It took a slice of good fortune for James Milner to earned Villa the victory. The winner at Upton Park came in the 78th minute when Milner's cross deflected in off Lucas Neill for an own goal, allowing Martin O'Neill's men to overtake Manchester United in the table.

Sam Allardyce made a dream start to his career as Blackburn manager with a 3-0 win over Stoke at Ewood Park.

Blackburn had not won a league game since the end of September - a run of 12 games which garnered just three points - but Benni McCarthy's double and a strike by Jason Roberts put the match out of Stoke's reach by half-time.

Rovers took a ninth-minute lead as Morten Gamst Pedersen drew Ibrahima Sonko into a rash lunge in the area and McCarthy coolly slotted in the spot-kick.

The lead was doubled in the 18th minute when the ball came in from the right and rather than just clearing it, Ryan Shawcross inexplicably played it across the six-yard box to Jason Roberts who slotted the ball into the net.

The game was over after just 26 minutes when McCarthy pounced on the ball which had rebounded off Steve Simonsen following the Stoke keeper's save from an advancing Roberts.

Despite the victory Rovers are still in the relegation zone, two points behind Manchester City after Sunderland claimed a 4-1 victory at Hull.

The visitors took the lead after 10 minutes through Steed Malbranque who hit a long-range shot that left keeper Boaz Myhill with no chance.

The Tigers, though, levelled when Nicky Barmby scored from close range after a scramble.

Daniel Cousin had the ball in the net for Hull but he was narrowly offside.

The Black Cats retook the lead when Richardson's shot from outside the area was deflected into the net by Kamil Zayatte.

Fortune swung further the visitors' way when Samuel Ricketts' rash challenge on Phil Bardsley earned him a second yellow card.

Kenwyne Jones then sealed victory when he got ahead of his marker and glanced Malbranque's cross from the right into the net.

Cisse got a fourth when he fired the ball across the goalkeeper and into the bottom corner after collecting a ball over the top.

The win propels the Black Cats, who have scored four goals on successive Saturdays, out of the relegation zone and up into mid-table.

Bolton made a stunning start to their game with Portsmouth, scoring two goals in the first three minutes but they could not add to their tally and had to settle for a 2-1 victory at the Reebok Stadium.

Matt Taylor flicked the ball over Hermann Hreidarsson at the edge of the area and caught the ball on the half volley to put the hosts ahead after just 49 seconds.

Wanderers then doubled their lead in the third minute when Johan Elmander and Taylor teamed up for Ricardo Gardner to beat England goalkeeper David James with a left-footed snapshot.

However, Pompey pulled a goal back when Peter Crouch nodded past the keeper at the post following Niko Kranjcar's cross in the 20th minute.

A miskick by James almost gifted the hosts another easy chance but he redeemed himself with a last-ditch tackle before Kevin Nolan nicked the ball narrowly wide.

Strikes by Jimmy Bullard and Clint Dempsey as well as a contentiously awarded penalty saw Fulham move into eighth with a 3-0 win over Middlesbrough at Craven Cottage.

England midfielder Bullard converted Bobby Zamora's pass from the left five minutes before the break to put the Cottagers into the lead.

The hosts then went 2-0 up after referee Keith Stroud judged Tony McMahon had deliberately handled the ball.

Danny Murphy coolly slotted a perfectly-placed penalty into the left-hand corner of the net to give the Cottagers breathing space.

Murphy then turned provider when he played in Dempsey with a ball along the area - and the American wrapped up the points.