Premiership Update 23rd October

Chelsea fans had to wait until after the interval for their nerves to be settled at Stamford Bridge on Saturday as the visiting Portsmouth showed no signs of being overwhelmed by their illustrious rivals and duly produced a dogged display. Indeed, the South Coast side actually started more brightly than the reigning champions, and Kanu should have scored with just six minutes on the clock but misdirected his header after soaring above Ricardo Carvalho on the edge of the six-yard box. However, Chelsea, a best-priced 4/7 for the Premiership with VCbet, demonstrated their class after the interval and Ukranian hitman Andriy Shevchenko duly ended his goalscoring drought by breaking the deadlock after 55 minutes. The irrepressible Arjen Robben set the goal up with a low cross from the by-line and Sheva arrived bang on cue to direct the ball past David James, scoring his first goal since in ten games in the process. Two minutes later, fellow summer signing Michael Ballack netted his first Premiership goal, during a period when Chelsea applied intense pressure and Pompey have David James to thank for the result not becoming embarrassing. But, as ever, as if playing to reflect the personality of their manager, Portsmouth showed character to fight back and Benjani Mwaruwari got his side back into the game with a goal on 69 minutes, but Chelsea were firmly in control thereafter and were ultimately comfortable winners. Man Utd are a top-priced 10/3 with Paddy Power for the title after beating Liverpool 2-0 at Old Trafford. In a game which the Red Devils dominated, Paul Scholes stood out like a shining beacon, and he opening the scoring with his 132nd strike for the club six minutes before half time. Liverpool responded by crowding the middle of the park after the interval and it proved effective for a while, but Rio Ferdinand wielded a nail into the visitors' coffin with a sweet left-foot strike after 66 minutes. This victory puts United 11 points ahead of a floundering Liverpool side who are now 100/1 with VCBet to win the league. Conversely, Arsenal are firing on all cylinders and produced a masterclass to outpoint Reading by four goals to nil at the Madejski Stadium on Sunday, a venue where Man Utd had to settle for a draw earlier in the campaign and Chelsea scraped to victory the week before. Now as short as 4/1, but 11/2 with Stan James, Arsene Wenger's men are playing champagne football. It took just a minute for those that backed Thierry Henry in the first goalscorer market to collect, and the writing was on the wall thereafter. The Gunners were mesmerising at times, and Hleb connected well with Rosicky before slamming home the second before the break, after which Robin van Persie added a third after 50 minutes, and Henry converted from the penalty spot 20 minutes later to cement the north London side's victory. Ivan Campo was once again the hero of the hour for Bolton. The Spaniard scored another important goal for The Trotters when his 62nd-minute close-range header put them in the driving seat against Blackburn at Ewood Park. The Wanderers rode their luck thereafter, and the home side looked unlucky when Khizanishvili's header appeared to cross the line but the ref waved play. Blackburn were awarded two penalties in as many minutes at the end of the game, but Finish goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen denied both Benni McCarthy and Jason Roberts to secure a victory which leaves Sam Allardyce's men in third place in the Premiership. Both Alan Pardew and Glen Roeder felt the pressure increase as their sides, West Ham and Newcastle, were beaten away in derbies against Spurs and Middlesbrough respectively, while Everton lie in sixth place after beating Sheffield United 2-0 at Goodison Park.