Sports

EPL Round 36: Sunday Fixtures

Everton 2 – 2 Aston Villa

Everton’s Leon Osman vies for the ball with Aston Villa midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker.

It goes without saying that the Toffees, like any club in any fixture, would have preferred a win, but their draw with a determined Villa side hurt a lot less than a loss for the blue half of Liverpool.

Everton remains in fifth, the UEFA Cup-clinching spot, with Villa one win away from tying them on points. Eight points ahead in fourth, the red half of Liverpool is safe from their Merseyside rivals. Over the next two games it’s Everton’s mission to keep Martin O’Neill’s side at bay.

Phil Neville opened the scoring in the second half and Villa’s Gabriel Agbonlahore leveled in the 80th. Everton’s big striker Joseph Yobo put his side back up four minutes later, but John Carew came up with the equalizer two minutes later to seal the draw and keep Villa’s European hopes alive.

Portsmouth 0 – 1 Blackburn In a battle of two men rumored to take over at Newcastle before Kevin Keegan’s return, Harry Redknapp’s Pompey faltered Sunday against Mark Hughes’ Rovers, but the best Blackburn can do is 6th place.

Golden boy striker Roque Santa Cruz netted the winner for his Rovers side in the 74th minute.

Portsmouth still has a vague hope of nicking the 5th spot from Everton, but that will take two Pompey wins and two losses for the Toffees to become a reality.