Soccer: Chelsea stretch lead

LONDON - Chelsea swept to an impressive 3-1 win over West Ham United but Liverpool stumbled in their pursuit of the Premier League champions with a 2-2 draw at Bolton Wanderers today.

Victory at Upton Park gave Chelsea an imperious 14-point lead over their nearest rivals Manchester United, who face Arsenal at Highbury in the showcase match on Tuesday.

Third-placed Liverpool ended their 10-game Premier League winning streak and lost ground with their draw at the Reebok, moving on to 41 points - 17 adrift of Chelsea, albeit with two games in hand.

Struggling Birmingham City beat Wigan Athletic 2-0, Everton notched a second win in three days after seeing off Charlton Athletic 3-1 helped by two Tim Cahill headers and Aston Villa edged West Bromwich Albion 2-1 in the Midlands derby.

Both sides finished with 10 men as Sunderland lost 2-1 at Fulham while a third derby, in the north east, finished 2-2 as Newcastle United snatched a 90th-minute equaliser against Middlesbrough at St James' Park.

Argentine striker Hernan Crespo scored within seconds of coming on as a substitute and Didier Drogba lashed in the goal of the game as Chelsea romped home in the London derby.

Chelsea's England midfielder Frank Lampard volleyed home against his former club in the 25th minute, though the leaders were pegged back just after the re-start by Marlon Harewood's equaliser.

Crespo, put through by Arjen Robben, rounded Roy Carroll to restore the lead in the 61st minute and Drogba hit the third from a tight angle with 10 minutes to go.

A fourth win from their four festive season matches helped Chelsea's canter towards a second consecutive league title.

"That's what we set out to do," Lampard told Sky Sports. "We don't want to let up, we want to keep winning games, keep the gap at the top and if anything make it bigger."

Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho felt his bigger squad would always have an edge over West Ham's battle-weary troops.

"This is a very difficult period for every team but especially those without the squad to cope," he told the Chelsea website.

"I told them before the game, their defenders played 270 minutes in one week. Drogba, Crespo, Robben, (Damien) Duff, they play half of it."

Liverpool's run of 10 consecutive league wins came to an end but it could have been worse as they twice had to come from behind at a ground where Bolton have lost only once in the league this season.

Tunisian defender Radhi Jaidi headed Bolton into an early lead before Liverpool skipper Steven Gerrard won and converted a penalty to level for the European champions.

Former Liverpool striker El-Hadji Diouf gave a combative Bolton side a 2-1 lead after 71 minutes with Luis Garcia hitting the second equaliser with eight minutes left.

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez told the club's website: "I am very disappointed because we did a lot of things to win the match and we deserved to win.

"Bolton are very difficult to play against and they had a lot of free-kicks and throw-ins and you can't play the football you want to play."

Down at the wrong end of the table, Sunderland look all but relegated with six points from 20 games.

They had Steve Caldwell dismissed on the hour, while one of Fulham's three subs, Steed Malbranque, was forced off by injury in a game they won with two Collins John strikes after a spectacular Liam Lawrence opener for the visitors.

Birmingham stay second from bottom on 16 points, one behind Portsmouth, who were playing Blackburn Rovers in a late kickoff. West Brom remain on 19 points after Villa's Czech forward Milan Baros converted a late penalty at the Hawthorns.

Top 6 (played, points):
Chelsea 21 58
Manchester United 20 44
Liverpool 19 41
Tottenham Hotspur 20 37
Wigan Athletic 21 34
Arsenal 19 33

- REUTERS