Manchester United closed the gap on Premier League leaders Liverpool with an emphatic 3-0 win over title rivals Chelsea at Old Trafford on Sunday.

GettyImagesMichael Owen: Could be reinvigorated.

Nemanja Vidic headed the opening goal for the reigning champions in first-half stoppage time before Wayne Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov completed the scoring after the break.

United are five points behind Liverpool with two games in hand - the first of them, against Wigan Athletic on Wednesday.

Aston Villa climbed to third in the Premier League when a terrible error by former goalkeeper Scott Carson gave them a 2-1 home victory against bottom club West Bromwich Albion.

It was good day too for Villa defender Curtis Davies, who silenced the Baggies boo-boys by scoring the opening goal against his former employers.

Four minutes before the break Carson palmed a shot from Gabriel Agbonlahor into his own net and James Morrison scored a consolation goal for the visitors in the second-half.

Liverpool extended their lead over Chelsea at the top of the table - but only by a point after being held to a goalless draw by Stoke City.

Steven Gerrard twice hit the woodwork in the last five minutes but earlier Rory Delap hit the crossbar from just six yards out.

Elsewhere, fifth-placed Arsenal kept the pressure on the Villans but left it late to beat Bolton Wanderers 1-0, despite creating a host of chances.

Nicklas Bendtner eventually broke the deadlock with five minutes left, slotting home from close range after a low ball across the face of goal from Robin van Persie.

Tottenham Hotspur remained rooted in the relegation after Wigan Athletic defender Maynor Figueroa scored in stoppage time to give his team a 1-0 win at the JJB Stadium.

Striker Jermain Defoe began his second spell at Tottenham after re-joining the London club from Portsmouth this week but had precious few chances to justify his £15 million fee.

Marouane Fellaini and Mikel Arteta scored the goals as Everton cruised past Hull City with a 2-0 win at Goodison Park.

Leighton Baines fired over an 18th-minute cross and Fellaini was poorly marked in the six-yard box when he guided a header into the far corner. Then Arteta smashed a free kick into the net from 30 yards on the stroke of half time.

The Tees-Wear derby ended 1-1 at Middlesbrough's Riverside Stadium as Kenwyne Jones bagged a late equaliser for Ricky Sbragia's Sunderland side.

The deadlock was broken in the final minute of the half when Afonso Alves and Stewart Downing exchanged passes down the right and the Brazilian smashed an unstoppable shot past Fulop for his third goal in two games.

But Jones levelled things up after David Healy's cross.

Newcastle United and West Ham United drew 2-2 after a pulsating game at St James' Park.

Michael Owen gave the home side the lead, smashing home a shot from the edge of the area after 19 minutes. But Toon old boys Scott Parker and Craig Bellamy combined to bring the Hammers level - the striker lifting his shot over Shay Given.

Carlton Cole then lashed the Hammers into a deserved lead in the 55th minute when he controlled a long ball from Herita Ilunga and powered a superb left-footed shot into the top left corner.

But Andy Carroll rescued a point for Newcastle when he nodded home from Damien Duff's cross with just over ten minutes remaining.

Two Premier League games fell victim to the icy weather conditions on Saturday with Portsmouth's home game against Manchester City and Fulham's clash with Blackburn Rovers both postponed because of frozen pitches.