Arsenal came from behind to end their miserable recent run of form with a 5-2 victory over Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League on Saturday.
Spurs took the lead in the north London derby through Emmanuel Adebayor but the game changed as the Togo striker was dismissed after 18 minutes.
Per Mertesacker levelled and goals from Lukas Podolski and Olivier Giroud had Arsenal 3-1 by half-time.
Santi Cazorla knocked in a fourth after 61 minutes and, although Gareth Bale pulled one back 20 minutes from time, Theo Walcott restored the three-goal margin in the final minute.
Arsenal had won just one of their last four in the league while slipping up twice against Schalke 04 in the Champions League, and it looked like being another miserable afternoon for them as they started badly and went behind after 10 minutes.
Mertesacker badly misjudged a through-ball from Jan Vertonghen and, when Jermain Defoe’s shot had been saved, Adebayor rolled in the rebound.
But eight minutes later, Adebayor lunged into a challenge on Cazorla and was shown the red card.
Arsenal hadn’t had a shot up to that point but they rallied and equalised after 24 minutes, Mertesacker sending a looping header into the corner from Theo Walcott’s cross.
From then till half-time it was all Arsenal and, when a series of ricochets broke for Podolski, he squeezed a shot in via a slight deflection off William Gallas.
Then, in first-half injury-time, Cazorla carried on after being fouled and, as the Spurs defence hesitated, crossed for Giroud to hook in.
Spurs went to three at the back at half-time and did briefly threaten a comeback but the game was settled after 61 minutes as Podolski crossed for Cazorla to slam in the fourth.
Bale, cutting infield and drilling in a low shot, reduced the deficit to two after 70 minutes but Arsenal were comfortable in their lead. Walcott, moved to a central attacking role after Giroud had been taken off, tucked in a fifth in the final minute.
Chelsea lost further ground at the top of the table as they went down 2-1 at West Bromwich Albion to extend their run without a win to four games.
Shane Long put West Brom ahead after 10 minutes, heading in a James Morison cross and, although Eden Hazard’s deflected header levelled the scores six minutes before half-time, Peter Odemwingie restored the West Brom lead with a near-post header just after half-time.
City was comfortable 5-0 winners over Aston Villa and returned to the top of the table — at least until Manchester United’s teatime game at Norwich City.
David Silva put them ahead shortly before half-time and a disputed Sergio Aguero penalty doubled that advantage early in the second-half.
Another penalty allowed Carlos Tevez to make it 3-0 before Aguero’s deflected shot made it four. Tevez tapped in his second to round off the scoring.
Southampton came out in the big clash at the bottom, beating Queen’s Park Rangers 3-1.
Ricky Lambert fired in a half-cleared corner and Jason Puncheon curled in a second just before half-time.
QPR began the second-half with a flurry and pulled one back as Junior Hoilett headed in an Adel Taarabt cross but Anton Ferdinand turned a Morgan Schneiderlin cross into his own net to give Southampton the win.
Reading won their first game of the season, coming from behind to beat Everton 2-1.
Steven Naismith made the most of some poor marking to convert a Nikica Jelavic cross after 10 minutes but Reading levelled as a Nicky Shorey free-kick was flicked in by Adam LeFondre six minutes into the second-half.
And with 11 minutes remaining a Le Fondre penalty claimed the points.
Luis Suarez struck twice as Liverpool beat Wigan Athletic 3-0. First he lashed in a Raheem Sterling cut back and then poked in Jose Enrique’s through ball.
Jose Enrique added a third with his first goal for the club. Michu headed the opener after 58 minutes as Swansea City won 2-1 at Newcastle United. Jonathan De Guzman’s first Premier League goal sealed the win three minutes from time despite a late strike from Demba Ba.
