Liverpool fall to classy Chelsea

RSC Anderlecht 3-0 K. Sint Truidense VV

Anderlecht scored three second-half goals to seal victory at home to Sint-Truiden to keep the pressure on R. Standard de Liège at the Belgian First Division summit. But the score flattered Frank Vercauteren's team, who struggled to break down their industrious opponents before Nenad Ještrović finally sprung the offside trap to break the deadlock midway through the second half.

Mbo Mpenza doubled the lead with 13 minutes remaining before substitute Walter Baseggio sealed victory with a sumptuous drive in the final minute, less than five minutes after his introduction. While the nature of the victory hardly flattered the home side, the clean sheet will hearten Vercauteren, who was again without Roland Juhász, while Vincent Kompany is currently bedridden with a back problem. Ukrainian striker Oleg Iachtchouk (knee) is also sidelined.

"We didn't get into the game in the first half," said Bart Goor, Anderlecht's left-sided midfield player. "They put a lot of players behind the ball, starving us of space. We increased the tempo in the second half because they were getting tired, and got more into the game, retaining the ball more and putting pressure on them, which eventually made them collapse."

Liverpool FC 1-4 Chelsea FC

Just four days after Liverpool and Chelsea played out a battling goalless draw, the Group G rivals convened again at Anfield and this time it was a far more open affair. The visitors made two changes for Sunday's game, bring in Asier Del Horno and Joe Cole, while Liverpool replaced Djibril Cissé with John Arne Riise. But the defensive change looked like backfiring when Frank Lampard opened the scoring from the penalty spot just before the half-hour mark after Djimi Traoré fouled Didier Drogba.

Steven Gerrard soon restored parity, but Damien Duff put the visitors back in front just before the interval after good build-up work by Drogba. The Ivorian striker was limping at one point in the first half, but stayed on after the restart, and Chelsea manager José Mourinho will be glad he did as he went on to tee up goals for Joe Cole and substitute Geremi as the visitors eased to victory. The result maintained Chelsea's 100 per cent start to the Premiership season and leaves them nine points clear at the summit, 17 ahead of Liverpool.

Rafael Benítez was surprised by the margin of defeat. "It's incredible that we lost that game 4-1," the Spaniard said. "We controlled the first 25 minutes and played some good football. Then we made a mistake with the penalty but got back into the game. The idea then was to work hard and look for another goal, but they scored again. In the second half we wanted to play high and press the game. But in the end mistakes have cost us."

Meanwhile, Mourinho was understandably delighted: "The whole team was excellent. Didier Drogba was absolutely incredible. Joe Cole and Damien Duff gave us the shape we needed and our substitutes Geremi and Arjen Robben put their mark on the game. We are a very good football team with everything a football team should have - big ambition, defensive quality, attacking quality, individual players, creativity. But the title race isn't over."

Real Sociedad de Fútbol 1-1 Real Betis Balompié

Despite taking the lead through Juanito Gutiérrez midway through the first half, Betis were forced to hang on for a point as Real Sociedad fought back in driving rain in San Sebastián. Betis coach Llorenç Serra Ferrer went into the game without suspended striker Ricardo Oliveira, whose dismissal at FC Barcelona last week earned him a one-match ban. In his absence, Edú returned after a spell on the sidelines with a sprained knee to partner Xisco Muñoz in attack.

But it was Juanito who made the breakthrough on 21 minutes, stabbing in Marcos Assunção's corner. Real responded well and Pedro Contreras, relieving the rested Antonio Doblas in goal, was beaten just after the restart and although the home side threatened a winner, Betis hung on for a share of the spoils.

"During the first half, I felt we controlled the game very well," Serra Ferrer said. "Real Sociedad didn't look too confident when they got near our box, so we never appeared under any threat." Miguel Ángel Lozano was taken off after receiving a blow to the chest and the club await further examinations to see if he will join defender Luis Fernández on the sidelines.