LONDON, Nov 22 — Chelsea trounced Wolverhampton Wanderers 4-0 to stay five points clear of champions Manchester United at the top of the Premier League on Saturday.
United kept pace with the leaders by beating Everton 3-0 at home in the late match to move up to second after Arsenal's 14-match unbeaten run ended with a 1-0 defeat at Sunderland.
Chelsea, who set a club record of 12 straight home wins, have 33 points from 13 matches to United's 28. Arsenal are on 25 with a game in hand.
MADRID, Nov 22 — Real Madrid replaced Barcelona at the top of La Liga yesterday after they beat Racing Santander 1-0 at home and the champions were held 1-1 at Athletic Bilbao.
Manuel Pellegrini's side head into next Sunday's “clasico” at the Nou Camp with 28 points from 11 games, one ahead of Barca, after Gonzalo Higuain got the only goal at the Bernabeu.
By Rob Hughes
NOV 22 — There is no cure for what Thierry Henry is feeling right now.
Since his youth, he has been loved for what he does and he craved for that affection more obviously than almost any modern Frenchman.
Today, and to the end of his playing days, Henry will be stigmatised by his one foul act — his deliberate handball to send a nation, Ireland, out of the World Cup.
MONTE CARLO, Nov 22 — Jamaican triple Olympic and world champion Usain Bolt and main sprint rival Tyson Gay have praised the new Diamond League series while declining to say where they would clash in 2010 on the 14-meeting series.
"It's going to be awesome, so people look out for it," Bolt (picture) told a dinner meeting yesterday to launch the series, which promises more head-to-head competition.
LIVERPOOL, Nov 22 — As a first dividend on the desert-oil fund, Manchester City's avowed intent is to knock one of the top four clubs of the English Premier League out of the Champions League places.
On the evidence of yesterday, City are there, stride for stride with Liverpool. But, alas, only in mediocrity.
With half of Liverpool's team under medical treatment, and the other half giving cheap goals away, this was surely City's chance to win at Anfield.
