Chelsea's Didier Drogba celebrates after scoring his second goal against Manchester City during their English Premier League match at Stamford Bridge yesterday. Chelsea won 2-0.- REUTERSLONDON (AP):
DIDIER DROGBA'S two first-half goals lifted Chelsea to a 2-0 victory over Manchester City yesterday, giving the Blues a 14-point lead atop the Premier League.
With Manchester United playing today, Liverpool moved into second place, beating Everton 3-1 in the Merseyside Derby. Luis Garcia and Harry Kewell scored for Liverpool, with the other coming from Phil Neville's own goal.
Arsenal's game at Portsmouth
was called off because heavy rain made the field waterlogged and unplayable. Officials postponed the game about an hour before the kickoff. No new date was immediately set for the game.
In other games yesterday: Aston Villa 0, Fulham 0; Sunderland 0, Blackburn 1; Wigan 1, West Ham 2.
SCHEDULED GAMES
Three games are scheduled for today: Middlesbrough vs. Bolton, Charlton vs. Newcastle, Manchester United vs. Birmingham. Tomorrow, Tottenham host West Bromwich Albion.
Chelsea lead the Premier League with 78 points, followed by Liverpool (64), Manchester United (63), Tottenham (52), Blackburn (52) and Arsenal (50). Bolton are next with 48 with Wigan on 46 and West Ham on 45.
At the bottom, Sunderland have only 10 points with Portsmouth and Birmingham City on 24.
In Chelsea's victory, Drogba scored in the 30th and 33rd minutes. His second was controversial with TV replays showing he handled the ball before scoring behind 'keeper David James.
Last week in a 1-0 loss to Fulham, Drogba also scored what appeared to be the equaliser, but the goal was called off on a handball. TV replays showed the Ivory Coast striker handled the ball.
Man City's Sylvain Distin was sent off in first-half injury time for his second yellow card.
Liverpool played a man short from the 18th minute when England international Steven Gerrard was sent off on two yellow cards within 60 seconds; one for kicking the ball away and the second for a foul on Kevin Kilbane.
Gerrard's absence didn't slow Liverpool.
The Reds went ahead just before the break, taking a 1-0 lead on an own-goal when Everton's Neville headed the ball into his net. Luis Garcia made it 2-0 in the 47th, with Tim Cahill getting Everton's lone goal in the 61st. Kewell put the match away for Liverpool in the 84th.
"It was crucial for us to score the first but we stung them with the quick second, although they came back well," Kewell said.
REDUCED TO 10 MEN
Everton were reduced to 10 men in the 73rd when Andy Van der Meyde was sent off on a red card.
In Blackburn's 1-0 victory over Sunderland, Steven Reid scored the winner in the 15th.
In West Ham's victory over Wigan, Nigel Reo-Coker scored the decider in second-half injury time. Lee McCullough gave Wigan a 1-0 lead late in the first half with Marlon Harewood making it 1-1 in the 52nd.
In the League Championship, leader Reading clinched promotion to the Premier League with a 1-1 draw at Leicester.
With Leicester leading 1-0 on Iain Hume's 38th-minute goal, Kevin Doyle equalised in the 85th. It was the goal that meant promotion.
With six games to play, Reading have 92 points, with Sheffield United on 78. Watford and Leeds have 72 points. Although Reading have not clinched first place, they clinched one of the two top spots.
The top two teams get promoted automatically to the Premier League. The next four teams play off for the other promotion spot.
