Chelsea closed to within two points of Manchester United on
Sunday after the champions won 3-2 at Everton while the leaders
lost 1-0 at West Ham United in Alan Curbishley's first game in
charge of the Londoners.
A stunning 87th-minute goal by Didier Drogba earned Chelsea
their win after they twice trailed, while a 74th-minute Nigel
Reo-Coker strike handed Manchester United their first away defeat
of the season.
A week ago United led the league by eight points but a midweek
win over Newcastle United in their game in hand and Sunday's
results have closed things up quickly approaching the halfway mark
in the season.
After 18 matches United have 44 points with Chelsea up to 42.
Liverpool are third on 31 points after winning 3-0 at Charlton
Athletic on Saturday, with Arsenal fourth on 30 after they were
held 2-2 at home by Portsmouth.
Tottenham Hotspur climbed to seventh on Sunday when they secured
their first away win of the season, 2-1 at Manchester City who were
previously unbeaten at home.
DESERVED LEAD
Everton took the lead at Goodison Park in the 38th minute with a
Mikel Arteta penalty after Khalid Boulahrouz's clumsy challenge
brought down Nigerian striker Victor Anichebe.
It was a deserved lead too after the home side made most of the
running against the lacklustre champions who barely mustered a
shot.
Chelsea equalised four minutes into the second half with a
Michael Ballack free kick which crept in off a post and goalkeeper
Tim Howard's back.
Chelsea then stepped up the pace and Boulahrouz hit a post but
Everton survived the onslaught and retook the lead in the 64th
minute with a Joseph Yobo header.
Chelsea levelled in the 81st minute with a fiercely struck
swerving 25-metre shot by Frank Lampard, who also grabbed a late
equaliser for a 1-1 draw in last season's corresponding
fixture.
Drogba hit a post in the 85th minute but was on target two
minutes later when his 35-metre looping shot somehow got through
Howard's flailing arms.
"The players had incredible character, they believed until the
last moment," Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho told Sky Sports.
"When Everton scored the second goal the game (had been)
completely in our hands and that's the goal that can kill a team if
they are not mentally very strong."
West Ham got the Alan Curbishley era off to a flying start to
end a turbulent week on a high.
After losing five of their previous six games to slip to
third-last in the standings, the Londoners sacked manager Alan
Pardew on Monday, appointing former Charlton Athletic boss -- and
West Ham midfielder -- Curbishley two days later.
The move appeared to rejuvenate the team and they were always
competitive on Sunday.
They had the best chance of the first half when Bobby Zamora
broke free in the 32nd minute but shot straight at Edwin Van der
Sar.
The league leaders upped their game after the break and West Ham
keeper Robert Green had to make several good saves, the best to
deny Cristiano Ronaldo after 56 minutes.
Substitute Teddy Sheringham got things moving for the goal,
threading a pass through a defender's legs to Marlon Harewood. The
striker then did well to reach the byline before squaring for his
fast-arriving captain Reo-Coker to slide in.
(China Daily via Reuters December 18, 2006)