• Premier League round-up

Chelsea on track as City cruise and Wolves salvage draw

ESPN staff
February 25, 2012
Chelsea returned to winning ways against Bolton © Getty Images
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Chelsea eased the pressure on manager Andre Villas-Boas with victory over Bolton, while new Wolves boss Terry Connor saw his side battle to a draw at Newcastle - a result that saw Blackburn return to the relegation zone as they lost against Manchester City.

Elsewhere, Sunderland slumped to a defeat at West Brom, while ten-man QPR lost to local rivals Fulham.

Chelsea moved back into the Champions League places after they claimed their first win in five Premier League matches with a 3-0 win over Bolton at Stamford Bridge.

With Arsenal playing North London rivals Tottenham on Sunday, Chelsea had the chance to move back into the top four, but they were initially made to work hard against Wanderers, who missed the chance to climb out of the bottom three.

Villas-Boas recalled Frank Lampard, Ashley Cole and Michael Essien to the starting XI, and Lampard scored his 150th league goal to complete a solid win for the Blues after David Luiz's opener and Didier Drogba's header.

With Gary Cahill lining up against his old club, the Trotters absorbed a deal of pressure from the home side, January signing Tim Ream proving a match for the likes of Drogba and Daniel Sturridge.

After a goalless first half, Luiz finally broke the deadlock, poking a low shot past Adam Bogdan before Drogba doubled their advantage, rising above the Wanderers defence to nod in Lampard's cross.

And Lampard sealed an ultimately comfortable victory for Chelsea, slotting past Bogdan from Juan Mata's cross.

Manchester City moved five points clear at the top of the table after they beat Blackburn Rovers 3-0 at the Etihad Stadium.

In the day's evening kick-off, goals from Mario Balotelli, Sergio Aguero and substitute Edin Dzeko were enough for Roberto Mancini's men, who were never seriously tested throughout the contest.

Sergio Aguero scores past a prostrate Paul Robinson © Getty Images
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City were dominant from the off but initially struggled to find an opening, with goalkeeper Paul Robinson in sparkling form to persistently deny opposing attackers. That all changed on the half-hour mark, as Balotelli found himself in the right place to sweep home Aleksandr Kolarov's low cross after good work from David Silva.

City could not extend their lead, however - until Robinson undid much of his earlier good work with a sloppy piece of play that cost his side dear. A corner into the box seemed to present little danger to the former England international, but he seemed to misjudge the flight as he weakly flapped at the ball under no pressure - succeeding only in pushing into the path of Aguero, who made no mistake in powering home from eight yards.

With the points assured City took complete control of the game, and added a third with ten minutes remaining. Dzeko had only been on the pitch for 90 seconds after replacing Balotelli, but he profited from another pinpoint Kolarov cross to plant a firm header in the top corner.

While City consolidated their position at the top of the table, the result saw Blackburn slip back into the relegation zone - after Wolves' draw earlier in the day.

Terry Connor enjoyed an impressive start to managerial life as he saw Wolves climb out of the relegation places after battlling back to claim a 2-2 draw against Newcastle at St James' Park.

Kevin Doyle's equaliser secured a hard-earned point for Wolves following a second-half comeback - after goals from Papiss Demba Cisse and Jonas Gutierrez had given the Magpies a comfortable first-half lead.

Doyle had the chance to give Wolves an early lead, but after finding himself with only the keeper to beat, his weak shot failed to trouble Tim Krul. But after a bright start, Connor soon found himself contemplating defeat as Newcastle took control of the match.

With Cheik Tiote and Yohan Cabaye back for Newcastle, they dominated proceedings in midfield, and January signing Cisse got the home side off the mark. Demba Ba's audacious backheel was well saved by Wayne Hennessey, but Wolves failed to clear their lines and Tiote's drive was heading wide before Cisse stabbed home from close range.

Moments after Hennessey pulled off a superb save to deny Danny Simpson, he was helpless to stop Guttierez's thundering long-range effort from 30 yards as the Magpies doubled their advantage after 18 minutes.

But Wolves refused to accept defeat, and Matt Jarvis pulled one back shortly after the break, his strike deflecting off Simpson and looping over a helpless Krul. And Doyle got Wolves back on level terms, lashing home after Jamie O'Hara's free-kick bobbled off Mike Williamson.

Samba Diakite saw red on his QPR debut © PA Photos
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Mark Hughes endured a miserable reunion with former side Fulham as 10-man Queens Park Rangers were beaten 1-0 at Loftus Road.

The Cottagers burst out of the blocks and had the ball in the net in the third minute, but Andrew Johnson was ruled offside. But they had their goal just three minutes later; Moussa Dembele backheeling to Pavel Pogrebnyak, who beat Paddy Kenny to roll the ball into an open net for his second goal in as many games.

Hughes' day got worse when Samba Diakite was given his marching orders for a second yellow card on his QPR debut as his side slipped to defeat.

Sunderland came crashing back down to earth as they slumped to a 4-0 defeat at the hands of West Brom. Peter Odemwingie scored his fifth goal in two matches as the Baggies claimed back -to-back league wins for the first time in 2012.

Since replacing Steve Bruce at the Stadium of Light, Martin O'Neill has transformed Sunderland's season, turning his side from relegation candidates into European hopefuls, but they were second best to Roy Hodgson's side at The Hawthorns.

Odemwingie, who scored a hat-trick at Wolves last time out, got the Baggies off the mark after just three minutes, nodding in Youssef Mulumbu's cross from the left.

And the Baggies doubled their advantage shortly before half-time, James Morrison nodding past Simon Mignolet from Jerome Thomas' cross. It could have been three just seconds later, but Kieran Richardson blocked Marc-Antoine Fortune's effort after the Sunderland defence failed to clear Jonas Olsson's flick.

Black Cats boss O'Neill had warned Sunderland fans that disaster was "around the corner", and his comments appeared prophetic when Odemwingie compounded their woes, burying Fortune's cross before Keith Andrew capped the rout.

Neither Roberto Martinez nor Alex McLeish will be a happy man after Wigan and Aston Villa played out a goalless draw at the DW Stadium. McLeish saw England striker Darren Bent hobble off with an ankle injury as Villa were forced to settle for a seventh draw on the road this season. The Latics remain rooted to the bottom of the table after failing to fire for a 10th time this season.

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