Liverpool took advantage of Chelsea's slip-up to go second in the Premier League table on goal difference as Luis Suarez helped them ease to a 4-1 victory over West Ham at Anfield.
It was the Uruguay international's shot which produced Guy Demel's own goal just before half-time, he won the free-kick from which Mamadou Sakho scored his first goal for the club and then added a late goal to calm the nerves after Martin Skrtel put past his own goalkeeper.
He might even have laid claim to the fifth goal of the afternoon but the ball had taken a fateful deflection off Joey O'Brien.
Suarez could have had back-to-back hat-tricks after getting four in midweek against Norwich but in taking his tally to 26 in his last 25 league matches, including 10 in his last four home matches, he provided further proof - should it be needed - that he is central to the Reds' bid to regain Champions League status.
At the other end of the table Tony Pulis enjoyed a second home victory inside a week as his Crystal Palace side recorded a fully deserved 2-0 win over Cardiff at Selhurst Park.
The former Stoke boss took charge at Palace a little over two weeks ago and, following a narrow loss at Norwich, the Welshman has now guided the Eagles to back-to-back home wins as Cameron Jerome and Marouane Chamakh got on the scoresheet to secure a comfortable triumph.
Norwich bounced back from their Anfield nightmare as goals from Gary Hooper and Leroy Fer earned them a valuable 2-0 win over West Brom at The Hawthorns.
Hooper scored the opener in the 13th minute, smashing an unstoppable drive into the top corner, before Fer finished off a sharp counter late on to seal the points.
West Brom had countless chances to take at least a point from this game with Stephane Sessegnon twice failing to convert great opportunities and Shane Long also guilty of being profligate in front of goal.
It is now one win in nine games for the Baggies, and Steve Clarke's side were booed off at full-time.
