John Terry, captain fantastic for the Blues propelled Chelsea to a decisive victory over East London rivals West Ham at Stamford Bridge in the early afternoon Boxing Day game.
His goal, the first with his feet in three years but his second strike in a week, sent the home side three points further ahead of Manchester City.
The Blues sealed victory with a Diego Costa strike on 62 minutes.
To win the title, Chelsea need to overcome stubborn defence-minded sides like this. Last season's 0-0 draw was viewed by some as a tactical masterstroke by Hammers boss Sam Allardyce. There was to be no repeat this season, Chelsea were worthy winners.
Oscar missed a sitter on four minutes, smacking the ball over Adrian's crossbar from six yards out after excellent set-up play by Eden Hazard and Willian.
The home side certainly started off the better, forcing the Hammers into a rearguard defensive state.
Gary Cahill was next up on eight minutes, but he could only bend a curling header his and wide on the West Ham crossbar.
Hazard went down from a robust challenge from Winston Reid, just outside of the away side's penalty area. But Michael Oliver decided not to give any decision, either a foul or a yellow card, if he felt Hazard hit the deck illegally.
Adrian was forced into a brilliant point-blank save from Cahill on 21 minutes, brilliantly getting his body in front of a pile driver from the centre-back who has remained up field following a Cesc Fabregas corner.
Jose Mourinho thought that the Blues should have had a spot kick on 23 minutes when Carl Jenkinson palmed off Hazard who had already shrugged off a challenge from the centre-back in the penalty area.
Oliver, once again played on, much to the consternation of the Portuguese manager who jumped off his seat in the dug-put demanding the foul be acknowledged and a spit kick given.
But Oliver finally brandished a yellow, to James Collins on 28 after he hacked down Costa.
Willian soon forced Adrian into as art save. Low to his left to thwart a daisy-cuter from Willian which also took a slight deflection on its way to make the Spanish goalkeeper's save even better.
But incessant pressure bore fruit on the half -hour when from out swinging corner but Fabregas, the ball was powerfully headed onto the far post by Costa, and John Terry was on the spot to slide the ball home confidently from close range with his left foot. It was Terry's second goal in a week following his header at Stoke the previous Monday. It was Terry's second goal of the season.
The skipper took particular delight to celebrate in front on the West Ham contingent who has constantly San less than complimentary songs about the former England skipper.
Terry has now 36 Premier League goals. excluding penalties that's 11 more than any other defender in the league.
Costa blazed another great chance over the bar with four minutes of the half remaining. Such was the home side's dominance that had the score been four or five, not even the most die-hard Hammers fan could claim an injustice.
Deep into added time all hell broke loses when Ivanovic went to ground following a clumsy challenge by Carroll in the penalty area. Oliver, naturally played on but the Hammers defenders then rounded on the Serbia defender, suggesting he had dived.
No changes were made by either side at half-time.
Sam Allardyce must have given his charges a volley of abuse at half-time because the Hammers came out with renewed vigour and a sense of adventure that was seriously lacking in the first 45 minutes. but at any given time,Chelsea can be dangerous and, following a long unchallenged run, on 50 minutes by Willian, the Brazil wide man clipped the ball left to in-running Hazard. The Belgium midfielder took a sharp turn to the right and unleashed a fierce drive, which, again, Adrian was equal too, parrying the bullet shot away from goal.
Reid was handed a yellow card by Oliver for pulling down Hazard on 57 minutes.
The first changes were made by Allardyce, on 59 minutes, replacing Carroll and Mark Noble for Diafra Sakho and Alex Song.
The changes just spurred on the Blues and following a wayward kick by Song which went out for. Throw-in, the blues regained possession, feeding the ball to Costa who twisted the blood of Collins just inside the West Ham area and planted a firm left-footer wide of the desperate left-sided dive of Adrian and Into the goalkeeper's side netting to double the score.
Two fabulous saves by Adrian, the first a tip over the crossbar from an Oscar free kick, the other another point-black kick out from Cahill stopped the Blues from running away with the game.
West Ham's final replacement saw Morgan Amalfitano enter the fray with 17 minutes of the game to go for an ineffectual Stewart Downing.
Costa left the pitch to a hero's welcome with eight minutes on the clock, to be replaced by Didier Drogba. Mikel also had a run-out at the expense of Oscar.
A classic time-wasting tactic by Jose Mourinho saw Ramires come on two minutes later for Willian.
A clipped header by Amalfitano just inched wide of Courtois goal and 60 seconds later, on 88 minutes, he was unlucky when an effort rebounded off Courtois's left post.
But that was that, no strikes on goal from the away side, two classic ones from the home side.
Next up for Chelsea is an away tie at Southampton on Sunday. Another potential banana skin match in prospect, but one that Chelsea have to win.
Teams, Chelsea, Courtois, Ivanovic, Fabregas,Oscar, Hazard, Costa, Matic, Willian, Cahill, Terry, Azpilicueta
Subs: Cech, Zouma, Filipe Luis, Mikel, Ramires, Schurrle, Drogba
West Ham United, Adrian, Reid, Cresswell, Nolan, Kouyate, Carroll, Downing, Noble, Jenkinson, Collins, Valencia
Subs, Jaaskelainen, Jarvis, Sakho, O'Brien, Amalfitano, Cole, Song
Referee Michael Oliver.