Sporting came from behind to beat League Cup winners Moreirense whilst SC Braga dropped further behind the top three with a 1-1 draw at Boavista.
The reigning champions frail defence had conceded seven goals in their last six games and Arouca nearly added to the tally early on as Tomané tested Ederson at his near-post.
Benfica’s response came through Andrija Zivkovic, as Arouca’s Nuno Coelho diverted the Serbian’s cross unintentionally and rattled his own crossbar.
Benfica’s famed strike duo of Jonas and Mitroglou linked up for the game’s first goal in the twenty-fifth minute as the former Fulham man headed home.
The Greek striker was on hand to smash in his second ten minutes later, courtesy of Eliseu’s efforts down the left flank, to make it 2-0 to the Eagles.
Arouca striker Mateus was set through on goal soon after but the on-rushing Ederson came crashing in with a high foot to leave the referee with no options but to show the goalkeeper the red card as the last man.
On a hat-trick, it was Mitroglou who was the man sacrificed by Rui Vitória for Júlio César’s entrance, as the pressure grew on the team reduced to ten men on the brink of half time.
All worries were extinguished by André Carrillo into the second-half as he dinked his shot over the advancing keeper to give Benfica a comfortable win.
FC Porto new bo,y Tiquinho Soares, gave them the lead against his former club Vitória Guimarães, when he pounced onto André Silva’s loose shot ten minutes before the break, taking his tally to three goals in two appearances for the Dragons.
Diogo Jota fired home a second goal five minutes before the final whistle to keep Porto in close contact with their arch-rivals at the top of the Primeira Liga.