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Its going to be a very Merry Christmas at Stamford Bridge, where Chelsea have guaranteed themselves the top spot in the Premier League table come the holiday on the strength of their current 10-match winning streak.And history portends good things for the future as well heading into their match Saturday against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.Chelsea (13-1-2) moved six points clear of the field after grinding past Sunderland 1-0 on Wednesday. Cesc Fabregas made the most of a rare start by producing the lone goal in the first half, and goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois preserved the three points in second-half stoppage time by denying Patrick Van Aanholt.The 10 victories on the trot equal Chelseas longest single-season win streak in club history, and the overall team mark of 11 that bridged the 2007-08 and 2008-09 campaigns is in their sights. On the horizon in this busy fixture period is the overall Premier League record of 14 set by Arsenal over the 2000-01 and 2001-02 seasons.To win 10 games in a row is not easy and I am pleased for my players. Its fantastic, above all in this league when you have to fight in every game until the end to take the three points, manager Antonio Conte said after Wednesdays win.It will mark the fifth time in the Premier League era Chelsea will be atop the table come Christmas Day, and the previous four times, the Blues went on to win the title.We are doing something important up to now, but the league didnt finish today, Conte added. We are on top of the table but there are still three games before the end of the first part of the season. This league is very tough and until the end it will be a great battle between six teams.Contes midfield issues may wind up solving themselves by the time the January transfer window starts. Fabregas, who had been rumoured to be on the move, may wind up staying in West London, while Oscar -- the odd man out after Conte switched to his preferred 3-4-3 formation -- is the subject of a stunning ￡60 million transfer offer from Chinese side Shanghai SIPG and one-time Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas.Oscars reported ￡20 million post-tax salary that would come with the move would make him the third-highest paid football player in the world behind only Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Conte did not refute any of the reports in his Thursday news conference, and he also singled out Fabregas for the veteran midfielders professionalism and results of late.This month he has a fantastic attitude, great behaviour, great commitment, Conte said. I have four midfielders and I have to try and make the best choice before every game, and consider also when we have to face a physical opponent and when we need more technique.Conte is expected to restore Eden Hazard to the starting XI after giving the Belgium international the day off Wednesday.While Christmas has come early for Chelsea, it feels like 2016 has been one big lump of coal for Crystal Palace (4-3-9). Aside from their stunning run to the FA Cup final, which they lost in heartbreaking fashion after extra time to Manchester United, Palaces domestic form has been sorely lacking.The Eagles are 1-2-7 in their last 10 and have dropped to 16th in the table, ahead of Middlesbrough on goal difference. Crystal Palace suffered a hard-luck 2-1 defeat to United on Wednesday courtesy of Zlatan Ibrahimovics goal in the 88th minute. Manager Alan Pardew was justifiably irked at some refereeing decisions and non-calls that went against his team.I have to look at my team and say that we were committed tonight, Pardew told Palaces official website. The decision (for the first goal) was a tough one for us, and there were a couple of bad ones in that half against us.In the second half we had a good little spell and got a great goal but it was a shame we couldnt kick on from there, and we were undone by two of the best players.If there is a saving grace for Pardew, its that Palace have scored 17 goals in their last eight games and their 28 for the season rank fifth in the league. Theyve also shipped 22 in those eight contests, and a creaky defence that has yielded 66 goals in the calendar year is a key reason Palace are 6-8-21 in league play in 2016 and Pardew is on the hot seat.We need to be sure were ready for Chelsea because we know the quality they have, said James MacArthur, who pulled Palace level after the hour mark. We need to frustrate them and keep trying to score because thats the real positive of our team this year.The road team won each game last season, with Chelsea running out 3-0 winners on goals by Oscar, Willian and Diego Costa. Palaces 2-1 victory at Stamford Bridge was just their second in 14 Premier League matches (2-2-10) between the teams. Adidas Nmd Levně Damske . Ibaka equaled a career high with 20 rebounds, adding four blocked shots and 15 points as the Thunder smothered the Milwaukee Bucks offence in a 92-79 victory Saturday night. Adidas Nmd Panske Cerne . PETERSBURG, Fla. http://www.botynmdlevne.com/ .5 seconds to play in the game, Kevin Love never stopped believing that they would come out of there with a win. Adidas Nmd Levne Cz . Self was acquired from the Buffalo Bandits in a trade for Alex Hill midway through last season, and made his debut in Rochester on March 16, 2013. Adidas Nmd Dámské Levně . Catch all the action on TSN2 at 11pm et/8pm pt. The nine-time Big 12 champion Jayhawks are positioning themselves for another title, as they have run out to a flawless 6-0 mark in conference play thus far. Auston Matthews naturally slowed down a bit after scoring four goals in his phenomenal NHL debut.The Maple Leafs first overall pick is still on top of a league-wide youth wave thats only picking up speed.From Toronto to Arizona, teenagers and rookies had a major impact throughout hockey during the first month of the season.As November began, 19-year-old Edmonton captain Connor McDavid was tied for the league lead in points, while Matthews and 18-year-old Winnipeg sensation Patrik Laine both had a share of the leagues goal-scoring lead. Toronto forward William Nylander was similarly prolific, winning the NHLs rookie of the month award.Two straight bumper crops of youngsters are changing the game with precocious speed and skill. Theyre also bringing hope to frustrated fan bases across the continent -- particularly north of the border, where some of the best talent is taking flight.The generation thats taking over is a new one, in my opinion, said Oilers coach Todd McLellan, who coached McDavid, Matthews and several other top youngsters at the World Cup of Hockey. They havent played under the old clutch-and-grab rules. They never were exposed to it. Theyve always played free hockey. ... Theyre fast, and they like playing that way.Wayne Gretzky and Bobby Orr were in attendance when McDavid and Matthews had their first head-to-head meeting Tuesday night in the biggest showcase yet for the leagues young stars. While neither No. 1 pick scored in Torontos 3-2 overtime win over Edmonton, its clear they could be fighting for Art Ross trophies and Stanley Cup titles for years to come.Its not just Auston, and its not just Connor, Gretzky told reporters in Toronto. Theres some good young players on both teams, and expectations go up with that.Indeed, the 2015-16 campaign produced a banner crew of rookies league-wide, including McDavid, Buffalos Jack Eichel and Philadelphia defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere. Chicago left wing Artemi Panarin, who turned 25 this week, scored 77 points in 80 games to beat out McDavid for the Calder Trophy.The new group appears to be equally promising. Matthews, Laine and Nylander appear to be ready for immediate stardom, while several other rookies have stepped into big roles.But for clear star potential, nobody tops McDavid and Matthews, who could be at the start of parallel career paths with similarities to the roads traveled by Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin, who broke into the NHL together as No. 1 picks in 2005.McDavid is no longer a rookie despite missing nearly half of last season with a broken collarbone, but hes still a teenager until January. Matthews just turned 19 after spending last year playing pro hockey in Switzerland, and he spent plenty of time with McDavid at the World Cup.Hes a good guy, McDavid said of Matthews. I get along with him. I definitely dont consider him a rival. ... Hes definitely not a guy that needs advice. Hes got a good head on his shoulders, and hes got a lot of confidence as well, so you dont really need to tell him anything.Signs of this youth explosion were obvious in September, when that 23-and-under Team North America captivated the World Cup with its up-tempo, exciting brand of play.It was a fun time playing with a bunch of guys who were kind of your age and really competing hard, Matthews said.While McDavid has the yooung Oilers off to a promising start, no city has more blue-chip talent than Toronto, the epicenter of hockey and the home of the perennially frustrating Maple Leafs.ddddddddddddAlthough the standings still dont look great, coach Mike Babcock is giving significant playing time to six rookies -- including two of the highest-scoring newcomers in the game.Nylander, who had four goals and seven assists in his first nine NHL games, got a jump-start on this fall with 22 games for the Leafs last season. Matthews is probably the most tantalizing player in the sport, and he had the top-selling jersey in the NHLs online store last month.Three more Toronto rookies -- defenseman Nikita Zaitsev and forwards Mitch Marner and Connor Brown -- already look comfortable in the league. The gifted Marner would be the most talked-about player in Toronto if it wasnt for his two teammates lighting up scoreboards ahead of him.Laine was a 7-year-old Finnish kid when Ovechkin broke in with Washington, and he grew up idolizing the Russian star. The No. 2 overall pick last summer is off to a fantastic start in North America, scoring six goals in his first nine games with ferocity and flair.A surprising name was right behind Laine early on the rookie scoring lists: Travis Konecny, the smallish first-round pick who made the Flyers opening-night roster along with teenage Russian defenseman Ivan Provorov. Both rookies have stuck in Philadelphia, and Konecny had seven points in his first 10 games.Youre playing against men out there, Konecny said. Its definitely a little bit of an adjustment, but Im slowly getting used to it. The first few games, I felt like there was no time for me on the ice, but Ive been making room for myself and allowing myself to make more plays.BY THE NUMBERSA remarkable nine rookies averaged at least 0.67 points per game while playing in at least five games in October. Some of the kids making a major impact include:- Jimmy Vesey, the New York Rangers forward who signed as a free agent out of Harvard and immediately backed up his Hobey Baker Award credentials with five goals in October.- Michael Matheson, the 22-year-old Florida Panthers defenseman taking key roles on both ends.- Jakob Chychrun, the 18-year-old Florida native getting a regular role on the Arizona Coyotes blue line.- Zach Werenski, the 19-year-old Blue Jackets defenseman with six points in his first seven NHL games -- and surviving as a Michigan man in Columbus.STREAKINGArtem Anisimov has a career-high point streak of eight games after getting a goal and an assist in Chicagos 5-1 win over Calgary on Tuesday night.SLUMPINGThe Los Angeles Kings havent scored a goal in three straight games after their 4-0 trouncing by Anaheim in the Freeway Faceoff on Tuesday night.LEADERSGoals, Anisimov (Chicago) and Steven Stamkos (Tampa Bay), 7; Points, Anisimov, 13; Time on ice, Dustin Byfuglien (Winnipeg), 28:49; Wins, Cam Talbot (Edmonton), 7.GAME OF THE WEEKThe rematch of the Stanley Cup Final is Saturday night when Pittsburgh visits San Jose at the Shark Tank. Both conference champions are off to strong starts again this fall.---AP sports writers Dan Gelston and Stephen Whyno contributed to this report. ' ' '