LONDON -- Arsenals Premier League momentum was halted when the Gunners allowed a late equalizer in a 1-1 draw with Everton on Sunday, while Fulham ended its losing streak by beating Aston Villa to give new manager Rene Meulensteen his first victory. Arsenal failed to take full advantage of its main rivals stumbles on Saturday as substitute Gerard Deulofeu levelled with a hard shot from a tight angle in the 84th minute to give Everton a deserved point. Ahead of a crucial fortnight that will see them play against Napoli in the Champions League, Manchester City and Chelsea, Arsenal leads by five points ahead of Liverpool and Chelsea. "Not bad to take, ideally wanted seven but at least weve got five," Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said about his teams margin. "It gives a little bit of a cushion to play in a serene way against other teams." After Chelsea lost 3-2 at Stoke and Manchester City was held 1-1 at Southampton on Saturday, Arsenal will certainly rue striker Olivier Girouds shot that hit the crossbar in stoppage time. Seeking their first title since 2004, the Gunners got off to a strong start this season but some critics continue to cast doubts over their title credentials, despite their impressive combination of speed and flair. "As long as we are five points ahead you cannot rule ourselves out even with the best desire," Wenger said. "So lets keep that cushion. It shows you that it will be a tough Premier League and the consistency in the end will be rewarded. The consistency for us is down to us to keep this attitude until the end of the season." Everton followed up their victory at Old Trafford midweek with another impressive performance, playing with determination and a high tempo during the first half to monopolize possession. With Ross Barkley bossing the midfield, Everton was a constant threat on the flanks during the first half but lacked the finishing touch. Failing to produce its usual sharp passing game, Arsenal started playing better in the closing stages of the first half and should have scored with two minutes remaining when referee Howard Webb decided to play the advantage following Gareth Barrys rough tackle on Ozil. But Howard was quick off his line to deny Girouds effort from close range. The United States goalkeeper was again decisive in the 45th minute to block Aaron Ramseys attempt from Girouds assist. Arsenal played with the same intensity after the interval and went ahead after Everton wasted two good chances, as Theo Walcott headed a ball across the goal and Giroud failed to hit it before Ozil fired it into the roof of the net. Everton fought back to equalize after Romelu Lukaku failed to connect with an overhead kick and Deulofeu slotted home from 10 metres, before Giroud almost grabbed the three points with his powerful strike that hit the woodwork. "The performance, I couldnt be happier," said Everton manager after the club remained fifth in the standings, seven points behind Arsenal. "The only bit of criticism is you need to take your chances, in the final third we were not ruthless enough. But I am really, really pleased. The character is really strong." Earlier, Steve Sidwell and Dimitar Berbatov scored first-half goals to give Fulham a 2-0 win over Villa to end a six-game losing streak in the league. The result marked Meulensteens first win as Fulham manager as his players ended Aston Villas five-match unbeaten run. The visitors were kept at bay from the start and were never a real threat on a sunny afternoon at Craven Cottage. After a minutes applause for former South African President Nelson Mandela who died Thursday, Aston Villa goalkeeper Brad Guzan pushed Berbatovs header onto the bar but was powerless when Sidwell flicked the ball from a tight angle to open the scoring in the 21st minute. Berbatov then calmly scored from the penalty spot for his second league goal this season after Alexander Kacaniklic was fouled by Leandro Bacuna in the box. "I couldnt be more delighted and the players should be delighted with themselves," Meulensteen said. "We were quality going forward in an attacking sense. Its a massive boost. Although we lost, we got the feel good factor back against Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday and it was about backing that up with three points today. The fans can see were back on track." . Clarke was injured while practicing on the Doha Golf Club range after the pro-am on Tuesday. 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Yankees manager Joe Girardi says hes thinking about allowing Rivera to do it this weekend, when the Yankees finish their season with a three-game series at the Houston Astros. PHILADELPHIA -- The Toronto Raptors are under .500 and on top of the Atlantic Division. More games like this one and theyll get that winning record. DeMar DeRozan scored 33 points and Rudy Gay had 18 to help Toronto beat the Philadelphia 76ers 108-98 on Wednesday night. In a down year so far in the Atlantic Division, the Raptors (5-7) wrested away first place from the Sixers (5-8). "Its a great accomplishment to be in that position," guard Kyle Lowry said. "But we still have to keep it up. We have to take all the good from it, learn from it and grow." DeRozan and Gay dominated the Sixers in the second half to turn this one into a rout. Gay hit a pair of 3-pointers and scored 15 points in the third quarter, and DeRozan scored 30 points through the first three quarters to build a 16-point lead. The Raptors may not have a winning record, but they have themselves in first place. "Were nowhere near where we need to be," coach Dwane Casey said. "Well take it, but its early. Weve got to continue to work and stay hungry." The Raptors can ask Philadelphia how easy it is to lose the top spot. The Sixers were the surprise first-place team in the division thanks to 3-0 start, featuring wins over Miami and Chicago. But reality has set in for a team that was expected to rank among the worst in the NBA. Spencer Hawes hit his first nine shots and finished with 28 points and 10 rebounds for the 76ers. Philadelphias fourth straight loss came on the heels of an 0-3 road trip. The Sixers started Daniel Orton and James Anderson, and a bench made up of Hollis Thompson, Brandon Davies and Lavoy Allen is one of the weakest in the league. "Teams go on losing streaks, it happens sometimes," Allen said. "Everyone needs to fill a role and get back to what we were doing earlier." Led by DeRozan, the Raptors pulled away to a 55-48 halftime lead. He hit three 3s in the half and scored 22 points, putting him on pace to top his career high of 337.dddddddddddd. He didnt slow down in the second half as much as it was his teammates simply taking turns dominating the ball. "Thats how weve got to play, get everybody involved, everybody going," DeRozan said. Against a woeful defence, the Raptors shot 12 of 21 on 3-pointers through three. Terrence Ross, who had 17 points, and Steve Novak ended the quarter with consecutive 3s to close a 15-5 run. The Raptors finished with a season-high 14 -- already the eighth time the 76ers have allowed 13 or more. Hawes was the only Sixers player who at least was able to make this one a game. He hit his first five free throws and his first three 3-pointers to keep it close. Hawes finally missed a free throw in the third, only to have Allen put it back for a bucket that cut it to 76-70. The Raptors wouldnt let the lead dip below six points the rest of the way. DeRozan was fouled on a 3-point attempt late in the fourth and hit all three free throws to make it 107-92 in front of an almost empty arena. The Raptors were just the latest team to put up big points against the Sixers, who have allowed 100-plus points in 11 of 13 games this season. Michael Carter-Williams returned to Philadelphias starting lineup after missing the previous four games with a bruised left arch. He scored 10 points. Evan Turner had 13 points and 10 rebounds. Starting forward Thaddeus Young missed the game for personal reasons. "When you dont have Thaddeus, do you go big ball, do you go small ball?" coach Brett Brown said. "When you play that type of judgment game, it gets harder to manage those periods." NOTES: Lowry, a Philadelphia native who played at Villanova, had most of the team over for a family dinner Tuesday night. He had 13 points and 10 assists. ... The 76ers waived F Kwame Brown and G Darrius Morris. They signed free-agent guards Elliot Williams and Lorenzo Brown. ... Brett Brown was whistled for a technical. ... The Raptors had a season-high nine blocked shots. Cheap China Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From China China NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys Cheap Jerseys China ' ' '