Craig Dawson's double piled more pressure on Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger as the Gunners lost 3-1 at West Bromwich Albion.
Dawson and substitute Hal Robson-Kanu, who scored just 75 seconds after coming on, inflicted a sixth loss on the beleaguered Wenger in his last nine games.
Alexis Sanchez's 18th Premier League goal of the season had cancelled out Dawson's opener but the Gunners remain five points adrift of the top four with their hopes of Champions League qualification in the balance.
They also lost Petr Cech to injury and replacement David Ospina was at fault for Robson-Kanu's goal after colliding with Hector Bellerin.
Chelsea lined up without the injured Eden Hazard against Stoke but that didn't stop them extending their lead at the top of the Premier League table to 13 points ahead of Tottenham and Manchester City's games on Sunday.
Antonio Conte's side ran out 2-1 winners and took the lead thanks to a clever Willian free kick on 13 minutes that caught out Stoke goalkeeper Lee Grant.
Stoke were on level terms before half-time when Jonathan Walters, who was fouled by Gary Cahill in the area, converted from the penalty spot.
Chelsea stepped things up in search of victory after the break with David Luiz forcing Grant to parry a free kick from distance, while Marcos Alonso hit the bar, but it was Cahill, in the 87th minute, who sealed victory before Phil Bardsley was sent off in stoppage for a foul on Cesc Fabregas.
Premier League champions Leicester continued their resurgence with a fourth consecutive win since Claudio Ranieri's departure, beating West Ham 3-2 at the London Stadium.
Riyad Mahrez put them ahead after five minutes with a cross that evaded everyone before sneaking in. And Robert Huth doubled Leicester's advantage two minutes later with a header from Marc Albrighton's cross.
Manuel Lanzini pulled one back for West Ham with a free kick on 20 minutes, his seventh goal of the season, but Jamie Vardy restored Leicester's two-goal cushion before half-time after pouncing on a loose ball in the area.
Kasper Schmeichel got a hand to an Andre Ayew's header in the 63rd minute but he couldn't keep it out. West Ham rallied, but Leicester held on to claim another important victory.
Everton moved ahead of Manchester United and level on points with fifth-placed Arsenal thanks to a 4-0 win against struggling Hull at Goodison Park.
Ronald Koeman handed Dominic Calvert-Lewin a start and he got off to a flier, the 20-year-old forward tapping in after good work from fellow youngster Tom Davies.
Hull were reduced to 10 men on 73 minutes when Tom Huddlestone received a straight red card for a foul on Romelu Lukaku. That decision appeared to galvanise Everton scored the game-deciding second goal came soon after through Enner Valencia.
And Lukaku added a third and fourth in stoppage time to take him to 21 for the Premier League season as Everton made use of their man advantage.
Crystal Palace ran out 1-0 winners against Watford to put further room between themselves and the relegation zone.
A third consecutive win and clean sheet leaves Sam Allardyce's side 16th and four points ahead of Hull in the bottom three.
An uninspiring game looked to be destined for a goalless draw before Troy Deeney headed into his own goal on 68 minutes.
In the other game, Sunderland remain rooted to the foot of the table following a 0-0 draw against Burnley at the Stadium of Light.
Burnley had the better of the first-half with Ashley Barnes' miss from close range the best chance for a side yet to win away from home in the league this season.
David Moyes' side picked up after the break and went close through Fabio Borini, Adnan Januzaj and Sebastian Larsson.
But defender Billy Jones, who headed well wide when unmarked just four yards from goal, was guilty of missing the biggest opportunity to seal the points.
Bournemouth moved nine points clear of the Premier League's bottom three with victory over relegation rivals Swansea on Saturday night.
Eddie Howe's side had addressed a slide in form with a vital win over West Ham last weekend and this 2-0 success -- courtesy of an Alfie Mawson own goal and a Benik Afobe strike -- will go a long way to securing the Cherries' top-flight status for another season.
The much-needed win over West Ham was full of drama but, after the likes of Leicester and Crystal Palace picked up three points earlier in the day, this scrappy victory was just as important for Bournemouth.
Mawson was credited with opening the scoring for the hosts as Afobe's tame shot hit the 23-year-old and squirmed past Lukasz Fabianski, before Afobe tucked away a second after the break.