Arsenal tightens grip on 3rd

London - Arsenal pulled clear in the race for third place in the Premier League on Saturday, beating Aston Villa 3-0 as London rivals Chelsea and Tottenham had to settle for a 0-0 draw.

Kieran Gibbs and Theo Walcott scored first-half goals and Mikel Arteta added a stunning third for Arsenal, whose seventh straight league win moved the team three points clear of Tottenham in third.

With eight matches remaining, Spurs stayed five points ahead of Chelsea after their draw at Stamford Bridge, leaving the hosts in danger of missing out on Champions League football for the first time since 2003.

Bolton marked its first match since Fabrice Muamba's on-field cardiac arrest last weekend with a 2-1 victory over Blackburn to climb out of the relegation zone.