Chelsea suffered a shock 1-0 defeat at Crystal Palace while Manchester City were held to a 1-1 draw at Arsenal yesterday, opening the door for Liverpool to go top of the Premier League in their home game today.

Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea sank to their first defeat by Palace in 24 years after captain John Terry headed a Joel Ward cross into his own goal early in the second half amid suggestions the ball touched home defender Joe Ledley’s hand on the way in.

The Stamford Bridge club stayed top on 69 points but could be overtaken by Liverpool who are a point behind going into their game in hand against Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield today.

Title favourites City are third on 67 points with two games in hand on Chelsea.

“Now I feel it’s impossible to win the title,” manager Mourinho told Sky Sports.

“We depend too much on other results. Two weekends ago we lost three points (to Aston Villa) and now it is too much about other results.”

David Silva opened the scoring for City in the 18th minute before Mathieu Flamini equalised soon after the break to earn a draw for fourth-placed Arsenal who are on 64 points and retain outside title hopes.

Champions Manchester United ended a week of turmoil with a 4-1 win over Aston Villa, a double by England striker Wayne Rooney easing the pressure on manager David Moyes.

Palace’s victory lifted them to fifth from bottom with 31 points, five clear of the relegation zone, and Selhurst Park was rocking at the end of the game with the joyous home fans belting out their ‘Glad All Over’ anthem.

Chelsea, who have six matches left, thrashed Arsenal 6-0 last weekend but gave a limp display against Tony Pulis’ Palace who had failed to win in their previous five matches, scoring just once.

The Eagles grabbed the only goal when Terry headed the ball into his own net at the near post in the 52nd minute, leaving keeper Petr Cech stranded.

Eden Hazard had two opportunities to haul the visitors level but could not find a way past inspired keeper Julian Speroni. Palace also had several chances to make the game safe with a series of lively counter attacks.

“We were threatening and played fantastically well,” Pulis said.

“We have seven games left to get the points we need and it’s going to be tough.”

Penalty appeal

City started brightly at the Emirates Stadium with Pablo Zabaleta and Jesus Navas causing problems down the right while Arsenal had a penalty appeal turned down at the other end when Zabaleta tripped Tomas Rosicky.

When the opening goal arrived it was little surprise that it was created and finished by the impressive Silva. He fed Edin Dzeko and when the striker’s shot rebounded off the bar, the Spain playmaker slotted the ball home.

Flamini had a goal ruled out for offside but made no mistake second time round when Lukas Podolski found the Frenchman in the box and he scuffed his shot beyond the reach of keeper Joe Hart.

It was the first goal City had conceded in six matches and Flamini’s first at the Emirates since 2008.

“I think it’s a good point,” said visiting manager Manuel Pellegrini. “We were maybe unlucky and we came to win.

“Before they scored we had a clear chance to make it 2-0. Arsenal had no clear chances - just the goal. Football is like that.”

Seventh-placed Manchester United secured a welcome win over a spirited Villa, lifting some of the gloom surrounding Moyes’ dismal first term in charge.

The Old Trafford crowd, many of whom booed an anti-Moyes banner that was flown over the ground as the match started, had further cause to grumble when Ashley Westwood put Villa a goal up in the 13th minute.

A double by Rooney, Juan Mata’s first goal since leaving Chelsea and a late Javier Hernandez strike rounded off the win as United moved on to 54 points.

“I’ve been saying all the time I’ve been here, the crowd have been great ... because at times we haven’t done as well as we’d like,” said Moyes.

Goals by England trio Jay Rodriguez (2), Rickie Lambert and Adam Lallana helped Southampton rout a toothless Newcastle United 4-0.

Swansea defeated Norwich City 3-0 while Peter Odemwingie notched the only goal in Stoke City’s 1-0 triumph over Hull City.

Cardiff City fought back from going two down after nine minutes to draw 3-3 at fellow strugglers West Bromwich Albion.

Results and standings

Premier League

Arsenal 1
Flamini 53;
Man. City 1
Silva 18;

HT: 0-1. Att: 60,060.

C. Palace 1
Terry 52 og;
Chelsea 0

HT: 0-0. Att: 25,166.

Man. United 4
Rooney 20; Rooney 45 pen; Mata 57; Hernandez 90;
Aston Villa 1
Westwood 13;

HT: 2-1. Att: 75,368.

S’hampton 4
Rodriguez 45, 89; Lambert 49; Lallana 70;
Newcastle 0

HT: 1-0. Att: 31,360.

Stoke City 1
Odemwingie 62;
Hull City 0

HT: 0-0. Att: 27,029.

Swansea City 3
De Guzman 30; De Guzman 38; Routledge 75;
Norwich 0

HT: 2-0. Att: 20,371.

West Brom 3
Amalfitano 2; Dorrans 9; Bifouma 90;
Cardiff City 3
Mutch 30; Caulker 73; M. Daehli 90+1;

HT: 2-1. Att: 25,661.

	P	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
Chelsea	32	21	6	5	62	24	69
Liverpool	31	21	5	5	84	39	68
Man. City	30	21	4	5	80	28	67
Arsenal	32	19	7	6	56	37	64
Everton	30	16	9	5	46	30	57
Tottenham	31	17	5	9	40	40	56
Man. United	32	16	6	10	52	38	54
Southampton	32	13	9	10	49	40	48
Newcastle	32	14	4	14	38	47	46
Stoke City	32	10	10	12	37	45	40
West Ham	31	9	7	15	34	41	34
Aston Villa	31	9	7	15	34	46	34
Swansea	32	8	9	15	45	48	33
Hull City	32	9	6	17	33	40	33
Norwich City	32	8	8	16	26	51	32
C. Palace	31	9	4	18	20	39	31
West Brom	31	5	14	12	36	48	29
Cardiff City	32	6	8	18	29	61	26
Sunderland	29	6	7	16	27	46	25
Fulham	31	7	3	21	30	70	24

Playing today
Fulham vs Everton - 14.30
Liverpool vs Tottenham - 17.00

Tomorrow
Sunderland vs West Ham - 21.00

Top scorers
28 goals: Suarez (Liverpool).
20 goals: Sturridge (Liverpool).
17 goals: Toure (Man. City).
15 goals: Aguero (Man. City), Rooney (Man. United), Rodriguez (Southampton).
14 goals: Hazard (Chelsea).
13 goals: Giroud (Arsenal), Remy (Newcastle).
12 goals: Lukaku (Everton)
11 goals: Gerrard (Liverpool), Van Persie (Man. United), Bony (Swansea).

Next fixtures
Saturday: 13.45 Manchester City vs Southampton. 16.00 Aston Villa vs Fulham; Cardiff vs Crystal Palace; Hull City vs Swansea City; Newcastle United vs Manchester United; Norwich City vs West Bromwich Albion. 18.30 Chelsea vs Stoke City.
Sunday: 14.30 Everton vs Arsenal; West Ham vs Liverpool.
Monday, April 7: 21.00 Tottenham vs Sunderland.

The Championship
Birmingham 2 - Bournemouth 4
Bolton 1 - Wigan 1
Brighton 0 - Middlesbrough 2
Burnley 0 - Leicester 2
Derby 3 - Charlton 0
Ipswich 1 - Nottm Forest 1
Leeds 1 - Doncaster 2
Millwall 2 - Blackburn 2
QPR 1 - Blackpool 1
Reading 1 - Huddersfield 1
Sheffield Wed. 1 - Watford 4
Yeovil 1 - Barnsley 4

Standings: Leicester City 85; Burnley 79; Queen’s Park Rangers 70; Derby County 69; Wigan Athletic 63; Reading 60; Nottingham Forest, Ipswich Town 58; Brighton 56; Bournemouth 55; Watford, Blackburn Rovers 52; Middlesbrough 49; Sheffield Wednesday 48; Leeds United 47; Huddersfield Town 46; Bolton Wanderers 45; Doncaster Rovers 43; Blackpool 42; Birmingham City 40; Charlton Athletic, Barnsley 35; Millwall 33; Yeovil Town 32.

League One
Crewe1 - Coventry2
Leyton Orient 0 - Bradford 1
MK Dons 0 - Wolves 1
Notts County 2 - Colchester 0
Oldham 0 - Brentford 0
Preston 1 - Crawley 0
Rotherham 2 - Bristol City 1
Stevenage 1 - Port Vale 1
Swindon 2 - Sheffield Utd 1
Tranmere 0 - Carlisle 0
Walsall 1 - Shrewsbury 0

Standings: Wolves 86; Brentford 80; Leyton Orient 76; Rotherham United, Preston North End 75; Peterborough 58; Swindon 57; Walsall 56; Milton Keynes Dons 55; Sheffield United, Port Vale 51; Bradford City, Coventry City, Gillingham 48; Bristol City, Crawley Town 46; Oldham Athletic 44; Colchester 43; Notts County, Tranmere Rovers, Carlisle United, Crewe 40; Shrewsbury Town, Stevenage 38.

League Two
Bristol Rovers 1 - Morecambe 0
Dagenham 1 - Oxford 0
Exeter 0 - Accrington 1
Fleetwood 0 - Rochdale 0
Hartlepool 0 - Cheltenham 1
Mansfield 1 - Wimbledon 0
Newport 1 - Portsmouth 2
Northampton 0 - Bury 3
Scunthorpe 0 - Wycombe 0
Southend 1 - Torquay 0
York 0 - Burton 0

Standings: Rochdale 74; Scunthorpe United 72; Chesterfield 70; Fleetwood Town, Burton Albion 65; Southend United, Oxford United, York City 59; Plymouth 55; Dagenham 54; Cheltenham 51; Mansfield Town 50; Hartlepool, Accrington Stanley, Newport County 49; Wimbledon, Morecambe 48; Bury, Exeter City 47; Bristol Rovers 46; Portsmouth 45; Wycombe 43; Northampton Town 40; Torquay United 36.