Record-breaking Chelsea surge seven points clear

Reuters: Spaniard Pedro scored twice as Chelsea tightened their grip on top spot by sweeping past Bournemouth 3-0 on Monday, a club record 12th successive Premier League win taking them seven points clear.

Approaching the halfway point of the season, Chelsea have 46 points to the 39 of Manchester City who won 3-0 at Hull City.

Liverpool, who host Stoke City on Tuesday, and Arsenal, who needed a late Olivier Giroud goal to sink West Bromwich Albion 1-0, both have 37 points.

Bournemouth, who won this fixture last season when Jose Mourinho was in charge at Stamford Bridge, conceded a third goal when Pedro’s deflected shot went in during stoppage time.

The victory took Chelsea past their 11-game winning run from 2009, leaving them within two of the top-flight record set by Arsenal in 2002.

“To win 12 in a row is not easy in this league. It’s a fantastic run but it’s important to continue that now,” Conte told reporters.

“We have another tough game (at home to Stoke on Saturday) and we have to prepare very well because, now, every team wants to beat you.”

Arsenal seemed set to drop points again, having lost their two previous games, as Tony Pulis’ West Bromwich Albion frustrated them for 86 minutes at the Emirates.

Then Giroud, given a rare league start by manager Arsene Wenger, powered a header past West Brom’s impressive keeper Ben Foster from Mesut Ozil’s cross.

Sixth-placed Manchester United kept in touch thanks to a 3-1 defeat of Sunderland as former boss David Moyes had another disappointing day at Old Trafford.

Leicester City’s struggles continued when they lost 2-0 at home to Everton and the champions are now two places and three points above the relegation zone.

Nothing is right for Ranieri as Champions Leicester lose to Everton

​Reuters: Champions Leicester continued their slide towards a New Year Premier League relegation fight as they were beaten 2-0 at home by Everton on Monday despite dominating the match.Goals from Kevin Mirallas and Romelu Lukaku condemned Claudio Ranieri’s side to their second home league defeat of the season to leave them in 16th place, three points above the drop zone.With a dreadful away record having badly undermined their season, it was no wonder Ranieri was gloomy as he reflected on how a side who collected the Premier League title in May have fallen away so badly.

“Nothing is right, nothing is easy but we must continue to work hard and be very attentive in the little detail,” the Italian said. “Only the little details make us down. We have to react as soon as possible.“What a year. Everything was right for the first six months and now everything is wrong. We have to fight.”

After 18 games last season Leicester had 38 points.This time they head into a new year with a mere 17 and the spectre of relegation can no longer be dismissed.Last season’s PFA Player of the Year Riyad Mahrez was on the bench on Monday and with Jamie Vardy suspended Leicester lacked teeth in the final third of the pitch.

Manchester City go second with 3-0 win over Hull

Reuters: Yaya Toure slammed home a penalty and Kelechi Iheanacho netted a simple goal for Manchester City as they secured a 3-0 win at struggling Hull City who again came up empty-handed despite a battling display on Monday.

Hull held out for more than an hour but their resistance finally crumbled when Raheem Sterling was upended by Andrew Robertson in the 72nd minute and Toure fired the ball in from the spot.

Six minutes later Kevin De Bruyne, who hit the post earlier with a dipping shot, and David Silva combined to create a simple chance for Iheanacho as he tapped in from close range.

An own goal in injury time by defender Curtis Davies rounded off a miserable 20-minute spell for Hull who have not won in the league since beating Southampton on Nov. 6.The win put Pep Guardiola’s side second in the table on 39 points, seven behind leaders Chelsea.

Manchester City next travel to fellow title hopefuls Liverpool on New Year’s Eve while bottom club Hull host Everton on Friday.

Swansea crushed at home by West Ham

Reuters: Struggling Swansea City slumped to a third consecutive loss as West Ham United moved well clear of the Premier League relegation zone with a comfortable 4-1 victory at the Liberty Stadium on Monday.

Swansea’s porous defence was again their Achilles heel as they conceded three or more goals for the fifth time in their last six league games to take their goals against total to 41.

Only Rotherham, who prop up the Championship, have conceded more in the top two divisions.

It was the same old story for Bob Bradley’s second-from-bottom side as they enjoyed their fair share of possession but looked vulnerable whenever the ball entered their area.

To rub salt in the wounds West Ham’s opener after 13 minutes was scored by former Swansea player Andre Ayew after a mistake by keeper Lukasz Fabianski.

Gylfi Sigurdsson’s free kick was the closest Swansea came before the break and West Ham doubled their advantage in the 50th minute when defender Winston Reid met Dimitri Payet’s corner with a header that gave Fabianski no chance.

Michail Antonio put the result beyond doubt when he turned in Havard Nordtveit’s shot and although Fernando Llorente grabbed a consolation for the hosts there was still time for Andy Carroll to embellish a third consecutive win for the Hammers who are now safely in mid-table.

Inevitable boos rang around the Liberty Stadium at the final whistle and American Bradley admitted his side had it all to do.

Bradley can take heart from the turnaround at West Ham since the start of the month when Slaven Bilic’s side were hammered 5-1 at home by Arsenal and were sliding towards a relegation battle.

They have since taken 10 points from a possible 12.