Manchester United's Jonathan Evans and Chelsea's Didier Drogba (front) battle for the ball during the English Premier League soccer match at Stamford Bridge, London, yesterday. The match ended 1-1. - AP

LONDON (AP):

Chelsea rallied to hold Manchester United to a 1-1 draw yesterday, while Manchester City crushed Ports-mouth 6-0 in the Premier League.

Promoted Hull maintained its impressive start with a 2-2 draw with Everton, despite squandering a 2-0 lead, Aston Villa won 2-1 at neighbour West Bromwich Albion and last-place Tottenham drew 0-0 at home to Wigan.

Park Ji-sung's 18th-minute goal for Man United threatened to end Chelsea's unbeaten home run of 84 league games as the visitors dominated the early stages at Stamford Bridge.

The South Korean drove the ball into an empty net after Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech had blocked a shot from Dimitar Berbatov.

Missed chances

After Joe Cole and Nicolas Anelka had both missed chances, Salomon Kalou headed home a free kick in the 80th to make sure that run stayed intact in a stormy game in which referee Mike Riley showed the yellow card to seven United players and one from Chelsea.

He also angered Blues fans by blowing full time just after United defender Rio Ferdinand had clattered into striker Didier Drogba on the edge of the visitors' area.

"This was strange for me, for the referee to finish the game at that time," Chelsea manager Luiz Felipe Scolari said. "But he's the boss on the pitch and it is his decision and we need to accept that."

Arsenal, which won 3-1 at Bolton on Saturday, lead the standings with 12 points from five games. Chelsea have 11 and are second on goal difference from Liverpool, who were surprisingly held 0-0 at home by Stoke on Saturday.

United have five points from four games to be 15th in the 20-club standings with only one victory.

SIX GOALS

England goalkeeper David James let in six goals at the City of Manchester Stadium where the home side, watched by new owner Khaldoon Al Mubarak, had six different scorers - Jo, Richard Dunne, Robinho, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Ched Evans and Gelson Fernandes.

Playing top-flight football for the first time in its 104-year history, Hull marched into a two-goal lead against Everton. Michael Turner headed the Tigers ahead in the 18th and an own goal by Everton midfielder Phil Neville made it 2-0 in the 48th.

Tim Cahill replied for the Toffees in the 73rd with a shot that struck the underside of the crossbar and bounced down, the officials ruling it had crossed the line. Leon Osman volleyed the equaliser in the 78th.

Aston Villa's John Carew and Gabriel Agbonlahor scored two goals in three first-half minutes at the Hawthorns to win a third straight away game. James Morrison replied for West Brom in the 34th.

Tottenham were jeered off the field by its own fans at White Hart Lane in a scoreless draw with Wigan.

Spurs, who started the season with hopes of a top-four finish, remain last with two points from five games.

Bolton Wanderers' Ricardo Gardner (left) and Arsenal's Nicklas Bendtner battle for the ball during the English Premier League soccer match at the Reebok Stadium, Bolton, England, on Saturday. Arsenal won the match. - AP