Man Utd keep up pressure as Gunners struggle

8220;We had a difficult start to the season, four hard away games out of the way, and we8217;re still in a decent position, so we8217;ve got to take confidence from those games,8221; said Rooney.

Spain midfielder Cesc Fabregas rescued Arsenal from the spectre of a second straight league defeat with an injury-time header in a 1-1 draw at Sunderland just minutes after the hosts took the lead and seemed set for a shock victory.

Meanwhile Middlesbrough won 1-0 at Wigan and West Bromwich beat visitors Fulham by the same scoreline.

Brown8217;s 31st-minute goal at Ewood Park came from a Rooney cross from the left, though Nemanja Vidic may have fouled Rovers goalkeeper Jason Brown.

Cristiano Ronaldo set up Rooney8217;s goal in the 64th minute, the England striker finishing with a first time shot.

The result leaves United three points behind the leaders and Alex Ferguson8217;s Champions League winners will have a game in hand following this weekend8217;s round of matches.

Chelsea host Aston Villa on Sunday, while Liverpool travel to Manchester City.

At the Stadium of Light, Grant Leadbitter scored an 86th-minute goal for Sunderland, two minutes after replacing veteran Dwight Yorke. The 22-year-old midfielder crashed a shot which hit the Gunners8217; crossbar before bouncing down over the line.

Arsenal lost 2-1 at home to Hull last weekend and seemed set for a second defeat to lesser opposition.

But Fabregas salvaged a draw with an impressive header that left the Gunners on 13 points, one behind the leaders ahead of Sunday8217;s matches.

Arsenal thought they should have taken the lead earlier when Theo Walcott cut the ball back for Robin van Persie to score, but the match officials ruled the ball had gone out of play.

8220;It is frustrating because Sunderland never came out, they were happy with a 0-0 from the first moment,8221; Gunners boss Arsene Wenger told Sky Sports television.

8220;We had a good attitude a good response but we are frustrated. In the last two championship games, everything went against us. We tried, we lacked a little bit of sharpness, maybe, but overall the attitude was very good.8221;

Of Fabregas8217;s late equaliser, the Frenchman said: 8220;That tells you a lot about the team and about Cesc as a man as well.8221;

Sunderland boss Roy Keane said he was pleased with the Black Cats8217; performance.

8220;I thought we were outstanding, the discipline of the team, the way we played,8221; the Irishman said.

8220;Overall I think a draw was possibly a fair result. They were dangerous today, Arsenal always are, but I think we handled that well.8221;

He said of Leadbitter8217;s goal: 8220;It8217;s always nice for every club to see a local lad coming through and having an influence on the game. He showed what he8217;s capable of doing.8221;

At the JJB Stadium, former Gunners striker Jeremie Aliadiere scored a last-ditch goal of his own, his 89th-minute effort the only goal of the game as visitors Middlesbrough beat Wigan.

The goal ended Middlesbrough8217;s run of four straight defeats and was their first non-defeat on the road this season.

Aliadiere got on the end of a Stuart Downing header and beat goalkeeper Ross Turnbull with a left-footed finish from the centre of the penalty area.

8220;Our mentality going into the game was different and you could sense a determination about them,8221; Boro boss Gareth Southgate told reporters.

8220;The irony is we8217;ve played much better football in our last two games and taken nothing.8221;

Latics manager Steve Bruce moaned that side had been 8220;well and truly mugged.8221;

8220;We needed to score and unfortunately we didn8217;t manage to do that, and we8217;ve been caught with a horrible sucker punch at the end,8221; he said.

Meanwhile Roman Bednar8217;s 61st-minute goal at the Hawthorns was enough for West Brom to see off visitors Fulham.

It was the Czech international striker8217;s third goal of the season, but the first from open play 8212; the other two having come from the penalty spot.

On Sunday, Newcastle play at Everton in their first match under the caretaker leadership of Joe Kinnear.

Fellow strugglers Tottenham will be hoping to avoid Arsenal8217;s fate when top-flight first-timers Hull visit White Hart Lane. Portsmouth host Stoke and Bolton travel to West Ham.

Arsenal lost 2-1 at home to Hull last weekend and seemed set for a second defeat to lesser opposition.

But Fabregas salvaged a draw with an impressive header that left the Gunners on 13 points, one behind the leaders ahead of Sunday8217;s matches.

Arsenal thought they should have taken the lead earlier when Theo Walcott cut the ball back for Robin van Persie to score, but the match officials ruled the ball had gone out of play.

8220;It is frustrating because Sunderland never came out, they were happy with a 0-0 from the first moment,8221; Gunners boss Arsene Wenger told Sky Sports television.

8220;We had a good attitude a good response but we are frustrated. In the last two championship games, everything went against us. We tried, we lacked a little bit of sharpness, maybe, but overall the attitude was very good.8221;

Of Fabregas8217;s late equaliser, the Frenchman said: 8220;That tells you a lot about the team and about Cesc as a man as well.8221;

Sunderland boss Roy Keane said he was pleased with the Black Cats8217; performance.

8220;I thought we were outstanding, the discipline of the team, the way we played,8221; the Irishman said.

8220;Overall I think a draw was possibly a fair result. They were dangerous today, Arsenal always are, but I think we handled that well.8221;

He said of Leadbitter8217;s goal: 8220;It8217;s always nice for every club to see a local lad coming through and having an influence on the game. He showed what he8217;s capable of doing.8221;

At the JJB Stadium, former Gunners striker Jeremie Aliadiere scored a last-ditch goal of his own, his 89th-minute effort the only goal of the game as visitors Middlesbrough beat Wigan.

The goal ended Middlesbrough8217;s run of four straight defeats and was their first non-defeat on the road this season.

Aliadiere got on the end of a Stuart Downing header and beat goalkeeper Ross Turnbull with a left-footed finish from the centre of the penalty area.

8220;Our mentality going into the game was different and you could sense a determination about them,8221; Boro boss Gareth Southgate told reporters.

8220;The irony is we8217;ve played much better football in our last two games and taken nothing.8221;

Latics manager Steve Bruce moaned that side had been 8220;well and truly mugged.8221;

8220;We needed to score and unfortunately we didn8217;t manage to do that, and we8217;ve been caught with a horrible sucker punch at the end,8221; he said.

Meanwhile Roman Bednar8217;s 61st-minute goal at the Hawthorns was enough for West Brom to see off visitors Fulham.

It was the Czech international striker8217;s third goal of the season, but the first from open play 8212; the other two having come from the penalty spot.

today, Newcastle play at Everton in their first match under the caretaker leadership of Joe Kinnear.

Fellow strugglers Tottenham will be hoping to avoid Arsenal8217;s fate when top-flight first-timers Hull visit White Hart Lane. Portsmouth host Stoke and Bolton travel to West Ham.