LONDON: Frank Lampard scored a late penalty on Wednesday to give Chelsea a 2-1 win over Portsmouth that restored their three-point lead at the top of the Premier League.

Chelsea looked to be heading for a fifth game without a win until defender Mark Wilson was penalised for a foul on Branislav Ivanovic and Lampard hit the resulting penalty past goalkeeper Asmir Begovic. Chelsea have 40 points to defending champion Manchester United’s 37, and eight more than third-place Arsenal, who drew 1-1 at Burnley. Niko Kranjcar scored twice to help fifth-place Tottenham beat Manchester City 3-0 and hand their rivals just a second defeat, while Liverpool rose to sixth with a 2-1 win over Wigan.

Chelsea lost their perfect home record at the weekend when they drew 3-3 with Everton and their fans were agitated again after on-loan striker Frederic Piquionne equalised for Portsmouth following a free kick that rebounded off the defensive wall. But Lampard stepped up to score his sixth penalty of the season and prevent a repeat of the jeers that followed the team off the Stamford Bridge pitch at the weekend.

Chelsea had led through a 23rd-minute goal by Nicolas Anelka but Piquionne volleyed his fifth goal of the season when Chelsea failed to clear early in the second half.

Arsenal looked on course for a third straight win when Cesc Fabregas scored in the seventh minute at Burnley, but Graham Alexander equalised with a 28th-minute penalty awarded for Thomas Vermaelen’s foul on Andre Bikey.

Tottenham became just the second team after Manchester United to beat City this season. Kranjcar and winger Aaron Lennon starred for Tottenham at White Hart Lane, but England striker Peter Crouch was instrumental in Spurs’ first two goals. His header was blocked and rebounded for Kranjcar to score the 37th-minute opener and he flicked on a long punt by goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes in the 54th for Jermain Defoe to tap in from close range. Kranjcar then beat two defenders and slipped the ball under goalkeeper Shay Given to complete the scoring in injury time.

Spurs rose to 30 points, two fewer than Arsenal and fourth-place Aston Villa. Liverpool are three points behind Tottenham after David Ngog and Fernando Torres scored against Wigan.

Italian Cup

Milan: Wesley Sneijder fired home a freekick to give Inter Milan a 1-0 win over Livorno in the Italian Cup on Wednesday that sealed Inter’s place in the quarter-finals.

The Dutchman curled a freekick past Livorno goalkeeper Francesco Benussi in the 61st minute after Mario Balotelli had been fouled. In the quarter-finals Inter will play the winner of the match between Juventus and Napoli that takes place on January 13.

Inter dominated the game in the first half. Midfielder Dejan Stankovic had two good chances early on. He shot straight at Benussi with the first, whilst the second came back off the post. Midfielder Sneijder became the second player to hit the post, when his freekick in the 32nd rebounded to safety. Stankovic had another chance in the 36th, but shot over and Balotelli shot wide from a good position two minutes before the break.

After halftime Livorno again did the utmost to frustrate Inter, but the hosts made a breakthrough in the 61st when Sneijder found the net. A minute later David Suazo wasted a chance to double the lead. Sneijder put him clear behind Livorno’s defense, but Benussi came off his line to smother the shot.

Livorno failed to test Inter and Federico Dionisi’s weak shot in the 76th that Inter keeper Francesco Toldo comfortably saved was the closest Serse Cosmi’s team came to scoring. Substitute Diego Milito wasted a great chance late on to make the result safe. The Argentine rounded Benussi but shot wide.