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, September 20, that Arrsenal won 3-1. Gardner scored and forced an own goal off Manchester City captain Richard Dunne yesterday, to inspire a 2-0 Bolton victory. - AP

LONDON (AP):

Bolton scored twice in the last 13 minutes yesterday to climb out of the Premier League relegation zone with a 2-0 win over visiting Manchester City.

Bolton had missed several chances but refused to settle for a draw that would still have lifted them above Newcastle on goal difference and substitute Ricardo Gardner met a cross from the right for his first league goal since December 2002.

City captain Richard Dunne then capped a poor performance by his side, which rarely threatened Bolton despite the presence of Robinho and Shaun Wright-Phillips in its line-up, when he scored an own goal in the 88th, cashing in on a low cross by Gardner, who had broken into the penalty box on the left side.

Bolton's third win of the season lifted them three places, pushing West Bromwich Albion into the three-team relegation zone on goal difference. Newcastle are now in last place, although they'll get a chance to push Tottenham back down there if they beat visiting Aston Villa today.

"It's very important for us," Gardner said. "We can gain confidence from this and we can do even better in our next game than we did today."

City stayed 10th in the 20-team standings, missing the chance to move up to seventh. Despite heavy investment in their team, City are eight points behind local rivals Manchester United and 13 behind leaders Chelsea.

Nicolas Anelka hit a hat-trick on Saturday to help Chelsea beat visiting Sunderland 5-0 and take the Premier League lead from Liverpool, which lost 2-1 at Tottenham for their first loss this season.

Arsenal's poor week continued with a humiliating 2-1 loss at Stoke - which let defending champion Manchester United take third place with a 4-3 win over visiting Hull.

Jeered

Bolton and their coach, Gary Megson, had been jeered this season, particularly during last weekend's 2-0 loss at Tottenham, and could have been 1-0 down in the sixth minute when Robinho hit a shot just over the bar.

Bolton goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen made two saves to keep it 0-0 before half-time and his team then dominated the second half.

Gary Cahill and Kevin Nolan missed chances before Gardner, who was, perhaps, offside, hit a cross by Gretar Rafn Steinsson high into the roof of the net from inside the six-yard box.

"It's been a long time, but I'm just glad for the lads," Gardner said. "We thoroughly deserved it."

Gardner then set up the second goal, sending in a diagonal cross from the left that Dunne, under pressure, put past his own goalkeeper.