England [Images] striker Wayne Rooney [Images] hit a quickfire double, his first league goals of the year, to power Manchester United [Images] to a 2-0 victory over Newcastle United at Old Trafford on Sunday.

United's one-sided victory consolidated second place on 60 points although they still trail champions Chelsea, who beat Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 on Saturday, by 15 points.

France [Images] striker Thierry Henry [Images] scored twice, including a winner seven minutes from time, as Arsenal [Images] defeated third-placed Liverpool 2-1.

Henry pounced on Steven Gerrard's backpass to cap a fine week for Arsene Wenger's side, who overcame Real Madrid [Images] on Wednesday to reach the Champions League quarter-finals.

Henry's goal came a minute after Spaniard Xabi Alonso had been sent off for his second yellow card. Luis Garcia had hauled Liverpool level on 76 minutes.

"I saw that he could not see I was waiting (to intercept Gerrard's pass)," Henry told Sky Sports TV.

"I gambled, I do it every game."

Henry also seized on a Gerrard backpass in France's 2-1 victory over England at Euro 2004, the Liverpool midfielder's blunder leading to David James bringing down Henry and Zinedine Zidane [Images] scoring the winner from the penalty spot in injury time.

Liverpool, whose hopes of defending their European title were ended by Benfica in midweek, have 55 points from 29 games, followed by Tottenham on 49 and Arsenal on 47.

In Sunday's other game, England striker Darren Bent, who made his debut against Uruguay this month, hit an 87th-minute winner for Charlton Athletic who defeated Middlesbrough 2-1.

United's fourth successive league win was never in doubt after Rooney's early double, but the League Cup winners should have added many more as Newcastle succumbed to their first defeat under caretaker coach Glenn Roeder.

POOR BACKPASS

Rooney latched on to a poor backpass from defender Peter Ramage to lift the ball over Shay Given for the opening goal after eight minutes.

Slick passing between John O'Shea, Louis Saha and Rooney ended with the striker doubling the lead four minutes later.

Rooney, who this week signed one of the biggest sports book deals in publishing history when he agreed to write five books over the next 12 years, somehow contrived to miss a golden chance to complete his hat-trick.

Put through on goal after 67 minutes, Rooney rounded Given and with an open goal, he fired against the foot of the post.

"I thought it hit a defender," Rooney said of his glaring miss. "But I'm happy with my two goals.

"We had a lot of chances and we should have won by a bigger margin."

Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez blamed referee Steve Bennett the defeat at Highbury, saying midfielder Alonso's dismissal had proved crucial.

"It was a big mistake," he said of Alonso's second yellow card for his innocuous challenge on fullback Mathieu Flamini. "He was not watching the play and was too quick to show a yellow card. We are all disappointed."

Liverpool were fortunate still to be in contention when Garcia pounced on a rebound to haul the visitors level.

Gerrard's fizzing drive from 25 metres could only be parried up in the air by Jens Lehmann and Garcia, who hit a late winner last month in Liverpool's 1-0 win over Arsenal at Anfield, rose above centre back Kolo Toure to head home.

Arsenal had led though Henry's fine curling effort beyond the clutches of Pepe Reina after midfielder Cesc Fabregas had threaded through an inch-perfect pass from the halfway line.

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