Chelsea restored their seven-point lead at the top of the Premier League with a 3-1 win against Bournemouth yesterday.
Tottenham had reduced the gap to four points earlier on Saturday with an impressive 4-0 win against Watford as Harry Kane made his return from injury. But Antonio Conte side maintained focus and were two goals ahead thanks to goals in the 17th and 20th minutes at the Vitality Stadium.
Chelsea’s opener came courtesy of Adam Smith, the Bournemouth defender deflecting in Diego Costa’s close-range shot.
Eden Hazard doubled Chelsea’s advantage moments later, collecting an N’Golo Kante pass before rounding Artur Boruc to slot home.
Bournemouth fought back and Benik Afobe crashed a shot against the crossbar on 29 minutes before Joshua King’s 42nd-minute effort handed the hosts a lifeline with a deflected shot.
Marcos Alonso’s 68th-minute strike ended any hopes of a comeback with a fine free kick after Costa was fouled by Steve Cook.
Meanwhile, Sergio Aguero struck as Manchester City ended a four-match run without a Premier League win by beating Hull City 3-1 at the Etihad Stadium.
Ahmed Elhmohamady’s own-goal, just after the half-hour mark, gave Pep Guardiola’s team a lead at the interval, before they pressed home their advantage.
Aguero squeezed in a second goal three minutes after halftime, set up by Raheem Sterling, who also created the third with a short pass that Fabian Delph thumped in for his first league goal of the season.
Hull pulled one back late on through Italian defender Andrea Ranocchia, with a shot that recalled goalkeeper Claudio Bravo should have saved.
Victory strengthened City’s grip on the fourth and final Champions League qualification spot, with Guardiola’s men now seven points ahead of fifth-placed Arsenal.
Jurgen Klopp made changes as Liverpool won 2-1 against Stoke but had to rely on substitutes Philippe Coutinho and Roberto Firmino to avoid defeat.
Seventeen-year-old Ben Woodburn was handed a first Premier League start and fellow teenager Trent Alexander-Arnold was also in the starting XI.
A Jonathan Walters header from a Xherdan Shaqiri cross a minute before half-time gave Stoke the advantage, leading Klopp to introduce Coutinho and Firmino at the break.
And their presence galvanised Liverpool who turned the game around with goals from Coutinho in the 70th minute and Firmino in the 72nd minute to remain third.
Son Heung-Min hit a brace as Tottenham kept their Premier League title ambitions alive with a comprehensive win over Watford at White Hart Lane.
With Mauricio Pochettino’s men looking to reel in leaders Chelsea, top goal scorer Harry Kane was back on the bench less than a month after suffering an ankle injury.