Chelsea Back on Top of English Premier League - 04-05-10

April 5 - This season's English Premier League standings are like a game of 'ping pong', with the top spot changing almost on a weekly basis. After last week's matches, Chelsea, with 74 points, have reclaimed the top spot from rivals Manchester United (72 points), while Arsenal (71 points) is snapping at their heels.

While the weekend saw many hotly contested games, no doubt the match that drew the most attention was the game between Chelsea and Manchester United on Saturday in Manchester. With Old Trafford awash with a sea of red and blue fans, the game got underway to great expectations, but the reality was different.

From the outset it soon became clear that the home team was not firing on all cylinders, which was slightly disturbing considering that the side has everything to play for. Manchester's usually reliable veterans such as Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes failed to shine, although the latter did manage to pick up another yellow card.

Gary Neville too did not step up, causing even some of his most ardent fans to question the feasibility of including him in the England national football squad ahead of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. In a game that required finesse and control, the Red Devils failed to deliver, leaving the door open for The Blues.

A determined Chelsea ran onto the pitch with a spring in their step, taking control of the game from the whistle. Fans of The Blues went crazy 20 minutes in when Joe Cole found the back of The Red Devils' net with a smart back-heel manoeuvre thanks to a perfect cross from talented Frenchman, Florent Malouda.

As the game progressed, Manchester United grew increasingly frustrated and frenzied (as did manager Sir Alex Ferguson's jaw) which manifested in an increase in fouls and dangerous play from the home team. For instance, Chelsea's Paul Scholes was lucky to emerge unscathed after two obviously late tackles.

Ten minutes into the second half Chelsea's Didier Drogba made it 2-0, although TV replays showed the goal to be offside. But barely two minutes later, Man U's Federico Macheda put The Red Devils on the board, although that goal was equally controversial, appearing to have resulted from a handball in TV replays.

At the final whistle Chelsea had clinched it 2-1 and reclaimed the English Premier League top spot. Meanwhile, Arsenal dispatched the Wolves 1-0 as they should have. Here are the full English Premier League Football results from Saturday April 3 and Sunday April 4, 2010:

Birmingham 1-1 Liverpool
Fulham 2-1 Wigan Athletic
Everton 2-2 West Ham Utd
Man Utd 1-2 Chelsea
Arsenal 1-0 Wolves
Bolton 0-1 Aston Villa
Portsmouth 0-0 Blackburn
Stoke City 2-0 Hull City
Sunderland 3-1 Tottenham
Burnley 1-6 Manchester City