LONDON: Premier League leaders Chelsea conserved their three-point advantage by beating Aston Villa 3-0 on Saturday, while Wayne Rooney was sent off as Manchester United edged West Ham United.
Having drawn 1-1 at champions Manchester City last weekend, Chelsea continued their unbeaten start to the season with a straightforward win over Villa at Stamford Bridge.
Willian set up Brazilian countryman Oscar to steer home Chelsea´s opener in the seventh minute before Diego Costa scored his eighth goal in six Premier League games with a glancing header.
Costa also played a role in Chelsea´s third goal with a right-foot drive that Brad Guzan could only push straight at Villa defender Aly Cissokho, enabling Willian to stab home from close range. "Even during the period the game was 1-0, when it could be open, it was always closed because we controlled the game," said Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho. "The result was a consequence of our dominance."
Southampton remain Chelsea´s closest rivals after winning 2-1 at home to Queens Park Rangers, with Ryan Bertrand and Graziano Pelle finding the net either side of a Charlie Austin effort.
United climbed six places to seventh, eight points below Chelsea, after seeing off West Ham 2-1 at Old Trafford, but their victory was overshadowed by the red card shown to captain Rooney.
Injury problems forced United manager Louis van Gaal to give a debut to 19-year-old centre-back Paddy McNair. But they took a fifth-minute lead when Rooney swept home Rafael da Silva´s cross to become the outright third-highest scorer in Premier League history with 176 goals; one more than Thierry Henry.
Radamel Falcao set up Robin van Persie to rattle in United´s second goal mid-way through the first half, but Diafra Sakho reduced the arrears for West Ham by nodding in after Enner Valencia´s header hit the bar.
Rooney was shown a straight red card in the 59th minute for hacking down the fleeing Stewart Downing -- his first club dismissal since March 2009 -- but United´s 10 men held on to secure victory. "I call it a professional foul," said Van Gaal. "I´ve seen them a lot of times, but the referee makes another decision. But you can´t change it."
A close-range strike 16 minutes from time by Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain earned Arsenal a 1-1 draw at home to Tottenham Hotspur in the north London derby.
Arsenal lost Mikel Arteta and Aaron Ramsey to injury before half-time and then saw Nacer Chadli give Tottenham a 56th-minute lead. But Oxlade-Chamberlain crashed home from Santi Cazorla´s low cross to earn Arsenal a draw that left Arsene Wenger´s side in fourth place and Spurs eighth. "I´m frustrated because of the possession we had and the effort the players put in, and I´m frustrated with our set-pieces," Wenger told Sky Sports. "But we showed good spirit and determination."
Meanwhile, champions Manchester City withstood a fightback by Hull City to record a 4-2 win at the KC Stadium that saw them climb to third.
With Willy Caballero preferred to Joe Hart in goal by City manager Manuel Pellegrini, the visitors went 2-0 up through a hooked finish from Sergio Aguero and a fine 22-yard strike by Edin Dzeko.
However, a pair of blunders by City´s new centre-back Eliaquim Mangala allowed Hull back into the game.
The France international headed Liam Rosenior´s cross into his own net in the 21st minute and then conceded a penalty with a high boot on Abel Hernandez, who converted from 12 yards to level the scores. But after Yaya Toure had hit the post, David Silva released Dzeko to restore City´s lead in the the 68th minute before substitute Frank Lampard side-footed in his fourth goal in three games late on.
Earlier, Everton captain Phil Jagielka scored a sensational 92nd-minute equaliser to earn his team a 1-1 draw against derby rivals Liverpool at Anfield.
Steven Gerrard had put Liverpool ahead with a second-half free-kick, but he was upstaged in injury time when his former England colleague Jagielka drove an exquisite half-volley into the top-right corner from 25 yards.
Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers, whose side are without a win in three league games, said: "We were clearly the dominant side in the game, but sometimes you don´t get what you deserve in football."
Quick-fire second-half goals from Fraizer Campbell and Mile Jedinak gave Crystal Palace a 2-0 win at home to Leicester City, while Angel Rangel was sent off for two yellow cards as Swansea City drew 0-0 at Sunderland.(AFP)
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