Nasri double sends Arsenal top

Soccer - Premier League Round-up:A superb brace from Samir Nasri took Arsenal above Manchester United to the top of the Premier League as Chelsea continued to struggle for form.

A late Jermaine Beckford goal earned Everton a well-deserved point in a 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge to leave Carlo Ancelotti's men with just one win in their last six league matches.

Their London rivals Arsenal claimed top spot with a 2-1 win over Fulham at the Emirates Stadium after Manchester United's game at Blackpool was frozen off yesterday.

The Gunners took the lead inside 15 minutes as Nasri latched onto Andrey Arshavin's pass, stepped inside two challenges and rifled in a shot.

The west Londoners hit back when Clint Dempsey found Diomansy Kamara unmarked and onside and the Senegal international clipped a calm finish past Lukasz Fabianski on the half-hour.

However, Nasri struck again with 15 minutes left - his 11th goal of an excellent season - as he accepted Robin van Persie's pass, skipped past John Pantsil and goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer before keeping his composure to swivel and finish from an acute angle.

Chelsea slipped to third following their disappointing result against Everton.

They took the lead when Toffees goalkeeper Tim Howard was judged to have Nicolas Anelka in the box and Didier Drogba smashed the resulting penalty home with three minutes of the half remaining.

However, Everton dominated the second half and Jack Rodwell's header thumped against the post before they finally made the breakthrough with four minutes of normal time.

Leighton Baines charged forward and crossed from the left and Tim Cahill's angled header found Beckford in the six-yard box, and he headed the ball past Petr Cech.

Manchester City remain right in contention as they beat in-form Bolton 1-0 at Eastlands. Carlos Tevez grabbed his 10th goal of the season in the fourth minute, applying a calm finish after Yaya Toure put him clear with a defence-splitting pass.

City played out the final stages of the game with 10 men after Aleksandar Kolarov was sent off for a second yellow card.

Tottenham's run of four wins in all competitions ended with a 1-1 draw at Birmingham.

Sebastien Bassong capitalised when Ben Foster failed to punch clear a free-kick from the right in the 19th minute, but Birmingham struck back in the second half when Nikola Zigic headed a long ball across the box and Craig Gardner was rewarded for a well-timed run into the area.

The draw meant Alex McLeish's side are now unbeaten in eight league games, while Spurs stay fifth.

Wolves' miserable form away from Molineux continued as they lost 3-0 at Blackburn, a result which dropped them to the bottom of the table.

Mick McCarthy's men had taken just one point from seven previous away games and David Dunn put them on the back foot with a close-range header in the 29th minute. Brett Emerton added a second for Rovers just before half-time after Jason Roberts teed him up.

The game was sealed when Ryan Nelsen steered home Morten Gamst Pedersen's free-kick 10 minutes into the second half as Sam Allardyce's men moved up a congested table into eighth.

Stoke are above them on goal difference as they drew 2-2 at Wigan.

All the goals came in the first half as Robert Huth's deflected free-kick put the Potters in front in the 18th minute but the hosts hit back through a Danny Collins own goal.

Matthew Etherington restored Stoke's lead but Tom Cleverley brought Wigan level again five minutes before the break, though they remain in the bottom three.

Premier League Results

Arsenal 2 Fulham 1
Birmingham 1 Tottenham 1
Blackburn 3 Wolverhampton 0
Chelsea 1 Everton 1
Man City 1 Bolton 0
Wigan 2 Stoke 2