Premier League round-up: Blues surpass Reds

Middlesbrough

2 - 0

Liverpool

Xabi Alonso(o.g) 32

Tuncay Şanlı 63

Liverpool down to third place and seriously dent their title hopes following a 2-0 defeat at Middlesbrough.

The result left Rafa Benítez's men with 55 points, still seven points behind leaders Manchester United, who are not in Premier League action this weekend because they face Tottenham in the Carling Cup final on Sunday.

With Fernando Torres injured after limping out of Wednesday's 1-0 Champions League win at Real Madrid, Liverpool completely failed to break down the Teessiders consistently.

Boro had not scored in 527 minutes of Premier League football until Xabi Alonso stuck out a leg to put Stewart Downing's cross past his keeper Pepe Reina in the 32nd minute.

The hosts almost doubled their lead four minutes before the break when Downing robbed full-back Martin Škrtel and forced Reina into a good save.

Liverpool should have been back on level terms within three minutes of the restart, but Nabil El Zhar, starting in place of Torres, spurned a glorious opportunity to equalise as the youngster fired over the bar from close range after Steven Gerrard had cut the ball back from the by-line

The Reds enjoyed large share of possession, albeit struggling to create clear openings against a stubborn defence.

And Boro made it 2-0 just after the hour mark when Tuncay Şanlı guided his shot past Reina into the bottom corner following Jérémie Aliadière's precision cross.

Chelsea captain John Terry scores a goal against Wigan Athletic
Photo: AFP/Getty Images

Chelsea

2 - 1

Wigan

John Terry 25

Olivier Kapo 82

Frank Lampard 90

Chelsea climb above Liverpool into second place thanks to a late 2-1 win over Wigan at Stamford Bridge.

The Blues are now seven points behind leaders Manchester United but have played a gome more than the champions.

Paul Scharner should have put Wigan in front on 17 minutes but he fired his shot too close to Petr Čech when one-on-one.

Chelsea then survived a double scare when Ashley Cole cleared a Titus Bramble header off the line and John Terry did likewise seconds later with a Charles N'Zogbia shot.

But the hosts went ahead against the run of play in the 25th minute when Terry smashed home a volley on the edge of the box after Emmerson Boyce headed Frank Lampard's cross away.

The Latics were back on level terms eight minutes from time when Maynor Figueroa's low cross was turned in by Olivier Kapo who got ahead of Nicolas Anelka to slide the ball under Čech.

But Lampard popped up in stoppage time to loop a header over Chris Kirkland to the delight of the Stamford Bridge faithful.

Elsewhere in Premier League on Saturday:

Everton