Soccer - Premier League round-up:Chelsea returned to the top of the Premier League with a comfortable 3-0 victory over Birmingham City at Stamford Bridge. Carlo Ancelotti's side brought an end to Birmingham's 15-game unbeaten run thanks to an opening goal by Florent Malouda and a brace from Frank Lampard.
The win put Chelsea one point clear of Manchester United at the top of the table with a game in hand on their rivals.
The home side went ahead in the fifth minute when Chelsea opened their account through Malouda.
The goal was engineered by England midfielder Joe Cole, who burst into the City penalty area from the right flank before crossing for the unmarked Malouda to head past Joe Hart from six yards.
Chelsea made it 2-0 in the 31st minute when Lampard collected a pass from Michael Ballack and sent a low angled drive beyond Hart and into the bottom corner from 20 yards.
And lampard got the third in the 90th minute when Lampard, latching on to a Malouda and pass before firing past the advancing Hart.
Title-chasing Arsenal maintained their long unbeaten streak at Villa Park but the woodwork twice denied them victory over Martin O’Neill’s side as the match finished in a 0-0 draw.
Cesc Fabregas struck the post in first-half stoppage time and then Tomas Rosicky crashed a shot against the underside of the bar after the break.
Villa played their full part in a pulsating end-to-end affair but failed to add the Gunners to the scalps of the other ‘big four’ teams they have beaten this season — Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea.
It means Arsenal have now gone 12 years since last tasting defeat away to Villa as they extended their unbeaten league run to 10 matches from which they have collected 24 points.
Villa also went close to snatching a winner, with Stewart Downing spurning two opportunities, but O’Neill will be slightly concerned they have now failed to score in four successive league games.
Landon Donovan netted his first goal for Everton as they inflicted more misery on Sunderland with a 2-0 victory at Goodison Park.
Tim Cahill headed Everton in front in the seventh minute before Donovan, on loan from Los Angeles Galaxy, doubled the advantage 11 minutes later. The Black Cats have now recorded just one win in 13 league matches.
Elsewhere, Gary Caldwell scored his first goal for Wigan but it was not enough to prevent Blackburn from recording a 2-1 triumph.
Morten Gamst Pedersen took advantage of a mistake from on-loan goalkeeper Vladimir Stojkovic in the 20th minute to score his third goal in six matches.
But, just 10 minutes into the second half Caldwell equalised on his second appearance since his recent move from Celtic. However, Nikola Kalinic bagged the winner with 15 minutes to go.