Arsenal moved up to second in the Premier League with an emphatic 3-0 victory over Manchester City in an ill-tempered clash at Eastlands.
City played with 10 men for more than 85 minutes after Dedryck Boyata's red card for a professional foul while referee Mark Clattenburg showed six yellow cards.
Samir Nasri, Alex Song and Nicklas Bendtner got the goals for Arsene Wenger's side while skipper Cesc Fabregas had a penalty brilliantly saved by England keeper Joe Hart.
The game turned on its head in the fifth minute when rookie defender Boyata was sent off after bringing down Marouane Chamakh as the French striker raced onto a through ball.
The visitors took the lead in the 21st minute when Nasri played a neat one-two with Andrei Arshavin before firing past Hart.
Arsenal killed the game in the 67th minute when Song pounced on Wayne Bridge's mistake to lash a shot into the top corner.
And three minutes from the end, substitute Bendtner sprinted clear and finished past Hart.
Manchester United's Javier Hernandez broke Stoke hearts four minutes from time when his second goal earned the Red Devils a 2-1 victory at Britannia Stadium.
A wonder strike from Stoke substitute Tuncay in the 81st minute seemed to have earned them a deserved point after Hernandez had earlier given United the lead.
But A goalmouth scramble from Patrice Evra's drive fell to Hernandez, whose second goal of the game means United close the gap on Chelsea to five points.
Roy Hodgson can breathe a little easier after Liverpool's best performance of the season secured a first Premier League win in almost two months on Sunday.
Goals from Sotirios Kyrgiakos and Fernando Torres in the second half ended a depressing run of two points from the last 15 as Liverpool defeated Blackburn Rovers 2-1.
The victory, however, wasn't enough to lift them out of the bottom three.