Arsenal returned to the Premier League summit on Thursday after Theo Walcott scored twice as Arsene Wenger’s side came from behind to win 3-1 at West Ham United.
Arsenal spurned several first-half chances at Upton Park and they were punished early in the second period when Carlton Cole put the hosts in front after Wojciech Szczesny spilled a shot from Kevin Nolan.
However, Walcott struck twice in three minutes to turn the game around, squeezing a low shot past West Ham goalkeeper Adrian in the 68th minute and then heading home a cross from substitute Lukas Podolski.
Podolski was making his first appearance since August after a hamstring injury and he marked his comeback with a goal in the 79th minute, drilling home from Olivier Giroud’s lay-off.
“We couldn’t take our chances in the first half and we responded very well in the second half, in the end winning the game in a convincing way,” said Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger.
“I am proud of the character of this team because they are always focused and try to do well.”
Victory sent Arsenal three points above former leaders Liverpool, who visit fourth-place Manchester City later on Thursday, while West Ham slumped to second-bottom.
Chelsea also leapfrogged Liverpool, moving up to second place by beating Swansea City 1-0 in one of the day’s 10 traditional Boxing Day fixtures.
Belgian winger Eden Hazard scored the game’s only goal in the 29th minute at Stamford Bridge, cutting in from the left in familiar fashion before letting fly with a low drive that squeezed beneath Gerhard Tremmel.
“With the three points and clean sheet, I am satisfied,” said Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho.
“But we had so many chances that you have to score at least once and create a more comfortable situation for yourselves.”
Everton’s hopes of making further ground on the Champions League contenders were thwarted, however, as they crashed to a 1-0 defeat at home to bottom club Sunderland.
Ki Sung-yueng scored the game’s only goal from the penalty spot in the 25th minute, after Everton goalkeeper Tim Howard was sent off for a foul on the South Korea international.
It was Sunderland’s first away win since April and left Gus Poyet’s men three points from safety.
Newcastle United closed to within two points of the Champions League places by coming from behind to overwhelm nine-man Stoke City 5-1 at St James’ Park.
Stoke took the lead through Oussama Assaidi, but they had Glenn Whelan and Marc Wilson sent off, allowing Newcastle to prevail through a Loic Remy brace and goals from Yoan Gouffran, Yohan Cabaye and Papiss Cisse.
Tottenham Hotspur’s new permanent head coach Tim Sherwood saw his side draw 1-1 at home to West Bromwich Albion, for whom Jonas Olsson cancelled out Christian Eriksen’s 36th-minute free-kick.
Southampton, meanwhile, ended a run of six games without victory by winning 3-0 at Cardiff City through a Jay Rodriguez brace and a Rickie Lambert strike.
Scott Parker scored a stunning 87th-minute winner as Fulham won 2-1 at Norwich City, but they remain in the bottom three due to Crystal Palace’s 1-0 win at Aston Villa, which lifted Tony Pulis’s men out of the drop zone.
