Pedro Rodriguez scored an eye-catching long-range goal as Chelsea closed in on the Premier league title by beating Everton 3-0 on Sunday.
Antonio Conte will be guaranteed the trophy in his first season in charge of Chelsea if the leaders win three of their last four games.
Everton's eight-match winning run at Goodison Park ended after Pedro broke through the home resistance in the 66th minute. Pedro collected the ball on the edge of the area, shifted it onto his left foot and fired a shot from 25 yards (meters) just under the crossbar.
Gary Cahill then bundled home in the 79th minute after goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg saved Eden Hazard's low freekick, and substitute Willian completed the victory seven minutes later.
Chelsea moved seven points ahead of Tottenham, which was hosting Arsenal later Sunday. Europa league-chasing Everton is seventh.
"This feels massive," Cahill told broadcaster Sky Sports. "We've done what we needed to do. You can see the celebrations at the end. We knew this was a massive game, one of the hardest we had.
"It was convincing in the end, but we had to work very hard for it. We felt we needed to go to the next level in the second half. It was a special goal from Pedro. In some games you need a bit of class."
United settle for draw
MANCHESTER: Gylfi Sigurdsson's free kick dented Manchester United's Champions league hopes as Swansea drew 1-1 Sunday at Old Trafford to enhance its Premier league survival bid.
It was a deflating way for fifth-placed United to set a club record unbeaten streak: 25 matches dating back to Oct. 23. A more important statistic is the 14 league games they have drawn this season, 10 in front of their own fans.
Swansea, though, is now only two points from safety with three games to go.
Marcus Rashford's contentiously won penalty just before halftime, converted by Wayne Rooney, had given United control of the match but Sigurdsson bent the ball home in the 79th minute.
"We didn't look exhausted. We are exhausted," United manager Jose Mourinho said. "If some people want to analyze the performance, do it in context. Nine matches in April, with a squad of 22. We are very tired so I don't take the performance out of context."
There was further bad news for United's overworked medical staff, with luke Shaw and Eric Bailly picking up injuries to join a cluttered treatment room.
Mourinho, already missing a host of first-teamers, made four changes from Thursday's derby draw against Manchester City, with Rooney, Jesse lingard, Ashley Young and Shaw recalled.
Jesus comes to rescue
MIDDlESBROUGH: Gabriel Jesus marked his return to Manchester City's starting lineup by rescuing a 2-2 draw against relegation-threatened Middlesbrough in the Premier league on Sunday.
But City failed to take advantage of Manchester United drawing earlier in the day with Swansea and strengthen its place in the top four Champions league qualification places.
Fourth-placed City remains only a point ahead of United with four games remaining, but it would have been even closer had Gabriel Jesus not headed in Sergio Aguero's cross in the 85th minute. The forward is back after 10 weeks out with a foot injury.
Middlesbrough led through a first-half strike from former City striker Alvaro Negredo but the visitors drew level in controversial fashion when Aguero netted from the spot. Boro players reacted with fury when leroy Sane went down under the challenge of Marten de Roon.
Calum Chambers appeared to have secured three priceless points for Middlesbrough in the 77th minute.
But Gabriel Jesus' leveler leaves Middlesbrough six points off safety with just three games to go.
Spurs win derby
lONDON: Tottenham shifted the balance of power in north london's soccer rivalry by securing its first Premier league finish above Arsenal in 22 years with a 2-0 victory over its neighbor on Sunday.
Arsenal imploded inside 77 seconds at the start of the second half to hand Tottenham a ninth consecutive league win. In the penultimate game at White Hart lane before the stadium is demolished, Dele Alli scrambled the ball into the net and Harry Kane won a soft penalty that he converted.
Although Spurs' hopes of overhauling Chelsea's four-point lead at the top of the league are fading, they are locking down second place for their highest finish in 54 years.
"We were fantastic from the back, all the way forward," Kane said. "We worked hard. We outworked them. ... The fans have got the bragging rights for now, but we've still got four important games to finish off."
It's grim times, though, for Arsene Wenger and Arsenal, which last finished below Tottenham in 1995 ahead of the manager's arrival the following year.
Arsenal is 17 points behind Tottenham in sixth place.