Cesc happy to be a team player

Cape Town - Chelsea have maintained their five-point advantage at the head of the Premier League after goals from Oscar and Cesc Fabregas secured a 2-1 victory at Crystal Palace on Saturday in a game where both sides were reduced to ten men.

Chelsea's win ensured the Blues five point lead at the summit of the English Premiership table.

Speaking after the game, the influential Spanish midfielder Cesc Fabregas spoke of his comfort in playing in a more supporting role for the likes of Oscar and Eden Hazard.

"I like to play this kind of football, and Eden and Oscar do as well, and the three of us connect very well and that goal showed well the qualities of the whole team," said Fabregas after notching up his first English Premiership goal of the season. 

"Now I am playing deeper in midfield there will be moments during the season when maybe I go five or six games without a goal or an assist, and I am more proud about the team work, the discipline, the way we coped with the sending off, than my goals or my assists.

"I give those to other people to talk about.

"We played a good second half when 10 against 10.

"We did have difficulties in the first few minutes but thankfully Oscar scored a fantastic goal and it helped us, and 10 against 10 is a different game and it was a solid performance." said the former Arsenal player on chelseafc.com.

Chelsea now turn their attention to Champions League action when they host Maribor at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday.