Newcastle United's Oguchi Onyewu (left) fights for the ball with Arsenal's Julio Baptista during their English Premier League match in Newcastle yesterday. The game ended 0-0. - Reuters

LONDON (Reuters)

Bolton Wanderers squandered a chance to leap into a Champions League position when they were held 1-1 at home by Everton while fourth-place Arsenal drew 0-0 at Newcastle United in the Premier League yesterday.

Arsenal stayed two points ahead of Bolton on 56 while leaders Manchester United (78), second-place Chelsea (75) and Liverpool (60) prepared for midweek Champions League quarter-final, second-leg matches.

Striker Kevin Davies put Bolton ahead in the 18th minute when he beat the offside trap to volley home Ivan Campo's free kick but James Vaughan equalised for Everton against the run of play in the 33rd.

At St. James' Park, Arsenal ended a run of three consecutive defeats but they have only scored once in four games.

Newcastle defender Nolberto Solano twice saved on the line from Gilberto Silva in a goalmouth scramble near the end of a second half that began with James Milner hitting the Arsenal bar with a swerving cross.

"Both teams had good defensive performances and it was a game of few chances, but after three defeats it was important not to lose," Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger told reporters.

"This could be a good point at the end of the season."

CITY RUN

Manchester City passed their relegation worries to Fulham after a surprise 3-1 win at Craven Cottage, a third away victory in succession helping them climb to 12th place on 40 points. Fulham, on 35, are four points above the drop zone.

Wigan Athletic's 1-1 draw at Aston Villa left them three points above the relegation places.

The visitors played with 10 men for 57 minutes after Ecuador's Luis Antonio Valencia was sent off for a two-footed lunge at Villa's Dutch defender Wilfred Bouma.

Charlton Athletic, in 17th spot on 32 points, moved a point above the relegation zone after a 0-0 draw at home to Reading.

Bottom club Watford romped to their biggest league win of the season, 4-2 at home to Portsmouth, but it has almost certainly come too late to avoid the drop. They are nine points from safety with five games left.

In the second division, Roy Keane's Sunderland won 2-1 at Southampton to go top, one point above Derby County in the two automatic promotion places.

Sunderland are unbeaten in 16 league matches this year.