Chelsea has defeated Brighton & Hove Albion 2-0 at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday to close the gap on Manchester United in second place.
The Blues were restricted in the opening 45 minutes by their stubborn opponents, before Marcos Alonso and Alvaro Morata found a way through in the second half.
A sixth Premier League victory in a row on home soil moves Chelsea to within a point of second-placed Manchester United, who were held to a draw at home to Burnley.
An early save was required from Mathew Ryan to deny returning striker Morata, while Eden Hazard also fired in an early warning shot.
Shots from Victor Moses and Fabregas were also kept out by Ryan, with an organised Brighton side doing what was required to get themselves into the interval on level terms.
That changes soon in he second half, however, as Cesar Azpilicueta assisted Morata for the sixth time this season just 51 seconds after the restart, sending a bullet header past Ryan.
After Hazard and Alonso came close to doubling the hosts’ tally, the latter finally got the better of Ryan on the hour with a deft header to seal the points.