Manchester United players celebrate a goal against Bolton Wanderers, in Manchester, on Saturday. (AP)

London: Evergreen Paul Scholes marked his return to Premier League duty with the first goal for Manchester United in a 3-0 home win against Bolton Wanderers as the champions moved level on points with leaders Manchester City on Saturday.

Tottenham Hotspur squandered the chance to make it a three-way tie on 48 points when they could only draw 1-1 at home to lowly Wolverhampton Wanderers to stay two points behind the leaders on 46 points.       

City, who play at bottom club Wigan Athletic on Monday, retain top spot from United on goal difference.       

The 37-year-old Scholes, who provided one of the season’s most unexpected turns when he came out of retirement to play in the FA Cup win against Man City last week, scored in first half stoppage time — his first goal since August 2010.       

Wayne Rooney had earlier had a penalty saved by Bolton keeper Adam Bogdan. Late goals by Danny Welbeck and Michael Carrick made the victory safe for Alex Ferguson’s side.       

Frank Lampard scored the winner for fourth-placed Chelsea in a 1-0 defeat of Sunderland but Liverpool, in sixth, were frustrated in their quest for Champions League qualification when they drew 0-0 at home to Stoke City.

Liverpool struggled to score at home again on Saturday, being held 0-0 by Stoke for its seventh draw at Anfield. Dirk Kuyt missed two headed chances in the final 15 minutes as the Reds pressed hard for a winner, but the stubborn Stoke defence was able to hold on for a point.

In Birmingham, Aston Villa settled for a 1-1 draw at home to Everton after letting slip a second-half lead.

Everton made a bright start with Louis Saha going close, but the real action did not start until after the break. Villa striker Darren Bent was picked out by midfielder Stephen Ireland to score the opener in the 56th minute, but the lead only lasted 13 minutes.

Blackburn overcame an early sending off to beat Fulham 3-1 and climb out of the relegation zone. Ayegbeni Yakubu earned his first red card in his nine-year career in English football midway through the first half, but Blackburn still went ahead 2-0 after Morten Gamst Pedersen and David Dunn struck either side of the interval.