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LONDON - Nicolas Anelka scored twice against his old club to help Bolton Wanderers beat Arsenal 3-1 to climb to third in the Premier League yesterday.
The enigmatic Frenchman struck in each half after Abdoulaye Faye had put Bolton in front. Gilberto Silva was on target for the
Gunners, who have now lost their last three league visits to the Reebok Stadium.
Captain Steven Gerrard grabbed his first league goal of the season to give Liverpool a 1-0 victory over Manchester City.
Gerrard broke forward after 67 minutes to beat keeper Nicky Weaver with a fierce shot from 20 metres and clinch ninth-placed Liverpool's sixth home win of the season.
Arsenal slid to sixth with 22 points from 13 matches. If leaders Manchester United beat champions Chelsea overnight, Arsene Wenger's men would find themselves 15 points off the pace.
"We are a long way behind," Wenger said. "The way we played today it's difficult to take because we showed a lot of quality but we can't transform that into points."
Anelka, who Wenger sold to Real Madrid in 1999 for £23 million ($66.6 million), had not scored for Bolton in the league since arriving from Turkish club Fenerbahce in August but was in scintillating form against his former team.
Faye headed past Jens Lehmann after nine minutes before Anelka made it 2-0 in first-half stoppage time, cutting in from the left to smash in a swerving shot.
But his celebrations were tempered by Gilberto's headed reply seconds later.
Anelka was denied from close range before he raced away in the 76th minute to calmly slot the third past Lehmann.
"When he unleashed that wonderful strike for his first goal I knew it would kick him on," said Bolton manager Sam Allardyce. "Hopefully he'll score more and more."
Unlucky Arsenal hit the woodwork three times through Freddie Ljungberg, Emmanuel Adebayor and Cesc Fabregas after the break.
Aston Villa moved into fifth spot when Gareth Barry's penalty on the stroke of halftime salvaged a 1-1 draw at home to Middlesbrough after Malcolm Christie had put the visitors ahead.
Liverpool's title hopes already looked fanciful as a result of dismal away form that has yielded only one goal and two points, yet at Anfield they have been a model of consistency.
City, also winless away from home, frustrated Liverpool and it needed the magic of Gerrard to unlock their defence.
West Ham were watched by new Icelandic chairman Eggert Magnusson at home to Sheffield United after his consortium bought the club for £85 million on Wednesday.
The Hammers celebrated the new era with a nervy 1-0 victory over their fellow strugglers thanks to a goal by Hayden Mullins.
Reading made it three wins in a row, going up to seventh with a 1-0 victory at 10-man Fulham.
Charlton Athletic stayed bottom after coming from a goal down to draw 1-1 with Everton at the Valley.
- REUTERS
