Chelsea assume English supremacy

Carlo Ancelotti got the better of UEFA Champions League rival Rafael Benítez as Chelsea FC defeated Liverpool FC 2-0 to return to the Premier League summit, while Arsenal FC won 6-2 and are up to fourth.

Drogba assists
Ancelotti and Benítez have met twice in the final of Europe's premier club competition, winning one apiece, and it was the Italian who emerged victorious from their first Premier League acquaintance. The visitors could have gone within a point of top spot with victory but must now contemplate their third league defeat of the season – one more than the whole of last term – after goals from Nicolas Anelka (60) and Florent Malouda in added time, both created by Didier Drogba, sent the west London outfit above Manchester United FC.

Fàbregas influence
Arsenal lost no further ground on the early pacesetters despite twice falling behind inside the opening half an hour against Blackburn Rovers FC. Thomas Vermaelen's fourth league goal of the campaign and Robin van Persie's third restored parity on each occasion. Cesc Fàbregas was Arsenal's creative hub throughout and it was he who fed Andrei Arshavin to put the hosts in front before half-time. The Spaniard doubled his team's advantage with a volley on 57 minutes and teed up the returning Theo Walcott for a fifth, before Nicklas Bendtner completed the scoring.

Stanislas strike
Everton FC suffered a blow to their hopes of keeping pace with the top four, drawing 1-1 at home with Stoke City FC, while West Ham United FC remain in the bottom three and without a league win since the opening day following their 2-2 draw with ten-man Fulham FC. Gianfranco Zola's side could, however, have been ruing a fifth straight defeat in all competitions had it not been for Junior Stanislas's injury-time leveller against a Fulham team who had Kagisho Dikgacoi dismissed four minutes before half-time.