Soccer: Chelsea closing in on crown

LONDON - Chelsea moved within touching distance of a second successive Premier League title with an untroubled 2-0 victory at Bolton Wanderers yesterday.

Goals by England's John Terry and Frank Lampard took Chelsea nine points clear of Manchester United, who were surprisingly held to a goal-less home draw by Sunderland on Saturday.

Chelsea could secure the title at Stamford Bridge tomorrow 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 yesterday 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 today, 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 today.

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. Chelsea went ahead against Bolton 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.

Should things not go Chelsea's way today, the title could be secured against Manchester United when the top two meet in London on April 30 - a week after the Londoners play Liverpool in the FA Cup semifinals.

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. Jermaine Defoe, watched by England coach Sven Goran Eriksson, also hit the bar for the visitors.

Arsenal, who face Villarreal in the first leg of their Champions League semifinal on Thursday, 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 competition yet finish outside the top four.

Coming up are champions Reading and Sheffield United, who beat Cardiff 1-0 on Saturday and were guaranteed promotion when third-placed Leeds could only draw 1-1 at Reading.

- REUTERS