Premier League round-up:Celsea completely lost their discipline today as two sending offs, seven yellow cards and a penalty handed QPR a first victory over their arch-rivals for 16 years with a 1-0 win for Neil Warnock's side at Loftus Road.
Jose Bosingwa and Didier Drogba both saw red in the Premier League clash, while Ashley Cole also picked up a suspension for his fifth booking of the season.
The rot set in when David Luiz needlessly conceded an eighth-minute penalty which Heidar Helguson scored, but the nine men wasted more than one chance to level, most notably when Nicolas Anelka headed straight at Paddy Kenny.
The away supporters might have had something to celebrate twice inside four minutes when Daniel Sturridge scuffed his shot after a one-two with Drogba and Luiz was unable to control Frank Lampard’s free-kick on his chest.
But Luiz’s habit of making daft challenges cost Chelsea dear in the eighth minute when they failed to deal with a long clearance and the defender nudged Heidar Helguson over in the box.
Referee Chris Foy pointed to the spot and Helguson snatched the ball from a far-from impressed Adel Taarabt and sent the penalty into the top corner via Petr Cech’s fingertips.
The visitors continued to boss possession but they were not creating anything of note, and their afternoon took another turn for the worse in the 32nd minute when Jose Bosingwa was controversially sent off. Bosingwa hauled down Shaun Wright-Phillips when the winger threatened to burst clear, with Foy deeming the right-back to be last man and brandishing red.
Blues boss Andre Villas-Boas sacrificed Sturridge for Branislav Ivanovic but his misery was far from over, with Drogba suicidally getting himself sent off four minutes before half-time. The striker lunged in two footed on Taarabt and — unlike his other two major decisions — left Foy with little option.
It looked a lost cause for the nine men, who were sent out a full two minutes before their opponents at the start of the second half. Incredibly, they went close to levelling straight away when Lampard was just beaten to Raul Meireles’ brilliant cross.
Barton picked up a customary yellow for going in late on Terry before Taraabt was withdrawn for Tommy Smith on the hour mark, the Moroccan also living up to his reputation for storming down the tunnel.
Lampard was furious midway through the half when he felt Fitz Hall had bundled him over in the box, only to see the officials unmoved. Luiz was booked for another poor challenge but Chelsea were somehow still in contention with 20 minutes remaining.
They had another penalty appeal turned down when Luiz hit the deck under a challenge from Helguson, Barton almost scored on the break, and Raul Meireles was booked for dissent.
With time running out, Villas-Boas made his feelings clear to the fourth official, while tempers flared late on when John Terry closed down Paddy Kenny and the pair squared up on the six-yard line.
There was still time for Cole to nod a weak header at Kenny and Cech — of all people — to nearly get his head on the end of a free-kick.
Robin van Persie scored twice after coming on as a substitute as Arsenalsaw off Stoke3-1 to climb to seventh in the Premier League table. The Gunners had been pegged back by Peter Crouch's goal, which cancelled out an opener from Gervinho.
But Van Persie, rested from the starting line-up by manager Arsene Wenger, bailed his team-mates out with his eighth and ninth goals of the season in the second half.
Rafael van der Vaart's double earned a 2-1 victory for Tottenhamat struggling Blackburnin the to increase the pressure on Rovers boss Steve Kean.
Another protest was staged outside Ewood Park by disgruntled Blackburn fans prior to kick-off and the heat was turned up further on Kean when Van der Vaart put Spurs in front inside the opening quarter of an hour.
The hosts equalised through Mauro Formica’s fierce strike in the 28th minute, but Van der Vaart produced a brilliant winner eight minutes after the restart.
At Craven Cottage, former Fulhamstriker Louis Saha returned to haunt his former club this afternoon with a late goal which inspired Evertonto a dramatic 3-1 victory.
The 33-year-old netted from an acute angle for the Toffees before Jack Rodwell scored in stoppage time to ensure they ended their three-match losing steak. Saha’s strike came seconds after Bobby Zamora somehow managed to hit the bar despite rounding Tim Howard.
Everton took a third-minute lead after Royston Drenthe hit an audacious shot from long distance that snuck in the far corner. It looked liked Fulham had earned a share of the spoils, though, thanks to substitute Bryan Ruiz’s exquisite chip three minutes after coming on.
However, Zamora’s extraordinary miss allowed Saha and Rodwell to score and secure victory for the Merseysiders.
