Manchester United maintained its three-point lead over Chelsea at the top of the English Premier League on Wednesday with a 3-0 win over Everton.
The Blues also won, beating Bolton 1-0 at the Reebok Stadium. But Arsenal suffered its fourth loss away from home, finishing with 10 men and falling 2-1 to Fulham on a goal by Canadian international Tomasz Radzinski. Manchester City beat Aston Villa 3-1 for its first away win of the season and Liverpool and Portsmouth drew 0-0.
The victory gave Manchester United 38 points, followed by Chelsea with 35, Bolton and Portsmouth with 24. Aston Villa remains fifth with 23, with Arsenal in sixth with 22.
Cristiano Ronaldo put Manchester United ahead in the 38th minute, scoring when an attempt by Michael Carrick was cleared by Everton defender Nuno Valente. Patrice Evra made it 2-0 in the 63rd minute and defender John O'Shea scored United's third in the 89th.
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson rested Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and Louis Saha for the match, which came four days after a 1-1 draw with two-time defending champion Chelsea.
Everton goalkeeper Tim Howard watched the match from the stands due to English league rules that prohibit loaned players from competing against the club that owns their contract.
The teams were captained by brothers _ Gary Neville for United and Phil Neville _ a former Red Devil _ for Everton.
Chelsea's Michael Ballack scored in the 45th minute against a Bolton team with only one change from the side that beat Arsenal 3-1 on Saturday. Defender Ivan Campo came in for Quinton Fortune.
Ballack scored at the near post from a Frank Lampard corner.
Brian McBride gave Fulham the lead in the sixth minute, heading in Claus Jensen's corner kick. It was 2-0 in the 19th when Luis Boa Morte got past Arsenal defenders Justin Hoyte and Alexander Song to cross for Radzinski to score.
Robin van Persie replied for the Gunners with a 30-yard drive into the top corner in the 36th minute. Arsenal had defender Philippe Senderos sent off in the 66th minute with a second yellow card.
Manchester City led 2-0 at Villa Park with goals from Darius Vassell in the 18th minute and Joey Barton in the 32nd.
Watched by new owner Randy Lerner _ who also controls the NFL's Cleveland Browns _ Gavin McCann pulled Aston Villa within a goal in the 66th minute, but Sylvain Distin restored City's advantage in the 75th.
In the Football League Championship, Derby beat Ispwich 2-1 and Southampton defeated Birmingham 4-3.
© The Canadian Press, 2007
