A round-up of all the results and match reports from the latest Premier League fixtures.
TUESDAY
Liverpool 4 Stoke City 1
Liverpool: Lallana (34'), Firmino (44'), Imbula (59' OG), Sturridge (70')
Stoke: Waiters (12')
• A fine finish by Roberto Firmino helped Liverpool to come roaring back from behind and beat Stoke City 4-1 as they reclaimed second place in the Premier League table on Tuesday.
• More: Richard Jolly on Liverpool's strength at Anfield
Jurgen Klopp’s side were rattled for a spell after Jonathan Walters headed Stoke into an early lead at Anfield, but Adam Lallana restored parity before Brazilian striker Firmino netted with a minute of the first half remaining.
A Giannelli Imbula own goal and a first Premier League goal of the season for Daniel Sturridge in the second half put the seal on a third straight victory for the Reds, who are still unbeaten at Anfield this season.
The win allowed the Reds to move back to within six points of Premier League leaders Chelsea as they moved back above Manchester City, who they host at Anfield on New Year’s Eve. Without a win in four games, Stoke are 13th.
* Agence France-Presse
MONDAY
Watford 1 Crystal Palace 1
Watford: Deeney (71' pen)
Palace: Cabaye (26')
• Crystal Palace began life under Sam Allardyce with a 1-1 draw at Watford though they could have won the game but for a missed Christian Benteke penalty.
Palace went ahead after 26 minutes when winger Andros Townsend’s incisive run and neat inside pass set up Yohan Cabaye to turn the ball into the net first time.
The visitors missed the chance to double the lead 10 minutes later when Heurelho Gomes saved a softly-struck Benteke penalty that he had given away himself when hacking down the striker.
Watford had barely threatened in the first half but were rewarded for better effort when Troy Deeney slammed in from the spot after 71 minutes when Damian Delaney had hauled down Sebastian Prodl at a corner. It was Deeney’s first goal for three months and his 100th for the club.
* Reuters
Arsenal 1 West Bromwich Albion 0
Arsenal: Giroud (86')
• Olivier Giroud marked his first Premier League start of the season by heading home a late winner as Arsenal claimed a 1-0 victory over a resolute West Bromwich Albion.
It had looked for 86 minutes as though Tony Pulis’ game-plan would work to perfection as the visitors limited Arsenal to only a handful of chances, with Ben Foster on top form in the West Brom goal.
But it would be Giroud, largely a bit-part player for Arsene Wenger this season, who headed home Mesut Ozil’s cross to secure a much-needed Boxing Dy triumph for the hosts.
* Press Association
Burnley 1 Middlesbrough 0
Burnley: Gray (80')
• Andre Gray volleyed in his second Premier League goal 10 minutes from time to earn Burnley a 1-0 win over Middlesbrough at Turf Moor.
The former non-league forward had not scored since netting against Liverpool in August, after which historical unsavoury posts on social media came to light that saw the English Football Association hand him a four-game ban.
Last year’s Championship player of the year has not been a regular since returning, but he provided the key contribution in a dull affair with a late strike that earned Burnley a sixth home win of the season.
It had been four years since Burnley had scored in a Boxing Day encounter and their 3-0 loss to Hull City 12 months ago was their final defeat before a 23-match unbeaten streak guided them to the Championship title.
* Press Association
Chelsea 3 Bournemouth 0
Chelsea: Pedro (24', 90'+3), Hazard (49' pen)
• A supremely confident Chelsea notched a club record 12th consecutive league win to move nine points clear at the top of the Premier League, two goals from Pedro and one from Eden Hazard giving them a 3-0 victory over Bournemouth.
It took Pedro until the 24th minute to score, set up by Cesc Fabregas after jinking interplay between the Spanish players, Hazard, Willian and Nemanja Matic. He deftly lofted the ball over Artur Boruc, stranded in the Bournemouth goalmouth.
Captain Simon Francis brought down a sashaying Hazard in the Bournemouth area in the 49th minute and the Belgian converted the penalty for his 50th Premier League goal.
Chelsea, who have conceded only two goals on their winning run under Antonio Conte and scored 27, added the third in stoppage time when Pedro’s surging run ended with the ball deflected into the goal.
* Reuters
Leicester City 0 Everton 2
Everton: Mirallas (51'), R Lukaku (90'+1)
• Kevin Mirallas and Romelu Lukaku struck to sink Leicester City and hand Everton their first away win since September.
The pair scored breakaway second-half goals to send Everton seventh in the Premier League following a 2-0 victory at the King Power Stadium, which increases the champions’ relegation worries.
It was only Everton’s third triumph from their last 13 league games but Ronald Koeman’s side ground out all three points in a low-quality game.
The last time Leicester hosted Everton, in May, they lifted the Premier League trophy afterwards, but this time they are three points above the relegation zone.
* Press Association
Manchester United 3 Sunderland 1
Man United: Blind (39'), Ibrahimovic (82'), Mkhitaryan (86')
Sunderland: Borini (90+1)
• Manchester United stretched their unbeaten run to 11 games in all competitions after Daley Blind, in-form striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic and substitute Henrik Mkhitaryan gave them a 3-1 home win over Sunderland.
Left-back Blind fired United ahead with a crisp 39th-minute shot after Ibrahimovic teed him up perfectly. The towering Swede doubled the lead with a clinical 82nd-minute finish for his 17th goal of the season.
Fit-again Mkhitaryan put the icing on the cake with a spectacular back-heel effort after a sharp Ibrahimovic cross from the right, although television replays suggested the Armenian was marginally offside. Striker Fabio Borini gave Sunderland fans something to cheer with a dipping late volley.
The result left United, who also celebrated their fourth successive Premier League win, in sixth place on 33 points from 18 games. Sunderland, managed by United’s former boss David Moyes, remained 18th.
* Reuters
Swansea City 1 West Ham United 4
Swansea: Llorente (89')
West Ham: Ayew (13'), Reid (50'), Antonio (78'), Carroll (90')
• Struggling Swansea City slumped to a third consecutive loss as West Ham United put further distance between themselves and the relegation zone with a comfortable 4-1 victory at the Liberty Stadium.
Home goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski’s mistake allowed former Swansea player Andre Ayew to put West Ham ahead after 13 minutes and the nearest Swansea came to equalising before the break was Gylfi Sigurdsson’s free kick that was saved by Darren Randolph.
West Ham doubled their advantage in the 50th minute when defender Winston Reid met Dimitri Payet’s corner with a header that gave Fabianski no chance. Second-bottom Swansea had plenty of possession but West Ham were defensively solid and Michail Antonio put the result beyond doubt when he turned in Havard Nordtveit’s shot.
Fernando Llorente grabbed a late consolation for the hosts but there was still time for Andy Carroll to embellish a third consecutive win for West Ham.
* Reuters
Hull City 0 Manchester City 3
Man City: Toure (72' PEN), Iheanacho (78'), Davies (90'+4' OG)
City lost the recalled John Stones to an early injury and were made to sweat before three second-half goals secured victory at Hull.
Yaya Toure scored a 72nd-minute penalty after Andrew Robertson fouled Raheem Sterling, with a Kelechi Iheanacho tap-in and a Curtis Davies own goal completing the win.
“There is always pressure for us because the top of the league is tough and the other teams at the top had won today,” said manager Pep Guardiola.
“Every game we play is like a final.”
* Agence France-Presse
WEDNESDAY
• Southampton v Tottenham Hotspur (11.45pm)
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