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Last Updated: Feb 18th, 2008 - 14:39:01 |
LONDON (Reuters) - Chelsea moved within touching distance of a second successive Premier League title with an untroubled 2-0 victory at Bolton Wanderers on Saturday.
Goals by England's John Terry and Frank Lampard took Chelsea nine points clear of Manchester United, who were surprisingly held to a goalless home draw by Sunderland on Friday.
Chelsea could secure the title at Stamford Bridge on Monday by beating Everton if United fail to win at Tottenham Hotspur earlier in the day.
Spurs will be desperate for victory after winning 1-0 at Everton on Saturday to remain on course for a fourth-placed finish and a possible Champions League qualifying place.
Chelsea have 85 points, United 76 and Liverpool, who visit Blackburn Rovers on Sunday, are third on 70. Tottenham have 61 with Arsenal on 57 after their 3-1 win at home against West Bromwich Albion. Blackburn have 54.
Portsmouth (32 points) climbed out of the relegation zone after Gary O'Neil earned them a 1-0 home win over Middlesbrough to make it four wins and two draws from their last six games.
Birmingham (29) can swap places again with victory at local rivals Aston Villa on Sunday. Sunderland are relegated and West Bromwich have one point less than Birmingham.
Elsewhere Alan Shearer scored twice as Newcastle United beat Wigan Athletic 3-1, West Ham United handed Manchester City a sixth straight defeat with a 1-0 Upton Park success and Fulham beat Charlton Athletic 2-1.
The day's action began with a lunchtime kickoff at the Reebok Stadium where Chelsea secured the title a year ago.
Bolton's Ricardo Vaz Te hit a post midway through the first half in what turned out to be the only worthwhile goal attempt by a team who have now lost five in a row.
FINAL TOUCH
Chelsea went ahead in the 44th minute when Lampard swung in a free kick and Didier Drogba and John Terry rose unmarked together to meet it, the English defender claiming the final touch.
Lampard doubled the lead on the hour from close range to set a Premier League record of 15 goals from midfield and the champions cruised home.
"We still need four points, the situation is fantastic, but I want people to be happy with the result and the situation but not singing the champion song," Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho told Sky Sports.
"Not yet - football is full of surprises."
Should things not go Chelsea's way on Monday the title could be secured against Manchester United when the top two meet in London on April 29 - a week after the Londoners play Liverpool in the FA Cup semi-finals.
Tottenham, seeking a top-four finish for the first time in 16 years, edged closer to securing it with a deserved success at Goodison Park courtesy of Robbie Keane's 33rd-minute penalty.
They dominated the second half and would have had more but for good goalkeeping by Everton's Richard Wright.
Arsenal, who face Villarreal in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final on Wednesday, had a nervy afternoon at Highbury after Alexandr Hleb's 44th-minute strike.
Nigel Quashie equalised for West Brom in the 72nd only for Robert Pires to restore the Arsenal lead four minutes later and Dennis Bergkamp to cap things off with a classic late curler.
The fourth-placed team will lose the qualifying place in the Champions League if Arsenal win the Champions League and finish outside the top four.
Coming up from the second division are champions Reading and Sheffield United, who beat Cardiff 1-0 on Friday and were guaranteed promotion on Saturday when third-placed Leeds could only draw 1-1 at Reading.
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