Hull City drew at Liverpool after going 2-0 up, Aston Villa climbed to fourth and Blackburn were beaten again.
Reds held by Tigers; Villa climb to fourth; Blackburn beaten again
Hull City's fairytale Premier League debut shows no sign of coming to an end after the Tigers earned a deserved 2-2 draw with league leaders Liverpool at Anfield.
It could have been even better for Phil Brown's side as they astonishingly took a 2-0 lead before a brace from Steven Gerrard brought the Reds back on terms.
Aston Villa thrashed Bolton 4-2 at Villa Park to move into fourth with Arsenal slipping a place after a 1-1 draw with Middlesbrough.
Paul Ince's hopes of remaining in charge at Blackburn took another major blow as Rovers were beaten 3-0 by Wigan, while Sunderland romped to a 4-0 home win against woeful West Brom.
Tim Cahill snatched a deserved late winner for Everton at Manchester City, while Stoke and Fulham scrapped their way to an uninspiring stalemate at the Britannia Stadium.
Impressive
League leaders
Liverpool were held at home for the third successive game and had to battle to secure even a point against impressive
Hull City.
Even the most optimistic of Tigers fans would not have predicted their side would take a 2-0 lead at Anfield, but that is exactly what happened.
First Paul McShane got up above a hesitant Reds defence to head home Marlon King's lofted ball, before Jamie Carragher could only turn Bernard Mendy's low cross into his own net.
But Liverpool responded immediately, with Gerrard halving the deficit with a cool finish after Dirk Kuyt escaped down the right and his cross flicked off Albert Riera.
And the Reds skipper had his side back on terms in the 32nd minute after being set up by Yossi Benayoun after Kuyt had headed down Carragher's ball into the box.
With the home side chasing victory in the second half Rafa Benitez surprisingly elected not to send on striker Robbie Keane, who was again left to kick his heels on the bench.
Aston Villa climbed to fourth in the Premier League table as Gabriel Agbonlahor and Ashley Young tormented
Bolton at Villa Park.
Gary Megson's men took the lead in the 17th minute when Kevin Davies managed to squeeze over a low cross from the byline and in-form Johan Elmander beat Brad Friedel with an audacious flick.
But Villa were in front before the break as Agbonlahor took Martin Laursen's long ball and fired home before Kevin Davies could only head Gareth Barry's cross past Jussi Jaaskelainen under pressure from Laursen.
Villa felt they should have had a penalty too, but referee Lee Probert missed Gary Cahill's handball and refused to consult with his assistant who was flagging on the touchline.
Agbonlahor then made it 3-1 in the 67th minute when he glanced home Ashley Young's wicked cross from the left flank, with the striker then setting up his England colleague for a fourth.
Davies at least managed to get on the scoresheet at the right end of the field with four minutes remaining, but there was no way back for Bolton.
Arsenal's faltering title challenge suffered another blow as former Gunner Jeremie Aliadiere earned a point for
Middlesbrough at the Riverside.
Emmanuel Adebayor headed Arsene Wenger's men in front when he was left unmarked on the edge of the six-yard box to nod home Cesc Fabregas' corner.
But Boro were back on terms before the break when Tuncay Sanli's driven cross was superbly guided home by the Frenchman.
Manchester United missed the chance to capitalise on Liverpool and Arsenal's slips as they were held to a 0-0 draw at
Tottenham Hotspur.
Dimitar Berbatov was predictably booed throughout by the fans who used to idolise him following his protracted summer departure from White Hart Lane.
Heurelho Gomes was the hero for Spurs as he produced a superb one-handed stop to keep out substitute Ryan Giggs' late free-kick for the visitors, who now head to Japan for the Fifa Club World Cup.
Pressure
Steve Bruce increased the pressure on former Manchester United team-mate Ince as
Wigan overcame struggling
Blackburn.
If under-fire Ince was hoping for a solid start from his side at the JJB Stadium, he got completely the opposite, with Rovers 2-0 down inside 12 minutes after some dismal defending.
Luis Antonio Valencia tricked his way past Steven Warnock before crossing for Emile Heskey to produce a deft flicked finish at the near post.
And just moments later a poor clearance found Valencia, who advanced into box as the Blackburn defence backed off and was allowed time and space to pick his shot beyond Paul Robinson.
Valencia had a hand in the third as he was again given the freedom of the flank to pass across the 18-yard line for Lee Cattermole to set the seal on another miserable afternoon for Ince.
Sunderland caretaker manager Ricky Sbragia did his chances of securing the job on a full-time basis no harm as struggling
West Brom were thrashed at the Stadium of Light.
Kenwyne Jones grabbed a quickfire double to put Sunderland in front, heading home Andy Reid's cross before bundling home from close range after Scott Carson had saved from Djibril Cisse.
Reid made it 3-0 before the break as he arrived unmarked at the far post to head home Steed Malbranque's deep ball.
And any hopes West Brom had of mounting second-half fightback evaporated immediately as Cisse rammed home from the penalty spot after Roman Bednar was penalised for handball.
Tim Cahill headed home a deserved late winner for
Everton as they snatched all three points at
Manchester City.
David Moyes' men, who were undone by a last-gasp goal in their defeat by Aston Villa last weekend, dominated for much of the match at Eastlands.
And just when it looked as though Joe Hart's heroics would be enough to secure a point for City, Cahill arrived in the box to head home Leon Osman's corner.
Stoke and
Fulham could not be separated at the Britannia Stadium in a drab encounter.
Richard Cresswell missed a glorious opportunity in the first half when he played a one-two with Ricardo Fuller but curled his shot high and wide with the goal at his mercy.
Fulham were denied what appeared to be a clear penalty before the break when Danny Higginbotham handled in the box but referee Stuart Attwell, who had a clear view of the incident, waved play on.
