The top three teams in the Premier League table all recorded victories on New Year's Day to extend their advantage over the chasing pack.

Arsenal struck two late goals to edge out Cardiff City, Manchester City held on to defeat a spirited Swansea City side, while Chelsea outclassed Southampton at St Mary's Stadium.

Everton dropped to fifth position after earning a point at Stoke City, and they were replaced by Merseyside rivals Liverpool, who eased to a 2-0 triumph over Hull City.

Manchester United lost more ground on the leaders after losing at home to Tottenham Hotspur, who replaced David Moyes's team in sixth place.

At the other end of the table, Sunderland remained bottom after falling to defeat at home to Aston Villa, with Fulham being the big winners of the struggling teams at the bottom of the standings after a 2-1 win over West Ham United.

Having taken all that into consideration, Sports Mole has picked out 11 players who made significant contributions to their respective teams on the first day of 2014.

Jussi Jaaskelainen (West Ham United): The Hammers stopper ended up on the losing side at Craven Cottage, but after Fulham peppered the West Ham goal with 30 attempts, the veteran Finn did superbly to keep the score down to 2-1.

Joel Ward (Crystal Palace): The Eagles would have been disappointed to only draw with Norwich City, but Ward's rampaging runs down the right flank was one of the positives for the home side at Selhurst Park.

Gary Cahill (Chelsea): The centre-back has found himself in and out of the starting lineup in recent weeks, but in the absence of David Luiz through suspension, the England international put in an assured performance to ensure that his side kept a clean sheet at Southampton.

Daniel Agger (Liverpool): Agger was linked with a temporary move away from Anfield last month after spending time on the substitutes' bench, but the Dane made a positive contribution in Liverpool's comfortable win over Hull City.

Leighton Baines (Everton): The left-back has only recently returned from an enforced spell on the sidelines, but he displayed his worth to his side with an equaliser from the spot against Stoke City in added-on time.

Christian Eriksen (Tottenham Hotspur): The Dane is one of a number of Tottenham players who is flourishing under Tim Sherwood, and his winner at Old Trafford could cement his place in the starting lineup.

Scott Parker (Fulham): Parker didn't net his second goal in three games during Fulham's win over West Ham, but he did play an integral part in helping the Cottagers dominate their opponents.

Yaya Toure (Manchester City): Toure netted his 10th Premier League goal of the campaign against Swansea City, while he remained a threat in an advanced position after Alvaro Negredo was withdrawn with 30 minutes to go.

Willian (Chelsea): After a slow start, Willian is becoming one of Chelsea's players of the season, and his stunning 20-yard strike helped the Blues secure an impressive win at Southampton.

Emmanuel Adebayor (Tottenham Hotspur): The Togo forward has been a revelation since his introduction into the side after the departure of Andre Villas-Boas, and he continued his hot streak in front of goal with Tottenham's opener against Manchester United.

Wilfried Bony (Swansea City): Bony ended up on the losing team at the Liberty Stadium, but his two goals against Manchester City will give hope to Michael Laudrup that he have a strong second half to the season for the Welsh outfit.

Numpty of the week

Kevin Nolan (West Ham United): This accolade was a close-run thing after Oscar's act of simulation against Southampton when attempting to win a penalty for Chelsea, but after a second sending-off in the space of a few weeks, this award must go to Kevin Nolan. During a time when the West Ham skipper should be leading by example, he can't afford to miss half-a-dozen games through suspension, and after his manager Sam Allardyce showed little sympathy for Nolan in his post-match interview, it would come as no surprise if the former Bolton Wanderers man left Upton Park in January.

Goal of the week

Luis Suarez (Liverpool): Willian's strike against Southampton almost secured this award, but we've gone for Luis Suarez's strike against Hull City. The Uruguayan forward has proven on more than one occasion this season that he can score from almost anywhere, and he added another incredible strike to his tally with a 25-yard free kick that had Hull stopper Allan McGregor grasping at thin air.