Manchester United climbed back up to second in the table in Monday night's Premier League matches, after second-half goals by Anthony Martial and Jesse Lingard earned a 2-0 victory at Everton -- their first win in five games in all competitions.
With no Romelu Lukaku in the United side, Jose Mourinho's men were struggling to break down an Everton side who have become much more resolute under new manager Sam Allardyce.
However, Paul Pogba unlocked the Everton defence with a pinpoint pass into the feet of Martial, who controlled the ball brilliantly before curling it home in the 57th minute. Jesse Lingard's clinching strike late on was equally well executed.
United's victory took them to 47 points from 22 games behind local rivals City, who lead the stadnings on 59 after their 0-0 draw at Crystal Palace on Sunday and have a game in hand.
Monday's results
Brighton & Hove Albion 2-2 AFC Bournemouth
Burnley 1-2 Liverpool
Leicester City 3-0 Huddersfield Town
Stoke City 0-1 Newcastle United
Everton 0-2 Manchester United
Sunday's results
Crystal Palace 0-0 Manchester City
West Bromwich Albion 0-0 Arsenal
Liverpool extended their unbeaten run in all competitions to 16 matches after an added-time Ragnar Klavan goal gave them a thrilling 2-1 win.
Johann Berg Gudmundsson's stooping header in the 87th minute for the home side looked to have frustrated the visitors before Estonian defender Klavan bundled the ball in at the back post from a Dejan Lovren header to snatch all three points.
A stunning 61st minute strike from Sadio Mane, who blasted the ball home on the turn from the edge of the area, had put fourth-placed Liverpool ahead as they moved to 44 points.
It was a tightly contested game and Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp was delighted with his side's spirit.
"Did we deserve to win? I don't care. We got the three points," said the German. "It was a fantastic finish to the game. This is one of the toughest places to play all season.
"Today it wasn't possible to play brilliantly but it was an open game, we had a massive setback with the equaliser but we changed it again - we haven't done that too often this year."
Klopp made seven changes from the side that beat Leicester City 2-1 at Anfield on Saturday, with Mohamed Salah and Philippe Coutinho injured and forward Roberto Firmino left on the bench.
"I like rotation, I love the quality of my squad and I am really pleased. It was not fantastic football but it was a fantastic attitude," said Klopp.
The home side's manager Sean Dyche said it was important to maintain sight of the broader picture.
"On and off the pitch we have moved forward in a calendar year. We are becoming assured of ourselves in this division," he said.
"We are playing a more mixed game now. Last year we got it (the ball) forward more often but we are calmer now. We are resolute defensively, we have added to what we had. The quality has risen.
"To be on 34 points and be unfortunate to not have 35 shows what a season we have had," added Dyche.
At Leicester, Riyad Mahrez scored on the first day of the winter transfer window as Leicester beat Huddersfield 3-0, boosted by the long-delayed appearance of Adrien Silva.
Leicester remained eighth with the win over midtable Huddersfield, which has won just two of its last 11 league games.
Mahrez, who handed in a transfer request over the summer, lit up a turgid game before Islam Slimani scored his first Premier League goal since April last year and Marc Albrighton wrapped up the points.
Home fans kept the biggest cheers for Portugal midfielder Silva when he came on in the 86th minute. Leicester bought Silva from Sporting Lisbon for 22 million pounds ($28.7 million) on transfer deadline day in August, but did not register the deal with FIFA on time.
Mahrez and Algeria international teammate Slimani scored inside seven second-half minutes at the King Power Stadium as the Foxes ended a six-game wait for a win.
In the 53rd minute, Huddersfield only half-cleared a deep throw to Albrighton, who hooked the ball back into the area. It dropped for Mahrez at the far post and he placed a brilliant cushioned volley across Huddersfield goalkeeper Jonas Lossl from eight yards (meters).
Mahrez turned provider to send Slimani through and the striker chipped in his third goal of the campaign.
Albrighton made it 3-0 when he converted from close range in stoppage time.
Stoke City's Mark Hughes is under mouting pressure after his side's 1-0 home defeat by Newcastle United, Leicester City beat Huddersfield Town 3-0 while Brighton & Hove Albion shared the points with Bournemouth in a pulsating 2-2 south-coast derby.
Stoke's Hughes left the field to a torrent of abuse from supporters after his side's latest setback, a loss made all the worse because the Welshman had rested players in the 5-0 defeat at Chelsea on Saturday to prepare for Newcastle's visit.
Ayoze Perez scored the winner as fellow strugglers Newcastle United recorded back-to-back Premier League wins on the road for the first time since 2014.
Bournemouth are another side looking anxiously over their shoulders after starting 2018 five points worse off than last year but Eddie Howe's side will be pleased with their point at Brighton.
Bournemouth's Steve Cook and Brighton's Glenn Murray both scored against their former sides after Anthony Knockaert got the year off to a good start for the home side by scoring their quickest ever Premier League goal after five minutes.
However, Callum Wilson secured a point for the visitors after a frantic scramble in the area when Brighton failed to clear their lines.
Brighton & Hove Albion shared the points with Bournemouth in a pulsating 2-2 south-coast derby.
Bournemouth twice came from behind to draw a thrilling south coast derby with Brighton & Hove Albion 2-2 at the Amex Stadium in the first Premier League game of the year.
Bournemouth began the game in a precarious position five points worse off than last New Year's Day. They got off to the worst possible start in the fifth minute when Brighton's Anthony Knockaert rounded off a flowing move by squeezing the ball in at the far post for his second goal of the season.
The goal was Brighton's fastest ever in the Premier League. However, it was far from one-way traffic and both keepers were kept busy before Steve Cook equalised against the club where he began his career with a clever back-flick header from a corner on 33 minutes.
Glenn Murray also scored against his former side to restore Brighton's lead at the start of the second half and the home side should have had a third when man of the match Jose Izquierdo shot instead of passed to Davy Propper, who was perfectly placed to score.
Bournemouth took full advantage and, after Jordan Ibe hit a post, equalised for the second time after a protracted scramble in the area from another corner. The ball eventually fell to Callum Wilson who stuck out a boot to divert the ball into the net.
The result left both teams hovering above the relegation zone. Cook said: "Normally when you score twice away from home you expect to win but I think it was a fair result and completed a good Christmas for us."
Chelsea and table-topping Manchester City play later in the week