A weekend with significant permutations at both ends of the Premier League table has drawn to a close, and Arsenal have extended their lead at the summit to eight points after seeing off Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 in the North London derby.
Manchester City have fallen further adrift of the Gunners after coming up short in their derby - losing 2-1 to Manchester United - while Newcastle United find themselves sitting pretty in third after grinding out a hard-fought 1-0 win over Fulham.
Brighton & Hove Albion boosted their European bid with a sensational 3-0 thumping of Liverpool, while Brentford are also in the continental mix after a 2-0 success over Bournemouth.
Chelsea claimed a long-awaited three points in a 1-0 victory over London rivals Crystal Palace, and Aston Villa's top-half bid gained momentum with a 2-1 triumph against Leeds United.
Further down the rankings, Nottingham Forest saw off Leicester City 2-0, Wolverhampton Wanderers edged past West Ham United 1-0, and Southampton came from behind to beat Everton 2-1 in front of a hostile Goodison Park atmosphere.
Here, Sports Mole selects its Premier League Team of the Week for the latest round of fixtures.
DEFENCE
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Resident wind-up merchant Aaron Ramsdale had to be held back from confronting a supporter who despicably kicked him in the back after the North London derby, but the Gunners number one was brilliant in beating away a wealth of Spurs attacks in the second half, making seven saves and two high claims in a thoroughly-deserved victory.
While primarily showcasing his qualities further up the field this season, Solly March reverts to a right-back role for the purposes of this team, as there was simply no chance of the Brighton man being snubbed. Having a hand in all three of the Seagulls' strikes versus Liverpool - bagging two himself before setting up Danny Welbeck - March will be present in Liverpool fans' nightmares for some time.
Another man in blue to stand out above the rest displayed his timeless qualities at Stamford Bridge, as Thiago Silva and his 38-year-old legs stole the show. From making four tackles, winning all six of his aerial duels and seeing a well-taken volley kept out by Vicente Guaita, the Brazilian is showing no signs of slowing down.
Silva's centre-back partner in our Team of the Week had only just started senior school when the Chelsea man made his debut for Brazil in 2008, with Max Kilman coming up with the goods to see out a crucial win for Wolves over West Ham, making eight clearances, five tackles and three blocks in that basement battle.
The veterans are taking over in the backline this week, and 37-year-old Ashley Young - who has primarily been operating as a right-back recently - was a key factor in Villa's win over Leeds. While given a hard time by Wilfried Gnonto, Young stood firm and rolled back the years with a whopping eight tackles and two blocks at Villa Park.
MIDFIELD
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James Ward-Prowse standing over a free kick, you know the drill. Unsavoury scenes took over at Goodison Park, where Everton's directors were absent for the visit of Southampton due to fears for their safety, and while the Toffees went ahead through Amadou Onana, Ward-Prowse's composed finish into the bottom corner and glorious free kick handed Nathan Jones a timely first win as Saints manager.
Not all of Aston Villa's recent marquee signings have paid off, but the capture of Boubacar Kamara on a free transfer has been nothing short of a masterstroke. The 23-year-old simply dominated the engine room against Leeds, as well as setting up Leon Bailey and making a vital brave intervention on Liam Cooper's effort right at the death - an act which typified his recent performances in a Villa shirt.
Fresh from being named the Premier League's Player of the Month for November and December, Martin Odegaard is already making a strong case to be nominated for the January award too, coming up with a stunning second for the Gunners in the North London derby as he dreams of captaining Mikel Arteta's men to title glory.
ATTACK
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While most eyes at Stamford Bridge were gazing upon new signing Mykhaylo Mudryk, Hakim Ziyech - perhaps spurred on to perform as competition for attacking spots increases - produced one of his finest Chelsea showings in recent memory against Crystal Palace. The Moroccan produced a sublime cross for Kai Havertz's winner and also completed four of his five dribbles on the day - sending a selection warning to Mudryk in the process.
Nottingham Forest's players know all about fighting for places, but Brennan Johnson and Morgan Gibbs-White's spots in the final third are as safe as ever following their harmonising display against Leicester. Johnson stayed just about onside from Gibbs-White's pass to break the deadlock, and the pair combined again for the Welshman's second after a sumptuous outside-of-the-foot pass from Gibb-White, sending the Tricky Trees five points clear of the relegation zone in the process.
SPORTS MOLE'S PREMIER LEAGUE TEAM OF THE WEEK
Sports Mole's Premier League Team of the Week (4-3-3): Ramsdale; March, Silva, Kilman, Young; Ward-Prowse, Kamara, Odegaard; Ziyech, Johnson, Gibbs-White
Ben Knapton
