Victory for Liverpool maintains their No.1 spot in the league

Liverpool survived a scare of a draw and made a rather overwhelming victory over Blackburn rowers on saturday. There were no goals for 69 minutes at Anfield then suddenly liverpool managed 3 goals and Blackburn with 1.Nemanja Vidic scored in injury time to give Manchester United a 1-0 win over Sunderland and stay third ahead of Arsenal, which edged Wigan by the same score.Chelsea cruised after getting early goals from Nicolas Anelka and Deco.The Man Utd story
Emotional homecomings were never really Roy Keane's forte. Not when the alternative was a brooding absence. As some 75,000 assembled, granting him a valedictory chorus of "Keano" in their mutual mourning, the man himself was elsewhere. Yet, such is Keane's dominant persona, a match can be about him, even without him. And this, indeed, took place without a manager on the touchline. With Sir Alex Ferguson serving a suspension and in the stands, the teams in the technical area were headed by Mike Phelan and Ricky Sbragia, two men unencumbered by worldwide renown. The battle of the understudies almost finished equal, Nemanja Vidic denying Sunderland's caretaker manager a point with an injury-time winner. United salvaged victory in unlikely fashion. Throwing a defender into attack can appear a desperate tactic, but it was the reason why Vidic was to be found unmarked eight yards out to roll in the rebound after Carrick's long-range shot struck the post.

"We put Nemanja Vidic up the pitch and left Rio [Ferdinand] to play one on one with Kenwyne Jones," explained Ferguson. "We had complete control. We just needed height in the penalty box. We deserved to win the match. It was hard work. It is difficult to break down a team as defensive as that."

The blues, and the 'other'Reds

Quite simply, Wigan will always be a rugby league town and nothing Bruce or his team does will change that, yet those wearing the blue and white stripes every week are doing a fine job of enhancing their own reputations at a club where expectation is a word rarely muttered.

However, when your side features the defensive talents of Titus Bramble, limited ambition is justified. Poor old Titus has been on the receiving end of some horrendous stick down the years, so we will say that his mis-kicked clearance 16 minutes into this game was 'unfortunate'. In truth, it was another Bramble cock-up and Emmanuel Adebayor was on hand to pick up the pieces and open the scoring.

The opening goal should have been the spark to ignite Arsenal, but it was Wigan who dominated the rest of the first half as they targeted the Gunners' long-standing difficulties against set-plays. Cross after cross peppered Manuel Almunia's goal before the break and a defence with Johan Djourou at the heart rarely looked comfortable.

Liverpool, though, almost took the lead in their first attack after 19 minutes following superb vision from Kuyt.

He released Benayoun with a marvellous through ball but it was taken off his toes by Stephen Warnock as he shaped to shoot.

It was little wonder the Blackburn full-back got a pat on the back from goalkeeper Paul Robinson for a crucial tackle.

Blackburn hit back and almost stunned Liverpool in the 29th minute when Gerrard lost possession to Pedersen.

The Norway midfielder raced on and rattled in a 25-yard shot but Reina reacted superbly to push it onto the bar.

Pedersen could hardly believe his eyes - and it was a narrow escape for Liverpool.

The visitors were again forced on the back foot in the 39th minute and Reina showed good reflexes to push Pedersen's free-kick from distance around the post.

Liverpool responded and Gerrard tried to pick out Kuyt but Robinson was alert to the danger and made the save.

Rafael Benitez's side were beginning to dictate the pace and two minutes later Alonso fired in a shot from inside the six-yard area.

But Robinson stood tall to make the block and keep Blackburn on level terms.

Liverpool then won a free-kick after Warnock's challenge on Babel and there was keen anticipation from the visiting fans.

But Gerrard only succeeded in sending his effort from 25 yards high into the stand.

Gerrard was then denied by Robinson in the 61st minute when the goalkeeper made a splendid parry and Benayoun was unable to make the rebound count.

Liverpool went ahead in the 68th minute when Gerrard delivered a cross from the right. Kuyt took a swipe at it and in the process released Alonso, who beat Robinson with a weak low shot he probably should have saved.

This was a worrying spell for a Blackburn side who had all but forgotten what it was like to win a league match.

Liverpool extended their lead with that marvellous solo effort from Benayoun.

He latched on to ball over the top from Kuyt and skipped away from Warnock before rifling a shot into the corner.

Blackburn secured a consolation goal in the 86th minute with a Santa Cruz header but Gerrard had the final word in stoppage time after substitute Albert Riera laid the ball into his path with Robinson marooned.


On his old Bolton stamping ground 11 months after a £15million move, a diving header from Anelka gave the Blues an 11th consecutive away win in the league, with eight this season.

Deco's sumptuous scissor-kick 12 minutes later sealed the victory as Chelsea eclipsed the mark set 48 years ago by Bill Nicholson's Tottenham side.

With leaders Liverpool winning at Blackburn, the win keeps Chelsea hot on the heels of the Merseyside club at the top of the table.

In fairness, the first half was all too easy for Chelsea once Anelka set them on their way.

But shortly before that there was one a chance for Bolton that would undoubtedly have put a different complexion on the game.

Despite Chelsea's frightening away record coming into this game, and their dominance over Bolton as they have now won their last six at the Reebok Stadium without conceding a goal, the home side came into the match on a roll themselves with four wins in five games.

Salomon Kalou had cleared the crossbar by inches with a deft flick with the outside of his right foot from the edge of the area in the fifth minute.

But three minutes later came an opportunity for Kevin Davies to at least put Chelsea on the back foot.

However, despite being given a free header from six yards in latching onto an inswinging corner from Gavin McCann, he shaved the crossbar instead of putting Petr Cech under pressure.

Chelsea's relief was evident, and Davies' dismay intensified just a minute later when Anelka found the back of the net.

Switching the play from left wing to right, Deco fed an unmarked Jose Bosingwa who then produced a measured cross into the six-yard box.

Anelka drifted off the back of Andy O'Brien and planted a home diving header off Jussi Jaaskelainen's right-hand post.

It was the Frenchman's 15th goal in all competitions this season and his ninth in his last seven Premier League games.

It was a simple chance for an on-song Anelka to take, in particular in light of Bolton's recent upturn in form and new-found resilience.

Yet just 12 minutes later boss Gary Megson's side were left chasing shadows as Chelsea doubled their advantage, even if the visitors enjoyed a touch of fortune into the bargain.

There can be no doubting the clinical nature of Chelsea's attack, culminating in Deco and Michael Ballack teeing up Bosingwa for a fearsome drive that cannoned off Jaaskelainen's legs.

Then came the luck as the ball ballooned up in the air straight to Ballack who instinctively nodded on for Deco.

The finish from the unmarked Portuguese, though, was exquisite as he beat Jaaskelainen inside his right-hand post with a right-foot scissor -kick from 15 yards.

It was a fine way for Deco to end a personal 14-match drought after scoring in his opening two matches for the Blues following his move from Barcelona in the summer.

If Anelka had made it 3-0 midway through the half then a rout would have been on the cards, but instead he sidefooted an angled effort wide after Jaaskelainen had fisted clear a Frank Lampard free-kick.

But Bolton dug in for the remainder of the half, and for the majority of the second period, without the reward their character and attitude deserved.

They were fortunate, though, not to have conceded a third in the 56th minute when Deco was sent scampering clear from the edge of the centre circle.

But with only Jaaskelainen to beat, and although making the right choice in lifting the ball over Bolton's number one as he went to ground, he somehow contrived to send his flick wide.

If Chelsea felt they should have been out of sight, Bolton will have felt aggrieved at being denied a nailed-on penalty on the hour.

Replays showed Johan Elmander's half-volley clearly struck Terry on his upper-left arm, but a possibly unsighted Howard Webb turned aside the vociferous appeals.

Cech then produced a superb point-blank reaction save 10 minutes later to block Gary Cahill's diving header inside the six-yard box as Bolton fought desperately for a foothold in the game.

But it never came, and instead Luiz Felipe Scolari's side are now record-breakers, but that will matter little to the Blues boss unless this season ends with the title in his grasp.