LONDON (AP) -Manchester United rallied to beat Blackburn 4-1, and Chelsea scored an injury-time winner at Watford to keep the English Premier League a two-club race with seven rounds left on Saturday.
Paul Scholes, Michael Carrick, Park Ji-sung and Ole Gunnar Solksjaer scored for United. The Red Devils lead with 78 points and are on course for their first league title since 2003.
"I think the fans are starting to smell it now - and the players are beginning to taste it," United manager Alex Ferguson said.
Chelsea has 72 points after Salomon Kalou's header gave the defending champion a 1-0 victory at last-place Watford.
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho acknowledged his side would have effectively conceded the title if it had drawn.
"I think so," Mourinho said. "Mathematically no, but if you go to eight (points behind United) it is much more difficult. It was a crucial goal and victory."
Also, Peter Crouch scored a hat trick for Liverpool in a 4-1 win over Arsenal that lifted the club into third place and ended a four-game losing streak against the Gunners.
Crouch scored in the fourth, 35th and 81st minutes, with Daniel Agger heading in the other goal for Liverpool at Anfield. American businessmen George Gillett and Tom Hicks, who completed their takeover of the club this week, watched from the stands. William Gallas pulled a late goal back for Arsenal.
Liverpool has 57 points. Arsenal dropped to fourth with 55.
In other games, it was: Bolton 1, Sheffield United 0; Charlton 1, Wigan 0; Fulham 1, Portsmouth 1; Newcastle 0, Manchester City 1; and West Ham 2, Middlesbrough 0.
Man United fell behind when Carrick deflected the ball toward his own goal and Blackburn striker Matt Derbyshire ran on to score in the 29th.
Scholes kicked off a second-half fightback with the equalizer in the 61st minute. Carrick put United in the lead in the 73rd, and Park made it 3-1 in the 83rd after Blackburn goalkeeper Brad Friedel failed to hold onto a free kick from Cristiano Ronaldo. Park then set up Solksjaer to finish the scoring in the 90th.
"The second half performance was our best of the season," Ferguson said. "It was the kind of performance you expect from a championship team. We showed resolve, determination and drive."
