The Premier League title race has been blown wide open in the latest round of fixtures, with Manchester City's lead at the top of the table shrinking after a goalless draw at Crystal Palace on Monday night.

Liverpool are now closing in on the champions after sinking Brighton & Hove Albion 2-0, while Chelsea consolidated their hold on third spot with a late 1-0 win over an inspired Newcastle United.

Arsenal ensured that they would remain favourites for fourth with a 2-0 win over Leicester City, and Manchester United aided their own Champions League prospects with an enthralling 3-2 success over Tottenham Hotspur.

Fellow European chasers West Ham United celebrated an emotional occasion against Aston Villa with a 2-1 win, while Wolverhampton Wanderers deepened Everton's relegation woes with a 1-0 Goodison Park triumph.

Elsewhere, Leeds United marched to a dramatic 2-1 win over fellow basement boys Norwich City, Watford aided their survival prospects by beating Southampton 2-1, and Brentford swept Burnley aside by two goals to nil.

Here, Sports Mole selects its Premier League Team of the Week for the latest round of fixtures.

DEFENCE

Still going strong at the age of 36, West Ham number one Lukasz Fabianski - who will celebrate his 37th birthday next month - was on top form against Villa, making six saves (five from inside the box) to help the Hammers keep their Champions League hopes alive.

Wolves, by contrast, are now rank outsiders for a top-four finish, but ever-present captain Conor Coady ensured that the Champions League race was not dead and buried just yet, as the boyhood Liverpool fan sunk Everton with a powerful header and played his part defensively with five clearances, two out of two aerial duels won and a 92% passing accuracy.

Fresh from being crowned February's Premier League Player of the Month, Joel Matip saw no reason to stop there, as the Liverpool centre-back's accurate long ball found Luis Diaz to open the scoring against Brighton, and he also won all four of his aerial battles en route to another clean sheet.

Finally, Brentford's difference-makers in the final third may have made all the headlines against Burnley, but Ethan Pinnock was an immovable force at the back, making a whopping 12 clearances, winning all four of his ground duels and seven of his nine aerial duels in an eye-catching display.

MIDFIELD

The tissues were out in force at the London Stadium over the weekend, as Ukraine's Andriy Yarmolenko let emotion take over after his well-taken finish helped West Ham on their way to victory over Villa, and the 32-year-old also made two blocks as he did his nation proud.

Thomas Partey's first season as an Arsenal player may have been a hit-and-miss affair, but the Ghanaian has since developed into an integral cog in Mikel Arteta's Champions League-chasing machine and opened the scoring against Leicester with an accurate near-post header, while he also made four tackles and won all five of his ground duels in another dominant display.

Despite falling to defeat on the day, Aston Villa starlet Jacob Ramsey was a shining light in the Lions' defeat to Villa, bagging a sublime consolation from the edge of the box while also making four tackles and three key passes in an all-action performance.

Finally, one does not keep a clean sheet against Manchester City without phenomenal defensive discipline, and the efforts of Tyrick Mitchell did not go unnoticed at Selhurst Park, as the 22-year-old kept Riyad Mahrez quiet with four tackles and five clearances in front of his own fans.

What else is there to say about Cristiano Ronaldo? Amid reports suggesting that the 37-year-old's re-signing had led to tension behind-the-scenes at Carrington, he responded by becoming the highest goalscorer in the history of the men's game with his 805th, 806th and 807th strikes against Tottenham, doing so with a long-range thunderbolt, a well-taken close-range effort and a classic bullet header.

Brentford talisman Ivan Toney may have initially struggled to adapt to life in the big time, but the 25-year-old reached the double-figure mark in the Premier League with both goals in the win over Burnley - including another inch-perfect penalty - and he also won seven of his eight ground duels on home soil.

Finally, Cucho Hernandez has had to be patient for his opportunities in the top flight, but the Colombian could very well lead Watford's survival charge after bagging both of his side's goals at Southampton - firstly capitalising on a defensive error before a sweetly-struck volley on the South Coast.

SPORTS MOLE'S PREMIER LEAGUE TEAM OF THE WEEK

Sports Mole's Premier League Team of the Week (3-4-3): Fabianski; Coady, Matip, Pinnock; Yarmolenko, Partey, Ramsey, Mitchell; Ronaldo, Toney, Hernandez