Realistically, it is over, the Premier League race.
Football games and scorelines like this most recent Manchester derby are what win titles and. With an 11 point lead at the summit before Christmas, it seems the chasing pack are now just playing for second, sports betting fans.
However, as the betting odds indicate, the battle to survive remains fascinating.
Burnley 1-0 Watford
To score on the stroke of half-time is often perfect timing.
Scott Arfield proved the match-winner to settle a feisty game which featured the dubious dismissal of Marvin Zeegelaar six minutes before Arfield struck.
With this win, Burnley are now just within a point of the Champions League places.
Crystal Palace 2-2 Bournemouth
This was a four-goal thriller at Selhurst Park in which a last-gasp Christian Benteke penalty was saved by Cherries goalkeeper Asmir Begovic.
Jermain Defoe goals at either end of the first half bookended a breathtaking first half in which Palace scored twice in three minutes.
Although both sides can take positives from this encounter, Palace have returned to the foot of the table following results elsewhere.
Huddersfield Town 2-0 Brighton & Hove Albion
How the Terriers needed this!
A first-half double from club record signing Steve Mounie settled the battle of the newly promoted clubs.
This was a much-needed win for Huddersfield and leapfrogged them above Brighton who are now five games without a win.
Swansea City 1-0 West Bromwich Albion
It was a perfect way to lead by example for Wilfried Bony.
He’s been given the captain’s armband and he has responded with two goals in a week.
His late winner lifted the Welsh club, without a win since October, off the bottom.
Tottenham Hotspur 5-1 Stoke City
This was quite a way to return to form in the Premier League.
It was a contest that was in the balance until Spurs turned on the style and scored four times in 21 second-half minutes.
A day to forget for Stoke and the 1,000th top-flight defeat in their history.
Newcastle United 2-3 Leicester City
A teatime thriller (it was teatime in England!) decided by an agonising own goal.
This was the third successive win for Leicester under the impressing Claude Puel and the first time Rafa Benitez has lost three Premier League matches in a row.
The Foxes are up to eighth with this win.
Southampton 1-1 Arsenal
A point apiece and on the balance of play, neither side can have few complaints.
However, Southampton were rarely troubled and looked to be hanging on to the lead provided by Charlie Austin’s early opener.
A fine late header from Olivier Giroud earned the Gunners a point and begged the question: should the French no 12 start more games or is he more effective off the bench?
Liverpool 1-1 Everton
Everton fans could be forgiven for thinking where they would be had Wayne Rooney not returned to his boyhood love in the summer.
His 77th-minute penalty was one of only two Everton shots on target but enough to earn the blue half of Merseyside a share of the spoils.
Liverpool will be left ruing their failure to kill the game off after the man of the moment, Mohamed Salah, scored a terrific opener.
Manchester United 1-2 Manchester City
The final act in the 2017/18 title race?
Even if Man Utd had won, the gap was still a big one. Now it’s huge and the table doesn’t lie.
United are improving but City are well ahead of every other side right now (and so they should be given their outlay!) and deserve their advantage.
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