LONDON (AP):

Ryan Giggs marked his 999th professional match with a goal yesterday to help Manchester United go provisionally 15 points clear at the top of the Premier League.

A late goal from the Welsh midfielder followed a fine strike by defender Rafael da Silva in a 2-0 victory over bottom-place Queens Park Rangers.

"He's delivered again," United manager Alex Ferguson said of the 39-year-old Giggs. "He's an amazing man."

Even if second-place Manchester City beat Chelsea today, Giggs seems headed for a 13th league title at the club where he has spent his entire career.

For traditional rivals Arsenal, however, the season is mainly coming down to salvaging a place in the Champions League places. And the north London club did manage to put their recent cup disappointments behind them with a 2-1 win over Aston Villa to go provisionally a point behind fourth-place Tottenham.

Villa sunk back into the relegation zone with Wigan, who lost 3-0 to Reading, and QPR.

Also yesterday, sixth-place Everton fell five points behind Arsenal after losing 2-1 at Norwich, West Bromwich Albion rose to seventh by beating Sunderland by the same score and Fulham defeated Stoke 1-0 in a mid-table clash.

United have only dropped 11 points all season, and yesterday's opener was exquisite after 23 minutes at Loftus Road.

Robin van Persie broke down the right and whipped in a cross that goalkeeper Julio Cesar parried. But the ball fell to Rafael, who blasted it into the top corner from 25 yards.

VAN PERSIE INJURED

There was a setback for United, however, as Van Persie had to come off before half-time with a hip complaint.

But without their top scorer, United relied on their oldest player to extend their advantage in the 80th when Giggs beat Cesar from an acute angle after being set up by Nani.

As United march towards a record-extending 20th English title, the second tier looms for QPR, who are now seven points from safety.

At the Emirates Stadium, Arsenal recorded a third straight league victory, but it came at the end of a week when the team's hopes of a first trophy since 2005 seemed to end.

Second-tier club Blackburn knocked Arsenal out of the FA Cup on Saturday, February 16 and Bayern Munich won the first leg of their Champions League last-16 meeting 3-1 on Tuesday.

The Gunners scored after just six minutes, though, to settle some of the nerves against Villa. Santi Cazorla was at first denied by goalkeeper Brad Guzan but he sent the rebound into the net.

The failure to build on that position of strength proved costly as Andreas Weimann levelled in the 68th after being able to charge through the Arsenal defence unchallenged before striking from 25 yards.

But Cazorla swept home his 11th goal of his debut season in the 85th after meeting a cutback from Nacho Monreal.

UNITED RESPONSE

"We went through some difficult days and we responded in a united way," Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said.

Villa are left to scrap it out in the relegation zone after Wigan rose ahead of them on goal difference.

Arouna Kone scored twice in two minutes just before half-time to make it 10 goals in all competitions since joining Wigan from Spanish club Levante at the start of the season.

Maynor Figueroa netted Wigan's third after the break and Reading's afternoon worsened when striker Pavel Pogrebnyak was sent off for violent conduct in the 55th.

Reading are six points ahead of bottom-place QPR but a point behind Villa and Wigan.

Norwich are now eight points clear of danger after Grant Holt secured his team's first league win in two months.

Everton lead through Leon Osman's first-half header, but Kei Kamara began Norwich's fightback in the 84th with his first goal since arriving from Major League Soccer's Sporting Kansas City last month on loan until the end of the season.

And Holt grabbed the winner in stoppage time, netting from close range.