September 01, 2008	Monday	Sha'aban 29, 1429

LONDON, Aug 31: Chelsea’s flying start to the Premier League season lost some momentum on Sunday when they were held to a 1-1 home draw by Tottenham Hotspur.

The west London club had won their first two games, scoring five goals and conceding none, while Spurs lost both theirs.

Chelsea, who hit the bar through Michael Essien, went ahead in the 27th minute when Juliano Belletti bundled in a near-post corner. Spurs equalised at the end of the first half with a neat finish by Darren Bent after the ball had been deflected into his path.

Although Chelsea dominated possession, they created few clear chances in the second half, the best falling to substitute Salomon Kalou who shot wide.

Liverpool were visiting Aston Villa and Sunderland hosting Manchester City later on Sunday.

Arsenal, meanwhile, rediscovered their Premier League form on Saturday with a convincing 3-0 victory over Newcastle United at the Emirates Stadium.

Portsmouth ended a run of six successive league defeats when they won 3-0 at Everton while Hull City’s flying start ended emphatically when they were thrashed 5-0 at home by Wigan Athletic.

In Saturday’s other games, West Ham United beat Blackburn Rovers 4-1, Middlesbrough beat Stoke City 2-1 and Bolton Wanderers’ game against West Bromwich Albion finished goalless.

Arsenal were poor when losing at Fulham last week but were always in control on home soil.

A Charles N’Zogbia handball enabled Robin van Persie to put them ahead with an 18th-minute penalty and the Dutchman got his second five minutes before halftime when he ended a flowing move with a searing shot into the roof of the net.

Another fluid passing movement ended with Denilson tucking in the third.

FA Cup winners Portsmouth last tasted a league victory against West Ham on April 8 and started the new season with two defeats, albeit against Chelsea and Manchester United.

They began well on Saturday though when Jermain Defoe turned well to put them ahead after 11 minutes and a rare effort by defender Glen Johnson made it 2-0 by halftime.

David James saved a Yakubu Aiyegbeni penalty early in the second half and Portsmouth finished with a flourish when a Defoe chip came down off the bar and just over the line, though Crouch was on hand to make doubly sure.

Hull began their first season in the top flight with a win and a draw but were thumped by a Wigan team who started with two defeats.

An early own goal, a breakaway by Antonio Valencia and, after the break, two for Amr Zaki and one for Emile Heskey in the second half did the damage.

Results:

Played on Sunday:

Chelsea 1 Tottenham Hotspur 1

Played on Saturday:

Arsenal 3 Newcastle United 0

Bolton Wanderers 0 West Bromwich 0

Everton 0 Portsmouth 3

Hull City 0 Wigan Athletic 5

Middlesbrough 2 Stoke City 1

West Ham Utd 4 Blackburn Rovers 1

—Reuters