A rare header by Cesc Fabregas three minutes into injury time earned Arsenal a 1-1 draw on Saturday after host Sunderland seemed on course for an upset victory in the English Premier League.

Manchester United edged closer to the leading pack with a 2-0 win at a rain-sodden Blackburn Rovers after goals from Wes Brown and Wayne Rooney.

But Gianfranco Zola suffered his first Premier League defeat as manager of West Ham United when Bolton Wanderers won 3-1 at Upton Park yesterday.

West Ham remains on 12 points from seven games. Bolton moved away from the bottom three to seven points.

The battle for the top spot continued later in the day with leader Chelsea at home to fourth-placed Aston Villa and second-placed Liverpool away at Manchester City.

On Saturday, there was late drama at Wigan Athletic where Jeremie Aliadiere claimed the only goal in the 89th minute to give Middlesbrough maximum points while West Bromwich Albion beat Fulham 1-0 with a Roman Bednar goal.

Chelsea leads the table with 14 points on goal difference from Liverpool.

Arsenal and Villa have 13 points while Manchester United has 11 points.

A week ago Arsenal lost 1-2 at home to Hull City but roared back to beat Porto 4-0 in the Champions League with a performance manager Arsene Wenger said was its most complete of the season.

But the Frenchman was left shaking his head in frustration for long spells on Saturday as his side was too easily kept at arm's length by Sunderland.

Grant Leadbitter entered the fray as an 84th-minute substitute for Sunderland and took two minutes to make his mark when he lashed in a shot via the underside of the bar.

Arsenal poured forward and leveled from an unlikely source when Spain midfielder Fabregas headed in van Persie's corner.

United was all over Blackburn and should have won by more goals.

Brown headed in the 31st when keeper Jason Brown, arguing he was fouled, dropped a cross and Rooney swept in the second in the 64th from a Cristiano Ronaldo center.

(Agencies via Shanghai Daily October 6, 2008)