London: Chelsea kept up their title charge in the Premier League by easily beating 10-man West Bromwich Albion 2-0 on Saturday, with Diego Costa scoring his league-leading 11th goal of the season.
Costa downed a cross from Oscar to volley in the opening goal in the 11th minute at Stamford Bridge and Eden Hazard doubled the lead in the 25th after a corner from Cesc Fabregas.
Any hopes of a West Brom comeback were ended when Claudio Yacob was given a straight red card for a challenge on Costa in the 29th. Chelsea cruised the rest of the way and easily could have added a third goal with better finishing.
Chelsea provisionally extended their lead over second-place Southampton to seven points, and stayed eight ahead of defending champion Manchester City.
In another match, Leon Osman marked his 400th Everton appearance with his first league goal since March to clinch a 1-0 victory over West Ham, ending the London club's five-match unbeaten run in the Premier League.
The 33-year-old Osman capped a controlled and creative performance by turning in a cross from substitute Samuel Eto'o in the 73rd minute.
His intervention prevented Everton from squandering another lead this season after West Ham substitute Mauro Zarate cancelled out Romelu Lukaku's contentious opener.
West Ham, who dropped a place to fifth, loudly complained that Lukaku's goal in the 26th minute was offside. Everton rose to eighth place, a point behind West Ham.
Burnley climbed off the bottom of the Premier League by beating Stoke 2-1 thanks to two first-half goals in the space of two minutes from striker Danny Ings.
Jonathan Walters' diving header reduced the deficit in the 32nd for Stoke but Burnley held on for a second straight win that helped them leapfrog Queens Park Rangers and, provisionally, Crystal Palace in the standings.
Ings gave the visitors the lead in the 12th when he finished from close range after Ashley Barnes' cross was parried out by goalkeeper Asmir Begovic.
The striker then swept Michael Kightly's low pass past Begovic to make it 2-0.
It was Burnley's first away win since being promoted.
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