Wayne Rooney scored his first goal in open play since March as leaders Manchester United won away in the Premier League for only the second time this season with a 2-1 victory against West Brom.
United, the only unbeaten side in English football’s top flight this term and who’ve two games in hand, remained top on goal difference alone after Manchester City’s 1-0 victory at home to Blackpool yesterday.
“It’s a massive result for us,” United manager Sir Alex Ferguson told Sky Sports. “Over the years we’ve had to battle out games and we had to do that today.”
At Anfield, Joe Cole’s last-minute winner gave under pressure Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson a desperately needed come from behind 2-1 victory over Bolton Wanderers.
“I don’t know about relief, I just thought we played so well,” said Hodgson. “It showed the character of the players and their determination to turn things around for the club and give us a better 2011 than 2010.
“Anything other than a victory would have been an unfair result.”
West Ham moved off the bottom of the table and out of the relegation zone with a 2-0 win at home to drop rivals Wolves, who were left propping up the Premier League just days after their shock win away to Liverpool.
“We are very happy because for a long time we’ve felt we are doing the right things but we didn’t get the reward we wanted,” said Hammers boss Avram Grant.
If the top two spots are an all Manchester affair, third and fourth belonged to north London after Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur both won yesterday.
Arsenal stayed third, two points off the summit, after Robin van Persie’s 13th minute deflected free-kick – the Dutch striker’s first league goal this season – Samir Nasri’s second-half goal and Roger Johnson’s 66th minute own-goal saw the Gunners win 3-0 away to Birmingham in yesterday’s late kick-off.
Spurs leapfrogged champions Chelsea, who can regain fourth spot against Aston Villa today, after Gareth Bale’s header shortly before half-time meant they won 1-0 at home to relegation-threatened Fulham.
Rooney opened the scoring at The Hawthorns but substitute Javier Hernandez, who netted both goals in United’s other away league win this term, a 2-1 success at Stoke in October, sealed victory 15 minutes from time by heading in the forward’s corner after the Baggies’ Peter Odemwingie had missed a penalty.
England striker Rooney also played through an ankle injury late on when Ferguson had used up all three of his substitutes.
“Wayne Rooney was absolutely out of this world,” Ferguson said. “He’s off the mark and, hopefully he’s on a (goal) run now.”
Rooney put United 1-0 up as early as the third minute at The Hawthorns when he stooped to head in a cross from Frenchman Patrice Evra.
But West Brom were level 11 minutes later when James Morrison lashed the ball in from 25 yards out.
At Eastlands, Adam Johnson’s 34th-minute goal proved decisive in a match where City striker Carlos Tevez missed a subsequent penalty.
Hodgson, who apologised to Liverpool fans on Friday after criticising their lack of support following the Wolves match, saw his side fall behind when Bolton’s Kevin Davies headed in Matt Taylor’s free-kick shortly before half-time.
However, Liverpool were level early in the second half when Steven Gerrard fed Fernando Torres and the striker volleyed home.
They then snatched victory when Cole turned in a Maxi Rodriguez centre.
Fortunate lead
West Ham took a fortunate lead when Frederic Piquionne’s cross went in off the knee off Wolves defender Ronald Zubar in the 51st minute at Upton Park before Freddie Sears sealed victory 11 minutes from time.
Stoke left Everton looking over their shoulders following a 2-0 win secured by Kenwyne Jones’s 23rd minute header and Phil Jagielka’s 69th minute own goal.
Sunderland won 3-0 at home to Blackburn Rovers after first- half goals from Danny Welbeck and England striker Darren Bent were topped off by Asamoah Gyan’s 89th-minute effort.
Wigan face Newcastle this evening.
Results and standings
Premier League
Birmingham 0
Arsenal 3
Van Persie 13; Nasri 58; Johnson 66 og;
HT: 0-1. Att: 24,341.
Liverpool 2
Torres 49; Cole 90;
Bolton 1
Davies 43;
HT: 0-1. Att: 35,400.
Man. City 1
Johnson 34;
Blackpool 0
HT: 1-0. Att: 47,296.
Missed penalty: Tevez (MC) 37.
Stoke 2
Jones 23; Jagielka 69 og;;
Everton 0
HT: 1-0. Att: 27,418.
Sunderland 3
Welbeck 11; Bent 19; Gyan 89;
Blackburn 0
HT: 2-0. Att: 36,242.
Tottenham 1
Bale 42;
Fulham 0
HT: 1-0. Att: 35,603.
West Brom 1
Morrison 14;
Man. Utd 2
Rooney 3; Hernandez 75;
HT: 1-1. Att: 25,499.
Missed penalty: Odemwingie (WB) 63.
West Ham 2
Zubar 51 og; Sears 79;
Wolves 0
HT: 0-0. Att: 33,500.
Today: 14.30 Chelsea-Aston Villa; 17.00 Wigan-Newcastle.
Next fixtures
Tuesday: 21.00 Blackpool vs Birmingham; Fulham vs West Brom; Man. United vs Stoke City.
Wednesday: 20.45 Arsenal vs Man. City; Aston Villa vs Sunderland; Newcastle vs West Ham; Wolves vs Chelsea. 21.00 Blackburn vs Liverpool; Bolton vs Wigan; Everton vs Tottenham.
Leading scorers
14 goals: Berbatov (Man. United)
12 goals: Tevez (Man. City)
11 goals: Carroll (Newcastle)
9 goals: Cahill (Everton), Elmander (Bolton), Nasri (Arsenal)
8 goals: Bent (Sunderland), Malouda (Chelsea), Nolan (Newcastle), Van der Vaart (Tottenham)
The Championship
Bristol City 3 - Cardiff 0
Burnley 4 - Sheff. Utd 2
Coventry 1 - Ipswich 1
Doncaster 3 - Scunthorpe 0
Hull 0 - Leicester 1
Leeds 1 - Middlesbrough 1
Millwall 3 - Crystal Palace 0
Norwich 1 - QPR 0
N. Forest 2 - Barnsley 2
Preston 1 - Derby 2
Swansea 1 - Reading 0
Watford 3 - Portsmouth 0
Standings: QPR 47; Swansea 43; Norwich 42; Leeds 41; Cardiff 40; Watford 36; Millwall, Burnley, Cardiff 35; N. Forest, Reading 34; Derby, Doncaster 33; Leicester 32; Portsmouth, Hull, Bristol City, Barnsley 30; Ipswich 28; M’Boro, Sheffield United 25; Scunthorpe 23; C. Palace 22; Preston 19.
League One
Brentford 2 - Dagenham 1
Brighton 5 - Leyton Orient 0
Carlisle 2 - Huddersfield 2
Colchester 3 - Charlton 3
Hartlepool 4 - Oldham 2
MK Dons 2 - Bristol Rovers 0
Plymouth 0 - Yeovil 0
Rochdale 3 - Tranmere 2
Southampton 4 - Exeter 0
Swindon 1 - Bournemouth 2
Walsall 0 - Notts County 3
Standings: Brighton 40; Southampton, Charlton 34; Bournemouth, Sheffield Wednesday, Huddersfield 33; Hartlepool, MK Dons 32; Brentford, Colchester 31; Peterborough 30; Oldham, Exeter 29; Carlisle 28; Plymouth 27; Notts County 26; Rochdale, Swindon 25; Leyton Orient 24; Tranmere, Bristol Rovers 22; Dagenham 18; Yeovil, Walsall 17.
League Two
Barnet 1 - Aldershot 2
Burton 0 - Shrewsbury 0
Bury 2 - Macclesfield 2
Cheltenham 1 - Wycombe 2
Chesterfield 4 - Stockport 1
Crewe 2 - Northampton 0
Gillingham 1 - Stevenage 0
Hereford 2 - Torquay 2
Lincoln City 1 - Bradford 2
Morecambe 1 - Accrington 2
Oxford 0 - Southend 2
Rotherham 5 - Port Vale 0
Standings: Chesterfield 41; Rotherham, Wycombe 37; Port Vale 36; Bury 35; Shrewsbury 34; Gillingham, Cheltenham 30; Crewe, Torquay 29; Bradford 37; Southend, Oxford, Macclesfield 26; Burton, Aldershot 25; Stevenage, Accrington, Northampton 24; Stockport 23; Morecambe 21; Lincoln, Barnet 19; Hereford 16.