Gian Piero Gasperini's Atalanta secured their 11th straight league victory with a thrilling 3-2 win over Empoli on Sunday and went past Napoli for the top position in Serie A before the Christmas break
The current Europa League title holders maintained their two-point advantage over Napoli, who had briefly moved ahead following their 2-1 triumph at Genoa on Saturday.
In another match, AS Roma delivered a commanding 5-0 win against Parma.
De Ketelaere netted twice for Atalanta in this fluctuating contest, with his decisive goal arriving in the 86th minute. Ademola Lookman also contributed to the scoreline.
At the Gewiss Stadium, Empoli, currently positioned 11th, took an early advantage through Lorenzo Colombo in the 13th minute.
Atalanta faced a setback when Mateo Retegui, the league's leading goal-scorer, sustained a muscular injury and left the pitch in the 21st minute, raising concerns about his participation in upcoming fixtures.
De Ketelaere responded with an equaliser for the Bergamo side four minutes past the half-hour mark.
Lookman, fresh from his African Player of the Year recognition, notched his 12th goal across all competitions, putting Atalanta ahead during first-half stoppage time.
Atalanta's lead was neutralised when Sebastiano Esposito successfully converted a penalty in the 57th minute.
With the match heading towards a draw that would have placed Atalanta at the summit only on goal difference, Belgian midfielder De Ketelaere scored his fifth league goal of the season in the 86th minute.
The 23-year-old displayed excellent control and poise as he moved across the edge of the penalty area before unleashing a clever left-footed strike that beat the goalkeeper.
Meanwhile, Roma rebounded strongly following their unexpected 2-0 defeat at Como last weekend, which had placed Claudio Ranieri's team perilously close to the relegation zone, by securing a commanding victory against Parma in the Italian capital.
The match saw Paulo Dybala score twice, whilst Alexis Saelemaekers, Leandro Paredes and Artem Dovbyk also contributed goals, helping Roma advance to the tenth position.
Parma's situation remains precarious, as they sit just one point clear of the relegation positions in 16th place.
Venezia managed to escape the bottom position by securing a crucial 2-1 victory at home against fellow relegation candidates Cagliari.
This outcome places Cagliari in 18th position with 14 points, just one point more than Venezia, whilst Monza occupies the bottom spot with 10 points following their loss to Juventus at home.
Juventus preserved their undefeated record in Serie A with a 2-1 victory against the bottom-placed team, securing the win through early goals from Weston McKennie and Nicolas Gonzalez.
The Turin-based club stays in sixth position with 31 points.
