Premiership update: Ljungberg fires Gunners ahead

Arsenal managed to find a breakthrough against a resilient Charlton as Arsene Wenger’s side aim to continue setting the pace in the Barclays Premiership.

A number of early chances came and went for the Gunners against a Charlton side with an excellent record at Highbury in recent seasons.

But the resistance was futile as Freddie Ljungberg found a way past Dean Kiely after 33 minutes to give Arsenal a half-time lead.

The situation looked grim for Norwich as Portsmouth went in 1-0 up at the break. Pompey’s record signing Diomansy Kamara missed three excellent chances to score before Aiyegbeni Yakubu broke the deadlock.

However, controversy reigned because Kamara had been standing offside in front of goal when Yakubu shot. But the protests were ignored and the luckless Canaries ended the half a goal behind.

Blackburn found themselves a goal down against visitors Aston Villa but a strike from captain Barry Ferguson drew them level on the half hour five minutes after Juan Pablo Angel’s opener.

Everton failed to break the deadlock in the first half after Tim Cahill had hit the post and missed an effort from close range in an entertaining first period against Spurs, with Jacques Santini’s tight defence standing up to the task.

The excitement did not end at the half-time whistle, though, as police were forced to intervene after a scuffle between opposing players as they headed for the tunnel.

In the day’s lunchtime match, Southampton and Manchester City cancelled each other out at St Mary’s.

City had the best of the chances and looked more comfortable than Steve Wigley’s men, but after Nicolas Anelka, Sun Jihai, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Peter Crouch and Kevin Phillips all wasted opportunities, the match ended goalless.