Manchester City racked up a 17th consecutive Premier League victory after Sergio Aguero's 100th and 101st Etihad Stadium goals inspired a 4-0 win over Bournemouth on Saturday. Aguero scored twice and set up Raheem Sterling as Pep Guardiola's side made it 18 wins and one draw in the first half of the season and provisionally opened up a 14-point lead at the top of the table.
Chelsea were held to a 0-0 draw at improving Everton, while bottom club Swansea City started life without sacked manager Paul Clement by drawing 1-1 at home to Crystal Palace. Manchester City are now two wins away from equalling the record for consecutive wins in Europe's top five leagues, which was set by Guardiola's Bayern Munich in 2013-14.
They have already become the first team to score 100 goals in the English top flight in a calendar year since Liverpool in 1982. The Argentina striker's dinked pass set up Sterling to smash home City's second goal - and his 16th of the season - in the 53rd minute before Aguero headed in his second. City substitute Danilo completed the scoring late on, rubber-stamping a victory that sent Bournemouth into the relegation zone. Everton continued their improvement under new manager Sam Allardyce by extending their unbeaten run to six league games with a dogged 0-0 draw at home to champions Chelsea.
Chelsea, who were without the suspended Alvaro Morata, will fall five points below second-place Manchester United if Jose Mourinho's side prevail at Leicester City in Saturday's late game. Swansea remain four points adrift of safety at the foot of the table after drawing against Palace, with player-coach Leon Britton taking charge of the team following Clement's dismissal. Joe Allen starred as Stoke City registered a timely 3-1 win over second-bottom West Bromwich Albion to ease some of the pressure on manager Mark Hughes.
Newcastle United climbed out of the relegation zone after ending a run of nine league games without victory by edging West Ham United 3-2 in an entertaining encounter at London Stadium. Pascal Gross's fourth goal of the season earned Brighton and Hove Albion a 1-0 win at home to Watford.
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