Gunners hit by Aliadiere injury

Arsenal moved to within a point of Manchester United at the top of the Barclaycard Premiership with an emphatic 4-1 victory over Middlesbrough but it was not all good news for manager Arsene Wenger after Jeremie Aliadiere limped off with a knee injury.

The Gunners are already without Sylvain Wiltord and Dennis Bergkamp for the next 10 days due to injury, while Kanu could be forced to leave for the African Nations Cup next week.

Now Aliadiere has been ruled out for up to a month with his knee problem, potentially leaving Thierry Henry to shoulder Arsenal’s attacking burden alone for next Sunday’s trip to Aston Villa.

But Wenger, who saw Henry, Robert Pires, Freddie Ljungberg score for Arsenal while Franck Queudrue weighed in with an own goal, is still determined not to dip into the transfer market.

“There is money there but I hope not (to have to buy this month) as I have good young players and at some stage you have to give them a chance,” he said.

Manchester United still head the Premiership following their goalless draw with Newcastle, but the Magpies left Old Trafford seething about the penalty that never was.

TV replays showed that Alan Shearer was clearly taken down by Tim Howard after winning the race to reach Gary Neville’s underhit back-pass midway through the first half, but referee Paul Durkin decided otherwise at the time, though admitted later there had been contact.

Claudio Ranieri put a protective arm around his Chelsea squad as he praised the way they emerged from their recent mini-crisis with a 4-0 demolition of Leicester at the Walkers Stadium.

Ranieri was looking to see how his players would respond to a run of just seven points from six games – and was pleased with the outcome as goals from Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink (two), Adrian Mutu and Celestine Babayaro proved decisive.

“I prefer when everything is wrong to take the responsibility. I don’t want to put pressure on the new squad. The new squad is like a child. If a child makes a mistake and you put them under pressure, a child cannot grow up with confidence,” said the Italian.

Michael Owen has promised Liverpool fans that “something will be sorted out” over his long-running contract saga after his return to action helped the Reds beat Aston Villa 1-0.

“I have seen a lot written and said about the contract recently. I have come out a couple of times to clear the air, and when you do not say anything it seems to get murky,” he said.

“But it is very simple. We will not be sitting down until maybe February or March, because that is when my advisor is back in the country. As soon as he is back we are going to sit down and hopefully sort something out.”

Robbie Keane pounced in the second half as Leeds’ relegation problems deepened following their 1-0 defeat by Tottenham – and then backed his former club to beat the drop.

“I am very surprised at where Leeds are in the table. It is going to be tough for them but they still have quality players and with the table so close, I don’t see any reason they cannot be right up there if they get a few results,” he said.

Everton boss David Moyes was amazed that his side left Loftus Road empty-handed after creating a glut of chances against Fulham, who bagged a 2-1 win through Louis Saha’s penalty and a Steed Malbranque screamer.

“I said to the players after the match that they had played well. If we make as many chances as we did in any other Premier League match then I am sure we will win,” he said.

Aiyegbeni Yakubu has vowed to return from the African Nations Cup and deliver the goals to fire Portsmouth to Premiership safety.

The Nigerian, who fired two goals in Pompey’s 4-2 victory over Manchester City, is expected to feature at Bolton on Saturday before jetting to Tunisia.

He said: “As a striker, my job is to score and I want to do that more when I come back to Portsmouth. I am waiting for the final decision about when I join up with Nigeria. I want to stay for the Bolton game and it is better for me and the club if I do.”

Alan Curbishley knows that Charlton are unlikely to hold onto fourth place in the Premiership but the Addicks boss, who saw Jason Euell claim a brace in the 2-0 triumph over Wolves, is determined to give the big boys a run for their money.

“We are still ‘little old Charlton’ and we are not going to get away from that unless perhaps we finish in the top five or six,” he said.

Southampton went down 2-1 at Birmingham but much of the focus was on Saints boss Gordon Strachan, who insisted his decision to retire at the end of the season was not down to health reasons.

“I am stress-free, my heart is going all right. I have got a small problem with my hip but the decision was made two-and-a-half years ago when I had two great hips,” he said.

Blackburn manager Graeme Souness claims he would not mind his side slipping into the Premiership’s bottom three – if it gives them the wake-up call they need.

Rovers threw away a 3-1 lead to lose 4-3 to Bolton in a pulsating derby at Ewood Park, and Souness said: “It might be good to be in the bottom three because it might make people realise we are in a desperate situation.”