Premier League round-up

Wins for Chelsea, Spurs, Birmingham, Man City and Toffees

Last updated: 28th December 2009   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Premier League round-up
Click below for individual match reports and statistics
Tottenham 2 West Ham 0
Blackburn 2 Sunderland 2
Chelsea 2 Fulham 1
Everton 2 Burnley 0
Stoke 0 Birmingham 1
Wolves 0 Man City 3

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Chelsea survived a scare at home to Fulham to open up a five-point gap at the top of the Premier League table as Tottenham Hotspur moved into the UEFA Champions League positions.

Birmingham City equalled a club record of 11 top-flight matches unbeaten as Cameron Jerome's goal saw off Stoke City away from home.

Everton secured a first win in eight league matches after beating 10-man Burnley, but Sunderland's wait for a victory goes on after twice throwing away the lead at Blackburn Rovers.

Manchester City maintained their 100 per cent start to life under Roberto Mancini with a comfortable win at Wolves, which keeps them in the top-four hunt.

Leaders Chelsea were indebted to a Chris Smalling own goal to beat Fulham 2-1 at Stamford Bridge as Carlo Ancelotti's men were forced to recover from conceding an early goal.

Fulham enjoyed a dream start at their local rivals by taking the lead after just four minutes as Zoltan Gera hooked the ball home after Bobby Zamora had nodded back Paul Konchesky's cross.

Chelsea's push for an equaliser was rewarded on 73 minutes when substitute Branislav Ivanovic played in a deep cross from the right and Drogba headed the ball back beyond Fulham keeper Mark Schwarzer.

And just two minutes later Chelsea - watched by former manager Jose Mourinho - were in front in fortunate fashion as substitute Daniel Sturridge's shot was parried by Schwarzer and bounced off the luckless Smalling, who was unable to prevent the ball crossing the line.

Tottenham boosted their Champions League hopes, and kept a fourth clean sheet in a row in the process, after a 2-0 home success over London rivals West Ham United.

The breakthrough arrived as early as the 11th minute when Luka Modric marked his first start in four months by scuffing home a volley from Aaron Lennon's deflected cross.

Tom Huddlestone hit the post early in the second half before Hammers old boy Jermain Defoe made certain of the points at the second attempt on 81 minutes after his initial shot proved too hot to hold for Robert Green.

Manchester City ensured that they will make the headlines for all the right reasons on Tuesday as they eased to a 3-0 victory away at Wolves.

Carlos Tevez has been in red-hot form for the Blues of late and it was he who opened the scoring at Molineux when his scuffed shot cannoned off Christophe Berra and past a helpless Marcus Hahnemann.

City were made to work hard for their win by a spirited Wolves side and had to wait until the 69th minute before making it two, when Javier Garrido curled a sublime free-kick into the bottom corner.

Wolves were now resigned to their fate and Tevez wrapped up the points for the visitors three minutes from time when he fired home from the edge of the box following good work by Robinho.

Birmingham remain in the mix for European football after grinding out a 1-0 win over out-of-sorts Stoke at the Britannia Stadium.

Blues scored the decisive goal just five minutes into the second half when a cross into the box bounced kindly off a Stoke defender into the path of Jerome to force home from close range.

Sunderland old boy El Hadji Diouf denied his former club a first win in seven games as Blackburn twice came from behind to claim a 2-2 draw at Ewood Park.

Sunderland grabbed the lead in the 52nd minute after Rovers failed to properly defend a low cross into the six-yard box, giving Bent the chance to volley home.

But Rovers were level almost immediately from the restart as Morten Gamst Pedersen eased past two defenders before hitting a low right-footed shot which went in off the post.

The Black Cats were back in front on 65 minutes as Jordan Henderson's pass sent Bent in behind the home defence and he kept his composure to beat Paul Robinson from the edge of the area.

Rovers drew level for the second time on 77 minutes when ex-Sunderland attacker Diouf rose well to head home Pascal Chimbonda's cross from the right.

Everton returned to winning ways as James Vaughan's first Premier League goal for over two years helped to secure a 2-0 success over 10-man Burnley at Goodison Park.

Burnley's chances of nicking a first away win in the top flight this season were hampered on 62 minutes when Stephen Jordan was shown a second yellow card following a foul on Steven Pienaar.

And Everton made the visitors pay on 83 minutes when Vaughan converted Marouane Fellaini's cross at the far post just two minutes after coming on as a substitute.

The Toffees made certain of the points in the final minute as Yakubu slipped in Pienaar and the South African rifled the ball past Brian Jensen.