Carlos Tevez scored twice as Manchester City survived a late fightback to beat Wolves 4-3 and move to the top of the English Premier League on Saturday.
Argentinian international Tevez struck his 14th and 15th goals of the season while Ivorian brothers Kolo and Yaya Toure both netted as City took a slender one-point lead over Manchester United.
United, who also have three games in hand over City, will return to the top if they avoid defeat to fifth-placed Tottenham in this afternoon’s crunch match at White Hart Lane.
Serbian midfielder Nenad Milijas had fired Wolves into a shock lead on 12 minutes, rifling home a rebound after a Matthew Jarvis cross.
City’s blushes were spared five minutes before half-time however when Kolo Toure controlled on the edge of the six-yard box and prodded a deflected shot past Wolves keeper Wayne Hennessey.
And four minutes after the restart, City were in front, captain Tevez weaving his way through the Wolves defence before finishing calmly.
Yaya Toure made it 3-1 five minutes later, lifting his shot over Hennessey to join his brother on the scoresheet after good work by 27-million-pound signing Edin Dzeko, making his debut for City.
Tevez made it four on 66 minutes, stooping to steer home as City looked to be cruising to victory.
But Kevin Doyle slotted a late penalty for Wolves to make it 4-2 and an 86th-minute goal from French defender Ronald Zubar set up a nerve-jangling finale.
City manager Roberto Mancini was happy with the way his side performed after a poor start to the game.
“I think we were bad in the first 20 minutes,” he said. “We didn’t play. But after that we played well. We scored four goals and had two or three good chances.”
Chelsea maintained their title hopes with a laboured 2-0 win over Blackburn thanks to second-half goals from Branislav Ivanovic and Nicolas Anelka.
Ivanovic opened the scoring on 57 minutes, firing a low shot through a forest of legs to the relief of under-pressure manager Carlo Ancelotti, before a flicked effort from Anelka on 76 minutes made the game safe.
Top four
The result put Chelsea back into the top four ahead of Spurs’ match against Manchester United today.
Ancelotti voiced hope that the result meant Chelsea had finally turned the corner after a protracted form slump.
“I think that the difficult moment is gone,” Ancelotti told Sky Sports. “We are coming back to get good results. It’s not easy to come back and close the gap for the first position but we have to try.”
In the late kick-off, third-placed Arsenal piled the pressure on West Ham manager Avram Grant after cruising to a comfortable 3-0 victory at Upton Park courtesy of two goals from Robin van Persie and one from Theo Walcott.
Grant, reported to be facing dismissal, was taunted mercilessly by Arsenal’s travelling supporters, who bombarded the beleaguered Israeli with chants of “You’re getting sacked in an hour”.
A miserable evening for the Hammers was completed when new signing Wayne Bridge hacked down Walcott to concede the penalty for Arsenal’s third, a development which sent fans streaming towards the exits.
At the Hawthorns, two goals from Peter Odemwingie, including an 87th-minute winner, handed West Bromwich Albion a 3-2 victory over Blackpool as the Baggies ended their six-match losing streak.
Blackpool looked to have secured a share of the points when Gary Taylor-Fletcher equalised on 80 minutes before Odemwingie’s late effort denied Ian Holloway’s men a draw.
Stoke meanwhile moved up to eighth place with a 2-0 win over Bolton.
Stoke defender Danny Higginbotham opened the scoring, bundling home from close range on 37 minutes. A Matthew Etherington penalty doubled the Potters’ lead on 64 minutes to secure the points.
At the DW Stadium, substitute Andrew Johnson scored an 86th-minute equaliser just 10 minutes after coming on as Fulham secured a 1-1 draw against Wigan, who had taken the lead through striker Hugo Rodallega.
Results and standings
Premier League
Chelsea 2
Ivanovic 57; Anelka 76;
Blackburn 0
HT: 0-0. Att: 40,846.
Man. City 4
K. Toure 40; Tevez 49, 66; Y. Youre 54;
Wolves 3
Milijas 12; Doyle 68 pen; Zubar 86;
HT: 1-1. Att: 46,672.
Stoke 2
Higginbotham 37; Etherington 63 pen;
Bolton 0
HT: 1-0. Att: 26,809.
West Brom 3
Odemwingie 37, 87; Morrison 52;
Blackpool 2
Vaughan 11; Taylor-Fletcher 80;
HT: 1-1. Att: 25,316.
Wigan 1
Rodallega 57;
Fulham 1
Johnson 86;
HT: 0-0. Att: 18,820.
West Ham 0
Arsenal 3
Van Persie 13, 77 pen.; Walcott 41;
HT: 0-2. Att: 32,682.
Today:
Birmingham-Aston Villa - (13:00)
Liverpool-Everton - (15:05)
Sunderland-Newcastle - (13:00)
Tottenham-Man. United - (17:10)
Next fixtures
Tuesday: FA Cup Third round replays 20.45 Cardiff vs Stoke; Man. City vs Leicester; Wolves vs Doncaster.
Wednesday: FA Cup third round replays 20.45 Man. City vs Leicester. 21.00 Leeds vs Arsenal.
Saturday: Premier League 13.45 Wolves vs Liverpool; 16.00 Arsenal vs Wigan; Blackpool vs Sunderland; Everton vs West Ham; Fulham vs Stoke; Man. United vs Birmingham; Newcastle vs Tottenham. 18.30 Aston Villa vs Manchester City.
Sunday: Premier League 17.00 Blackburn vs West Brom.
Monday, Jan. 24: Premier League 21.00 Bolton vs Chelsea.
Premier League leading scorers
14 goals: Berbatov (Man. United), Tevez (Man. City).
11 goals: Carroll (Newcastle).
9 goals: Cahill (Everton), Elmander (Bolton), Nasri (Arsenal), Nolan (Newcastle), Van der Vaart (Tottenham).
8 goals: Bent (Sunderland), Drogba (Chelsea), Malouda (Chelsea), Odemwingie (WBA).
The Championship
Bristol City 0 - Middlesbrough 4
Burnley 0 - QPR 0
Coventry 0 - Sheff. Utd 0
Doncaster 0 - Reading 3
Hull 2 - Barnsley 0
Leeds 4 - Scunthorpe 0
Millwall 2 - Ipswich 1
Norwich 1 - Cardiff 1
Nott’m Forest 2 - Portsmouth 1
Preston 1 - Leicester 1
Swansea 3 - Crystal Palace 0
Watford 3 - Derby 0
Standings: QPR 49; Swansea 46; Cardiff, Norwich, Leeds 44; Watford 42; Reading, N. Forest 40; Millwall 39; Burnley, Coventry, Hull, Leicester 36; Derby, Doncaster 34; Barnsley 33; B. City 31; Portsmouth 30; M’Boro 29; Ipswich 28; Sheffield United 27; C. Palace 25; Scunthorpe 23; Preston 20.
League One
Brighton 3 - Peterborough 1
Carlisle 4 - Bristol Rovers 0
Hartlepool 0 - Dagenham 1
MK Dons 2 - Tranmere 0
Plymouth 0 - Oldham 2
Rochdale 1 - Leyton Orient 1
Sheff Wed. 2 - Charlton 2
Southampton 0 - Notts County 0
Swindon 0 - Yeovil 1
Walsall 2 - Huddersfield 4
Standings: Brighton 46; Huddersfield 42; Southampton 41; Bournemouth 39; Peterborough, MK Dons 36; Charlton, Oldham 35; Sheffield Wed., Colchester 34; Rochdale, Brentford, Hartlepool 32; Carlisle, Exeter 31; Notts County, Plymouth 30; Leyton Orient, Swindon 28; Tranmere, Yeovil 26; Bristol Rovers 23; Dagenham 21; Walsall 19.
League Two
Barnet 1 - Shrewsbury 1
Burton Albion p - Macclesfield p
Bury 1 - Aldershot 1
Cheltenham 1 - Accrington 2
Chesterfield 1 - Stevenage 0
Crewe 2 - Port Vale 1
Gillingham 1 - Northampton 0
Hereford 3 - Stockport 0
Lincoln 1 - Wycombe 2
Morecambe 2 - Torquay 1
Oxford Utd 2 - Bradford 1
Rotherham 1 - Southend 2
Standings: Chesterfield 48; Wycombe 43; Rotherham 41; Port Vale 39; Crewe 38; Bury, Gillingham 36; Shrewsbury, Oxford 35; Cheltenham 34; Torquay 32; Accrington 31; Morecambe, Bradford 30; Southend 29; Northampton 28; Stevenage 27; Macclesfield, Aldershot 26; Burton 25; Stockport 24; Barnet 23; Hereford 22; Lincoln 19.