Daniel Agger's (pictured right) 43rd minute header proved enough as Liverpool chiselled out a 1-0 win over struggling Southampton at Anfield.
The home side largely dominated with Jonjo Shelvey hitting the post in the 36th minute, then a Luis Suarez free-kick rebounded off the bar and fell to Glen Johnson, whose cross back into the box set up the winner for Agger.
Wayne Rooney found his goalscoring touch as Manchester United twice came from behind to win 4-3 at Reading and move three points clear at the top of the Premier League.
Reading 3 - 4 Man Utd
Liverpool 1 - 0 Southampton
Man City 1 - 1 Everton
West Brom 0 - 1 Stoke City
Arsenal 0 - 2 Swansea
QPR 1 - 1 A Villa
Fulham 0 - 3 Tottenham
West Ham 3 - 1 Chelsea
Sir Alex Ferguson said he wanted to see his striker find the back of the net more often and Rooney responded with two strikes in a thrilling match at the Madejski Stadium, where all seven goals came in a 34-minute spell in the first half.
Hal Robson-Kanu gave Reading an early lead before United hit back with Anderson levelling and Rooney putting them ahead from the spot.
Reading stunned the visitors with two quick-fire goals to regain the lead as Adam Le Fondre and Sean Morrison capitalised on lapses in United's defence to both score with close-range headers.
But another effort from Rooney and a neat finish from Robin van Persie saw United take the spoils.
The second half was less entertaining but both sides still created decent chances on a day where neither team's defending was deserving of praise.
1 Man Utd 36
2 Man City 33
3 Chelsea 26
4 Tottenham 26
5 West Brom 26
6 Everton 23
7 Swansea 23
8 West Ham 22
9 Stoke City 22
10 Arsenal 21
11 Liverpool 19
Earlier Manchester City had leapfrogged United on goal difference after they were forced to settle for a 1-1 draw against impressive Everton at the Etihad Stadium.
Marouane Fellaini's eighth goal of the season had put David Moyes' men in front in the first half before Carlos Tevez equalised from the penalty spot two minutes before the break after Fellaini was adjudged to have felled Edin Dzeko in the box.
In the lunchtime kick-off, Rafael Benitez's Chelsea nightmare continued as West Ham hit back to win 3-1 and inflict his first defeat in charge and extend his winless start as interim manager.
Already the first boss of the Roman Abramovich era not to oversee a victory in his opening two games under the Russian, it got worse for Benitez at Upton Park on Saturday afternoon as the Blues made it seven Premier League games without maximum points.
Juan Mata appeared to ease the pressure on the former Liverpool boss by ending the European champions' five-hour, 34-minute goal drought after 13 minutes.
But the visitors squandered several chances to score again and were deservedly made to pay through a controversial Carlton Cole equaliser and goals from substitutes Mohamed Diame and Modibo Maiga.
And the worries also mounted for Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger who saw his side outplayed by Swansea at the Emirates with two late goals from Michu giving Michael Laudrup's men a shock 2-0 win.
The Gunners had been lucky to hold on with Wojciech Szczesny pulling off a superb double save to deny Angel Rangel, then a crucial interception from Thomas Vermaelen denying a certain goal for Nathan Dyer.
Szczesny also saved well to deny Swansea debutant Dwight Tiendalli late on before Michu slid home the opener two minutes from time, and struck again in injury time as the Gunners left the field to a chorus of boos.
Harry Redknapp's home debut in charge of Queens Park Rangers ended in a 1-1 draw against Aston Villa at Loftus Road, in a game from which both sides will be frustrated not to have claimed all three points.
Brett Holman rammed the visitors in front with just eight minutes on the clock before Jamie Mackie equalised with an 18th minute header.
Shaun Wright-Phillips hit the post for Rangers before Stephane Mbia was stretchered off in first-half injury time after an off-the-ball collision with Gabriel Agbonlahor.
The home side largely controlled the second period but were almost made to pay for their missed chances when Villa substitute Karim El Ahmadi fired just wide with two minutes to go.
Jermain Defoe scored twice as a superb second half show from Tottenham saw the visitors canter to a 3-0 win over Fulham at Craven Cottage.
Sandro put Spurs ahead when he caught out Fulham keeper Mark Schwarzer from long range in the 55th minute, before Defoe took over, sliding home from a set-up by Gylfi Sigurdsson on 72, and completing his side's win five minutes later.
Juan Mata scored the first goal of the Rafael Benitez era at Chelsea as he fired the Blues into a 1-0 lead at West Ham in the early game
All the best pictures from Saturday's action in the Premier League, starting with West Ham against Chelsea.
Substitute Dean Whitehead snatched a 75th minute winner for Stoke at The Hawthorns as they beat West Brom 1-0.
A dismal game sprang to life in the final quarter hour after Whitehead - a 54th minute replacement for Charlie Adam, poked home from a ball into the box by Michael Kightly to give the Potters victory and inflict a second straight defeat on the Baggies.