Manchester United ended Arsenal's 12 -match home winning run in a breathless encounter to close the gap on Manchester City but Tottenham slipped further off the pace with a costly draw at Watford.
With Pep Guardiola's pacesetters not in action until Sunday, United's 3-1 victory took them to within five points of the Premier league summit following emphatic wins for Chelsea and liverpool earlier in the day.
But Mauricio Pochettino must find a way of lifting struggling Spurs after they dropped two more points against Watford with a 1-1 draw at Vicarage Road that leaves them 15 points off the pace.
Jose Mourinho took his team to the Emirates with questions over how they would approach the fixture after a poor recent away record against fellow members of the "Big Six".
But United quashed all thoughts of shutting up shop and were immediately on the front foot, taking the lead through captain Antonio Valencia in the fourth minute and doubling their lead just minutes later through in-form Jesse lingard.
Arsenal came back strongly, attacking in waves and pulled a goal back early in the second half through Alexandre lacazette but United reestablished a two-goal margin through lingard again.
As the match lost some of its high-octane momentum, referee Andre Marriner sent off Paul Pogba for a studs-up tackle on Hector Bellerin to change the balance of the contest, but Arsenal could not take advantage.
Hazard brace
Eden Hazard's eye-catching performance in their comfortable win in the early fixture at Stamford Bridge will mean sleepless nights for England boss Gareth Southgate, who has the unenviable task of nullifying the Belgian's threat at next year's World Cup in Russia.
Chelsea came back from a goal down to ease to a 3-1 victory courtesy of two goals from Hazard — including an impudent penalty — either side of an Alvaro Morata header.