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LONDON (Reuters):
CHELSEA SWEPT to an impressive 3-1 win over West Ham United but Liverpool stumbled in their pursuit of the English Premier League champions with a 2-2 draw at Bolton Wanderers yesterday.
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 today.
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.
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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 restart 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."
