Chelsea motored eight points clear at the top of the Premier League after they beat Norwich City 3-1 and title rivals Manchester United stumbled to a 0-0 draw at 10-man Crystal Palace.
Champions Arsenal kept their slim title hopes alive on Saturday after a Thierry Henry hat-trick gave them a 3-0 win over Portsmouth, though they remain 10 points adrift of the leaders.
Chelsea, who look destined for their first league title in 50 years, have 71 points and a game in hand over United (63 points) and Arsenal (61).
Asked if he thought they had now seen off United, Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho told Sky Sports News: "We don't think about them, they think about us...we just know that weekend after weekend we have to win our matches and control the gap.
"Before this game it was six points, now it's eight and if we can make it nine points with a draw against West Brom (on March 15) or 11 points with a victory it would be great."
Further down the table, Southampton improved their survival hopes with a 1-0 home win over Tottenham Hotspur while Aston Villa and Newcastle United also enjoyed morale-boosting victories.
However, a turning point in the season was reached at Carrow Road, where Chelsea capitalised on United's slip at Selhurst Park and moved the newly-crowned League Cup winners closer still to a second trophy in their centenary year.
Joe Cole rode two heavy tackles to fire Chelsea into a 22nd minute lead and they were quick to rally after Leon Mackenzie's superb headed equaliser from a Darren Huckerby cross. It was their first goal conceded since a 2-2 draw with Arsenal on December 12.
POTENTIAL DISTRACTION
Substitute striker Mateja Kezman followed up a Frank Lampard effort to tap in Chelsea's second goal and defender Ricardo Carvalho rose unchallenged to head the third from a corner.
"Norwich deserved their goal because of the way they played in the second half, but we were too strong mentally for them," Mourinho said. "We scored two goals and killed the game."
The Champions League offered a potential distraction for Chelsea, United and Arsenal. All three trail before return legs against Barcelona, AC Milan and Bayern Munich respectively in midweek.
United, seeking a seventh successive league win, rested Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo and Paul Scholes at the start and were fuming after Roy Keane was denied in the first half by an offside flag against struggling Palace.
United's frustration increased when Palace's Hungarian goalkeeper Gabor Kiraly saved superbly from Ruud van Nistelrooy.
Palace's task was made all the harder by the 64th-minute dismissal of Greek midfielder Vassilis Lakis but they held out thanks to determination, luck and poor United finishing.
"It's a bad result for us," admitted United manager Alex Ferguson. "We've given ourselves a real mountain to climb. We've given a great advantage to Chelsea."
TRADEMARK HENRY
At Highbury, Portsmouth's Nigerian forward Yakubu Aiyegbeni headed against the bar before France striker Henry settled a youthful Arsenal team's nerves after 39 minutes with his 20th league goal of the season.
He made it 2-0 eight minutes into the second half and completed his hat-trick with a trademark free kick that went in via the goalkeeper five minutes from the end.
"I'm very happy," said Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger. "It was a very young side and for such a young side they have shown great maturity."
Arsenal, though, have defensive problems for Wednesday's visit of Bayern.
Wenger said central defender Pascal Cygan is unlikely to be fit after picking up a thigh injury on Saturday and they are already missing inspirational centre back Sol Campbell due to injury.
Fourth-placed Everton, with 51 points, host Blackburn Rovers on Sunday and their hopes of clinching a Champions League qualifying spot were boosted when the two teams below them lost.
Liverpool remain eight points adrift of their neighbours in fifth spot after losing 1-0 to a spectacular Laurent Robert free kick at Newcastle. Sixth-placed Middlesbrough, with 42 points, went down 2-0 at Aston Villa.
Nigel Quashie's second-half header gave third-from-bottom Southampton the points against Spurs and the south-coast side are two points behind fourth-bottom Palace. Charlton Athletic drew 0-0 at London rivals Fulham.
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