Sergio Aguero and Ilkay Gundogan each scored twice as Manchester City crushed West Bromwich Albion 4-0 on Saturday to reclaim first place in the Premier League from Arsenal.
Arsene Wenger's side won 4-1 at Sunderland, with substitute Olivier Giroud and Alexis Sanchez both scoring twice, but City's win kept Pep Guardiola's side top on goal difference.
Jose Mourinho was sent to the stands and Ander Herrera was dismissed as Manchester United drew 0-0 with Burnley despite dominating the game, while champions Leicester City drew 1-1 at Tottenham Hotspur.
As well as keeping them top, City's one-sided victory at The Hawthorns brought Guardiola out of a six-game winless run -- the longest such sequence of his managerial career.
Guardiola, whose side host former club Barcelona in the Champions League on Tuesday, made eight changes to his starting XI from Wednesday's 1-0 League Cup defeat at Manchester United.
Aguero was among the players to return to the starting line-up and his first-half brace effectively settled the game.
He broke the deadlock in the 19th minute, slamming a shot between Ben Foster's legs from Gundogan's pass, and doubled his tally nine minutes later with a stunning shot from the edge of the box.
The goals ended Aguero's six-game scoring drought and lifted his City tally to 149 -- one more than club great Francis Lee.
Aguero teed up Gundogan for City's third in the 79th minute and the former Borussia Dortmund midfielder sealed victory in the last minute of normal time.
Arsenal had earlier strolled to victory at bottom club Sunderland, who are now seven points from safety and without a win after 10 league games.
Sanchez put Arsenal in front in the 19th minute with a header from an Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain cross.
Jermain Defoe equalised from the spot in the 65th minute after Petr Cech was booked for impeding Duncan Watmore.
- Spurs lose ground -
But Giroud equalised six minutes later, volleying in a Kieran Gibbs cross with his first touch after coming on.
The France striker struck again five minutes later, a looping header from Mesut Ozil's corner, and Sanchez completed the scoring two minutes after that with a neat close-range finish.
Tottenham were left three points off the pace in fourth place after drawing at home to Leicester, who climb one place to 11th.
Vincent Janssen gave Spurs the lead with a 44th-minute penalty, but Ahmed Musa equalised early in the second period, sliding in bravely to apply the finishing touch to Jamie Vardy's cross.
Liverpool can join City and Arsenal on 23 points if they win at Crystal Palace later on Saturday.
Manchester United's title hopes faded a little after their stalemate with Burnley left them eight points off top spot in eighth place.
Former United goalkeeper Tom Heaton was Burnley's saviour, producing stunning saves from Jesse Lingard, Paul Pogba and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
United also hit the woodwork in the second half through Juan Mata and Ibrahimovic.
Mourinho was sent to the stands at half-time, reportedly after complaining about referee Mark Clattenburg's failure to award Matteo Darmian a penalty.
Herrera was sent off in the 70th minute after being shown a second yellow card for sliding in on Dean Marney.
Watford stole above United into seventh place after edging Hull City 1-0 courtesy of a late Michael Dawson own goal.
Middlesbrough pulled clear of the relegation places after beating Bournemouth 2-0 through a memorable Gaston Ramirez solo goal and a Stewart Downing strike.
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