Middlesbrough 1-0

Independent:

Middlesbrough 0 Chelsea 1

Diego Costa fires Blues to the top of the league in firm title warning
Costa continues his brilliant run of form as he unlocks a stiff Boro defence to maintain Chelsea's winning streak

Michael Walker Riverside Stadium

Scoring freely, conceding nothing, Chelsea’s perfect storm of form rolls on. Antonio Conte’s emerging team have now won six in a row and sit top of the Premier League as they prepare to face Tottenham at home and Manchester City away in the next two games.

It was 1-0 here, but it is 17-0 over the past six league matches. It is now ten league goals for Diego Costa, while it is approaching ten hours since someone scored past Thibaut Courtois.

The last player to do so was Arsenal’s Mesut Özil, who made it 3-0 before half-time a week after Liverpool had won at Stamford Bridge. But that was in September. It feels a long time ago.
In the second half of that Arsenal match, Conte switched his side to 3-4-3 and Courtois has not been beaten since.

Against a determined, if offensively limited Middlesbrough, it was 78 minutes before Courtois was forced into serious activity. He fell to his left to parry an improvised volley from Alvaro Negredo, who was otherwise isolated and ineffective.

Boro puffed a bit at other moments – Adama Traore and Gaston Ramirez firing over when well-placed - but Chelsea came through relatively untroubled.

Four minutes before half-time, Costa gave them the points with a sharp volley, a predator’s goal. This was the third consecutive game he has scored and, tellingly, Costa is scoring away from home – at Watford (the winner), Swansea (equaliser), Hull, Southampton and now Middlesbrough (winner).

No wonder Conte is calling Costa “one of the best strikers in the world” and “our reference point”. The Italian is also delighted that the Brazilian-Spaniard’s behaviour has improved. Costa has not been booked in this six-game run.

So there were reasons for Conte to smile afterwards, and he did, not least when asked if he could have foreseen this run when trailing 3-0 at Arsenal.

“It wasn’t simple to believe,” Conte said, “after two defeats against Liverpool and Arsenal, that we’d win six in a row and without conceding any goals. Chelsea weren’t favourites to fight then, so it’s difficult now to completely change opinion.”

He then continued to talk his way out of questions about title challenges, but he knows his team is thriving.

Chelsea have played better than they did here, and a 1-0 lead is always vulnerable. But then Victor Valdes in the Boro goal has settled in on Teesside and provided a barrier to repel Eden Hazard, Victor Moses and Pedro.

Had Valdes not also thwarted Marcos Alonso 22 seconds into the second half, then it could have been a much more convincing victory in terms of goals.

Valdes parried Alonso’s low drive and Calum Chambers nipped in to clear before Pedro could slide in the rebound.

Boro could not have recovered from a second then. Ultimately, they could not cope with Costa’s strike just five minutes earlier.

It stemmed from a disputed Hazard corner. Alonso jumped with a clutch of red shirts and in the crush, the ball hit Chambers’ back. Spiralling into space and dropping, all stood and watched apart from Costa. He was on the move and smacked a tasty six-yard volley beyond the hesitating Valdes.

Boro were winded. Had Aitor Karanka’s team got to half-time at 0-0 they would have felt very much involved. Conte praised Boro’s defensive organization and frequently the home side had ten men behind the ball. Their aim was clearly to stay competitive as long as possible.

Yet Hazard and Moses made headway down the flanks nevertheless as Chelsea probed and probed, and in the second half, as the game expanded, further chances came. From one delightful and unselfish headed Costa knockdown on 63 minutes, Pedro crunched a volley against the crossbar with Valdes beaten.

Middlesbrough tried to engineer some forward thrust but as Conte was to say: “In this period, it is difficult to play against Chelsea.”

“This period” now extends to Spurs at Stamford Bridge on Saturday. It could well be a defining period for Chelsea.

Teams

Middlesbrough (4-1-4-1): Valdes; Barragan, Chambers, Gibson, Fabio (Downing 71); Clayton (Fischer 73); Traore, De Roon, Forshaw (Leadbitter 89) Ramirez; Negredo. Subs not used: Guzan, Bernardo, Rhodes, Nsue

Chelsea (3-4-3): Courtois; Azpilicueta, Luiz, Cahill; Moses (Ivanovic 89) Kanye, Matic, Alonso; Pedro (Chalobah 80) Costa, Hazard (Oscar 90). Subs not used: Begovic, Fabregas, Terry, Batshuayi
Referee: J. Moss

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Guardian:

Ruthless Diego Costa sees off Middlesbrough and sends Chelsea top
Middlesbrough 0 - 1 ChelseaPremier League Riverside Stadium

Antonio Conte pleased as Chelsea make it six wins in a row
Louise Taylor at the Riverside Stadium

Goodness knows how high on the scale Antonio Conte’s blood pressure might have registered had he nipped out at half-time and visited the NHS health bus in Middlesbrough’s carpark offering fans mini check-ups.

Watching the Italian’s technical-area histrionics it would have been easy to imagine his side were locked in a desperate relegation struggle rather than en route to going top of the Premier League courtesy of a sixth successive win.

Considering Chelsea have failed to concede a single goal during that sequence Conte generally has cause for serenity but on this occasion at least, his extreme agitation was at least partially justified by an ultra-determined, sporadically dangerous Middlesbrough.

No matter that Diego Costa’s winning volley from a badly defended corner reignited Teesside’s relegation worries, Adama Traoré’s pace and the midfield steel of Aitor Karanka’s two Adams, Clayton and Forshaw, left Chelsea looking slightly relieved to escape with all three points.

Karanka’s switch from his beloved, if sometimes rather rigid, 4‑2‑3‑1 formation to a much more flexible version of 4‑3‑3 helped a recent mini-renaissance featuring draws at Arsenal and Manchester City. It did not serve him too badly here either but Boro’s problem is that while they never look in danger of a thrashing they have won only twice all season and have a costly habit of making one unfortunate error per match.

The Teesside side started well with Gastón Ramírez troubling Victor Moses, the right wing-back in Conte’s transformative 3-4-3 system, and helping create an early chance which saw Álvaro Negredo – seeking his first goal since the season’s opening day – slice over from six yards. Unfortunately it proved to be the cue for a disappointing, less than mobile afternoon for the Spanish centre-forward which must have made Jordan Rhodes, once again sidelined, wonder precisely what he has to do to get a game.

If only Negredo had shown some of Ramírez’s ambition. Later, some woeful decision-making would let the Uruguayan down but, initially, he briefly looked capable of eclipsing even Eden Hazard – although it hardly helped the latter’s cause that he appeared to be singled out for some rough stuff by Karanka’s midfield.

After seeing Hazard clattered by a trio of early challenges, Jon Moss, the referee, finally booked Clayton for a particularly ruthless late lunge at the Belgian’s ankle.

If Hazard’s targeting cannot have been a shock, Conte looked affronted by Boro’s surprisingly effective amalgam of caution and aggression. Superbly compact as Chelsea advanced, with Clayton and Forshaw intelligence personified, Karanka’s players were not frightened to counterattack, utilising Traoré’s blistering, if ill-disciplined, pace to, at times, perturb the visiting back three.

It meant, until Costa’s goal, Victor Valdés enjoyed a fairly peaceful first half. Admittedly the former Barcelona and Manchester United goalkeeper made one outstanding save when he diverted Pedro’s goalbound shot for a corner following exemplary approach work from Hazard and Moses, but he was largely well protected.

As half-time approached Costa had been largely anonymous, with Ben Gibson and Calum Chambers keeping him uncommonly quiet but then, in the 41st minute, a chance finally fell the centre-forward’s way and, typically, he was in the right place at the right time to seize it.

Hazard sent a corner looping high into the raw November air and no Boro player reacted properly. Valdés, who had just received lengthy treatment for an injury, should arguably have come for the ball as it looped up, while Gibson and Marten de Roon were among those who seemed to lose concentration. It left Costa free to meet a deflection, extend his left foot and volley his 10th goal of the season into the bottom corner from six yards.

As befits a world-class striker, he needed only a single opening to score but Costa had already caught the eye courtesy of some radically improved discipline. Hats off to Conte for eliminating the frequent am-dram theatrics which so annoyed opponents and officials when the striker served under José Mourinho.

With Chelsea galvanised, the second half began with Moses and Hazard creating an opening for Marcos Alonso – guilty of an earlier bad miss – repelled by Valdés, with Chambers then doing well to block Pedro’s attempt to pounce on the rebound.

By now Moses was increasingly influential as he delighted in reminding everyone that Fábio da Silva was deputising for the injured George Friend at left-back and it was his first appearance of the season. Sensibly Karanka replaced Da Silva with Stewart Downing after an hour.

As icy rain poured down Clayton and De Roon began reasserting themselves against N’Golo Kanté and co, and Ramírez shot over the bar.

Chelsea’s minds seemed to be suddenly wandering and it took some extreme touchline gyrations from Conte – cutting an infinitely livelier, more agile figure than Negredo – until they refocused and Pedro’s shot hit the bar following fine work from David Luiz and Costa.

Deep into the second half Thibaut Courtois had still to make a significant save but when the call to arms eventually came Chelsea’s goalkeeper proved equal to it, saving Negredo’s shot superbly after Traoré’s pace caught his defence cold.

Middlesbrough are unlikely to be the last team similarly thwarted by Courtois, Costa and co.


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Telegraph:

Middlesbrough 0 Chelsea 1: Diego Costa scores his 10th of the season to send Antonio Conte's side top 

Jason Burt

This is a Hazard warning. Chelsea are on the rise. Diego Costa’s 10th goal of the season gave them their sixth straight Premier League victory, during which they have scored 17 goals without reply, and put them top of the table – a point ahead of Liverpool and Manchester City. The magnetic striker has his desire, hunger and discipline back.

But it was a hard-fought victory over Middlesbrough, halting their recent rally, which included impressive away draws against City and Arsenal, and it was Eden Hazard who helped make the difference; Hazard, Costa and the revitalised Victor Moses joined with the Chelsea manager, Antonio Conte, on the pitch at the end in exuberant celebration.

Arms raised in triumph, the Italian showed just how much it meant and, afterwards, he spoke warmly of how Chelsea had found a different way to win after their swashbuckling swatting aside recently of the likes of Everton and Manchester United.

In fact the tenor of it even had some similarities to Jose Mourinho’s first title triumph at Chelsea when he swaggered onto the turf away to Blackburn Rovers after another slender 1-0 win, back in 2005, which opened up an 11-point lead at the top. Except this time everyone kept their shirts on at the final whistle.

No team are expected to run away with it as Chelsea did back then but, remarkably, they have eaten up City’s eight-point advantage over them and are now one point ahead of Pep Guardiola’s side. Chelsea’s next two matches? At home to Tottenham Hotspur and then away to City. It is beautifully set up.

After those games we may really know where Chelsea are at but it already feels a long time ago that they were humiliated by Arsenal and Liverpool. Not that Conte has forgotten.

That different way of winning in this game included throwing on defensive substitutions, such as Nathaniel Chalobah and Branislav Ivanovic, and eventually switching away from a back three to a four-man defence as Middlesbrough, roared on by their raucous support refused to give up. There is an incredible spirit and organisation in Aitor Karanka’s team typified by captain Ben Gibson and even if they sit just a point above the relegation zone Conte’s switch of tactics was a compliment to them.

Swap Álvaro Negredo for Costa, one Spanish striker for another, and there may have been goals also. As dynamic as Costa was, Negredo was docile.

Chelsea missed chances, they struck the woodwork, they were brilliantly denied by goalkeeper Victor Valdes but Middlesbrough could not, as Conte said, be “killed off” and came back time and time again, even if their hard work often broke down when it reached their lumbering centre-forward.

In Adama Traoré they have a quicksilver and skilful attacker, but they needed more from him than the ability to beat a man – or three – while they also showed an extraordinary appetite to simply just try and stop Chelsea.

That meant stopping Hazard. By fair means or foul. The Belgian was targeted, reasonably enough, but he is in that delicious groove right now when every time he gets the ball there is an audible, collective intake of breath from the opposition’s supporters. Philippe Coutinho and Sergio Agüero can have a similar effect.

Hazard created opportunities – aided by Moses, who remorselessly ran at Fabio da Silva, making his first start of the season, with George Friend injured, and clearly identified as a weak link in defence.

There was a clever reverse pass from Hazard, with Moses slicing wide from six yards, and then an even cleverer chip which Moses cut back into Pedro’s path. Valdes wonderfully tipped over the powerful first-time shot.

Then the Boro keeper was beaten. The nature of the concession rightly infuriated Karanka as Costa’s header, from Hazard’s corner, struck Calum Chambers on the back and spun up into the air. No Middlesbrough defender, nor Valdes, reacted quickly enough – but Costa did, keeping a hawk-like eye on the ball to crash home a close-range volley.

Valdes denied Marcos Alonso, twice, from strong angled shots but Chelsea should have gone further ahead. First, David Luiz stepped forward to pick out Costa with a curling cross that the striker headed back into the path of Pedro whose side-footed shot crashed back off the underside of the bar. Then Costa dinked the ball through to Moses who – clear on goal – slashed over.

Would Chelsea pay the price? On the touchline Conte grew ever more animated, Hazard’s influence eventually began to wane and the manager sensed the danger which was signalled as Negredo dummied and Gaston Ramirez wastefully shot over before Traoré set off on yet another dribble – there were a remarkable 12 in total – only for his cross to fall behind Negredo.

Finally the striker showed some nimbleness to bring the ball down and draw a save from Thibaut Courtois. It was, however, Middlesbrough’s only shot on target and that tells its own story.

Chelsea ran down the clock, gained the win, took the points and yet another clean sheet as they made it 590 minutes without conceding a goal. Their fans, their players, their manager celebrated. This time last season the then champions were in 16th place, just three above the relegation zone, and imploding under Mourinho. Now they are back on top of the pile for the first time since they won the title in May 2015. They are contenders again.


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Mail:

Middlesbrough 0-1 Chelsea: Diego Costa's first-half strike puts gloss on a Blues masterclass and sends Antonio Conte's men top of the Premier League

Victor Valdes produced a sublime first-half save to keep the scores level, turning Pedro's shot over the bar
Diego Costa continued his fine goalscoring form by opening the scoring for Chelsea in the 41st minute
Middlesbrough failed to clear from a corner and Costa was alert to volley home from close range
David Luiz and Costa combined to set-up Pedro, but the Spain winger's effort cannoned off the crossbar

By IAN LADYMAN FOR THE DAILY MAIL

Chelsea are in a groove that allows them to make attacking football look easy.

Pace, directness, good passing and nice angles. It all adds up to a potency that has propelled Antonio Conte’s team on a six-game winning run in the Premier League and taken them past Liverpool to the top of the table.

A side who looked ordinary not long ago look special at the moment. They played some lovely football here and the understanding between a group of players who are also prepared to work very hard was evident throughout. The only mystery was how they didn’t win by more goals.

Middlesbrough were plucky and committed and backed by a terrifically vocal home support. They are working hard to get things right on and off the field on Teesside.

Aitor Karanka’s team were not on the same level as Chelsea in terms of the football, though. A couple of chances came their way late in the game, but on the whole they simply couldn’t do what Chelsea could do.

The usual suspects starred for the London club. Eden Hazard and Pedro were like ghosts, appearing out of the gloom right across the Chelsea front line. At times Middlesbrough couldn’t track them and when they could they couldn’t catch them.

Diego Costa, meanwhile, scored the winning goal and led the line manfully like a proper No 9. Costa can be a nasty, sly footballer but here the Spaniard showcased only the admirable side of his game. He was brilliant and maybe the penny has dropped. He doesn’t need to indulge his dark side to get where he wants to be.

And there were other shining lights. Both wing backs, Victor Moses and Marcos Alonso, were a nuisance all afternoon, for example. It was a complete Chelsea performance, one that should have been illuminated by a wider winning margin.

The winner was rather scruffy and unmemorable. But it still highlighted some of the league leaders’ most important attributes.

Coming just before half-time, it originated at a corner. Costa seemed to win the aerial battle but his header struck a defender and ballooned into the air. With four Middlesbrough defenders and goalkeeper Victor Valdes within swiping distance of the ball, there should have been no danger.

But as the players in red hesitated fractionally, Costa never took his eyes off the falling ball. To use a cliche, he seemed to want to reach it just a little bit more than his opponents and this desire, allied to perfect technique, allowed him to take a stride forwards and volley it into the net from an angle at the near post.

Costa has been involved in 13 goals for Chelsea in the league this season, scoring 10 and assisting three. This time last season he had been involved in just four - scoring three and assisting one.
His 10th goal of the season, this one won’t win any beauty pageants. It was important, though, as prior to that Chelsea had found Valdes to be in obdurate form and some of their own efforts in front of goal did not often match their build-up play.

Valdes has reinvented himself impressively since his disastrous time at Manchester United. He played very well here and produced one of the saves of the season to deny his former Barcelona team-mate Pedro shortly before the goal. The build-up to that chance was typical of what Chelsea did best. All afternoon, Conte’s attacking players passed the ball sharply and simply, creating angles and overlaps with the intelligence of their running.

On this occasion, Hazard — clattered crudely and dangerously by Adam Clayton early on — ran laterally across the top of the penalty area to play the ball into the path of Moses on the right. The ensuing pass back towards the penalty spot was perfect and Pedro struck his shot true only for Valdes’ fingertips to touch the ball over the bar.

There were other impressive moments from Valdes in the first half. He saved sharply at his near post from Alonso, for example, while his first contribution of the second period was to drop sharply to his left to turn away another shot from the same player.

That the Chelsea wing-backs were able to progress so regularly was indicative of the way Conte’s new 3-4-3 formation works for him. However, it also pointed to Middlesbrough’s problem with tracking runners.

Karanka’s team never gave up and the crowd did not lose hope. Boro struggled to command possession but when they did move forwards they caused Chelsea some problems.
Late on, for example, Adama Traore broke to shoot over and then set up Alvaro Negredo for a sharp volley that Thibaut Courtois did well to save.

Still, though, it was Chelsea who threatened more regularly. One super move that saw a diagonal David Luiz pass headed back by Costa ended with Pedro rattling the bar. That would have been a memorable goal.

Then, soon after, Moses and Costa led a charge from deep that ended with the former lifting the ball over the bar when it looked easier to score.

So this was not a perfect Chelsea performance. There are things on which Conte will wish to work. But this is a Chelsea team moving forwards on the back of sound principles and lovely, expressive football. They will get better, too, and that is an ominous thought.



MIDDLESBROUGH (4-1-4-1): Valdes 8; Barragan 6, Chambers 6, Gibson 6, Fabio 6 (Downing 70mins 6); Clayton 5.5 (Fischer 73mins 6); Traore 6.5, De Roon 6, Forshaw 6.5 (Leadbitter 88mins 6), Ramirez 6.5; Negredo 6
BOOKED: Clayton, Chambers
MANAGER: Aitor Karanka 7

CHELSEA (3-4-3): Courtois 6.5; Moses 7, Azpilicueta 6.5, Luis 6.5, Cahill 6.5, Alonso 7; Kante 7, Matic 7; Pedro 8 (Chalobah 80mins 6), Costa 8.5, Hazard 8 (Oscar 90mins 6).
GOAL: Costa 41
BOOKED: Azpilicueta, Kante
MANAGER: Antonio Conte 8

REFEREE: Jon Moss 7
MAN OF THE MATCH: Diego Costa

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Mirror:

Middlesbrough 0-1 Chelsea: Diego Costa strike sends Blues top of the table - 5 things we learned
Costa scored the only goal of the game as Antonio Conte's side moved to the top of the Premier League

BY HAMISH MACKAY

Diego Costa scored the only goal of the game as Chelsea beat Middlesbrough to move top of the table.

The Blues came into this fixture having won their previous five Premier League matches without conceding a goal, and were ahead before half time thanks to Costa's volley.

Both sides had chances to score after the break with Pedro crashing a shot against the bar and Gaston Ramirez rushing a good chance from the edge of the box.

Unlike their last league game, though, there were no late heroics for Boro.
Chelsea have now kept six consecutive clean sheets for the for the first time since 2010, and move a point ahead of Man City and Liverpool at the top of the table.

Here, our man Hamish Mackay takes you through the game's talking points...

1. Conte's winning formula

There's more to Antonio Conte than this formation, and it'll take more than a formation change to turn a team into Chelsea, but it won't be long before more Premier League managers set their sides up in a 3-4-3.
Since their mauling at the Emirates, Conte has switched to his preferred formation and won every league game.
Now they're top of the table.

2. Traore lively, but lacking end product

A Barcelona academy graduate that cost £7million as a teenager, it's no secret Adama Traore is talented. But after a miserable debut season in England that saw him fail to start a single Premier League game, whether that talent could be converted into an effective player seemed in doubt.
His move to the North East, however, has galvanised him. He has noticeably bulked up in recent months and is putting that strength to good use. Traore provides pace, agility and flair to a workmanlike Boro side. End product is still an issue, but he's improving.

3. Chelsea on course to beat record

Chelsea notched up 10 consecutive clean sheets between December 2004 and February 2005. After another organised display at the Riverside their current run sees them on six games without conceding.
The Blues face Tottenham at home before travelling away to Manchester City in their next two games, but they're still on course to beat their record.

4. Costa set for best season at Chelsea

Costa became the first Premier League striker to reach double figures for the season when he volleyed past Victor Valdes on Sunday.
The former Atletico Madrid forward endured patchy form last season but was prolific in his debut campaign in England.
On 20 November 2014 he was also on 10 goals for the season. He dropped off after Christmas — going seven games without a game at one point — so if he can avoid a repeat the 28-year-old could be set for his best season at Chelsea.

5. Third time unlucky for Boro

Aitor Karanka's side have taken on three of the league's top four teams since last month. They held Arsenal to a draw at the Emirates before taking a point off of Pep Guardiola's Man City at the Etihad.
Against Chelsea, though, they came unstuck. The hosts had chances to equalise at 1-1, most notably through Gaston Ramirez, but left the field with nothing.

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Express:

Middlesbrough 0 - Chelsea 1: Diego Costa sends Blues top of the Premier League

WHISPER it, but this was very much a Jose Mourinho-like performance from Chelsea as they returned to the top of the Premier League. No thrills, few spills, just three points safely secured and on to the next game.

By JASON MELLOR

Protected only by a thin, though of course effortlessly stylish suit, Antonio Conte shunned the sanctuary of a warming jacket for a bitter Teesside evening in very much the same way his side weathered the early Middlesbrough storm, before slowly but surely sucking the life out of Aitor Karanka’s outclassed troops.

Diego Costa’s 10th goal of the season was enough to return them to the summit courtesy of a sixth consecutive win as they sealed a victory that was far more comfortable than the scoreline suggests, underlining their title credentials by posting a sixth clean sheet in a row.

Only the woodwork prevented them from winning by a more handsome margin as Pedro hit the bar midway through the second half, when the midfielder met Costa’s knockdown from a David Luiz cross as Middlesbrough were forced to hang on for long spells.

Karanka’s shadow-chasing side side retained hope while their deficit remained at a single goal but the gulf in class between the sides was clear as the Blues sealed a seventh successive victory in all competitions against the Teessiders, condemning them to a first defeat in four games.

The impressive Costa rewarded Chelsea’s dominance as the Spaniard put the visitors, who were unchanged for the fifth consecutive league game, ahead four minutes before the end of a tight first-half.

From a disputed corner – Middlesbrough argued that debutant full-back Fabio Da Silva had not touched the ball as it ran out of play – Eden Hazard’s in-swinging set-piece looped into the air as Calum Chambers and Gaston Ramirez challenged Marcos Alonso at the near post.

Despite the hosts having numbers back to defend, Costa reacted first to volley the loose ball home from inside the six-yard box to reach double figures for the season.

Victor Valdes was partially at fault for failing to come off his line as his side fell behind, his indecision in stark contrast to earlier in the half when the Middlesbrough goalkeeper produced a stunning fingertip save to deflect a first-time Pedro shot over the bar, after Hazard and Moses had combined to carve the hosts open just before the half-hour mark.

It was one of few clear-cut chances before the interval as Boro were largely successful in their attempts to negate the threat of Conte’s side by packing midfield and looking to hit their visitors on the break. It saw them pose a minimal attacking threat, the out-of-touch Alvaro Negredo wasting their two main openings, first firing across the face of goal from a Marten de Roon-inspired counter and then heading wide as he met Antonio Barragan’s deep cross.

Ramirez fired over early in the second half after Negredo’s dummy created space on the edge of the box for the Uruguay international, but it was a rare threat as Karanka’s side were forced to concentrate largely on how to stifle their opposition.

Middlesbrough had forced draws away at both Arsenal and Manchester City this season but, after falling behind, they rarely looked like troubling a three-man Chelsea backline that last conceded a league goal on September 24 – almost 10 hours’ football – for their best defensive run for six years, one cemented late out when Thibaut Courtois beat out a powerful Negredo volley as the hosts belatedly pushed bodies forward.

The majority of chances arrived at the other end and Alonso almost doubled the advantage within seconds of the re-start, the Spaniard forcing a fine low save from Valdes after Hazard helped on a cross from Moses to the unmarked full-back to fire an angled drive towards the bottom corner.

It came a something of a surprise that the second goal failed to materialise but it mattered little. Middlesbrough could have played until midnight without posing a serious threat as Chelsea closed out their latest victory in a no-nonsense style of which the Special One would no doubt greatly approve.

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Sun:

COSTA TOP UP Middlesbrough 0 Chelsea 1

The Spain striker reacted quickest in a packed Boro penalty box to grab his 10th league goal of the season

BY CHARLIE WYETT 

CHELSEA took control of the Premier League title race by going top of the table thanks for a Diego Costa strike.
The Spain striker sank the home side at the Riverside with an instinctive first-half strike that took him to 10 in the league already this season.
The hulking forward reacted quickest in the packed Boro box four minutes before the break to put his side ahead.
And, at the other end of the water-tight Antonio Conte team, Thibaut Courtois pulled off a couple of fine saves to put his side at the head of the pack.

FACTS, STATS, GOALS AND LOLS
This was Chelsea’s first visit to the Riverside since February 27 2013 when they won 2-0 in the fifth round of the FA Cup. The only player from both sides who appeared in that match – and started this one – was Chelsea’s Victor Moses who scored. After that win, Rafa Benitez hammered Chelsea’s fans for having an “agenda” against him and also criticised the club for giving him the title of interim manager.

Chelsea went into this game with a stunning defensive record. Since switching to a three-man defence at half-time against Arsenal – while trailing 3-0 - they had not conceded a single goal – a run of five-and-a-half games. This was also the first time Chelsea have named the same starting XI for five games in succession.

Aitor Karanka was celebrating his third year in charge at Boro. This makes him the fifth longest-serving manager currently in the Premier League.

Boro defender Fabio Da Silva made his first Premier appearance since May 2014 when he was at Cardiff. It was a 2-1 defeat . . . against Chelsea. And he was not much better this time around.

Eden Hazard certainly knew he was in a game. He had his shirt pulled by Marten De Roon then after getting past his opponent, suffered a nasty challenge from Adam Clayton who was booked.
Pedro had the first decent chance of the game but was denied by a fine fingertip save from Victor Valdes.

After all that fine work, Valdes should have been quicker to react for Chelsea’s goal. Maybe he was still suffering from that bang on the head. Boro made a complete mess of clearing Hazard’s corner after the ball came off Calum Chambers’ back and Costa reacted first. Valdes should have tried to come for the ball but Ramirez, Gibson and De Roon all dithered.

For Costa it was his 10th Premier League goal in 12 games. He has also delivered three assists. That’s pretty decent.

Just 20 seconds into the second half Valdes did well to keep out an effort from Alonso. Pedro then hit the bar and Moses wasted a great chance.

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Star:

Middlesbrough 0 Chelsea 1: Deadly Diego Costa sends Blues top

CHELSEA occupied top spot for less than 24 hours before being overhauled by Liverpool last month.
By Ian Murtagh

You can expect a much longer residency this time after Diego Costa’s opportunist 41st minute goal took them back to the Premier League summit.

They’ll take some shifting following their sixth successive league win over a Middlesbrough side who were outclassed but never outfought.

Antonio Conte’s side have the mark of potential champions running through their team right now.
Yet another clean sheet means it’s now just 10 minutes shy of six hours since an opponent – Arsenal’s Mesut Ozil – scored against them.

With Eden Hazard pulling the midfield strings and wing-backs Marcos Alonso and Victor Moses charging down the flanks, Chelsea aren’t just effective, they are a joy to watch too.

And up front, Costa is in the form of his life.

It’s now 10 goals for the Spanish international who’s thriving in the 3-4-3 system which has taken Chelsea to the top.

Rarely can a switch in formation have paid such dramatic dividends.

Boro carved out just one decent chance but in goal Thibaut Courtois is proving as formidable as those in front of him.

The otherwise disappointing Alvaro Negredo tested him with a meaty 78th minute volley which Courtois pushed away with contemptuous ease.

It’s Tottenham and Manchester City next for Chelsea and to stretch their run, they won’t want to go into the closing stages of those games defending a slender lead like today.

They had plenty of chances to finish off Boro after Costa pounced.

Alonso tested Victor Valdes within seconds of the restart, Pedro struck the bar after being wonderfully set up by Costa.

And Victor Moses somehow blasted over the top from point blank range after another unselfish assist by the matchwinner.

Aitor Karanka is earning himself a deserved reputation for his organisational skills, showcased in Boro’s recent draws at Arsenal and City.

Little wonder therefore the Spaniard looked aghast when Costa broke the deadlock four minutes before half-time.

If the goal highlighted the striker’s predatory instincts, it was also a very un-Boro-like goal to concede.

When Alonso flicked on Hazard’s corner, the ball struck Calum Chambers on the back and with his team-mates failing to react quickly enough as it dropped, Costa was in like a flash to volley home left footed from six yards out.

This presented Karanka with a dilemma because up until this point, Boro’s gameplan has been containment and little else.

It worked – up to a point. Just twice in the opening 40 minutes was their backline breached.

Moses should have at least hit the target when Hazard found him with racing into the box on 19 minutes but sliced horribly wide.

And then four minutes later, Valdes produced a world class save to deny his former Barcelona team-mate Pedro.

The Chelsea man thought he had scored when he met Moses’ perfectly weighted pull-back with a clean connection only for Valdes to fling himself to his right and push the ball away with a strong left hand.

Boro had started brightly enough with Gaston Ramirez and Adama Traore producing two early bursts to encourage the sell out crowd.

But the nearest they came to testing Courtois was in the 36th minute when Negredo met Antonio Barragan’s cross at the far post only to head wide.

Boro stayed in the game without ever looking capable of rescuing a point. They may have tamed Arsenal and City but Chelsea proved a very different proposition.

MIDDLESBROUGH (4-1-4-1): VALDES 7; Barragan 5, Chambers 6, Gibson 7, Fabio 5 (Downing 71); Clayton 6 (Fischer 73); Traore 6 , De Roon 5, Forshaw 6 (Leadbitter 89), Ramirez 5; Negrego 5. Subs: Guzan, Bernardo, Rhodes, Nsue.

UP NEXT: Leicester (a) Premier League, Saturday

CHELSEA (3-4-3): Courtois 6; Azpilicueta 6, Luiz 7, Cahill 7; Moses 7 (Ivanovic 89), Kante 7, Matic 7, Alonso 7 Pedro 7 (Chalobah 80), Costa 8, HAZARD 8 (Oscar 90). Subs: Begovic, Fabregas, Batshuayi, Terry.

UP NEXT: Tottenham (h) Premier League, Saturday

Referee: Jon Moss 7

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