KEY POINTS:
Arsenal and Manchester United drew clear in the Premier League with 1-0 victories over Chelsea and Liverpool yesterday.
Arsenal returned to the top of the Premier League after captain William Gallas headed the winner against his old club in a 1-0 victory in the London derby.
Victory moved
Arsenal on to 40 points, one clear of champions Manchester United, who had beaten Liverpool by the same scoreline at Anfield in the first game of the day's big double-bill.
United's Argentine forward Carlos Tevez decided the northwest derby with a close-range strike, dealing a hammer blow to Liverpool's title hopes. They are now 10 points behind Arsenal in fifth place.
Chelsea's defeat has cast them six points adrift of Arsene Wenger's side in third place. SPAIN Real Madrid maintained their four-point lead at the top of the Primera Liga with a 2-0 win over Osasuna at the Bernabeu.
Dutch duo Ruud van Nistelrooy and Wesley Sneijder scored goals in each half as Real kept one eye fixed on next weekend's top-of-the-table clash with arch-rivals Barcelona at the Nou Camp.
Cameroon striker Samuel Eto'o was back to his combative best for second-placed Barcelona, as he scored twice in a 3-0 away victory against free-falling Valencia.
Atletico Madrid were held to a goalless draw at Recreativo Huelva but stayed third on 31 points, the same as fourth-placed Villarreal who beat Getafe 3-1 away with a double from Turkish striker Nihat Kahveci.
ITALY Injury-hit Inter Milan went seven points clear at the top of Serie A after Julio Cruz and David Suazo secured a 2-0 win at Cagliari.
The unbeaten defending champions took advantage of second-placed AS Roma drawing 0-0 at Torino, who should have beaten their more illustrious visitors.
Roma are one point above third-placed Juventus, who won 3-2 at Lazio thanks to Alessandro Del Piero's second-half brace.
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GERMANY
Bayern Munich did just enough to take the honorary title of winter champions but with half the season gone, and a six-week break to look forward to, they now lead Werder Bremen only on goal difference.
Bayern could manage no better than a goalless draw at Hertha Berlin while Werder won 5-2 at home to Bayer Leverkusen.
Hamburg SV missed the chance to make up ground on Bayern when they were held to a 1-1 draw away to Karlsruhe, while champions VfB Stuttgart dropped further off the pace with a 2-0 defeat at Arminia Bielefeld.
With 17 matches played, Bayern and Werder have 36 points, followed by Hamburg on 32 and Leverkusen on 30.
The Bundesliga resumes on February 1.
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NETHERLANDS
Gerald Sibon and Brazilian debutant Paulo Henrique hit doubles to inspire Heerenveen to a 5-1 win at NAC Breda to close in on the top three, who were not in action this weekend because of a police strike.
Heerenveen are fourth, level on 29 points with third-placed Feyenoord and two points behind Ajax.
Roda JC Kerkrade, beaten 3-2 at home by Sparta Rotterdam, and Twente Enschede, held 1-1 by VVV Venlo, dropped valuable points.
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FRANCE
Nancy failed to put the pressure on Olympique Lyon when they were held to a 0-0 draw at Racing Strasbourg in Ligue 1.
Nancy, who have not won in their last four league outings, have 34 points from 18 matches and will host Lyon, who drew 0-0 with Nice.
Olympique Marseille conceded a 2-2 draw at Girondins Bordeaux after being 2-0 up.
Bordeaux remain third in the standings on 30 points with Marseille in 14th place eight points behind.
Paris St Germain, still looking for their first home win in Ligue 1 this season, were back into the danger zone after slumping to a 2-1 defeat against Toulouse at the Parc des Princes.
- REUTERS
