EPL: Fabregas earns Chelsea perfect 10, Man City and Liverpool win

Chelseas Spanish midfielder Cesc Fabregas celebrates scoring his teams first goal during the English Premier League football match between Sunderland and Chelsea at the Stadium of Light in Sunderland PicAFPLondon Chelsea maintained their stranglehold on the Premier League by beating Sunderland 10 on Wednesday to register their 10th successive win and move six points clear at the top of the tableCesc Fabregass firsthalf strike ensured the Blues took full advantage of Tuesdays slipup by secondplaced Arsenal to leave Liverpool 30 winners at Middlesbrough and Manchester City who beat Watford 20 to keep up the chaseManchester United continued their recent improvement with a 21 victory at Crystal Palace and West Bromwich Albions Salomon Rondon took the individual honours with a hattrick of headers in a 31 win over Swansea CityChelseas win was particularly welcome because it came without the injured Eden HazardOne of the secrets behind their success has been continuity of selection so manager Antonio Conte will be delighted at the way his revamped midfield of Fabregas and Willian combined beautifully just before halftime for the Spaniard to score the goal which confirmed Chelseas best run since 200506Cesc is a good player for us Conte told reportersI have four midfielders and it is important for me to evaluate the form of the single players some games you need players more physical and some games more technical It is important that Cesc had a good gameI prefer my players not to look at the table and to focus on the next game in three days We must prepare very well to have a good ChristmasThat seems guaranteed since Chelsea will definitely top the table on Dec 25 On each of the previous four occasions they have done that they have gone on to win the titleLiverpool overtook Arsenal in second place after a comfortable 30 win at Middlesbrough with Adam Lallana involved in all three goals scoring twice and laying on another for Divock OrigiManager Juergen Klopp reacted to dropping five points in the last two games by picking Simon Mignolet in goal ahead of Loris Karius and the Belgian responded with one outstanding save in a clean sheetRecent stuttersManchester City also put recent stutters behind them as goals from Pablo Zabaleta his first in two years and David Silva secured a 20 win over Watford only their fifth victory in 16 gamesFifthplaced Tottenham Hotspur comfortably overcame Hull City 30 while Jose Mourinhos Manchester United are starting to get a return on the huge money they invested in Paul Pogba and Zlatan IbrahimovicJames McArthur looked to have earned Palace a point after cancelling out Pogbas opener but Swede Ibrahimovic struck two minutes from time to delight his managerIt was an amazing performance for a guy who is 35 years old scoring goals being a leader amazing said Mourinho after overseeing Uniteds first backtoback league wins since AugustWest Bromwich Albion moved up to seventh one place behind United after Rondon became the first player to score a headed hattrick in the Premier League since Duncan Ferguson in 1997The goals came in a devastating 13minute burst early in the second half as Swansea succumbed to the defensive frailty that has dogged them all seasonTheir only consolation was that most of the sides around them also lost West Ham being the exception after beating Burnley 10 with a goal from Mark Noble after his penalty was parried by Tom HeatonStoke City striker Marko Arnautovic was sent off in his sides 00 draw with Southampton Stoke boss Mark Hughess 400th game as a Premier League manager