EPL Table: 2016 Week 12 Standings After Sunday's Premier League Scores

Chelsea battled to a 1-0 win over Middlesbrough on Sunday to grab the lead in the Premier League standings, as manager Antonio Conte and his troops continued their fine form after the international break.

The Blues have now won six straight without conceding a single goal, drawing praise from fans and pundits alike. ESPN FC's David Amoyal made the comparison to Conte's mighty Juventus squads after the team took the lead:

Diego Costa scored the only goal on Sunday, smashing home a corner from close range after some confusion in the Boro box. While the Blues weren't at their best, it's yet another key win that leaves Chelsea one point ahead of Liverpool in the standings.

Here's a look at those standings:

Position	Team	P	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
1	Chelsea	12	9	1	2	27	9	+18	28
2	Liverpool	12	8	3	1	30	14	+16	27
3	Manchester City	12	8	3	1	27	11	+16	27
4	Arsenal	12	7	4	1	25	12	+13	25
5	Tottenham	12	6	6	0	18	8	+10	24
6	Manchester United	12	5	4	3	17	14	+3	19
7	Everton	12	5	4	3	16	14	+2	19
8	Watford	12	5	3	4	17	20	-3	18
9	Bournemouth	12	4	3	5	14	16	-2	15
10	Southampton	12	3	5	4	12	12	0	14
11	Burnley	11	4	2	5	11	15	-4	14
12	West Bromwich Albion	11	3	4	4	12	15	-3	13
13	Stoke	12	3	4	5	13	19	-6	13
14	Leicester	12	3	3	6	14	20	-6	12
15	Middlesbrough	12	2	5	5	10	13	-3	11
16	Crystal Palace	12	3	2	7	17	21	-4	11
17	West Ham	12	3	2	7	13	23	-10	11
18	Hull	12	3	1	8	10	27	-17	10
19	Sunderland	12	2	2	8	12	21	-9	8
20	Swansea	12	1	3	8	11	22	-11	6

Recap

Chelsea didn't have to play their best football to beat a feisty Middlesbrough squad on Sunday, with Costa firing home the decisive goal.

Per Squawka Football, the Spain international is having quite the season:

Boro have proven a difficult team to face for the top clubs so far this season, with Manchester City and Arsenal both dropping points against the side in recent weeks. Chelsea maintained control of proceedings, however, and were barely troubled by the hosts.

Costa could have added to his tally, firing a shot off the post after a lovely passing move, but overall, it was a fine showing from the west Londoners. Per football writer Dan Levene, there were a lot of smiling faces after the final whistle:

The Blues are undoubtedly the big winners of the weekend, with Manchester United and Arsenal playing out a draw on Saturday and Liverpool dropping points at Southampton. The Reds, in particular, had been the other in-form team entering the international break, but no one seems to have carried their momentum as well as Chelsea.

While the Blues have made the difference with their remarkable defensive solidity, Liverpool have stood out for their explosive attack. The Saints shut said attack down, however, holding the Reds to a goalless draw.

Afterward, manager Jurgen Klopp was optimistic about the result, per the club's official Twitter account:

Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City both edged out close wins, with Harry Kane scoring twice as Spurs turned around a late deficit against London rivals West Ham United. Kane and his team-mates still haven't lost in the Premier League, but they'll have to focus on the UEFA Champions League for now, as an early exit is a possibility.

Yaya Toure was the unlikely hero for City, scoring twice in the 2-1 win over Crystal Palace. Like Spurs, the Citizens were far from their best on Saturday, and the Eagles certainly deserved at least a draw. The three points ended up going to Manchester, however, and City remain among the title favourites.

OLLY GREENWOOD/Getty Images

The same applies to Arsenal, who played a dreadful match at Old Trafford but still came away with a point thanks to a late equaliser from Olivier Giroud. The Gunners were in superb form entering the international break and need to rediscover that momentum, with the busy holiday season right around the corner.

United put together a solid performance against Arsenal, but the fact the team didn't come away with three points is disappointing. The Red Devils still sit just eight points behind Chelsea, however―it's far too early to write off any of the clubs inside the top six.