Chelsea won for only the second time in eight matches to extend their Premier League lead to five points after coming from behind to beat Fulham 2-1 in a dramatic west London derby on Monday. Fulham needed just four minutes to go ahead at Stamford Bridge through Zoltan Gera before Carlo Ancelotti's side scored twice in two minutes late on though Didier Drogba and a Chris Smalling own-goal to rescue all three points.
But second-placed champions Manchester United will cut Chelsea's lead back to two points if they win at home to Wigan on Wednesday. Fulham, who've already beaten Manchester United and Liverpool this season, stunned their hosts when the Blues failed to clear a Paul Konchesky cross and Hungarian midfielder Gera hooked an acrobatic shot past Petr Cech. It wasn't until the 73rd minute that striker Drogba, in his last Chelsea match before he departs on African Nations Cup duty with the Ivory Coast, equalised with a powerful header - the forward's 19th goal in all competitions this term.
And just two minutes later Chelsea were in front after Daniel Sturridge's cross-shot was saved by Fulham's Australian goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer only for the rebound to go in off luckless 20-year-old defender Smalling, who had impressed on his first Premier League start. Earlier, Luka Modric marked his first start since August by scoring the opener as Tottenham Hotspur beat West Ham 2-0 at White Hart Lane to go fourth.
In Monday's late match, Manchester City made it two wins, and two clean sheets, out of two under new manager Roberto Mancini with a 3-0 victory away to Wolves. Argentina striker Carlos Tevez twice finished in style, his 33rd and 86th minute goals sandwiching Javier Garrido's superb free-kick which the Spanish midfielder curled around the wall.
Victory saw City move level on points with fifth-placed Aston Villa, who will go fourth if they beat Liverpool on Tuesday. In-form Birmingham, now unbeaten in their last 11 league games, won 1-0 away to Stoke thanks to striker Cameron Jerome's 50th minute goal. Elsewhere, England forward Darren Bent twice gave Sunderland the lead only for Blackburn Rovers to draw 2-2 after goals from Morten Gamst Pedersen and El-Hadji Diouf while Everton beat 10-man Burnley 2-0.
Everton substitute James Vaughan came off the bench to score seven minutes from time at Goodison Park before South Africa's Steven Pienaar wrapped up victory in the dying seconds against a Burnley side reduced to 10 men midway through the second half after Stephen Jordan was sent-off.
ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE RESULTS
PLAYED ON MONDAY:
Blackburn 2 (Pedersen 53, Diouf 77) Sunderland 2 (Bent 52, 65)
Chelsea 2 (Drogba 73, Smalling 75-og) Fulham 1 (Gera 4)
Everton 2 (Vaughan 83, Pienaar 90) Burnley 0
Stoke 0 Birmingham 1 (Jerome 50)
Tottenham 2 (Modric 11, Defoe 81) West Ham 0
Wolves 0 Manchester City 3 (Tevez 33, 86, Garrido 69).
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