Portsmouth missed the chance to go top of the English Premier League as they were held to a goalless draw away to Wolverhampton.

Victory wold have put Pompey top of the table, ahead of Manchester United and Arsenal who both play Sunday, but instead Wolves collected their first Premiership point of the season.

Elsewhere Aston Villa gained their first Premiership win of the season with a 3-1 victory over Midlands rivals Leicester, Fulham won 3-0 away to London rivals Tottenham and Chelsea were held to a 2-2 draw by Blackburn.

Leeds beat Middlesbrough 3-2 in a see-saw match at the Riverside, Birmingham won 1-0 away to Newcastle and Bolton had a goalless draw against Charlton.

Earlier, in the Merseyside derby, Liverpool beat Everton 3-0 at Goodison Park.

At Molineux, Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp was sent to the stands after an altercation with the fourth official.

Pompey striker Teddy Sheringham and Wolves forward Henri Camara both went close in a tight contest between the two promoted sides.

But the result saw Portsmouth, last season's First Division champions, maintain their unbeaten start to the campaign.

At Stamford Bridge, Andy Cole gave Blackburn a first-minute lead away to big-spenders Chelsea after just 20 seconds. Matt Jansen's cross found the former Manchester United striker and he made no mistake from 12 yards.

Chelsea thought they had equalised when Adrian Mutu scored after 28 minutes following Geremi's cross but the 'goal' was disallowed for offside.

But, on the stroke of half-time, Romanian international Mutu, a 15.8 million pounds signing from Italian side Parma, did level the game.

Played in by England midfielder Frank Lampard, Mutu rounded Blackburn keeper Brad Friedel before slotting the ball in.

Cole had a second in the 58th minute after Chelsea keeper Carlo Cudicini missed David Thompson's cross.

But Chelsea hit back through Jimmy Floyd Hasselbain's 63rd minute penalty after Blackburn's Australian international Lucas Neill handled in the box.

Villa, who only had one win against Leicester in their last 17 games, ended talk of a hoodoo, when Lee Hendrie's cross was headed goalwards by Darius Vassell in the eighth minute although it was Leicester defender Ben Thatcher who got the last touch.

And two minutes later David O'Leary's team, who had just one point from their previous three games, doubled their lead when Colombian forward Juan Pablo Angel netted after Peter Whittingham's intelligent approach play.

Then, in the 16th minute Angel had his second when he netted from close range.

To make matters worse for Leicester they saw former England striker Les Ferdinand sent-off.

Ferdinand, booked for a foul on Olaf Mellberg, received a second yellow card after continuing to argue his case with the referee. Leicester's Muzzy Izzet pulled one back in the 53rd minute.

At the Riverside, Lamine Sakho, on-loan from French club Lens, scored his first goal for Leeds as they took the lead against Middlesbrough.

But Boro hit back with two goals in three minutes. On the hour Szilard Nemeth levelled after good work from Gaizka Mendieta.

Then Brazil striker Juninho made it 2-1 with a powerful shot from inside the box.

Nemeth had a third ruled out for offside before Zoumana Camarra's 77th minute header from Sakho's cross made it all square again. Mark Viduka's lob in the 89th minute however gave the visitors victory.

Newcastle, who went out of the Champions League on penalties to Partizan Belgrade earlier in the week, suffered more misery when David Dunn gave Birmingham a 1-0 win at St James' Park.

Gary Speed brought down Blackburn's Damien Johnson in the box for a penalty.

Dunn's 61st minute spot-kick was saved by Shay Given but the midfielder followed up the rebound.

Earlier Michael Owen scored twice as Liverpool beat Everton 3-0 in the Merseyside derby at Goodison Park.

Australia international Harry Kewell added a third 10 minutes from time as Everton's England forward Wayne Rooney wasted several chances.

Liverpool had just one point and one goal in their previous three games.

Owen opened the scoring in the 38th minute when, played in by Kewell he slipped the ball, under home keeper Steve Simonsen.

Liverpool's Czech striker Milan Baros set up Liverpool's second when he beat Everrton defender Joseph Yobo, and pulled the ball back for England star Owen who slotted the ball home.

The visitors wrapped up the game 10 minutes from time when Kewell calmly steered the ball into an empty net after Owen's cross from the right.

On Sunday, champions Manchester United travel to Southampton and leaders Arsenal are away to Manchester City.