Javier Hernandez's late goal clinched a crucial 1-0 win for Manchester United over Everton while Chelsea registered a thumping 3-0 win over West Ham in the English Premier League on Saturday.
Sir Alex Ferguson's side found it tough to break down a resolute Everton defence and looked in danger of dropping two points at Old Trafford, but Mexican striker Hernandez ended the stalemate with a close-range header seven minutes from full-time.
Frank Lampard, Fernando Torres and Florent Malouda scored for Chelsea which is now six points adrift of Manchester United (73).
Tottenham wasted a chance to leapfrog fourth-placed Manchester City as West Bromwich Albion secured a 2-2 draw at White Hart Lane.
Liverpool's resurgence under Kenny Dalglish continued as Maxi Rodriguez's hat-trick inspired the team to a 5-0 win against Birmingham at Anfield.
Dalglish's sixth-placed team took just seven minutes to open the scoring through Rodriguez and Dirk Kuyt increased the advantage in the 23rd. Rodriguez got his second goal in the 66th minute and completed his treble in the 73rd before Joe Cole struck in the 86th.
Blackpool climbed out of the bottom three with a 1-1 draw against Newcastle at Bloomfield Road.
The results: Chelsea 3 (Lampard 44, Torres 84, Malouda 90) bt West Ham 0; Aston Villa 1 (Bent 43) drew with Stoke 1 (Jones 20); Blackpool 1 (Campbell 32) drew with Newcastle 1 (Lovenkrands 17); Liverpool 5 (Rodriguez 7, 66 & 73, Kuyt 23, Cole 86) bt Birmingham 0.
Manchester United 1 (Hernandez 83) bt Everton 0; Sunderland 4 (Gyan 55, Henderson 66 & 77, Sessegnon 73-pen) bt Wigan 2 (Diame 52, di Santo 90); Tottenham 2 (Pavlyuchenko 27, Defoe 66) drew with West Bromwich 2 (Odemwingie 5, Cox 81); Wolverhampton 1 (Fletcher 22) drew with Fulham 1 (Johnson 80).
