Liverpool defeated Chelsea 2-0 in the Premier League for the first time in two-and-a-half years.
Dirk Kuyt headed a flick on from Peter Crouch past Chelsea defender Paulo Ferreira inside the area and shot past goalkeeper Petr Cech in the fourth minute.
It was Cech's first game since he suffered a depressed skull fracture against Reading on Oct. 14 and the Czech Republic international wore a special helmet to protect his head.
PHOTO: EPA
Jermaine Pennant then scored his first Liverpool goal to make it 2-0 in the 18th.
Chelsea stayed second with 51 points, with Liverpool third with 46.
Aston Villa 2, Watford 0
Aston Villa scored twice in the last four minutes to beat last-place Watford.
Watford defender Gavin Mahon scored an own-goal in the 86th before Villa striker Gabriel Agbonlahor made it 2-0 in the 90th with his sixth goal of the season.
It was Villa's first win in 12 league games, moving the team up one place to 14th.
Fulham 1, Tottenham 1
Pascal Chimbonda scored an 88th-minute equalizer for Tottenham to draw 1-1 at Fulham, which lost Heider Helguson in the 53rd minute to a second yellow card.
Vincenzo Montella had put Fulham ahead in the 84th with a penalty after Spurs defender Michael Dawson handled a shot from Brian McBride on the edge of the area.
Middlesbrough 5, Bolton 1
Stewart Downing played a part in Middlesbrough's first three goals, then scored the fourth.
Downing's free kick was headed onto the post by Abel Xavier and the rebound hit the leg of Bolton defender Gary Speed and went into his own net after six minutes.
Downing then set up Xavier to score in the 10th and Mark Viduka in the 23rd. Bolton pulled a goal back in the 25th through Kevin Nolan before Downing got on the scoresheet in the 43rd.
Bolton lost striker El Hadji Diouf to a red card in the 66th after he swore at referee Alan Wiley.
Viduka added his second in the 84th.
Newcastle 2, West Ham 2
Carlton Cole scored in the 18th minute, with Marlon Harewood adding West Ham's second four minutes later.
Newcastle, which was defeated 5-1 by Birmingham in a third-round FA Cup replay on Wednesday, rallied with a first half injury-time goal from James Milner.
Nolberto Solano converted a 53rd-minute penalty to make it 2-2, earned when a free kick from Milner was blocked by the arm of West Ham's Luis Boa Morte.
Portsmouth 0, Charlton 1
Former Portsmouth midfielder Amady Faye scored a 79th-minute winner for Charlton.
Andy Cole nearly leveled for Portmouth but was denied by Charlton goalkeeper Scott Carson.
It was Portsmouth's second defeat in 11 matches and it was only the second time this season that Pompey had failed to score at home.
Reading 3, Sheffield United 1
Shane Long scored his first Premier League goal in the 44th minute, scoring from a rebound after the ball had hit the legs of Reading teammate Steve Sidwell.
Reading went 2-0 up in the 50th minute through Ulises de la Cruz.
Five minutes later, Sheffield United midfielder Keith Gillespie was sent off soon after coming on as a substitute for hitting Stephen Hunt in the face.
Hunt scored in the 70th minute.
Manchester City 0, Blackburn 3
Morten Gamst Pedersen scored twice for Blackburn in a 3-1 win at Manchester City.
David Bentley crossed for Pedersen to score his first in the 44th minute with a header.
Pedersen's second was a curling 22m free kick in the 62nd. Blackburn goalkeeper Brad Friedel made a late save to stop Darius Vassell from scoring, after the Man City striker had taken a cross from substitute DaMarcus Beasley.
Matt Derbyshire added Blackburn's third in the 90th minute.
OUT AGAINST INDONESIA: Taiwan reached the semi-finals at the tournament for the first time by defeating Denmark, with Chou Tien-chen beating Viktor Axelsen Taiwan yesterday crashed out of the Thomas Cup team competition in Chengdu, China, but achieved their best result at the top-tier badminton event by reaching the semi-finals. Indonesia were too good in the semis, winning 3-0 to advance to today’s final against China, who eliminated Malaysia 3-1. In the opening singles of the men’s team clash at the Hi-Tech Zone Sports Center Gymnasium 2, Anthony Ginting defeated Taiwan’s Chou Tien-chen 21-18, 21-19 in 51 minutes, which put a huge hole in Taiwan’s aspirations to perhaps even make the final. In the men’s doubles, Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Ardianto downed Lee Yang and Wang
NO DOUBT: Spurs star Wembanyama was unanimously selected as NBA Rookie of the Year, winning all 99 votes to become the first Frenchman to capture the honor The Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night produced a dominant defensive display to seize a commanding 2-0 lead in their best-of-seven playoff series against the Denver Nuggets with a 106-80 road victory. The third-seeded Timberwolves harassed Denver relentlessly to claim a second straight win over the NBA champions as the series heads back to Minneapolis for Game 3 on Friday. Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards scored 27 points apiece, but the star of the show was Minnesota’s suffocating defensive effort, which knocked Denver out of their stride almost from the tip-off. The Timberwolves finished with 11 steals and 12 blocks, in sharp contrast to
Top-ranked Iga Swiatek on Saturday came through “the most intense and crazy final” she has ever contested to avenge her loss to Aryna Sabalenka in last year’s Madrid Open final with a grueling three hour, 11 minute victory in the Spanish capital. Coming back from 1-3 down in the decider and saving three match points in total, Swiatek claimed a 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (9/7) victory to secure the Madrid Open trophy for the first time. “Well, who is going to say now that women’s tennis is boring, right?” Swiatek said. Swiatek, who picked up the 20th title of her career, and ninth at
One of Malaysia’s top soccer clubs has pulled out of today’s season-opening Charity Shield after a spate of assaults, including an acid attack, on players in the country. It leaves the kickoff of Malaysia’s season this weekend under a cloud following the unprecedented acts of violence against players, which have left the country shocked and angry. Authorities said they have imposed tighter security, but Selangor said that they would not play in the showpiece curtain-raiser against Malaysian Super League champions Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) citing “a series of criminal incidents and recent threats.” Selangor and Malaysia winger Faisal Halim is in intensive care