Manchester City breezed to a 2-0 home win over Newcastle United thanks to goals in each half from Ilkay Gundogan and Ferran Torres.
The victory lifted City to fifth in the English Premier League (EPL) on Saturday.
City went ahead in the 14th minute when Gundogan calmly fired home Raheem Sterling’s pass from close range after a typically patient and incisive build-up from Pep Guardiola’s side.
Dominant in possession throughout, City went two up 10 minutes after the break.
This was when Newcastle defender Federico Fernandez could only deflect a cross from Joao Cancelo into the path of Ferran Torres, who scored with a simple finish.
Manchester City, who travel to second-placed Everton on Monday, move up to fifth in the table with 26 points after 14 games while Newcastle, who are 12th on 18 points, host league leaders Liverpool on Wednesday.
Everton moved two places up to second in the English Premier League (EPL) and finished in the top four on Christmas Day for the first time in 16 years.
This was after a late Gylfi Sigurdsson goal gave them a 1-0 win at bottom team Sheffield United on Saturday.
The result left Everton on 29 points from 15 games, two behind champions and leaders Liverpool who are at home to West Browmich Albion on Sunday, while the winless Blades stayed rooted to the bottom with two points.
Missing several key players, Everton looked subdued in the first half and nearly fell behind in the 16th minute as Ben Godfrey cleared David McGoldrick’s scrambled shot off the line.
The visitors came close in the 29th when Dominic Calvert-Lewin superbly chested down a long pass by Michael Keane and unleashed a ferocious volley from the edge of the penalty area just wide of the far post.
Oliver Burke slammed a close-range shot from a tight angle across the face of goal at the other end on the stroke of halftime before the game fizzed in the second half and appeared to be heading for a barren draw.
But Icelandic midfielder Sigurdsson struck in the 80th minute, planting a calm shot past goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale into the far corner after good work from substitute Bernard and midfielder Abdoulaye Doucoure.
Arsenal ended their seven-match winless run in the English Premier League (EPL) with a surprise 3-1 London derby victory over Chelsea at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Manchester United were held to a 2-2 draw at Leicester City.
United, who had won their last 10 away games in the Premier League, stay third on 27 points, a point behind second-placed Leicester.
Liverpool are top of the standings on 31 points and have a chance to extend their lead when they face West Bromwich Albion on Sunday.
Chelsea’s defeat sees them fall to sixth place with Aston Villa go above them into fifth place after a 3-0 win over Crystal Palace.
Under pressure Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta’s troubles looked to have increased with several regulars ruled out for the visit of a Chelsea side that could have gone second with a win.
But the Gunners took the lead in the 35th minute through an Alexandre Lacazette penalty after Kieran Tierney was adjudged to have been clipped in the box by Reece James.
Nine minutes later, Granit Xhaka fired an unstoppable freekick over the wall and beyond the diving Chelsea keeper Edouard Mendy.
A visibly frustrated Chelsea coach Frank Lampard tried to turn the tide at halftime when he replaced out-of-form Germany striker Timo Werner with winger Callum Hudson-Odoi and Mateo Kovacic with Jorginho.
But Chelsea still could not get into gear and Arsenal sealed the win in the 56th minute when Saka floated what looked like a cross over Mendy and the ball hit the far post and went in.
Chelsea scored a consolation goal with five minutes to go when Tammy Abraham converted a cross by Hudson-Odoi and could have scared Arsenal further if Jorginho had not had a soft penalty saved by Bernd Leno.
Marcus Rashford put United ahead in the 23rd minute with a cool finish after being slipped in by Bruno Fernandes before Harvey Barnes equalised eight minutes later with a fine shot from the edge of the box.
Fernandes restored United’s lead in the 79th minute, drilling into the bottom corner after being found inside the area by substitute Edinson Cavani.
Again though, the lead was short-lived as Vardy’s first time shot on the half-turn from a low cross from Ayoze Perez, deflected off United defender Axel Tuanzebe and earned a point for the Foxes.
Aston Villa made light of playing half the match with 10 men to thrash Crystal Palace 3-0.
Bertrand Traore put an impressive Villa side ahead early on but the hosts had Tyrone Mings dismissed shortly before the break after picking up a second yellow card.
Chelsea scored a consolation goal with five minutes to go when Tammy Abraham converted a cross by Hudson-Odoi and could have scared Arsenal further if Jorginho had not had a soft penalty saved by Bernd Leno.
Marcus Rashford put United ahead in the 23rd minute with a cool finish after being slipped in by Bruno Fernandes before Harvey Barnes equalised eight minutes later with a fine shot from the edge of the box.
Fernandes restored United’s lead in the 79th minute, drilling into the bottom corner after being found inside the area by substitute Edinson Cavani.
Again though, the lead was short-lived as Vardy’s first time shot on the half-turn from a low cross from Ayoze Perez, deflected off United defender Axel Tuanzebe and earned a point for the Foxes.
Aston Villa made light of playing half the match with 10 men to thrash Crystal Palace 3-0.
Bertrand Traore put an impressive Villa side ahead early on but the hosts had Tyrone Mings dismissed shortly before the break after picking up a second yellow card.
