Chelsea cemented their position on top of the Premier League with a 3-1 victory at title rivals Manchester City, while Alexis Sanchez’s hat-trick in a 5-1 thrashing of West Ham took Arsenal into second place on Saturday.
Gary Cahill’s own goal from a Jesus Navas cross gifted City the lead on the stroke of half-time, but Diego Costa equalised with a clinical finish in the 60th minute.
Costa capped a dominant display by setting up substitute Willian for Chelsea’s second goal in the 70th minute before Eden Hazard struck to send Antonio Conte’s men four points clear of City at the top.
City’s frustration boiled over in stoppage time with red cards for Sergio Aguero and Fernandinho, the former for an ugly lunge on David Luiz, the latter for pushing Cesc Fabregas over an advertising board.
City striker Aguero faces a four-match ban and boss Pep Guardiola said: “It’s a pity it finished like this. I don’t like that. I apologise for what happened.”
Sanchez fires hat-trick as Arsenal demolish West Ham
Alexis Sanchez fired a 14-minute hat-trick as Arsenal rose to second in the Premier League with an irrepressible 5-1 victory at West Ham on Saturday.
Chile forward Sanchez was the star of the show in east London as Arsenal moved above Liverpool and Manchester City with a triumph that was every bit as emphatic as the scoreline suggests.
After setting up Mesut Ozil for the opening goal in the 24th minute, Sanchez then made the match his own.
He danced away from two defenders to make it 2-0, fired home from the edge for 3-0 and, after the sides had traded goals from Andy Carroll and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, respectively, impudently lobbed West Ham keeper Darren Randolph to seal the one-sided win.
Ramos rises again as Real Madrid snatch draw at Barcelona
A never say die approach is part of Real Madrid’s DNA said captain Sergio Ramos after his stoppage time equaliser maintained a six-point La Liga lead over Barcelona with a 1-1 draw in El Clasico.
Ramos strode forward from defence to net another important goal after Luis Suarez’s 53rd minute opener looked set to end Madrid’s 32-game unbeaten run.
“The team has again showed that we came here to win the game, it wasn’t to be but we got a point,” said Ramos.
“At the end of the day the DNA of Real Madrid obliges you to fight until the end, to always have hope.”
Ramos’s header was a hammer blow for Barca, who have now dropped more points at home already this campaign than they did in the whole of last season.