Premier League leaders Chelsea chalked up another three points with a 1-0 victory at West Ham United yesterday to protect their five-point lead over champions Manchester City.

City, who laboured to a 2-0 win over bottom club Leicester City, might have hoped Chelsea would suffer a hangover from their League Cup final win over Tottenham Hotspur but Chelsea are made of sterner stuff and Eden Hazard’s header decided matters at Upton Park.

David Silva’s goal and a late effort from James Milner enabled City to stay in touch, although Manuel Pellegrini’s side were unimpressive at the Etihad Stadium where Leicester belied their lowly position.

Silva pounced from close range to put City ahead after an unconvincing start and Milner came off the bench to settle nerves in the last minute.

It was far from a fluent display from City but the result will at least take some of the heat off manager Pellegrini after a testing few days.

Goals from Olivier Giroud and Alexis Sanchez gave Arsenal a 2-1 victory at Queens Park Rangers to keep them third, nine points behind Chelsea.

Manchester United hung on to fourth, two points above resurgent Liverpool, with Ashley Young’s 89th-minute goal sealing a 1-0 win at Newcastle United.

Chelsea have 63 points from 27 games with City on 58 from a game more. Arsenal have 54 with United on 53.

The Hammers had one win in 17 against the Blues entering the contest but refused to be cowed by the leaders and deserved more, only for Hazard’s first-half goal to settle the contest.

Blues manager Jose Mourinho spoke of short celebrations after the Wembley win and captain John Terry insisted they had been postponed until the end of the season, when he hoped there would be further cause to party.

Yet, at times it appeared as though Chelsea’s defenders had a hangover as the pace of Enner Valencia, Diafra Sakho and Stewart Downing found holes.

Terry was booked for pulling down Valencia in the first half and cautious thereafter, with Chelsea indebted to a number of fine saves from the restored Thibaut Courtois – namely from Cheikhou Kouyate – as the Hammers pressed forward.

Ramires struck a post on the counter-attack and had a header well saved by Adrian, while Willian spurned a late chance for a second to settle the contest for Chelsea.

Jordan Henderson scored for the second game running as in-form Liverpool beat Burnley 2-0 at Anfield to climb to fifth.

Tottenham rebounded from their Wembley disappointment to beat Swansea City 3-2 and stay in the hunt for a top-four finish, although the game was overshadowed by Swansea’s Bafetimbi Gomis fainting in the first half.

The French forward was carried off the pitch but remained conscious after medical treatment at the ground.

Meanwhile, Everton’s worrying league form continued in a 2-0 defeat at Stoke City.

Summaries

Liverpool 2
Henderson 29; Sturridge 51;
Burnley 0

HT: 1-0. Att: 44,717.

Man. City 2
Silva 45; Milner 88;
Leicester City 0

HT: 1-0. Att: 45,000.

Newcastle 0
Man. United 1
Young 89;

HT: 0-0. Att: 49,801.

QPR 1
Austin 82;
Arsenal 2
Giroud 64; Sanchez 69;

HT: 0-0. Att: 17,977.

Stoke City 2
Moses 32; Diouf 84;
Everton 0

HT: 1-0. Att: 26,431.

Tottenham 3
Chadli 7; Mason 51; Townsend 60;
Swansea City 2
Ki 21; Sigurdsson 89;

HT: 1-1. Att: 34,008.

West Ham 0
Chelsea 1
Hazard 23;

HT: 0-1. Att: 34,927.