Arsenal and Man U win big games over the weekend

Arsenal and Manchester United underlined their positions at the top of the Premier League with victories in clashes of the big four. Both were decided by just a single goal and were for the most part very tight affairs. Carlos Tevez scored on 43 minutes to hand United a 1-0 win at Liverpool while a goal in first half stoppage time from former Chelsea defender William Gallas won it for the Gunners at the Emirates.

Arsenal 1  Chelsea 0
William Gallas accepted the compliments of the season from his old club Chelsea in the feistiest of London derbies which Arsenal won 1-0 at the Emirates Stadium.  The Arsenal captain cashed in on an uncharacteristic error from Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech on the stroke of half-time to head home the only goal of a pulsating match which proved conclusively that Arsene Wenger's men have what it takes to stay the course in what is turning into the most intriguing of Premier League title races.  The victory took Arsenal back to the top, a position they had relinquished for a couple of hours following Manchester United's triumph against Liverpool at Anfield.  But, in a match which contained nine bookings, four for Arsenal and five for Chelsea, they were made to battle all the way. Before the match Chelsea manager Avram Grant had tried to play down the importance of victory, suggesting that the title would be won and lost by results against teams other than the big four.

But while Chelsea had not been defeated for 16 matches they have now lost to Manchester United and Arsenal and drawn against Liverpool and haemorrhaged eight points against their closest rivals this season.  Those are not title-winning statistics, but if ever there was a match which proved the thunderous appeal and total commitment of the Premier League then it was this one.  A match which was always as much about who was missing as playing. While Arsenal saw Cesc Fabregas, Alexander Hleb and Mathieu Flamini all return from injury, Chelsea were missing Michael Essien, Ricardo Carvalho and Didier Drogba.

Drogba's absence, after a knee operation and with the African Nations Cup pending, could yet prove the most crucial of the Chelsea season.  It was a match in which Arsenal employed their pleasing patterns, Fabregas and Hleb always at the heart of the creation and Emmanuel Adebayor a constant threat while Chelsea were content to soak up pressure and rely on the quick counter.  Strangely, however, in the first half especially it was Arsenal's Manuel Almunia who was the busier goalkeeper.

Manchester United 1  Liverpool 0
For the second season running, a close-range goal in front of the Kop proved enough to give Manchester United a 1-0 victory over Liverpool at Anfield.  Whereas John O'Shea's goal in the corresponding fixture came in stoppage time and spurred United on to the title, this time the first half was nearing its end when Carlos Tevez struck. And while the Argentina forward's effort will not prove decisive in the championship race at this early stage, it has left United nine points in front of their fierce north-west rivals, who, after suffering their first defeat at Reading last week, have now lost their unbeaten home record too.

It is not the ideal backdrop to Rafael Benitez's crunch meeting with co-owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks, although United, unbeaten in Premier League combat on this ground for six years now, will not care much about that.  Twelve months ago, Liverpool did everything but beat United, virtually battering their north-west rivals into submission before O'Shea popped up in the final minute to snatch victory.

The home fans must have endured an uneasy feeling of deja vu as they watched the opening period unfold. What incisive football was played amid a frenzied atmosphere was all theirs. The chances fell the way of the men in red too. Unfortunately, the shots were either off target or failed to beat a United defender stood on the line. Liverpool's efforts were assisted by a rare faltering performance from Edwin van der Sar, who twice had his attempts to take what looked like routine catches hindered by his own players.