English Round-Up: Chelsea cruise while Baggies move into the top four

Chelsea continued their perfect home record in the Premier League with a 2-0 win over Wolves. Florent Malouda and Salomon Kalou gave Chelsea a fifth victory from five home matches to ensure the defending champions will be in first place after the weekend whatever the results of today's games.

Chelsea defender Jose Bosingwa, playing his first home game since injuring his knee more than a year ago, almost put the Blues ahead in the 13th minute but goalkeeper Marcus Hahnemann pushed it past the post.

Nicolas Anelka and Yuri Zhirkov combined ten minutes later for the Russia internationalist to set up Malouda, who side-footed the ball into the net for his seventh goal of the season.

Wolves had chances of their own and held out until the 81st minute, when Kalou scored past Hahnemann from close range following a pass by Michael Essien.

West Brom found themselves in the dizzy heights of the top four courtesy of a 2-1 win at home to Fulham.

Things started badly for the Baggies when keeper Scott Carson was credited with a freak own goal after he tipped Zoltan Gera's strike on to the post only for the ball to then rebound into the net off his back.

West Brom clawed themselves back into the match when Youssuf Mulumbu poked the ball in from close range after good work by Chris Brunt, and he was involved again as former Celt Marc-Antoine Fortune slid home to make it 2-1 before the break.

Aston Villa were left cursing their luck at Sunderland after losing 1-0 despite having the best of the match and having two decent-looking penalty claims turned down.

Richard Dunne sliced into his own net trying to clear Steed Malbranque's cross for the eighth own goal of his top-flight career. Earlier Stewart Downing had shot against the post for Gerard Houllier's side.

Birmingham were relatively untroubled at home to Blackpool, winning 2-0. Liam Ridgewell opened the scoring, reacting first to finish after Nikola Zigic headed against the bar. The giant Serbian himself guaranteed the points, seizing on to a mistake by Charlie Adam to make it 2-0 from inside the six-yard box.

It ended honours even in the Lancashire derby at the DW Stadium. Hugo Rodallega put Wigan in front in the second half but the lead did not last long as Bolton's Johan Elmander seized on to Kevin Davies' knockdown to score.