Arsenal back to top as City sink Liverpool

Theo Walcott's double fired Arsenal back to the top of the Premier League as the Gunners got their title challenge back on track with a 3-1 victory at West Ham United on Thursday.

Carlton Cole opened the scoring for lowly West Ham after the break but Walcott struck twice before Lucas Podolski wrapped up a first win in four league games for Arsenal.

Eden Hazard's goal was enough for Chelsea to secure a 1-0 home win against Swansea City and move into second place with 37 points, two behind Arsenal, after 18 games.

Champions Manchester United's surge in form continued as they hit back from two goals down at Hull City to win 3-2 and move into seventh spot.

Everton's hopes of completing 2013 unbeaten at home in the Premier League vanished as they lost 1-0 at home to bottom club Sunderland after keeper Tim Howard was sent off.

Everton are fifth with 34 points, one more than Newcastle United who thumped nine-man Stoke City 5-1.

Tottenham Hotspur are eighth following a 1-1 draw with West Bromwich Albion in Tim Sherwood's first match in charge since being named as the club's permanent manager.

Wins for Crystal Palace at Aston Villa and Fulham at Norwich City meant the three sides that began the day in the bottom three all won, leaving West Ham to drop into the bottom three.

Cardiff City were beaten 3-0 at home by Southampton, raising fresh doubts over the future of manager Malky Mackay.

Negredo keeps up scoring run as Man City sink Liverpool

Alvaro Negredo kept up his sparkling home scoring record, grabbing the winner as Manchester City came from behind to beat title rivals Liverpool 2-1 in a rip-roaring Premier League showdown on Thursday.

City moved up to second in the table, one point behind Arsenal, after rallying from a goal down thanks to a header from Vincent Kompany and a first-half stoppage-time strike from Negredo.

Liverpool keeper Simon Mignolet was at fault for Negredo's goal as he palmed his 18-metre effort up and into his own net. It was the ninth cconsecutive home game in all competitions in which the Spaniard has scored.

Third-placed Liverpool, who gave as good as they got in a pulsating game, went ahead after 24 minutes when Raheem Sterling rounded keeper Joe Hart and Philippe Coutinho slotted the ball into an empty net.

Image: Theo Walcott celebrates after scoring a goal

Photograph: Ian Walton/Getty Image