ABOU DIABY gifted Manchester United three precious points at Old Trafford.

The Arsenal midfielder inexplicably headed into his own net as United came from behind to stay in touch with leaders Chelsea.

Arsenal had stunned the champions thanks to Andrey Arshavin’s rocket opener five minutes before the break.

But Wayne Rooney levelled from the spot before Diaby’s gaffe handed United the points.

Robin van Persie found the net in injury time but his effort was chalked off after William Gallas had strayed offside.

SPOT OF BOTHER … Manuel Almunia gets his timing wrong and brings down Wayne Rooney to concede a penalty

Arsene Wenger could not believe the decision on the touchline and was promptly sent off for his protests.

Rooney won his penalty in similar fashion to Eduardo’s controversial Champions League spotkick for Arsenal in midweek – touching the ball past keeper Manuel Almunia before the contact brought him down. And Rooney insisted it was a clear foul.

He said: “There was no doubt about the penalty.

“I’ve got the ball past him and he’s caught me.”

Arsenal started well and Emmanuel Eboue had the first sniff of goal as he found space 25 yards out but dragged his effort wide.

United finally found their feet after 10 minutes as Arsenal failed to clear their lines. Rooney sized up his options before chipping the ball forward to Darren Fletcher who chested down but spooned his effort over.

Patrice Evra made a vital block on 25 minutes to divert Van Persie’s shot for a corner. Ben Foster only cleared the set-piece to the edge of the area where Arshavin surged on to the loose ball before drilling his effort inches wide.

Rooney saw a free-kick go the wrong side of the post before the game exploded into life.

Arshavin appealed for a penalty after Fletcher’s sliding tackle brought him down. Referee Mike Dean waved play-on much to Wenger’s disgust.

But seconds later, the Gunners chief was all smiles as Arshavin picked up the ball in space 30 yards from goal.

No one came to close him down and as he neared the edge of the penalty box he let fly and the wickedly swerving drive rocketed through Foster’s arms.

Foster made amends with a brilliant save after the break to deny Van Persie, while at the other end Michael Carrick drove wide.

Ryan Giggs then sparked United’s comeback as he threaded a superb pass through to Rooney on 59 minutes.

The England striker took one touch past Almunia and contact was inevitable, with Rooney hitting the deck.

Almunia was booked and then had to pick the ball out of the net as the United hitman sent him the wrong way with his spotkick.

Van Persie hit the bar with a curling free-kick from wide on the right three minutes later.

But the United fans were celebrating again within 60 seconds as Diaby headed Giggs’ free-kick towards his own goal, leaving Almunia stranded as the ball bounced in.

Dimitar Berbatov had a superb chance to round off the scoring in injury time but he skewed his effort well wide.

Almunia made a save from Nani soon after before the Portuguese winger blazed the rebound over.

Van Persie thought he had levelled in the 96th minute but it was ruled out, with Gallas offside from the original pass.

Wenger again showed his disgust and was this time sent off by Dean as the game ended in thrilling fashion.

Man Utd: Foster, O’Shea, Brown, Vidic, Evra, Valencia (Park 63), Fletcher, Carrick, Nani, Giggs (Berbatov 85), Rooney. Subsnot used: Kuszczak, Neville, Owen, Anderson, Scholes. Booked: Evra, Brown, Rooney. Goals: Rooney 59 pen, Diaby 64 og.

Arsenal: Almunia, Sagna, Gallas, Vermaelen, Clichy, Eboue (Bendtner 71), Denilson (Eduardo 79), Song, Diaby, Arshavin (Ramsey 81), van Persie. Subs not used: Mannone, Silvestre, Wilshere, Gibbs. Booked: Song, Gallas, Van Persie, Almunia, Eboue, Sagna. Goals: Arshavin 40.

Att: 75,095

Ref: Mike Dean (Wirral).

STEVEN GERRARD’S late winner spared Liverpool’s blushes after Bolton threatened to heap more misery on Rafa Benitez.

The Reds have already lost twice this season — to Tottenham and Aston Villa — and the Trotters nearly made it three defeats in four.

The home side stunned Liverpool by taking the lead, but a Glen Johnson drive saw the troubled Anfield men level at the break.

Liverpool had dominated possession for much of the first half, but Bolton skipper Kevin Davies scored his side’s first league goal of the season 10 minutes from the interval.

But Liverpool hit back when £17million full-back Johnson punished a poor clearance from a corner with a low drive from the edge of the box.

Bolton defended deep and in strength, inviting Liverpool onto them. The visitors had plenty of possession, but without making clear-cut chances. Matt Taylor and Tamir Cohen worked tirelessly in midfield, breaking up Liverpool’s flow.

THUNDERBOLT … Steven Gerrard rifles in the winning goal for Liverpool

One through ball from Lucas after 31 minutes saw Torres shake off Cahill and attempt to chip Jussi Jaaskelainen from just inside the box, but the keeper pulled down the effort.

At the other end, a Taylor free-kick was headed away for a corner by Fernando Torres, and that gave Bolton their breakthrough.

Taylor’s 35th minute corner curled to the far post where Johan Elmander headed it down into the six-yard box for Davies to turn past Jose Reina from a couple of yards.

Fabrice Muamba was booked for a foul on Albert Riera two minutes later as Liverpool surged back looking for an equaliser, and it almost came when Torres chested down Johnson’s cross, but fired across goal and wide of the far post.

But the equaliser came after 42 minutes when a corner was cleared only as far as Johnson just outside the box, and he fired a low show inside Jaaskelainen’s near post.

Jose Reina had to make a fine diving save to keep out a Taylor free-kick, before Sean Davis was booked for kicking the ball away from a Liverpool free-kick.

Two minutes after the break, Liverpool’s failure to clear a right-wing cross saw them go behind again.

Davies was able to flick the ball across the box, where two defenders failed to stop Cohen lashing the ball home from eight yards.

Bolton were reduced to ten men after 54 minutes. Lucas was racing towards the opposition box when Davis clipped his heels from behind. Referee Alan Wiley produced a second yellow and then the red card.

Davis was furious. He had confronted the Brazilian before receiving his marching orders and ran towards Lucas again, before being halted by a colleague and ushered away.

It was the incentive Liverpool needed. Gerrard hit the bar before Torres took a pass from Dirk Kuyt and scored the equaliser past Jaaskelainen after 56 minutes.

Next into the book was Gerrard for a foul on Muamba, before Benayoun replaced Riera after 63 minutes.

And twenty minutes later, Gerrard — who had been largely ineffective for much of the game — thumped the ball past Jaaskelainen from 20 yards to hand Liverpool a much-needed victory.

Bolton: Jaaskelainen, Ricketts, Cahill, Knight, Samuel, Elmander (Basham 59), Muamba (Riga 90), Davis, Cohen (Steinsson 78), Taylor, Kevin Davies. Subs Not Used: Al Habsi, Robinson, Lee, Andrew O’Brien. Sent Off: Davis (54). Booked: Cahill, Muamba, Davis.

Goals: Kevin Davies 33, Cohen 47.

Liverpool: Reina, Johnson, Kyrgiakos, Carragher, Insua, Mascherano (Voronin 74), Lucas, Kuyt (Dossena 89), Riera (Benayoun 63), Gerrard, Torres. Subs Not Used: Gulacsi, Plessis, Kelly, Skrtel. Booked: Gerrard. Goals: Johnson 41, Torres 56, Gerrard 83.

Att: 23,284

Ref: Alan Wiley (Staffordshire).

CHELSEA brought Burnley back to earth with a bang with a comfortable victory to maintain Carlo Ancelotti’s unbeaten start.
The Clarets are favourites for relegation but have been buoyed after beating Everton and Manchester United already this season.

But the Blues bombarded the visitors from the outset, with goalkeeper Brian Jensen in inspired form to keep the scores level heading into the break.

However, on the stroke of half-time, Nicolas Anelka gave Chelsea the lead when Didier Drogba broke down the right and crossed for the Frenchman to score from point-blank range.

And they doubled their lead two minutes after the restart, with Anelka feeding the overlapping Frank Lampard, whose cross found Michael Ballack who finished with a diving header.

Chelsea’s third goal of the game arrived four minutes later, courtesy of Ashley Cole.

Burnley’s defence was ripped apart when Lampard exchanged passes with the England left-back and the former Arsenal star sent a crisp volley past Jensen.

It could have been four in the 54th minute but Anelka crashed his shot against the crossbar from only two yards out after rounding Jensen.

Burnley clearly could not cope with their opponents’ slick style of play and at times Chelsea’s football was fluid, fast and exciting.

It was, at last, the brand of football that owner Roman Abramovich had been yearning for since he took charge.