Liverpool, M Utd fail to capitalize on Chelsea's draw
(AP)
Updated: 2006-02-02 10:56

David Bentley scored three goals and Blackburn edged Manchester United 4-3 on Wednesday, a night when runaway English league leader Chelsea was held 1-1 by Aston Villa.

David Bentley, a former Arsenal winger who turned his loan move into a permanent deal on Tuesday, potted three goals. [AP]

Among other unexpected results, Arsenal lost 3-2 at home to West Ham and Liverpool was held to a 1-1 draw at home by next-to-last Birmingham, which played most of the game with 10 men.

The results increased Chelsea's lead to 15 points as the two leading pursuers failed to capitalize on the Blues' second straight draw in league play and only the fourth time this season they've been denied a victory.

Arjen Robben gave Chelsea the ideal start with a goal after 14 minutes as the Blues dominated the first half. Luke Moore equalized for Villa with 13 minutes remaining, handing Chelsea its third consecutive draw following a Jan. 22 tie at home against Charlton and Saturday's FA Cup deadlock against Everton.

"I am not happy with the referee," said Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho, who accused official Rob Styles of missing two penalties. "I know there was a penalty against us but I would have preferred that one to have been given and also our penalty at the end of the game.

"Someone has to teach the ref that, in football, there is not the law of compensation. If you make a mistake, you try not to make another mistake."

Bentley, a former Arsenal winger who turned his loan move into a permanent deal on Tuesday, scored three times and Lucas Neill converted a penalty as Blackburn raced into a 4-1 lead over United at Ewood Park before Ruud van Nistelrooy came off the bench to rally the Reds with two of his own.

Manchester United's Rio Ferdinand, right, is send off for a foul on Blackburn's Robbie Savage during their English Premier League soccer match at Ewood Park Stadium, Blackburn, England, Wednesday Feb. 1, 2006. [AP]

"When you make mistakes at the back it costs you," United manager Alex Ferguson said in reference to blunders by Rio Ferdinand, Wes Brown, Nemanja Vidic and goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar.

"In the first half we dominated yet we were down 3-1. It's amazing. There was a stupid error at the back between Rio and Edwin van der Sar."

Besides the defeat, United also lost Rio Ferdinand for a second yellow near the end, the last card for an ugly foul on Rovers' Robbie Savage.

In other games, Robbie Fowler -- acquired last week from Manchester City, returned to Anfield as a second-half substitute immediately after Steven Gerrard had given Liverpool a 62nd-minute lead over Birmingham.

Birmingham, which was reduced to 10 men in the 27th minute with the ejection of Damien Johnson, rallied with two minutes remaining when Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso deflected a header by Emile Heskey toward his own net. Goalkeeper Pepe Reina, trying to clear, couldn't stop it going over the line.

Fowler appeared to score in the final minute but the goal was disallowed for offside and Liverpool settled for a point.

West Ham posted its first victory at Arsenal in 11 years with strikes by Nigel Reo-Coker, Bobby Zamora and Matthew Etherington. The Hammers led by two goals before Thierry Henry replied for the Gunners to eclipse Cliff Bastin's record of 150 league goals, and were ahead 3-1 before Robert Pires scored a late second.

An eighth loss of the season dropped sixth-place Arsenal 26 points behind Chelsea.

In Wednesday's other games, Manchester City outplayed Newcastle 3-0 and Portsmouth drew 1-1 with Bolton.

Albert Riera gave Manchester City the lead in the 14th minute against Newcastle, Andy Cole made it 11 goals in 19 games and Darius Vassell added the third in the 62nd to put Magpies manager Graeme Souness under more pressure.

"I cannot defend our recent form, it is not good enough," said Souness, whose team has dropped to fifth from last.

"We are in a relegation scrap. That is a fact and I cannot deny it. But this is no time to feel sorry for ourselves, we have to stand up and show what we are made of."

At Fratton Park, Khalilou Fadiga fired a penalty kick over the bar after Portsmouth goalkeeper Dean Kiely had brought down Stelios Giannakopoulos. But the Senegalese midfielder atoned for his misfire by giving the visitor the lead in the 69th, only for Azar Karadas to equalize with five minutes remaining.

In League Championship action, new signing Ade Akinbiyi scored the only goal of the game as second place Sheffield United won 1-0 at Derby to cut Reading's lead to seven points.