LONDON -- Arsenals Premier League momentum was halted when t

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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. Steven Matz Jersey . 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." Darryl Strawberry Jersey . -- During a players meeting following the All-Star break, Jermaine ONeal promised his teammates to play the rest of the regular season like he would never play again -- because he very well might not. Jeurys Familia Jersey . -- Cole De Vries had a couple of key strikeouts during what could have been the inning that doomed him to defeat against the Kansas City Royals, allowing him to escape further damage and keep the game tied up. http://www.metsrookiestore.com/Mets-Jacob-Degrom-Kids-Jersey/ .Cullen scored the go-ahead goal at 13:47 of the third period and Nashville beat the slumping Dallas Stars 3-2 on Thursday in a game that wasnt decided until the last shot of the night.CALGARY -- Brad Trelivings first major move as new Calgary Flames general manager was to beef up the front office. He named former Flame forward Craig Conroy and former Hockey Canada executive Brad Pascall as his new assistant general managers Friday. Conroy and Pascall join Mike Holditch, who has held that title since 2010. "Having depth, having manpower, allows us to see more and do more," Treliving said at Scotiabank Saddledome. "Everything we do here when we look at adding staff and we look at adding people, this is all about building and this is about winning. "To me, you need to build your foundation off the ice before you can ever think of having success on the ice." Treliving, 44, was revealed as the Flames new GM on April 28. The Flames were grooming Conroy for the managerial ranks before Trelivings arrival. Conroy went to work immediately as a special assistant to former GM Jay Feaster after retiring in 2011. Conroys apprenticeship accelerated in December when president of hockey operations Brian Burke fired Feaster. Conroy had more responsibilities in the four months Burke searched for a replacement before deciding on Treliving. "All of a sudden, everyone had more to do," Conroy said. "Now you can really focus in on an area and really nail down what were going to do moving forward." The 42-year-old from Potsdam, N.Y., played 1,009 NHL regular-season games, just over half of them with the Flames. He also played for the Montreal Canadiens, Los Angeles Kings and St. Louis Blues. Pascall worked for Hockey Canada for almost two decades in different roles. He was most recently vice-president of hockey operationns for the last four years. Mike Piazza Jersey. He was part of the management groups that assembled the victorious Canadian mens hockey teams for the 2010 and 2014 Winter Olympics. "I think the evolution of my experience of being involved with various championship teams and building an organization there from a high-performance structure, I think it was always an aspiration of mine to one day move onto the National Hockey League," Pascall said. The 43-year-old from Coquitlam, B.C., was drafted by the Buffalo Sabres in 1990 and played four years of minor pro hockey. His wife is Cassie Campbell-Pascall, who led the Canadian womens hockey team to Olympic gold in 2002 and 2006 as team captain. Holditchs area of expertise is salary cap and contracts. Pascall will oversee Calgarys American Hockey League team which is moving to Glens Falls, N.Y., next season from Abbotsford, B.C. Conroy will spend the most time of the road of the three, Treliving said, watching NHL and minor pro games in order to help with player decisions. "I think you ought to be careful that youre not tripping over people, but the way I look at it is you get the right people on the bus, you get winners on the bus, well figure out all the rest," Treliving said. "The game is becoming bigger each day, becoming more competitive each day, so the question we ask every morning when we roll out of bed is how do we win? How do we win and how do we get better? We got better today. Well keep all three of these guys busy." Calgary missed the playoffs for a fifth straight season with a record of 35-40-7. The Flames own the fourth overall pick in the NHL entry draft June 27-28. ' ' '