United go above City at top, Chelsea on the slide

By Sonia Oxley

MANCHESTER, England (Reuters) - Manchester United went top of the Premier League on Saturday with a 2-1 win over Liverpool, where the Luis Suarez-Patrice Evra racism row was reignited, while Chelsea dropped out of the top four.

Arsenal made the most of another Chelsea slip-up to climb to fourth after coming from behind to beat Sunderland 2-1 thanks to Thierry Henry's stoppage-time winner.

Chelsea slumped to a 2-0 defeat at Everton to pile more pressure on manager Andre Villas-Boas whose training sessions have been closely monitored by Russian owner Roman Abramovich this week.

United's victory over their arch rivals at Old Trafford, courtesy of two Wayne Rooney goals, was marred by Liverpool striker Suarez's refusal to shake hands with United defender Evra before the match.

It was the first time the two players had met since Suarez was banned for eight matches for racially abusing the United defender in October's reverse fixture at Anfield.

The snub had United manager Alex Ferguson branding Suarez a "disgrace to Liverpool". The win lifted the champions a point above Manchester City before Roberto Mancini's men travel to Aston Villa on Sunday.

At the other end of the table, Blackburn Rovers stayed in the relegation zone on goal difference despite a 3-2 victory at home to Queens Park Rangers that left the London side hovering just above them.

In another game between two struggling sides, Wigan Athletic got the better of local rivals Bolton Wanderers with a 2-1 victory at the Reebok stadium.

Wigan stay bottom with 19 points but made up some ground on the other relegation battlers with second-from-bottom Bolton on 20 and Blackburn, QPR and Wolverhampton Wanderers on 21.

Norwich City rose to eighth after two goals from Grant Holt helped them to a 3-2 win at fellow promoted side Swansea City while Fulham beat Stoke City 2-1 in a mid-table meeting.

Third-placed Tottenham Hotspur host Newcastle United, who are sixth, in Saturday's late game (1730 GMT).

(Editing by Tony Jimenez; To query or comment on this story email: sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)