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Lampard lifts Chelsea, Gunners held
Source: Agencies |
December 18, 2009, Friday
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FRANK Lampard scored from the penalty spot as Chelsea restored its three-point lead in the Premier League with an unconvincing 2-1 home win against bottom club Portsmouth on Wednesday.
Champion Manchester United had pulled level on points after beating a second-tier Wolverhampton Wanderers 3-0 on Tuesday.
Arsenal failed to match the pace, held 1-1 by a spirited Burnley at a rain-lashed Turf Moor to move ahead of Aston Villa on goal difference in third place with a game in hand but eight points off the lead.
Liverpool, marking the 50th anniversary of the late Bill Shankly taking over as the club's manager, grabbed a morale-boosting 2-1 win over Wigan Athletic to move ahead of Manchester City into sixth place. Chelsea has 40 points, United 37 and Arsenal 32.
"It was hard work," Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti said. "After four games without victory ... we didn't have confidence. We did a good job, not a beautiful job but a hard job and this is important."
Chelsea, without injured top scorer Didier Drogba, dominated against opponent led by its own former manager Avram Grant, who was given a warm welcome by the home fans.
Nicolas Anelka put the Blues ahead in the 23rd minute in his 100th appearance for the club, slotting the ball into the bottom right corner past keeper Asmir Begovic who started for the unwell David James.
Portsmouth refused to give in and was rewarded six minutes after the break when Jamie O'Hara's free-kick hit the wall and fell for Frederic Piquionne to smash the equalizer into the roof of the net.
With Chelsea in danger of squandering a golden opportunity, Lampard stepped up to lash home the 79th-minute penalty on his 300th league appearance for Chelsea.
Arsenal took the lead against the run of play with Cesc Fabregas, who limped off injured just before half-time, scoring with ease in the seventh minute after atrocious defending.
Andrei Arshavin hit the post before Burnley hit back when Graham Alexander scored from the penalty spot in the 28th minute after Thomas Vermaelen downed Cameroon midfielder Andre Bikey.
"I am disappointed with the point," said Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger. "It was a Cup game and the pitch was very difficult tonight."
At Anfield, David Ngog broke the ice for Liverpool in the ninth minute and Fernando Torres came off the bench to make it 2-0 before Charles N'Zogbia netted in injury time for Wigan. Manchester City crashed 0-3 at fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur, the ambitious northerners suffering only their second league defeat of the season after drawing eight of their last 10 games.
Spurs dominated the match with Niko Kranjcar scoring in each half and Jermain Defoe providing the other.
Champion Manchester United had pulled level on points after beating a second-tier Wolverhampton Wanderers 3-0 on Tuesday.
Arsenal failed to match the pace, held 1-1 by a spirited Burnley at a rain-lashed Turf Moor to move ahead of Aston Villa on goal difference in third place with a game in hand but eight points off the lead.
Liverpool, marking the 50th anniversary of the late Bill Shankly taking over as the club's manager, grabbed a morale-boosting 2-1 win over Wigan Athletic to move ahead of Manchester City into sixth place. Chelsea has 40 points, United 37 and Arsenal 32.
"It was hard work," Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti said. "After four games without victory ... we didn't have confidence. We did a good job, not a beautiful job but a hard job and this is important."
Chelsea, without injured top scorer Didier Drogba, dominated against opponent led by its own former manager Avram Grant, who was given a warm welcome by the home fans.
Nicolas Anelka put the Blues ahead in the 23rd minute in his 100th appearance for the club, slotting the ball into the bottom right corner past keeper Asmir Begovic who started for the unwell David James.
Portsmouth refused to give in and was rewarded six minutes after the break when Jamie O'Hara's free-kick hit the wall and fell for Frederic Piquionne to smash the equalizer into the roof of the net.
With Chelsea in danger of squandering a golden opportunity, Lampard stepped up to lash home the 79th-minute penalty on his 300th league appearance for Chelsea.
Arsenal took the lead against the run of play with Cesc Fabregas, who limped off injured just before half-time, scoring with ease in the seventh minute after atrocious defending.
Andrei Arshavin hit the post before Burnley hit back when Graham Alexander scored from the penalty spot in the 28th minute after Thomas Vermaelen downed Cameroon midfielder Andre Bikey.
"I am disappointed with the point," said Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger. "It was a Cup game and the pitch was very difficult tonight."
At Anfield, David Ngog broke the ice for Liverpool in the ninth minute and Fernando Torres came off the bench to make it 2-0 before Charles N'Zogbia netted in injury time for Wigan. Manchester City crashed 0-3 at fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur, the ambitious northerners suffering only their second league defeat of the season after drawing eight of their last 10 games.
Spurs dominated the match with Niko Kranjcar scoring in each half and Jermain Defoe providing the other.
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