Andriy Shevchenko and Michael Ballack both scored for Chelsea on Saturday, helping the defending champions beat Portsmouth 2-1 in the English Premier League.
Shevchenko scored in the 55th minute and Ballack added another two minutes later at Stamford Bridge with his first Premier League goal. Both were subsequently shown yellow cards for celebrating.
Chelsea now have 22 points but Manchester United, who play Liverpool on Sunday, can hold on to the lead on goal difference with a win.
Also on Saturday, it was: Charlton 0, Watford 0; Everton 2, Sheffield United 0; Wigan 4, Manchester City 0; and Aston Villa 1, Fulham 1.
Shevchenko, who joined Chelsea for a club record fee, took a low cross from Arjen Robben to score into the corner of the net. He also had a goal disallowed for offsides and forced Portsmouth goalkeeper David James into making two strong saves in the first half.
Shevchenko last scored for the Blues in a 2-1 loss to Middlesbrough on August 23.
”His performances have improved from match to match, but it was always a feeling of ‘unlucky, great save, unlucky, great save’ and in the first half David James made an amazing save,” Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho said. ”You get that feeling that a goal is never coming, and finally the goal is there.”
Ballack, who also joined Chelsea in the off-season, headed in a goal after Didier Drogba’s cross in the 57th.
Portsmouth pulled a goal back in the 69th when Benjani Mwaruwari scored.
Chelsea again played with Hilario in goal as Carlo Cudicini hadn’t recovered from the concussion he sustained in last Saturday’s 1-0 win at Reading. Petr Cech is still recovering in the hospital from surgery on a depressed skull fracture sustained in the same game.
Mourinho said he spoke with Cech on Friday and said he was recovering well. ”It would be normal for him to be a bit sad with football, but he is speaking about a return,” Mourinho said.
Mikel Arteta headed in a cross from Phil Neville to put Everton ahead in the 13th minute at Goodison Park. Sheffield United defender Claude Davis was sent off in the 32nd for bring down Andy Johnson in the box.
James Beattie scored from the resulting penalty a minute later. ”I don’t think it is anything like a penalty,” Sheffield United manager Neil Warnock said. ”Claude Davis is quick and got back goalside of the lad, who realized he wasn’t going to get a shot on goal and [went] down.”
Aston Villa are still the only unbeaten club in the Premier League after their draw with Fulham.
Villa took the lead in the 25th minute when Gareth Barry converted a penalty kick, earned when Villa midfielder Stilian Petrov was held back by Fulham defender Liam Rosenior.
Fulham levelled in the 45th through Moritz Volz, who side-footed the ball in from close range.
Charlton stayed at the bottom of the table after their 0-0 draw with 19th-place Watford. Charlton had lost their previous five matches, and while Watford still haven’t won yet this season, they moved up one place to 18th.
”We are in a situation where we have got to fight for every point and feel that, at home, we should be winning these games,” Charlton manager Iain Dowie said. ”We certainly created a lot of chances to do that.”
Wigan won their first match since the opening day of the season, with Emile Heskey, Henri Camara and Antonio Valencia all scoring. Manchester City defender Richard Dunne scored an own-goal.
Heskey scored from a volley after taking a pass from Emmerson Boyce in the first minute. Wigan doubled the lead in the fourth minute when Dunne headed Josip Skoko’s free kick into his own net.
Camara scored the third in the 65th and, two minutes later, Valencia took a cross from Heskey to score into the corner.
Wigan jumped from 17th to 13th in the standings. ”We’re not out of the woods yet, but we can use this as a springboard. It’s going to be a long hard season,” Wigan manager Paul Jewell said.
City were missing 11 players because of injury and still haven’t won away from home this season.
On Sunday, it’s: Blackburn vs Bolton; Middlesbrough vs Newcastle; Tottenham vs West Ham; and Reading vs Arsenal.
In the Football League Championship, Cardiff lost 1-0 to Norwich, which notched up its second win under new manager Peter Grant. Preston beat Hull City 2-1 to close the gap on Cardiff.
Third-place West Brom play Wolves on Sunday.
Cardiff have 29 points, followed by Preston with 26 and West Brom with 22. — Sapa-AP