Fernando Torres claimed a brace as Chelsea ended a run of seven Premier League games without victory by prevailing 3-1 at Sunderland yesterday in their last game before the FIFA Club World Cup.
The Spaniard had not scored in the league since October 6 but he found the net twice in the midweek thrashing of FC Nordsjaelland in the Champions League and was in unforgiving mood once again at the Stadium of Light.
He opened his account in the 11th minute, guiding Eden Hazard’s cross into the top-left corner with a fine volley to end a 770-minute goal drought in the league.
Torres had been overlooked for penalty-taking duties in the 6-1 win against Nordsjaelland, but he notched his second goal from the spot on the stroke of half-time after Sebastian Larsson slid in on Ramires.
Juan Mata made it 3-0 early in the second half, side-footing home after a Torres shot came back off the crossbar, before a fine effort from Adam Johnson gave Sunderland a consolation.
It was a first win in four Premier League games for Chelsea’s interim manager Rafael Benitez, whose side closed to within four points of second-place Manchester City.
City host leaders Manchester United today, when Alex Ferguson’s men will be bidding to move six points clear at the top of the table.
Arsenal also returned to winning ways after three games without victory, beating West Bromwich Albion 2-0 at the Emirates Stadium through a pair of Mikel Arteta penalties to climb to sixth.
Both penalties carried an air of controversy.
Prior to Arteta’s 26th-minute opener, Steven Reid was penalised for a foul on Santi Cazorla despite failing to make any contact with the Spanish midfielder, who collapsed theatrically.
Arteta’s second arrived in the 64th minute and although there was no doubt about Chris Brunt’s foul on Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, West Brom felt the England winger had committed an offence of his own in the build-up.
“I spoke to Cazorla and he said that he (Reid) tapped him,” said Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger.
“Overall, we played well, created chances, and kept a clean sheet. There was no room for dropping any points and I feel it is a positive day.”
It was a third straight defeat for fifth-place West Brom, whose lead over Arsenal has been cut to two points.
Bottom club Queens Park Rangers remain without a win in 16 games – a new Premier League record – after being held to a 2-2 draw at Wigan Athletic.
QPR captain Ryan Nelsen cancelled out James McCarthy’s 19th-minute opener for the hosts before substitute Djibril Cisse gave the visitors the lead from Shaun Wright-Phillips’ pass in the 71st minute.
Harry Redknapp was less than 20 minutes away from a first win as QPR manager, only for McCarthy to strike again in the 74th minute, controlling Jean Beausejour’s left-wing cross and then coolly prodding the ball home.
Southampton clambered out of the relegation zone and up to 15th place after a 61st-minute strike from Jason Puncheon secured a 1-0 win at home to second-bottom Reading.
The Saints’ win saw Sunderland slip into the bottom three, while Aston Villa fell one place to 16th after drawing 0-0 at home to Stoke City.
The clash at Liberty Stadium between Swansea City and Norwich City was a pulsating affair, the visitors winning 4-3 to end the Swans’ six-game unbeaten run and prolong their own run of games without defeat to nine matches.
Goals from Steven Whittaker, Sebastien Bassong and Grant Holt put Norwich 3-0 up at the break but Swansea came back into the game through Michu and Jonathan De Guzman before Robert Snodgrass’s 77th-minute free-kick made it 4-2.
Michu found the net again in injury time — his 12th goal of the season — but it was too late to prevent Norwich moving up to 11th.
Results and standings
Arsenal 2
Arteta 26p, 64p;
West Brom 0
HT: 1-0. Att: 60,083.
Aston Villa 0
Stoke City 0
Att: 30,110.
Red card: Shotton (S) 90.
Southampton 1
Puncheon 61;
Reading 0
HT: 0-0. Att: 29,331.
Sunderland 1
Johnson 66;
Chelsea 3
Torres 11, 45p; Mata 49;
HT: 0-2. Att: 39,273.
Swansea 3
Michu 51, 90; De Guzman 59;
Norwich City 4
Whittaker 16; Bassong 40; Holt 44; Snodgrass 77;
HT: 0-3. Att: 20,294.
Wigan 2
McCarthy 19, 74;
QPR 2
Nelsen 26; Cisse 71;
HT: 1-1. Att: 17,163.
| P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts | |
| Man. United | 15 | 12 | 0 | 3 | 37 | 21 | 36 |
| Man. City | 15 | 9 | 6 | 0 | 28 | 11 | 33 |
| Chelsea | 16 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 28 | 17 | 29 |
| Tottenham | 15 | 8 | 2 | 5 | 28 | 23 | 26 |
| WBA | 16 | 8 | 2 | 6 | 24 | 21 | 26 |
| Arsenal | 16 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 26 | 16 | 24 |
| Everton | 15 | 5 | 8 | 2 | 25 | 19 | 23 |
| Swansea | 16 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 26 | 21 | 23 |
| Stoke | 16 | 5 | 8 | 3 | 14 | 12 | 23 |
| West Ham | 15 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 19 | 17 | 22 |
| Norwich | 16 | 5 | 7 | 4 | 17 | 24 | 22 |
| Liverpool | 15 | 4 | 7 | 4 | 19 | 18 | 19 |
| Fulham | 15 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 25 | 26 | 17 |
| Newcastle | 15 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 17 | 21 | 17 |
| Southampton | 16 | 4 | 3 | 9 | 22 | 32 | 15 |
| Aston Villa | 16 | 3 | 6 | 7 | 12 | 23 | 15 |
| Wigan | 16 | 4 | 3 | 9 | 17 | 30 | 15 |
| Sunderland | 15 | 2 | 7 | 6 | 14 | 21 | 13 |
| Reading | 15 | 1 | 6 | 8 | 19 | 28 | 9 |
| QPR | 16 | 0 | 7 | 9 | 13 | 29 | 7 |
Playing today
Everton vs Tottenham - 16:00
Man. City vs Man. United - 14:30
West Ham vs Liverpool - 17:00
Tomorrow
Fulham vs Newcastle - 21:00
Top scorers
12 goals: Michu (Swansea).
10 goals: Suarez (Liverpool), Van Persie (Man. United), Ba (Newcastle).
9 goals: Defoe (Tottenham)
Next fixtures
Tuesday: 20.45 Sunderland vs Reading.
Saturday: 13.45 Newcastle vs Man. City. 16.00 Liverpool vs Aston Villa; Man. Utd vs Sunderland; Norwich vs Wigan; QPR vs Fulham; Stoke vs Everton.
Sunday: 14.30 Tottenham vs Swansea; 17.00 West Brom vs West Ham.
Monday, Dec. 17: 21.00 Reading vs Arsenal.
The Championship
Charlton 2 - Brighton 2
Crystal Palace 2 - Blackpool 2
Derby 3 - Leeds 1
Huddersfield 2 - Bolton 2
Ipswich 3 - Millwall 0
Leicester 2 - Barnsley 2
N. Forest 2 - Burnley 0
Peterborough 2 - M’Boro 3
Sheffield Wed. 2 - Bristol City 3
Watford 1 - Hull 2
Wolves 1 - Birmingham 0
Standings: Cardiff 44; C. Palace 41; M’boro, Hull 38; Leicester 37; Watford, Millwall 33; Brighton, N. Forest 32; Derby 30; Blackpool, Charlton, Blackburn, Leeds, Huddersfield 29; Wolves, Burnley 28; Bolton 26; Birmingham 24; Ipswich 23; Bristol City, Barnsley 18; Sheffield Wed. 15; Peterborough 13.
League One
Brentford 3 - MK Dons 2
Bury 0 - Leyton Orient 2
Carlisle 1 - Sheffield United 3
Colchester 0 - Oldham 2
Coventry 5 - Walsall 1
Crawley 2 - Shrewsbury 2
Hartlepool 0 - Stevenage 2
Preston 1 - Crewe 3
Scunthorpe 1 - Bournemouth 2
Swindon 1 - Doncaster 1
Tranmere 2 - Portsmouth 2
Yeovil 0 - Notts County 0
Standings: Tranmere, Doncaster 40; Sheffield Utd 39; Brentford 38; Ste-venage 37; MK Dons 36; Notts County 35; Swindon 33; Bournemouth, Crawley 32; L. Orient 31; Crewe 30; Yeovil 29; Preston 28; Coventry 27; Oldham 26; Colchester, Carlisle 23; Walsall 22; Portsmouth 20; Shrewsbury, Bury 19; Scunthorpe 17; Hartlepool 9.
League Two
Barnet 1 - Wimbledon 1
Bradford 1 - Torquay 0
Bristol Rovers 0 - Dagenham 1
Fleetwood 0 - Southend 0
Northampton 2 - Cheltenham 3
Oxford 1 - Aldershot 1
Plymouth 2 - York City 0
Port Vale 0 - Chesterfield 2
Rochdale 2 - Exeter 3
Rotherham 1 - Gillingham 2
Wycombe 2 - Morecambe 2
Burton vs Accrington - today, 16:00
Standings: Gillingham 44; Port Vale 39; Cheltenham 38; Bradford 35; Rotherham 34; Southend, Exeter 33; Fleetwood 32; Chesterfield, Torquay 31; Rochdale 30; Northampton, Burton 29; Dagenham 28; York 27; Morecambe, Accrington 26; Oxford 25; Wycombe 23; Plymouth 21; Wimbledon 19; Aldershot, Bristol Rovers 18; Barnet 16.