Chelsea cemented their position on top of the Premier League as a superb double from Juan Mata clinched a 4-2 win over Andre Villas-Boas’s Tottenham yesterday.
However, Wayne Rooney ensured Manchester United remain hot on the leaders’ heels with a 4-2 victory against Stoke in a game where the England star scored at both ends.
Roberto Di Matteo’s Chelsea side were in danger of suffering their first league defeat of the season at the hands of former boss Villas-Boas, who was sacked after just nine months in charge last season, as Tottenham took a 2-1 lead in the second half at White Hart Lane.
But Spanish midfielder Mata struck twice in the space of three minutes to secure Chelsea’s seventh win from eight league matches.
“We lost our control at the start of the second half but for the rest of the match we took the initiative and deserved the win,” said Di Matteo.
“It was a test of our character to come here and play a team in form in a big derby. There have been a lot of issues around the team recently, but we responded perfectly.”
Gary Cahill, deputising for the suspended John Terry, fired Chelsea ahead with a powerful volley.
William Gallas equalised against his former club two minutes into the second half and Spurs went in front seven minutes later thanks to Jermain Defoe’s predatory finish.
However, Chelsea staged a stunning fightback as Mata scored twice in three minutes before setting up the fourth goal for Daniel Sturridge in stoppage-time.
At Old Trafford, Rooney went from zero to hero with a double strike after the United striker initially gave Stoke a shock lead in the 10th minute when he headed into his own net as he tried to clear from Ryan Shawcross.
Rooney was quickly back in United’s good books with a headed equaliser from Robin van Persie’s cross in the 27th minute.
Van Persie put United ahead on the stroke of half-time as the former Arsenal forward turned in Antonio Valencia’s cross to claim his eighth goal in 10 matches for his new club.
Danny Welbeck got United’s third with a diving header from Rooney’s cross in the 46th minute.
Michael Kightly’s solo effort reduced the deficit 12 minutes later, but Rooney sealed the win with his second goal in the 65th minute.
United manager Alex Ferguson said: “Most of the games at home this season we’ve had terrible starts. When we did get going we played some terrific football.”
Edin Dzeko gave 10-man Manchester City a dramatic 2-1 win at West Brom as the Bosnian striker came off the bench to score twice in the last 10 minutes.
James Milner was sent off for chopping down Shane Long as the Albion striker burst clear in the 23rd minute.
Albion looked set to make the champions pay when Long converted Peter Odemwingie’s pass in the 67th minute.
But Dzeko rescued the champs’ unbeaten record with an 80th-minute header moments after coming on and then netted the winner in stoppage-time as City stay third.
City assistant manager David Platt said: “It was tremendous how we stuck together in the second half and created so many chances.
“It’s a great fillip to win after playing for almost 70 minutes with 10 men.”
Gunners beaten
Arsenal crashed to a shock 1-0 defeat at Norwich as the Canaries claimed their first league win of the season – and their first victory against the Gunners for 20 years – to leave the visitors 10 points adrift of Chelsea.
Grant Holt got the only goal in the 20th minute when the burly striker converted the rebound after Arsenal goalkeeper Vito Mannone spilled Alexander Tettey’s drive.
Raheem Sterling bagged his first Liverpool goal to clinch a 1-0 win over Reading that ended the Reds’ wait for a first home league success under boss Brendan Rodgers.
Liverpool got the only goal in the 29th minute when teenage winger Sterling finished off a Luis Suarez pass.
Results and standings
Premier League
Fulham 1
Baird 84;
Aston Villa 0
HT: 0-0. Att: 25,000.
Liverpool 1
Sterling 29;
Reading 0
HT: 1-0. Att: 44,000.
Man. United 4
Rooney 27, 65; Van Persie 44; Welbeck 46;
Stoke City 2
Rooney 11 og; Kightly 59;
HT: 2-1. Att: 75,000.
Norwich 1
Holt 19;
Arsenal 0
HT: 1-0. Att: 26,825.
Swansea 2
Hernandez 65; Michu 67;
Wigan 1
Boyce 69;
HT: 0-0. Att: 19,000.
Tottenham 2
Gallas 47; Defoe 54;
Chelsea 4
Cahill 17; Mata 66, 69; Sturridge 90;
HT: 0-1. Att: 36,060.
West Brom 1
Long 67;
Man. City 2
Dzeko 80, 90;
HT: 0-0. Att: 24,000.
Red card: Milner (MC) 23.
West Ham 4
Noble 47, 72 pen; Nolan 48; Maiga 87;
Southampton 1
Lallana 64;
HT: 0-0. Att: 33,000.
| P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts | |
| Chelsea | 8 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 19 | 6 | 22 |
| Man. United | 8 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 21 | 11 | 18 |
| Man. City | 8 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 17 | 9 | 18 |
| Everton | 7 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 14 | 8 | 14 |
| Tottenham | 8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 15 | 12 | 14 |
| West Brom | 8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 12 | 9 | 14 |
| West Ham | 8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 12 | 9 | 14 |
| Fulham | 8 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 16 | 11 | 13 |
| Arsenal | 8 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 13 | 6 | 12 |
| Swansea | 8 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 14 | 12 | 11 |
| Liverpool | 8 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 10 | 12 | 9 |
| Newcastle | 7 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 8 | 11 | 9 |
| Stoke City | 8 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 8 | 9 | 8 |
| Sunderland | 6 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 7 |
| Norwich | 8 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 17 | 6 |
| Wigan | 8 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 8 | 15 | 5 |
| Aston Villa | 8 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 6 | 13 | 5 |
| Southampton | 8 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 13 | 24 | 4 |
| Reading | 7 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 14 | 3 |
| QPR | 7 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 6 | 16 | 2 |
Playing today
QPR vs Everton - 17:00
Sunderland vs Newcastle - 14:30
Leading scorers
6 goals: Ba (Newcastle), Van Persie (Man. United), Michu (Swansea).
5 goals: Fletcher (Sunderland), Suarez (Liverpool), Defoe (Tottenham), Dzeko (Man. City).
Next fixtures
Saturday: 13.45 Aston Villa vs Norwich. 16.00 Arsenal vs QPR; Reading vs Fulham; Stoke vs Sunderland; Wigan vs West Ham. 18.30 Manchester City vs Swansea.
Sunday: 14.30 Everton vs Liverpool. 16.00 Newcastle vs West Brom; Southampton vs Tottenham. 17.00 Chelsea vs Manchester United.
The Championship
Birmingham 1 - Leicester 1
Bolton 3 - Bristol City 2
Brighton 0 - Middlesbrough 1
Burnley 1 - Blackpool 0
Charlton 0 - Barnsley 1
C. Palace 2 - Millwall 2
Derby 1 - Blackburn1
Huddersfield 2 - Wolves 1
Hull City 2 - Ipswich 1
Nottm Forest 3 - Cardiff 1
Watford 1 - Peterborough 0
Standings: Leicester City, Cardiff 22; Huddersfield, C. Palace 20; Wolves, Hull, M’boro 19; Brighton, Leeds 18; Black-burn, N. Forest 17; Blackpool, Watford 16; Derby, Burnley, Bolton, Barnsley 14; Charlton, Millwall, Birmingham 12; Bristol City 11; Sheffield Wed. 9; Ipswich 7; Peterborough 6.
League One
Bournemouth 3 - Tranmere 1
Colchester 2 - Carlisle 0
Coventry 1 - Notts County 2
Doncaster 2 - Brentford 1
Hartlepool 0 - Crawley 1
MK Dons 0 - Stevenage 1
Oldham 2 - Leyton Orient 0
Portsmouth 3 - Shrewsbury 1
Preston 0 - Sheffield Utd 1
Swindon 1 - Scunthorpe 1
Walsall 2 - Crewe 2
Yeovil Town 2 - Bury 1
Standings: Tranmere 30; Stevenage 26; Sheffield Utd, Crawley 25; Notts County 24; Swindon 22; Doncaster 21; MK Dons 20; Preston, Brentford, Portsmouth, Walsall 18; Oldham, Yeovil, Colchester, L. Orient, Carlisle 16; Bournemouth, Crewe 14; Shrewsbury 13; Coventry City 11; Scunthorpe 10; Hartlepool 7; Bury 5.
League Two
Aldershot 0 - Rotherham 2
Barnet 4 - Northampton 0
Bradford 3 - Cheltenham 1
Bristol Rovers 3 - Torquay 2
Exeter 0 - Chesterfield 1
Fleetwood 1 - Wimbledon 1
Gillingham 4 - Burton 1
Morecambe 1 - Southend 0
Oxford 5 - Accrington 0
Plymouth 3 - Rochdale 1
Port Vale 4 - Wycombe 1
York City 3 - Dagenham 2
Standings: Gillingham 32; Port Vale 29; Fleetwood, Cheltenham 22; Bradford 21; Burton, Exeter, Rochdale 19; Rotherham, Torquay, Southend, York, Chesterfield, Morecambe 18; Plymouth, Accrington 17; Northampton, Oxford 16; Dagenham, Bristol Rovers 14; Wycombe, Wimbledon 11; Aldershot 8; Barnet 6.