Arsenal’s improbable late run at the Premier League title gained further momentum with a 1-0 win over strugglers Burnley yesterday, an eighth straight success that moved them four points behind Chelsea.

Arsene Wenger’s side did not have to be at their best to overcome an organised Burnley, who stay second from bottom in the table, but scored early through Aaron Ramsey and then eased through largely unthreatened.

While Chelsea, who play Queens Park Rangers today, have two games in hand, Wenger’s side host the leaders in two weeks.

Ramsey marked his 150th Premier League appearance with the winning goal.

The Welshman pounced to drive the ball home in the 12th minute after a goalmouth scramble in which Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil had seen shots blocked.

It marked an eighth successive league win for the Gunners while Burnley remain in the drop zone, two points from safety.

Aston Villa’s Christian Benteke (right) celebrates his goal against Tottenham, yesterday.Aston Villa’s Christian Benteke (right) celebrates his goal against Tottenham, yesterday.

Earlier, Christian Benteke scored his eighth goal in six games to hand Aston Villa manager Tim Sherwood a winning return to Tottenham.

Sherwood, who was relieved of his duties at White Hart Lane at the end of last season, has since taken the job at Villa with the task of keeping them in the Premier League and this victory will go some way to helping him achieve that goal, although the visitors did see Carlos Sanchez sent off late into stoppage time.

Coincidentally, Sherwood’s last game in charge of Spurs was a 3-0 win over Villa, and he was on the winning side once more as Benteke headed home 10 minutes before half-time to seal a 1-0 victory.

Southampton’s slim top-four hopes were given a boost as James Ward-Prowse and Graziano Pelle secured a hard-fought 2-0 win against Hull.

The result sees the Saints level last year’s best-ever Premier League points tally of 56 but leaves Steve Bruce’s side close to the relegation zone with an unenviable run-in lying in wait.

Yannick Bolasie plundered an 11-minute hat-trick as Crystal Palace boss Alan Pardew masterminded a 4-1 victory at Sunderland.

The DR Congo international struck on 51, 54 and 62 minutes after Glenn Murray had opened the scoring to hand Palace their first ever top-flight win on Wearside.

Connor Wickham’s 89th-minute strike proved scant consolation for Sunderland, who remain mired in the relegation battle.

Jamie Vardy’s stunning injury-time winner handed basement side Leicester a survival lifeline after a 3-2 victory at West Brom.

The striker ran from the halfway line before burying a drive into the corner to close the gap to safety to just three points.

Robert Huth’s late header had made it 2-2 after Darren Fletcher and Craig Gardner scored for Albion while David Nugent levelled in the first half before the Foxes’ late show.

Swansea equalled their best-ever Premier League points haul of 47 as they fought back to halt Everton’s winning run in a feisty 1-1 draw at the Liberty Stadium.

Aaron Lennon gave the visitors a 41st-minute lead with his second goal in Everton colours, but Swansea equalised after 69 minutes when Seamus Coleman’s handball was spotted by referee Michael Oliver and Jonjo Shelvey scored with a firm spot-kick.

Marko Arnautovic’s dramatic stoppage-time equaliser earned Stoke a 1-1 draw at West Ham.

The Hammers looked to have done enough to battle to victory after taking an early lead through a superb free-kick by full-back Aaron Cresswell.

However, after seeing two efforts from Arnautovic ruled out for offside and a header by substitute Mame Diouf hit the post, the visitors snatched a point deep into stoppage time when the Austrian forward crashed the ball into the far corner.

Results and standings

Premier League

Burnley 0
Arsenal 1
Ramsey 12;

HT: 0-1. Att: 20,615.

Southampton 2
Ward-Prowse 57p; Pelle 82;
Hull City 0

HT: 0-0. Att: 30,359.

Sunderland 1
Wickham 89;
Crystal Palace 4
Murray 48; Bolasie 51, 54, 62;

HT: 0-0. Att: 42,073.

Swansea City 1
Shelvey 69 pen;
Everton 1
Lennon 41;

HT: 0-1. Att: 20,468.

Tottenham 0
Aston Villa 1
Benteke 35;

HT: 0-1. Att: 35,687.
Red card: Sanchez (AV) 90.

West Brom 2
Fletcher 8; Gardner 26;
Leicester City 3
Nugent 20; Huth 81; Vardy 90;

HT: 2-1. Att: 26,768.

West Ham 1
Cresswell 7;
Stoke City 1
Arnautovic 90;

HT: 1-0. Att: 34,946.

  P W D L F A Pts
Chelsea 30 21 7 2 63 26 70
Arsenal 32 20 6 6 63 32 66
Man. United 31 18 8 5 55 28 62
Man. City 31 18 7 6 63 30 61
S’thampton 32 17 5 10 44 22 56
Liverpool 31 16 6 9 45 36 54
Tottenham 32 16 6 10 50 46 54
Swansea 32 13 8 11 38 40 47
West Ham 32 11 10 11 42 40 43
Stoke City 32 12 7 13 36 40 43
C. Palace 32 11 9 12 42 43 42
Everton 32 9 11 12 40 43 38
Newcastle 31 9 8 14 33 49 35
West Brom 32 8 9 15 30 46 33
Aston Villa 33 8 8 17 24 45 32
Sunderland 32 5 14 13 25 48 29
Hull City 32 6 10 16 29 45 28
QPR 32 7 5 20 38 58 26
Burnley 32 5 11 16 26 50 26
Leicester  31 6 7 18 32 51 25

Playing today
Man. United vs Man. City - 17.00
QPR vs Chelsea - 14.30

Tomorrow
Liverpool vs Newcastle - 21.00

Top scorers
19 goals: Kane (Tottenham), Costa (Chelsea).
17 goals: Aguero (Man. City), Austin (QPR).
14 goals: Giroud (Arsenal), Sanchez (Arsenal).

Next fixtures

Saturday: FA Cup SF – 18.20 Reading vs Arsenal.
Premier League – 16.00 C. Palace vs West Brom; Everton vs Burnley; Leicester vs Swansea; Stoke vs Southampton. 18.30 Chelsea vs Man. United.

Sunday: FA Cup SF – 16.00 Aston Villa vs Liverpool.
Premier League – 14.30 Man. City vs West Ham. 17.00 Newcastle vs Tottenham.

Gary Hooper came off the bench to snatch a dramatic stoppage-time winner to keep Norwich City on track for automatic promotion in the Championship after Neil Lennon’s battling Bolton came within minutes of gaining a point before the match ended 2-1, yesterday. Former Celtic star Hooper’s goal sparked jubilant scenes on the Canaries bench in contrast to the dejection of his one-time Parkhead boss Neil Lennon. Indeed, Hooper had been a transfer target for Lennon earlier in the season so his winning goal was a double blow for the Ulsterman.

The Championship
Birmingham 2 - Wolves 1
Bolton 1 - Norwich 2
Derby County 1 - Brentford 1
Ipswich Town 3 - Blackpool 2
Leeds United 1 - Cardiff City 2
M’boro 2 - Rotherham 0
Millwall 0 - Watford 2
Nottm Forest 0 - Huddersfield 1
Reading 0 - Blackburn 0
Sheffield Wed. 1 - Charlton 1

Standings: Bournemouth 80; Norwich, Watford 79; M’boro 78; Derby 72; Ipswich, Brentford, Wolves 71; N. Forest, Blackburn 58; Charlton 56; Cardiff, Sheffield Wed. 55; Birmingham 53; Leeds 52; Huddersfield 51; Bolton 49; Reading 47; Brighton, Fulham 45; Rotherham 43; Wigan, Millwall 36; Blackpool 25.

League One
Barnsley 1 - Chesterfield 1
Coventry 1 - Colchester 0
Crewe 1 - Leyton Orient 1
Doncaster 1 - Rochdale 1
Gillingham 1 - Bradford 0
Oldham 2 - Sheffield Utd 2
Port Vale 0 - MK Dons 0
Preston NE 1 - Bristol City 1
Scunthorpe 2 - Crawley 1
Swindon 1 - Peterborough 0
Walsall 1 - Fleetwood 0
Yeovil 1 - Notts County 1

Standings: Bristol City 89; Preston NE 81; MK Dons 76; Swindon Town 73; Sheffield United 68; Chesterfield 64; Rochdale 60; Fleetwood Town 59; Bradford, Barnsley, Peterborough United 57; Gillingham 55; Doncaster, Oldham 54; Walsall 51; Coventry, Scunthorpe 50; Port Vale 49; Leyton Orient, Crawley, Crewe 47; Notts County 46; Colchester United 44; Yeovil Town 34.

League Two
Wimbledon 0 - Oxford United 0
Cambridge 2 - Accrington 2
Carlisle 1 - Dagenham 0
Luton Town 0 - Burton 1
Morecambe 3 - Portsmouth 1
Newport 0 - Bury 2
Plymouth 2 - Mansfield 1
Shrewsbury 4 - Exeter City 0
Southend 1 - Tranmere 0
Stevenage 2 - Northampton 1
Wycombe 2 - Cheltenham 1
York City 1 - Hartlepool 0

Standings: Burton 84; Shrewsbury 83; Wycombe 77; Bury 73; Southend 72; Stevenage 65; Plymouth 64; Newport 62; Luton Town, Exeter City 61; Northampton, Morecambe 57; Wimbledon 55; Portsmouth 53; Dagenham 52; Oxford, Accrington 51; Cambridge United, York City 48; Carlisle United, Mansfield Town 45; Hartlepool 40; Tranmere Rovers 39; Cheltenham 37.

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