Wolves 0-2 Chelsea
Didier Drogba: goals number 24 and 25 of the season
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Chelsea ignored further off-field problems to increase their lead at the top of the league to four points after two Didier Drogba goals helped them win 2-0 at Wolves.
Further tabloid allegations about the injured Ashley Cole's private life proved no distraction as the Blues took advantage of Manchester United's 3-1 defeat against Everton to increase their chances of regaining the title.
They did so without Frank Lampard, who missed the game because of a virus. But they did welcome back captain John Terry, fresh from his compassionate-leave family holiday in Dubai and eager to roll his sleeves up as the Blues took control early on.
Wolves struggled to gain possession during the opening exchanges but Kevin Doyle did force Petr Cech to make a decent save from a near post reflex shot in the 20th minute.
Mick McCarthy's men were fined earlier this week for fielding a weakened side against Manchester United but were in no mood to roll over this afternoon; David Jones, Matthew Jarvis and Doyle again all showing a willingness to shoot.
But it was Chelsea who drew first blood in the 40th minute after Yuri Zhirkov exchanged passes with Nicolas Anelka and delivered a ball which bypassed the Wolves goalkeeper and allowed Didier Drogba to score his 24th goal of the season by sliding the ball into the empty net.
An Adlene Guedioura volley would have put Wolves on level terms but for the reflexes of Cech and the Czech stopper again came to the rescue when Terry kicked at fresh air allowing Foley a free shot on target.
Cech's form seems to be improving as Terry's declines. The goalkeeper's up-field punt in the 67th minute found the feet of Drogba within shooting distance of goal. One flick of his leg took him round goalkeeper Marcus Hahnemann, another flick gave him his second goal of the day.
But Terry did redeem himself by clearing off the line after a Rory Delap-style throw-in caused confusion in the Chelsea penalty area.
At the Emirates Stadium Arsenal revived their faint hopes of winning the league by beating Sunderland 2-0 to move within two points of second-placed Manchester United.
Theo Walcott's electric pace caught the eye early on as the Gunners showed no ill-effects from their midweek Champions League defeat against Porto in Portugal.
Sami Nasri and Walcott both went close early on before Nicklas Bendtner rattled the Sunderland cross bar in the 13th minute after a fabulously-slick passing move.
And it was Bendtner who broke the deadlock after 27 minutes after Emmanuel Eboue set him up for a close-range shot.
Kenwyne Jones had a chance to equalise when he went one-on-one with Manuel Almunia. But the Trinidad man scuffed his shot wide, a reminder of just how inconsistent the talented striker can be.
Darren Bent also wasted a one-on-one chance for the Black Cats in the second half and his inaccuracy was nearly punished when Aaron Ramsey went close from long range.
Arsenal skipper Cesc Fabregas doubled the Gunners' lead in the third minute of injury time, converting a penalty after being brought down amid heavy traffic in the Sunderland penalty box.
At Upton Park, West Ham moved further away from the relegation zone when they beat Hull 3-0.
The defeat leaves Hull just one point above the drop-zone with the three clubs below them all having games in hand.
West Ham took the lead after 130 seconds when Valon Behrami robbed Hull of possession, exchanged passes with Guillermo Franco and fired past Boaz Myhill. The Hammers had threatened to score even sooner through an Alessandro Diamanti free-kick and totally dominated the early stages of the game.
Myhill made two top-drawer saves to keep Hull in the game after Alessandro Diamanti and Behrami hit shots that would have beaten most Premier League keepers. His athleticism gave Hull a chance to equalise in first-half injury time when George Boateng unleashed an effort which was tipped over the bar by Robert Green.
Hull's hopes suffered a knock in the 52nd minute when Craig Fagan took an early shower after picking up his second yellow card of the match.
West Ham made their one-man advantage tell in the 59th minute when Carlton Cole collected a pass made from the halfway-line and rolled the ball past the unlucky Myhill.
Diamanti nearly added a third but his shot from inside his own half was tipped over the bar by the back-pedalling Myhill.
Hull had to play the last ten minutes with just nine men after Anthony Gardner was stretchered off - manager Phil Brown had already made three substitutions (the maximum allowed).
Julian Faubert added a third for West Ham in the third minute of stoppage time when he picked up the ball from a right-wing position before edging into the penalty area and hitting a shot into the top corner of the net.