Manchester United Returned to The Top

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United won its match, thanks to Cristiano Ronaldo scoring a late winner in a 1-0 victory over last-place Derby. Arsenal needed an 86th-minute goal from Kolo Toure to salvage a draw in its game after former Gunner Jeremie Aliadiere scored for Middesbrough. It was the fourth consecutive league draw for Arsenal.

Both clubs now have 67 points but Manchester United is ahead because it has a better goal difference.Chelsea kept pace in the title race by beating Sunderland 1-0 and is third with 64 points.“I think the league now is bubbling up very nicely,” Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson said before Arsenal played. “It should be a fantastic finish to the season.”

United dominated the match at Pride Park. Ronaldo scored in the 76th minute, taking a crossing pass from Wayne Rooney and volleying the ball past Derby goalkeeper Roy Carroll for his 31st goal this season.

John Terry scored for Chelsea in the 10th minute.

Liverpool rallied for a 2-1 win over Reading after Fernando Torres scored the winner for his 20th goal of the season.

Reading took the lead at Anfield after five minutes when Marek Matejovsky scored from a volley. Javier Mascherano scored the tying goal in the 19th. Torres scored the winner in the 48th minute, heading in from a free kick from Gerrard.

In other matches Saturday, it was: Portsmouth 2, Aston Villa 0; Sunderland 0, Chelsea 1; and West Ham 2, Blackburn 1.

Jermain Defoe scored his sixth goal for Portsmouth since moving from Tottenham in January in the 11th minute, when he chipped the ball over advancing Villa goalkeeper Scott Carson. They went up 2-0 in the 38th on an own-goal by Nigel Reo-Coker.

Both sides ended with 10 men after picking up two yellow cards— Portsmouth’s Sulley Muntari was sent off in the 81st and Villa’s Olof Mellberg in the 89th.

Fred Sears marked his senior debut for West Ham by scoring the winner in the 81st minute. Roque Santa Cruz’s header gave Blackburn a lead in the 19th, and West Ham tied it in the 39th on a goal by Dean Ashton.(source:yahoo/ap)