Chelsea stay on top

Chelsea striker Diego Costa celebrates scoring the second goal against West Ham United during their Premier League encounter at Stamford Bridge yesterday. Photo: AFP

Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United showed their rivals no seasonal cheer on Friday as they pulled away from the pack in the Premier League with one-sided Boxing Day victories.

Leaders Chelsea set the tone by overcoming West Ham United 2-0. City following suit with a 3-1 success at West Bromwich Albion and United kept pace by beating Newcastle United 3-1, with Wayne Rooney scoring twice and making one.

Chelsea continue to lead City by three points, with United seven points further back, while West Ham's loss allowed Southampton, Tottenham Hotspur, Swansea City and Liverpool to make ground in the race for the top four.

Goals in each half from John Terry and Diego Costa earned Jose Mourinho's Chelsea a one-sided home win over West Ham, who slipped to fifth.

West Ham were expected to provide a stern test after a run of five games without defeat, but Sam Allardyce's team were well beaten in what was the London rivals' 100th encounter.

City were at a snow-splattered Hawthorns, but they made short work of West Brom regardless to register a ninth consecutive victory.

Fernando punished an error by goalkeeper Ben Foster to put City ahead in the eighth minute, with a Yaya Toure penalty and a David Silva goal extending the visitors' lead before Brown Ideye scored a late consolation.

Manchester United returned to winning ways following last weekend's 1-1 draw at Aston Villa by sinking Newcastle at Old Trafford.

Rooney broke the deadlock in the 23rd minute, tapping in after a sliding Radamel Falco steered Juan Mata's pass across goal, and added a second goal 13 minutes later with an assured finish from Mata's pass.

The United captain teed up Robin van Persie to head home the hosts' third goal eight minutes into the second half, before Papiss Cisse replied with an excellent late penalty.

Southampton moved into the top four, three points below United, by winning 3-1 at Cryst.al Palace, who slipped into the relegation zone

Tottenham also exploited West Ham's defeat by winning 2-1 at bottom club Leicester City.

Swansea climbed as well, moving to within four points of the Champions League places by beating Aston Villa 1-0 thanks to Gylfi Sigurdsson's curling 13th-minute free-kick.

Liverpool ended a run of three games without victory by winning 1-0 at Burnley through Raheem Sterling's goal.

Merseyside rivals Everton lost their goalkeeper in a 1-0 defeat at home to Stoke City.

Tim Howard was forced off in the second half at Goodison Park, after Bojan Krkic had scored from the penalty spot in the 38th minute.

In the day's other game, Gaston Ramirez scored one and made another as Hull City escaped from the bottom three by coming from behind to win 3-1 at Sunderland.