Premier League leaders Chelsea were the winners on Saturday despite their match being postponed as main title rivals Manchester United and Arsenal slumped to draws.

Chelsea – whose match was one of seven to be postponed because of the bad weather in England – hold a one point advantage over United with a game in hand after the defending champions were held 1-1 away at in-form Birmingham City.

Arsenal have played the same amount of games as Chelsea, 20, but are three points adrift after coming away with a fortunate 2-2 home draw over Everton, Tomas Rosicky equalising in the final minute.

Birmingham, managed by Alex McLeish – who played under United boss Sir Alex Ferguson when his fellow Scot was in charge of Aberdeen – went ahead in the 39th minute when Cameron Jerome forced the ball home after the visitors failed to clear a corner.

But in the 63rd minute United equalised when Scott Dann unluckily put through his own net at St Andrews.

United finished the match down to 10 men after Scotland international midfielder Darren Fletcher was sent-off for two yellow card offences.

The draw meant Birmingham extended their club record of successive unbeaten top-flight matches to 12 games.

Ferguson insisted he had no complaints with his side’s display, despite United missing the chance to leapfrog Chelsea.

“We played so well in the first-half so to lose a goal right on half-time makes it difficult because this is a hard place to come at the moment but we had the experience to come back,” Ferguson told ESPN.

“They work so hard and make it difficult for you. We have to be satisfied with a point, especially as we ended with 10 men.”

However, he was furious with referee Mark Clattenburg for sending-off Fletcher.

“I haven’t seen a softer sending off for a long time. It’s absolutely ridiculous,” Ferguson said.

Meanwhile a delighted McLeish said: “That was another fantastic performance from our lads. I’m proud of the players.”
Earlier, Rosicky’s stoppage-time leveller rescued a point for Arsenal at a snow-covered Emirates Stadium.

Everton were on course for a shock victory after South African midfielder Steven Pienaar scored a brilliant goal to put the visitors, who kicked-off four points above the relegation zone, 2-1 up with nine minutes left.

But there was still time for Czech midfielder Rosicky to equalise after his shot looped off Australian defender Lucas Neill and over United States international goalkeeper Tim Howard.

Everton took a 12th minute lead when midfielder Leon Osman headed in a corner from on-loan United States international Landon Donovan, making his debut for the Merseysiders.

But the Gunners were level before the half-hour mark when Denilson’s shot deflected off Osman.

Then, in the 81st minute, Australia’s Tim Cahill held the ball up and released Pienaar, who strode through before cheekily lofting a shot over Arsenal goalkeeper Manuel Almunia.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger admitted his side, still without injured captain Cesc Fabregas, had been fortunate to gain a point.

“At the end of the day we dropped two points, but looking at the game we gained one point because we were closer to losing the game than to winning it,” Wenger said.

“We got the point because we had the spirit and the desire, but we didn’t find our game today.”

Everton boss David Moyes was in no doubt his side, thrashed 6-1 by Arsenal on the opening day of the season, should have come away with a victory.

“We were 2-1 up into injury-time, it should have been our day, we deserved to win today,” Moyes told Sky Sports.

© AFP 2012

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