Chelsea allows Wigan a key draw: EPL

Chelsea missed the chance to put pressure on the Manchester clubs at the top of the Premier League on Saturday, conceding with two minutes remaining to draw 1-1 at relegation-threatened Wigan.

Despite a poor performance, Chelsea looked on course for a fourth straight Premier League win when Daniel Sturridge scored his eighth goal of the season in the 59th minute. But Wigan dominated the second half and Jordi Gomez tapped in from close range after a mistake by Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech.

Sturridge put Chelsea ahead with a close-range finish from Ashley Cole's pass and Wigan seemed unable to breach a defence good enough to help the Blues hand Manchester City its first defeat of the Premier League season on Monday.

But Cech fumbled a weak effort from Hugo Rodallega and Gomez guided the ball into an empty net for his fourth goal in five games.

The result left Chelsea with 32 points from 16 matches, four behind second-place Manchester United and six behind longtime leader City.

"It is a disappointing result," Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas said. "It was a hard-fought game with many chances on both sides, maybe more from Wigan. They fought hard to get the result here.

"I think Wigan had the momentum and the crowd was behind them and they got the goal they deserved, 1-1 was a fair result."

Defending champion United could go top of the Premier League for the first time since mid-October if it wins at Queens Park Rangers on Sunday and local rival Manchester City loses to visiting Arsenal.

Sunderland is at fourth-place Tottenham and Liverpool is at Aston Villa in Sunday's other matches.

The draw left Wigan in the relegation zone with Blackburn and Bolton, which remained anchored to the bottom of the Premier League after a 2-0 loss at Fulham.

Two weeks after becoming the most prolific American scorer in England's top division, Fulham forward Clint Dempsey scored his 38th Premier League goal, and fifth this season, with a 32nd-minute header from Bryan Ruiz's cross.

Dempsey has eight goals in all competitions this season and three in his last four games.

"He scores so many goals," Fulham manager Martin Jol said. "I'm very happy with him."

Costa Rica forward Ruiz chipped goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen two minutes later as Fulham left Bolton with only nine points from 16 games, one fewer than a Blackburn side that lost 2-1 against visiting West Bromwich Albion.

Peter Odemwingie scored West Brom's winning goal with just a minute remaining.

Wolverhampton Wanderers is still just one place and one point above the relegation zone after conceding two second-half goals to lose 2-1 against Stoke. Wolves led through a 17th-minute penalty but Kevin Doyle's own-goal and the 99th league goal of Peter Crouch's career clinched Stoke's fourth straight Premier League win.

Stoke is now just three points behind Newcastle, which spent three months in the top four but is now without a win in five matches after drawing 0-0 with visiting Swansea.

In the League Championship, West Ham beat Barnsley 1-0 to go level on points with longtime leader Southampton, which is at regional rival Portsmouth on Sunday.