EPL: Rampant Manchester City crush Spurs 4-1 to go 14 points clear, Chelsea, Arsenal earn narrow wins, Palace on the rise

Manchester City emphatically underlined their complete dominance of the English Premier League on Saturday as they beat Tottenham Hotspur 4-1 to go 14 points clear at the top of the table.
A 16th straight Premier League win was secured with a first-half header from Ilkay Gundogan and further efforts after the break from Kevin De Bruyne and a double from Raheem Sterling.
The rampant second half performance rendered Christian Eriksen’s stoppage-time goal a consolation.
The margin of victory and the performance from City suggests it will take a series of unlikely outcomes for the title to go anywhere other than the Etihad Stadium.
And when it is against a team considered potential rivals in pre-season, then you just have to shudder.
While second-placed Manchester United can claw back three points at West Bromwich Albion on Sunday, it seems all but a forlorn pursuit.
In the past six days, Pep Guardiola’s side have won against Manchester United at Old Trafford and then crushed Swansea City 4-0 in South Wales in midweek.
But there was no sense of complacency or tiredness as they faced another acid test.
With Leroy Sane’s speed a constant threat and De Bruyne capable of turning defence into attack with one perfectly precise pass, City looked barely troubled by the absence of David Silva.
The Spaniard was missing due to personal reasons.
Just as in the Manchester derby last week, City showed that for all their pretty football, they are also adept at taking a more basic route to goal.
They opened the scoring from a set-piece.
Gundogan was left unmarked from a 14th minute Sane corner kick and the German’s stooping header flashed past Hugo Lloris in the Spurs goal.
The home side were bursting with attacking intent and sensed the opportunity to the kill game off early as Sergio Aguero had a low shot parried by Lloris.
Sterling was unable to keep his follow-up effort down.
Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino deserved credit for at least trying to take City on at their own attacking game.
This was done instead of following the example of so many other teams and merely seeking to nullify and frustrate the leaders.
Yet Harry Kane’s curling shot from the edge of the area in the 35th minute, which went just wide of Ederson’s left-hand post, was the nearest they came to scoring in the first half.
Spurs came out positively after the break, however, enjoying a spell of pressure and City’s Brazilian keeper had to make a superb save in the 55th minute to keep out another Kane attempt.
Guardiola took off Aguero and introduced Gabriel Jesus and while the Brazilian’s direct impact was minimal, City took total control following the switch.
De Bruyne blasted in the second in the 70th minute, after being picked out by Gundogan at the end of a counter-attack.
Five minutes later, City missed a penalty kick when Jesus struck the post.
The third came 10 minutes from the end when Raheem Sterling tapped-in from close range after a typically devastating City counter-attack.
The England forward added a fourth after a mistake from Eric Dier left him to cheekily round Lloris and slot home.
Eriksen scored an injury time consolation for Spurs with a fine solo effort but that was barely enough to interrupt the songs of celebration from the appreciative City supporters.
Meanwhile, Chelsea claimed an eighth win in their last 10 league games at home, beating Southampton 1-0.
Arsenal also edged past Newcastle United as the London clubs maintained their distant pursuit of leaders Manchester City.
Marcos Alonso’s long-range free kick just before halftime earned Chelsea a 1-0 win at Stamford Bridge to put Antonio Conte’s side level in second place with Manchester United.
They are now on 38 points from 18 games, 14 behind City who whipped Tottenham Hotspur 4-1 in a late kick-off game.
Manchester United are in action at West Bromwich Albion on Sunday.
After three games without a win Arsenal moved back into the top four thanks to Mesut Ozil’s superb volleyed winner in the first half at the Emirates.
They have 33 points, one more than fifth-placed Burnley who were held to a 0-0 draw away at Brighton and Hove Albion.
Glenn Murray missed a penalty kick for Brighton who are without a win in seven matches.
Christian Benteke put himself back in Crystal Palace’s good book as he scored Palace’s first away goal of the season with his first goal of the campaign.
Wilfried Zaha and Bakary Sako were also on target in a 3-0 victory for Roy Hodgson’s side.
Benteke broke from team orders and took, and missed, a stoppage-time penalty kick against Bournemouth last weekend to deny his side a precious victory.
But he made amends after 18 minutes as Palace rose to 14th spot.
Leicester, who had won four consecutive games, had Wilfred Ndidi sent off after he was booked for simulation, his second yellow card of the game.
West Ham United also emerged from the bottom three with a 3-0 victory at Stoke City — Marco Arnautovic on target for the Hammers against the club he left in the close season.
Huddersfield Town also ended a long scoring drought on the road as they thumped stumbling Watford 4-1.
Aaron Mooy was on target twice for the visitors who had Jonathan Hogg dismissed in the second half for a second booking. Troy Deeney saw red for Watford in the first half.