Leader Chelsea stormed to a 7-2 victory in the Premier League over
Sunderland on Saturday, while second-place Manchester United
labored past Burnley and Manchester City lost for the first time
under Roberto Mancini.
Frank Lampard and Nicolas Anelka both scored twice as Chelsea
dismantled an injury-hit Sunderland side to remain a point ahead of
United with a game in hand.
"We have just given maybe our best performance of the
season," Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti said. "This is how we
should continue to play from now until the end of the campaign."
Defending champion United took until the second half to get
going against Burnley, with Dimitar Berbatov, Wayne Rooney and Mame
Biram Diouf eventually clinching a 3-0 win.
Man City had won its last four league matches - three since
Mancini took charge - before losing 2-0 at Everton and handing
fourth place to Tottenham, which drew 0-0 with Hull.
It was also a frustrating day for Liverpool, which conceded a
90th-minute equalizer to draw 1-1 at Stoke to remain seventh.
Chelsea, though, delivered a masterclass in attacking
football at Stamford Bridge to show it can prosper without African
Cup of Nations quartet Didier Drogba, Michael Essien, John Obi
Mikel and Salomon Kalou.
Anelka took just eight minutes to start the rout after
rounding goalkeeper Marton Fulop. Florent Malouda shrugged off two
challenges and struck into the bottom corner in the 17th.
The third came five minutes later when Ashley Cole sprinted
onto John Terry' lofted ball and chipped Fulop. Lampard volleyed
home from six meters (yards) before the break.
The Blues remained as formidable in the second half, with
Ballack home in the 52nd, Anelka slotting into an empty net from
the edge of the area in the 65th and Lampard nodding in a seventh
in the 90th.
Sunderland managed two consolation goals through Bolo Zenden
and Darren Bent. Steve Bruce's side has failed to win in its last
eight league games.
At Old Trafford, Burnley threatened to thwart United again,
having beaten the champions at the start of the season. Burnley
held out until the 64th when Berbatov's shot flicked off Michael
Duff and flew past goalkeeper Brian Jensen.
Rooney added his 16th goal of the season shortly afterward
and the substitute Diouf netted his first United goal.
"We could have been embarrassed," United manager Alex
Ferguson said. "We had a number of opportunities to punish them in
the final third but there was a bit of nervousness and anxiety
about our game."
While United chases a fourth-straight title, last season's
runners-up are just trying to land one of the four Champions League
spots.
And Liverpool looked set to move up the standings when
Sotirios Kyrgiakos scrambled in his first goal for the club in the
57th minute. But Robert Huth scored the late leveler for Stoke,
three days after Liverpool conceded in stoppage-time as it was
knocked out of the FA Cup by second-tier club Reading.
"It feels like a defeat," Kuyt said. "We aren't playing the
best football at the moment but I thought we fought really hard for
this result, and to concede in the last minute and even miss a
great chance in the last minute is unbelievable."
In the Everton matchday program, manager David Moyes accused
Man City of having "no class" in its pursuit of defender Joleon
Lescott last August.
And City lacked class on the pitch Saturday to match the
value of its side. Mancini's problems started in the eighth when
Roque Santa Cruz, who has been troubled by knee problems, limped
off and was replaced by Robinho.
Steven Pienaar made the breakthrough in the 36th, curling a
free kick beyond Shay Given at the goalkeeper's near post. Louis
Saha's scored Everton's second from the penalty spot in first-half
stoppage time amid City protests after the French striker's shirt
was tugged by Micah Richards.
Wigan moved four points clear of the relegation zone as James
McCarthy and Charles N'Zogbia scored to claim a 2-0 win at
Wolverhampton.
Wolves goalkeeper Marcus Hahnemann also saved a penalty from
Hugo Rodallega. Both sides ended with 10 men as Wolves defender
Richard Stearman and Wigan midfielder Hendry Thomas were sent off.
A week after the schedule was virtually wiped out by freezing
conditions in England, only Portsmouth's home match against
Birmingham fell victim to the weather as the thaw led to a
waterlogged pitch.
