Substitute Jesse Lingard came to Manchester United's rescue as his second-half double secured a 2-2 Boxing Day draw with Burnley at Old Trafford.
The stadium was left stunned in the first half as the Clarets claimed a 2-0 lead via Ashley Barnes' close-range finish in the third minute and Steven Defour's superb strike in the 36th.
Having come on for Zlatan Ibrahimovic at the interval, Lingard then pulled a goal back eight minutes after the break with a back-heel before striking an equaliser in stoppage time.
Second-placed United are now 12 points behind Premier League leaders Manchester City - who visit Newcastle on Wednesday - having played a game more, while Burnley remain seventh.
Third-placed Chelsea are a point behind United after the champions defeated Brighton 2-0 at Stamford Bridge.
Alvaro Morata registered his 10th league goal of the season with a header in the opening minute of the second half and Marcos Alonso added another on the hour mark.
The early kick-off saw Harry Kane make history as Tottenham thrashed Southampton 5-2 at Wembley.
The England striker set a new record for Premier League goals in a calendar year, with his hat-trick taking him to 39 in 36 appearances in 2017.
He had gone into the contest level at the top of the list with Alan Shearer - scorer of 36 goals in 42 games in 1995 - after also netting a hat-trick against Burnley three days earlier.
A Kane brace put his side 2-0 up against the Saints and Dele Alli and Son Heung-min boosted Spurs' advantage before Sofiane Boufal replied. Kane then wrapped up his treble, with Dusan Tadic subsequently netting Southampton's second.
Bournemouth and West Ham remain 18th and 17th respectively, a point apart, after they played out a thrilling 3-3 draw at the Vitality Stadium.
The Cherries bounced back from James Collins' early header with goals from Dan Gosling and Nathan Ake, and Marko Arnautovic then netted twice to put the Hammers 3-2 up before a controversial equaliser in stoppage time ensured it finished honours even.
Callum Wilson was credited with the hosts' third after he had the final touch as Ake headed goalwards. There was a suspicion of both handball and offside, but referee Bobby Madley eventually awarded the goal after a lengthy conversation with assistant Simon Long.
Watford halted their four-game losing streak as they came from behind to beat Leicester 2-1 at Vicarage Road.
After Riyad Mahrez put the Foxes in front, an effort from Molla Wague - who had a spell on loan at Leicester last season - and a Kasper Schmeichel own goal turned the contest around.
Elsewhere, Huddersfield were held to a 1-1 draw at home by Stoke, who levelled through Ramadan Sobhi after Tom Ince's 10th-minute goal, while 19th-placed West Brom and Everton drew 0-0 at The Hawthorns.
In the late kick-off, Liverpool regained fourth spot from Tottenham as they thumped rock-bottom Swansea 5-0 at Anfield.
Philippe Coutinho scored a wonderful sixth-minute opener and the Reds then stepped things up in the second half, with Roberto Firmino netting twice, either side of a Trent Alexander-Arnold strike, and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain completing the rout.
1. Swift managerial appointment critical for Swans
When Roy Hodgson took charge of Crystal Palace earlier this season they were rock-bottom of the Premier League. They had neither scored a goal nor picked up a single point. Now, though, Palace are 16th in the table and are unbeaten in their last eight games.
What this tells us is that there is no such thing as a hopeless case in the English top flight. This Swansea side, however, are pushing that theory to the limit.
The current squad is lacking both talent and depth — and Leon Britton, for all his qualities, is not the answer to their managerial crisis. With so many of the obvious coaches gainfully employed elsewhere, the Swansea board will have to be imaginative with their appointment. They also need to be quick.
2. Coutinho a model professional
Both Liverpool's Coutinho and Arsenal's Alexis Sanchez were desperate to move clubs in the summer, and they made no secret about their desires. But while Sanchez has spent the first five months of the season sulking and propping up his team's running statistics, Coutinho is still putting his all into performances.
He continues to play with a smile on his face, his effort is never lacking and his stunning strike to open the scoring was just reward for his hard work.
The Brazilian midfielder undoubtedly still wants to join Barcelona — just as Sanchez wants to join Manchester City — but while he still wears a Liverpool shirt he will treat it with the respect it deserves.
3. Jose's gamble on Ibrahimovic fails
Mourinho insisted ahead of the game that Zlatan Ibrahimovic, having only just returned to action following a seven month injury lay-off, was ready to start games, but it was patently clear early on that the iconic striker was well off the pace.
Having started Zlatan and Romelu Lukaku for the first time together, Mourinho swallowed his pride at the break and took off the former, as well as Rojo.
The gamble on Zlatan failed to come off and the worry is whether he will ever be an effective front man again, after a career-threatening injury at 35.
4. Burnley's collective industry outstanding again
Sean Dyche's side have been the surprise package of the season, defying the odds to elbow their way among the Premier League's elite and push for a place in Europe.
Here, they showcased their very best traits – organisation, application and a collective work ethic few other teams in the Premier League can match.
Both their goals came from set-pieces and while the Clarets' approach may be rudimentary and lacking in aesthetic value, the ends justify the means, with Dyche's men deservedly where they are in the table.
5. Bakayoko shows his worth
Once again there were signs of what Tiemoue Bakayoko can bring to Chelsea. His teammates are doing their bit, he now just has to do his.
The presence of N'Golo Kante and Cesc Fabregas alongside him allows Bakayoko to show off his athleticism and ability to burst forward from midfield and support Chelsea's attack.
Too often his composure deserts him at the end and he was let down by his finishing against Brighton more than once.
There were also a few occasions when he showed he is not on the same wavelength as his teammates when Chelsea tried to retain possession and string a few passes together.
6. Toffees super-solid under Sam
Everton's goalless draw at West Brom was hardly a thriller but it meant the Merseyside outfit have now gone six league matches unbeaten following Sam Allardyce's appointment as their manager - a sequence in which the defensive record has been particularly impressive.
The one secured at the Hawthorns was a fourth clean sheet in the six games, and there was only one goal conceded in each of the other two outings.
7. History-maker Kane looks more deadly than ever
Harry Kane just seems to get better and better. The Golden Boot winner for the last two seasons set a new record for Premier League goals in a calendar year as Tottenham beat Southampton 5-2 at Wembley, scoring three times to take his tally to 39 in 36 appearances in 2017.
He went into the game joint-top of the list with Alan Shearer - scorer of 36 goals in 42 matches in 1995 - having also netted a hat-trick three days earlier against Burnley, and it is six league trebles in total for Kane over the year.
8. Arnautovic produces again
West Ham are the club currently just above the relegation zone, with there still a point between them and 18th-placed Bournemouth after the two sides battled out a 3-3 draw at the Vitality Stadium.
While the Hammers were left frustrated by the Cherries' controversial late equaliser, there was another positive contribution from Marko Arnautovic, who is looking increasingly vital for David Moyes' team.
The Austrian, criticised at times this season following his club record move from Stoke over the summer, scored a brace to make it five goals for him in his last five league appearances.
9. Madley lacks consistency
There is no point in sugar-coating it. Robert Madley was poor here. If a referee of his standing thinks Simon Francis’s boot into the face of Cheikou Kouyate was worthy of just a red card then he must have been at the mulled wine yesterday.
It was dangerous play and warranted a red. Francis knew as much judging by the way he sought out Kouyate to apologise at half time after initially refusing to accept responsibility. In what world does Madley believe he can shirk his duty of care to the players by allowing such a reckless challenge to stand. How, too, was he not at least alerted by his assistant to Josh King appearing to strike Pedro Obiang in the face moments earlier?
Referees complain about the conduct of players and managers but they are angered by exactly this kind poor officiating.
10. Salah getting better
Much of the criticism levelled at Salah when Liverpool signed him was that he would not be able to recreate his form from Italy. The Premier League was tougher, they said. And anyway, hadn't he already failed to make his mark in English football?
That narrative has long be shelved and now we find ourselves wondering if the opposite may in fact be true. Far from being a lesser version of his Roma self, Salah seems to be getting better with every game.
He spent the entire match terrorising Swansea's defence with his dribbling and passing, and set up goals for both Coutinho and Firmino. While he is often accused of being wasteful, it is worth noting that he has already equalled his league goals tally (15) from last season and half the campaign is still to come.