Arsenal need just nine points from their last six matches to clinch the Premiership title after Aston Villa crushed Chelsea’s lingering hopes of catching the Gunners on Monday.
A shock 3-2 win gave Villa’s own hopes of European football next season a lift and did Manchester United a huge favour in their race with Chelsea for second place.
A superb Shaun Bartlett header dealt another blow to Liverpool’s chances of Champions League football next season as Charlton held out for a 1-0 win at Anfield.
At the bottom, Portsmouth gave their survival chances a huge boost with a 3-1 win over Birmingham but Manchester City were dragged a little closer to the drop zone after squandering an early lead to draw 1-1 at Tottenham.
Chelsea had looked set fair for victory when Hernan Crespo put them ahead with an 11th-minute tap-in after Adrian Mutu had headed Wayne Bridge’s cross on to the post.
A rout even looked on the cards briefly. But Claudio Ranieri’s side took their foot off the pedal and were punished by three goals in the space of 10 minutes spanning the interval.
Darius Vassell scored from the penalty spot before Thomas Hitzlsperger and Lee Hendrie put Villa in the driving seat.
Crespo curled a shot past Thomas Sorensen in stoppage time but his second strike came too late to prevent Chelsea losing, leaving Ranieri to contemplate a tight race for second place.
”Manchester can achieve second place,” the Italian acknowledged.
”It will be a good battle between the two sides. What delighted me was that my players bounced back,” Villa boss David O’Leary said.
”They kept their belief and kept going forward despite going a goal down.”
Charlton were worthy winners at Anfield against a lacklustre Liverpool side.
The winner came just after the hour mark, South African striker Bartlett rising to meet Claus Jensen’s corner with a powerful header into the top corner for his second goal in as many games.
Reds boss Gerard Houllier admitted the defeat represented a ”missed opportunity” for his side to consolidate their grip on fourth place, the final qualifying place for the Champions League.
”We were nervy from the start and we stepped up a gear only once we had conceded a goal. I’d have liked my team to play like that right from the start.”
Alan Curbishley was delighted to end a run that has seen Charlton slip out of the running for a European place.
”It is a fantastic result for us today,” the Addicks manager said. ”We have taken a lot of criticism from our own fans in recent weeks because we have not been doing it but let’s hope this gives us a lift and we can kick on for the rest of the season.”
Manchester City had looked on track for a desperately needed win when Nicolas Anelka gave them a first-half lead. After collecting a pass from Steve McManaman, the Frenchman skipped past Gary Doherty before netting on the rebound after Kasey Keller blocked his first effort.
But Jermain Defoe snatched an equaliser seven minutes after the break and despite some intense late pressure, City were unable to produce a winner.
Portsmouth took the lead in dramatic fashion after Birmingham goalkeeper Maik Taylor was sent off for handling outside the area on the stroke of half-time.
Yakubu Aiyegbeni rolled the loose ball into the net but referee Barry Knight ruled that a free-kick should be taken. After several minutes of arguments, Dejan Stefanovic finally took and scored from the free-kick.
Lomana LuaLua extended Pompey’s lead. Stern John ensured some nervous moments for the home supporters by pulling one back for Birmingham but Yakubu made the points save from the penalty spot after Kenny Cunningham handled the Nigerian’s cross.
A stoppage-time winner from Kevin Davies gave Bolton a 2-1 win over Wolves that all but condemns Dave Jones’s rock-bottom side to first-division football next season.
Henrik Pedersen had headed Bolton ahead just before half-time against the run of play.
Wolves equalised almost immediately with a superb solo effort from Senegal winger Henri Camara but Davies’s late hammer blow leaves them six points adrift of safety with only five games left to play.
In the day’s other game, Middlesbrough produced one of their best performances all season to beat Southampton 3-1 and leapfrog the Saints into the top half of the table.
Goals from Brazil’s Juninho, Slovakia’s Szilard Nemeth and Italian forward Massimo Maccarone secured the points before James Beattie’s volley gave Southampton some slender consolation. — Sapa-AFP