Chelsea extended their lead at the top of the Premier League to four points with a 4-1 win against Norwich yesterday, while champions Manchester City got back on track by crushing Sunderland 3-0.
Roberto Di Matteo’s unbeaten Chelsea have made a flying start to their title challenge and this was the European champions’ sixth win in seven league matches.
The Blues recovered from the shock of Norwich striker Grant Holt’s 11th-minute opener at Stamford Bridge to take complete control before half-time.
Fernando Torres equalised with his fifth goal of the season, the Spaniard heading home from a Branislav Ivanovic cross in the 14th minute.
Frank Lampard put Chelsea in front in the 22nd minute with a drive from the edge of the area and Belgian playmaker Eden Hazard, netting a cool 31st-minute strike from Juan Mata’s pass, shattered Norwich’s resistance.
Ivanovic rubbed salt into Norwich’s wounds when he bagged the fourth goal with 14 minutes left.
“Norwich scored a good goal and it was important to equalise quickly. From there on it was a lot of Chelsea pressure,” Di Matteo said.
“The players just controlled the game. We can be happy about the performance. We are slowly evolving and don’t concede too many goals.”
Roberto Mancini’s City spluttered through the start of their title defence and assault on the Champions League, but a convincing display at Eastlands secured a second victory in their last seven fixtures in all competitions and their first clean sheet of the season at the 10th attempt.
The hosts were ahead after five minutes when Serbian defender Aleksandar Kolarov curled a superb free-kick past Sunderland goalkeeper Simon Mignolet.
Argentine substitute Sergio Aguero got the second goal on the hour when he steered in a Kolarov cross from close-range for his first goal at Eastlands since the dramatic strike that won the title on the final day of last season.
And England midfielder James Milner ensured City would move into second place with an 89th-minute free-kick that glanced in off Sunderland’s Craig Gardner.
“In the first half we missed two or three chances, like in other games, but we had a good performance,” Mancini said.
“Every game is difficult in this moment. I am happy because we got a clean sheet and scored three, but also because of our performance.”
Theo Walcott came off the bench to inspire Arsenal as the Gunners won 3-1 at London rivals West Ham.
Senegal midfielder Mohamed Diame gave West Ham the lead in the 21st minute with a superb individual effort.
But the Gunners drew level four minutes before half-time when France forward Olivier Giroud volleyed home Lukas Podolski’s cross from close range for his first Premier League goal since his pre-season move from Montpellier.
Walcott got the crucial second in the 77th minute with a clinical low finish and Santi Cazorla completed the win with a long-range effort from Walcott’s pass.
Third-placed Everton salvaged a 2-2 draw at Wigan thanks to a late penalty from former Latics man Leighton Baines.
Wigan went ahead in controversial circumstances when Arouna Kone finished off a fine run from Shaun Maloney, even though the Ivory Coast striker was clearly offside.
Everton hit back one minute later through Nikica Jelavic and, although Franco Di Santo put Wigan back in front in the 23rd minute, Baines fired home from the spot with three minutes to go.
West Brom continued their surprising start to the season by climbing to fourth place with a 3-2 victory over bottom-of-the-table QPR at the Hawthorns.
Results and standings
Premier League
Chelsea 4
Torres 14; Lampard 22; Hazard 31; Ivanovic 76;
Norwich City 1
Holt 11;
HT: 3-1. Att: 41,000.
Man. City 3
Kolarov 5; Aguero 60; Milner 89;
Sunderland 0
HT: 1-0. Att: 47,036.
Swansea 2
Michu 71; Routledge 78;
Reading 2
Pogrebnyak 31; Hunt 44;
HT: 0-2. Att: 20,336.
West Brom 3
Morrison 5; Gera 22; Mulumbu 85;
QPR 2
Taarabt 35; Granero 90;
HT: 2-1. Att: 23,987.
West Ham 1
Diame 21;
Arsenal 3
Giroud 41; Walcott 77; Cazorla 83;
HT: 1-1. Att: 34,974.
Wigan 2
Kone 10; Di Santo 23;
Everton 2
Jelavic 11; Baines 87 pen;
HT: 2-1. Att: 18,000.
| P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts | |
| Chelsea | 7 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 15 | 4 | 19 |
| Man. City | 7 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 15 | 8 | 15 |
| Everton | 7 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 14 | 8 | 14 |
| West Brom | 7 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 11 | 7 | 14 |
| Arsenal | 7 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 13 | 5 | 12 |
| Man. United | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 14 | 9 | 12 |
| Tottenham | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 11 | 8 | 11 |
| West Ham | 7 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 8 | 11 |
| Fulham | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 13 | 9 | 9 |
| Newcastle | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 8 | 9 |
| Swansea | 7 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 12 | 11 | 8 |
| Stoke | 6 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 7 |
| Sunderland | 6 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 7 | 7 |
| Liverpool | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 9 | 12 | 5 |
| Aston Villa | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 10 | 5 |
| Wigan | 7 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 13 | 5 |
| Reading | 6 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 13 | 3 |
| Southampton | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 10 | 18 | 3 |
| Norwich | 7 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 17 | 3 |
| QPR | 7 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 6 | 16 | 2 |
Playing today
Liverpool vs Stoke - 16.00
Newcastle vs Man. United - 17.00
Southampton vs Fulham - 14.30
Tottenham vs Aston Villa - 16.00
Leading scorers
6 goals: Ba (Newcastle).
5 goals: Van Persie (Man. United), Suarez (Liverpool), Michu (Swansea), Fletcher (Sunderland).
Next fixtures
Saturday, October 20: 13.45 Tottenham vs Chelsea. 16.00 Fulham vs Aston Villa; Liverpool vs Reading; Man. United vs Stoke City; Swansea vs Wigan; West Brom vs Manchester City; West Ham vs Southampton. 18.30 Norwich vs Arsenal.
Sunday, October 21: 14.30 Sunderland vs Newcastle. 17.00 QPR vs Everton.
The Championship
Birmingham 0 - Huddersfield 1
Blackburn 0 - Wolves 1
Blackpool 0 - Charlton 2
C. Palace 4 - Burnley 3
Derby 0 - Brighton 0
Ipswich 1 - Cardiff 2
Leeds United 1 - Barnsley 0
Leicester 2 - Bristol City 0
Millwall 2 - Bolton 1
Peterborough 0 - N. Forest 1
Sheffield Wed. 0 - Hull City 1
Watford 1 - M’boro 2
Standings: Cardiff 22; Leicester 21; Wolves, C. Palace 19; Brighton 18; Huddersfield, Leeds 17; Blackpool, Blackburn, Hull, M’boro 16; N. Forest 14; Derby, Watford 13; Charlton 12; Burnley, Bristol C., Bolton, Barnsley, Millwall, Birmingham 11; Sheff. Wed. 8; Ipswich 7; Peterborough 6.
League One
Brentford 2 - Crawley 1
Bury 0 - Swindon 1
Coventry 1 - Bournemouth 0
Crewe 2 - Hartlepool 1
Doncaster 1 - Shrewsbury 0
L. Orient 0 - Sheffield Utd 1
MK Dons 2 - Portsmouth 2
Notts County 0 - Tranmere 1
Oldham 3 - Preston 1
Stevenage 1 - Scunthorpe 0
Walsall 1 - Carlisle 2
Yeovil 3 - Colchester 1
Standings: Tranmere 27, Stevenage 23; Sheffield United 21; Swindon 20; MK Dons, Crawley 19; N. County 18; Preston, Brentford, Doncaster, Walsall 17; Carlisle 15; Yeovil, L. Orient, Crewe 13; Oldham Athletic, Portsmouth 12; Shrewsbury, Colchester, Coventry 10; Bournemouth, Scunthorpe 8; Hartle-pool 6; Bury 4.
League Two
Accrington 2 - Rochdale 3
Aldershot 0 - Chesterfield 1
Bristol Rovers 3 - Northampton 1
Cheltenham 2 - Fleetwood 2
Dagenham 4 - Bradford City 3
Exeter 0 - Port Vale 2
Morecambe 0 - Burton 0
Oxford 0 - Gillingham 0
Plymouth 1 - Wimbledon 2
Southend 2 - Barnet 2
Wycombe 2 - Torquay 1
York 0 - Rotherham 0
Standings: Gillingham 26; Port Vale 23; Fleetwood 21; Exeter City, Rochdale, Cheltenham 19; Burton 18; Bradford, Accrington 17; Rotherham, Torquay, Southend, Chesterfield 15; York 14; Northampton, Oxford 13; Morecambe 12; Dagenham, Plymouth 11; Bristol Rovers, Wimbledon 10; Wycombe, Aldershot 8; Barnet 3.