Surging Arsenal beat Charlton, Spurs respond

LONDON, Mar 18 (Reuters) Rejuvenated Arsenal cranked up the pressure in the battle for the fourth Champions League spot with a stylish 3-0 win at home to Charlton Athletic in the Premier League today.

Goals from Robert Pires, Emmanuel Adebayor and Alexander Hleb hoisted Arsenal temporarily above north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur, who responded with a 2-0 victory at Birmingham City in the late game to reclaim fourth place.

With Chelsea striding relentlessly towards a second successive title, the scrap to qualify for Europe's glittering club competition has grabbed the spotlight.

Blackburn Rovers and Bolton Wanderers maintained their hopes of achieving it, as did Wigan Athletic. Rovers beat Middlesbrough 3-2, Bolton overpowered Sunderland 2-0 and Wigan were 1-0 winners at Manchester City.

Spurs have 52 points from 30 games, Arsenal have 50 and Blackburn have 49. Bolton, with two games in hand, have 48 points, two more than Wigan.

Two goals from Louis Saha, preferred in place of Ruud van Nistelrooy, gave second-placed Manchester United a 2-1 victory at West Bromwich Albion that cut Chelsea's lead to 12 points.

Third-placed Liverpool, who visit Newcastle United on Sunday, are five points behind United.

Second half goals from Aaron Lennon, his first for Tottenham, and Robbie Keane gave Martin Jol's side the points at St Andrews and provided the perfect response to an impressive Arsenal display at Highbury.

Lennon drove home a cross from Jermain Defoe to give Spurs the lead after 65 minutes, and 12 minutes later Keane slotted in a pinpoint low cross from Jermaine Jenas.

Despite a lengthy injury list Arsenal dazzled London rivals Charlton, Pires applying the finishing touch to a flowing move after 13 minutes and Adebayor doubling the lead before halftime.

Hleb volleyed the third shortly after the break before Pires was denied a second by the woodwork. It was Arsenal's sixth clean sheet in seven matches.

BELLAMY DOUBLE Craig Bellamy made it four goals in three games with his double sinking Middlesbrough, his second coming after the visitors had twice fought back from a goal down.

Robbie Savage was dismissed for a second yellow card after handling the ball in the 54th minute. The combative Welshman had never previously been sent off in domestic football.

Second-half goals from Kevin Davies and Kevin Nolan gave Bolton victory over Sunderland.

West Ham United and Manchester City paid heavy penalties for fielding weakened sides ahead of their FA Cup quarter-final on Monday.

Manager Alan Pardew left West Ham strikers Marlon Harewood and Dean Ashton on the bench as former boss Harry Redknapp returned to Upton Park with relegation-haunted Portsmouth.

The decision backfired for Pardew as his side lost 4-2, three Pompey goals from Lomana LuaLua, Sean Davis and Pedro Mendes coming before the break.

Portsmouth remain second from bottom but are now level on 24 points with third-bottom Birmingham and only three behind West Brom who are hovering one place above the drop zone.

Manchester City will also need to raise their game for the FA Cup after a feeble performance in a 1-0 home defeat by Wigan, Lee McCulloch heading the winner 10 minutes after the break.

Australian midfielder Tim Cahill netted twice as Everton made it six home league wins in a row with a 4-1 romp over Aston Villa at Goodison Park.

REUTERS VJ RAI0124