Premier League leaders Manchester United piled the pressure on second-placed Liverpool by moving six points clear at the top with a 2-0 win away to relegation-threatened Middlesbrough on Saturday.
Goals either side of half-time from Ryan Giggs and Park Ji-Sung ensured an easy win for Alex Ferguson’s reigning champions at the Riverside Stadium.
Liverpool will narrow the gap to three points again if they beat another relegation candidate in Newcastle on Sunday but, whatever the result at Anfield, they will still have played one game more than United.
Defeat left Middlesbrough second bottom in the table and still three points short of safety.
”It was a very good performance in the sense that they all worked their socks off,” said Ferguson, whose side are bidding to equal Liverpool’s record of 18 English titles.
Chelsea, at full strength ahead of the second leg of their Champions League semifinal second leg against Barcelona, moved level on points with Liverpool after a 3-1 home win in the west London derby against Fulham, the first three goals coming in the opening 10 minutes.
The match at Stamford Bridge was not yet 60 seconds old when Nicolas Anelka scored after Florent Malouda’s cross was held up by Didier Drogba.
But Chelsea’s lead lasted just three minutes before Erik Nevland unleashed a shot which Petr Cech got a hand to but could not keep out.
Fulham, the surprise package of the Premier League season, were behind again in the 10th minute when John Pantsil was unable to cut out Drogba’s cross and Malouda scored at the back post.
Drogba got on the scoresheet early in the second-half after strike partner Anelka returned the Ivorian’s earlier favour.
”I was happy with the result but we had too many moments in this game when we were a little bit sloppy,” said Chelsea manager Guus Hiddink.
Elsewhere Arsenal’s 3-0 win away to Portsmouth at Fratton Park ensured the ”Big Four” — United, Liverpool, Chelsea and the Gunners — would all look down on the rest of the table come the end of the season.
Victory left fourth-placed Arsenal 13 points clear of Aston Villa with only a maximum of 12 available to the Midlands club, who play Hull on Monday.
The Gunners, much changed ahead of the second leg of their Champions League clash with holders United, were helped on their way when England goalkeeper David James made his latest high-profile mistake by letting Nicklas Bendtner’s weak header slip through his fingers.
Danish striker Bendtner made it 2-0 four minutes before half-time from the penalty spot following a disputed foul by Sean Davis on Andrey Arshavin.
Pompey were punished for missing chances early in the second-half when Carlos Vela added a third Arsenal goal and the hosts then saw Noe Pamarot sent-off for a foul on Arshavin.
”I wanted to give a breather to some of the players,” said Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger. ”We dominated the first-half and created plenty of chances through our movement and technical quality.
”We were sharp, composed and mobile with a great attitude.”
Pompey boss Paul Hart was not too downcast, saying: ”The teams around us lost, so today it has not made that much difference to us.
”I know other teams have some difficult fixtures, so if we can get one more win, life will be easier for us.”
Manchester City left Blackburn Rovers nervously looking over their shoulders after a 3-1 win at Eastlands where South American trio Felipe Caicedo, Robinho and Elano all scored before the break.
Caicedo sent City on their way from the edge of the six-yard box before Robinho added a second with a shot that gave keeper Paul Robinson no chance.
Elano made it 3-0 from the penalty spot after handball in the box before Rovers pulled one back through Keith Andrews.
Blackburn next play Portsmouth in a match where the winners will all but guarantee their top-flight survival and Rovers boss Sam Allaryce said: ”We want to make sure we get three points next week.
If we do that it will be in the bag and we won’t have to rely on what other people do.”
Elsewhere, Tottenham beat bottom-of-the-table West Brom 1-0 thanks to Jermaine Jenas’s 25-yard curling shot while Diego Tristan’s free-kick from a similar distance gave European contenders West Ham a 1-0 win away to Stoke.
”Nine points [out of the last three games] will give us 37 — it’s a huge ask, but we’re more than capable of doing it, starting against Wigan next week,” said West Brom manager Tony Mowbray.
Wigan and Bolton played out a goalless draw.
Everton will leapfrog Villa into fifth if they beat Sunderland on Sunday. – AFP
