Match Day Eight; Chelsea Go Top After 2-0 Victory Over Liverpool

(Photo by Ian Walton/Getty Images)

Chelsea needed three points in a vital ‘Top Four’ Premiership encounter against Liverpool at Stamford Bridge in West London. Over the 90 minutes, Chelsea dominated play for a 2-0 victory to move the Blues to the top of the table over rival Manchester United. They took advantage of Manchester United only drawing 2-2 at home on Saturday against an emerging Sunderland side.

Nicolas Anelka broke a scoreless deadlock at the hour mark with the winning goal. In injury time, Florent Malouda humbled the visitors with another goal to make it 2-0.

For Liverpool, it was their third loss already this season in just eight games. Liverpool is fifth with 15 points (five wins, three losses). You cannot win the league in October, but you can easily lose it.

Liverpool will need two victories over Manchester United and a victory over Chelsea in the return leg at Anfield in order to have any chance of revitalizing their title hopes.

For Chelsea, it was a spirited performance. Replacing the suspended Petr Cech in goal, Henrique Hilario kept a clean sheet and managed to keep torrid striker Fernando Torres at bay. Torres has eight goals already this season for Liverpool in seven appearances.

Arsenal cruised to a 6-2 demolition of Blackburn Rovers on Sunday in a result that would even humble manager Arsene Wenger, who this week became the longest serving manager in Arsenal’s distinguished history.

Nearly 60,000 at Emirates Stadium in London were treated to a brilliant performance by Cesc Fabregas.

Blackburn stunned the Arsenal supporters with a goal in the fourth minute by Steven N’Zonzi. Blackburn goalkeeper Paul Robinson launched a free-kick into the penalty area, with N’Zonzi opportunistically heading it home after a botched clearance attempt by Arsenal defender Thomas Vermaelen.

Just 13 minutes later, Vermaelen made up for his defensive miscue by equalizing from a Fabregas pass.

Blackburn were back in front in the 31st minute when David Dunn’s effort was deflected off William Gallas and into the net. From that point, however, it was all Arsenal.

The goal glut started just two minutes after Blackburn were in front. Fabregas cleverly picked out Robin van Persie to bring Arsenal back to 2-2. In the 37th minute, Fabregas found Andrei Arshavin to put Arsenal in front at 3-2.

Fabregas opened the scoring account in the second half after two attempts to create goals were denied by the Blackburn defense. Fabregas’ volley from 20 yards screamed into the back of the net to make it 4-2 Arsenal.

Theo Walcott (75th minute) and Nicolas Bendtner (89th minute) capped off the scoring for Arsenal. Fabregas’ day was over in the 78th minute when he was replaced by Aaron Ramsey after scoring a goal and assisting on four others for the Gunners.

Also on Sunday, Everton drew with Stoke City 1-1 while West Ham United and Fulham played to a 2-2 draw at Upton Park.

Stoke City went in front 1-0 in the 50th minute when German defender Robert Huth put the visitors in front before Leon Osman rescued a point for Everton with an equalizer in the 55th minute.

In London, Carlton Cole put West Ham up 1-0 with a goal in the 16th minute. Fulham’s Danny Murphy equalized in the second half from the penalty spot before it appeared Fulham may get all three points on the road when Zoltan Gera scored in the 57th minute for the visitors.

West Ham ensured the home supporters would leave Upton Park with at least a point when Junior Stanislas scored in the 90th minute for the Hammers.

On Saturday, Manchester United needed some of their usual late heroics to ensure it took at least a point from its battle against Sunderland and former United captain Steve Bruce.

Darren Bent silenced the 75,000 at Old Trafford and continued to build on his growing goal tally in the seventh minute to put the away side in front over the club that entered the weekend on top of the table in the Premiership.

Bent—who moved to Sunderland from Tottenham Hotspur over the summer—netted his seventh goal of the season in just eight games.

Dimitar Berbatov gave United life in the second half with his goal just six minutes into the second stanza. But Kenwyne Jones put Sunderland back in front with his effort in the 58th minute.

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