Champions Manchester United went top of the Premier League for the first time since October after a four-goal blitz by Wayne Rooney earned a 4-0 home victory over Hull City on Saturday.
United moved above Chelsea and Arsenal, who are in FA Cup fourth-round action this weekend, with 50 points from 23 games.
Arsenal have 48 from 22 matches while Chelsea are also on 48 having played two games fewer than United.
Rio Ferdinand returned to the centre of United’s defence after being sidelined by a back injury since a 2-0 defeat by Liverpool in October but was relatively untroubled as the hosts dominated third from bottom Hull.
Rooney took just eight minutes to put United ahead, pouncing on a rebound for his 16th league goal of the season, before making sure of victory with three late strikes. – Reuters