Newcastle moved up into fifth place in the English Premier League with a 2-0 win away to strugglers Blackburn Rovers yesterday as Arsenal lost ground in their bid for a top four finish.

Victory at Ewood Park saw the Magpies leapfrog both Liverpool and Arsenal, held to a goalless draw away to strugglers Bolton Wanderers last night.

Newcastle took a 12th minute lead when Blackburn’s Scott Dann deflected a 25-yard shot from Ryan Taylor past stranded Rovers goalkeeper Paul Robinson.

Blackburn, who remain in the bottom three, had a gilt-edged chance to equalise before the break but David Dunn’s penalty was saved by Tim Krul and the Newcastle keeper blocked Gael Givet’s follow-up.

Rovers’ failure to convert several second half chances was compounded when Gabriel Obertan made it 2-0 to Newcastle in the closing seconds.

At the Reebok Stadium, visitors Arsenal dominated possession but, with star striker Robin van Persie off-target, they dropped down into seventh place.

Sunderland’s revival under Martin O’Neill continued as they beat promoted Norwich 3-0 with a convincing victory at the Stadium of Light that took the north-east side into eighth spot.

Frazier Campbell smashed home a 21st minute opener and seven minutes later he provided the cross for Stephane Sessegnon to head in the home side’s second.

Sunderland’s sixth win in nine league matches under O’Neill was completed when Norwich City defender Daniel Ayala deflected in a Phil Bardsley cross in the 54th minute.

Elsewhere, Djibril Cisse marked his return to English football by scoring on his Queens Park Rangers debut in a 2-2 draw away to Aston Villa.

The 30-year-old French striker, thrust into the side a day after completing a transfer deadline day move from Italian side Lazio on Tuesday, took just 12 minutes to open his Rangers account.

Cisse, who had previous spells in England with Liverpool and Sunderland, struck a fierce shot past Shay Given before celebrating with a somersault.

Rangers went 2-0 up when Villa defender Stephen Warnock headed a cross from Taye Taiwo into his own net in the 29th minute when under no pressure at all.

But Villa pulled one back on half-time when striker Darren Bent turned in an Alan Hutton cross for his 100th Premier League goal.

And the resurgent hosts equalised 11 minutes from time when Charles N’Zogbia volleyed in a Stiliyan Petrov cross.

However, the draw saw QPR inch further away from the relegation zone, with Rangers now three points above the bottom three.

In London, West Brom manager Roy Hodgson saw his side come from behind to draw 1-1 with one of his former clubs Fulham.

Hodgson saw his current side fall behind to a 69th minute goal from Fulham’s United States striker Clint Dempsey.

But West Brom equalised eight minutes from time through substitute Somen Tchoyi.

Summaries

Aston Villa 2
Bent 45; N’Zogbia 79;
QPR 2
Cisse 12; Warnock 29 og;

HT: 1-2. Att: 32,063.

Blackburn 0
Newcastle 2
Dann 12 og; Obertan 90;

HT: 0-1. Att: 20,817.
Missed penalty: Dunn (B) 44.

Bolton 0
Arsenal 0

Att: 24,371.

Fulham 1
Dempsey 69;
West Brom 1
Tchoyi 82;

HT: 0-0. Att: 25,689.

Sunderland 3
Campbell 21; Sessegnon 28; Ayala 54 og;
Norwich 0

HT: 2-0. Att: 34,476.

Next fixtures
Saturday: 14.00 Arsenal vs Black-burn. 16.00 Norwich vs Bolton; QPR vs Wolves; Stoke City vs Sunderland; West Bromwich vs Swansea; Wigan vs Everton. 18.30 Manchester City vs Fulham.
Sunday: 14.30 Newcastle vs Aston Villa. 17.00 Chelsea vs Man. United.
Monday: 21.00 Liverpool vs Totten-ham Hotspur.

The Championship
Leicester 2 - M’brough 2