LONDON, March 11: William Gallas scored a spectacular injury-time winner as Chelsea marched another step closer to retaining their English Premiership title with a 2-1 win over local rivals Tottenham at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.

The lunchtime encounter had appeared destined for a draw when French defender Gallas cut in from close to the left touchline, evaded two challenges and hammered an unstoppable 25-yard drive past England goalkeeper Paul Robinson.

The champions had deservedly taken the lead when Michael Essien finished off Shaun Wright-Phillips’s cutback cross with just under quarter of an hour gone.

But it had looked as if they would be forced to settle for a point when Jermaine Jenas ran on to Michael Dawson’s header and clipped the ball past Peter Cech on the stroke of half-time.

The win extended Chelsea’s lead at the top of the table to 18 points although nearest challenges Manchester United, who play Newcastle on Sunday, have two games in hand.

Spurs remain in fourth place in the table but the last-ditch defeat was a blow to their chances of holding off Arsenal in the battle for the final Champions League qualifying spot.

Arsenal, five points adrift of their neighbours, are at home to Liverpool on Sunday.

At the other end of the table, Birmingham’s hopes of escaping the relegation zone were dashed when Nathan Ellington came off the bench to earn West Brom a 1-1 draw, cancelling out Mikael Forssell’s 49th-minute penalty.

Birmingham had edged the contest in territorial terms but West Brom, for whom Ellington struck the bar in stoppage time, enjoyed the better chances.

The draw leaves Birmingham three points adrift of their local rivals, who currently occupy the last survival spot in the table, but with the advantage of a game in hand.

Results:

Birmingham City 1 West Brom 1

Bolton Wanderers 4 West Ham United 1

Chelsea 2 Tottenham Hotspur 1

Everton 3 Fulham 1

Portsmouth 2 Manchester City 1

Sunderland 0 Wigan Athletic 1

—Reuters