English Premier League: Costa, Sanchez, Aguero in action

The league’s three most in-form players will be hoping to help their sides to victory


Afp December 05, 2014

NEWCASTLE: Chelsea striker Loic Remy believes his side's convincing midweek victory over Tottenham Hotspur illustrated why the Stamford Bridge club are already clear favourites to land the Premier League title.

Jose Mourinho's side travel to face Remy’s former side Newcastle United today, having consolidated their six-point lead at the top of the table with a convincing 3-0 win over Spurs on Wednesday.

Remy, who made a goal-scoring appearance as a substitute against Mauricio Pochettino's side, feels Chelsea are dominating the title race because of the squad's strength in depth.

The win against Spurs was achieved without leading scorer Diego Costa, who was serving a one-match suspension. Didier Drogba stepped in to lead the attack and found the target before making way for Remy in the second half.

“We know the quality of Diego; he can score and is a really good striker," said the Frenchman. “We need everybody. The squad is really strong and that makes the difference between us and the other teams. "We will keep going to try and keep the distance from our closest opponent. It's six points and that's really good. We need to continue in this way."

Newcastle have only lost once in their last nine matches and captain Steven Taylor said they will not adopt a defensive approach against Chelsea. “We're at home, and we'll be going out to play our own game,” he said. “We're not really set up to be defensive and to put a lot of players behind the ball, and I'm not sure we'd want to do that anyway.

‘Aguero best in the world’

Manchester City defender Pablo Zabaleta has warned Everton that in Sergio Aguero they face the best player on the planet in their Premier League clash at Eastlands.

Aguero’s brace saw the champions past bogey team Sunderland and took his personal goal tally to 19 goals in just 16 starts.

“I think, on current form, Sergio is the best player in the world,” said Zabaleta. “Everything he does, he makes it look so easy. Normally strikers want to play with the ball but he works ever so hard for the team, he's been great. He's the best striker in the world at the moment and we're very lucky to have him in our team.”

City have dropped points consistently but the right-back believes his side are still in contention to win the title, despite being six point behind Chelsea. “We are not giving up on the title. It's going to be difficult but nothing is done yet. We still have belief."

‘Sanchez brings winning mentality’

Arsenal winger Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain says Alexis Sanchez's fierce competitive streak has transformed the mentality of the Arsenal squad.

Arsene Wenger's side travel to face Stoke today seeking a fourth successive win after Sanchez continued his superb form with a late strike that secured a 1-0 victory over Southampton in midweek.

The Chile international's goal was his eighth in his last eight appearances and and Chamberlain claims his tenacity and will to win has rubbed onto the squad. “There is no rest for him. On recovery days he wants to be playing and he is not happy if he is not allowed to play the game at the end of training,” said Chamberlain. “He has brought that winning mentality to the side and it definitely rubs off on a lot of players.”

Today’s fixtures

Newcastle v Chelsea

Hull v West Brom

Liverpool v Sunderland

QPR v Burnley

Stoke v Arsenal

Tottenham v Crystal Palace

Man City v Everton

 

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