Henry claimed Arsenal's second and third goals in a 3-1 win at Highbury to make it five goals from four starts for the club captain since his return from a six-week lay-off.

The Frenchman's recent goalscoring exploits have been matched by Dutch winger Robin van Persie, who also made it five from four starts after running on to a Sol Campbell through ball to put his side ahead in the 12th-minute.

Centre-back Alan Stubbs gave Sunderland some hope 15 minutes from time but Henry stifled any fightback with his second goal of the afternoon with eight minutes left.

Defeats for Manchester City and Charlton helped Arsenal climb into the top three, though unfancied Wigan's 2-0 win at Portsmouth kept them in second place, five points clear of the Gunners.

Arsenal are 11 points adrift of leaders Chelsea and manager Arsene Wenger will be hoping Manchester United can halt the champions' juggernaut at Old Trafford on Sunday.

Liverpool claimed their first away win of the season by overcoming Aston Villa 2-0 in Birmingham.

Steven Gerrard's penalty and Xabi Alonso's drive both came in the last five minutes and Villa boss David O'Leary was left fuming over the spot-kick that turned a match that had appeared destined to end goalless.

Defender Liam Ridgewell was judged to have wrestled Peter Crouch to the ground but O'Leary insisted the Liverpool striker was doing just as much grappling.

Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez rejected O'Leary's view of the spot-kick. "For me it is a clear penalty," he said.

Top-flight debutants Wigan continued to confound the pre-season odds by claiming their sixth straight league victory at Fratton Park.

Man-of-the-match Pascal Chimbonda headed in a 48th-minute corner and then set up Jason Roberts to tap in the second 11 minutes from time.

Blackburn ended Charlton's 100 percent away record with an impressive 4-1 win at Ewood Park.

The home side were quickly out of the traps, Australia midfielder Brett Emerton unleashing a swerving drive from 20-yards to give them a second-minute lead that was shortly doubled by Paul Dickov's header.

Brian Hughes gave the visitors hope with a close-range effort but Rovers secured matters when Morten Gamst Pedersen struck just before the hour mark and Craig Bellamy rounded off the rout.

Fulham pulled further away from the drop zone courtesy of a 2-1 home win over high-flying Manchester City.

French midfielder Steed Malbranque, identified earlier in the day as one of the Premiership's unsung heroes by British Prime Minister Tony Blair, responded to the unexpected accolade with a first-half double.

Malbranque's sixth and 45th-minute strikes came either side of a Lee Croft goal for City.

Teddy Sheringham's fourth Premiership strike of the season was enough to give West Ham victory over visitors West Bromwich at Upton Park.

The 39-year-old former England striker pounced in the 57th minute to keep Alan Pardew's side firmly ensconced in the top half of the table.

Newcastle made it four wins on the trot with a 1-0 win over Birmingham at St James' Park.

The visitors resisted the combined firepower of Michael Owen and Alan Shearer for over an hour.

But Steve Bruce's relegation-threatened side finally succumbed to their eighth defeat of the season when Turkey midfielder Emre Belozoglu fired in a 78th-minute shot that found the net with the help of a deflection off Owen.