Manuel Almunia was Arsenal's hero as the Gunners returned to the top of the Premier League by beating West Ham 2-0 on Saturday, despite playing the entire second half with ten men.

Almunia saved an Alessandro Diamanti penalty just before half-time after centre-back Thomas Vermaelen had been sent off for a professional foul on Guillermo Franco.

That ensured Arsenal preserved the lead established by Denilson's fifth-minute strike and a late penalty by returning skipper Cesc Fabregas sealed a win that lifted Arsenal above Manchester United and Chelsea.

United can return to the top when they entertain Liverpool on Sunday, just before Chelsea take on Blackburn at Ewood Park.

It was an equally good day for Arsenal's local rivals Tottenham, who had an inspired cameo by Eidur Gudjohnsen to thank for a 2-1 win over 10-man Stoke that edges them a step closer to Champions League football next season.

On a day when Aston Villa, one of Spurs' rivals for the coveted place among Europe's elite, needed a late equaliser to draw 2-2 with Wolves, Tottenham consolidated their grip on fourth place and increased the pressure on Liverpool to get something from their visit to Old Trafford.

At the other end of the table, it was a painful afternoon for both Burnley and Hull, who were left looking doomed to relegation after defeats at Wigan and Portsmouth respectively.

At the Britannia Stadium, former Chelsea and Barcelona forward Gudjohnsen came off the bench to fire Spurs into the lead.

It was then the Icelander's cute dummy that set up Niko Kranjcar for the winner after Matthew Etherington's penalty had got Stoke back on level terms at a time when they were playing with a man down, Dean Whitehead having been given his marching orders after collecting a second yellow card.

Redknapp's afternoon was marred by an injury to striker Roman Pavlyuchenko but the Spurs boss was delighted with Gudjohnsen's display.

"We are running out of bodies at the moment but luckily Eidur came on and was brilliant," Redknapp said. "It's like he's got wing mirrors on his head."

Villa remain the only top-flight side unbeaten in 2010 but Martin O'Neill's team needed a late equaliser from Norway striker John Carew to preserve that record at Wolves.

Carew had given Villa an early lead but Jody Craddock equalised before a James Milner own goal gave the visitors a lead they held until the final minutes, only to be denied what would have been a precious victory in their fight for survival.

The point left Wolves four points clear of a relegation zone occupied by Portsmouth, Hull and Burnley.

Hull led twice at Fratton Park only to succumb to a 3-2 defeat by a Portsmouth side with only pride left to play for after the Premier League's imposition of a nine-point penalty for the club's entering administration.

Late goals from Jamie O'Hara and Nigerian veteran Nwankwo Kanu clinched Pompey's fourth win of the season.

Until then, Caleb Folan's 73rd-minute strike had seemed set to give Iain Dowie a victory in his first match in charge of Hull after Folan's first effort had been cancelled out by Tommy Smith.

A stoppage-time diving header by Colombian striker Hugo Rodallega was enough to give Wigan a 1-0 win over Burnley that lifted Roberto Martinez's squad seven points clear of their Lancashire rivals, who have now lost 15 out of 16 away games this season.

Mikel Arteta and Steven Pienaar fired Everton to a 2-0 win over 10-man Bolton as the Merseysiders continued their strong recent form.

Arteta broke the deadlock after 72 minutes with a precise free-kick after last man Gretar Steinsson was sent off for a foul on Aiyegbeni Yakubu and Pienaar wrapped things up two minutes from time.

Darren Bent took his goal tally for the season to 20 with a double in Sunderland's 3-1 win over Birmingham, a victory that has probably moved Steve Bruce's side out of danger of being sucked back into the relegation battle.

Cameron Jerome pulled a goal back on the hour but Fraizer Campbell's 88th-minute effort sealed the points for Sunderland.

AFP

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