Arsenal moved six points clear of Manchester City and boosted their goal difference with a dominant 3-0 win over Fulham.
The Gunners scored all three goals during a rampant first-half display with Viktor Gyokeres netting twice and the fit-again Bukayo Saka also on target on his first start since the Carabao Cup final.
Arsenal came into the game on the back of their gruelling 1-1 draw with Atletico Madrid in the Champions League semi-final first leg, but Saka's introduction inspired a slick attacking performance.
The winger set up Gyokeres's close-range opener with a low cross after beating Raul Jimenez, then finished superbly at Bernd Leno's near post from the striker's pass for the second
Gyokeres, scorer of Arsenal's penalty against Atletico, added his second goal, and 21st of the season in all competitions, when he guided home a header from Leandro Trossard's cross.
The half-time scoreline allowed Mikel Arteta to withdraw Saka with Tuesday's second leg against Atletico in mind, while Gyokeres was also given a rest after being denied a hat-trick when Leno saved his one-on-one chance shortly before the hour-mark.
Arsenal had chances to add to their lead against the lacklustre visitors, whose preparations for the game were impacted by a virus, with Gabriel seeing a close-range effort blocked on the line, Riccardo Calafiori hitting the bar, and substitute Max Dowman firing wide.
But a three-goal margin of victory represents a potentially crucial boost to their goal difference nonetheless, putting them four goals ahead of second-placed Manchester City, who are now six points behind them, albeit with two games in hand.
An eye-catching performance from academy graduate Myles Lewis-Skelly, on his first senior start in his natural midfield berth, added another positive for Arteta as the fans inside the Emirates Stadium celebrated a vital win in their title hunt.
Bukayo Saka and Viktor Gyokeres hadn't combined for a goal all season going into the game. In the space of half an hour against Fulham, they did it twice. The pair have struggled to build chemistry on the pitch this term but it's better late than never.
Arsenal have been cautious with Saka. There has been a concerted effort not to rush him back from his latest injury setback. And the approach appears to have paid off. He looked sharp right from the start of the game at the Emirates Stadium.
"I think the pain is gone," said Mikel Arteta when asked whether his Achilles injury was fully behind him in his press conference. "That was something that was restricting his capacity to deliver certain actions. Today he felt loose, he felt relaxed."
He certainly looked like his old self when he burst away from Raul Jimenez and put the opening goal on a plate for Gyokeres. His finish for the second goal, in at Bernd Leno's near post after shaping to shoot for the far post, was vintage Saka.
That it came from a Gyokeres pass added to the sense of an understanding being built. "They haven't played together much unfortunately because of the injuries that we had, but there were a lot of relationships that I really enjoyed today," said Arteta.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta in his press conference: "I'm very happy with the team performance, individual performances.
"We knew how difficult it would be, especially coming back from Madrid so late on Thursday afternoon, and the energy we spent in the game.
"And understanding that, even if you don't want to talk about it, you have a huge game in a few days here.
"But we had the hunger and some fresh legs from a few players. The team flowed in a different way.
"We engaged the supporters and when that happens it's very difficult for opponents.
Fulham boss Marco Silva in his press conference: "There was a virus in the training ground. It started with some players, some staff members too.
"I don't want to start the press conference in this way because it looks like excuses. But it was a complicated week for ourselves.
"Apart from the big players we have out injured, we had this weird week for ourselves. It is what it is. We started with eleven, it's not the reason why in the first half we weren't at the level we should be.
"We made Arsenal's life too easy."
