London rivals Spurs and Chelsea saw the New Year in with a bang, sharing eight goals to help set a new record of 33 Premier League netbusters on January 1, the most since 34 were scored in 1987.
The Lilywhites had gone 9 league games without a win against their local adversaries, and hopes of avoiding it becoming 10 seemed slim when Diego Costa tapped home an 18th-minute opener after Eden Hazard had struck a post.
But Spurs have got Harry Kane, and the in-form Englishman wasn't going to spurn the sort of chances which came his way when Tottenham lost at Stamford Bridge last month. The 21-year-old netted either side of half-time and set up Nacer Chadli to smash in the home side's fifth of the evening.
Chelsea hang onto top spot from Manchester City by the skin of their teeth. Four wins and a draw from five games leaves Mauricio Pochettino's men within two points of the top four.
- Diego Costa scored an away league goal for the first time since November at Anfield.
- Costa has scored 14 goals in 17 Premier League appearances.
- Oscar has assisted 6 goals this season; his best ever Premier League season haul.
- Harry Kane has scored 17 goals in all competitions this term; only Sergio Aguero (19) has more for a Premier League side.
- Danny Rose was only the second defender to score and assist in a single Premier League game this season (+ Calum Chambers vs Burnley).
- Cesc Fabregas now has more Premier League assists this season (14) than any player managed last term (Steven Gerrard 13).
- Eden Hazard has scored 4 and assisted 3 in his last 7 league games.
- John Terry (37) is now only 1 behind David Unsworth (38) as the Premier League’s all-time top scoring defender.
- Chelsea conceded more than once before the break for the first time in the Premier League since March 2013 against Mauricio Pochettino’s Southampton (2).
- They conceded 3 first-half league goals for the first time since May 2012 against Liverpool.
- Chelsea conceded 4 (went on to concede 5) times in a single Premier League game for the first time under Jose Mourinho.
- Indeed the Portuguese tactician saw his team concede 5 times for only the second time in his managerial career (+ Barcelona 5-0 Real Madrid in November 2010).
- Chelsea shipped 5 goals in a Premier League game for only the third time (1-5 vs Liverpool in 1996, 3-5 vs Arsenal in 2011).
