Sport

Chelsea loses to Middlesbrough

Manchester United leads the table after a 3-0 win at Charlton

LONDON: Middlesbrough rallied to beat Chelsea scoring twice in the final 10 minutes on Wednesday, leaving Manchester United alone atop the English Premier League standings.

Two-time defending champion Chelsea led on a 16th-minute goal from Andriy Shevchenko before Emanuel Pogatetz equalised and substitute Mark Viduka scored in injury time to win it for Middlesbrough.

``I don't like to lose, that's obvious, but when I lose and I feel the referee was good, the opponent did their best and we can only blame ourselves, I have to be correct with other people,'' Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho said. ``Middlesbrough deserves that.''

Manchester United moved ahead with a 3-0 win at Charlton and manager Alex Ferguson was happy to take advantage.

At the Riverside, Shevchenko had scored against the run of play, converting a cross from Wayne Bridge. He also had a free-kick palmed away by 'Boro goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer in the first half.

Chelsea midfielder Arjen Robben was injured during the warm-up and replaced by new acquisition Salomon Kalou, who missed a scoring chance just before halftime.

Mourinho was unhappy with the attitude of his side, saying it was ``not a Jose Mourinho team.''

Pogatetz headed in Fabio Rochemback's free-kick in the 80th minute and Viduka scored from close range past goalkeeper Carlo Cudicini to give manager Gareth Southgate his first win as a manager in the Premier League.

Southgate, 35, retired as a player after last season and took over from Steve McClaren, who became manager of the English national team.

Southgate said he was impressed with how his side rebounded from its opening 3-2 loss to Reading, where it squandered a 2-0 lead.

At Charlton, Darren Fletcher gave Man United the lead in the 49th minute. Louis Saha scored the second in the 80th, and substitute Ole Gunnar Solskjaer made it 3-0 in injury time.

It was Solksjaer's first goal in three years after a series of serious injuries.

United played without Wayne Rooney and Paul Scholes, both starting their three-match suspensions for being sent off in pre-season games at a tournament in the Netherlands.

However, new signing Michael Carrick dressed for the match and was available despite a pre-season ankle injury that was expected to sideline him until September. Reading took the lead when Kevin Doyle headed the ball past Villa goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen in the fourth minute. The Premier League newcomer was reduced to 10 men in the 35th minute when Ibrahima Sonko was sent off for a foul on Villa's Luke Moore. Juan Pablo Angel converted the resulting penalty and Gareth Barry scored the winner for Villa .

The results: Aston Villa bt Reading 2-1; Blackburn drew with Everton 1-1; Charlton lost to Manchester United 0-3; Fulham drew with Bolton 1-1; Manchester City drew with Portsmouth 0-0; Middlesbrough bt Chelsea 2-1. — AP

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