Liverpool stay top of Premier League

Liverpool remained in pole position in the English Premier League as the top four in the table all won.

The Reds’ 3-1 victory away to struggling Blackburn Rovers kept them a point ahead of Chelsea after the Londoners beat Bolton Wanderers 2-0.

Chelsea’s win saw them surpass Tottenham Hotspur’s English record of 10 successive top-flight away victories set in 1960.

Reigning champions Manchester United remained six points behind Liverpool in third place although it needed Nemanja Vidic’s stoppage-time goal to secure a 1-0 win over managerless Sunderland at Old Trafford.

Arsenal stayed in the top four with a 1-0 win at home to Wigan secured by a goal from Emmanuel Adebayor.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger backed his Ivory Coast international Emmanuel Eboue whose mistake-ridden performance caused Arsenal fans to subject him to vicious and sustained abuse.

After playing yet another misplaced pass, his nadir came when he bizarrely tackled his own player, Kolo Toure, on the half-way line and then gifted possession to Wigan.

Eboue, who had come on as a 33rd-minute substitute, was replaced moments later, to wildly sarcastic cheers from the stands.

But the French manager instead focussed his criticism on the supporters who contributed to Eboue’s abject loss of confidence and insisted the player, who stormed straight down the tunnel after being withdrawn, would return stronger.

Elsewhere, Newcastle, on course for victory after Michael Owen scored twice, were held to a 2-2 draw at home to Stoke while Hull came from behind to beat Middlesbrough 2-1.

Earlier, Fulham and Manchester City shared the points in a 1-1 draw at Craven Cottage.

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez was pleased by his side’s return to winning ways after their goalless draw on Monday against lowly West Ham.

“Clearly it was an important three points for us,” the Spaniard said. “We are in a very good position and we want to stay there.”

Chelsea assistant manager Ray Wilkins, a former Blues captain, praised his team’s attitude as well as their skill.

“I thought the spirit and commitment the guys showed was absolutely first-class, coupled with some extremely good passing of the ball as well.”

United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, who saw Vidic shoot into an unguarded net after after Michael Carrick’s deflected strike hit the post, said: “We deserved to win simply because we were the team that wanted to win and Sunderland, understandably, to survive.”

Ferguson refused to criticise the relegation-threatened visitors’ defensive approach in what was their first match since former United captain Roy Keane resigned as their manager.

“There have been better teams that have come here and played just the same with one-up and five across the middle of the park,” said the Scot. “When you are down the bottom, you can understand the desperation to get a point.”

Sunderland caretaker boss Ricky Sbragia said: “The players are disappointed but they gave us everything.”

Spain international Xabi Alonso broke the deadlock at Ewood Park in the 69th minute when he sidefooted in Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard’s cross.

Then, 10 minutes later, Yossi Benayoun went past Stephen Warnock before shooting beyond Paul Robinson in the Rovers goal.

Roque Santa Cruz pulled a goal back four minutes from time before Gerrard wrapped up the three points with an injury-time effort.

The defeat increased the pressure on Blackburn boss Paul Ince, the former Liverpool midfielder, with Rovers still rooted in the relegation zone after a fifth successive defeat.

Former Bolton striker Nicolas Anelka headed Chelsea into a ninth-minute at the Reebok Stadium.

The Blues made it 2-0 in spectacular fashion through Portugal midfielder Deco’s acrobatic ‘bicycle-kick’ in the 21st minute.

All the goals at Hull’s KC Stadium came in a frantic final 11 minutes.

Boro went ahead through Turkey international Tuncay Sanli only for Hull to equalise three minutes later when Bernard Mendy’s shot eventually went in off goalkeeper Ross Turnbull for an own-goal.

Hull, fifth in the table, then went ahead through Marlon King’s 85th minute penalty, with Boro’s David Wheater sent-off for the foul on Geovanni that led to the spot-kick.

At St James’ Park, Owen gave Newcastle the lead when he turned in an eighth-minute cross from Jonas Gutierrez before making it 2-0 in the 24th minute after good work by Obafemi Martins.

Stoke though pulled a goal back on the hour mark when Mamady Sidibe scored from close range.

And they were level in the dying seconds when Abdoulaye Faye scored against his former club, although the draw still left promoted Stoke searching for their first away league win this season.

Aston Villa will have a chance to go fifth when they face Everton on Sunday while Portsmouth will look to recover from the disappointment of their UEFA Cup exit away to bottom-of-the-table West Brom.

Tottenham travel to London rivals West Ham on Monday, a match that sees Spurs’ former Hammers boss Harry Redknapp returning to Upton Park.