Birmingham deep in trouble after Villa thrashing

Aston Villa thrashed local rivals Birmingham City 5-1 on Sunday to take their goal tally to 15 in their last three Premier League games. John Carew and Ashley Young both scored twice for Villa to leave City stuck in the relegation zone with three matches left to save themselves.

Arsenal stay top but United slash lead

Arsenal left it late to stay top of the Premier League as second-placed champions Manchester United closed to within a point on Saturday. The Gunners were seconds away from being knocked off top spot at the Emirates Stadium when Nicklas Bendtner cancelled out an early Philippe Senderos own-goal to secure a 1-1 home draw against Aston Villa.

Late goal earns Liverpool draw against Villa

Substitute Peter Crouch scored two minutes from time after Marlon Harewood's over-head kick and an own goal from Fabio Aurelio cancelled out Yossi Benayoun's opener to earn Liverpool a 2-2 draw against Aston Villa. It was a night that was all about the Liverpool fans directing their displeasure at the plans of club owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett to re-finance their debts.

Gunners go top as Hammers stun United

Arsenal reclaimed first place in the Premier League as Arsene Wenger's side routed Everton 4-1 to take advantage of Manchester United's surprise 2-1 defeat at West Ham on Saturday. The Gunners moved two points clear of United thanks to Eduardo's double strike and late goals from Emmanuel Adebayor and Tomas Rosicky.

Adebayor sends Arsenal five points clear

Emmanuel Adebayor sent Arsenal five points clear at the top of the Premier League as Arsene Wenger's side won 2-1 against Aston Villa on Saturday. Adebayor headed the winner to extend Arsenal's lead over second placed Chelsea after Mathieu Flamini had cancelled out Craig Gardner's opener at Villa Park.

Rampant Villa crush Blackburn

In-form Aston Villa ran riot in Blackburn on Wednesday night with a resounding 4-0 victory at Ewood Park that moved them up to sixth in the Premier League. Rovers had dominated the first half hour only to be denied by a mixture of poor finishing and fine saves from Scott Carson before John Carew put the visitors ahead after 29 minutes.

Arsenal extend their English Premiership lead

Arsenal extended their lead at the top of the English Premier League with a dramatic 2-0 win over Wigan, while Manchester United slumped to a shock 1-0 defeat at Bolton on Saturday. Steven Gerrard's stunning strike put Liverpool on course for a stylish 3-0 win against Newcastle.

Man United rediscover scoring touch in emphatic win

Manchester United finally found their goal-scoring touch on Saturday with a 4-0 win over Wigan that lifted them top of the Premier League for the first time this season. Cristiano Ronaldo got two goals and Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez also scored to give United 20 points -- one more than Arsenal, who hosts Sunderland on Sunday.

Spurs fightback keeps Jol hanging on

Tottenham marked the 125th anniversary of the club's formation with an extraordinary fightback to earn a 4-4 draw with Aston Villa that may just have been enough to save manager Martin Jol from the sack. Under-pressure Jol had the air of a condemned man as Spurs were left trailing 4-1 with half an hour left to play.

Chelsea stunned by Villa

Jose Mourinho must be developing an intense hatred for visits to Villa Park after Martin O'Neill condemned Chelsea to yet another dose of Midlands misery. Debutant Zat Knight and Gabriel Agbonlahor both scored in the second half to leave Mourinho still waiting for his first Premier League victory at this particular corner of the West Midlands.

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