The results mean the English Premier League now looks more familiar with the "Big Four" filling the top four slots.
Chelsea's lunchtime demolition job gave the leader 20 points from eight games but Liverpool joined the Blues on the same total after scoring twice in the last 10 minutes against 10-man Wigan to snatch a 3-2 victory.
Arsenal moved up to third on 16 points after netting three second-half goals to record a 3-1 victory against Everton.
United is up to fourth on 14, along with Aston Villa, held goalless at home by Portsmouth, and Hull City, which was hosting West Ham United later yesterday.
Chelsea travelled to Middlesbrough shorn of several injured regulars but went ahead through Salomon Kalou after 14 minutes.
It then cut loose with four goals in 16 minutes early in the second half, starting with another stunning 30-meter shot by Brazilian long-range specialist Juliano Belletti.
A second for Kalou and goals by Frank Lampard and Florent Malouda secured its best away league win for five years.
"From the first moment our football, our movement and passing...that was the best we've played for a long time," Lampard told Sky Sports.
Egyptian striker Amr Zaki scored twice, including a superb scissors kick, as Wigan outplayed Liverpool to lead 2-1 at halftime after Dirk Kuyt had replied for the hosts.
However, Antonio Valencia was sent off 15 minutes from time and Liverpool cashed in with Albert Riera's equalizer and Kuyt's miss-hit winner with five minutes left.
Arsenal, which lost to Hull and drew with Sunderland in its last two games, fell behind to an early Leon Osman goal.
閵嗘劗顩撮崚鈹库偓鎴e鐠囶厼顦婚弫娆庣鐎甸€涚閿涘苯鍘ょ拹褰掝暙閸欙拷2閼哄倸顦婚弫娆掝嚦 | 閵嗘劗绮伴崝娑栤偓鎴炲閺堢儤浜介弰鐔虹秹瀵偓闁艾鏆� |
璺�閹帗妲﹂懟杈嚔閻㈤潧鐡欓弶鍌氱箶 璺�婵傝棄鎯夐妴浣虹病閸忓摜娈戦懟杈ㄦ瀮濮濓拷 璺�閺傜増顩ц箛浣冨鐠囶厼鍙忛崶娑樺斀MP3娑撳娴� |
![]() |