EPL 2016/17: Chelsea 2-1 Manchester City, 5 Talking Points

An Eden Hazard brace helped Chelsea beat Manchester City 2-1

It was a performance which virtually sealed the Premier League title for Chelsea as the Blues passed their most difficult test with flying colours. Manchester City were beaten 2-1 at Stamford Bridge by a resolute Chelsea side who landed the first blow in the high-profile match courtesy Eden Hazard's shot which got deflected off Vincent Kompany's head and crept into the back of the net. 

Manchester City had a quick response to Chelsea's opener as Sergio Aguero cancelled their lead after a Thibaut Courtois error led to Aguero scoring a simple tap in. Pedro then secured a penalty for the champions-elect which was missed by Hazard but scored from the rebound.

We take a look at the five talking points from the top of the table clash between Chelsea and Manchester City: 

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#1 Chelsea ends the title race, once and for all

Chelsea rose from their blip against Crystal Palace to get back on track

After a shocking loss at the hands of Crystal Palace, Chelsea's lead at the top was cut to seven points. Tottenham Hotspur were breathing down their neck which made the game against Manchester City a must win. The pressure would have been immense on the players and the manager as more dropped points would have blown the title race wide open. 

With a resolute win over City, Chelsea proved that losing to the Eagles was not more than just a blip. They defended their lead well in the second half and played on the counter to see out the game.

Credit must be given to Antonio Conte who drilled it into his side to win the game at any cost, the team responding by showing the mentality required to be the champions. With their toughest test out of the way, it is now a question of "when" rather than "if" Chelsea will win the Premier League.