Nicolas Anelka’s two goals kept Chelsea at the top of the Premier League in a 2-0 victory at Blackburn on Sunday, and Darren Bent’s double lifted Tottenham away from last place in a 2-1 victory at nine-man Manchester City.
Anelka became the league’s leading scorer with 10 goals as the Blues marked Luiz Felipe Scolari’s 60th birthday with their ninth straight away league victory.
Chelsea and Liverpool are level on 29 points with the Blues ahead on goal difference. Scolari’s team has a stellar away record of six victories and a 16-1 goal differential. The Blues, who also won their final three away games last season, lost 3-1 to AS Roma in Champions League on Tuesday in their only blemish on the road this campaign.
”We are not a bad team because we lost one game against Roma,” Scolari said. ”We are in first position in the Champions League, we are in first position in the Premier League.”
Liverpool beat West Bromwich Albion 3-0 on Saturday, when Arsenal jumped into third place with a 2-1 win over Manchester United.
On a saturated Ewood Park playing surface, Anelka should have given Chelsea a fifth-minute lead when he collected a weak Blackburn back pass. The France striker went around goalkeeper Paul Robinson, but fell on the wet pitch when facing an empty net.
Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech made a top quality, one-handed diving save from Chilean midfielder Carlos Villanueva before the Blues went ahead in the 39th after being helped by a stroke of good fortune.
Jose Bosingwa’s 30m shot struck Anelka on the knee and deflected past Robinson, the ball slowing off the wet turf and only just making it across the line.
However, Anelka’s second in the 68th was well taken.
Frank Lampard slid into a tackle just inside the area and pushed the ball through to the unmarked Anelka, who chipped it over Robinson as he raced off his line.
Cech rescued Chelsea again by blocking a shot from Jason Roberts, and Robinson pushed a 30m free kick by Lampard on to the bar.
”We had five big chances but Robinson made some fantastic saves,” Scolari said.
Bent scored twice at City of Manchester Stadium after Robinho had fired Man City ahead in the 16th with his seventh goal of the season.
While Tottenham climbed away from last place and left West Brom there, the pressure is now mounting on Man City manager Mark Hughes.
Three losses in a row have sent City, watched from the stands by wealthy Abu Dhabi owner Khaldoon Al Mubarak, into the bottom half of the standings.
The game turned in the 26th when City midfielder Gelson Fernandes was shown a second yellow card for tripping David Bentley. Three minutes later, Bent equalised from Luka Modric’s through ball.
Bent added a second in the 65th from a pass by Jermaine Jenas, and City was reduced to nine men when captain and centre back Richard Dunne was judged to have brought down Bent.
The game finished 10 against nine when Spurs had Benoit Assou-Ekotto sent off for a second yellow.
With so little between the teams in the bottom half of the standings, Fulham climbed out of the relegation zone and up to 10th place by beating Newcastle 2-1.
Andy Johnson gave the Cottagers a 23rd-minute lead. Shola Ameobi leveled in the 57th minute, but Danny Murphy fired the winner from the penalty spot in the 66th minute for his 100th goal in club football.
Trying to impress England coach Fabio Capello after being continually left out of his squads, Michael Owen went on as a second-half substitute but missed an easy chance six metres out, his attempted shot sliding off his boot and almost going backward.
Tuncay Sanli was another player to score twice as Middlesbrough won 2-1 at fifth-place Aston Villa. The Turkey forward gave Boro a 34th-minute lead at Villa Park. After Steve Sidwell had leveled, Tuncay took the ball from the Villa midfielder to hit the winner with two minutes to go.
In Saturday’s other games, Everton won 3-1 at West Ham, Bolton triumphed 1-0 at Hull, Portsmouth captured a 2-1 victory at Sunderland and Wigan and Stoke drew 0-0. – AP