CHELSEA thrashed Boro before Manchester United belted West Bromwich Albion, Arsenal came from behind against Everton and Liverpool escaped with a win over Wigan.
Chelsea manager Luiz Felipe Scolari gained an insight into just how good his injury-hit squad is after seeing them rip Middlesbrough apart 5-0.
Despite missing Petr Cech, Didier Drogba and Ashley and Joe Cole, the Blues were in rampant form at the Riverside Stadium as Boro suffered their heaviest defeat under Gareth Southgate.
Salomon Kalou fired the visitors ahead with 14 minutes gone, and although Chelsea took the game by the scruff of the neck, they had to wait until six minutes after the break for Juliano Belletti to increase their lead with a stunning 35-yard strike.
Kalou made sure of the points with a deflected 53rd-minute third, and Frank Lampard and Florent Malouda completed the rout on a day when Nicolas Anelka had a goal disallowed, hit the post and was denied by keeper Ross Turnbull.
Wayne Rooney continued his scoring spree to inspire Manchester United to a clinical 4-0 victory over West Brom.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Dimitar Berbatov also found the net during a devastating 15-minute period for the Premier League champions, with Nani completing the scoring in the last minute.
But it was a struggle until man-of-the-match Rooney broke the Baggies' resistance by scoring in his fifth-successive game, a run that has yielded six goals for club and country and has now moved United into the top four.
Liverpool maintained their unbeaten home league record in 2008 with a stunning 3-2 comeback victory, but how Wigan made them fight.
The Anfield men are specialising in dramatic comebacks, and after Chelsea's win, they knew they could not afford to slip up.
But they were twice behind to first-half goals from Egyptian striker Amr Zaki, his second an acrobatic volley into the Kop end.
Dirk Kuyt's first equaliser kept Liverpool in the game and they fought their way back to win despite Wigan battling for everything, with the game turning on a red card for Antonio Valencia with 16 minutes left.
The Latics were down to 10 men and Liverpool powered forward, with Albert Riera grabbing the equaliser and Kuyt securing maximum points for Rafael Benitez's side.
Arsenal showed the kind of fighting spirit they will need to stay the course in the Premier League title race after coming from behind to beat Everton 3-1 at the Emirates Stadium.
Arsene Wenger was forced reshuffle with captain William Gallas and Bacary Sagna unavailable, but the new-look back four was exposed after just nine minutes when Leon Osman put the visitors ahead.
However, after another enforced change when Kolo Toure was forced off at half-time because of a shoulder problem and England winger Theo Walcott was introduced, the team had better balance and soon drew level through Samir Nasri.
Robin van Persie, who could have bagged a hat-trick, nodded in from close range to complete the comeback, with Walcott drilling home an angled effort in stoppage time to give the bruised Gunners renewed confidence.
Fulham ended their run of four defeats by clinging on for a point in a 0-0 draw against Sunderland at Craven Cottage, with Socceroos keeper Mark Schwarzer heavily involved.
But the result could have been very different with the Cottagers let off the hook by referee Keith Stroud's decision to disallow a stunning 52nd-minute free-kick Richardson had a 41st-minute free kick hit both posts and struck the woodwork again via Fulham shot-stopper Mark Schwarzer.
Eleven minutes after the break Richardson arrowed his set-piece into the top corner - only for referee Stroud to rule it out for interference by Pascal Chimbonda in the Fulham wall, with replays appearing to show Chimbonda had tugged the arm of team-mate Dean Whitehead.
Aston Villa could be in hot water after a referee's assistant appeared to be struck by a missile in the closing seconds of their 0-0 Premier League draw with Portsmouth at Villa Park.
The official sank to his knees and needed treatment before resuming with plaster on his forehead.
Before that Portsmouth striker Jermain Defoe was guilty of a glaring first-half miss as the game fizzled out into a tame draw, and his team-mate Sean Davis was sent off for two bookable offences with 10 minutes remaining.
Bolton manager Gary Megson saw his side carve out a number of good chances but a point was all they took from this gritty local derby against Blackburn.
They were almost made to pay for their poor finishing with Carlos Villanueva hitting the bar and Jason Roberts sending a weak header wide of the post from close range.
While the teeming rain did not help the entertainment value, the supporters from both sides deserved better.
Middlesbrough 0
Chelsea 5 (Kalou 14, 53, Belletti 51, Lampard 63, Malouda 67)
Arsenal 3 (Nasri 48, Van Persie 70, Walcott 90)
Everton 1 (Osman 9)
Aston Villa 0
Portsmouth 0
Bolton Wanderers 0
Blackburn Rovers 0
Fulham 0
Sunderland 0
Liverpool 3 (Kuyt 37, 85, Riera 80)
Wigan Athletic 2 (Zaki 29, 45)
Manchester United 4 (Rooney 56, Ronaldo 69, Berbatov 71, Nani 90)
West Bromwich Albion 0
Despite missing Petr Cech, Didier Drogba and Ashley and Joe Cole, the Blues were in rampant form at the Riverside Stadium as Boro suffered their heaviest defeat under Gareth Southgate.
Salomon Kalou fired the visitors ahead with 14 minutes gone, and although Chelsea took the game by the scruff of the neck, they had to wait until six minutes after the break for Juliano Belletti to increase their lead with a stunning 35-yard strike.
Kalou made sure of the points with a deflected 53rd-minute third, and Frank Lampard and Florent Malouda completed the rout on a day when Nicolas Anelka had a goal disallowed, hit the post and was denied by keeper Ross Turnbull.
Wayne Rooney continued his scoring spree to inspire Manchester United to a clinical 4-0 victory over West Brom.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Dimitar Berbatov also found the net during a devastating 15-minute period for the Premier League champions, with Nani completing the scoring in the last minute.
But it was a struggle until man-of-the-match Rooney broke the Baggies' resistance by scoring in his fifth-successive game, a run that has yielded six goals for club and country and has now moved United into the top four.
Liverpool maintained their unbeaten home league record in 2008 with a stunning 3-2 comeback victory, but how Wigan made them fight.
The Anfield men are specialising in dramatic comebacks, and after Chelsea's win, they knew they could not afford to slip up.
But they were twice behind to first-half goals from Egyptian striker Amr Zaki, his second an acrobatic volley into the Kop end.
Dirk Kuyt's first equaliser kept Liverpool in the game and they fought their way back to win despite Wigan battling for everything, with the game turning on a red card for Antonio Valencia with 16 minutes left.
The Latics were down to 10 men and Liverpool powered forward, with Albert Riera grabbing the equaliser and Kuyt securing maximum points for Rafael Benitez's side.
Arsenal showed the kind of fighting spirit they will need to stay the course in the Premier League title race after coming from behind to beat Everton 3-1 at the Emirates Stadium.
Arsene Wenger was forced reshuffle with captain William Gallas and Bacary Sagna unavailable, but the new-look back four was exposed after just nine minutes when Leon Osman put the visitors ahead.
However, after another enforced change when Kolo Toure was forced off at half-time because of a shoulder problem and England winger Theo Walcott was introduced, the team had better balance and soon drew level through Samir Nasri.
Robin van Persie, who could have bagged a hat-trick, nodded in from close range to complete the comeback, with Walcott drilling home an angled effort in stoppage time to give the bruised Gunners renewed confidence.
Fulham ended their run of four defeats by clinging on for a point in a 0-0 draw against Sunderland at Craven Cottage, with Socceroos keeper Mark Schwarzer heavily involved.
But the result could have been very different with the Cottagers let off the hook by referee Keith Stroud's decision to disallow a stunning 52nd-minute free-kick Richardson had a 41st-minute free kick hit both posts and struck the woodwork again via Fulham shot-stopper Mark Schwarzer.
Eleven minutes after the break Richardson arrowed his set-piece into the top corner - only for referee Stroud to rule it out for interference by Pascal Chimbonda in the Fulham wall, with replays appearing to show Chimbonda had tugged the arm of team-mate Dean Whitehead.
Aston Villa could be in hot water after a referee's assistant appeared to be struck by a missile in the closing seconds of their 0-0 Premier League draw with Portsmouth at Villa Park.
The official sank to his knees and needed treatment before resuming with plaster on his forehead.
Before that Portsmouth striker Jermain Defoe was guilty of a glaring first-half miss as the game fizzled out into a tame draw, and his team-mate Sean Davis was sent off for two bookable offences with 10 minutes remaining.
Bolton manager Gary Megson saw his side carve out a number of good chances but a point was all they took from this gritty local derby against Blackburn.
They were almost made to pay for their poor finishing with Carlos Villanueva hitting the bar and Jason Roberts sending a weak header wide of the post from close range.
While the teeming rain did not help the entertainment value, the supporters from both sides deserved better.
Middlesbrough 0
Chelsea 5 (Kalou 14, 53, Belletti 51, Lampard 63, Malouda 67)
Arsenal 3 (Nasri 48, Van Persie 70, Walcott 90)
Everton 1 (Osman 9)
Aston Villa 0
Portsmouth 0
Bolton Wanderers 0
Blackburn Rovers 0
Fulham 0
Sunderland 0
Liverpool 3 (Kuyt 37, 85, Riera 80)
Wigan Athletic 2 (Zaki 29, 45)
Manchester United 4 (Rooney 56, Ronaldo 69, Berbatov 71, Nani 90)
West Bromwich Albion 0
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