Substitute Fernando Torres produced a stoppage-time winner at Portsmouth to send Liverpool back to the Premier League summit on Saturday as Chelsea's fading title hopes faltered with a home draw against Hull. Despite clinching last weekend's win over Chelsea with late goals, the striker was only deployed by manager Rafa Benitez in the last 14 minutes at Fratton Park. After twice coming from behind, the Reds were lucky to claim the three points when Torres headed home Yossi Benayoun's cross. “He's really important, we are very happy he's back from injury,” said striker Dirk Kuyt, who also started the game on the bench. Manchester United can wipe out Liverpool's one-point lead at West Ham on Sunday in one of the club's two games in hand over its title rivals. Aston Villa, meanwhile, is emerging as a title challenger, registering a club record seventh consecutive away win at Blackburn to snatch third place from Chelsea, which was held 0-0 by Hull. Sam Allardyce's first loss in 10 matches as Blackburn manager means that Rovers remain in the relegation zone alongside Middlesbrough, which lost 1-0 at Manchester City, and West Bromwich Albion, which was beaten 3-2 by Newcastle. Everton is within three points of fifth-placed Arsenal after a 2-0 victory over Bolton ahead of the Gunners' game at north London rival Tottenham on Sunday. Sunderland enjoyed a 2-0 victory over 10-man Stoke and Fulham drew 0-0 at Wigan. Villa found the net four times at Ewood Park - but goals from Emile Heskey and Gabriel Agbonlahor were disallowed either side of James Milner's 27th-minute opener. The English midfielder exchanged passes with Barry from a short corner on the right flank before firing a left-footed shot through a crowd of players and into the corner of Paul Robinson's goal. Villa had to wait until the last minute to make the points safe, when Agbonlahor's angled shot took a deflection off Ryan Nelsen before finding the back of the net. While the momentum is with Villa, Chelsea continues to slide and finds itself five points behind leader Liverpool having played two games more than the defending champion. Manchester City's Craig Bellamy scored six minutes into the second half to claim his second goal in three matches since joining from West Ham. Nigel de Jong, another January arrival, slid a pass to Bellamy and the forward skipped past defender Emanuel Pogatetz before shooting into the bottom left corner. Middlesbrough was denied any chance of a first win in 13 matches by Shay Given as the Ireland goalkeeper stopped Afonso Alves four times on his City debut. Newcastle's players delivered the perfect result for Joe Kinnear after their manager was hospitalized for an undisclosed illness earlier in the day. With assistant Chris Hughton in charge, goals from Damien Duff, Peter Lovenkrands and Steve Taylor helped lift some of the gloom.
