Asenal lose ground

Liverpool 3-2 Middlesbrough

Fernando Torres grabbed a hat-trick as Liverpool came back from a goal down to beat Middlesbrough and move fourth.

The Reds went behind when Tuncay Sanli headed in from six yards before Julio Arca's mistake let Torres around keeper Mark Schwarzer to slot in and level.

Torres rifled in from 22 yards and side-footed in a third after Schwarzer rushed out of his goal without success.

Stewart Downing poked in a shot for Boro but the Reds held on with the help of Jeremie Aliadiere being red-carded.

The win was only Liverpool's second in the top flight since the turn of the year and came after a poor start when they quickly went behind following some terrible defending.

Boro striker Tuncay timed his run perfectly to move unmarked through Liverpool's flimsy offside trap and nod in Downing's free-kick.

The visitors have been an improving side in recent months and, while they showed plenty of energy in closing the Reds down, they also threatened with some promising attacking play.

Only a last-ditch Alvaro Arbeloa tackle on Boro striker Aliadiere stopped him breaking clear on the Reds goal.

But Liverpool were gifted an equaliser when midfielder Arca's header back towards his own goal went straight into the path of Torres and he capitalised on the error by equalising.

Torres added a second in as many minutes when he gathered the ball and powered a low shot into the bottom corner.

Boro refused to let the double blow change the way they played in an open game but had Tuncay booked when he put a cross into the net with the top of his arm.

Gary O'Neil shot wide against a Liverpool side that looked dangerous when going forward but uncertain at the back with the suspended Jamie Carragher missing.

Middlesbrough attacked with a purpose but were undone by defensive mistakes.

A long cross-field Liverpool pass brought Schwarzer rushing out of his goal to the edge of the box but Torres got to the ball ahead of him and central defender David Wheater before side-footing into an empty net.

Downing beautifully controlled and cut into the Liverpool box from the left late on before slotting a shot through the legs of keeper Pepe Reina to haul his side back to 3-2.

Aliadiere then was sent-off for Boro after lightly slapping Javier Mascherano, who appeared to provoke him by raising a hand to the striker's face.

The dismissal all but ended Boro's attempts to get a late equaliser as Liverpool held on for victory.

Newcastle 1-5 Man Utd

Two goals each from Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney helped Manchester United beat Newcastle and close the gap on leaders Arsenal to three points.

Wayne Rooney opened the scoring when he volleyed in Cristiano Ronaldo's cross at the far post before the supplier slotted in from Michael Carrick's pass.

Ronaldo rounded Steve Harper for his second but Newcastle reduced the deficit when Abdoulaye Faye poked in.

Rooney curled in the fourth before Louis Saha slotted in late on.

The win puts Sir Alex Ferguson's side firmly back in the hunt for the title following Arsenal's draw at Birmingham, while the defeat leaves Newcastle just six points above the relegation zone.

What will not help manager Kevin Keegan's cause is that the team have not won in 10 games and have only scored three goals in six games since his arrival, conceding 16.

Following their 6-0 drubbing at Old Trafford in the reverse fixture last month, Newcastle were keen to avoid another embarrassment.

And for the first 24 minutes, Newcastle's defence coped well and the midfield worked tirelessly to keep the impish Ronaldo and Nani at bay with some juicy tackles.

But one of the problems for the Magpies this season is the frequent lapses of concentration and for United's first goal, left-back Charles N'Zogbia was the guilty figure, allowing Rooney to steal in front of him and tuck away Ronaldo's peach of a ball at the far post.

With the seal broken and Newcastle beginning to look typically ragged, the Old Trafford side pinged the ball about from wing to wing with carefree supremacy, while Carrick in the middle was quick to seize on loose balls from the Newcastle midfield.
It was Wallsend-born Carrick who set up the second goal when his surge and well-weighted pass found the eager Ronaldo, who slotted his shot under Given and into the corner.

Ferguson's side should have added two more in the first half, but Carlos Tevez headed over from six yards after he was first to Nani's right-wing delivery, while Ronaldo screwed his 10-yard angled shot wide.


Newcastle did not unleash their first shot in anger until after the interval when Damien Duff twisted inside the area and fired a low drive that Edwin van der Sar had to punch away.

Had the hosts scored then the game might have taken on a different look. Instead, the visitors once again exploited the Magpies frailties to extend their advantage.

Abdoulaye Faye, back from Africa Nations Cup duty, misplaced a pass and the ball found its way to Ronaldo who motored his way towards goal.

The Portugal international fended off a foolish attempt at a tackle from Steven Taylor before rounding Harper, who came on for the injured Given at half-time, for his fifth goal against the Magpies in two matches.

Faye pulled one back for the hosts after smashing in substitute Andy Carroll's nod down from a corner, but that only angered the visitors who scored a fourth when Rooney curled in a beautiful shot from the edge of the area.

And seconds before the final whistle there was time for ex-Magpie Saha to find the net with a low shot from Rooney's square ball.

Blackburn 4-1 Bolton

Benni McCarthy scored two penalties as Blackburn swept luckless Bolton aside.

McCarthy blasted home after Gretar Steinsson fouled David Dunn but replays suggested the ball was won cleanly.

Bolton were again unfortunate when Kevin Nolan struck the bar but Kevin Davies fired them level following a punt forward from Ivan Campo.

McCarthy netted after Cahill fouled Dunn, David Bentley headed in the third from Dunn's cross and Morten Gamst Pedersen swept in a fourth at the end.

Birmingham 2-2 Arsenal

James McFadden salvaged a point for Birmingham with an injury-time penalty but the game was overshadowed by a horrific injury to Arsenal's Eduardo.

The striker suffered a broken leg in the third minute after a tackle by Martin Taylor, who was sent off.

McFadden gave the Blues the lead with a 20-yard free-kick before Theo Walcott poked in his first Premier League goal.

Walcott made it 2-1 with a mazy run and shot before McFadden equalised after Gael Clichy fouled Stuart Parnaby.

Portsmouth 1-0 Sunderland

Jermain Defoe's late penalty earned Portsmouth only their fourth home win this season as Sunderland's miserable away form continued at Fratton Park.

An abysmal first half was typified by poor passing and scrappy play, and a Sulley Muntari shot that flew over was the closest either side came to a goal.

Sunderland were holding their own, though, until Phil Bardsley felled Nico Kranjcar and Defoe scored the penalty.

Grant Leadbitter had Sunderland's best chances but Pompey comfortably held on.

Fulham 0-1 West Ham

A late goal from Nolberto Solano gave West Ham a narrow win and put pressure on relegation-threatened Fulham.

The Hammers were frustrated in the first half as Carlton Cole saw a volley saved and another skim the bar, while Luis Boa Morte also went wide.

Fulham worked hard but West Ham's firm defence kept out Brian McBride's volley and Diomansky Kamara's effort.

Solano then bundled the ball in, to the fury of Fulham, who had Leon Andreasen sent off for his protests for handball.

Wigan 2-0 Derby

Paul Jewell's return to the JJB Stadium ended in defeat as second half goals from Paul Scharner and Antonio Valencia gave Wigan all three points.

Scharner pounced on the hour mark to turn the ball in at the far post after Emile Heskey's close range effort was parried by Derby keeper Roy Carroll.

Valencia wrapped up the points six minutes from time, crashing a shot into the roof of the net from six yards out.

The result moves Wigan up three places to 14th while Derby remain bottom.

Reading 1-2 Aston Villa

Aston Villa kept up their challenge for fourth place in the Premier League with a win at relegation-placed Reading.

Villa's Gareth Barry missed a dubiously-awarded penalty before the visitors went ahead when Ashley Young slotted home after a counter-attack.

Nicky Shorey had a shot parried as the Royals fought back, but Marlon Harewood curled in a shot to secure Villa's win.

Reading efforts did receive their reward in injury-time when Shorey scored with a 25-yard free-kick.