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| Nowhere to turn: Newcastle after conceding another [GALLO/GETTY] |
Liverpool stayed top of the English Premier League after an emphatic 5-1 win at Newcastle United gave them maximum points from their two Christmas fixtures and the extra present under the tree was that Chelsea dropped points at Fulham.
It was their biggest win of the season and followed up their 3-0 demolition of Bolton Wanderers on Friday.
Manchester United – 10 points behind – have three matches in hand over Liverpool.
Steven Gerrard scored twice with Sami Hyypia, Ryan Babel and Xabi Alonso with a penalty adding the others as Liverpool maintained their drive for their first title success since 1990.
Given on form
After being denied an early breakthrough by Newcastle goalkeeper Shay Given who made three outstanding saves, Liverpool took control when Gerrard scored with a shot that went in off the post after 31 minutes and a header from Hyypia following a corner five minutes later.
Newcastle pulled one back in stoppage time at the end of the first half when David Edgar headed in from a corner, but Babel restored Liverpool's two-goal advantage when he prodded home from close range after United's defenders stopped and waited for a whistle for handball that never came.
Gerrard added the fourth after 66 minutes when he dinked the ball over Given following a sublime through ball from Lucas Leiva and Alonso made it 5-1 in the 76th minute after Edgar fouled David Ngog.
Newcastle made very little impression in a poor display, just hours after billionaire Mike Ashley announced he was taking the club off the market and remaining as the club's owner.
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| Clint Dempsey celebrates his second [GALLO/GETTY] |
Chelsea slip up
Chelsea's title challenge took a hit when Fulham forward Clint Dempsey earned his side a battling 2-2 draw at Craven Cottage.
Chelsea had been on course for victory after two second-half strikes from Frank Lampard after Dempsey had opened the scoring on 10 minutes.
But the American popped up with seconds remaining to extend the host's unbeaten run to nine games.
The now head into the new year three points behind the Premier League pace-setters.
At Emirates Stadium, Former captain William Gallas came to Arsenal's rescue with a late headed winner which put Arsene Wenger's men back in the top four for at least 48 hours when they beat Portsmouth 1-0.
The Gunners left it late though, with David James flapping at Denilson's free-kick and Gallas rising to head the ball into the Portsmouth net just eight minutes from time.
The win was barely deserved but it could prove crucial at the end of the season.
Robinho rescue
At the other end of the table, Robinho's injury time leveller brought Manchester City a precious point at Blackburn as the sides drew 2-2.
Sam Allardyce's men thought they had the game wrapped up when Jason Roberts doubled a first-half lead provided by Benni McCarthy.
However, substitute Daniel Sturridge pulled one back three minutes from the end before Robinho beat Paul Robinson to complete an astonishing comeback.
Also getting three valuable points were bottom side West Bromwich Albion.
Late goals from Roman Bednar and Craig Beattie gave the Baggies a deserved 2-0 victory over a poor Tottenham side who played 55 minutes with 10 men.
Tottenham were struggling even before left-back Benoit Assou-Ekotto was sent off for an over-the-top challenge on Gianni Zuiverloon in the 35th minute.
The hosts dominated throughout but had to wait until seven minutes from time for Bednar to break the deadlock, when he headed home, before substitute Craig Beattie stabbed in a second in injury time.
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| West Bromwich Albion are still bottom but full of hope [GALLO/GETTY] |
Fuller madness sinks Stoke
The pressure looked to be showing at Stoke after a Ricardo Fuller brain explosion the talking point of their 2-1 defeat against West Ham.
Abdoulaye Faye gave Stoke a fourth-minute lead, but their day unravelled when Carlton Cole equalised in the 51st minute and Fuller was sent off for fighting with his own team-mate Andy Griffin immediately after.
Cole then had a hand in the winner, his shot going in courtesy of a deflection off Diego Tristan.
Everton fans are likely to end 2008 asking "who needs strikers" after their midfielder ladened side cruised to a 3-0 victory over Sunderland.
Spanish midfielder Mikel Arteta struck twice in the first half; his first direct from a free-kick, and the second when he fired in a rebound after another of his free-kicks had been blocked.
Sunderland looked poor, and Everton grabbed a third with seven minutes with teenager Dan Gosling getting on the score sheet on his home debut.
Zaki has pie-eaters cooking
Wigan's festive season continued to be merry as claimed their second successive victory of the festive programme with a narrow 1-0 win over Bolton at the Reebok Stadium.
On-loan striker Amr Zaki scored the winner from the penalty spot a minute before half-time to take his tally for the season to 11 goals.
Zaki sent Bolton goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen the wrong way after Andy O'Brien's challenge on substitute Henri Camara.
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