Nicolas Anelka scored two goals and Bolton stunned Arsenal 3-1 on Saturday, lifting the Trotters into third place in England behind Manchester United and Chelsea.
French international and former Arsenal player Anelka scored in first-half injury time, and again in the 76th minute. Abdoulaye Faye also scored for Bolton, with Gilberto Silva getting Arsenal’s lone goal.
Bolton have 24 points — far behind Manchester United with 34 and Chelsea with 31. Seven teams are in a scramble below the leaders with between 24 and 21 points.
Man United and Chelsea play on Sunday at Old Trafford in the biggest league game so far this season. Both clubs are coming off 1-0 losses in the Champions League — Chelsea against Werder Bremen and United against Celtic.
Liverpool beat Manchester City 1-0 on Saturday on Steven Gerrard’s 67th-minute goal at Anfield. The victory gave the Reds 21 points, part of the pack chasing the leaders.
The Liverpool captain’s long drive stretched the Reds’ unbeaten home league record to 23 games. Man City have won only one of their past 19 away league games.
It was Gerrard’s first league goal this season. He scored 23 last season in all competitions.
”It was certainly important for him to score his first in the Premiership this season,” Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez said. ”It will give him more confidence and he is a player of such quality we know he can do things like that.”
Man United announced on Saturday that 21-year-old striker Wayne Rooney had signed a two-year contract extension to tie him to the club through the 2011/12 season. There were no details of any salary increase.
”It is something I have always wanted,” Rooney said in a statement. ”There is so much I want to achieve with this club starting, hopefully, with the Premiership this season.”
In other results on Saturday in the Premier League, it was Charlton 1, Everton 1; Aston Villa 1, Middlesbrough 1; Fulham 0, Reading 1; and West Ham 1, Sheffield United 0.
Other games on Sunday is Newcastle vs Portsmouth and Tottenham vs Wigan.
Struggling Charlton picked up a valuable point, drawing 1-1 at home against Everton. With a bit of luck, the south London club might have had three points for new manager Les Reed.
Hermann Hreidarsson’s own goal in the 52nd gave Everton a 1-0 lead. Andy Reid equalised in the 68th on a drive from 18m.
Charlton improved to nine points but remain in last place. Everton moved up to 21.
Aston Villa improved to 23 points with a 1-1 home draw against Middlesbrough with 16. Malcolm Christie gave Boro a 1-0 lead in the 43rd and Gareth Barry equalised on a penalty in first-half injury time.
Reading kept pushing up the standings, winning 1-0 at Fulham on Kevin Doyle’s 17th-minute penalty. Reading have 22 points. Fulham played with only 10 men after Ian Pearce was sent off in the 16th on a red card.
West Ham defeated Sheffield United 1-0, a victory in the first game under the ownership of Icelandic businessman Eggert Magnusson. Hayden Mullins scored for the Hammers in the 36th.
West Ham’s Argentine striker Carlos Tevez is likely to face a fine. He received a standing ovation after going off in the second half, but then left the stadium without an explanation. ”He went straight home after the game and I am very disappointed about that,” West Ham manager Alan Pardew said.
In the League Championship, the two top clubs both played scoreless draws. Cardiff drew 0-0 at Sheffield Wednesday and Preston played to a 0-0 standoff at home against Crystal Palace.
Birmingham City moved level on points with Cardiff and Preston, improving to 37 with a 2-1 victory at Burnley.
In other results on Saturday: Barnsley 1, Ipswich 0; Colchester 3, Southend 0; Derby 1, Leicester 0; Norwich 1, Hull 1; Plymouth 1, Leeds 2; Queens Park Rangers 0, Coventry 1; Southampton 2, Luton 1; and Stoke 1, West Bromwich Albion 0. — Sapa-AP