Spurs are benefitting as Erik Lamela starts to realise his potential. Source: AP

Tottenham’s Erik Lamela scored the goal of the day against Burnley but there were also quality strikes from Ashley Barnes, Christian Benteke and David Silva to lighten up the round.

City are equal Chelsea - who play Stoke on Tuesday morning (EDT) - on 39 points after demolishing Crystal Palace 3-0 but near-neighbours United lost ground after a 1-1 draw with a resilient Aston Villa.

Southampton bounced back from recent adversity to hammer Everton 3-0 while Charlie Austins cored a ahat-trick as QPR came from behind to beat WBA.

Click on the links below on for reports on the top four games.

FALCAO SCORES BUT UNITED FRUSTRATED BY VILLA

CITY REEL IN CHELSEA AFTER THUMPING PALACE

SAINTS SWEEP PAST EVERTON TO STOP THE ROT

AUSTIN TREBLE SHOOTS QPR OUT OF DROP ZONE

Read on for reports on the remaining three games

Watch the highlights from Tottenham Hotspur's round 17 encounter with Burnley

Tottenham 2 Burnley 1

Erik Lamela produced a moment of magic to keep Tottenham in contention for a place in the Premier League’s top four with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Burnley.

Lamela endured a difficult first season in England following his $39 million move from Roma in 2013, but he has flourished under fellow Argentine Mauricio Pochettino this term and provided further evidence of his improvement with his first league goal for Spurs at the 26th attempt.

His brilliant long-range strike in the second half at White Hart Lane secured the points for Spurs after Burnley’s Ashley Barnes had scored an equally impressive goal to cancel out Harry Kane’s opener.

Tottenham’s third successive win moved Pochettino’s team up to sixth place, four points behind fourth-placed West Ham in the race to qualify for the Champions League.

Pochettino was happy to end a busy week with another three points.

“I’m very pleased, it was a big effort from our players,” Pochettino said.

“In six days, we have had three games and three wins. It was a big effort from the players so congratulations to them and we look forward now.

“It was an amazing goal. I’m happy for him (Lamela) and it was a special first goal. I’m also happy for our supporters.”

West Ham United forward Andy Carroll shows a little too much enthusiasm, seeing him tumble into an awkward position

West Ham 2 Leicester 0

West Ham earned their fourth win in five games after Andy Carroll and Stewart Downing scored for a victory over last-place Leicester, keeping the London club in the top four.

Former West Ham player Paul Konchesky gifted Carroll the opener with a careless pass, allowing the striker to pounce on the ball and neatly lift it over goalkeeper Ben Hamer in the 24th minute.

Downing’s second was unstoppable, however, as the playmaker curled a sumptuous shot into the far corner in the 56th to ensure that Leicester’s winless streak was extended to 12 games.

Hammers boss Sam Allardyce says being in the top four is “a great Christmas present” and he also hailed Stewart Downing as “one of the best attacking midfielders in the Premier League”.

Watch the highlights from West Ham United's round 17 encounter with Leicester City

Hull City 0 Swansea City 1

Korean Ki Sung-yueng’s first-half goal ended Swansea’s run of two successive defeats with a 1-0 win over out of form Hull.

The goal owed something to good fortune as Jonjo Shelvey’s shot took a significant deflection off Ki and giving Hull goalkeeper Allan McGregor no chance of saving it.

Victory, though, sees Swansea - for whom strangely manager Gary Monk opted to start with Bafetimbi Gomis up front and not Wilfried Bony who had scored eight goals in his last 10 games - in a healthy eighth position.

Hull, though, are now winless in 10 games and have lost six of their last eight leaving them second from bottom and three points off safety.

Full video replay of Hull City's round 17 clash with Swansea City