Man U beats Liverpool, Chelsea held by Blackburn

(Agencies)
Updated: 2010-03-22 10:48

Man U beats Liverpool, Chelsea held by Blackburn
Manchester United's Park Ji-Sung (L) challenges Liverpool's Javier Mascherano during their English Premier League soccer match at Old Trafford in Manchester, northern England March 21, 2010. [Agencies]

LONDON?- Manchester United beat Liverpool 2-1 to move two points ahead at the top of the Premier League on Sunday while Chelsea lost ground with a 1-1 draw at Blackburn.

Fernando Torres headed Liverpool ahead at Old Trafford only for Wayne Rooney to equalize in the 12th minute. Although Pepe Reina saved his harshly awarded penalty, Rooney put the rebound home for his 33rd goal of the season and Park Ji-sung headed a second-half winner from Darren Fletcher's cross.

"To come back and win is a great quality Manchester United have," United manager Alex Ferguson said. "For periods of the game, we played very well. For others, we had to dig and concentrate."

Didier Drogba put Chelsea ahead in the sixth minute at Blackburn but a header by El-Hadji Diouf gave the hosts a point. The draw means Chelsea is now four points behind United and two behind Arsenal but with a game in hand on both. Arsenal beat West Ham 2-0 on Saturday.

"It's a difficult moment now," said Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti, whose team was also knocked out of the Champions League by Inter Milan on Tuesday.

"We are in third position and we are behind now. We have to run more but we don't have to lose our confidence."

In its game in hand, Chelsea can move within a point of United by winning at last-place Portsmouth on Wednesday.

Chelsea moved ahead when Nicolas Anelka burst down the left and provided the cross for Drogba to score with a low left-footed shot for his 28th league and cup goal of the season.

But mid-standings Blackburn refused to give in, and Diouf collected a point for his side with a 70th-minute header at the far post from Michel Salgado's cross.

Manchester City won 2-1 at Fulham to move up to fifth, two points behind Tottenham with a game in hand.

Man City defender Joleon Lescott pulled out of the game after he injured a hamstring while warming up, but his side went 2-0 ahead by the 36th minute through Roque Santa Cruz and Carlos Tevez.

Fulham equalized with Danny Murphy's 75th-minute penalty, awarded for Gareth Barry's handball.