Nottingham Forest's dream season continued as they reached their highest league position in more than 30 years as a 2-0 victory at Everton lifted them into second place.
Chris Wood's 11th league goal of the season set them on their way and Morgan Gibbs-White capped another impressive performance with the second as Nuno Espirito Santo's side leapfrogged Chelsea and Arsenal after a fifth successive win.
Not since October 1994 have the two-time European champions been this high in the table and while the two London clubs can respond over the next couple of days, the visiting fans afforded themselves a tongue-in-cheek 'We're going to win the league' chant having defeated both Merseyside clubs this season.
Thirty years ago they eventually finished third and with 33-year-old Wood enjoying something of a renaissance at the tail-end of his career, Gibbs-White pulling the strings so effectively and a miserly defence which has conceded just 19 in as many games, it is not so fanciful to think they could repeat the feat.
What is truly remarkable is these two teams were in a similar position 12 months ago, having both had points deductions under profitability and sustainability rules, but Forest have shown what can be achieved with canny recruitment and organisation sprinkled with a little bit of stardust.
Everton ended 2023 a point above the relegation zone after three successive league defeats, while Forest were only a point better off. They finished the campaign 17th and 15th respectively.
Wood's form - only Mohamed Salah, Erling Haaland and Cole Palmer have scored more this season - has been key to their rapid elevation and that difference showed on the pitch at Goodison Park.
He has scored 22 goals in 34 Premier League appearances since December 23 last year, so if you are going to have only one attempt on target in the first half it pays for it to fall to Wood.
Gibbs-White's lofted pass from deep picked out the New Zealand striker, unmarked as Jarrad Branthwaite had opted to stay closer to Anthony Elanga to unwittingly create a two-on-one as Everton's other centre-back James Tarkowski was out of position.
Despite being off-balance, Wood directed his header towards Elanga, who nodded the ball back and his team-mate displayed the deftest of touches to lift the ball over Jordan Pickford.
Forest captain Gibbs-White crowned his performance with a deserved 61st-minute goal as Everton shot themselves in the foot.
Having just ballooned a shot into the Park End after a driving run, Gibbs-White was not about to pass up the opportunity afforded to him by Abdoulaye Doucoure's poor touch which gifted him the ball deep in the Toffees half.
By the time the ball had been moved out to Wood on the left, Gibbs-White had continued his run into the penalty area where he checked back onto his left foot, sending Doucoure the wrong way, to give Pickford no chance.
Struggling Tottenham Hotspur had to settle for a 2-2 home draw against a revived Wolverhampton Wanderers side after a late strike by Norwegian substitute Jorgen Strand Larsen.
Wolves had taken the lead after seven minutes through Hwang Hee-Chan who fired a low shot that went in off the post after a short free kick, but Spurs equalised five minutes later when Rodrigo Bentancur's header beat keeper Jose Sa from a corner.
Tottenham spurned the chance to go in front before halftime when Son Heung-Min's spot kick was saved but they did go in ahead after Brennan Johnson struck from close range. The second half was end-to-end with Strand Larsen scoring in the 87th minute.
The result left Spurs languishing in the bottom half of the table, the first time they will finish the year lower than seventh since the 2008-09 season.
Crystal Palace edged bottom-placed Southampton 2-1 at Selhurst Park, securing their second home win in the Premier League thanks to goals from Eberechi Eze and Trevor Chalobah.
The victory lifted Palace one place in the standings to 15th, while Southampton remained winless under new manager Ivan Juric, suffering a second consecutive defeat following their 1-0 loss to West Ham United.
Southampton had the more energetic start and took the lead in the 14th minute after Kyle Walker-Peters skipped past Daniel Munoz and his cross found Adam Armstrong, who set up Tyler Dibling for a simple tap-in.
Palace pressed hard for an equaliser and made it 1-1 in the 31st minute when Trevor Chalobah headed in from a corner before Eze sealed the three points for the home side with a strike from the edge of the box.
Fulham were held to a 2-2 home draw by Bournemouth in their final league game of the year after Dango Ouattara scored a late equaliser for the visitors in an end-to-end clash at Craven Cottage.
Fulham took the lead in the 40th minute from a corner kick when Raul Jimenez powered home a header, and Bournemouth equalised six minutes after the restart when Evanilson volleyed the ball past Bernd Leno from a tight angle.
Fulham restored their lead in the 72nd minute when Harry Wilson headed in his second goal in as many games before Bournemouth substitute Ouattara chipped the ball over keeper Bernd Leno in the 89th minute.
