JOHN Terry gave Chelsea a 1-0 victory over Sunderland as Avram Grant's side kept the pressure up on the top two.
Frank Lampard delivered a dangerous inswinging corner from the left which was met by the Chelsea captain in the 10th minute at the Stadium of Light.
Terry directed a downward header through a crowd of players and past Black Cats goalkeeper Craig G
ordon.
Fernando Torres' 20th Barclays Premier League goal of the season helped Liverpool consolidate fourth place in the table with a 2-1 win over Reading.
Reading midfielder Marek Matejovsky broke the deadlock in the fifth minute at Anfield when he lashed a half-volley past a static Jose Reina and into the top-left corner of the net. But Javier Mascherano equalised in equally spectacular fashion in the 19th minute with his first goal in a Liverpool shirt with a powerfully-struck shot from the edge of the penalty area.
Torres made the points safe when he headed a Steven Gerrard free-kick past Marcus Hahnemann three minutes after the break.
Elsewhere, an 11th-minute strike from Jermain Defoe and a Nigel Reo-Coker own-goal gave Portsmouth a 2-0 win over Aston Villa, while Fred Sears headed a dramatic winner nine minutes from time on his debut to give West Ham a 2-1 home victory over Blackburn.
Roque Santa Cruz gave Mark Hughes' side the lead in the 19th minute when he glanced a header from a Morten Gamst Pedersen cross past Robert Green. But Dean Ashton equalised in the 39th minute after he chipped the ball over Brad Friedel.
Sears replaced Nolberto Solano in the 75th minute and six minutes later saw his shot from 12 yards out saved by Friedel, but was able to nod the rebound home.
