Chelsea beat Arsenal 2-0 on Sunday to stay ahead of Manchester United in the race for the Premier League title.
Didier Drogba scored twice in the first 23 minutes to establish a dominance that Arsenal were unable to overturn, despite an improved second-half performance.
“Arsenal played well and we are happy with those two goals,” Drogba said.
PHOTO: AFP
Victory lifted the Blues to 58 points, two more than defending champions United and nine more than third-placed Arsenal.
After losing 3-1 to United last weekend, Arsenal were desperate for victory at Stamford Bridge, but now face a tough challenge to close on the leading pair with just 13 games remaining.
Chelsea captain John Terry started the game two days after being stripped of the England captaincy and he set up the first goal in the eighth minute.
“It’s a difficult week for us, for all the club,” Drogba said. “We try to stay together and focus on the games. We offered him as much support as we can. I think the best thing for him is to play.”
The defender could be a doubt for Wednesday’s match at Everton, however, after receiving treatment to his left thigh midway through the second half, only returning to the game with his leg heavily strapped.
Terry made the opening goal when he rose to meet a corner and headed the ball to the far post, where Drogba tapped in from close range.
The second goal came from the sort of counterattack more usually seen from Arsenal or Manchester United.
Chelsea won possession on the edge of their own area and Frank Lampard carried the ball up the middle of the field against a retreating defense. The midfielder slipped a pass to Drogba on the right and the Ivory Coast striker cut inside defender Thomas Vermaelen, before smashing a shot past stranded goalkeeper Manuel Almunia.
Drogba now has 17 Premier League goals this season, putting him second in the scoring charts to United’s Wayne Rooney.
Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas went close with a curling free-kick from just outside the area, but he too was shaken by a clash of heads with Branislav Ivanovic in stoppage-time at the end of the match.
Arsenal host fourth-placed Liverpool on Wednesday.
Also on Sunday, former England striker Kevin Phillips scored twice in the last 10 minutes to give Birmingham City a 2-1 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers and preserve his side’s five-month unbeaten streak at home.
Wolves were leading through Kevin Doyle’s 42nd-minute shot from a rebound until the 36-year-old Phillips, who had been on as a substitute for about 15 minutes, scored in the 80th minute with a first-time shot.
Phillips then controlled a cross from captain Stephen Carr on his chest and volleyed into the bottom corner for an 85th-minute winner.
“Kevin will never lose that ability he has got in the box,” Birmingham manager Alex McLeish said. “He might lose his teeth, he might go bald and his legs will go at some stage, but he will always have that magnificent technique and touch of a top player.”
Birmingham’s first win in three matches lifted them to 37 points in eighth place, 11 spots ahead of a Wolves side that has won away from home only twice in the league this season.
Also See: LEGA CAICIO : Inter crush Cagliari, AC Milan held
English Premier League
Team | P | GD | PTS | |
1 | Chelsea | 25 | 40 | 58 |
2 | Manchester United | 25 | 41 | 56 |
3 | Arsenal | 25 | 30 | 49 |
4 | Liverpool | 25 | 17 | 44 |
5 | Tottenham Hotspur | 25 | 20 | 43 |
6 | Manchester City | 23 | 13 | 41 |
7 | Aston Villa | 24 | 13 | 41 |
8 | Birmingham City | 24 | 0 | 37 |
9 | Everton | 24 | -2 | 32 |
10 | Fulham | 25 | -1 | 31 |
11 | Stoke City | 23 | -4 | 29 |
12 | Blackburn Rovers | 25 | -18 | 28 |
13 | Sunderland | 24 | -10 | 25 |
14 | Hull City | 25 | -25 | 24 |
15 | Burnley | 24 | -22 | 23 |
16 | Wigan Athletic | 23 | -23 | 23 |
17 | Bolton Wanderers | 23 | -15 | 22 |
18 | West Ham United | 24 | -10 | 21 |
19 | Wolverhampton | 24 | -22 | 21 |
20 | Portsmouth | 24 | -22 | 15 |
Taiwan’s top women’s badminton doubles duo, Hsieh Pei-shan (謝沛珊) and Hung En-tzu (洪恩慈), achieved a straight-sets victory over Japan’s Kaho Osawa and Mayui Tanabe at the Badminton World Federation (BWF) Super 300 Macau Open on Sunday. The Taiwanese pair won the final 21-18, 21-12, marking the duo’s second title this year after their win at the BWF Super 300 Taipei Open in May. The match on Sunday was their first encounter with the Japanese duo, ranked No. 63 in the world. Hsieh and Hung, ranked No. 12, began the opening game well. Hung, who plays left-handed, performed strongly at both the net and the
Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko upset top-seeded Coco Gauff 6-1, 6-4 on Saturday night to reach the National Bank Open quarter-finals. “Your support was incredible,” Mboko told the crowd in French after a chorus of “Ole, Ole, Ole” chants echoed around the venue. “I’m really happy to win today ... It’s incredible. I’m so happy to beat such a great champion.” Gauff dropped to 2-3 since winning the French Open. She followed the major victory with opening losses in Berlin and Wimbledon, then overcame double-fault problems to win two three-set matches in Montreal. Gauff had five double-faults on Saturday after having 23 in
Jobe Bellingham on Tuesday admitted to having “anxieties” on following in brother Jude’s footsteps after joining Borussia Dortmund in the summer. Jobe Bellingham, 19, is two years younger than Jude Bellingham, who joined Real Madrid in 2023 after three years at Dortmund. A centerpiece of the England national team, Jude Bellingham has emerged as one of the best players in the world in recent seasons. The younger Jobe Bellingham joined Dortmund in June from Sunderland after their promotion to the English Premier League. He admitted he understood what the perception would be ahead of the move to Germany. “It’s something you do think about.
Before Tuesday’s 7-2 win at the Atlanta Braves, Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy suggested “most people couldn’t tell you five players on our team.” A look at the standings would indicate more Brewers players soon will be recognized by more fans. After all, it is difficult to overlook a team that not only continues to extend their lead in the National League Central, but also boasts the best record in the majors. “What we’re doing in here right now is special,” right-handed pitcher Freddy Peralta said after allowing only four hits and one run in five innings, while setting a career high with
RSS