Manchester United thrashed fellow title rivals Chelsea 3-0 while Wigan continued their good run with a win over Tottenham.

Manchester United boosted their Premier League title hopes and put a severe dent in Chelsea's championship ambitions with a crushing 3-0 win on Sunday.

United dominated at Old Trafford as their visitors once again disappointed against one of their 'Big Four' rivals.

Nemanja Vidic put United ahead on the stroke of half time when he headed home after a Ryan Giggs corner had been flicked on.

Seconds before Cristiano Ronaldo had the ball in the net but the effort was disallowed with the officials not allowing the clever corner routine Wayne Rooney and Giggs had conjured up.

However, that mattered little moments later thanks to Vidic's header.

United doubled their advantage after 63 minutes when Rooney poked home Patrice Evra's cross from the left.

The game was all but over by the time Dimitar Berbatov added a third three minutes from time.

The loss was Chelsea's first away defeat in the league since December 2007 and their heaviest since a 3-0 loss at Middlesbrough in February 2006.

It leaves them four points behind leaders Liverpool, but United are now in the driving seat.

They are up to third and victories in their two games in hand - at home to Wigan on Wednesday and away to Bolton on Saturday - will put them top before Liverpool play Everton next Monday.

In the day's other game, Jermain Defoe's return to Tottenham from Portsmouth began badly as Maynor Figueroa snatched a late winner to give Wigan a 1-0 victory at the JJB Stadium.

The England striker, watched by national team boss Fabio Capello, did not have a single shot on goal as Spurs struggled to match their hosts' energy and invention.

In a game short on chances the breakthrough finally came in the 91st minute when left-back Figueroa headed home Ryan Taylor's corner.

It was the Honduran's first goal for the club since arriving last January and typified the spirit which manager Steve Bruce has engendered among his squad.

With Emile Heskey and Zaki returning after injury both lacked a little sharpness and so it was important other members of the side did their bit.

Figueroa's goal secured Wigan's fifth successive Barclays Premier League victory at the JJB Stadium and, on the balance of chances, deserved their win.