Blues in win, Gunners shot down

LONDON – Leaders Chelsea recovered from their defeat to Barcelona with a shaky 2-0 win over Portsmouth as Blackburn stung Real Madrid’s conquerors Arsenal 1-0 in the English Premiership on Saturday.

England midfielder Frank Lampard and Netherlands winger Arjen Robben’s scored against relegation-threatened Pompey, extending the champions’ lead on second-placed Manchester United to 15 points. Arsenal became the first English team to win at Real Madrid in Tuesday’s Champions League match but they were brought back to earth with a bump at Ewood Park thanks to Norway midfielder Morten Gamst Pedersen’s strike.Rovers leapfrogged the Gunners into fifth place as Arsenal’s hopes of earning a Champions League spot dimmed further.Newcastle United, resurgent under the temporary charge of Glenn Roeder and Alan Shearer, won 2-0 at home to Everton.Birmingham City remain in the relegation zone despite winning 1-0 at home against rock-bottom Sunderland.Mid-table Charlton Athletic and Aston Villa played out a 0-0 draw.Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho made four changes from the side that lost 2-1 to Barcelona in the Champions gLeague ato the Bednesday.The Blues had won just three of their previous five matches, and made hard work of Pompey on a poor pitch.Eidur Gudjohnsen played a part in both goals, stepping over Didier Drogba’s cross for Lampard’s 65th-minute strike and laying on Robben’s in the 78th minute.The defeat left Portsmouth eight points from safety in the relegation zone.At Ewood Park, Gunners boss Arsene Wenger felt his side were desperately unlucky not to get at least a point after laying siege to Blackburn following Pedersen’s 18th-minute tap-in.Gritty Blackburn refused to cave in and held out to sit three points off fourth place and a Champions League qualifying spot.The defeat was Arsenal’s fourth in six Premiership matches and left them with a fight on their hands to secure a top four finish.Peru winger Nolberto Solano scored both Newcastle goals at St James’s Park to stretch their unbeaten run to five games under Roeder.He turned in a Charles N’Zogbia cross in the 64th minute and curled in a spectacular goal with the outside of his foot 12 minutes later.Newcastle leapfrogged Everton into 11th place.Magpies skipper Scott Parker said a European place was still within reach.Birmingham should have scored more at St Andrews against visitors Sunderland.Emile Heskey, unmarked at the far post, nodded in winger Jermaine Pennant’s inswinging free kick in the 39th minute.The result leaves the Birmingham three points from safety but Sunderland are now 16 points adrift.At The Valley, Charlton and Villa played out a goalless draw which would not have impressed England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson, who later included Charlton striker Darren Bent in his squad for Wednesday’s friendly at home to Uruguay.Charlton manager Alan Curbishley admitted the draw was a “frustration for everybody”.The result left both teams in mid-table.- Nampa-AFPArsenal became the first English team to win at Real Madrid in Tuesday’s Champions League match but they were brought back to earth with a bump at Ewood Park thanks to Norway midfielder Morten Gamst Pedersen’s strike.Rovers leapfrogged the Gunners into fifth place as Arsenal’s hopes of earning a Champions League spot dimmed further.Newcastle United, resurgent under the temporary charge of Glenn Roeder and Alan Shearer, won 2-0 at home to Everton.Birmingham City remain in the relegation zone despite winning 1-0 at home against rock-bottom Sunderland.Mid-table Charlton Athletic and Aston Villa played out a 0-0 draw.Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho made four changes from the side that lost 2-1 to Barcelona in the Champions gLeague ato the Bednesday.The Blues had won just three of their previous five matches, and made hard work of Pompey on a poor pitch.Eidur Gudjohnsen played a part in both goals, stepping over Didier Drogba’s cross for Lampard’s 65th-minute strike and laying on Robben’s in the 78th minute.The defeat left Portsmouth eight points from safety in the relegation zone.At Ewood Park, Gunners boss Arsene Wenger felt his side were desperately unlucky not to get at least a point after laying siege to Blackburn following Pedersen’s 18th-minute tap-in.Gritty Blackburn refused to cave in and held out to sit three points off fourth place and a Champions League qualifying spot.The defeat was Arsenal’s fourth in six Premiership matches and left them with a fight on their hands to secure a top four finish.Peru winger Nolberto Solano scored both Newcastle goals at St James’s Park to stretch their unbeaten run to five games under Roeder.He turned in a Charles N’Zogbia cross in the 64th minute and curled in a spectacular goal with the outside of his foot 12 minutes later.Newcastle leapfrogged Everton into 11th place.Magpies skipper Scott Parker said a European place was still within reach.Birmingham should have scored more at St Andrews against visitors Sunderland.Emile Heskey, unmarked at the far post, nodded in winger Jermaine Pennant’s inswinging free kick in the 39th minute.The result leaves the Birmingham three points from safety but Sunderland are now 16 points adrift.At The Valley, Charlton and Villa played out a goalless draw which would not have impressed England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson, who later included Charlton striker Darren Bent in his squad for Wednesday’s friendly at home to Uruguay.Charlton manager Alan Curbishley admitted the draw was a “frustration for everybody”.The result left both teams in mid-table.- Nampa-AFP