Story highlights
Chelsea's slim hopes of winning the English Premier League dented by 0-0 draw at Norwich
Mark Hughes sees his QPR side ease relegation worries with a 3-1 win over Wigan
Chelsea’s title chances took another dent on Saturday as they dropped points away to Norwich City in the English Premier League.
Fernando Torres endured another fruitless afternoon in Chelsea colors notching up his 17th game in a row without a goal as the champions of two seasons ago played out a 0-0 draw at Carrow Road.
The result leaves Chelsea in fourth place with 41 points with the teams all around them playing on Sunday.
Third-placed Tottenham Hotspur play league leaders Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium, while second-place Manchester United travel to the Emirates to take on Arsenal who are fifth.
Liverpool scored their first goal of the Premier League in 2012 but it didn’t stop them going down to a 3-1 defeat at Bolton Wanderers.
A goal from Mark Davies gave Bolton the lead in the fourth minute with Nigel Reo-Coker doubling the lead after 30 minutes.
Craig Bellamy pulled one back for the Reds seven minutes later but when Gretar Rafn Steinsson drilled a low shot past Pepe Reina five minutes into the second half, Liverpool couldn’t muster a response.
The win moves Bolton out of the bottom three to 17th. Liverpool remain stuck on 35 points in seventh.
At the other end of the table Queens Park Rangers beat bottom side Wigan 3-1 thanks to goals from Heidar Helguson, Akos Buzsaky and Tommy Smith.
The win – Mark Hughes’ first since he took over from Neil Warnock – lifts QPR to 16th in the table with 20 points.
Relegation-threatened Blackburn Rovers earned a point at Goodison Park against Everton.
Tim Cahill’s first goal in over a year gave the home side the lead in 24th minute but Scottish striker David Goodwillie hit back in the 72nd minute to level the scores.
Blackburn are 18th with 18 points while Everton are 14th with 26 points.
West Bromwich Albion also earned some valuable away points defeating Stoke City 2-1 at the Britannia Stadium.
An injury-time free-kick from Scottish midfielder Graham Dorrans sealed the points after a header from Stoke substitute Cameron Jerome in the 86th minute canceled out James Morrison’s 35th minute goal.
The win leaves Roy Hodgson’s side 15th with 25 points. Stoke remain in eighth with 30 points.
Fulham also eased relegation worries with a thumping 5-2 win over Newcastle United at Craven Cottage.
Clint Dempsey scored a hat-trick to add to penalties from Danny Murphy and Bobby Zamora – all of which came in a frenetic second period – after Danny Guthrie had given the Magpies the lead in the 43rd minute.
Hatem Ben Arfa’s consolation goal in the 85th minute came moments before Dempsey completed the rout which all means Newcastle stay in sixth place and Fulham rise to 12th.
Sunderland’s resurgence under Martin O’Neill continued with a 2-0 home win against Swansea City.
Two goals in either half – from Stephane Sessegnon and Craig Gardner – lift Sunderland to 10th with 27 points, one point above Swansea who are 13th.
A second-half brace from on-loan striker Robbie Keane helped Aston Villa overcome their Midlands rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers 3-2 at Molineux.
The win lifts Villa to 11th with 27 points while Wolves slip to one place from bottom.