Chelsea have scored a 5-nil win at Portsmouth to move within a point of English Premier League football leaders Manchester United.
After struggling to subdue the league's bottom club for half an hour, Chelsea then took control with Didier Drogba and Florent Malouda getting 2 each.
The win took the Londoners to 68 points, one behind United and level on goal difference. The top two meet at Old Trafford on April 3rd.
Arsenal are third on 67 and the top three all have seven games left.
Tottenham Hotspur, who reached the FA Cup semi-finals with a 3-1 win over Fulham this morning, remain fourth on 55 after a bad night for two of their challengers for the final Champions League slot.
Manchester City are still two points adrift after losing 2-nil at home to Everton. Liverpool and Aston Villa, held 1-1 at home by Sunderland, both have 51.
Meanwhile the All Whites captain Ryan Nelsen was on the Blackburn bench after a 5 week absence through injury to watch his side beat Birmingham 2-1.
