Bolton Wanderers lit up a dull day in English football's Premier League with a 4-1 victory at Sunderland lifting them to seventh and leaving the home side in the bottom three .
But fourth-placed Aston Villa failed to take advantage of the three sides above them not being in action, drawing 0-0 at home to Fulham when victory would have taken them above champions Manchester United.
Hull City remained sixth after drawing 1-1 at Stoke City and Newcastle United edged out of the bottom three thanks to a 0-0 draw at Middlesbrough while the bottom club West Bromwich Albion was beaten 2-1 at Wigan Athletic.