Premier League round-up: Chelsea ruin Shearer's debut as Liverpool move top

Newcastle

0 - 2

Chelsea

Frank Lampard 56

Florent Malouda 65

Alan Shearer saw his Newcastle United homecoming ruined as the Magpies were beaten 2-0 by Chelsea in front of a disappointed 52,000 sell-out at St James' Park.

Newcastle, who earned just one victory in their previous 14 games, almost fell behind after 19 minutes but Steve Harper pulled off a fine save to deny Salomon Kalou's diving header from 12 yards.

Nicolas Anelka then looked certain to open the scoring as he sprinted clear but Habib Beye just getting a touch to divert his shot into the side-netting.

The interval failed to stop Chelsea's flow as six minutes after the restart, Florent Malouda, taking a slick pass from John Obi Mikel, turned in a flash inside the box to fire a shot which bounced off Harper's chest and away to safety.

The visitors took the lead in the 56th minute when Fabricio Coloccini dwelled in possession and was robbed by Anelka, who struck the bar with a deflected effort, with Frank Lampard easily heading the rebound into the empty net.

Chelsea made sure of the spoils nine minutes later as Malouda latched onto a pass from the excellent Lampard to despatch a left-foot shot across Harper and into the net.

Michael Owen was denied a goal late on when his deflected shot was cleared from behind the line by Ashley Cole as the Tyneside party ended in disappointment.

Chelsea v Newcastle goal & highlights

0-1 Lampard

0-2 Malouda

Fulham

0 - 1

Liverpool

Yossi Benayoun 90

Yossi Benayoun stepped off the bench to fire Liverpool back on top of the Premier League with an injury-time winner against stubborn Fulham at Craven Cottage.

Liverpool dictated from the start but they dominated possession without any luck.

Martin Škrtel thundered in a left-foot shot which flicked the head of Andrea Dossena before clipping the Fulham crossbar and bouncing to safety.

It was the first of four times Fulham's woodwork was to rattle in those first 45 minutes.

On 32 minutes, Xabi Alonso unleashed a thunderous right-foot volley that left goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer flat-footed as it crashed against the crossbar.

Then it was Fernando Torres' turn after wonderful interplay with Steven Gerrard had sliced open the Cottagers' defence. Unfortunately, the striker's angled shot came back off the post.

Incredibly, two minutes later the woodwork was trembling again as Dossena's thrilling header from Gerrard's cross came back off Schwarzer's bar.

And finally it was Benayoun who put them top for the first time in three months. After a fortunate ricochet in the area, the Israeli lashed a 15-yard cracker inside the far corner to see Liverpool pile pressure on defending champions Manchester United.

Fulham v Liverpool goal & highlights

Elsewhere in Premier League on Saturday:

Blackburn