LONDON: Samuel Eto’o’s hat-trick lifted Chelsea to a 3-1 win over Manchester United on Sunday which all but ended the champions’ slim hopes of defending their Premier League title.

Two first-half goals and one soon after the restart by Eto’o took Chelsea up to third place with 49 points, two behind leaders Arsenal, and United remained in seventh place, 14 off the summit.

United defender Nemanja Vidic was sent off in stoppage time to complete a miserable day for David Moyes’ team.

United, and young attacker Adnan Januzaj in particular, started brightly but were undone by two poor pieces of defending that allowed Cameroonian Eto’o to score his first goals against United since the 2009 Champions League final when he was playing for Barcelona.

Eto'o opened the scoring after 17 minutes when allowed to shoot by Phil Jones, his deflected shot ballooning into the net, and he was left unmarked in the box just before the half-time whistle to double the advantage.

He completed his treble from close range when following up Gary Cahill’s header to secure a fifth successive league victory for Jose Mourinho's side. Substitute Javier Hernandez pulled one goal back for United with 12 minutes remaining.

In the early match, Tottenham Hotspur secured a fifth successive away Premier League victory and moved up to fifth place, level on points with fourth-placed Liverpool, after Emmanuel Adebayor scored twice in a 3-1 win at Swansea City.

Adebayor’s goals, separated by a Chico Flores own-goal, ensured Tottenham remained unbeaten in the league under manager Tim Sherwood, whose record now stands at five wins and a draw since the Englishman replaced sacked predecessor Andre Villas-Boas.

Sherwood said that Adebayor’s rediscovered hunger and form after he became disillusioned and was marginalised under Villas-Boas was a boost both for the club and the player.

“It’s great. It's obviously great for the football club and great for Ade himself, who’s flying at the moment and enjoying his football.”

For Swansea, an eighth successive league match without a win left Michael Laudrup’s men just three points above the relegation zone.

On Saturday, Arsenal and Manchester City showed no sign of slowing up in the race for the Premier League title by grabbing routine home wins to stay 1-2 in the standings.

Spain playmaker Santi Cazorla scored second-half goals in a five-minute span for Arsenal in a 2-0 victory over lowly Fulham at the Emirates that keeps the Gunners in the lead by a point while goal-line technology assisted Manchester City as they overcame Cardiff City 4-2 at the Etihad.

The results left Arsenal top on 51 points, followed by Manchester City on 50.

Fulham goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg had frustrated Arsenal in the first-half, but he was beaten in the 57th minute when Cazorla slid a shot past him after a neat interchange involving Olivier Giroud and Jack Wilshere before he scored the second after latching onto a clearance.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger told the BBC: “The pressure is there but it is a positive one.

“I believe it is important to keep focused on the way we want to play and our solidarity in the side which is exceptional and that will get us the points.

“Man City are a good team as well so that makes the race even more interesting. There are five or six teams who will fight for the Championship. From our side we just need to be consistent.”

City put on another attacking clinic to breeze past Cardiff and pass the 100-goal mark this season in all competitions — after just 34 matches.

Edin Dzeko, Jesus Navas, Yaya Toure and Sergio Aguero netted for City, who have now scored four or more goals in a game on 12 occasions this campaign.

Dzeko’s goal appeared to represent the first time that goal-line technology has been decisively used to award a goal in the Premier League after his miscued effort was hacked away from beneath the crossbar by Aron Gunnarsson, but Hawkeye replays shown on the stadium's video screens confirmed that the ball had just crossed the line.

“It’s not easy to score 103 goals by the middle of the season,” City manager Manuel Pellegrini said. “It reflects how we think this team must play. We are always an attractive team.”

Liverpool are fourth with 43 points after they were held by Aston Villa, managing a 2-2 draw at Anfield having trailed 2-0.

Villa raced into a two-goal lead after 36 minutes thanks to strikes by Andreas Weimann and Christian Benteke before Daniel Sturridge and Steven Gerrard — from the penalty spot — salvaged a draw for Liverpool.

“I thought in the first half we weren't at our best and you've got to give Aston Villa credit for that,” Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers told Sky Sports.

Eighth-placed Newcastle United kept in touch with the leading pack as manager Alan Pardew’s current team beat his old one West Ham United 3-1 at Upton Park.

Yohan Cabaye and Loic Remy scored to put Newcastle in command while the Hammers pulled one back when Mike Williamson put through his own goal. Cabaye added a late third.

The scrap for survival is even tighter than the battle for first place. Cardiff, Sunderland and West Ham are locked on 18 points in the relegation zone, with Fulham on 19 and Crystal Palace on 20.

Crystal Palace started the day in last place but Jason Puncheon made up for his awful penalty miss against Tottenham last week by converting from the spot against Stoke City, sealing a 1-0 win.

Norwich City beat Hull City 1-0 at Carrow Road with an 87th minute winner from Ryan Bennett easing them away from trouble.

Results:

Sunday:

Chelsea 3 Manchester United 1

Swansea City 1 Tottenham Hotspur 3

Saturday:

Arsenal 2 Fulham 0

Crystal Palace 1 Stoke City 0

Liverpool 2 Aston Villa 2

Manchester City 4 Cardiff City 2

Norwich City 1 Hull City 0

Sunderland 2 Southampton 2

West Ham United 1 Newcastle United 3 —Agencies