Van Persie double sees Arsenal beat Chelsea

(CNN) -- Arsenal threw the English title race wide open with a 2-1 victory over leaders Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.

Chelsea led through a Johan Djourou own goal at halftime, but two goals by Dutch international Robin Van Persie in three minutes gave Arsenal a much-needed win.

Chelsea still lead Liverpool on goal difference with 33 points, but Liverpool can move three points clear if they win their 15th round match against West Ham on Monday.

Champions Manchester United are on 28 points, having played 14 games, with Arsenal two points further adrift having played a game more.

United beat Manchester City 1-0 in the early kickoff on Sunday with Wayne Rooney scoring the winner.

The later London derby was a make or break game for Arsene Wenger's men who were struggling to compete with bigger, more physical opponents in the first half and fell behind to a soft goal.

But Van Persie lashed a 59th-minute shot into the top corner from what appeared to be a clear offside position to equalize.

But if his first goal involved luck, there was none surrounding his second three minutes later.

Emmanuel Adebayor headed captain Cesc Fabregas' free kick to Van Persie's feet and the Dutch striker turned and shot through Frank Lampard's legs and into the far corner.

"It was a big win and in the last 20 minutes we showed a lot of character and a lot of discipline," Van Persie told Sky Sports.

But Chelsea manager Luiz Felipe Scolari slammed referee Mike Dean for the controversial decision to allow Van Persie's first goal.

"I want only tomorrow or after tomorrow for the referee to look at the television and say 'Sorry,"' Scolari told Sky Sports.

"I don't want three points, I only want this 'Sorry.' "My team after this lost concentration. The offside killed my team. I lost today because one goal is not a goal. One goal changed the game."

In other Premier League games on Sunday, Everton beat Harry Redknapp's Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 at White Hart Lane.

Steven Pienaar scored with a deflected effort early in the second half, but the Everton striker Ayegbeni Yakubu ruptured his Achilles and will be out for the season.

It was Tottenham's first home defeat since Redknapp took charge.

Portsmouth scored their first win under Tony Adams with a 3-2 win over relegation strugglers Blackburn Rovers.

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