Ilkay Gundogan scored twice as Premier League leaders Manchester City beat Tottenham 3-0 to keep up their title bid in impressive fashion.
Ilkay Gundogan celebrates a goal. Photo: welloffside.com
City are on 53 points, seven clear of second-placed Leicester City, and with a game in hand.
And while there are 15 matches still remaining, it will take a major slump in form to stop City from claiming their third title in four years.
"It is a big step for us but of course it is not over," said Spanish midfielder Rodri.
Pep Guardiola's side are, however, playing with a swagger having now won 16 straight matches in all competitions and German Gundogan has been central to that record-breaking run of form with 11 goals in his last 12 Premier League outings.
Inventive and alert, Gundogan looks a different player to the steady but unspectacular presence he had been prior to this season and his form means City are barely affected by the absence of their top midfielder, the injured Kevin De Bruyne.
Jose Mourinho's Spurs, show none of City's confidence, but they began brightly and went close to opening the scoring through a Harry Kane free kick, a curling effort over the wall, that struck the upright.
But it was City who went in front in the 23rd minute with a Rodri penalty after Gundogan was tripped in the box by Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.
City had missed three of their previous seven penalties this season and Spurs keeper Hugo Lloris could have saved Rodri's poorly placed kick which squeezed over his hand.
Mourinho had a point in describing the limited contact on Gundogan as a "modern penalty" but once City had their nose in front there was only one team going to win the encounter.
City turned on their dominant passing game and Spurs had little in response -- either with their far from solid defence or an attack lacking craft.
Gundogan made it 2-0 five minutes after the interval, beating Hugo Lloris at the near post after good work from Raheem Sterling.
Then the former Borussia Dortmund midfielder, revelling in a more advanced midfield role, completed the win when he latched on to a superb long ball forward from goalkeeper Ederson, before putting Spurs defender Davinson Sanchez on the floor with some clever footwork and slotting home.
Spurs are in eighth place, four points adrift of the fourth Champions League spot and Mourinho suggested their performance had been impacted by the strain of their midweek FA Cup, 5-4 extra-time, defeat to Everton.
Meanwhile manager Jurgen Klopp admits that Liverpool's Premier League title defence is over following his side's 3-1 defeat at Leicester City.
The result leave Liverpool 13 points behind City, while Leicester are up to second, seven points off the top.
An error by Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson helped Leicester City come from behind to earn the win , as the champions' woeful run continued with a third straight Premier League defeat.
It was another poor display from Liverpool, who had seemed in control after taking the lead through Mohamed Salah, but Juergen Klopp's side imploded, conceding three times in seven minutes late in the game.
James Maddison, Jamie Vardy and Harvey Barnes were all on target for Leicester as Liverpool lost a third consecutive match for the first time since November 2014, when they were managed by current Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers.
Once again the spotlight will fall on Alisson after he made another blunder to allow Vardy to score Leicester's second, a week after his errors cost Liverpool dear against Manchester City.
The Brazilian came racing out of his goal to meet a long ball over the top but collided with Kabak and allowed Vardy in to score in the 81st minute.
Barnes made sure of the win four minutes later to complete another miserable afternoon for Liverpool, who have now won just two of their last 10 league games.
"The second goal is a misunderstanding," Liverpool boss Klopp told BT Sport. "Alisson had a super game and then at that moment he came out, I didn't hear him shouting.
"On the pitch we were the clear dominant side. We had chances and then we concede two goals."
The injuries continued to pile up for Liverpool as James Milner had to be withdrawn.
Also this morning Burnley beat Crysatal Palace 3-nil to climb to 15th.
-Reuters