Chelsea profit as Everton down United

The Premier League pendulum swung back towards Chelsea after their 2-0 win at Wolverhampton Wanderers gave them a four-point advantage at the top having seen Manchester United defeated earlier on Saturday. Arsenal, however, cannot be ruled out of the race after a 2-0 win over Sunderland.idier Drogba continues to be Chelsea's talisman and his well-taken double was the difference at Molineux. Chelsea had played a torpid first half but went into the dressing room a goal up at the break after a poacher's finish from a Yuri Zhirkov cross gave the Ivorian his 24th strike of the season.

Wolves' stern challenge continued in the second half but hopes were ended by a piece of typical Drogba strength. In holding off Christophe Berra and keeper Marcus Hahnemann to poke in Chelsea's second, he ended a poor run of away form for the long-time leaders.

Manchester United's recent charge was brought to a juddering halt by a 3-1 loss at Everton in a game that further confirmed Goodison Park as a graveyard of contenders. United, like Chelsea ten days previously, took an early lead through Dimitar Berbatov in the 16th minute only to perish.

But that advantage was wiped out in three minutes by a Diniyar Bilyaletdinov strike that caught Edwin van der Sar flat-footed. Everton's energy eventually told when sub Dan Gosling directed a Steven Pienaar cross into the net with 14 minutes to play and, after Wayne Rooney's goal-bound free-kick had been diverted from danger by Sylvain Distin, another sub, Jack Rodwell, who has been heavily linked with a summer move to United, conjured a solo goal to dent the Red Devils' chances of a fourth consecutive title.

The 2-0 scoreline of Arsenal's defeat of Sunderland belies a story of missed chances for both teams but it was a 27th-minute close-range Niklas Bendtner strike after some admirable Emmanuel Eboue work that gave the nervy home team the lead. Those jitters were only soothed in the last minute when Cesc Fabregas converted a penalty that had been awarded for a foul on him by Fraizer Campbell.

The Gunners are now within two points of Manchester United while Chelsea lie six clear of them, and Arsene Wenger's team would seem to be blessed with a better run of fixtures of the 12 remaining for all three contenders. Sunderland's horror run of form continued and they lie just three points from safety.

West Ham United's recent revival continues and their 3-0 win over Hull City at Upton Park places the Tigers deep in the relegation mire. After Valon Behrami had scored a third-minute opener for the Hammers, manager Phil Brown's task was made harder following Craig Fagan's dismissal for a second bookable offence. Carlton Cole sealed the points with a strike from a narrow angle just before the hour before Julien Faubert scored late on to compound Hull's misery.

The Hammers pulled themselves four points ahead of the drop zone with Hull teetering just a point ahead of 18th- and 19th-placed Bolton and Burnley, who both play on Sunday.
Chelsea profit as Everton down United