A first-half Diego Costa goal fired Chelsea to a sixth successive win at Middlesbrough in the Premier League to move to the top the table.
The last time the Blues won six in a row was in the double win in 2010 and on this form, few would bet against Antonio Conte’s side when this season’s trophies are handed out.
A fortnight on this performance bore all the attacking hallmarks of the stunning Everton victory, albeit in flashes as it took a while to dampen down a buoyant Riverside crowd.
Chelsea have yet to concede since switching to three at the back and in truth this remarkable record didn’t look like being broken in a professional display in the North East.
Aitor Karanka labelled the visitors title favourites this week but there was no suggestion of such deference in their early running.
Karanka’s side began brightly with Gaston Ramirez proving a tricky customer to handle down the right side of a three man defence shaking off its ring-rust.
Boro were errant in the final third though as Alvaro Negredo dragged a shot wide from the top of the box; this followed one of several early counter-attacks, products of Conte’s wing-backs getting caught a tad too high up the pitch.
The Blues grew into the game and with Costa to the fore, chances were to flow.
Victor Moses came mightily close in snapping a left-footed effort wide of the post before the wideman turned Pedro’s provider, who spooned his shot over the bar from 12 yards.
Costa was on hand to open the scoring in the 40th minute with his seventh strike in as many away games.
The first contact on Hazard’s corner was won by Marcos Alonso but it was a deflection off an unwitting defender that sat the ball up perfectly for Costa to turn home a simple finish from seven yards.
On the resumption Chelsea looked like the only team to have heard the referee’s whistle to get the second half underway.
Within seconds a sweeping move saw Alonso draw a good save from Victor Valdes and Calum Chambers clear his lines with haste.
At the other end, Negredo stepped over the ball smartly but Ramirez, in space, curled his shot over the right upright from outside the box.
The rapier-like movement of Chelsea’s front three in combination is quite some threat and it almost produced a fine goal on the hour mark.
Costa nodded David Luiz’s whipped cross down to the onrushing Pedro, who sidefooted on to the underside of the bar.
A four-on-three in the final third saw Moses slipped in behind, only for a mishit shot with his weaker foot to sail over the bar.
N’Golo Kante’s needless cession of the ball handed Adama Traore a sight of goal but he never looked like testing Thibaut Courtois with his drive.
Far more menacing was Negredo’s volley on the half-turn that sent Courtois scrambling down to his left to parry.
Conte made three substitutions in quick succession but by the time he acted the destination of the points had been decided.
