STOKE, England (AP) – John Terry scored his first league goal of the season to help Chelsea beat Stoke 2-0 today and restore their three-point lead atop the Premier League.
Terry put his side ahead in just the second minute with a powerful header from a corner, and Cesc Fabregas doubled the lead in the 78th to make sure Chelsea re-established the gap to second-place Manchester City.
In between, it was a feisty and physical game at the Britannia Stadium and Stoke’s Phil Bardsley was lucky to escape with just a yellow card after a reckless tackle on Eden Hazard in the 20th minute.
“A victory means a bit more than the three points,” Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho said. “We won for sure in one of the most difficult places to win.”
Mourinho’s side could have had more goals, with Diego Costa failing to finish a couple of good opportunities, and were generally very much in control throughout the game, showing their ability to cope with a combative Stoke outfit on a chilly evening.
Stoke beat Arsenal 3-2 here after jumping out to a 3-0 lead by half-time, and won by the same scoreline against Chelsea at home last season.
But the London club had no such problems on this occasion, with Terry providing the visitors with a perfect start. Fabregas swung in a corner and Terry got the better of Geoff Cameron to head in his first Premier League goal since December 2013.
