Roman Pavlyuchenko’s stoppage-time winner knocked Liverpool off top spot in the Premier League as Tottenham Hotspur continued their unbeaten run under Harry Redknapp with a 2-1 victory.
The dramatic win, which saw Spurs climb off the bottom of the table, ended Liverpool’s unbeaten start to the season and left Chelsea on top on goal difference after they thrashed Sunderland 5-0 earlier on Saturday.
Dirk Kuyt fired Liverpool into a third minute lead at White Hart Lane. The visitors then spurned numerous chances to double their advantage, hitting the woodwork three times.
PHOTO: AP
They were made to pay 20 minutes from time when Spurs levelled after Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher headed a David Bentley corner into his own net under pressure from Ledley King.
And just when a draw seemed assured, Russia striker Pavlyuchenko, on as a substitute, turned in Darren Bent’s cross from close range.
“You need a bit of luck,” Redknapp admitted. “They closed down the space so well we really couldn’t get out. So we changed it in the second half and stuck two up there.”
Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez was left rueing his team’s failure to score a second goal.
“We were controlling the game and created enough chances to win it. We hit the bar and post twice but we still should have finished the game off.”
Elsewhere Cristiano Ronaldo’s two goals helped champions Manchester United leapfrog Hull City and go into third place but only after they held on for a 4-3 win over the top-flight new boys at Old Trafford.
Nicolas Anelka scored his first Chelsea hat-trick as Sunderland were put to the sword at Stamford Bridge.
Arsenal’s title hopes suffered a major setback against another promoted team as they lost 2-1 away to Stoke City, in a match where several players were injured and Robin van Persie red-carded.
Long throws from Rory Delap set up both Stoke’s goals and Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said: “It is not our greatest strength to deal with that and we were punished.
“We have very bad injuries with [Emmanuel] Adebayor, [Theo] Walcott and [Bacary] Sagna. At this stage, we don’t know how long they will be out.”
A third league defeat this season left Arsenal six points behind Chelsea. West Brom came from a goal behind against Blackburn Rovers, a man down for more than an hour after South African goalscorer Benni McCarthy was sent-off, in a 2-2 draw at The Hawthorns.
Wigan ended a run of four straight defeats with a 2-1 win against Portsmouth. West Ham, who’d also lost four in a row, drew 1-1 away to Middlesbrough. Everton won in the league for the first time this season at Goodison Park with a 1-0 victory over Fulham where striker Louis Saha scored against his old club.
After Alex put Chelsea in front at Stamford Bridge, Anelka scored twice before half-time.
Frank Lampard scored the 100th league goal of his career before Anelka completed his first hat-trick in English football for over five years since netting a treble for Manchester City.
At Old Trafford, Ronaldo fired United into a third minute lead. But Hull equalized in the 23rd minute when Daniel Cousin headed in Andy Dawson’s free-kick.
Minutes later though, United were ahead again through Michael Carrick.
Portugal winger Ronaldo then scored his fourth goal in two games to make it 3-1 when he headed in from a corner before defender Nemanja Vidic volleyed in a Wayne Rooney corner.
Hull, however, hit back with Bernard Mendy’s goal and Geovanni’s penalty eight minutes from time setting up a grandstand finish.
Ricardo Fuller (11th minute) and Seye Olofinjana (73rd minute) got on the end of Delap throws to put Stoke 2-0 up before Gael Clichy pulled a late goal back for Arsenal.
West Ham midfielder Hayden Mullins scored his first league goal in nearly two years in the 21st minute at the Riverside but Boro equalized through Egypt forward Mido seven minutes from time.
Pompey’s Papa Bouba Diop gave away a penalty and Egypt striker Amir Zaky put Wigan ahead at Fratton Park.
Pompey hit the woodwork four times before Niko Kranjcar equalised in the 82nd minute only for England striker Emile Heskey to give Wigan all three points with the 100th Premier League goal of his career.
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