Chelsea beat Everton to move four points clear

Frank Lampard scored deep into the injury time to hand Chelsea a four point lead over second placed Arsenal on the English Premier League standings.

Having dropped points at West Brom in their last top-flight fixture, Jose Mourinho's men looked set to be frustrated again by an Everton side that had presentable chances of their own.
However, a free-kick from Lampard - who is now up to joint-second on the all-time Premier League appearance list - found its way into the net late on as captain John Terry applied pressure to Everton goalkeeper Tim Howard.

The goal sent Chelsea four points clear at the summit ahead of Saturday's other fixtures.
Everton, whose last league win at Chelsea came in 1994, remain sixth but have now suffered three successive away defeats to teams above them.
Leon Osman came closest to scoring in a first half short on goalmouth action, forcing Petr Cech into a sharp save from distance.
Both goalkeepers were required to make impressive stops after the interval, before Lampard had the final say.

Fit-again Terry, back from a muscle strain, replaced David Luiz in Chelsea's team, while Lampard and Oscar were also recalled.

Steven Naismith - scorer of the only goal in September's return fixture - was drafted into Everton's side at short notice when Lacina Traore picked up a hamstring injury in the warm-up.
Willian dragged a low shot wide as the hosts started brightly, but Everton soon settled, enjoying prolonged spells of possession, and almost moved ahead in the 12th minute.
Naismith laid the ball into Osman's path 25 yards out and the midfielder's powerful first-time shot forced a fine one-handed save from Cech.

Chelsea gradually improved prior to the interval and visiting keeper Howard needed to be alert to deny Samuel Eto'o after the forward had made space for himself inside the penalty area.
Everton's Kevin Mirallas then wasted a fine opportunity just before half-time, scuffing a shot into Naismith having been given space on the edge of the box.

Chelsea, with Ramires on for Oscar, came out for the second period with renewed purpose and Lampard tested Howard following a neat pass from Eden Hazard.

Yet Everton refused to lie down and Osman brought another good save from Cech on 58 minutes with a deflected strike that the keeper did well to parry past his left-hand post.
Not to be surpassed, Howard got down to deny Hazard before springing to his feet to keep out Branislav Ivanovic's close-range follow-up.

Ramires almost broke the deadlock in the 89th minute with a fizzing 25-yarder that flew narrowly wide, but it mattered little as Chelsea secured a precious winner.

Hazard Hattrick Fires Chelsea To League Summit

Hazard was the hero as he produced a superb hattrick to down Newcastle United at Stamford Bridge. 

Jose Mourinho men started the game with high momentum and Mourinho insisting that Chelsea are not title contenders but, after Eden Hazard's superb hat-trick sent them top of the Premier League, that argument is looking harder and harder to sustain with any real sincerity.

The Blues built on their excellent victory at the Etihad Stadium with a dominating display at Stamford Bridge against a lacklustre Newcastle side. Here, as then, the sublime Hazard was the outstanding player on the pitch but this time his classy technique was allied to a ruthless sense of purpose. Even his penalty was dispatched with style and, on this form, it is hard to disagree with Mourinho's description of the Belgian as "the best young player in the world".

Newcastle offered little resistance and their season is in danger of petering out following the sale of Yohan Cabaye but here they, as everyone else, could only sit and watch in awe of the magical Hazard.

By Andy Craig

That ended the game as a contest but the former Lille man applied the gloss to a fine display with a penalty just after the hour mark.

Chelsea quickly began to dominate proceedings and perhaps should have taken the lead after 25 minutes when Oscar lashed a shot narrowly off target but, just two minutes later, they did make the breakthrough as Hazard curled into the bottom corner,having collected a pass from Branislav Ivanovic.

Newcastle wasted a glaring chance just after the half-hour mark, Moussa Sissoko - captain in the absence of the injured Cheikh Tiote - denied by Cech following a superb through-ball from Davide Santon.

The visitors were punished almost immediately as Hazard finished off a marvellous counterattack by surging into the box before playing a one-two with Samuel Eto'o and coolly slotting beyond Krul.

Mourinho's men continued to look fallible in defence and were grateful to Cech once more when the Czech goalkeeper scrambled to prevent Luuk de Jong from scoring on his full Newcastle debut with a close-range header.


However, the third goal finally arrived on 63 minutes, Hazard converting from the spot in confident fashion after Yanga-Mbiwa had hauled down Eto'o in the area.

The Belgian then came off to a rousing standing ovation prior to a flurry of late chances, Krul denying substiute Mohamed Salah a first goal for Chelsea before Sylvain Marveaux somehow shot wide following a Newcastle counter at the other end.