Arsenal reasserted its title credentials with a 2-0 victory over Liverpool that sent it five points clear at the top of the Premier League table.
Arsene Wenger had seen his side beaten by Borussia Dortmund and Chelsea in its last two home games, but it prevailed through goals from Santi Cazorla and Aaron Ramsey to confirm its role as the team to beat.
Liverpool arrived at the Emirates Stadium hoping to leapfrog Arsenal to the top of the table, but the host took a 19th-minute lead when Cazorla hooked home after an initial header came back off the post. Ramsey added a second just before the hour with a glorious strike, lifting a half-volley into the top-left corner from 20 yards to take his tally to 10 in all competitions.
Earlier, Manchester United maintained its recent momentum by winning 3-1 over Fulham at Craven Cottage to record a fourth consecutive victory in all competitions.
David Moyes’s side effectively wrapped up the game inside 22 minutes through goals from Antonio Valencia, Robin van Persie and Wayne Rooney.
Alex Kacaniklic pulled a goal back for Fulham in the 65th minute with a shot that deflected in off Rooney, but the champion saw out a victory that elevated it to within two points of the top four.
Meanwhile, Manchester City moved into the Champions League places after bouncing back from a 2-1 loss at Chelsea last weekend by demolishing Norwich City 7-0 at the Etihad Stadium. City manager Manuel Pellegrini created a stir by dropping goalkeeper Joe Hart following a succession of blunders, but he saw his side race into a 4-0 lead through a Bradley Johnson own-goal and efforts from David Silva, Matija Nastasic and Alvaro Negredo.
Yaya Toure added a fifth with a sumptuous free-kick on the hour before Sergio Aguero bludgeoned home in the 71st minute and substitute Edin Dzeko added a late seventh.
In the early kick-off, Chelsea could only watch as its rival ran riot after going down 2-0 at Newcastle United.
Chelsea captain John Terry hit the bar and had a header cleared off the line in the first half, but Newcastle prevailed through Yoan Gouffran’s 68th-minute diving header and a late Loic Remy strike.
Complete results: Sunday: Everton 0 drew with Tottenham Hotspur 0. Saturday: Arsenal 2 (Cazorla 19, Ramsey 59) bt Liverpool 0; Fulham 1 (Kacaniklic 65) lost to Manchester United 3 (Valencia 9, van Persie 20, Rooney 22); Hull 1 (Cuellar 25-og) bt Sunderland 0; Manchester City 7 (Johnson 16-og, Silva 20, Nastasic 25, Negredo 36, Toure 60, Aguero 71, Dzeko 86) bt Norwich 0; Stoke 1 (Begovic 1) drew with Southampton 1 (Rodriguez 42); West Brom 2 (Berahino 45, McAuley 83) bt Crystal Palace 0; West Ham 0 drew with Aston Villa 0; Newcastle 2 (Gouffran 68, Remy 89) bt Chelsea 0.
