LONDON, Oct 19: Hull City gatecrashed the Premier League’s top four again on Sunday with a 1-0 home defeat of West Ham United – their fifth win in eight league games in their debut season in the top flight.

Michael Turner headed the only goal of the game from an Andy Dawson corner after 51 minutes to make it three consecutive wins against London clubs after away victories at Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur before the international break.

Hull, favourites for relegation before the season, are now behind only Chelsea and Liverpool (20 points) in the league with 17 points, above both fourth-placed Arsenal and champions Manchester United in fifth.

West Ham should have gone home with at least a point, wasting several good chances including Wales striker Craig Bellamy firing over the crossbar from in front of goal just before the break.

Later on Sunday the bottom two meet with Tottenham Hotspur, still looking for a first victory of the season, at Stoke City.

Meanwhile on Saturday, Chelsea romped to a 5-0 win at Middlesbrough, Manchester United thumped West Bromwich Albion 4-0 and Liverpool and Arsenal produced stirring fightbacks to claim home wins over Wigan Athletic and Everton.

Chelsea’s lunchtime demolition job gave the leaders 20 points from eight games but Liverpool joined them on the same total after scoring twice in the last 10 minutes against 10-man Wigan to snatch a 3-2 victory.

Arsenal moved up to third on 16 points after netting three second-half goals to record a 3-1 victory against Everton.

United are up to fourth on 14, along with Aston Villa, held goalless at home by Portsmouth, and Hull City, who host West Ham United on Sunday.

Egyptian striker Amr Zaki scored twice, including a superb scissors kick, as Wigan outplayed Liverpool to lead 2-1 at halftime after Dirk Kuyt had replied for the hosts.

However, Antonio Valencia was sent off 15 minutes from time and Liverpool cashed in with Albert Riera’s equaliser and Kuyt’s miss-hit winner with five minutes left.

Arsenal, who lost to Hull and drew with Sunderland in their last two games, fell behind to an early Leon Osman goal.

But the second-half introduction of England winger Theo Walcott changed the game and goals for Samir Nasri, Robin van Persie and Walcott turned things round.

Manchester United also found it hard going in the first half but eventually overwhelmed Albion, who barely mustered a shot.

In-form England striker Wayne Rooney drove powerfully into the box to open the scoring in the 56th minute, then set up Cristiano Ronaldo for the second.

Dimitar Berbatov then scored his first league goal for the club before Nani finished things off.

“The players now have got the legs – they kept a fantastic tempo and rhythm.

It was probably the best 90 minutes of the season,” United manager Alex Ferguson told Setanta Sports.

Results:

Played on Sunday:

Hull City 1 West Ham United 0

Played on Saturday:

Arsenal 3 Everton 1

Aston Villa 0 Portsmouth 0

Bolton Wanderers 0 Blackburn Rovers 0

Fulham 0 Sunderland 0

Liverpool 3 Wigan Athletic 2

Manchester United 4 West Bromwich 0

Middlesbrough 0 Chelsea 5

—Reuters