Cesc Fabregas starred as Chelsea re-established a three-
point lead at the top of the Premier League with a 2-0
win at Stoke City on Monday.
Manchester City's victory over Crystal Palace on
Saturday had seen the defending champions pull level
at the summit, but success at the Britannia Stadium
on Monday ensures Chelsea head into the hectic
festive period out front in the title race.
John Terry's headed opener from a Fabregas corner
with less than two minutes played gave Chelsea
something to defend and Stoke rarely looked like
finding a way through the visitors' determined
defensive line.
Chelsea, for their part, often looked dangerous on the
break after going ahead, but were unable to build on
their breakthrough until Fabregas scuffed a second in
12 minutes from time.
While the result moves Chelsea three points clear at
the top, Stoke are 13th following a first defeat in
three matches.
Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois returned from injury as
Jose Mourinho made five changes to the Chelsea side
that beat Derby County in the League Cup quarter-
finals on Tuesday, but it was two of the players who
retained their starting berths from the trip to Pride
Park who combined to open the scoring inside two
minutes.
Terry shrugged off Geoff Cameron in the box to get
his head to a Fabregas corner and deal the hosts an
early blow – the Spaniard providing a 12th assist of
the season.
Stoke – boosted by the return of Bojan Krkic as one
of two changes – struggled to make any inroads in
the opening stages and were thankful when Diego
Costa failed to connect properly with a Branislav
Ivanovic cutback five minutes after the opener.
The ball almost ended up in the Chelsea net off Terry
after 21 minutes – Steven N'Zonzi's 20-yard strike
well saved by Courtois following a heavy deflection
off the defender.
Referee Neil Swarbrick inadvertently then thwarted a
promising Chelsea counter-attack when he got in the
way on the halfway line two minutes later, drawing
the understandable ire of Mourinho, before Costa fired
just wide following an error by Ryan Shawcross.
Phil Bardsley – already booked for a lunging challenge
on Eden Hazard earlier in the half - might have
counted himself lucky to still be involved at the break
after avoiding a second yellow card for an apparent
tug on the shirt of Costa.
Asmir Begovic did well to get down to his right to
keep out a Willian strike early in the second
period before clinging onto a soft Fabregas strike
after Hazard had managed to force the ball into the
six-yard box.
Stoke enjoyed a greater share of possession after the
interval, but struggled to carve out any clear-cut
opportunities as the match threatened to fall flat.
Charlie Adam's introduction after 68 minutes
appeared to give Stoke something of a lift and the
midfielder sent an effort narrowly wide of the left-
hand upright shortly after entering the action.
However, Fabregas had the final say, diverting the
ball into the back of the net after being played in by
Hazard, who limped off late on after a tackle from
Jonathan Walters, although there was an element of
fortune about his finish.
Bojan sent an effort whistling past the left-hand post
deep into stoppage time, but there was no danger of
Stoke challenging Chelsea's lead at that late stage.
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