Sergio Aguero scored twice as Manchester City beat Stoke 3-0 to claim top spot in the league on Christmas Day for the first time since 1929.
Aguero, signed for a club record £38million from Atletico Madrid in the summer, bagged a goal either side of the interval to take his seasonal tally to 15.
Adam Johnson completed his first full 90 minutes in the Premier League since the middle of October and marked the occasion with a powerful first-half strike.
Stoke were made to pay before the half hour after Samir Nasri and David Silva worked a short corner routine that allowed the Spain star to race forward unopposed after his team-mate's dummy run had fooled two defenders.
Silva exploited the opportunity by slipping a pass through to Yaya Toure, who in turn squared into the six-yard area.
Thomas Sorensen was equal to Vincent Kompany's close-range effort but the Dane could only push the ball into the path of Aguero, who bundled home from barely a yard.
City doubled their lead 10 minutes later when Johnson picked up a loose ball and smashed a brutal effort through a packed penalty area into the corner.
The former Middlesbrough man was having a productive evening, although he was matched in that by Aguero, who after forcing Sorensen into another save, bagged his second.
It was a goal clinical in its efficiency as Gareth Barry slipped a pass out to Nasri, whose low cross from the right split the Stoke defenders and allowed Aguero to finish at the far post.
Aguero was 90 seconds too late to claim the Premier League's 20,000th goal but he nearly completed his hat-trick shortly afterwards, but only succeeded in flicking his shot wide of the far post.
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