Friedel helps Villa to 3-3 draw at Chelsea - The Associated Press

(AP) – 35 minutes ago

LONDON (AP) — American goalkeeper Brad Friedel made outstanding saves Sunday to help Aston Villa to a 3-3 draw at Chelsea, leaving the defending English champion outside the top four in the Premier League.

Friedel stopped Frank Lampard and Florent Malouda, keeping Villa ahead 2-1 with six minutes left in regulation.

The goalie, however, could do little as Didier Drogba and John Terry put the Blues up 3-2 and on course for only their second win in eight matches. But defender Ciaran Clark took a cross during injury time from Marc Albrighton to salvage a point for struggling Villa, which moved up to 15th place.

"We've been in such a bad run of form, we needed something," Friedel said. "And it's great to get it at Stamford Bridge."

Manchester United and Manchester City won Saturday and share the lead with 41 points, although United has played two fewer games. They are followed by Arsenal (39), Tottenham (36) and Chelsea (35). Chelsea had been the leader the first three months of the season.

Chelsea went ahead Sunday on Lampard's 23rd-minute penalty kick. Ashley Young tied it with another penalty kick four minutes before halftime.

Emile Heskey then beat Jeffrey Bruma to a header to put Villa ahead two minutes into the second period before Friedel somehow pushed Lampard's close-range volley over the bar and charged down an effort by Florent Malouda.

"We showed today we've got a lot of fight in us and we're going to have a lot of fight in us for the rest of the season," Friedel said.

Wayne Rooney scored his first goal from open play since March to help United to a 2-1 win at West Bromwich Albion, and Adam Johnson gave City a 1-0 win over Blackpool. Arsenal won 3-0 at Birmingham.

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GLASGOW, Scotland (AP) — Georgios Samaras scored twice in the second half to give Celtic a 2-0 win at Rangers and a four-point lead over its fierce Glasgow rival at the top of the Scottish Premier League.

Celtic had lost its last three visits to Rangers, but Samaras put his team ahead in the 62nd and completed the win eight minutes later with a penalty kick.

Celtic has 45 points to Rangers' 41, but the defending champions have played two games fewer.

"Samaras was the big difference today," Celtic manager Neil Lennon said. "When he plays like that he is virtually unplayable."

Third-place Hearts maintained their slim hopes of winning a first title since 1960 with a 1-0 win over Edinburgh rival Hibernian on Saturday.

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