From the Back Pages, December 7: Cristiano Ronaldo makes history once more with record-breaking 23rd La Liga hat-trick

The happy glow lasted only two minutes for Manchester City – a club never known for doing things the easy way. No sooner had they set off about their business in the knowledge that Chelsea had been beaten than Sergio Aguero was lying on the turf, grimacing in agony. (The Independent)

JAMES MILNER is convinced Manchester City sent Chelsea an important title message after their win over Everton. (The Express)

Newcastle 2 Chelsea 1: One question was answered at St James’ Park and another was posed. Chelsea will not get to the end of this season without suffering defeat in the Barclays Premier League and, after a lot of praise and a flurry of predictions that Jose Mourinho’s team would canter to the title without much difficulty, an alternative possibility was presented. The contest is wide open, blown apart by a rampant Newcastle United. (The Times)

The most damning thing is that Arsenal did not seem to know what had hit them. On a venture into a cauldron with which they are grimly familiar, against opponents who relish hosting them and on a day when Chelsea’s defeat at Newcastle had reignited the faint possibility of them rejoining the title race, Arsène Wenger’s team made a feeble start from which they never recovered. (The Guardian)

Charlie Austin experienced the highs and lows of football in Queens Park Rangers’ win against his former club Burnley – setting up one and scoring another before being sent off late on. (Daily Mail)

Liverpool 0 Sunderland 0, match report: Brendan Rodgers’s side limp to goalless draw at Anfield. (The Telegraph)