Manchester United outplayed Watford 4-0 as Chelsea beat Blackburn 3-0 on Wednesday to maintain a six-point lead over the Blues at the top of the English Premier League.
Arsenal scored two extra-time goals to beat neighbours Tottenham 3-1 to reach the final of the League Cup 5-3 on aggregate. The Gunners will face Chelsea in the February 25 final at the Millennium Stadium.
Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 23rd goal of the season from the penalty spot to start Manchester United’s easy victory over the last-place Hornets at Old Trafford. An own-goal by Lloyd Doyley increased United’s lead. Wayne Rooney then set up substitute Henrik Larsson before adding a fourth.
Didier Drogba gave Chelsea a sixth-minute lead at Stamford Bridge when he collected a through ball from Frank Lampard and held off a challenge from Stephane Henchoz before converting.
Rovers’ American goalkeeper Brad Friedel thwarted Andriy Shevchenko three times before Lampard added a second in the 67th minute. Salomon Kalou completed the scoring in the final minute.
United improved to 60 points from 25 games with 13 to go.
Third-place Liverpool, who won 2-1 at West Ham on Tuesday, have 49 and Arsenal are fourth won 45.
The Gunners, who rallied from a two-goal deficit in the first leg at Spurs, went ahead in the 77th minute when Emmanuel Adebayor scored at the Emirates Stadium. Ahmed Mido equalized with a header seven minutes later to send the game into extra time with the aggregate score 3-3.
Jeremie Aliadiere regained the lead for the Gunners in the 15th minute of extra time and Spurs defender Pascal Chimbonda deflected the ball into his own net after Tomas Rosicky’s shot almost went in.
In other Premier League games, Newcastle beat Aston Villa 3-1.
James Milner scored against his former club in the fifth minute and Kieron Dyer added a second two minutes later. Ashley Young, hired from Watford a week ago, replied for Villa in the 25th but Antoine Sibierski scored a third for the Magpies in the final minute for a victory that moved Glenn Roeder’s team up three places in the standings.
Next-to-last Charlton held fifth-place Bolton to a 1-1 draw, pulling level with West Ham in the struggle to avoid relegation.
Henrik Pedersen gave Wanderers a sixth-minute lead but the visitors equalised in the 12th through Talal El Karkouri.
The results leave Watford five points adrift with 15 points.
West Ham and Charlton have 20 and are two points behind 17th-place Wigan, who have a game in hand. — Sapa-AP