Chelsea smile as rivals United, Arsenal held to draws on wintry night
PREMIER League leaders Chelsea were the winners on Saturday despite their match being postponed as both their main rivals Manchester United and Arsenal dropped points.
Chelsea – whose match was one of seven to be postponed because of the bad weather in England – hold a one-point advantage over United with a game in hand after the defending champions were held 1-1 away at in-form Birmingham City.
Arsenal have played the same amount of games as Chelsea, 20, but are three points adrift after coming away with a fortunate 2-2 home draw over Everton, Tomas Rosicky equalising in the final minute.
Birmingham, managed by Alex McLeish – who played under United boss Alex Ferguson when his fellow Scot was in charge of Aberdeen – went ahead in the 39th minute when Cameron Jerome forced the ball home after the visitors failed to clear a corner.
But in the 63rd minute United equalised when Scott Dann unluckily put through his own net at St Andrews.
United finished the match down to 10 men after Scotland international midfielder Darren Fletcher was sent-off for two yellow card offences.
The draw meant Birmingham extended their club record of successive unbeaten top-flight matches to 12 games.
Earlier, Rosicky’s stoppage-time leveller rescued a point for title-chasing Arsenal in their 2-2 draw at home to Everton.
Everton were on course for a shock victory after South African midfielder Steven Pienaar scored a brilliant goal to put the visitors, who kicked-off four points above the relegation zone, 2-1 up with nine minutes left.
But there was still time for Czech midfielder Rosicky to equalise after his shot looped off Australian defender Lucas Neill and over United States international goalkeeper Tim Howard.
Everton took a 12th-minute lead when midfielder Leon Osman headed in a corner from on-loan United States international Landon Donovan, making his debut for the Merseysiders.
But the Gunners were level at a snow-covered Emirates Stadium before the half-hour mark when Denilson’s shot deflected off Osman.
Then, in the 81st minute, Australia’s Tim Cahill held the ball up and released Pienaar, who strode through before cheekily lofting a shot over Arsenal goalkeeper Manuel Almunia. — The Star/AFP
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