LONDON (AP):

Liverpool missed the chance to cut Manchester United's lead at the top of the Premier League when they lost 2-0 at Middlesbrough 2-0 yesterday.

Boro had not won a league match since November and had not even scored in five games, but Tuncay Sanli added to Xabi Alonso's first-half own-goal to push Liverpool down to third place and seriously dent its chances of a first league title since 1990.

The result left Liverpool with 55 points, still seven points behind the defending champions, who are not in Premier League action this weekend because they face Tottenham in today's League Cup final.

Goal difference

Chelsea overtook Liverpool on goal difference after a 2-1 win over Wigan, while Arsenal drew 0-0 with visiting Fulham for a fourth straight scoreless draw.

With Fernando Torres injured after limping out of Wednesday's 1-0 Champions League win at Real Madrid, Liverpool rarely threatened Middlesbrough's defence and were disjointed throughout.

"In the first 30 minutes we had five chances and we didn't take them," Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez said. "It's clearly been a problem this season and today was the same."

Middlesbrough had not scored in 527 minutes of Premier League football until Alonso put the home side ahead with a 32nd-minute own-goal. Stewart Downing hit a corner from the right that eluded a bunch of players before hitting the Spain midfielder and bouncing past goalkeeper Pepe Reina.