Liverpool briefly overhauled United at the summit after a Fernando Torres brace helped them to a 4-0 victory over Blackburn in the early kick-off.

But the Red Devils made up the deficit only a few hours later, Italian teenager Federico Macheda scoring his second consecutive winner in the league as Sir Alex Ferguson's side defeated Sunderland 2-1 at the Stadium of Light.

It means that United remain a point clear of Liverpool with a game in hand.

After a minute's silence in memory of the victims of the Hillsborough disaster Torres lifted the mood within five minutes with a sublime opener, the Spaniard taking Jamie Carragher's lofted ball down on his chest with his back to goal, turning as it bounced and looping it over Paul Robinson from the corner of the box.

Torres headed a second after 33 minutes from Xabi Alonso's free-kick and Daniel Agger made it three with a swerving long-range effort in the 83rd minute before substitute David Ngog's header put the gloss on the win in injury time.

United looked comfortable when Paul Scholes' 18th-minute header gave them the lead against Sunderland, but Kenwyne Jones equalised 10 minutes into the second half, heading the ball down and prodding it over the line from three yards.

However, Macheda came off the bench to divert Michael Carrick's shot past Craig Gordon in the 75th minute with his first touch to keep United top of the pile.

Third-placed Chelsea kept in touch with a 4-3 win against Bolton, who staged a remarkable comeback at Stamford Bridge having been 4-0 down with 20 minutes to go.

Michael Ballack put the Blues ahead in the first half and Didier Drogba doubled the lead three minutes after the break, poking the ball home after Frank Lampard had surprised the Bolton defence with a low delivery from a free-kick.

A Lampard penalty and Drogba's second made victory look like a formality for Guus Hiddink's side, but the visitors conjured three goals in eight minutes, strikes from Andy O'Brien, Chris Basham and Matthew Taylor setting up a nervy finale.

Arsenal went nine points clear of Aston Villa in the final Champions League spot after coming from behind to win 4-1 win at Wigan.

Mido's snapshot crept under Lukasz Fabianski in the 18th minute but But Arsene Wenger's side stormed back after the break, Theo Walcott, Mikael Silvestre, Andrey Arshavin and Alex Song all scoring to secure a comfortable victory.

At the other end of the table, Middlesbrough moved above North East rivals Newcastle into 18th place with a vital 3-1 win against Hull at the Riverside.

Tuncay put Boro in front after three minutes but Manucho rose to head home Nicky Barmby's cross only six minutes later.

Matthew Bates (29) restored the home side's lead and Former Hull striker Marlon King made the points safe in injury time.

Portsmouth moved further clear of the drop zone but will wonder what might have been after a 2-2 draw at home against rock-bottom West Brom.

Younes Kaboul gave the hosts the lead but Jonathan Greening equalised minutes into the second half after David James had blocked James Morrison's shot.

Chris Brunt then put the visitors ahead but Niko Kranjcar restored parity direct from a free-kick.

In the afternoon's other game, Tottenham boosted their bid for a place in Europe with a 1-0 win over West Ham, Roman Pavlyuchenko scoring the winner midway through the second half.

In the late kick-off Alan Shearer's Newcastle scored a late equaliser at Stoke to move back above Middlesbrough on goal difference.Local lad Andy Carroll headed past Thomas Sorensen nine minutes from time after former Magpie Abdoulaye Faye had given Stoke the lead in the first half.

Chelsea 4 (Ballack 40, Drogba 48, 63, Lampard 60p)
Bolton Wanderers 3 (O'Brien 70, Basham 74, Taylor 78)

Liverpool 4 (Torres 5, 33, Agger 83, Ngog 90)
Blackburn Rovers 0

Middlesbrough 3 (Sanli 3, Bates 29, King 90)
Hull City 1 (Manucho 9 )

Portsmouth 2 (Kaboul 33, Kranjcar 65)
West Bromwich Albion 2 (Greening 48, Brunt 62)

Stoke City 1 (Faye 33)
Newcastle United 1 (Carroll 81)

Sunderland 1 (Jones 55)
Manchester United 2 (Scholes 19, Macheda 76)

Tottenham Hotspur 1 (Pavlyuchenko 65)
West Ham United 0

Wigan Athletic 1 (Mido 18)
Arsenal 4 (Walcott 61, Silvestre 71, Arshavin 90, Song Billong 90)