Premier League round-up:Manchester United turned on the style with a 4-1 win over Middlesbrough to keep the pressure on Arsenal and go top of the Barclays Premier League.
The Gunners face a stiff challenge against Liverpool tomorrow and Sir Alex Ferguson's side ensured they would have no leeway as a Red Devils side inspired by Wayne Rooney, who grabbed his eighth goal in seven outings for club and country, proved they will be genuine challengers.
The score was 1-1 when Rooney struck 12 minutes from the interval, taking advantage of some generous Boro defending to power beyond Mark Schwarzer in the away goal.
United took an early lead when Nani lit up Old Trafford after just three minutes, taking the ball out wide in a seemingly innocuous position before cutting inside from the left and producing a dazzling effort from 25 yards.
Former Arsenal youngster Jeremie Aliadiere then hit back for Boro just three minutes later as some fine approach play from strike partner Tuncay Sanli presented him with a free header eight yards out.
Superb build-up play, culminating in a Rooney backheel, then gave Carlos Tevez the chance to score his third in United colours and a surging Rooney run then set up number four.
Chelsea, meanwhile, produced their most destructive performance of Avram Grant's tenure, doling out a 6-0 thrashing to Manchester City.
Michael Essien was responsible for putting the Blues ahead, calming early nerves by drilling home across the face of goal after 16 minutes.
Frank Lampard's pass created the chance by wrong-footing the visiting defence and the Ghanaian's finish was pinpoint.
Lampard was again involved when Didier Drogba made it two, crossing from the left to allow the Ivorian to convert.
The same pair then teamed up to make it three, the England midfielder's shot cannoning back off Joe Hart and Drogba picking up the rebound.
Joe Cole then helped himself to a fourth — his first league strike in over a year — and Salomon Kalou and Andriy Shevchenko joined the fun as City crumbled.
Birmingham won a see-saw battle 3-2 against Wigan at St Andrews, with Olivier Kapo scoring twice.
Marcus Bent scored a brace of his own in a losing cause, first getting in behind behind Liam Ridgewell to volley instinctively from Mario Melchiot's pass.
With 25 minutes gone a Paul Scharner handball presented Birmingham with the chance to regain parity and Kapo slotted the penalty in calmly.
Then some embarrassing miscommunication between Maik Taylor and Stephen Kelly gave Bent the easiest of tap-ins to make it 2-1.
Ridgewell made it 2-2 from similar range when he bundled in Rafael Schmitz's header before Kapo's late winner.
Simon Davies' free-kick looked like being difference between Fulham and hosts Sunderland before Kenwyne Jones struck with five minutes remaining.
Davies struck from long range after Dickson Etuhu was penalised for a foul on Diomansy Kamara.
The Black Cats' day got even worse when Greg Halford was dismissed for a second yellow card but Jones' strong header ensured the draw.
Substitute Shane Long was Reading's hero as they stole a 2-1 win over Newcastle at the Madejski Stadium.
Dave Kitson had earlier needed only eight minutes of the second half to liven up the match after a quiet first period, sweeping home a fierce shot after the ball spilled loose around the Newcastle box.
Another goal did not look likely but the Magpies rode their luck and it took a stroke of luck to breach the Reading defence, Michael Duberry's own goal proving their undoing.
Long's late winner, with his first touch, made sure he did not pay for that error.
In tonight's late game, Portsmouth take on West Ham at Fratton Park.
