adam (7), Diouf (5), Afellay (5), Shaqiri (6), Crouch (6). 

Subs used: Imbula (4), Bojan (5).

Man of the match: Willian

Liverpool 1-0 Manchester City: Georginio Wijnaldum floors City

Liverpool 1-0 Man City

Liverpool capped a progressive 2016 under Jurgen Klopp with a 1-0 victory over Manchester City and reduced the gap to Premier League leaders Chelsea back to six points.

Georginio Wijnaldum's eighth-minute header proved to be the difference as Klopp's men responded to Chelsea's 4-2 win over Stoke on Saturday afternoon.

This was Liverpool's fourth win in a row and means they are now unbeaten in their last 17 Premier League home games (W11 D6).

Georginio Wijnaldum celebrates Liverpool's opener in front of Man City supporters

Meanwhile, the defeat leaves City, who failed to test Simon Mignolet with any meaningful efforts, 10 points behind Chelsea in the title race and just three ahead of rivals Manchester United.

Sergio Aguero was back in the Manchester City team for the first time since picking up a four-game ban against Chelsea, while Klopp decided to give Divock Origi a rest and bring in Emre Can to give Liverpool more steel in midfield.

That tactical switch worked well in the early stages with City being crowded out from finding David Silva and Kevin de Bruyne. Despite dominating the ball, the visitors looked vulnerable to Liverpool's high press and it reaped maximum reward on eight minutes.

Georginio Wijnaldum gives Liverpool the lead

Wijnaldum won the ball deep inside his own half and sparked the hosts into action on the counter. They worked the ball to the left wing where Adam Lallana pinged a cross straight onto the head of Wijnaldum, who powered the ball into the bottom corner.

Liverpool have not lost a Premier League home game when leading at half-time since December 2009, but City gave it a good go of ending that run in the early stages of the half.

Georginio Wijnaldum celebrates his early goal with team-mates

They went 45 minutes without registering a shot on target but Aguero signalled their intention early on with a low drive, forcing Mignolet to divert the ball away on 52 minutes. 

Guardiola's side began to look menacing with Silva at the heart of their attacking play, the Spanish playmaker curling an effort inches wide on 56 minutes.

However, that was as good as it got for City, whose attacking impetus fizzled out as the half wore on.

Liverpool saw the match out comfortably and Klopp celebrated with a roar of appreciation towards the Kop.

Jurgen Klopp celebrates following Liverpool's 1-0 win over Manchester City

Player Ratings

Liverpool: Mignolet (7), Clyne (7), Lovren (7), Klavan (7), Milner (8), Henderson (7), Wijnaldum (8), Can (7), Lallana (7), Mane (7), Firmino (7)

Subs: Lucas (6), Origi (7)

Man City: Bravo (6), Zabaleta (6), Stones (6), Otamendi (6), Kolarov (6), Fernandinho (6), Yaya Toure (5), Sterling (6), Silva (6), De Bruyne (6), Aguero (6)

Subs: Iheanacho (6), Navas (6)

Man of the match: James Milner

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Could cracks appear in Chelsea's title bid? The pundits assess...

Gary Neville, Jamie Carragher, Jamie Redknapp and Thierry Henry discuss Chelsea’s blistering form and whether cracks could appear

After winning 12 games on the trot, there aren't too many reasons for Chelsea's title rivals to be cheerful at present.

But with just over half of the season left to play, and as we have seen all too often in Premier League history, anything can happen.

How would injuries impact Antonio Conte's side? Could an abrupt end to their winning run before breaking Arsenal's long-standing record reverberate for weeks afterwards? And what about facing the sides around them at the top?

Chelsea have won 12 games on the trot

With the help of four Sky Sports pundits, we look for reasons to be hopeful for those currently trailing Chelsea at the top of the table...

Gary Neville

I think the rest of them have just got to keep winning. They've got to put pressure on Chelsea and believe that the cracks will come. They will drop points.

They've all got to play them, they all have a responsibility to take points from Chelsea, some in the coming weeks. I think ultimately it is still in the hands of other clubs to damage them, take points from them.

At the moment Chelsea's spine looks so much stronger than other teams, and if they can stay clear of injury, and with the fixture run-in they have they are in a good position, but I would still say there is a lot of hope for the other teams.

Antonio Conte is in his first season in the Premier League

Thierry Henry

I just think at the moment, when you are in that run, things go your way all the time. You have to give them credit for the plan, the way they play and the structure. Whoever plays in that structure plays well all the time; Pedro, Victor Moses, Marcos Alonso.

Yes, it is up to other teams to put on pressure, but they don't concede goals, it's vital.

Jamie Redknapp

I expect Chelsea to beat Stoke at home, but that Tottenham game is the one, that would be 14 games won and the record they are looking for.

Highlights from Chelsea's 3-0 win over Bournemouth.

I've just got this feeling that might be the game that turns it all around for them. Because they are in great form, we all know it, but the one thing when I look at the squad, is that they perhaps don't have the depth the other teams do.

If they were to pick up just one or two injuries, maybe to Costa, it might affect them.

But overall, they have been fantastic. Conte has done a great job. Hats off to them.

Jamie Carragher

Chelsea are big favourites, and of course Liverpool are in with a shout.

With the run Chelsea are on, that doesn't happen often, and there's a reason for that. That run will come to an end.

Antonio Conte is happy with Chelsea's form but warns that 12 successive victories doesn't mean they'll win the Premier League title

If I'm a Liverpool player, the manager, or at Man City or Arsenal, I'm thinking we must keep the points gap as it is. The worry is if the gap gets bigger. Keep it as it is for as long as possible, and Chelsea will drop points, whether through a bad run of form or injuries.

Liverpool play them at the end of January, I'd be thinking if they can keep them at six points until then, get them to Anfield. OK, there will be pressure on Liverpool to win that game, but the longer the season goes on there will be more pressure on Chelsea too.

It's up to those teams around them to take points off them.

Also See:

• Chelsea v Stoke preview
• Conte: Courtois stays with us
• Conte insists title race not over
• Wenger: Chelsea's title to lose

Aston Villa 1-1 Leeds: Jonathan Kodjia nicks point with late penalty

Highlights of the Sky Bet Championship match between Aston Villa and Leeds United

Jonathan Kodjia's late penalty nicked a point for Aston Villa as they drew 1-1 with Leeds in the Sky Bet Championship on Thursday night.

Liam Cooper's rash handball allowed Kodjia to slot home from the spot in the 86th minute at Villa Park, cancelling out Pontus Jansson's headed opener for Leeds earlier in the second half.

Garry Monk's side would have risen to third in the table if they had managed to hold on for victory, but instead end the day a place lower in fourth. Villa, meanwhile, climb to ninth, five points off the play-off places.

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Aston Villa's Jonathan Kodjia celebrates after equalising against Leeds

Villa were nearly gifted the opener after less than two minutes as Kalvin Phillips played a dangerous backpass right into the path of Kodjia in the Leeds area. Luckily for Phillips, though, his team-mate Jansson got across to deny the striker before he could get a shot away.

In terms of chances, though, that was pretty much as good as it got in the first half, with both sides defending resiliently and keeping opportunities for the opposition to a minimum.

Aston Villa's James Chester and Leeds United's Pontus Jansson give their reaction after the entertaining 1-1 draw

The second half, however, was a far more entertaining affair almost from the off, and after 54 minutes Leeds had the lead. It was defender Jansson who got the goal, as Villa goalkeeper Mark Bunn failed to stop his header from a Stuart Dallas corner squirming over the line.

Falling behind rattled Villa, and it could have been even worse just a couple of minutes later as Jansson, once again at a corner, was afforded far too much space to take a touch just inside the area and rattle the crossbar with a fierce volley.

Jansson celebrates with his team-mates after he scores his side's first goal

Leeds looked like they were going to hold on until Cooper's daft handball in the final few minutes, the defender jumping with his arm aloft as he challenged Villa sub Rudy Gestede in the air, leaving referee Roger East with no option but to award the penalty before Kodjia did the damage from the spot.

Leeds United boss Garry Monk says he was disappointed in the way Leeds gave away their lead but insists it's a positive point nonetheless

That was not to be the end of the action as both sides had great chances to win it in the closing stages. First Hadi Sacko nearly capitalised on a Jordan Amavi mistake, getting in behind before rattling the Villa crossbar.

The home side then went up the other end and saw Kodjia force a fine save out of Rob Green from close range, the last real opportunity of the game as the spoils were shared.