SWANSEA 0 CHELSEA 5
Diego Costa took his top-flight tally for the season to 17 as Chelsea extended their Premier League lead to five points with a crushing 5-0 win over Swansea at the Liberty Stadium.
Costa and Oscar each helped themselves to a first-half double as the home side made a shocking start to life without their front man Wilfried Bony.
Jose Mourinho’s men seized control with just 50 seconds on the clock when Oscar robbed Gylfi Sigurdsson and fired home the opener from 25 yards.
Sigurdsson almost atoned for his error immediately when he struck the post from long-range, but that was to prove the home side’s only clear chance of the afternoon as Chelsea ran riot.
Costa made it 2-0 after 20 minutes and a desperate blunder by Federico Fernandez allowed the Spain international to fire home his second just after the half-hour.
Oscar made it four two minutes later in a half in which Willian also hit the woodwork twice - with substitute Andre Schurrle completing the scoring after the break as Chelsea eased to victory.
QPR 0 Manchester United 2
Manchester United laboured to a third away league win of the season as they saw off QPR to strengthen the case any potential insider has on ousting manager Harry Redknapp.
Marouane Fellaini came off the bench at half-time to score the opening goal of a poor-quality 2-0 win, with fellow substitute James Wilson wrapping things up with his first of the campaign with the last kick.
This was just United’s third win away from Old Trafford in the Barclays Premier League this season as Louis van Gaal’s expensively-assembled strike-force again flattered to deceive.
Having told Radamel Falcao he still needed to prove himself, the Monaco loanee missed the best two chances of the game before Fellaini spared his blushes - moving level with the Colombian on three goals for the season.
QPR had their own chances as Charlie Austin brought the best out of United goalkeeper David De Gea but Rangers remain 19th in the table and have now gone five league games without a win.
NEWCASTLE 1 SOUTHAMPTON 2
Eljero Elia scored twice to fire Southampton back into third place in the Premier League with a hard-fought victory at Newcastle.
The Dutchman, on loan from Werder Bremen, scored his first goal for the club with 14 minutes gone and then after Yoan Gouffran had cancelled out his strike with a fortuitous 29th-minute equaliser, restored the visitors’ lead 17 minutes into the second half.
Both goals came against the run of play as Newcastle, who have now played four games under caretaker manager John Carver and won none of them, dominated possession for long periods. However, they lacked the cutting edge.
TOTTENHAM 2 SUNDERLAND 1
Jermain Defoe was unable to continue his remarkable run of marking club debuts with a goal as Sunderland suffered a last-gasp defeat at former club Tottenham.
Just 11 months after leaving White Hart Lane for Toronto FC, the 32-year-old returned to his old stomping ground after completing a move to the north-east strugglers on the eve of this match.
Defoe received a warm reception in north London but left frustrated, with Christian Eriksen’s late strike - his third in as many games against Sunderland - securing Spurs a 2-1 win in the dying minutes.
ASTON VILLA 0 LIVERPOOL 2
Fabio Borini scored his first Liverpool goal in almost two years as they comfortably despatched Aston Villa 2-0 in the Barclays Premier League.
Rickie Lambert clinched victory as the Reds extended their unbeaten run to eight games in all competitions. Martin Skrtel also hit the post while Christian Benteke and Nathan Baker missed decent chances for the powderpuff hosts.
Villa’s goal misery continued and they have now gone eight hours and 42 minutes without scoring.
Paul Lambert’s side have won just twice in their last 18 league games and are just three points above the drop zone, while Liverpool sit seventh.
BURNLEY 2 CRYSTAL PALACE 3
For the second weekend running Dwight Gayle and Jason Puncheon rescued Crystal Palace to secure a significant victory at Burnley.
The pair both scored in the come-from-behind win over Tottenham seven days ago and repeated the feat at Turf Moor as the Eagles recovered from being 2-0 down after 16 minutes to seal a 3-2 success.
Burnley appeared to be coasting after Ben Mee and Danny Ings struck in quick succession, but they were pegged back before Gayle’s second three minutes from time extended Alan Pardew’s unbeaten run since he took over at Selhurst Park.
LEICESTER 0 STOKE 1
Bojan Krkic brought Leicester’s mini-revival grinding to a halt with a moment of magic in an otherwise tame top-flight midlands derby clash.
The Spaniard’s fourth goal of the season just after the hour proved decisive, ending the Foxes’ four-match unbeaten run and so ensuring Nigel Pearson’s side remain at the foot of the Barclays Premier League.
