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Chelsea celebrate a goal - Source: Reuters -
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Three goals in seven minutes gave Chelsea a 3-0 Premier League
home win over Burnley on Sunday while champions Manchester United
were thankful for an Abou Diaby own goal as they came from 1-0 down
to beat Arsenal 2-1 at Old Trafford.
Tottenham Hotspur left it late to beat Birmingham City 2-1 to keep
pace with Chelsea at the top. They both have a maximum 12 points
with United on nine.
Nicolas Anelka, Michael Ballack and Ashley Cole scored either side
of halftime for rampant Chelsea, who made it four wins out of four
under new manager Carlo Ancelotti.
Later at Old Trafford, Andrei Arshavin gave Arsenal the lead but a
Wayne Rooney penalty and Diaby's misplaced header turned the
season's first heavyweight clash in United's favour.
Aaron Lennon netted in stoppage time as Tottenham also maintained
their 100 percent record, although they dropped to second place
behind Chelsea on goal difference.
Liverpool flirted with a third league defeat in four games,
trailing twice at Bolton Wanderers before coming back to win 3-2,
Steven Gerrard grabbing the third for the visitors after Glen
Johnson and Fernando Torres had scored earlier.
Bolton had Sean Davis sent off in the 55th minute when leading
2-1.
Stoke City are well-placed in fourth after beating Sunderland 1-0
while Blackburn Rovers earned their first point of the season in a
0-0 draw against West Ham United. Wolverhampton Wanderers and Hull
City ended 1-1.
Winning sequence
Chelsea's victory over Burnley made it nine consecutive league wins
for the club after they ended last season on a five-game winning
sequence under stand-in coach Guus Hiddink.
"It's important to maintain concentration, to maintain quick
movement of the ball for 90 minutes. I am very happy every week
because we are on the right road," Ancelotti told reporters.
"I am happy not just because we played well but because the
(transfer) window closes in two days. We're doing very well with
these players, I don't want to change, don't want other
players."
Burnley, playing in the top flight for the first time since the
1970s, have already beaten Manchester United this season but were
overwhelmed by Chelsea's midfield of Frank Lampard, Ballack, Deco
and Michael Essien.
The breakthrough came seconds before halftime when Didier Drogba
pulled the ball back for Anelka to score from close range. Chelsea
made the points safe after the break, Ballack heading in Lampard's
chip and Cole rifling in an unstoppable volley.
It is Chelsea's best start to a league season since 2005-06 when
they won their first nine games and went on to capture the title
under Jose Mourinho.
United still look some way short of the team that claimed an 18th
league title last season and manager Alex Ferguson admitted they
had to dig deep against Arsenal after being largely outplayed for
45 minutes.
A frustrating afternoon for the visitors ended with manager Arsene
Wenger sent to the stands after his side were denied a late Robin
van Persie equaliser by an offside flag.
Arshavin's ferocious shot gave Arsenal a deserved halftime lead and
they could have doubled their advantage early in the second period
when van Persie was denied by the boot of Ben Foster.
It proved to be a turning point as Rooney equalised from the
penalty spot after being felled by Manuel Almunia and five minutes
later Diaby, scorer of two goals for Arsenal against Portsmouth
last week, headed a Ryan Giggs cross past his own goalkeeper.
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