Manchester United beat Liverpool 2-1 to move two points ahead at the top of the Premier League Sunday while Chelsea lost ground with a 1-1 draw at Blackburn. Fernando Torres headed Liverpool ahead at Old Trafford only for Wayne Rooney to equalize in the 12th minute. Although Pepe Reina saved his harshly awarded penalty, Rooney put the rebound home for his 33rd goal of the season. Referee Howard Webb pointed to the spot despite Javier Mascherano's grabbing of Antonio Valencia starting outside the area, and Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez accused the Ecuador winger of diving. “It is clear that there is contact, but the way he fell down was strange,” Benitez said. While Benitez was angered by the awarding of the penalty, United manager Alex Ferguson said felt Mascherano should have been sent off for blocking Valencia's chance of scoring. “The penalty kick decision was a red card because I do not see how anyone could have stopped Valencia from shooting,” Ferguson said. “That is a goal-scoring opportunity.” The industrious Park Ji-sung helped to maintain United's dominance after the break, while also supporting lone striker Rooney. A tame strike from Park was easily saved by Reina, but the Spain goalkeeper couldn't stop the low diving header on the hour after the midfielder ghosted in to meet Fletcher's cross - securing the three points for United. “Park's such a great little lad that his courage got him the goal,” Ferguson said. “We can give him roles to play because of his intelligence and discipline.” Ferguson gave a lot of credit for the victory to Fletcher, who has been ruled out of the last three losses to Liverpool through injury or illness. “To come back and win is a great quality Manchester United have,” Ferguson said. “For periods of the game, we played very well. For others, we had to dig and concentrate.” Didier Drogba put Chelsea ahead in the sixth minute at Blackburn but a header by El-Hadji Diouf gave the host a point. The draw means Chelsea is now four points behind United and two behind Arsenal but with a game in hand on both. Arsenal beat West Ham 2-0 Saturday. “It's a difficult moment now,” said Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti, whose team was also knocked out of the Champions League by Inter Milan Tuesday. “We are in third position and we are behind now. We have to run more but we don't have to lose our confidence.” In its game in hand, Chelsea can move within a point of United by winning at last-place Portsmouth Wednesday. Chelsea moved ahead when Nicolas Anelka burst down the left and provided the cross for Drogba to score with a low left-footed shot for his 28th league and cup goal of the season. But mid-standings Blackburn refused to give in, and Diouf collected a point for his side with a 70th-minute header at the far post from Michel Salgado's cross. Manchester City won 2-1 at Fulham to move up to fifth, two points behind Tottenham with a game in hand. Man City defender Joleon Lescott pulled out of the game after he injured a hamstring while warming up, but his side went 2-0 ahead by the 36th minute through Roque Santa Cruz and Carlos Tevez. Fulham equalized with Danny Murphy's 75th-minute penalty, awarded for Gareth Barry's handball.
