Chelsea stun Liverpool, City close on leaders
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E-mail Shanghai Daily, April 28, 2014
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Chelsea's Demba Ba (center) scores against Liverpool during their English Premier League match at Anfield yesterday. |
An untimely slip by Steven Gerrard inadvertently helped Chelsea claim a 2-0 win over Premier League leader Liverpool at Anfield yesterday that reignited its title ambitions.
The Liverpool captain lost his footing in first-half injury time, enabling Demba Ba to run through and score with Willian adding a late second as Jose Mourinho's side moved to within two points of the summit.
The result brought Liverpool's 11-game winning streak to an end and although it resurrected Chelsea's title chances, the chief beneficiaries could be Manchester City.
The Blues put the result beyond doubt in added-on time at the end of the match when, with the hosts pressing for an equalizer, former Liverpool striker Fernando Torres led a counter-attack before squaring the ball to substitute Willian for a simple finish.
Chelsea faces Atletico Madrid in the second leg of a Champions League semifinal at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday after a goalless initial encounter in Spain.
Despite the win, Mourinho insisted either Liverpool or City would end the season as champions of England.
"Now we can say we won both matches against the champions," Mourinho told Sky Sports. "If it's Liverpool, we won both. If it's City, we won both.
"With these three points we need one point to finish third. It was a good season for us and an evolution in many aspects of this team. The champions will be City or Liverpool so we have nothing to celebrate.
"Obviously many people would be expecting us to come here and lose 3-0 or 5-0 like others. But the boys had an amazing performance so I'm so happy for them and for the fans. This is the spirit we always want at Chelsea Football Club."
Earlier, Sunderland climbed out of the relegation zone with a 4-0 win at home to 10-man fellow struggler Cardiff.
Connor Wickham headed Sunderland into a 26th-minute lead. He then burst clear and was bearing down on goal when his shirt was tugged by Cardiff center-back Juan Cala, who was sent off. Fabio Borini scored from the spot.
Emanuele Giaccherini and Wickham completed the rout.
Sunderland moved above Norwich. Defeat plunged Cardiff to the bottom, two points shy of safety.
On Saturday, Jonjo Shelvey scored an eye-catching volley in a 4-1 victory for 12th-place Swansea over Aston Villa. Saido Berahino gave West Brom a 1-0 victory over West Ham that took the team five points clear of danger. Fulham and Hull drew 2-2.
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