Leading lights burning bright

Across London at Highbury, Thierry Henry8217;s 20th club goal of the season after 12 minutes and one for fellow Frenchman Robert Pires after 71 were fair reward for Arsenal8217;s dominance in a 2-0 win over Fulham.

Manchester United kept up the chase when they beat Bolton Wanderers 2-0 for their sixth win in seven games. Everton maintained their remarkable season with a 2-1 home win over Manchester City. Chelsea top the standings on 46 points with Arsenal on 41. Everton are third on 40 with Manchester United fourth on 37.

Tottenham Hotspur chalked up their fifth win a row. Robbie Keane and Michael Brown scored to beat Norwich City 2-0 away, Portsmouth won 1-0 at Crystal Palace, while Graeme Souness8217;s return to Ewood Park ended with his Newcastle United side drawing 2-2 with Blackburn Rovers. Liverpool were playing at West Bromwich Albion later on Sunday.

Chelsea, bidding for their first League title for 50 years, struck after 30 minutes when Arjen Robben attacked a retreating Villa defence and fed Duff, who cut in from the right to fire in a low left-footed shot from 12 metres.

It was the sixth time in Chelsea8217;s last nine games that the Irish winger had opened the scoring but, unlike in recent weeks, they failed to build on the start.

The slick passing that has led to so many emphatic victories was absent and the second half was something of a battle. However, Jose Mourinho8217;s team did enough to make it eight wins and two draws from their 10 home games, in which they have scored 20 goals and conceded just three.

8216;8216;They played well, credit to Villa, but we battled it out and dealt with everything they threw at us and a great goal separated the teams,8217;8217; Chelsea captain John Terry said.