Chelsea hit four to stay on course

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LONDON, England -- Two spectacular goals from England winger Shaun Wright-Phillips kept Chelsea firmly on Manchester United's heels after a 4-1 win over West Ham United at Upton Park on Wednesday.

Victory lifted Jose Mourinho's side, winners of the last two titles, back to within three points of leaders Manchester United with five matches remaining.

Wright-Phillips struck twice in a hectic five-minute spell in the first half during which Argentine Carlos Tevez also netted for the home side.

Goals after the break from Salomon Kalou and Didier Drogba confirmed the vast gulf in class between the sides.

Relegation is looming large for West Ham who are five points adrift of Sheffield United who sit one place above the drop zone.

England midfielder Steven Gerrard scored twice as Liverpool regained third place from Arsenal with a 2-0 win over Middlesbrough at Anfield while Blackburn Rovers overcame bottom side Watford 3-1 at Ewood Park.

Wright-Phillips scored his opener in the 31st minute, his first league goal of the season, after good play from Kalou who chested the ball into his path.

The Chelsea winger avoided several defenders before changing direction with a dip of the shoulder and shooting past West Ham goalkeeper Robert Green.

Tevez briefly equalized in the 35th minute with a shot from 25 meters out that Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech should have saved.

The goal ended a string of eight straight clean sheets for both Chelsea and Cech.

Chelsea regained the lead less than a minute later, however. Defender Wayne Bridge ran down the left side and crossed to Wright-Phillips, who volleyed past Green.

Kalou made it 3-1 in the 51st minute by tapping in a rebound after Drogba had nearly scored off Frank Lampard's cross.

Lampard was able to set up Drogba for the fourth goal, sending a looping pass that the Ivory Coast striker controlled with one touch and then shot through the legs of Green. The goal was Drogba's 19th in the league this season.

West Ham had other chances to score in the first half, the best coming from James Collins in the 37th when his header from Jonathan Spector's cross went right at Cech.

At Anfield, Gerrard put Liverpool in the lead in the 58th minute with a 35-meter, right-footed shot that bounced once before hitting the left-side netting.

The Liverpool captain then converted penalty in the 65th minute after Andrew Davies pushed Peter Crouch when the England striker was preparing to head a cross from Jermaine Pennant.

Liverpool are back into third with 64 points, two ahead of Arsenal, who beat Manchester City 3-1 Tuesday.

Blackburn's goals against Watford came from Christopher Samba, Jason Roberts and Benni McCarthy, while Douglas Rinaldi scored for Watford.

Samba headed in a corner from David Bentley in the seventh minute, and Roberts added another in the 10th minute with a shot that Watford goalkeeper Ben Foster got a hand on but could not stop.

Rinaldi got one back for Watford with a header in the 21st minute, but McCarthy scored his 14th league goal of the season with a diving header off a cross from Bentley in the 32nd minute.

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