LONDON, 22 April 2005 — Runaway Premier League leaders Chelsea were held 0-0 at home by champions Arsenal and Manchester United finished with nine men in a 1-0 defeat at Everton on Wednesday.
Chelsea, hoping for a win to set up a chance of clinching their first league title in 50 years against Fulham on Saturday, deserved only a point from a pulsating, finely-balanced game at Stamford Bridge.
The draw hardly represented a major setback, though, for a convincing Chelsea side who moved on to 82 points, 11 ahead of Arsenal with five games to play.
Chelsea will become champions if they beat Fulham in the west London derby and Arsenal, whose manager Arsene Wenger has already conceded the title, are unable to defeat Tottenham Hotspur in the north London derby on Monday. Everton striker Duncan Ferguson headed Everton’s winner in the 55th minute and they took charge after a 72nd-minute red card for United’s Gary Neville, who kicked the ball at a section of the Goodison Park crowd.
They stay three points and a game in hand ahead of Merseyside rivals Liverpool, who won 2-1 at Portsmouth. The relegation battle became even tighter as bottom club Norwich City beat Newcastle United 2-1, Crystal Palace lost 1-0 Blackburn Rovers and West Bromwich Albion ground out a 1-1 draw at Tottenham Hotspur.
Inter Beat Juventus as AC Milan Hit Top Again
In Milan, Inter Milan beat Juventus 1-0 at the Delle Alpi stadium on Wednesday, allowing defending champions AC Milan to return to joint top of Serie A with a 1-0 win at home to Chievo.
Juventus and Milan both have 70 points with Inter in third on 59 with six games remaining, including a potentially decisive clash between the leaders on May 8. Argentine Julio Ricardo Cruz headed home the winner for Inter in the 24th minute of a game in which Juve twice struck the woodwork.
Milan, whose defeat at Siena on Sunday allowed Juve to go into Wednesday’s games with a three-point lead, beat Chievo with a 65th-minute strike from Dutch midfielder Clarence Seedorf. Roma’s miserable season continued as Francesco Totti was sent off in the second half of their 2-0 defeat at home to lowly Siena.
Udinese were held 1-1 at home by Livorno while Sampdoria were drew by the same score at struggling Parma. Palermo striker Luca Toni scored twice in his team’s 3-3 draw against Brescia which saw red cards for Brescia’s Simone Dallamano and Palermo’s Christian Terlizzi.
Auxerre Need Extra Time to Reach Cup Semis
In Paris, Ligue 1 side Auxerre needed extra time to beat amateurs Boulogne-sur-Mer 2-1 and reach the French Cup semifinals on Wednesday.
The fourth division club from the northern port city, playing in nearby Lens and supported by a near 35,000 crowd, opened the scoring with a powerful shot from the edge of the box by striker Vincent Ehouman in the 75th minute.
The game had entered added time when midfielder Stephane Grichting equalized from close range following a corner.
The Boulogne players protested, arguing that the goal should have been disallowed because of a previous foul. Auxerre’s Belgium striker Luigi Pieroni ended Boulogne’s amazing run with an angled shot from just outside the box on 98 minutes.
Earlier, a goal in extra time gave amateurs Nimes a 4-3 home victory over Ligue 1 Sochaux. Striker Matthias Verschave scored the winner on 104 minutes with a little help from Sochaux goalkeeper Teddy Richert, who failed to catch his seemingly harmless deflected shot.
