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| Eden Hazard celebrates scoring against Manchester City |
Chelsea took a huge step towards the Premier League title as Eden Hazard’s first-half brace saw off Manchester City 2-1 at Stamford Bridge.
Hazard opened the scoring and restored Chelsea’s lead 10 minutes before the break after Sergio Aguero levelled for the visitors, converting at the second attempt after Willy Caballero saved his tame penalty.
City pressed for a leveller throughout the second half but Chelsea held out for the ideal response to Saturday’s shock loss to Crystal Palace, with the gap at the summit remaining at seven points with eight games to play after nearest rivals Tottenham came back for a dramatic late 3-1 win over Swansea City.
It is a race Pep Guardiola will now watch from a distance, with his captain Vincent Kompany’s successful return from his latest lengthy absence providing a positive for the battle ahead to secure Champions League qualification.
City โ who saw John Stones miss a glorious chance in stoppage time โ have now gone four Premier League games without a win and are fourth, four points ahead of Manchester United and Arsenal having played a game more than both.
