LONDON -- Defending titlist Manchester United squandered a chance of replacing Blackburn as Premier League leader when it was held 1-1 at home by next to last Leicester.


Ukrainian winger Andrei Kanchelskis fired the Reds ahead at Old Trafford after 61 minutes Wednesday but Mike Whitlow leveled for Leicester four minutes later.


The Reds cut Blackburn's lead to one point but have played one game more.


Blackburn's home game against Leeds was called off earlier in the day because its Ewood Park field was waterlogged.


In other Premier League games, Liverpool downed Manchester City 2-0 to climb above Newcastle and Nottingham Forest to third place, lowly Aston Villa downed Chelsea 3-0, Sheffield Wednesday hit Coventry 5-1, Arsenal won 2-0 at Ipswich, Wimbledon edged West Ham 1-0 and Queens Park Rangers and Southampton tied 2-2.


Robbie Fowler fired Liverpool's second two minutes after he missed an 80th minute penalty. A self-inflicted goal by City's Terry Phelan had given Liverpool the lead.


England striker Ian Wright returned from injury and suspension to score Arsenal's first at last-place Ipswich, which had hired former Scottish international defender George Burley as manager earlier in the day.


Villa gained its first victory in seven games under Brian Little with goals from Steve Staunton (nine minutes), Tobagan striker Dwight Yorke (32) and new signing Ian Taylor (82).


Mark Bright and new signing Guy Whittingham both netted twice as Wednesday crushed Coventry. Zimbabwean striker Peter Ndlovu fired home a penalty for the visitor but Paul Cook missed one.


Queens Park Rangers twice took the lead against Southampton with goals from Simon Barker and Steve Gallen but Jason Dodd and David Hughes replied for the Saints. Peter Fear scored Wimbledon's 55th minute winner against West Ham.


n


The legal troubles of bankrupt French businessman and ex-soccer boss Bernard Tapie worsened Wednesday when a judge ordered him to stand trial in March on charges he rigged a soccer match, judicial sources said.


Judge Bernard Beffie said Tapie, former president of Olympique Marseille, would stand trial in the north French city of Valenciennes from March 13-21 charged with active corruption, a stiffer charge than the original one of complicity.


Tapie, a former cabinet minister in a Socialist-led government who was declared bankrupt two weeks ago, is suspected of a role in bribing league opponents Valenciennes to lose a key match in May 1993.


He will also be tried for allegedly influencing witnesses in the match-rigging scandal. Each of the charges carries jail terms of between one and three years.


Tapie denies any wrongdoing, also rejecting charges that he illegally ran up massive debts in running his crumbling business empire.


Two weeks ago, Tapie stepped down as president of the club after soccer authorities banned him.


Five others implicated in the case will also stand trial in March, including former Olympique manager Jean-Pierre Bernes who also has been accused of active corruption.


n


Italian club Juventus said Wednesday it wanted to keep World Cup star Roberto Baggio but was unwilling to break the bank to do so.


Baggio's contract with Juventus expires at the end of the season and speculation has been rife that the striker could join a foreign club willing to stump up in excess of $30 million to buy the player and pay his contract for three years.


"We want to keep Baggio," Antonio Giraudo, managing director of the Turin team, told ANSA news agency in an interview.


"But obviously we will not be able to compete with a Japanese club that eventually offered Roberto Baggio a $30 million deal," he added.


Baggio, 27, has been hampered by injury this season but veteran striker Gianluca Vialli and rising star Alessandro Del Piero have more than made up for his absence.


The Turin team trails leaders Parma by one point with a game in hand midway through the first division season.


Baggio, 1993 European Player of the Year, is due to return in a key match against Parma when action resumes on January 8.