Wayne Rooney ended his five-month wait for a goal as he set Manchester United on their way to a comfortable 3-0 Barclays Premier League win over West Ham.
Rooney's 33rd-minute penalty after Jonathan Spector had fouled Ryan Giggs will hardly enter his personal haul of fame. But it ends the talk of his scoring drought and should go some way to easing the 24-year-old back to top form after a slow start to the season.
Second-half efforts from Nani and Dimitar Berbatov, who took his tally to three in four games, sealed victory to keep United in touch with early pace-setters Chelsea.
The Blues extended their winning start to the season into a third game with a 2-0 success at home to Stoke.
Thomas Sorensen saved Frank Lampard's feeble penalty after Ryan Shawcross had crudely brought down Didier Drogba, but Florent Malouda raced onto John Terry's through-ball to sweep his side into the lead with a fine first-time finish (35), and Ashley Cole hit the crossbar shortly afterwards.
Stoke almost levelled when Glenn Whelan's long-range rocket rebounded off the bar but Drogba converted a second penalty (77) after being tripped.
Andrey Arshavin's 51st-minute strike ensured Arsenal emerged unscathed from another all-action battle with Blackburn at a rain-lashed Ewood Park in the day's early kick-off.
Arshavin stroked the ball home after a Cesc Fabregas effort was blocked in the box and the visitors went on to prove themselves full value for their 2-1 win.
Theo Walcott had rammed home the Gunners' opener after cutting in from the right flank in the 19th minute before Mame Diouf equalised seven minutes later.
Walcott had another strike disallowed for offside and substitute Jack Wilshere missed an injury-time sitter as the Gunners sought to extend their lead.
Tottenham suffered from a Champions League hangover as they went down to a shock 1-0 defeat at home to Wigan.
Latics centre-half Steve Gohouri smashed the ball against the crossbar early on from Mauro Boselli's knockdown but Jermain Defoe forced a wonderful save from Ali Al Habsi in a rare attack from lacklustre Spurs.
Wigan squandered two clear chances, Antolin Alcaraz somehow firing over from two yards and Jordi Gomez also too high with an effort while stretching.
But Hugo Rodallega (80) finally found the net, controlling Mohamed Diame's raking long ball before his cross-shot bobbled beneath Carlo Cudicini's dive. Tom Huddlestone was then narrowly off target before Younes Kaboul missed a glorious late chance for Spurs, heading wide of an open goal.
Blackpool and Fulham shared the spoils in a 2-2 draw as top-flight football made a thrilling return to Bloomfield Road.
Bobby Zamora took his chance to impress watching England manager Fabio Capello when he benefited from a marginal onside call to head in Moussa Dembele's cross (35).
Blackpool, though, were gifted a leveller when Stockdale could only parry Luke Varney's cross-shot and John Pantsil swiped the loose ball wildly into his own goal (71) and Varney put the Tangerines ahead five minutes later with a well-taken goal, racing onto Charlie Adam's defence-splitting through-ball.
But Dembele was again the provider as the visitors levelled three minutes from time, Dickson Etuhu galloping onto his pass to clip a superb finish over the head of Matt Gilks.
Blackpool's fellow Premier League newcomers Newcastle also earned a draw after coming from a goal down at Wolves.
Sylvan Ebanks-Blake earned Wolves the lead two minutes before the interval when he brought down Jelle van Damme's cross and lashed a low finish inside Steve Harper's near post.
But in-form Andy Carroll levelled when he rose above team-mate Kevin Nolan to head Barton's free-kick against the inside of the post and into the net (62).
