Runaway Premier League leaders Chelsea have continued their relentless progress, moving 13 points clear at the top of the table as Gary Cahill scored a late winner in a hard-earned 2-1 win away to Stoke City.
Even without the injured Eden Hazard, Antonio Conte's men, who have lost just one game in 2017, triumphed again when Cahill struck three minutes from time to make amends for giving away a first-half penalty.
Chelsea had looked set for a comfortable afternoon when Willian scored a 13th-minute free kick, his shot squeezing into the net after a blunder from Stoke keeper Lee Grant, who could only fumble the ball over his own line.
Yet Stoke hit back when Jon Walters, having been fouled by Cahill, picked himself up to score from the penalty spot seven minutes before the break.
After Cahill had given Chelsea a deserved lead, Stoke's misery was completed when Phil Bardsley received his marching orders in the dying seconds after receiving a second yellow card for a foul on Cesc Fabregas.
"For sure it was an important win," Conte said.
"It's not easy at this point of the season to come here, to play in Stoke against a strong team also with good qualities and tactical organisation.
"I think we showed a great will to win from the start until the end. I'm very pleased because my players showed me a great will to win but also they were prepared to fight to win this game. It wasn't easy.
"Now there are 10 games to go, I'd like to think that now we need to take 21 points to be sure to win the league but for sure it's an important win."
In Saturday's late match, Bournemouth moved nine points clear of the bottom three with victory over relegation rivals Swansea.
Eddie Howe's side had addressed a slide in form with a vital win over West Ham last weekend and this 2-0 success - courtesy of an Alfie Mawson own goal and a Benik Afobe strike - will go a long way to securing the Cherries' top-flight status for another season.
Earlier, the pressure on besieged Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger continued to mount as the Gunners slumped to a 3-1 loss to West Brom.
Leicester made it four wins from four under Craig Shakespeare and picked up their first away victory of the season with a 3-2 success at West Ham.
Riyad Mahrez, Robert Huth and Jamie Vardy - three of the main protagonists of last season's title triumph - stunned the Hammers with first-half goals.
Crystal Palace moved closer to safety, earning their third successive victory with a 1-0 home win over Watford, while Romelu Lukaku struck a late double as Everton's challenge to join the top-four battle strengthened with a 4-0 rout of Hull for a sixth successive home win.
Sunderland's season of woe continued with a scoreless draw at home to Burnley kept them two points off 19th-placed Middlesbrough, who host Manchester United on Saturday.
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