Liverpool hit new low

LONDON (AP):

Liverpool fans protested against the club's American owners and their slumping team as the 18-time champions' terrible start reached a new low with an embarrassing 2-1 defeat to Blackpool yesterday.

The pressure increased on manager Roy Hodgson with another humiliating defeat at Anfield that left Liverpool in the relegation zone ahead of the two-week break for international matches.

Reds supporters staged a pre-match protest march against owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett Jr., who put the club up for sale in April and face a deadline this month to repay a debt which has grown from 237 million pounds ($371 million) to about 280 million pounds ($438 million).

Blackpool took a 2-0 lead on Charlie Adam's 29th-minute penalty kick following a foul by Glen Johnson on Luke Varney, and Varney's short-range goal past Pepe Reina in first-half stoppage time. Sotirios Kyrgiakos' 53rd-minute header was not enough as Liverpool's winless run extended to five matches. The home team was booed off by fans at the final whistle.

The defeat came on the heels of a 0-0 draw at Utrecht in the Europa League last Thursday. Liverpool were knocked out of the League Cup in the third round by fourth-tier Northampton two weeks ago.

Star striker lost

"At the moment things look bleak and really bad and it is difficult for me to put a bright face upon it," said Hodgson, who lost star striker Fernando Torres to a groin injury in the 10th minute. "There are 31 games left, but when you are in the relegation zone you are in a relegation battle."

Liverpool already are 12 points behind league-leading Chelsea. The reigning champions opened a four-point lead by beating visiting Arsenal 2-0 on goals by Didier Drogba and Alex.

Arsenal's nemesis

Drogba proved to be Arsenal's nemesis once again, glancing in from close range in the 39th minute for his 13th goal in his last 11 matches against the Gunners. Alex added a bending free kick in the 85th.

"There will be one game when I won't score (against Arsenal)," Drogba quipped.

Chelsea lead the league with 18 points after six wins from seven matches and their nearest rivals are Manchester City, which beat Newcastle 2-1 in yesterday's other game. Third-place Manchester United drew 0-0 with Sunderland on Saturday.

"Today you saw not a fantastic performance but a different performance, we really ground out a win," Chelsea assistant manager Ray Wilkins said. "That's what it's about, the three points is what we fight for and we got it."

England winger Adam Johnson came off the bench to score the winner for City in a match marred by a suspected broken leg for Newcastle winger Hatem Ben Arfa.

 BIRMINGHAM CITY 0 EVERTON 2

GOALS:-EVERTON: JOHNSON (OG) 54th; CAHILL 90th.

Everton finally recorded their first win of the Barclays Premier League season, ending Birmingham's 18-match unbeaten run at home in the Premier League with a 2-0 win. The visitors scored their first away goal this term after 54 minutes when Birmingham defender Roger Johnson deflected the ball into his own net from Leon Osman's cross. Tim Cahill made sure of the points in injury time with a header from Leighton Baines' deep cross.

STOKE CITY 1 BLACKBURN ROVERS 0

GOAL:-STOKE: WALTERS 48th.

A goal by former Blackburn trainee Jon Walters three minutes into the second period was the difference between the sides, but defeat for Rovers would have been much heavier had it not been for the resilience of goalkeeper Paul Robinson. Stoke are now unbeaten in four league games and climb eight places from 15th, while Blackburn slip from ninth to 12th.

SUNDERLAND 0 MANCHESTER UNITED 0

Manchester United face the prospect of losing further ground on Barclays League leader Chelsea after a 0-0 draw against an impressive Sunderland. But it could have been worse for Alex Ferguson's side, who have drawn all four of their away games in the league this season. Kick-off at the Stadium of Light was delayed by 20 minutes after a pipe burst above the visitors' dressing room, and when play eventually got under way, the hosts dominated.

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 2 ASTON VILLA 1

GOALS:-TOTTENHAM: VAN DER VAART 45th, 75th. VILLA: Albrighton 16th.

Rafael van der Vaart scored a goal in each half Saturday as Tottenham came from behind to beat Aston Villa 2-1 in the Premier League. The Dutch midfielder struck in first-half stoppage time and in the 75th minute after Marc Albrighton's first goal for Villa had given the visitors a 16th-minute lead. Van der Vaart has now scored four goals in three matches at White Hart Lane since moving to Spurs from Real Madrid on the last day of the transfer window.

WEST BROMWICH ALBION 1 BOLTON WANDERERS 1

GOALS:-WBA: MORRISON 78th. BOLTON: ELMANDER 64th.

James Morrison scored a late equalizer Saturday in West Bromwich Albion's 1-1 draw with Bolton to negate Johan Elmander's second-half goal. Morrison nodded in Peter Odemwingie's cross in the 78th minute after Elmander had given Bolton the lead in the 64th at the Hawthorns. Odemwingie set up Chris Brunt in a great chance only moments after the equalizer, but the midfielder was denied by a brilliant save from goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen.

WEST HAM UNITED 1 FULHAM 1

GOALS:-WEST HAM: PIQUIONNE 51st. FULHAM: DEMPSEY 33rd.

Clint Dempsey returned to haunt Robert Green in their first meeting since the England goalkeeper's mistake at the World Cup, scoring with a left-footed volley in Fulham's 1-1 draw at West Ham in the Premier League. Unlike his poor attempt to stop the United States midfielder's weakly hit long-range shot in South Africa, Green couldn't be blamed for Dempsey's 33rd-minute goal from 12 meters at Upton Park. Frederic Piquionne equalized in the 51st minute with an unmarked header.

WIGAN ATHLETIC 2 WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS 0

GOALS:-WIGAN: GOMEZ 65th; RODALLEGA 85th.

Wigan climbed out of the Premier League relegation zone with a 2-0 victory over 10-man Wolves at the DW Stadium. Roberto Martinez's side desperately needed a win after a poor start to the season and they were given a helping hand as Wolves captain Karl Henry was sent off early in the first half for a reckless challenge on Jordi Gomez. Gomez struck in the second half before Hugo Rodallega added the clinching second goal late on.

MANCHESTER CITY 2 NEWCASTLE UNITED 1

GOALS:-CITY: TEVEZ PEN 18th; A JOHNSON 75th. NEWCASTLE: GUTIERREZ 24th.

Manchester City were not at their best but secured a hard-fought win over a spirited Newcastle to move second in the Premier League. City took the lead through a Carlos Tevez penalty after Mike Williamson was deemed to have fouled the Argentine. But Newcastle, who lost Hatem Ben Arfa to a suspected broken leg, levelled via a close-range Jonas Gutierrez drive. Substitute Adam Johnson won the game for City shortly after his introduction with a superb low drive.