LONDON, 18 January 2004 — Relegation battlers Wolverhampton Wanderers caused the biggest upset of the English season by beating champions and Premier League leaders Manchester United 1-0 at Molineux yesterday.

Scottish forward Kenny Miller scored his first Premier League goal in the 67th minute for an amazing win which lifted the side with the division’s worst defensive record off the bottom of the table.

In other matches, Charlton Athletic consolidated fourth place with a 1-0 win at Everton, Liverpool’s five-match unbeaten run ended with a 2-1 defeat at Tottenham Hotspur and Southampton nailed troubled Leeds United to last place with a 2-1 win.

United stayed top on 50 points but the defeat will have delighted their title rivals, who play today. Arsenal (49) can go top after their game at Aston Villa and Chelsea (45) look to narrow the gap at home to Birmingham City. But in the day’s astonishing game, Wolves, with former United players Paul Ince in midfield and Denis Irwin in defense, showed great spirit and determination.

Wolves’ Scottish midfielder and man-of-the-match Alex Rae summed up the mood of the home side, saying: “We’re fighting for our life and it was a pretty pleasing performance today.”

No team has scored more league goals than United this season (40) and none had conceded more than Wolves (43), yet the home side rose to the task of disrupting the visitors’ midfield.

Skipper Ince fired a warning in the 49th minute with a 25-meter shot which hit the post. But Miller went one better when he rounded substitute defender Wes Brown, who slipped, and steered home a low shot which American keeper Tim Howard should really have stopped.

United created few chances and most were squandered by England midfielder Paul Scholes who had a rare off-day.

United defender Rio Ferdinand played his last game before starting an eight-month suspension, against which the England defender is appealing. But he went off in the second half after a knock on the shin.

Liverpool lost ground on Charlton in the race to a Champions League qualifying place. Gerard Houllier’s side remain fifth on 32 points — now five behind Charlton after former Everton striker Graham Stuart got the only goal of a game Everton dominated at Goodison Park.

A penalty from Ireland striker Robbie Keane and a first Premier League goal for Portuguese striker Helder Postiga secured the points for Spurs despite a late strike from Liverpool’s Australian playmaker Harry Kewell.

Leeds boss Eddie Gray, whose club face administration tomorrow, was not over-optimistic about their chances of avoiding relegation after defeat at St. Mary’s.

David Seaman waved goodbye to football at a special ceremony at the City of Manchester Stadium before his former club Manchester City’s game against Blackburn Rovers. England keeper David James, Seaman’s replacement after injury forced his retirement this week, had little to do on his debut except pick the ball out of City’s net in a 1-1 draw.

Late Winner Keeps Rangers Hopes Flickering

In Glasgow, Rangers kept alive their faint Scottish Premier League title hopes courtesy of Shota Arveladze’s late winner in a 1-0 home victory against Motherwell yesterday.

Motherwell’s young side fought gamely until Georgian striker Arveladze’s 82nd minute effort settled matters.

Rangers were relieved to collect the three points in a match of few chances though they remain eight points behind unbeaten leaders Celtic who travel to third-placed Hearts today.

Celtic have 55 points from 19 games while Rangers move on to 47. Hearts are a distant third on 33.

McLeish paid tribute to battling Motherwell and also praised 19-year-old Tunisian midfielder Hamed Namouchi’s home debut.

Motherwell, managed by former Rangers and England captain Terry Butcher, looked likely to earn a draw after frustrating the home side for most of an unattractive 90 minutes.

But Arveladze ended the visitors’ three game unbeaten streak when he combined with Nuno Capucho to clip the ball over goalkeeper Gordon Marshall.

Elsewhere, Livingston moved above Motherwell into fifth place after beating Hibernian 1-0 and Billy Dodds’ last minute penalty gave Dundee United a 3-2 win over Aberdeen. Bottom club Partick Thistle were cut further adrift after Barry Smith’s late winner gave Dundee a 2-1 win at Firhill. Thistle are now 10 points behind second-bottom Aberdeen.