Chelsea striker makes it 12 goals in 12 games against Gunners with a fine brace at Stamford Bridge
Chelsea out-fought Arsenal for the second time this season on their way to a 2-0 win, Ivorian striker Didier Drogba bagged both goals to continue his impressive record against the Gunners.
Arsenal incredibly left both John Terry and Drogba un-marked from a corner and unsurprisingly it led to the opening goal, Terry nodding the ball towards the far post where Drogba was on hand to tap it in.
The second goal was all about the pace and power of Drogba, after being set free by Frank Lampard he drove at the Arsenal defence, cut inside a lame attempted tackle from Gael Clichy and smashed the ball into the net.
Manchester United kept up the pressure on the league leaders though, and improved their goal difference with a thumping 5-0 win over Portsmouth.
They took 40 minutes to open the scoring, but it was inevitably Wayne Rooney that got it when they did, heading home Darren Fletcher's cross from close range.
The second goal was the first of three Pompey own goals as Nani's low cross deflected in at the near post off Anthony Vanden Borre before Michael Carrick's long-range effort went in off Richard Hughes.
The third goal, despite initially being awarded to Carrick, has been credited as an own goal by the Press Association.
Dimitar Berbatov added a fourth after receiving the ball from Rooney and being afforded far too much time to be able to unsuccessfully cut inside a defender, turn and run back out of the box before spinning and firing low into the corner.
Rooney is awarded the assist as per the last pass to goalscorer rule, it does not matter that a defender got a foot in on Berbatov because the Bulgarian had already received a clean pass from Rooney before the defensive intervention.
Marc Wilson crashed a volley past his own keeper to complete the scoring after being wrong-footed by Nani's flick from Patrice Evra's cross.
Liverpool continued their recent revival to hold onto fourth spot with a 1-0 win over Everton in the Merseyside derby, Dirk Kuyt grabbing the only goal of the game when he headed in Steven Gerrard's corner.
Other results went Liverpool's way too with Tottenham and Aston Villa playing out a 0-0 draw and Manchester City slipping up at home to Hull.
Jozy Altidore scored his first goal in English football to opening the scoring, curling home after a neat lay-off from Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink, before a rare George Boateng goal doubled the lead as he smashed home a volley after a defensive clearence fell kindly for him.
Emmanuel Adebayor prodded a goal back after the ball cannoned too him off the leg of Kolo Toure.
Birmingham kept up their pursuit of European football, but needed two goals from derby king Kevin Phillips to come from behind to beat rival's Wolves.
Kevin Doyle opened the scoring after a low cross has been deflected by a defender onto the post and the rebound fell kindly for the former Reading man.
Phillips, who makes a habit of scoring in local derbies, came off the bench to score two goals in the last ten minutes, first turning home Craig Gardner's cut-back and then expertly chesting down Stephen Carr's pass and firing home the winner.
Burnley picked up a vital three points against relegation rivals West Ham thanks to a fine debut from former Celtic man Danny Fox.
The full-back's long-ball found David Nugent to lob the keeper and open the scoring before Fox himself doubled the lead with a fine free-kick.
West Ham's new boys combined to pull a goal back when Mido's shot was parried and fell to Ilan who crashed it in, but it was too little too late.
Stoke, now unbeaten in four, kept up their recent good form with a resounding 3-0 win at home to Blackburn.
Danny Higginbotham opened the scoring, crashing home a volley after a defensive clearence ended up at his feet and Mamady Sidibe tapped in Matthew Etherington's cross to double the lead.
Etherington added a third himself, firing home after a lay-off from Liam Lawrence.
Wigan and Sunderland drew 1-1 at the Stadium of Light, the home side having to come from behind to secure a point.
Mohamed Diame scored his first goal for the club, dispossessing a defender and driving through the Sunderland defence before smashing the ball home.
Kenwyne Jones headed in Jordan Henderson's cross just after half an hour to share the points.
Finally, Bolton and Fulham drew 0-0 at the Reebok Stadium.