ManchesterCity and Manchester United scored 10 goals between them and boosted their title aspirations with convincing wins over NorwichCity and Fulham respectively on an eventful afternoon in the Premier League on Saturday.
City, who dropped England keeper Joe Hart, crushed Norwich City 7-0 at the Etihad Stadium to climb into the top four while champions United, putting their shaky start to the season behind them, won 3-1 at Fulham for their third league win in four matches.
Liverpool moved up from third to second on goal difference after Chelsea lost 2-0 at Newcastle United in the early kickoff.
Arsenal have 22 points, Liverpool 20, Chelsea 20 with ManchesterCity, Southampton and Tottenham, who play at Everton on Sunday, all on 19.
Sunderland finished with nine men after Lee Cattermole and Andrea Dossena were sent off in the first half of their 1-0 defeat at HullCity, where Sunderland's Carlos Cuellar put through his own goal for Hull's winner.
Stoke goalkeeper Asmir Begovic scored one of the quickest goals in English league history, hoofing a huge clearance into Southampton's net with a goal timed at 14 seconds. Southampton scored a more orthodox goal from Jay Rodriguez to rescue a point in a 1-1 draw.
In the afternoon's other matches, West Bromwich Albion beat bottom club Crystal Palace 2-0 while West Ham and Aston Villa drew 0-0 at Upton Park.
Image: Alvaro Negredo of ManchesterCity celebrates
Photograph: Ben Hoskins/Getty Images
