( CNN ) -- A late Frank Lampard penalty handed Chelsea a vital 2-1 win over English Premier League leaders Manchester United to breath new life into the title race . Alex Ferguson 's side had taken the lead in the first half thanks to a thunderous strike from England forward Wayne Rooney but Brazil defender David Luiz drew Chelsea level . Then Russia international Yuri Zhirkov drew a foul from Chris Smalling in the 79th minute and Lampard blasted his spot kick high into the net to hand the defending champions a crucial win . United 's misery was compounded in injury time as Serbian defender Nemanja Vidic was sent off after earning a second yellow card and will now miss the trip to Liverpool on Sunday . The real victors were second-placed Arsenal who can close the gap on United at the top of the table to just one point if they win their game in hand . The Gunners still have to play United at home . Chelsea 's victory keeps alive their faint title hopes and moves them into the Champions League places in fourth but they still trail United by 12 points . After the game Ferguson took aim at referee Martin Atkinson telling Sky Sports : `` It was a bad one to concede the first goal but the penalty kick is so soft , deary me . We played well but we did n't deserve that . That 's three years in a row referee 's decisions have changed the game . '' Ferguson also thought Luiz should have been sent off after he blocked Rooney off the ball when he was already on a yellow card : `` It 's incredible , he 'd done Chicarito [ Javier Hernandez ] off the ball , late , nothing done , ref 's in front of it . He does Rooney clear as day and the ref does n't do anything . That changes the game . '' Carlo Ancelotti admitted Luiz may have been `` lucky '' but said United were still `` too far ahead '' for Chelsea to have any realistic chance of retaining their title . Ancelotti again chose to start $ 80.5 million striker Fernando Torres ahead of Didier Drogba , who began on the substitutes bench . Chelsea had the first chance as Florent Malouda connected with Ramires ' cross but his effort was right at United 's veteran Dutch keeper Edwin Van der Sar . Just before the half hour mark United broke the deadlock after Rooney found space outside the area and lashed a low shot into the bottom corner of the net . Chelsea nearly hit back before halftime as Lampard 's free kick was parried by Van der Sar but Branislav Ivanovic could n't convert the rebound . Eight minutes after the interval Chelsea were level as new signing Luiz popped up at the back post to fire a volley inside the post . After half chances at both ends the game was settled from the spot after substitute Zhirkov knocked the ball through Smalling 's legs and was tripped . Lampard hammered the ball into the roof of the net emphatically . Two minutes later Zhirkov almost made the game safe as he crashed a volley towards the bottom corner but Vidic managed to divert the ball onto the post and away for a corner . Fabio almost rescued United with a late run into the box but he could n't reach the ball to apply a finish and Chelsea held out for a confidence-boosting win . Elsewhere , Reading , who play in the second tier of English football , knocked Premier League Everton out of the FA Cup . Matt Mills struck the only goal as he pounced on a rebound to slam a volley into the net on 26 minutes . Reading were thankful to a stunning late save from Alex McCarthy who denied Leon Osman and ensured his side booked a quarterfinal clash with either Manchester City or Aston Villa , who play their fifth round replay on Wednesday .
Chelsea beat Manchester United 2-1 in the English Premier League . The result means that they have won their last four games and are now top of the table with a game to go before facing Real Madrid on Sunday. Wayne Rooney had given United the lead before David Luiz equalized . Vidic sent off as United fail to pull away from second-placed Arsenal .