Salomon Kalou scored twice and set up another Saturday in Chelsea’s 5-0 romp at Middlesbrough to maintain the Blues’ high-scoring title charge in the Premier League.
Dirk Kuyt scored his first two league goals at Anfield since April 2007 as Liverpool twice came from behind to beat Wigan 3-2 and stay level on points with Chelsea. Arsenal also trailed at home to Everton
only to rally with a 3-1 victory and move to third.
Defending champion Manchester United outplayed West Bromwich Albion 4-0 to move to fourth. That means the traditional top four are in the leading positions for the first time this season, although Hull can go back to third by beating West Ham on Sunday.
Wayne Rooney’s scoring streak continued, netting the first at Old Trafford for his eighth goal in six games, including four in two World Cup qualifiers for England. Cristiano Ronaldo, Dimitar Berbatov and Nani also scored as United moved to six points behind the leaders but with a game in hand.
Luiz Felipe Scolari’s Chelsea has scored 11 times in four away games and has not conceded a goal home or away in five league or cup games since the 1-1 draw at home to Manchester United on September 21.
”We have a long way to win the Premier League,” said Scolari, who was forced into five changes because of injuries. ”We work very hard in the preseason and all our players know what I want. If I put one winger or two strikers or two midfielders, they know what position to occupy on the pitch. This is good for Chelsea, for me and for the fans.”
The goal rush started in the 14th minute when Juliano Belletti’s shot took two deflections off Boro defenders in a crowded area and dropped for Kalou to shoot home from 12 metres.
The second goal came in the 52nd minute when Boro allowed Belletti too much room and he fired a 30-metre swerving shot into the top corner.
A minute later, Florent Malouda pulled the ball back to Kalou, whose shot first struck defender David Wheater and deflected past the goalkeeper.
Frank Lampard added the fourth with a diving header from Kalou’s cross in the 63rd minute after left back Andrew Taylor had given the ball away.
The fifth came four minutes later when goalkeeper Ross Turnbull fumbled Nicolas Anelka’s shot, the ball bounced onto the post and Malouda stabbed it into an empty net.
Amr Zaki gave Wigan the lead in the 29th minute at Anfield only for Kuyt to level in the 37th. Zaki regained the lead for the visitors with an overhead kick in the 45th minute for his eighth league and cup goal of the season but Wigan was reduced to 10 men in the 75th when Antonio Valencia was sent off after his second yellow card.
Albert Riera equalized in the 80th and then Kuyt grabbed the winner for Liverpool in the 85th.
The results mean that Chelsea and Liverpool have 20 points from eight games but the Blues have a far superior goal difference of 16 to the Reds’ seven. Arsenal has four points to make up.
Leon Osman gave Everton a ninth minute lead at Arsenal which hit back with three goals in the second half. Samir Nasri equalized in the 48th, Robin van Persie headed Arsenal in front in the 70th and Theo
Walcott added the third in the final minute.
Aston Villa and Portsmouth drew 0-0 with Pompey’s Sean Davies being sent off for a second yellow card. There was also crowd trouble at Villa Park, where linesman Phil Sharp was hit on the head by an object thrown from the stands.
There were also 0-0 draws at Bolton-Blackburn and Fulham-Sunderland.
Sunderland’s Kieran Richardson drove in a free kick in the second half, but it was disallowed for a foul by a teammate in Fulham’s defensive wall.
Stoke hosts Tottenham on Sunday. On Monday, it’s Newcastle vs Manchester City.
Wolves went back to the top of the League Championship after a 2-1 victory over Coventry and Birmingham slipped to second after being held 1-1 at Burnley. – Sapa-AP