LONDON (AP) – Chelsea routed Swansea 5-0 for the leaders’ biggest win of the Premier League season today, while Manchester United produced only their third away success of the campaign at Queens Park Rangers.
Diego Costa and Oscar both scored twice before Andre Schuerrle completed Swansea’s home humiliation to go provisionally five points ahead of Manchester City, which host Arsenal tomorrow.
Eljero Elia scored twice as third-place Southampton survived a late penalty appeal to beat Newcastle 2-1.
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.
United laboured through the first half at QPR before a second-half turnaround saw substitutes Marouane Fellaini and James Wilson clinch a 2-0 victory.
Tottenham moved up to fifth with a 2-1 victory over Sunderland, Liverpool won 2-0 at Aston Villa, bottom-place Leicester lost 1-0 to Stoke and Crystal Palace came from two goals down to beat Burnley 3-2, making it two wins out of two under Alan Pardew.
There were also five goals in south Wales but they were all scored by Chelsea – four in the opening 36 minutes. And the first came 49 seconds into the match, with Oscar’s 20-yard shot.
Diego Costa added two more in the 20th and 34th, before Oscar grabbed a second for a 4-0 lead at halftime. Substitute Schuerrle made it 5-0 in the 79th, three minutes after replacing Willian.
At White Hart Lane, there was no debut goal from Sunderland striker Jermain Defoe against his former club.
Jan Vertonghen’s second-minute opener for Tottenham was cancelled out by Sebastian Larsson’s curled free kick but Christian Eriksen struck the hosts’ winner in the 88th.
There was a fourth win in five games for seventh-place Liverpool. Fabio Borini volleyed in his first goal of the season before Rickie Lambert’s low strike at Villa, which has gone nearly nine hours without scoring.
