Drogba backheeled Ashley Cole's low cross into the net at the near post five minutes before the break for his 13th goal against Arsene Wenger's side in 11 starts.

Defender Alex then settled the contest with a powerful 30-yard free-kick in the 85th minute to hand the Gunners their second successive league defeat.

Liverpool's much-publicised issues off the pitch have been eclipsed by their problems on it as they slumped to an embarrassing 2-1 defeat at home to top flight newcomers Blackpool.

Thousands of fans staged a pre-match protest march against the continuing ownership of Tom Hicks and George Gillett but there was a real danger of revolt inside Anfield at the final whistle.

Charlie Adam's penalty and Luke Varney's perfectly-timed run and finish did the damage in the first half and although Sotirios Kyrgiakos' header pulled one back Liverpool will spend the next fortnight rooted in the bottom three because of the forthcoming international break.

Adam Johnson was Manchester City's instant hero at Eastlands as he scored the winner in a 2-1 defeat of Newcastle.

Johnson had only been on the field for three minutes when he nipped into the Magpies' box and belted a precise shot into the far corner.

It settled a thrilling encounter, which began with a suspected broken leg for Hatem Ben Arfa before the outstanding Jonas Gutierrez levelled Carlos Tevez's penalty.