LONDON (AP) — Benjani Mwaruwari scored a hat trick on Saturday to lead Portsmouth to a 7-4 win over Reading in the highest scoring match in the Premier League’s 15-year history.
Arsenal won 1-0 at West Ham to keep the lead of the standings from defending champion Manchester United, which won 1-0 at Birmingham.
At Fratton Park, Reading goalkeeper Marcus Hahnemann made a string of saves but was still beaten seven times.
Mwaruwari scored twice to put Portsmouth 2-0 up before Andy Hunt and Dave Kitson brought Reading level at 2-2.
Hermann Hreidarsson and Mwaruwari made it 4-2 before Shane Long got a goal for Reading, but Niko Kranjcar, Sean Davis and Sulley Muntari, with a penalty, all scored in the last 15 minutes.
Reading’s Nicky Shorey completed the record tally with an injury-time deflected shot. There could have been a 12th goal, but Portsmouth goalkeeper David James saved a penalty.
"I have never been involved in a game like that before," Reading manager Steve Coppell said. "It’s hard to remember anything like that either as a player or a manager.
"There were 11 goals in the game and there could have been more. There was no indication at halftime that it was going to explode into life like that."
There have been several nine-goal matches in the Premier League, most notably Manchester United’s 9-0 win over Ipswich in 1995.
While Portsmouth moved up to fifth place, Arsenal continued its unbeaten start with Robin Van Persie’s fourth goal of the season keeping the Gunners ahead of Manchester United, Manchester City and Liverpool.
Arsenal has 19 points, two more than defending champion Manchester United. Manchester City was a point further back after beating Newcastle 3-1, while Liverpool has 15 after a 1-0 win at Wigan.
Chelsea slipped seven points behind Arsenal after a 0-0 draw against visiting Fulham that extended its winless streak to four league matches. Captain John Terry left the field with a broken cheekbone and striker Didier Drogba was sent off to complete a terrible day for the Blues.
West Ham beat Arsenal twice last season to help it narrowly avoid relegation, but Arsenal was comfortable at Upton Park on Saturday and secured an eighth straight win in all competitions.
"We had a bit of apprehension because we lost here last season and this was a big test," Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said.
Emmanuel Adebayor shot just wide in the second minute from Abou Diaby’s cross and, although West Ham’s Dean Ashton shot just over the bar from 20 yards, the Gunners ahead in the 13th.
Adebayor passed wide to Aleksandr Hleb, who crossed to the far post for Netherlands striker Van Persie to head the ball past goalkeeper Robert Green.
"There’s room for improvement but I am very proud of what the team is achieving at the moment," Wenger said. "I believe we can challenge. We are very young, but we have to show we can eke out results."
United has yet to replicate its free scoring form of last season and Cristiano Ronaldo’s 51st-minute goal at Birmingham means it has hit just seven goals in eight games.
Its defence, meanwhile, enjoyed another good day and has now allowed just two goals.
Ronaldo won the match for United when he collected a long pass by Nemanja Vidic and rounded goalkeeper Maik Taylor before knocking the ball into the net.
While Liverpool got its faltering title challenge back on track with a narrow win, Manchester City rallied against Newcastle to maintain its perfect home record in this season’s Premier League.
City trailed in the 29th when Obafemi Martins ran between two defenders, controlled a long pass by Geremi with his left foot and immediately shot past goalkeeper Joe Hart with his right.
Hart then almost kicked the ball into his own net but City drew level in the 38th. Playmaker Elano lifted the ball over the defence for Stephen Ireland, who crossed to Martin Petrov to score with a low shot at the far post.
Emile Mpenza put City ahead two minutes after halftime when he headed the ball across Given and into the net after a run and cross by Petrov, while man-of-the-match Elano rounded off the scoring in the 87th with a free kick into the top corner from about 20 yards.
It was the first time City scored three goals in a home league game since November last year.
Liverpool started Fernando Torres after the Spain striker scored a hat trick in a midweek League Cup match, but needed substitute Yossi Benayoun to avoid a third straight scoreless draw in the Premier League.
Wigan goalkeeper Chris Kirkland had saved from Dirk Kuyt and Torres before the home side had a goal by Marcus Bent ruled out for offside. Benayoun then hit a low shot past Kirkland to earn victory.
Chelsea has not won in the Premier League since firing manager Jose Mourinho and almost lost to Fulham. With Terry missing after getting substituted at halftime because of injury, Chelsea needed goalkeeper Petr Cech to save from Paul Konchesky before Diomansy Kamara shot wide for Fulham.
Drogba was sent off in the second half after getting two yellow cards, while Ukraine striker Andriy Shevchenko was jeered for a poor performance and substituted for the second straight match.
It’s the first time in nine years that Chelsea has failed to score in four straight Premier League matches.
In the League Championship, the top three clubs all had to settle for draws. Watford kept the lead of the second-tier competition after drawing 1-1 with visiting Blackpool, Charlton drew 1-1 at Coventry, and Bristol City stayed unbeaten with a 0-0 at Preston.