Arsenal secured their position at the top of the Premier League for Christmas with a 1-0 victory over Everton, while Liverpool managed to defeat nine-man Tottenham 2-1 in a tense match.
Manchester City temporarily ascended to the top of the table after Erling Haaland's two goals contributed to a 3-0 win against West Ham.
Arsenal regained a two-point lead thanks to a penalty converted by Viktor Gyokeres, although their performance was described as less than stellar during the match on Merseyside.
The match at Hill Dickinson Stadium featured numerous penalty appeals. Arsenal's claims for a foul on Gyokeres were dismissed before they were awarded a penalty for a handball by Jake O’Brien, which Gyokeres successfully converted.
Despite hitting the post twice through Leandro Trossard and Martin Zubimendi in the second half, Everton expressed frustration over two unpunished challenges on Thierno Barry within the penalty area.
Manchester City continued to apply pressure on Arsenal, achieving their seventh consecutive win across all competitions. However, manager Pep Guardiola expressed dissatisfaction, emphasizing the need for improvement to secure a seventh Premier League title.
City's match against West Ham saw Haaland score early, followed by a goal from Tijjani Reijnders just before halftime, with Haaland later adding his second goal of the match.
Liverpool extended their unbeaten streak to six games, overcoming a challenging finale against Tottenham, which left Spurs manager Thomas Frank frustrated after a red card issued to Xavi Simons for a challenge on Virgil van Dijk.
Frank criticized the decision, stating that it undermines the game, while former players expressed mixed opinions on the incident, with some labeling it as reckless.
Despite the absence of Mohamed Salah due to the Africa Cup of Nations, Liverpool's Alexander Isak, who had recently joined for a record fee, scored but subsequently suffered an injury that required him to leave the pitch.
Hugo Ekitike later scored to double Liverpool's lead, but Tottenham managed to pull one back through Richarlison, intensifying the pressure on Frank as his team faced a fifth defeat in nine home league games.
In other matches, Chelsea managed to salvage a draw against Newcastle, while Wolves continued to struggle without a league win this season. Brentford's victory over Wolves moved them ten points clear of the relegation zone, and Burnley ended a seven-game losing streak with a late equalizer against Bournemouth.
Sunderland climbed to sixth place following a goalless draw with Brighton.
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