- Chelsea 3-0 after 23 minutes
- Willian wins, scores PK in 73rd
- Potters concede PL-worst 45 goals
Chelsea had very little challenge from Stoke City in a 5-0 blowout at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.
Antonio Rudiger, Danny Drinkwater, Pedro, Willian, and Davide Zappacosta scored for Chelsea, who advanced into second with 45 points before Manchester United plays Southampton.
Stoke sits 13th with 20 points.
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Chelsea had a corner kick inside of a minute, as the Blues looked to establish its expected upper hand.
(Narrator voice) They did.
Rudiger nodded a third minute free kick inside the far post from Willian’s sweeping offering.
Drinkwater made it 2-0 with an outside of the boot screamer in the ninth minute, leaving Jack Butland hopeless.
Butland made a stop on Alvaro Morata four minutes later, under siege but unrelenting between the sticks.
Pedro then forced a save out of Butland at 21 minutes, and beat the keeper from the chalk of the 18 two minutes later to make it 3-0.
Thibaut Courtois stopped a Saido Berahino shot early in the second half as the English attacker aimed to end his goal drought.
Butland had another stop on Morata at the hour mark, the third or fourth time he thwarted a decent chance for the Spaniard.
Willian won a penalty off Geoff Cameron in the 73rd minute, and the Brazilian converted his opportunity.
[ MORE: Latest Premier League standings ]
5 - Five of Pedro's last seven Premier League goals have come from outside the box. Range.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) December 30, 2017
Chelsea have scored more goals with Spainish players (21) than any other club in Europe's top 5 Leagues.
— Squawka (@Squawka) December 30, 2017
That includes La Liga. 😳 pic.twitter.com/VkXFZd9yGD
[ MORE: Full lineups, stats, box score ]
