MANCHESTER City maintained their perfect home record this season as they moved into the top four of the English Premier League with a 4-2 win over Bolton Wanderers.
City, managed by ex-England coach Sven Goran Eriksson, had to work hard to make it nine home league wins out of nine this campaign.
But victory saw them leapfrog Liverpool into fourth spot ahead of Sunday’s clashes between the ‘Big Four’.
Manchester City went ahead in the seventh minute through Rolando Bianchi.
Bolton’s Ricardo Gardner failed to deal with a long ball and City capitalised with Bianchi netting into an unguarded net.
El-Hadji Diuof completed a sharp move to make it 1-1 in the 31st minute but nine minutes later Bolton regainded the lead when Kevin Nolan turned in Gardner’s pull-back.
City drew level in the 48th minute when Bolton’s Lubomir Michalik headed into his own net as he tried to block a shot from Dietmar Hamann.
And they were back in front at Eastlands when England forward Vassell scored in the 77th minute. Kelvin Etuhu’s last-minute goal sealed City’s victory.
"When the players came in at half-time, I told them that they looked like losers,” said Eriksson.
"But they were much better in the second-half and they deserved to win the game.”
Portsmouth missed the chance to go fourth themselves as Tottenhamn Hotspur’s 1-0 win at Fratton Park gave Spurs their first away league victory of the season.
Sunday sees leaders Arsenal face third-placed Chelsea in a London derby while Liverpool take on north-west rivals Manchester United, a point off top spot in second place, at Anfield.
At the bottom of the table, Wigan Athletic ended a run of 14 matches without a win with a dramatic 5-3 victory over Blackburn Rovers, Marcus Bent scoring a hat-trick as did Rovers’ Roque Santa Cruz.
Everton made it two wins out of two over West Ham United in a matter of days, following Wednesday’s League Cup quarter-final success, and 10 in 12 overall, with a 2-0 victory at Upton Park.
Middlesbrough heaped more misery on bottom-of-the-table Derby County with a 1-0 away victory at Pride Park.
Joey Barton’s first goal for Newcastle United gave his side a last-gasp 1-0 win at Fulham. Barton struck with a stoppage-time penalty after Elliot Omozusi brought down Alan Smith as Sam Allardyce’s side claimed a second successive victory.
In other games, Birmingham City and Reading drew 1-1 as did Sunderland and Aston Villa.
Danny Higginbotham put Sunderland in front in the 10th minute with a fine header, getting in front of Craig Gardner and Martin Laursen, to turn in a cross from Ross Wallace.
But Villa drew level through Shaun Maloney’s well-struck free kick 17 minutes from time.
It seemed as if Sunderland’s Danny Collins had scored the winner in stoppage time but his header was ruled out by referee Steve Bennett for a foul.
Furious Sunderland manager Roy Keane risked punishment from the Football Association by suggesting Bennett had "cheated” his side out of victory.
"We scored a very good goal, a fair goal, and for some reason the referee’s disallowed it,” said Keane.
"I’m sure he will be delighted we’re talking about him (Bennett) after the game. Our brilliant supporters, who travel up and sown the country in unbelievable numbers, for them to be cheated today is really disappointing.”
Wigan were 2-0 up inside 13 minutes at the JJB stadium. Denny Landzaat put them ahead when he latched onto Bent’s flick-on.
Bent himself made it 2-0 seconds later when, having beaten New Zealand international Ryan Nelson in the air, he shot home.
Blackburn had a chance to pull a goal back when they were awarded a penalty after Emile Heskey put his arms over Christopher Samba. But South Africa forward Benni McCarthy’s spot kick was turned round the post by Chris Kirkland.
Shortly before half-time, Austria striker Paul Scharner headed in to make it 3-0 before Rovers, reduced to 10 men early in the second half, draw level through Santa Cruz.
The Paraguayan gave Rovers hope with a right foot shot just before half-time before making scoring a second to make it 3-2 five minutes after the break.
Bent, though, regained the lead for Wigan in the 66th minute when he headed in Antonio Valencia’s cross and made it 5-3 nine minutes from time as Wigan went six points clear of Derby but still stayed in the bottom three.
Aiyegbeni Yakubu, who scored Everton’s winner on Wednesday, put the Toffees ahead on the stroke of half-time when the Nigeria striker nodded in a header from Australia midfielder Tim Cahill.
As the Hammers pressed for an equaliser, Andy Johnson scored on the counter attack in the 90th minute.
Pompey’s three previous home league matches had ended in goalless draws but Spurs’s Dimitar Berbatov ended that sequence when he turned in Aaron Lennon’s 81st-minute cross.
At St Andrews, Mikael Forssell’s fourth-minute header, which rebounded off Nicky Shorey before hitting the Finn, gave Birmingham the lead.
Reading pushed for an equaliser and were rewarded in the 51st minute when Stephen Hunt, after being fouled by City keeper Maik Taylor, scored from the penalty spot.
Middlesbrough heaped more pressure on Derby when Tuncay Sanli volleyed in Stewart Downing’s cross in the 38th minute for his third goal in three league games.
Agence France-Presse
Source: Manchester City go fourth


They deserved to lose against Middlesbrough, and this is a real sticky situation for Wenger’s boys to be in now. Just the right time then to welcome back your star men, Robin van Persie and Cesc Fabregas.

The appointment was made following discussions with FA Chief Executive Brian Barwick and Director of Football Development Sir Trevor Brooking at Wembley Stadium on Wednesday. This was then ratified unanimously by the FA Board on Thursday.
“Fabio is a winner. His record over the last two decades speaks for itself. At every club he has managed, Fabio has won the League title and Trevor and I were left in no doubt of his passion and commitment to bring that success to the England team.”
Capello’s backroom staff will consist of assistants Franco Baldini and Italo Galbiati, goalkeeping coach Franco Tancredi, and fitness coach Massimo Neri. He will also discuss with Sir Trevor Brooking how to integrate an English presence into the coaching set-up.