Chelsea maintained their nine-point advantage at the top of the Barclays Premiership as goals from Frank Lampard, Didier Drogba and Michael Essien earned them a 3-0 victory over Everton at Stamford Bridge.
Manchester United's victory at Tottenham meant Chelsea could not make sure of retaining their title of top-flight champions today.
However, Chelsea were in no mood to see their lead slashed and Didier Drogba won possession on the left, brought the ball forward and fed the advancing Lampard, whose low shot from just outside the box was beyond the reach of Richard Wright.
Everton's task was made even more difficult when Lee Carsley was sent off for a late lunge on Drogba. The Ivorian looked in genuine pain after the Republic of Ireland international's X-rated challenge, but was able to continue and added a second when he met Lampard's corner from the right with a powerful header in the 62nd minute.
Essien made sure of the win with a rising right-foot shot (74) which was travelling too fast for Wright to stop at his near post.
Portsmouth's survival hopes were dented as they let a 1-0 lead slip to lose 2-1 at Charlton.
Andres D'Alessandro put Harry Redknapp's side in front when he held off the challenge of Chris Powell before curling a wonderful shot into the top right-hand corner of Thomas Myhre's goal in the 40th minute.
However, Bryan Hughes did his old club Birmingham a favour by levelling the scores in the 76th minute, sidefooting home from Darren Bent's pass, and Bent added a second with a shot across the body of Charlton old boy Dean Kiely.
The result leaves Pompey three points above the Blues in 17th, but Birmingham can climb above them with a win at home to Blackburn on Wednesday.
Sunderland, already relegated in spite of earning a goalless draw with Manchester United on Good Friday, suffered a morale-sapping 4-1 defeat at home to bitter rivals Newcastle at the Stadium of Light.
The Black Cats led at the break thanks to Justin Hoyte's 32nd-minute goal. The on-loan Arsenal full-back started and finished the move, playing the ball down the right flank to Jon Stead who found Dean Whitehead in the area.
Whitehead made space for himself and cut the ball back into the path of the onrushing Hoyte, who did not have to break stride as he fired a shot past Shay Given from close range.
However, Sunderland shot themselves in the foot in spectacular fashion as first Steve Caldwell allowed a ball over the top from Titus Bramble to drop for Michael Chopra, who had been on the pitch a matter of seconds, to outmuscle Kelvin Davis and make it 1-1.
Within seconds Hoyte manhandled Charles N'Zogbia in the box and Alan Shearer scored from the penalty spot, and N'Zogbia danced through the Sunderland defence to add a third in the 67th minute.
Albert Luque added insult to injury with a late fourth following another defensive mix-up.
Middlesbrough overcame West Ham 2-0 at the Riverside in a dress rehearsal for the FA Cup semi-final next week.
Their first arrived four minutes before half-time when Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink drilled in his 18th of the season for Boro from Matthew Bates' cutback.
The Teessiders doubled their lead when Shaun Newton tripped Adam Johnson in the box and Massimo Maccarone beat Shaka Hislop from the spot in the 57th minute.