Bolton Wanderers 3 Liverpool 1
Nigel Reo-Coker, the Bolton captain, hopes yesterday's victory over Liverpool is a sign that their improved performances are beginning to bear fruit as they climbed out of the relegation zone.
Bolton enjoyed a 3-1 win over Kenny Dalglish's side at the Reebok Stadium, with Mark Davies and Reo-Coker putting them 2-0 up before Gretar Steinsson made sure following Craig Bellamy's strike for Liverpool.
Reo-Coker claimed the win was nothing more than Bolton deserved on recent form.
"If you look at our past performances we've been playing really well," he told ESPN. "We've got a new formation, a lot more confidence and in the past few performances we were unlucky. We have been growing and it's about building on that.
"In our situation it's important to win at home and away, but to get it at home is even better. It was a fantastic performance but that's what we've been doing the last couple of weeks and we need to keep that momentum going.
"We've had a tough start to the season, but if we can continue to grow we will climb up the table and give a true reflection of where we should be in the league."
Owen Coyle, the Bolton manager, backed Reo-Coker's view that Bolton's form is now coming good.
"I thought we performed very well for a large period of the game at Old Trafford, after we'd gone to Everton and won, so we had been in good form," he said.
"We knew that our young players - because it's a season of transition as we always said - we knew they were getting better.
"We've one or two back from injury as well so now we must kick on.
"Looking at our run of fixtures with Manchester United, Everton and Liverpool, a lot of people said we'd get no points but we've got six from nine. We know there's room for improvement and that's what we must strive for.
"But in the second half some of our football was at a high standard and we were worthy winners. Sometimes you ride your luck but nothing could be further from the truth today."
Fulham 5 Newcastle United 2
Clint Dempsey's hat-trick helped Fulham come from behind to comprehensively thrash in-form Newcastle United today.
The United States international was named his country's player of the year yesterday and showed why with a superb second-half performance at Craven Cottage.
Having managed just one shot in an appalling first-half performance, Fulham deservedly fell behind to a superb Danny Guthrie long-range drive as half-time approached. However, Martin Jol's half-time pep talk and tactical tweak proved inspired as the west Londoners scored four goals in a 16-minute period. Danny Murphy and Bobby Zamora netted penalties either side of a
Dempsey brace as Fulham ran the Magpies ragged. Hatem Ben Arfa reduced the deficit with the clock winding down, although Dempsey had the final word by firing home his third.
Wolverhampton Wanfers 2 Aston Villa 3
Two-goal Robbie Keane marked his full Aston Villa debut with a superb second-half winner against 10-man Wolves in a pulsating Premier League derby at Molineux.
The on-loan Los Angeles Galaxy striker's double helped Villa to come from behind against his old club after Darren Bent's early penalty had been cancelled out by goals from Michael Kightly and Dave Edwards.
Wolves had been reduced to 10 men with 15 minutes remaining after midfielder Karl Henry kicked out at winger Marc Albrighton and received a red card.
Quens Park Rangers 3 Wigan Atlethic 1
Mark Hughes registered his first Premier League win as QPR manager with a convincing win over fellow strugglers Wigan at Loftus Road.
Rangers started nervously, but took the lead in the 32nd minute when Heidar Helguson slotted home from the penalty spot after James McCarthy handled in the box and they then made it 2-0 on the stroke of half-time thanks to Akos Buzsaky's brilliant free-kick.
Hugo Rodallega pulled one back for the Latics with a strike of equal brilliance before Tommy Smith blasted home from 25 yards to complete the win following Helguson's failure to convert a second penalty.
Everton 1 Blackburn Rovers 1
David Goodwillie earned Blackburn a precious point at Goodison Park after Tim Cahill had ended a 13-month goal drought to put Everton ahead.
The Australian, who had not scored since a clash with Manchester City on December 20, 2010, took advantage of some poor defending to tap home in the 24th minute.
Blackburn had hit the woodwork twice in the first half but it took them until 18 minutes from time to level when Goodwillie bundled in a free-kick, and they rode their luck to hang on for a draw.
Sunderland 2 Swansea 0
Stephane Sessegnon's superb goal set Sunderland on the way to victory over Swansea as the Black Cats extended their unbeaten home record under Martin O'Neill.
The Benin international produced a fine 14th-minute finish to open the scoring, and substitute Craig Gardner made sure with a thumping volley five minutes from time.
But the hosts did not have things all their own way and goalkeeper Simon Mignolet had to pull off a good 58th-minute save to keep out Gylfi Sigurdsson's free-kick in a tight encounter.
Stoke City 1 West Bromwich Albion 2
West Brom finally ended their 30-year hoodoo at Stoke as well as bringing the curtain down on their recent miserable run in the Barclays Premier League.
After losing 13 games and drawing five of their previous 18 visits to this part of the Potteries, it required two mistakes from
Stoke goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen to gift Albion the points.
Sorensen first allowed by a low 30-yard screamer from James Morrison, and after substitute Cameron Jerome seemingly salvaged a point in the 86th minute, Graham Dorrans then beat the Norwegian in injury time with a 25-yard free-kick.
Norwich City 0 Chelsea 0
Norwich City deprived fourth-placed Chelsea of the chance to close the gap on the Premier League pacesetters when they drew 0-0 at Carrow Road in the lunchtime kickoff on Saturday.
Chelsea moved to 41 points, 10 behind leaders Manchester City who face third-placed Tottenham Hotspur at home tomorrow.
The visitors had the better scoring chances but Spain striker Fernando Torres, who has now gone nearly 15 hours without a goal, fluffed the best one of the 18 they created when he sliced wide shortly being substituted late in the game.
Norwich underlined their right to a place among the elite after winning promotion with a sound defensive display, their first clean sheet of the season, and the point kept them in ninth place on 29 points, at least until the afternoon matches take place.
John Ruddy, the Norwich goalkeeper, told Sky Sports: "You know you are going to come up against a team who will create chances when you play Chelsea, but the game plan worked again and we've got a very good point.
"I had a torrid time last time [against Chelsea] but it was a great team effort from the lads today. As long as we're picking up points [the lack of clean sheets] isn't a problem but clean sheets make that easier."
Striker Grant Holt added: "This is a massive result. We talked all week about getting tight and showing them wide and we managed to do that."
A draw was "not enough" for Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas and he demanded greater efficiency in front of goal from his team.
"In the first half the chances were split between the two teams which made for an entertaining game, the second half was all ours and we finished with 12 shots on goal and we couldn't find the back of the net again," he told Sky Sports.