Blues match PL record in thriller

Chelsea matched Arsenal’s record for the most consecutive Premier League wins in a season with a thrilling 4-2 victory against Stoke on New Year’s Eve.

The Blues have now won 13 games in a row – the same as the Gunners side from the 2001/02 campaign – and took the lead just after 30 minutes thanks to Gary Cahill’s header. 

But Bruno Martins Indi scored the fastest second-half goal of the season just 54 seconds after the restart to get Stoke level, before Willian scored his first of two goals ten minutes later to put the Blues back ahead. 

The Potters continued to test their hosts, though, with Peter Crouch scoring his first Premier League goal since the final day of the 2014/15 season in the 64th minute before Willian netted again a minute later to make it 3-2. 

Diego Costa – returning to the side after a suspension on Boxing Day – had the final word with five minutes of normal time to play to round off the victory and send Chelsea nine points clear.

The first-half was a slow burner, with a shot from N’Golo Kante – also back in the side after his one-game ban – in the seventh minute being the pick of the action from the opening exchanges.

Lee Grant was then called into action twice in quick succession to deny Chelsea. The first came in the 19th minute as Costa rounded Mame Biram Diouf on the left of the box, but his shot was kept out by the diving chest of the goalkeeper before he collected the rebound after it came off the back of Martins Indi.

He was in action again three minutes later to palm away a Cahill header before Charlie Adam saw his own headed effort skim wide from a Xherdan Shaqiri corner in the best chance of the …

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