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As it happenedended

Crystal Palace vs Chelsea: N'Golo Kante fires Maurizio Sarri's side to victory

Re-live the action from Selhurst Park

Callum Rice-Coates
Sunday 30 December 2018 14:09 GMT
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Chelsea: A look back at 2018

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N'Golo Kante earned Chelsea a 1-0 win at Crystal Palace to boost the Blues' bid for a place in the Premier League's top four.

Kante, a World Cup winner with France last summer, has been deployed in a more advanced position on the right side of midfield by Maurizio Sarri at Chelsea.

He netted his third Premier League goal of the season at Selhurst Park as Chelsea ended Palace's three-match unbeaten run to move five points clear of fifth-placed Arsenal in the battle for Champions League qualification.

Willian and Ross Barkley had hit posts in quick succession in the first half and the hosts' performance showed little of the style and substance which had earned victory at Manchester City eight days earlier. Re-live the action below:

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Southampton 1-1 Manchester City

43 minutes

Big appeals for a penalty as Ward-Prowse goes down under a challenge from Zinchenko. The referee isn't interested.

Callum Rice-Coates30 December 2018 14:59

GOAL! Southampton 1-2 Manchester City (Ward-Prowse OG)

45 minutes

That's extremely harsh on Southampton. They were on top and had City on the back foot, but a deflection puts the visitors back in front. Sterling broke down the left and his attempted cross took a nasty ricochet off Ward-Prowse. McCarthy couldn't keep it out and Southampton trail again.

Callum Rice-Coates30 December 2018 15:01

GOAL! Southampton 1-3 Manchester City (Aguero)

45+3 minutes

That's what City can do. Zinchenko makes amends for his earlier mistake, picking out Aguero with a cross, The Argentine makes no mistake with his header. 

Callum Rice-Coates30 December 2018 15:03

Half time: A dramatic end to the half at St Mary's. Southampton were really putting City under pressure at 1-1 and feel aggrieved that they weren't awarded a penalty. An unlucky deflection gave City the second and Aguero's header on the stroke of half time has put the visitors in control.

Callum Rice-Coates30 December 2018 15:05

Half time: It's half time at Turf Moor, too, where Burnley have a two-goal lead over West Ham. If the scores stay as they are, Dyche's side will move level on points with Southampton, only in the bottom three on goal difference.

Callum Rice-Coates30 December 2018 15:07

  ↵City, though, they were fortunate to regain the lead, have the quality to win games even when not at their best. They have a two-goal lead thanks to Aguero, and victory could be a much-needed confidence boost ahead of the Liverpool game.

Callum Rice-Coates30 December 2018 15:12

Southampton make a change at half time: Redmond is on in place of Lemina.

Callum Rice-Coates30 December 2018 15:19

Southampton get us going again. Can they pull off a famous comeback?

Callum Rice-Coates30 December 2018 15:20

Southampton 1-3 Manchester City

47 minutes

Højbjerg takes on the first shot of the game having worked some space outside the box. It's an easy save for Ederson.

Callum Rice-Coates30 December 2018 15:21

Southampton 1-3 Manchester City

50 minutes

The atmosphere at St Mary's, understandably, is a little flat. The two goals at the end of the first half seem to have ended any belief Southampton had. The timing, and the nature of them, was difficult to take.

Callum Rice-Coates30 December 2018 15:25

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