Arsenal extends unbeaten English league run
Agencies, London
English Premiership champion Arsenal extended its unbeaten league run to 26 games with a 2-1 victory over Manchester City here at Highbury on Tuesday.
The result saw Arsenal go top of the table by a point from Tottenham Hotspur although their arch north-London rivals do have a game in hand which they will use up Wednesday against Fulham.
The scoreline also saw Arsenal equal City's record English mark of scoring in 44 consecutive top flight matches set way back in 1937.
Emphasizing the change in over 60 years of English football was the fact that all three goalscorers on Tuesday were French.
Sylvain Wiltord gave Arsenal the lead in the 26th minute before former Highbury hero Nicolas Anelka equalized for City minutes later.
But another French forward, Arsenal's Thierry Henry completed the scoring shortly before half-time.
In Germany, unfancied Bochum, for years a yo-yo side unable to settle in either the top flight or the second division in Germany, showed their mettle again Tuesday, holding on to top spot with a 0-0 home draw with reigning champion Borussia Dortmund.
Bayern Munich drew level at the top of the Bundesliga, however, as they sent city rivals 1860 Munich packing 3-1 at the Olympic Stadium with Hasan Salihamidzic leveling after Martin Max had given 1860 a shock lead on 14 minutes.
After the break Bayern moved through the gears and Peruvian star Claudio Pizarro put them in front seven minutes into the second period before Brazilian Giovane Elber made the result safe on 76 minutes.
Bayern, bidding for an 18th Bundesliga title, have lost only twice to its neighbor in 14 years.
Both Bochum and Bayern now have 10 points from four games, as well as an identical goal difference and goal average.
That leaves the way for easterners Hansa Rostock to move two points clear if they can make it four wins in four on Wednesday when they host Bayer Leverkusen, last season's runners-up.
Having lost top names such as Bayern midfield dynamo Michael Ballack in the summer, Leverkusen is currently winless after its three opening matches.
In other Tuesday action, Werder Bremen's Brazilian forward Ailton showed himself to be as potent a Latin American finisher as Elber and Pizarro by snatching a hattrick - including a penalty - in a 4-1 blitz of Nuremberg.
Sarsa Ciric bagged a consolation for Nuremberg, leveling after Ailton's opener from the spot.
But recent French signing from Parma, Johan Micoud, crowned a fine performance with a goal on the hour and Ailton produced a pair of quickfire finishes to round off a handsome scoreline for Bremen, who have now won two and lost two.
In France, defending champion Lyon went top of the French first division by beating Lens 1-0 Tuesday thanks to a superb free kick from Brazilian midfielder Juninho Pernambucano.
Juninho sent a right-foot shot curling around the defensive wall and over goalkeeper Guillaume Warmuz in the 32nd minute.
It was the fourth goal this season for Juninho - not to be confused with World Cup winner and recent Middlesbrough signing Juninho Paulista.
After the win at Gerland stadium, Lyon had 11 points from six games. Nice, on 10 points, was to play Marseille on Wednesday while Auxerre, also on 10 points, was to receive Bastia.
There was to be a minute's silence before all first and second division games Wednesday to commemorate the Sept. 11 attacks.
Tuesday's win took Lyon's goal-count to a whopping 16, with a positive goal difference of eight. The defeat was Lens' first this season.
Lens had hoped to avenge its loss to Lyon in the final round of last season's championship. After leading for six months, Joel Mueller's team was beaten 3-1 at Gerland, allowing Lyon to win its first ever league title.