Brad Friedel's Aston Villa come back from two goals down to ensure fourth place, and Clint Dempsey is denied any heroics by an acrobatic punch save to an equally acrobatic shot.
Aston Villa 2 - 2 Arsenal
If the battle between Villa and Arsenal was to determine the true heir to the fourth spot, then it goes to show that Brad Friedel and Aston Villa have just as much at stake than anyone else.
Whether Arsenal let the two goal lead slip, or that Villa showcased their "never say die" mentality, the game will be one to look back on as the season continues to surge into the New Year.
Denilson scored five minutes before the break in a first half controlled by Aston Villa. Denilson made his presence be known to Nigel Reo-Coker, and the dispossessed ball fell kindly for the midfielder to rifle through the legs of onrushing Friedel.
Three minutes after the restart Friedel was beaten yet again by Arsenal industry, as a Abou Diaby and Eboue linked up down the right flank. Diaby played Eboue down the wing after his own back heel set him free, and Eboue then pushed his perfectly weighted pass right into the path of the overlapping Diaby who held off Zat Knight to lift the ball over Friedel.
With 65 minutes gone, Gabriel Agbonlahor, or William Gallas, came to Villa's rescue. Agbonlahor chased down a long through ball, and Gallas was forced to make the tackle inside the box. Gareth Barry stepped up to take the resulting spot kick, and thrashed it into the upper right corner.
When all of Villa's hard work looked as if it wasn't going to pay off, Villa won a throw in on the right wing. Stiliyan Petrov curls it in towards Barry, but as it came off of Bacary Sagna, Knight was on hand to earn a well deserved point at home.
Agbonlahor, Barry, Petrov, and Reo-Coker all received yellows for Villa while Robin van Persie, Diaby, Alexandre Song, and Kolo Toure all picked up cards for Arsenal.
Villa will play again on Tuesday against Hull City.
Middlesbrough 0 - 1 Everton
Without an out and out center forward, Tim Howard's Everton continue to get the job done as Tim Cahill came up big to ensure the Toffee's spend Boxing Day in sixth spot.
Joleon Lescott sent in his corner kick, to which Cahill rose the highest. His header was blocked by Ross Turnbull but fell back to Cahill's right foot.
When both his header, and his right footed shot were denied, Cahill resulted to a left footed poke that ensured all three points and sixth spot were locked up after 49 minutes played.
Maruane Fellaini was the only Everton player booked, as Emanuel Pogatetz and Tony McMahon were booked for The Boro.
Everton next face Sunderland at home on Sunday.
Tottenham 0 - 0 Fulham
Clint Dempsey seems to have cemented his place on the left of midfield as Fulham keep a strangle hold on eighth place in the Premier League.
With chances missed by either team, coupled with heroic saves from Mark Schwarzer and Heurelho Gomes, neither team could produce the final touch. Dempsey could have had the best Christmas present ever, after controlling the ball with his head to produce an amazing scissor kick, only to have Gomes' diving punch clear it to safety.
Paul Konhesky was the only player booked, and Fulham will be readying themselves for Chelsea on Sunday.
Watford 2 - 4 Bristol City
Vicarage Road faithful, along with 90 minute man Jay DeMerit, were stunned moments after the whistle blew as Nicky Maynard scored just 23 seconds into the match.
Michael McIndoe played Maynard through, and Maynard made no mistake, clipping his shot past Scott Loach from the corner of the six yard box.
Maynard doubled his tally just under half an hour played as he tucked away Ivan Sproule's surging shot after Loach's parry.
Grzegorz Rasiak, in his first match since November, made no mistake for the home team four minutes after the restart. Lewis Young released Jobi McAnuff down the wing, and his cut back found Rasiak on the penalty spot to side foot home.
The Hornet's joy was cut short three minutes later as Marvin Elliott was left unmarked in the Watford half, and took his space to unleash a 25 yard rocket that went straight through Loach.
Elliott then turned goal scorer at the other end as Tommy Smith's tricky lob into the area forced Elliott to try to control the ball, only to put it past Adriano Basso.
Adebola was on the receiving end of Lee Johnson's short corner. The ball was a give and go and Johnson put the ball onto the back post, to which Adebola nodded past Loach and into the bottom corner.
Adebola, Louis Carey, and Liam Fontaine were the players booked in the match. Watford will hope to rectify their loss as they take on ninth place Queens Park Rangers.
Peterborough United 1 - 0 Millwall
Zak Whitbread was forced to try to come from behind as a 23 minute Aaron McLean goal, followed by a 31st minute Tony Craig red card, left the Lions struggling from the early stages.
McLean was sent through by Craig Mackail-Smith, and his well placed strike put The Posh ahead. The victory was their first Boxing Day victory since 1996, a win that came over The Lions aswell.
Tony Craig compounded the injury as he elbowed Chirs Whelpdale, earning himself a straight red. Millwall, keeping in third, will face Yeovil Town on Sunday.
Bristol Rovers 1 - 2 Milton Keynes Dons
Jemal Johnson was given 69 minutes to break the 1-1 deadlock being a man down, and was substituted once the game looked won.
Peter Leven's 14th minute corner found Aaron Wilbraham's eager head to put the Dons up. Within a minute, however, Jo Kuffour's 25 yard dipping volley whistled past Willy Gueret to equalize.
The Dons were forced to play a man down as Miguel Llera was sent off after receiving two yellow cards in the opening 37 minutes, reducing the Dons to 10.
Jemal Johnson got the assist as Byron Anthony was forced to deal with the Americans wicked cross and powerfully headed into his own net in the 59th minute.
Anthony was the only Rovers player booked, while Alan Navarro, Sean O'Hanlon picked up the remaining yellow cards. The Dons, now second, will play Ian Joyce's Southend United on Sunday.
Notes:
West Ham's Jonathan Spector was not on hand to witness their 4-1 thrashing of Portsmouth to put The Hammers into 13th.
Eddie Johnson was the only yank dressed in the match up between Reading and Cardiff City, but never stepped on the field. Two goals the dying minutes saw all afairs ended square, with Readings keeper Adam Federici scoring the 90th minute equalizer.
Frank Simek is injured and did not take part in the 1-1 draw between Sheffield Wednesday and Blackpool.
Ian Joyce looked on from the bench as Southend United beat 10 man Northampton 1-0. |
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