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Tottenham Hotspur chalked up their fourth successive Premier League victory after second-half goals by Steven Caulker and Aaron Lennon secured a 2-0 home win over Aston Villa on Sunday.
Liverpool's struggles continued when they were held to a goalless draw by Stoke City at Anfield while promoted Southampton needed a last-gasp goal from defender Jose Fonte, his second of the game, to get a 2-2 draw with Fulham.
Manchester United were playing Newcastle United in Sunday's late game, hoping to make up ground on leaders Chelsea who eased to a 4-1 win over Norwich City on Saturday.
Spurs, unbeaten in all competitions since the opening day of the season, broke through in the 58th minute at White Hart Lane when Jermain Defoe's shot was deflected into the corner of the net by Caulker. The home team made sure of the points nine minutes later.
Clint Dempsey set Lennon free on the right wing and he cut in to beat Villa goalkeeper Brad Guzan with a low drive.
Spurs are fourth in the table with 14 points from seven games, five behind Chelsea, while Villa are fifth from bottom.
Earlier, Spurs manager Andre Villas-Boas decided to end Brad Friedel's record run of consecutive Premier League appearances by bringing in France goalkeeper Hugo Lloris.
Former US international Friedel, 41, had not missed a top-flight game since 2004, a remarkable sequence of 310 successive matches for Spurs and former clubs Villa and Blackburn Rovers.
Lloris joined Spurs from Olympique Lyon on the last day of the transfer window in August for a transfer fee of 12 million pounds ($19.43 million).
Friedel has featured in three World Cup squads.
At Southampton, defender Jose Fonte snatched a 90th-minute equaliser to earn promoted Southampton a thrilling draw.
Fonte opened the scoring after four minutes when he met a left-wing corner from Adam Lallana and the ball looped in off his shoulder.
Fulham equalised in the 69th minute when Jos Hooiveld's outstretched leg diverted the ball into his own net following a 20-metre effort from John-Arne Riise.
The visitors took the lead through substitute Kieran Richardson in the 88th minute but Fonte then latched on to a free-kick to head Southampton level from close range.
It was the first league draw of the season for both teams. Fulham are ninth in the table with 10 points from seven games while Southampton are fourth from bottom on four.
Arsenal rally
Arsenal came from behind to beat West Ham United 3-1 on Saturday and climb to fifth after Frenchman Olivier Giroud scored his first goal since a close season move from Montpellier while Theo Walcott and Santi Cazorla struck in the last 13 minutes.
Mohamed Diame had put the Hammers ahead with a brilliantly taken angled strike in the 21st minute.