LONDON (AP): LIVERPOOL AND Arsenal returned to winning ways yesterday to assert their Premier League title credentials, while Hull lost their third straight match after an impressive start to their debut campaign in the top flight.
Robbie Keane scored his first two league goals since joining Liverpool in the offseason in a 3-0 victory over West Bromwich Albion.
Samir Nasri also had a double, leading Arsenal to a 2-1 victory over defending champions Man-chester United and easing the pressure on manager Arsene Wenger by snapping a three-match winless streak in all competitions.
Liverpool lead the standings by three points ahead of Chelsea, who are at Blackburn today. The Gunners moved over United into third place.
Goals galore
Bolton saw off Hull 1-0 courtesy of Matt Taylor's 50th-minute goal, while Portsmouth won for the first time since Tony Adams replaced Harry Redknapp two weeks ago. Jermain Defoe converted a 90th-minute penalty to beat Sunderland 2-1.
Everton rallied with three goals in the last seven minutes to beat West Ham 3-1 and Wigan and Stoke played out a 0-0 draw.
Liverpool were dominating West Brom, but took until the 34th to take the lead when Steven Gerrard pierced the visiting defense with a precision pass to Keane, who lofted over advancing goalkeeper Scott Carson.
Carson was again stranded on the edge of the area after Fabio Aurelio's pass split the defence two minutes before the break, allowing Keane to round the former Liverpool goalkeeper to score his second.
"It's nice, it's been a while coming, but I don't get down about these things," Keane said. "Robbie Keane is hopefully back to his best, it's been a bit stop-start, but I'm getting better and better."
Keane was denied a hat-trick when manager Rafa Benitez replaced him in the 72nd with Fernando Torres, who returned from injury. Alvaro Arbeloa curled in the third goal in the 90th.
Arsenal's victory over United banished questions marks over Wenger's future after 12 years in charge.
The Gunners had drawn 0-0 with Fenerbahce in the Champions League, been held 4-4 by fierce rivals Tottenham and lost 2-1 at Stoke in their past three games.
Nasri, an offseason signing from Marseille, halted the slump with Emmanuel Adebayor and Robin van Persie ruled out.
Important result
"I knew today that it was a big game for the future of the team, not the club, to keep in the race and knowing you can win big games is vital," Wenger said. "It was a very important result. I couldn't imagine what would have happened if we had lost today."
The breakthrough came in the 22nd when Cesc Fabregas crossed from the left and Dimitar Berbatov's headed clearance fell to Nasri, whose shot deflected off United right back Gary Neville to beat goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar.
Three minutes after half-time, Arsenal strung together 15 passes - including an inspired run by Walcott on the left - to rip through United, and Nasri completed the move after receiving a pass from Fabregas to shoot over a sliding Vidic into the top corner.
United's failure to score until the match entered its final minutes wasn't through a lack of opportunities.
With Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo finding the target elusive, they were upstaged by an 18-year-old defender. Rafael da Silva, who replaced Neville in the 63rd, chested down William Gallas' half-clearance and volleyed past Almunia for a consolation goal.