AP
Reading's Andre Bikey (right) clears the ball past fellow team member Marek Matejovsky during their Premier League match against Fulham at the Madejski Stadium yesterday. Fulham won 2-0.

LONDON (AP):

EVERTON MISSED the chance to draw level with Liverpool in the race for fourth place - and the final Champions League spot - drawing 1-1 at Birmingham yesterday in the Premier League.

Mauro Zarate scored the equaliser for Birmingham with a free kick in the 83rd minute, in answer to Joleon Lescott's 78th-minute header. The draw lifted Everton to 61 points, two less than fourth-place Liverpool. ''I want to make sure we finish fifth at the worst, but I'll always keep trying to get fourth while it is a possibility," Everton manager David Moyes said.

Birmingham's draw also helped relegation-threatened Bolton and Fulham, who both picked up valuable wins. Bolton beat West Ham 1-0, with Fulham winning 2-0 at Reading for their first away victory in the league since September 2006.

Birmingham have 31 points for 17th place, followed by Bolton with 29 and Fulham with 27.

"That goal and point could turn out to be very important," Birmingham manager Alex McLeish said. "It was a cruel blow to go behind. The second-half performance was exceptional. We went up a gear and found another couple of per cent. It was only the finishing touch that let us down and some terrific stops by (Everton goalkeeper) Tim Howard."

Only league win

Aston Villa beat already-relegated Derby 6-0 with six different goal scorers. Derby's only league win this season was in September.

In other results, it was: Sunderland 1 Manchester City 2; Tottenham 1 Middlesbrough 1 and Portsmouth 0 Newcastle 0.

Manchester United host Arsenal today while Liverpool play Blackburn at Anfield. Chelsea host Wigan tomorrow and then play at Everton on Thursday.

United lead the league with 77 points, followed by Chelsea with 74 and Arsenal with 71.

Aston Villa started their goal rush by scoring twice in two minutes.

Ashley Young gave Villa the lead in the 25th minute when Derby goalkeeper Roy Carroll failed to clear his free kick while under pressure from Olof Mellberg. John Carew then scored from 20 metres in the 26th.

Stilian Petrov made it 3-0 in the 36th minute, chesting a goal kick from Carroll on to his left foot and scoring from 50m. Gareth Barry tapped the ball into goal in the 58th when Gabriel Agbonlahor's initial shot was saved by Carroll.

Agbonlahor then got on the scoresheet with a low shot in the 76th, before Marlon Harewood finished off the rout in the 85th.