Arsenal joined Manchester United at the top of the English premier league on Saturday with a well-deserved 2-0 away win over fellow title hopefuls Newcastle United. First-half goals by Dennis Bergkamp and Sol Campbell maintained Arsenal's remarkable unbeaten away league record this season.
Arsene Wenger's team have 57 points but trail Manchester United, who visit Derby County on Sunday, on goal difference. Liverpool, who won 2-0 at Fulham earlier on Saturday, are third on 56, with Newcastle down to fourth on 55. Fifth-placed Chelsea are now 11 points adrift of the Champions League places after their 2-1 defeat at Charlton Athletic.
Liverpool scored a hard-earned 2-0 win at Fulham. Frenchman Nicolas Anelka, who scored Liverpool's equaliser in the Merseyside derby against Everton last week, pounced again after 13 minutes at Craven Cottage before substitute Jari Litmanen made the game safe with a second in injury-time.
Jason Euell scored twice, including an 89th-minute winner, to give Charlton Athletic a 2-1 triumph over London rivals Chelsea at The Valley. Andy Cole, hero of Blackburn Rovers' League Cup final victory over Tottenham Hotspur last week, was sent off after 19 minutes of a fiery Lancashire derby against Bolton Wanderers that finished 1-1. Bolton, fourth from bottom, took the lead through Rod Wallace's goal just before halftime, but third-from-bottom Blackburn, four points behind Bolton, hit back with a wonderful equaliser from Matt Jansen on 68 minutes.
Brett Ormerod's first goal for Southampton gave Gordon Strachan's side a 3-1 win at relegation-threatened Ipswich Town, and bottom club Leicester City's woes continued in a 1-0 defeat at Middlesbrough courtesy of a spectacular own goal from Frank Sinclair.
Les Ferdinand scored Spurs' winner in a 2-1 home victory against Sunderland, after Cameroon international Patrick Mboma had scored his first goal for Peter Reid's side. England hopeful Darius Vassell scored a last-minute winner to help Aston Villa to a 2-1 victory over West Ham United at Villa Park.
Filed by Sinéad Kissane
