Two goals from Marcos Alonso and another from Pedro helped Chelsea overcome the absence of Diego Costa to beat Premier League champions Leicester City 3-0 and move seven points clear at the top of the table.
Any sense they would miss their top scorer - officially injured but reported by British media to have had a row with manager Antonio Conte - lasted the six minutes it took Alonso to score with a right-foot shot after Eden Hazard's lay-off.
Pedro almost doubled the lead with a neat free-kick near the end of the half before Alonso struck again six minutes after the interval with a shot that deflected in off Leicester's Wes Morgan.
By that stage, Chelsea enjoyed almost complete control and Pedro wrapped up the win with a header from a move he began with an exquisite flick as the Blues restated their title credentials to restore their lead over second-placed Tottenham Hotspur.
Reuters
