Ryan Taylor handled and Mario Balotelli stroked home a penalty for City five minutes before the break in Saturday's clash at Eastlands, then Micah Richards made it 2-0 following Taylor's failure to cut out Samir Nasri's throughball. Sergio Aguero wrapped up the win from the penalty spot in the 72nd minute, after Hatem Ben Arfa had fouled Richards, before Dan Gosling grabbed an 89th-minute consolation for the visitors. City are eight points above Manchester United ahead of the latter's game at Swansea later on Saturday, while Newcastle stay third despite suffering their first league defeat of the season. Robin van Persie scored twice as Arsenal came from behind to beat Norwich 2-1 in the early kick-off at Carrow Road and record a fifth successive win. The in-form Dutchman made it 31 goals for 2011, the second a sublime finish, after the Canaries had snatched a shock early lead when Steve Morison capitalised on a blunder by Gunners defender Per Mertesacker. Struggling Lancashire duo Wigan and Blackburn shared six goals in a 3-3 thriller at the DW Stadium. Ayegbeni Yakubu gave Blackburn a second-minute lead, Jordi Gomez levelled five minutes later and Gary Caldwell put Wigan 2-1 ahead in the 31st minute. Rovers' David Dunn was dismissed early in the second half after picking up a second yellow card but they levelled 11 minutes later through Junior Hoilett. Albert Crusat appeared to have won it for Wigan two minutes from the end but Rovers won a penalty in the sixth minute of injury time when David Jones fouled Rovers goalkeeper Paul Robinson - who had come up for a late corner - and Yakubu converted it. Elsewhere, QPR came from behind to win 3-2 at Stoke. Jonathan Walters gave Stoke an eighth-minute lead but the visitors hit back strongly with goals from Heidar Helguson (22 and 54) and Luke Young (44). Although Ryan Shawcross pulled a goal back 10 minutes later, Tony Pulis' side were unable to find an equaliser. Everton were another team to come from behind, sinking Wolves 2-1 at Goodison Park. Stephen Hunt's 37th-minute penalty gave the visitors the edge but Phil Jagielka equalised for the hosts seven minutes later and Leighton Baines' 83rd minute penalty won it, after Stephen Ward fouled Louis Saha. West Brom defeated Bolton 2-1 at The Hawthorns. Jerome Thomas gave West Brom a 16th-minute lead and Shane Long won it 11 minutes into the second half, after Ivan Klasnic levelled things up from the penalty spot in the 21st minute. Sunderland against Fulham was goalless, although the hosts came closest with Kieran Richardson and Jack Colback striking the woodwork and Mark Schwarzer producing a stunning reflex save to block Stephane Sessegnon's injury-time shot.
