LONDON - Bolton Wanderers squandered a chance to leap into the Champions League places when they were held 1-1 at home by Everton while fourth-placed Arsenal drew 0-0 at Newcastle United in the Premier League today.
Arsenal stay two points ahead of Bolton on 56 while leaders Manchester
United, who have 78 points, second-placed champions Chelsea, on 75, and Liverpool, who have 60, prepared for Champions League quarter-final, second leg matches this week.
Striker Kevin Davies put Bolton ahead in the 18th minute when he beat the offside trap to volley home Ivan Campo's free kick but James Vaughan equalised for Everton in the 33rd against the run of play.
At St James' Park, Arsenal ended a run of three consecutive defeats but they have only scored once in four games.
"At end of day it was important not to lose," Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said.
"If you want to improve your confidence it's not a bad result," he told Sky Sports.
Newcastle defender Nolberto Solano twice saved on the line from Gilberto Silva in a goalmouth scramble near the end of a second half that began with James Milner hitting the Arsenal bar with a swerving cross from well out on the right.
Manchester City passed their relegation worries to Fulham with a surprise 3-1 win in London, their third away in succession, to climb to 12th on 40 points. Fulham, on 35, are only four points above the drop zone.
Wigan Athletic's 1-1 draw at Aston Villa left them three points above the relegation zone. Wigan played with 10 men for 56 minutes after Ecuador's Luis Antonio Valencia was sent off for a two-footed lunge at Villa's Dutch defender Wilfred Bouma.
Bottom club Watford romped to their biggest win of the league season, 4-2 at home to Portsmouth, with two goals from their French forward Hameur Bouazza.
The victory has, however, almost certainly come too late to help Watford avoid relegation. They are nine points from safety with five games left.
- REUTERS
