Manchester United piled the pressure on Arsenal as their comprehensive win over Charlton at Old Trafford left them one step from their eighth Premiership title in 11 years.
Ruud van NIstelrooy's third hat-trick of the season and star performances from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, David Beckham and Roy Keane emphasised United's near invincibility.
In 100 games since his £19.3million signing from PSV Eindhoven, van Nistelrooy has bagged an amazing 79 goals.
United went into the game looking not only to win, but extend their slender goal difference advantage of one over Arsenal, and it took them only 11 minutes to break down Charlton.
Mikael Silvestre's deep ball from inside his own half caused panic in the Charlton defence.
Chris Powell toe-ended it up in the air where van Nistelrooy pounced to head back to Beckham on the edge of the Charlton box.
The England skipper controlled the ball instantly, turned inside and then fired in a left-foot shot which took a deflection off Powell as it flew past Dean Kiely.
But Charlton were level just over a minute later as they capitalised on a moment of slip-shod defending by the Red Devils.
Keane chased the ball down the United right, but his pass back to Roy Carroll put the goalkeeper under pressure from oncoming Charlton forwards.
Caroll's hasty kick out went straight to Claus Jensen and he returned it with interest when his right-foot shot from the edge of the box beat the United goalkeeper back into the net.
Yet the goal spurred United and not Charlton.
In the 31st minute, Beckham's inswinging corner was headed down by Silvestre in the centre of the Charlton six-yard box and van Nistelrooy hooked the ball home right-footed.
Three minutes later, Solskjaer rattled a Charlton post with a ferocious shot from an acute angle on the right side of the penalty area.
But United's army of fans - the attendance of 67,721 breaking their previous Premiership attendance record - had only another three minutes to wait before their side added to their tally.
Silvestre produced another excellent long pass which Solskjaer headed on for van Nistelrooy to score with a sweet right-foot chip over the oncoming Kiely.
Van Nistelrooy completed his hat-trick eight minutes into the second half.
Collecting Beckham's pin-point cross from the right on the left side of the Charlton box, the Dutchman took the ball down and effortlessly dispatched it right-footed into the back of the net from ten yards.