Chelsea defeated Aston Villa 2-1 on Saturday to extend their lead at the top of the Premier League table to seven points, thanks to Eden Hazard's early goal and Branislav Ivanovic's winner.
With nearest rivals Manchester City held at home by Hull, Ivanovic's winner, a few minutes after the hour mark, secured a vital victory for the leaders.
Villa, who had not scored in the league since 20 December, responded well after falling behind to Hazard's early goal and levelled through Jores Okore's header just three minutes into the second half, the BBC reported.
However, Serbian defender Ivanovic restored Chelsea's advantage after 66 minutes and they went on to secure Jose Mourinho's first win at Villa Park at the sixth attempt.
The spirit Villa showed in defeat will be scant consolation for Paul Lambert's struggling side, whose winless run now stands at nine league games, the report added.
