Manchester United top of the table

Manchester United top of the table

Manchester United went back to the top of the Barclays Premier League by holding off a brave second-half fightback to beat Bolton 2-1 at Old Trafford on Saturday.

Buoyed before kick-off by news of Chelsea's 2-1 defeat at Aston Villa, the champions took the lead after only five minutes when Michael Owen's header rebounded into the net off the body of centre back Zat Knight.

Owen was also involved in the move that enabled winger Antonio Valencia to double United's lead on 33 minutes.

But United were forced to endure a nervous finale after midfielder Matthew Taylor pulled a goal back for Bolton on 75 minutes.

Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti admits his team have work to do on set plays after they twice conceded from corners to go down 2-1 at Villa Park.

Ancelotti's men led 1-0 thanks to Didier Drogba's 15th-minute goal but defenders Richard Dunne and James Collins replied for the home side to condemn them to a second consecutive defeat away from home.

"We lost the game because we had two set plays," Ancelotti told Sky Sports 1. "We need to be more focused on the situation.

"Chelsea played a good game and we don't want to lose the game in that situation, only if the other team play better than us. Aston Villa were very able on the set plays.

"We want to do better for sure. We need more concentration."

A rare error from Villa goalkeeper Brad Friedel had allowed Drogba to put Chelsea ahead but he atoned with a string of fine saves.

Dunne then struck for the second successive match to put his side back on level terms, heading home a 32nd-minute corner from Ashley Young.

And the winner came after 52 minutes when Collins found himself unmarked at the far post and powered his header past Petr Cech from Young's inswinging corner for his first goal for the midlands club.

Arsenal climbed to fourth place in the table thanks to a 3-1 win over Birmingham while Sunderland leapfrogged Liverpool into seventh after to a 1-0 win at the Stadium of Light.

Two goals in three minutes from Robin van Persie and Abou Diaby put the Gunners 2-0 up at the Emirates Stadium but Lee Bowyer pulled a goal back for the visitors seven minutes before the break.

Andrey Arshavin then settled fraying nerves with the winner after 84 minutes with his fifth goal of the season.

Without Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres, Liverpool went behind to a Darren Bent strike five minutes into the match after the ball appeared to deflect off a balloon.

The match will also be remembered for a touchline flare-up between rivals managers. Rafael Benitez and Steve Bruce.

Harry Redknapp enjoyed his much-heralded return to Fratton Park after watching his Tottenham side gain a 2-1 win over bottom-of-the-table Portsmouth.

But there were mixed fortunes for ex-Portsmouth striker Jermain Defoe, who scored the goal that puts Spurs 2-0 up but was sent off in the second half for violent conduct.

Ledley King broke the deadlock with his first goal of 2009 after 29 minutes and Defoe, one of three ex-Portsmouth players in the Spurs line-up, added a second on the stroke of half-time.

Former Spurs midfielder Kevin Prince Boateng pulled a goal back for Pompey after 59 minutes and Defoe was then shown a red card by referee Phil Dowd after reacting to a challenge from Aaron Mokoena and stamping on his opponent.

Portsmouth midfielder Michael Brown, another man playing against his old club, was also sent off a second bookable offence three minutes into injury time.

Kevin Doyle looked to have earned Wolves a 1-0 win against Everton at Goodison Park with a goal after 76 minutes but a last-gasp equaliser from Diniyar Bilyaletdinov earned the home side a 1-1 draw.

Jamie Beattie scored twice to help Stoke climb to ninth in the table thanks to a 2-1 win over West Ham at the Britannia Stadium.

Beattie put his side ahead with a penalty after 11 minutes and, after Matthew Upson had equalised after 34 minutes, struck for the winner on 69 minutes.