LONDON, Nov 30: Wayne Rooney’s first-half goal earned Manchester United a deserved 1-0 victory at Manchester City in the English Premier League derby on Sunday despite Cristiano Ronaldo getting sent off.

Rooney scored three minutes before halftime after City goalkeeper Joe Hart had blocked a shot from Michael Carrick.

Ronaldo was shown a second yellow card with a little more than 20 minutes remaining when he inexplicably met a corner using his hands rather than his head.

However, City could not make their extra man count and the closest they came to an equaliser was a Richard Dunne shot that was cleared off the line by Patrice Evra in stoppage time.

Victory takes United to 28 points from 14 matches, five behind leaders Chelsea who were at home to Arsenal later on Sunday.

Bolton Wanderers illuminated a dull day in the Premier League on Saturday with a 4-1 victory at Sunderland that lifted them to seventh in the standings.

Djibril Cisse gave Sunderland an early lead but Bolton, hot tips for relegation a few games ago, hit back in style with Sweden striker Johan Elmander scoring twice to leave Sunderland in the bottom three.

Fourth-placed Aston Villa failed to take advantage of the three sides above them not being in action, drawing 0-0 at home to Fulham when victory would have taken them above champions Manchester United.

Hull City remained sixth after drawing 1-1 at Stoke City, Ricardo Fuller’s penalty earning Stoke a point after Marlon King had given the visitors a glimpse of a fifth away league victory.

Newcastle United edged out of the relegation zone thanks to a 0-0 draw at north east rivals Middlesbrough while bottom club West Bromwich Albion lost 2-1 at Wigan Athletic and remain four points adrift of fourth-bottom Newcastle.

Sunderland’s Stadium of Light was largely empty long before the end as Roy Keane’s side slumped to a third consecutive home league defeat to leave them mired in relegation

trouble.

“The last three or four weeks, particularly at home, we are conceding the kind of goals that make it impossible to win football matches,” Keane, whose side face his old club Manchester United next week, told Sky Sports.

Cisse’s 11th-minute opener was the perfect start for Sunderland but the jitters returned seven minutes later when Matthew Taylor equalised with a header that went in off the bar.

Gary Cahill quickly put Bolton in front and Sunderland’s defence then fell apart either side of halftime as Elmander, the visitors’ record signing from Toulouse, grabbed a brace.

Bolton’s victory leaves them just five points off the Champions League places and five points from the relegation zone as the Premier League’s middle ground remains tightly packed.

Results:

Played on Sunday:

Manchester City 0 Manchester United 1

Played on Saturday:

Aston Villa 0 Fulham 0

Middlesbrough 0 Newcastle United 0

Stoke City 1 Hull City 1

Sunderland 1 Bolton Wanderers 4

Wigan Athletic 2 West Bromwich Albion 1

—Reuters