<div><p>Carlos Tevez did his old side Manchester United a favour by scoring the winner as Manchester City beat leaders Chelsea 2-1 in the English Premier League on Saturday.</p><p>City's win, which followed a run of seven straight league draws, cut fellow big-spenders Chelsea's lead over second-placed United, the reigning champions, to just two points.</p><p>Chelsea, knocked out of the League Cup in a shoot-out on Wednesday by Blackburn, suffered further penalty misery when, at 2-1 down with nine minutes left, England midfielder Frank Lampard saw his spot-kick saved by Shay Given.</p><p>The Londoners took an eighth-minute lead at a rain-drenched Eastlands when, from a debatable corner, the ball eventually fell to Nicolas Anelka, whose shot was saved by Given only for the rebound to hit Emmanuel Adebayor and go in for an own goal.</p><p> But Adebayor scored at the right end seven minutes before half-time when he struck from close range.</p><p>Argentina striker Tevez then delighted both Manchester clubs by firing in a 56th-minute free-kick that wrongfooted Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech.</p><p>Reigning champions United had earlier on Saturday kept the pressure on with a 4-0 victory away to West Ham.</p><p>United went ahead on the stroke of half-time at Upton Park when veteran midfielder Paul Scholes unleashed a ferocious 20-yard shot.</p><p>Midfielder Darron Gibson, who scored both United's goals in their mid-week League Cup quarter-final win over Tottenham, added a second with a right-footed shot into the top corner just after the hour mark.</p><p>Antonio Valencia put the result beyond doubt in the 71st minute with United's third before England striker Wayne Rooney added a fourth goal.</p><p> "It's always a difficult game and we had six defenders missing before the game," United manager Sir Alex Ferguson told Sky Sports.</p><p>"Then Gary Neville and Wes Brown had to come off."</p><p>Ferguson, reflecting on Scholes's opener, added: "It was a great goal to get at an important time."</p><p>Basement club Portsmouth won in the league for only the third time this season with a 2-0 victory at home to Burnley.</p><p>Arsenal leapfrogged North London rivals Tottenham, who play Everton on Sunday, into third place with a 2-0 win over Stoke.</p><p> Liverpool were held to a frustrating goalless draw away to Blackburn while Aston Villa maintained their push for European football with a 3-0 victory at home to Hull.</p><p>Birmingham came from behind to beat Wigan 3-2 while Wolves defeated fellow relegation candidates Bolton 2-1.</p><p>Arsenal, after Cesc Fabregas's penalty was saved by Thomas Sorensem, went ahead through Russia's Andrey Arshavin.</p><p>But it was not until 11 minutes from time that substitute Aaron Ramsey settled the Gunners' nerves with a second goal in the 79th minute.</p><p>Richard Dunne, up for a corner, put Villa in front with a 13th minute shot.</p><p>Hull then lost midfielder Jimmy Bullard to injury at Villa Park before the hosts went 2-0 up after James Milner's cheeky lob over Hull keeper Matt Duke.</p><p>John Carew's 88th minute penalty made it 3-0.</p><p>Wigan took a 33rd minute lead though Charles N'Zogbia's curling shot.</p><p> But Birmingham hit back with two goals in five minutes.</p><p>Sebastian Larsson equalised with a free-kick just after the hour mark before Christian Benitez made it 2-1.</p><p>Larsson scored his second goal, another free-kick, but 3-1 to Birmingham became 3-2 when Jordi Gomez scored for Wigan a minute from full-time.</p><p>At Fratton Park, second-half goals from Iceland defender Hermann Hreidarsson and Ivory Coast striker Aruna Dindane, who had earlier missed a penalty, saw Portsmouth, who remain bottom, to their first win under new boss Avram Grant.</p><p>Victory meant Pompey closed to within two points of second-bottom Bolton and three of Wolves.</p><p>The south coast side's relegation rivals faced one another at Molineux where</p><p>defender Jody Craddock gave Wolves a third-minute lead.</p><p>And Wolves made it 2-0 through Nenad Milijas in the 63rd minute before Bolton's Johan Elmander netted 11 minutes from time.</p><p>Sunday's other match sees Fulham face Sunderland.</p><img src="http://admatch-syndication.mochila.com/images/ad.gif?aid=64840880&bid=informcom" /></div><div id="copyright"><div>

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