Chelsea's winning run approaching Arsenal's Premier League record
Sunday 18 December 2016 00:01, UK
Chelsea made it 11 wins in a row with victory at Crystal Palace - and they are now closing in on the Premier League record for back-to-back wins.
Diego Costa's first-half goal was the difference between the two London rivals on Saturday, and moves the Blues to within two wins of matching Arsenal's 2001/02 milestone, with Bournemouth and Stoke up next, before another derby at Tottenham on January 4.
Here, we take a look at the best winning runs Premier League teams have recorded within a season…
11 - Manchester United - 2008/09 (Champions)
Manchester United won 11 games in a row between Boxing Day 2008 and March 2009 and kept nine clean sheets in the process. In fact, they conceded just twice in that impressive run, scoring 21.
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That defensive record was shattered in stunning style by arch rivals Liverpool at Old Trafford in a 4-1 win for the visitors.
However, United - with a team including Cristiano Ronaldo, Carlos Tevez and Edwin van der Sar - had the last laugh, beating Rafa Benitez's side to the title to seal a third Premier League win in a row and equal Liverpool's record of 18 league crowns.
11 - Liverpool - 2013/14 (Runners-up)
Liverpool ignited their Premier League title challenge with a 5-1 win over Arsenal in early February 2014 and won their next 10 games through to the end of April, scoring 38 goals in the process as in-form Luis Suarez led the way.
There was a 3-0 win at Manchester United, and home triumphs over Tottenham and Manchester City fuelled the belief this could be Liverpool's year.
But a 2-0 defeat at home to Chelsea - featuring captain Steven Gerrard's infamous and costly slip - knocked the Reds off course and a collapse at Crystal Palace saw them miss out on a maiden Premier League title.
11 - Manchester United - 1999/00 (Champions)
Manchester United dominated the 1999/00 Premier League season and showed off their superiority with an 11-game winning running from March through to the end of the season in May.
Sir Alex Ferguson's men scored 37 goals during the run, including seven against West Ham and four against Bradford, Middlesbrough and Sunderland in a brutal four-game spell.
United - in the era of David Beckham, Roy Keane and Teddy Sheringham - eventually won the Premier League by a record 18 points, with 97 goals to their name.
13 - Arsenal - 2001/02 (Champions)
With Thierry Henry in full flow, Arsenal won a record 13 Premier League matches in a row at the end of the 2001/02 season, starting and ending against Everton.
From February to May, Arsene Wenger's men were unstoppable, and wrapped up the Premier League title in the penultimate round of fixtures with a 1-0 win at Manchester United.
Those 13 wins secured a seven-point margin of victory at the top of the Premier League table from Liverpool to go with their FA Cup win; their second double under the Frenchman.
