Unfancied Wigan Athletic continue to astound the sceptics during their first season in the top flight after a 2-0 win at Portsmouth kept them firmly in second place in the Premeir League on Saturday.
Goals by right back Pascal Chimbonda and striker Jason Roberts gave Wigan their eighth win in 11 league games and sixth in a row to put them six points behind Chelsea on 25 before the leaders meet Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday.
Arsenal climbed to third with 20 points after Thierry Henry scored near the end of each half to help them beat bottom team Sunderland 3-1 at Highbury.
Manchester City, also on 20 points, missed the chance to finish the day in third place as they lost 2-1 at lowly Fulham. French midfielder Steed Malbranque scored the goals for the west London club, both laid on by Luis Boa Morte.
Bolton Wanderers and Tottenham Hotspur, who meet at the Reebok Stadium on Monday, also have 20 points.
At Portsmouth, man-of-the-match Chimbonda headed the first goal three minutes into the second half and brilliantly laid on the second in the 79th with a run down the right wing and low square cross into Roberts' path.
"I think you saw today there is so much desire in the team, we're never happy with a draw," said Wigan's Dutch captain Arjan de Zeeuw, who joined them from Portsmouth in the close season.
"It's a big result for us," said manager Paul Jewell, also speaking to Sky Sports.
ACID TEST
Wigan now face an acid test of their Premier League credentials from Nov. 19 with successive matches against big guns Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester United.
"We're ready for that, but we've got it all to do," said Jewell.
At Highbury, Dutch striker Robin van Persie put Arsenal in front in the 12th minute when he volleyed home his fifth goal in four games after Sol Campbell's long ball out of defence.
"(Van Persie) is gaining in confidence, he does some things out of this world in practice, he just needed to bring that on to the pitch," Henry told Sky Sports.
The Frenchman added the second after 36 minutes before Alan Stubbs pulled one back and it was then left to Henry to put the result beyond doubt with the third eight minutes from time.
Sunderland manager Mick McCarthy said: "We were outplayed in all areas, outthought in the first half, in the second half we made a bit of fist of it."
Charlton Athletic remained in seventh place on 19 points after being crushed 4-1 at Blackburn Rovers. Australian Brett Emerton, striker Paul Dickov, Norwegian Morten Gamst Pedersen and Wales's Craig Bellamy scored for Blackburn, who are 11th.
Veteran striker Teddy Sheringham scored just before the hour mark to give West Ham United a 1-0 home win over West Bromwich Albion. They are eighth with 18 points with Manchester United.
Newcastle United, 10th but also on 18 points, grafted to a 1-0 home victory over Birmingham City, settling a tight match in the 78th minute with a 25-metre Emre piledriver.
European champions Liverpool, 12th with 16 points, notched their first away league win of the season, 2-0 at Aston Villa, after scoring twice in the last five minutes through a Steven Gerrard penalty and a powerful drive from Xabi Alonso.
