Valletta produced arguably their best performance of the season on Sunday as they trounced Birkirkara 4-1 to restore their four-point lead over Hibs at the top.
Denni and Ousseni Zongo gave Valletta a 2-0 lead inside the opening 16 minutes.
The best goal of the game came from defender Jonathan Caruana who directed a perfect lob over goalkeeper Reuben Gauci midway into the second half.
Spanish striker Moises Avila-Perez pulled one back for Birkirkara two minutes from time but, in stoppage time, Alfred Effiong, who had just replaced Zongo, headed Gilbert Agius’s free-kick into the net to round up the scoring.
On Saturday, Hibs maintained their title challenge with a 2-1 win over Mosta. Andrew Cohen, one of the smallest players on the field, made a spectacular leap to head Edward Herrera’s cross into the net after 10 minutes.
Mosta equalised on 23 minutes through Obinna Obiefule but Hibs regained the lead four minutes from half-time thanks to an excellent strike from Jackson Lima.
Floriana lost further ground on the front-runners after a 2-2 draw with Balzan Youths.
Joseph Borg put Floriana ahead on 25 minutes and Brazilian newcomer Alandson doubled their lead 20 minutes from time.
Balzan got back into the game when Miguel Ciantar, who had just entered the field, scored from close in 15 minutes from time.
The on-loan Sliema winger struck again at the death to give Balzan a precious point in their bid to gain a Championship Pool place.
Sliema stayed level with Birkir-kara on 29 points after being held to a one-all draw by Ħamrun who were playing their first match under new coach Stefan Sultana.
Massimo Grima fired the Spartans ahead from a free-kick after 17 minutes but Alex Muscat levelled matters for Sliema early in the second half.
Qormi also stayed in the hunt for a top-six place with a 4-1 victory over Mqabba.
Brazilian Jorginho hit a brace for Qormi with the other goals coming from Jonathan Bondin and Caio.
John Nwoba scored Mqabba’s consolation goal.
The clash between Marsaxlokk and Tarxien ended two-all.
Tarxien stormed into a 2-0 half-time lead thanks to goals from Karl Pulo and Jimmy Mayasi but Marsaxlokk bounced back in the second half.
Trevor Templeman launched their fightback when converting a penalty and Alex Pedrozo scored the equaliser midway into the second half.
Premier League statistics
Scorers, red cards
Balzan Youths: Pedrinho 6 (1 pen), Ciantar 6; Bright 5; Grima 2; Tasic, Camilleri, Farrugia, Forace, Bernardes.
Own goal: Camilleri (vs Ħamrun).
Red cards: Pedrinho (vs Qormi, vs Mqabba), Francica (vs Hibs, vs Sliema), Forace (vs Tarxien), C. Ciantar (vs Valletta, vs Floriana).
Birkirkara: Avila-Perez 10; Cilia 4 (3 pens); Grech 2, Pereira 2, Vella 2 (1 pen); Buhagiar, Zerafa, Muscat, Fenech, Haruna, Mifsud Triganza, Jorge, Camilleri.
Red cards: Decesare (vs Mosta), Grech (vs Qormi), Avila-Perez, Bajada (vs Mosta), Decesare, Pereira (vs Hibs).
Floriana: Caruana 6, Grabowski 6; Woods 5 (2 pens); Micallef 3; Cassar 2, Mintoff 2, J. Borg 2; Odwong, Farrugia, Darmanin, Sodje, C. Borg, Alandson.
Own goal: Everton (vs Tarxien).
Red cards: Amamoo (vs Sliema), Bartolo (vs Birkirkara, vs Balzan), Akoto (vs Qormi).
Ħamrun Spartans: Ribeiro 6; Shields 5 (2 pens), Grima 5; Sammut 2; Luis Silva, Toneto Porcari, Agius, Polli, Calabretta.
Own goal: Bugeja (vs Floriana).
Red cards: Agius (vs Balzan), Polli (vs Birkirkara), Sammut (vs Balzan), Borg (vs Qormi).
Hibs: Edison 18 (1 pen); Failla 11 (1 pen); Cohen 6; Pisani 3, Anizoba 3; Caruana 2, Soares 2, Lima 2; Herrera, Dias.
Red cards: Pulis (vs Valletta), Dias (vs Birkirkara).
Marsaxlokk: Deanov 4; Templeman 3 (2 pens); Farrugia 2, Lattes 2; Kokavessis, Campagnoli, Pedrozo.
Red cards: Templeman (vs Hibernians), Brincat (vs Qormi), Valeriani (vs Valletta).
Mosta: Obiefule 16 (10 with Marsaxlokk); Zammit 4 (1 pen); Martin 3, Mvondo 3; Aboulezz, Arilson, Borg.
Own goal: Buhagiar (vs Birkirkara).
Red cards: Ossok (vs Hibs), Tisbi (vs Qormi), Martin (vs Tarxien).
Mqabba: Mamic 8 (1 pen); Mazzitelli 7 (1 pen); Nwoba 2; Azzopardi, Briffa, Potezica, Bonnici, Timotic, Muscat, Sammut.
Red cards: Mazzitelli (vs Marsaxlokk), Mamic (vs Hibs), Timotic (vs Hibs), Psaila (vs Qormi).
Qormi: Jorginho 10 (2 pens); Farrugia 9 (4 pens); Bello Osagie 5; Nwoke 4; Bondin 2; Bartolo, Sciberras, Caio.
Red cards: Duff (vs Birkirkara), Jorginho (vs Floriana).
Sliema: Mitev 8 (4 pens); Lima 4, Bajada 4; Jorge 3; Mifsud Triganza 2, Ani 2, Frendo 2; Scerri, Galabov, Fenech, A. Muscat.
Red cards: Scerri (vs Hibs), Grech (vs Floriana), Mitev (vs Marsaxlokk, vs Balzan), Mifsud (vs Hibs, vs Tarxien), B. Muscat (vs Birkirkara).
Tarxien: Bueno 6 (1 pen), Ricardo 6 (1 pen); Mayasi 3 (1 pen); Anonam 2, Galvao 2, Carabott 2, Pulo 2; Everton.
Own goal: Pereira (vs Birkirkara).
Red cards: Anonam (vs Mosta), Costa (vs Balzan; Mosta), Caio (vs Valletta).
Valletta: Denni 9, Effiong 9; Mifsud 7 (1 pen), Barbosa 7 (1 pen); Zongo 6; Borg 4 (1 pen); Pace 2, Briffa 2, G. Agius 2; Caruana.
Red cards: G. Agius, Borg, Fenech (vs Hibs).
Next fixtures
Friday: Tedesco Stadium – 18.00 Mosta vs Mqabba; 20.15 Valletta vs Balzan Youths.
Saturday: National Stadium – 14.00 Tarxien vs Birkirkara; 16.00 Floriana vs Hibs.
Sunday: Hibs Stadium – 14.00 Qormi vs Sliema; 16.00 Ħamrun vs Marsaxlokk.
Standings
| P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts | |
| Valletta | 20 | 16 | 3 | 1 | 49 | 16 | 51 |
| Hibernians | 20 | 14 | 5 | 1 | 49 | 15 | 47 |
| Floriana | 20 | 12 | 4 | 4 | 33 | 18 | 40 |
| Sliema | 20 | 6 | 11 | 3 | 29 | 23 | 29 |
| Birkirkara | 20 | 9 | 2 | 9 | 28 | 27 | 29 |
| Balzan | 20 | 8 | 4 | 8 | 27 | 32 | 28 |
| Qormi | 20 | 8 | 2 | 10 | 33 | 33 | 26 |
| Mqabba | 20 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 24 | 34 | 20 |
| Mosta | 20 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 20 | 33 | 20 |
| Tarxien | 20 | 4 | 4 | 12 | 25 | 42 | 16 |
| Ħamrun | 20 | 4 | 4 | 12 | 24 | 47 | 16 |
| Marsaxlokk | 20 | 3 | 3 | 14 | 24 | 45 | 12 |