Manchester United strengthened its hold on first place in the Premier League with a 10th straight victory, beating visiting Blackburn 2-1 Saturday. Although Roque Santa Cruz ended United's record run of 14 league games without conceding a goal, Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo scored to take the defending champion to 62 points - eight more than Liverpool, which hosts Manchester City on Sunday. Chelsea moved above Aston Villa and into third place after Nicolas Anelka scored in the 19th minute at Villa Park to give Guus Hiddink a victory in his first match as manager. Fifth-place Arsenal failed to take full advantage of Villa's slip up when it drew 0-0 with visiting Sunderland for a third straight scoreless draw in the Premier League. Blackburn had just come close to a 2-1 lead at Old Trafford when Ronaldo, who had moments earlier received a yellow card for diving, struck a curling free kick into the far corner. That 60th-minute goal took his season tally to 12 in the Premier League. Rooney had put United ahead in the 23rd minute, scoring in his fourth straight Premier League game for the first time, but Santa Cruz made it 1-1 nine minutes later when he took the ball past the goalkeeper and slipped it into the net from an acute angle. United, though, started with reserve keeper Tomasz Kuszczak, so first-choice Edwin van der Sar can still stretch his British record of 1,302 minutes without conceding. United defender Jonny Evans appeared unlucky to have a first-half header ruled out because of a push in the area and Blackburn almost took the lead in the 59th when Keith Andrews hit the post and Kuszczak smothered a follow-up shot by Ryan Nelson to ensure United stays undefeated in the league since Nov. 8. Liverpool can trim the gap back to five points with victory on Sunday, although captain Steven Gerrard will miss the match injured. Everton is at Newcastle and last-place West Bromwich Albion is at Fulham in Sunday's other matches. Anelka scored his 15th league goal of the season to end Villa's 13-match unbeaten run and possibly push Chelsea back into contention for the title it last won in 2006. England midfielder Frank Lampard slipped between two opponents to release a perfectly weighted pass that the France striker chipped over goalkeeper Brad Friedel. Arsenal appears only to be concerned with making it back into the top four and retaining its place in next season's Champions League after its result left it on 45 points, six fewer than Villa and seven fewer than Chelsea. The Gunners started with record signing Andrei Arshavin in the team for the first time but the Russia playmaker was substituted with 27 minutes left. His replacement, Carlos Vela, almost had an impact when he sent a cross into the area but no teammate could get the touch that would almost certainly have led to a goal. Goalkeeper Marton Fulop saved a free kick by Robin van Persie before Arsenal was jeered from the field by its fans. Sunderland has now stopped the opposition from scoring in two straight games for the first time in six years to earn another point in its efforts to edge away from the relegation zone. Sunderland has 31 points, just putting it in the top half of the standings, eight points above the relegation zone. Middlesbrough stayed 19th and deep in trouble after a 0-0 draw with visiting Wigan that left it with just one goal in nine league matches, while Stoke was one place above the relegation zone with 25 points after a 2-2 draw with visiting Portsmouth. Tottenham also has 25 points and is at Hull in Monday's match. Bolton scored twice in two first-half minutes to secure a 2-1 win over West Ham. Matthew Taylor and Kevin Davies scored for the home side, while Scott Parker replied for the Hammers in the 66th. Birmingham missed the chance to draw level on points with leader Wolverhampton Wanderers in the second-tier League Championship when it lost at Coventry 1-0. Bristol City vaulted up three places to fourth after a 2-0 win at third
