Manchester United shrugged off the absence of Wayne Rooney to defeat Fulham 2-0 at Old Trafford and open up a 10-point lead at the top of the Premier League.
United, still furious at the two-match ban handed out to Rooney for swearing, secured all three points thanks to Dimitar Berbatov’s 22nd goal of the season and a close-range header from Antonio Valencia.
United boss Sir Alex made eight changes as he juggled his options ahead of Tuesday’s return leg at Old Trafford.
Chelsea moved up to third
Florent Malouda’s 67th-minute goal moved Chelsea into third spot and ensured Wigan Athletic remain rooted to the foot of the Premier League following a 1-0 defeat at Stamford Bridge.
Carlo Ancelotti’s side took one step closer towards securing a place in next season’s Champions League.
But this was an unconvincing performance by Ancelotti’s side, who struggled in front of goal with Fernando Torres again failing to open his account for the club.
Spurs edge past Stoke
Tottenham Hotspur maintained their push for a place in next season’s Champions League with a 3-2 win over Stoke to remain in fifth spot.
Peter Crouch bounced back from the disappointment of his red card in the Bernabeu to score twice, with Luka Modric grabbing Spurs’ other goal while Stoke’s goals came from Matthew Etherington and Kenwyne Jones.
Everton cruise to win
Wolves’ battle against relegation suffered a setback as Everton scored their biggest Premier League win of the season in a 3-0 victory at Molineux.
First-half goals from Jermaine Beckford, Phil Neville and Diniya Bilyaletdinov secured all three points for Everton, who remain in seventh spot after extending their unbeaten run to six matches.
But the defeat left Mick McCarthy’s Wolves rooted in the relegation mire, with the midlands club second from bottom with only six games remaining.
Birmingham held
Birmingham and Blackburn remain three points clear of the relegation zone after grinding out a 1-1 draw at Ewood Park.
Birmingham took the lead through a headed Lee Bowyer effort on 32 minutes only for Blackburn to level on half-time courtesy of David Hoilett.
Bolton down West Ham
West Ham missed the chance to pull themselves out of the drop zone after crashing to a 3-0 defeat at Bolton.
Bolton took the lead on 14 minutes with an exquisite strike from Daniel Sturridge. Lee Chung-Yong made it 2-0 for the Trotters on 20 minutes, before Sturridge grabbed his second.
Meanwhile, West Bromwich Albion eased their relegation fears against Sunderland, coming from behind to snatch a 3-2 victory.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 10th, 2011.
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