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Chelsea defeat United to take control of Premiership race

03 April 2010 22:40 (UTC +04:00)

Baku â€“ APA. Chelsea defeated title rivals Manchester United 2-1 on Saturday to move two points clear at the top of the Premier League while Arsenal stayed in the hunt with a last-gasp win over Wolves, APA reports quoting AFP.
Carlo Ancelotti’s side took the lead at Old Trafford through Joe Cole’s flick in the 20th minute and Didier Drogba came off the bench to increase Chelsea’s advantage from what looked an offside position in the 79th minute.
Federico Macheda got one back for United two minutes later but the Blues held on for a victory which puts them in pole position to win the title with both teams having just five games left to play.
Ancelotti said: "We wanted to be top after this match. It was hard but we played really well.
"Now we are the favourites. That’s normal when we are back at the top of the league but nothing is decided."
Ferguson added: "Five games left, they’re two points ahead and four goals better than us - they’re in the driving seat.
"Chelsea are favourites now, there’s no question. I’m certain we’ll respond but we could win the next five games and not win the title."
Chelsea took the lead in the 20th minute when Cole cleverly back-flicked Florent Malouda’s cross past Edwin van der Sar from close-range.
Drogba came off the bench to increase Chelsea’s lead in controversial circumstances in the 79th minute when the Ivory Coast striker slammed home Salomon Kalou’s pass even though replays showed he was offside.
United, without injured star Wayne Rooney, got one back two minutes later as Macheda deflected the ball past Petr Cech despite Chelsea appeals for handball.
Arsenal closed the gap on the leaders to three points as Nicklas Bendtner’s late goal clinched a 1-0 win over 10-man Wolves at the Emirates Stadium.
Gunners boss Arsene Wenger, stripped of injury victims Cesc Fabregas, William Gallas and Andrey Arshavin, made seven changes from the team that battled back to draw with Barcelona on Wednesday and his stand-ins got the job done in dramatic fashion.
After a dour first half, Wolves captain Karl Henry was shown a straight red card in the 65th minute for a lunge on Tomas Rosicky.
That proved the turning point as Bendtner headed the winner in stoppage time from Bacary Sagna’s cross.
Darren Bent missed two penalties but still made his point to Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp as the Sunderland striker’s double clinched a 3-1 win at the Stadium of Light that dented his old club’s push to finish fourth.
Redknapp once claimed even his wife would have taken a chance missed by Bent during his time at Spurs, but the England international got his revenge as he took just 36 seconds to get on the scoresheet with a close-range finish.
Bent added his second goal in the 29th minute as he converted a penalty after Spurs defender Kyle Walker handled.
Bent should have had a hat-trick before half-time but saw another penalty saved by Heurelho Gomes.
Incredibly Bent missed from spot again after the break as he hit a post after Wilson Palacios chopped down David Meyler.
Peter Crouch reduced the deficit with a 72nd minute header but Bolo Zenden’s volley clinched the points for Sunderland in the 86th minute.
Aston Villa bounced back from their 7-1 defeat at Chelsea with a 1-0 win at Bolton.
Martin O’Neill’s team moved within four points of fourth placed Tottenham thanks to Ashley Young’s curling effort in the 11th minute.
Stoke pushed Hull deeper into trouble with a 2-0 win at the Britannia Stadium.
Ricardo Fuller scored after six minutes as he collected Dave Kitson’s header and flicked a fine finish past Boaz Myhill.
Hull lost midfielder George Boateng after he was kicked in the head by Tuncay Sanli, leaving Iain Dowie’s strugglers to play out the match with 10 men as they had already used all their substitutes.
Liam Lawrence confirmed Stoke’s win when he fired home in the 90th minute.
Ten-man Portsmouth held on for a 0-0 draw at home to Blackburn.
Pompey defender Anthony Van den Borre was sent off in the second half after his handball earned a second yellow card, but Avram Grant’s bottom of the table side refused to cave in and frustrated Rovers.