Bernardo Silva’s goal less than a minute into the second half pushed Manchester City closer to the Premier League title as they overcame a surprisingly negative Chelsea at the Etihad Stadium.
Pep Guardiola’s side were forced to bide their time before making the breakthrough and it came when Silva stole in ahead of Marcos Alonso from David Silva’s cross to beat Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois and give City a mammoth 18-point lead at the top of the table.
Chelsea did not register a single shot on target, leaving Manchester City keeper Ederson a virtual bystander as he was even able to watch Alonso’s timid shot drift wide with seconds left.
It was a disappointing day for Chelsea and manager Antonio Conte – and of even greater concern is that they are now five points adrift of Tottenham in fourth place in the race for spots in next season’s Champions League.
