Premier League round-up:Manchester United wasted the opportunity to close the gap on league leaders Chelsea in their delayed kick-off against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light. Having started 20 minutes late as a result of a burst pipe in their dressing room, Alex Ferguson's side were held to a scoreless draw.
Steed Malbranque should have put the Black Cats ahead early on from eight yards out but failed to beat goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar who saved low down. Just before the break Bolo Zenden hit a post but United came back stronger in the second half and Dimitar Berbatov, coming on for Michael Owen, had a goal rightly disallowed for offside.
Sunderland almost took the lead when Malbranque’s shot deflected up off Rio Ferdinand but looped just over the crossbar.
Summer signing Rafael van der Vaart starred for Tottenham, scoring twice as the hosts came from behind to beat Aston Villa 2-1. The visitors took the lead in the 16th minute Villa striker Emile Heskey, who went off injured just before half-time, won the ball close to the byline and picked out Marc Albrighton who converted from close range.
Van Der Vaart levelled things up from Peter Crouch’s header just before half-time and he should have put his side in front shortly after the interval but shot wide from seven yards.
However, he made up for that miss in the 75th minute after benefiting from another Crouch header.
Jon Walters’ first Premier League goal lifted Stoke up to seventh in the table after a 1-0 win over Blackburn. The summer signing from Ipswich latched on to Matt Etherington’s through-ball to shoot past Paul Robinson in the 48th minute.
Rovers’ goalkeeper kept them in the game by denying Etherington soon after but his side could not force an equaliser.
Everton ended Birmingham’s record-equalling 18-match unbeaten league record at St Andrews thanks to an own goal from Roger Johnson and a Tim Cahill header. Leon Osman’s 54th-minute cross was turned past his own goalkeeper Ben Foster under pressure from Cahill.
The Australia midfielder then headed in Leighton Baines’ cross late on. Everton’s win, their first of the season, was doubly pleasing as it dropped Merseyside rivals Liverpool, who play Blackpool tomorrow, into the bottom three.
Frederic Piquionne salvaged a point for West Ham as his 51st-minute header from Victor Obinna’s cross earned a 1-1 draw at home to Fulham. United States striker Clint Dempsey, whose shot embarrassed Robert Green when the two met at the World Cup this summer, had put the visitors ahead when he volleyed past the West Ham goalkeeper just after the half-hour.
Wigan secured their first home league win of the season as they beat 10-man Wolves 2-0 at the DW Stadium. Karl Henry was sent off in only the 11th minute for a late tackle on Jordi Gomez, who eventually made the breakthrough with an unstoppable free-kick midway through the second half from the edge of the penalty area.
Hugo Rodallega clinched victory with five minutes to go as Wolves slipped into the bottom three after a fourth successive defeat.
Bolton missed the chance to move above opponents West Brom and into sixth after losing a lead at The Hawthorns. Johan Elmander scored his fourth goal of the season in the 64th minute from Kevin Davies’ lay-off.
Martin Petrov should have put the result beyond doubt but fired wide with only Scott Carson to beat and it proved costly as James Morrison’s header equalised 12 minutes from time.