Chelsea maintained their stranglehold on the Premier League by beating Sunderland 1-0 on Wednesday to register their 10th successive win and move six points clear at the top of the table.
Cesc Fabregas's first-half strike ensured the Blues took full advantage of Tuesday's slip-up by second-placed Arsenal to leave Liverpool, 3-0 winners at Middlesbrough, and Manchester City, who beat Watford 2-0, to keep up the chase.
Manchester United continued their recent improvement with a 2-1 victory at Crystal Palace and West Bromwich Albion's Salomon Rondon took the individual honours with a hat-trick of headers in a 3-1 win over Swansea City.
Chelsea's win was particularly welcome because it came without the injured Eden Hazard.
One of the secrets behind their success has been continuity of selection so manager Antonio Conte will be delighted at the way his revamped midfield of Fabregas and Willian combined beautifully just before halftime for the Spaniard to score the goal which confirmed Chelsea's best run since 2005-06.
Sunderland goalkeeper Jordan Pickford makes a save from Chelsea's Marcos Alonso
Reuters
That seems guaranteed since Chelsea will definitely top the table on Dec. 25. On each of the previous four occasions they have done that they have gone on to win the title.
Liverpool overtook Arsenal in second place after a comfortable 3-0 win at Middlesbrough with Adam Lallana involved in all three goals, scoring twice and laying on another for Divock Origi.
Manager Juergen Klopp reacted to dropping five points in the last two games by picking Simon Mignolet in goal ahead of Loris Karius and the Belgian responded with one outstanding save in a clean sheet.
Manchester City also put recent stutters behind them as goals from Pablo Zabaleta - his first in two years - and David Silva secured a 2-0 win over Watford, only their fifth victory in 16 games.
Fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur comfortably overcame Hull City 3-0 while Jose Mourinho's Manchester United are starting to get a return on the huge money they invested in Paul Pogba and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
James McArthur looked to have earned Palace a point after cancelling out Pogba's opener but Swede Ibrahimovic struck two minutes from time to delight his manager.
West Bromwich Albion moved up to seventh, one place behind United, after Rondon became the first player to score a headed hat-trick in the Premier League since Duncan Ferguson in 1997.
West Brom's Salomon Rondon heads to scores their second goal against Swansea City
Reuters The goals came in a devastating 13-minute burst early in the second half as Swansea succumbed to the defensive frailty that has dogged them all season.
Their only consolation was that most of the sides around them also lost, West Ham being the exception after beating Burnley 1-0 with a goal from Mark Noble after his penalty was parried by Tom Heaton.
Stoke City striker Marko Arnautovic was sent off in his side's 0-0 draw with Southampton, Stoke boss Mark Hughes's 400th game as a Premier League manager.
RESULTS:Crystal Palace 1 McArthur 66
Manchester United 2 Pogba 45+2, Ibrahimovic 88
West Bromwich Albion 3 Salomon Rondon 50,61,63
Swansea City 1 Routledge 78
Tottenham Hotspur 3 Eriksen 14,63, Wanyama 73
Hull City 0Manchester City 2 Zabaleta 33, Silva 86
Watford 0Stoke City 0 Southampton 0Middlesbrough 0 Liverpool 3 Lallana 29,68, Origi 60
Sunderland 0 Chelsea 1 Fabregas 40
West Ham United 1 Mark Noble 45+3
Burnley 0Standings P W D L F A
Pts1
Chelsea 16 13 1 2 34 11
402
Liverpool 16 10 4 2 40 20
343
Arsenal 16 10 4 2 37 17
344
Manchester City 16 10 3 3 34 19
335
Tottenham Hotspur 16 8 6 2 27 11
306
Manchester United 16 7 6 3 22 17
277
West Bromwich Albion 16 6 5 5 23 19
238
Everton 16 6 5 5 21 20
239
Southampton 16 5 6 5 14 15
2110
Bournemouth 16 6 3 7 22 25
2111
Watford 16 6 3 7 21 28
2112
Stoke City 16 5 5 6 17 22
2013
Burnley 16 5 2 9 15 26
1714
Leicester City 16 4 4 8 21 27
1615
West Ham United 16 4 4 8 18 31
1616
Crystal Palace 16 4 3 9 28 31
1517
Middlesbrough 16 3 6 7 13 19
1518
Swansea City 16 3 3 10 20 34
1219
Hull City 16 3 3 10 14 35
1220
Sunderland 16 3 2 11 14 28
11 
Sunderland goalkeeper Jordan Pickford makes a save from Chelsea's Marcos Alonso Reuters
That seems guaranteed since Chelsea will definitely top the table on Dec. 25. On each of the previous four occasions they have done that they have gone on to win the title.
Liverpool overtook Arsenal in second place after a comfortable 3-0 win at Middlesbrough with Adam Lallana involved in all three goals, scoring twice and laying on another for Divock Origi.
Manager Juergen Klopp reacted to dropping five points in the last two games by picking Simon Mignolet in goal ahead of Loris Karius and the Belgian responded with one outstanding save in a clean sheet.
Manchester City also put recent stutters behind them as goals from Pablo Zabaleta - his first in two years - and David Silva secured a 2-0 win over Watford, only their fifth victory in 16 games.
Fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur comfortably overcame Hull City 3-0 while Jose Mourinho's Manchester United are starting to get a return on the huge money they invested in Paul Pogba and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
James McArthur looked to have earned Palace a point after cancelling out Pogba's opener but Swede Ibrahimovic struck two minutes from time to delight his manager.
West Bromwich Albion moved up to seventh, one place behind United, after Rondon became the first player to score a headed hat-trick in the Premier League since Duncan Ferguson in 1997.
West Brom's Salomon Rondon heads to scores their second goal against Swansea City Reuters The goals came in a devastating 13-minute burst early in the second half as Swansea succumbed to the defensive frailty that has dogged them all season.
Their only consolation was that most of the sides around them also lost, West Ham being the exception after beating Burnley 1-0 with a goal from Mark Noble after his penalty was parried by Tom Heaton.
Stoke City striker Marko Arnautovic was sent off in his side's 0-0 draw with Southampton, Stoke boss Mark Hughes's 400th game as a Premier League manager.RESULTS:Crystal Palace 1 McArthur 66 Manchester United 2 Pogba 45+2, Ibrahimovic 88West Bromwich Albion 3 Salomon Rondon 50,61,63 Swansea City 1 Routledge 78Tottenham Hotspur 3 Eriksen 14,63, Wanyama 73 Hull City 0Manchester City 2 Zabaleta 33, Silva 86 Watford 0Stoke City 0 Southampton 0Middlesbrough 0 Liverpool 3 Lallana 29,68, Origi 60Sunderland 0 Chelsea 1 Fabregas 40West Ham United 1 Mark Noble 45+3 Burnley 0Standings P W D L F A Pts1 Chelsea 16 13 1 2 34 11 402 Liverpool 16 10 4 2 40 20 343 Arsenal 16 10 4 2 37 17 344 Manchester City 16 10 3 3 34 19 335 Tottenham Hotspur 16 8 6 2 27 11 306 Manchester United 16 7 6 3 22 17 277 West Bromwich Albion 16 6 5 5 23 19 238 Everton 16 6 5 5 21 20 239 Southampton 16 5 6 5 14 15 2110 Bournemouth 16 6 3 7 22 25 2111 Watford 16 6 3 7 21 28 2112 Stoke City 16 5 5 6 17 22 2013 Burnley 16 5 2 9 15 26 1714 Leicester City 16 4 4 8 21 27 1615 West Ham United 16 4 4 8 18 31 1616 Crystal Palace 16 4 3 9 28 31 1517 Middlesbrough 16 3 6 7 13 19 1518 Swansea City 16 3 3 10 20 34 1219 Hull City 16 3 3 10 14 35 1220 Sunderland 16 3 2 11 14 28 11 