Chelsea shocked!

18 November,2012 08:39 AM IST |   |  AFP

West Brom stuns Di Matteo's men 2-1; defending champs Man City go top after crushing Aston Villa


Manchester City went top in the Premier League by crushing Aston Villa 5-0 on Saturday, but third-placed Chelsea have now gone four games without a win after losing 2-1 at West Bromwich Albion.u00a0David Silva's scrappy 43rd-minute goal put City ahead at the Etihad Stadium, before penalties from Sergio Aguero and Carlos Tevez - awarded for handballs by Andreas Weimann and Barry Bannan - made it 3-0.


Chelsea's Fernando Torres (right) looks on during their English Premier League match against West Brom in London on Saturday. Pic/Getty Images

Aguero beat Villa goalkeeper Brad Guzan at his near post to claim his second goal in the 67th minute and Tevez then tapped home the fifth, as City warmed up for Wednesday's vital Champions League encounter with Real Madrid in style.u00a0The result dropped Villa into the bottom three and took champions City a point clear of former leaders Manchester United, who will return to the summit if they win at Norwich City later on Saturday.

Chelsea's early-season momentum appears to have fizzled out completely, after their defeat at coach Roberto Di Matteo's former club left them four points off the pace.u00a0Shane Long put West Brom ahead at the Hawthorns with a 10th-minute header but Eden Hazard drew the visitors level when he nodded in Cesar Azpilicueta's cross six minutes before half-time.

Everton lose
West Brom's victory allowed them to climb to within a point of Chelsea and they clambered over Everton into fourth place after David Moyes' side were beaten 2-1 at relegation-threatened Reading.u00a0Steven Naismith punished sloppy defending to give Everton a 10th-minute lead but a second-half Adam Le Fondre double - a header followed by a penalty - saw the Royals belatedly register their first win of the campaign.

Arsenal fight back
Earlier, Tottenham Hotspur striker Emmanuel Adebayor scored but was then sent off as his former club Arsenal stormed back from behind to win 5-2 in the north London derby at the Emirates Stadium. The Togolese forward tapped in a 10th-minute opener after Wojciech Szczesny saved from Jermain Defoe but was sent off eight minutes later for an uncontrolled lunge at Santi Cazorla.

Southampton cruise
In the battle of the basement clubs, Southampton won 3-1 at Queens Park Rangers to leave the London club four points adrift at the foot of the table and increase the pressure on coach Mark Hughes.u00a0

EPL results
Liverpool 3-0 Wigan
Man City 5-0 Aston Villa
West Brom 2-1 Chelsea FC
Reading 2-1 Everton
QPR 1-3 Southampton
Newcastle 1-2 Swansea
Arsenal 5-2 Tottenhamu00a0

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