Chelsea defeated Blackburn 4-2 on Saturday to extend its unbeaten streak in the English Premier League to 40 matches, while Arsenal rallied to draw 1-1 with north London rival Tottenham.
Manchester United fell further off the pace when it crashed to a 4-1 defeat to Middlesbrough.
"We've got to enjoy this," said Middlesbrough manager Steve McClaren , a former assistant to his Manchester United counterpart, Alex Ferguson.
PHOTO: AP
"Moments like this don't come along too often and the players deserve it -- they were fantastic today."
Wigan beat Fulham 1-0 to continue its surprising run in its debut season in the Premier League. Its sixth consecutive win -- from Pascal Chimbonda's 90th-minute goal -- lifted it to second in the standings.
In other matches, it was, Birmingham 0, Everton 1; Charlton 0, Bolton 1; Liverpool 2, West Ham 0; and Sunderland 1, Portsmouth 4.
Chelsea's nine-match winning streak ended last Sunday with a 1-1 draw against Everton. Three days later, the Blues were eliminated from the League Cup competition they won last season, on penalties to Charlton.
Chelsea has 31 points, followed by Wigan with 22, Tottenham with 20 and Charlton with 19. Traditional title contenders are further back. Manchester United is sixth with 18 points, Arsenal is a position and a point further back, while Liverpool is 12th with 13 points.
Chelsea let a 2-0 lead become 2-2 by halftime at Stamford Bridge.
Didier Drogba headed a goal after 10 minutes, with Frank Lampard netting a 14th-minute penalty after John Terry was fouled by Blackburn captain Andy Todd.
Craig Bellamy brought Blackburn back to 2-2.
He converted an 18th-minute penalty -- earned when Zurab Khizanishvili was brought down by Ricardo Carvalho -- and netted his second in the 44th after an error by Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech.
Blackburn manager Mark Hughes was sent into the stands by referee Mike Riley when he kicked a physiotherapist's bag on the touchline in frustration.
Lampard's second goal, through a free kick in the 62nd, restored Chelsea's lead and Joe Cole extended it in the 74th.
Lampard has now scored 100 league goals and is three games short of breaking David James' record of playing 159 consecutive games in the top flight.
"I don't see how he can improve, because for me he is the best player in the world at the moment," Mourinho said of Lampard. "I would not change him for another player because he does everything."
Middlesbrough had a 3-0 lead by halftime. Gaizka Mendieta scored after two minutes, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink scored after 25 and Aiyegbeni Yakubu converted a penalty at halftime, earned when Kieran Richardson pulled back Stuart Parnaby. Mendieta's second was scored in the 78th.
United pulled a goal back from a Cristiano Ronaldo header in the second-half injury time -- the club's 1,000th Premier League goal.
At White Hart Lane, Tottenham, which hasn't beaten Arsenal in six years, had the better chances.
Spurs took the lead in the 17th when Ledley King headed in a free kick from Michael Carrick.
Spurs missed several chances to increase their lead -- Carrick shot wide, Jermaine Jenas' drive needed a diving save from Arsenal goalkeeper Jens Lehmann and Jermain Defoe was denied by the Lehmann's outstretched leg.
Robert Pires, who came on as a halftime substitute, leveled for Arsenal in the 77th, from a free kick by Dennis Bergkamp.
"It must be a long time since Arsenal were happy to end a game with a draw," Tottenham manager Martin Jol said.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said: "Tottenham had a good first half, but we had a good reaction after halftime. If we hadn't responded like that it would have disastrous for our entire season."
West Ham hasn't won at Anfield since 1963. Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez was happy his team has started to score -- it's now scored seven goals from nine league matches, compared to Chelsea's 28.
"We looked organized, compact in defense and scored two good goals," Benitez said. "People said we needed to score and we managed that ... I think we did all the things people are asking of us."
On Sunday, West Bromwich Albion plays Newcastle, and on Monday, Manchester City hosts Aston Villa.
In the Football League Championship, Sheffield United maintained its lead despite a 0-0 draw with Cardiff. Second-place Reading is three points behind after a 1-1 draw with Leeds. Third-place Luton lost 1-0 to Coventry.
Ten-man Hearts lost its first match of the season, falling 2-0 to Edinburgh rival Hibernian.
Hibs moved up to third, four points off leader Hearts and one behind second-place Celtic. The loss ended Hearts' 12-match unbeaten run.
Hearts had striker Edgaras Jankauskas sent off in the 62nd minute for pushing Hibs midfielder Scott Brown to the ground. Guillaume Beuzelin scored in the 78th and Garry O'Connor added another two minutes later.
Defending champion Rangers drew 1-1 at home to Inverness Caledonian Thistle to be 10 points behind Hearts, putting pressure on manager Alex McLeish.
Craig Dargo gave Caledonian the lead with a volleyed goal in the 26th, then Steven Thompson equalized in the 54th.
Celtic can take the standings lead today if it wins at Dundee United.
In other matches, it was, Dunfermline 0, Motherwell 3; Falkirk 1, Livingston 1; and Kilmarnock 4, Aberdeen 2.
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