AMSTERDAM – Aston Villa netminder Brad Guzan broke his Tottenham Hotspur jinx in style, shutting out their Saturday hosts 1-0 to climb six points clear of the Premier League relegation zone.
The US backstop notched three saves in stopping Spurs' perfect run of five victories against him, with his best stop denying Danny Rose near the half-hour. The clean sheet was Guzan's ninth of the season, matching a career-high, set last term. Villa, meanwhile, won for the second time in their last three on the road to reach 15th place.
DeAndre Yedlin
came on 12 minutes from time for his Tottenham debut
. Working right back, the former Seattle Sounders ace completed all three of his passes and added a tackle. Meanwhile, compatriot
Brad Friedel
served as the Spurs back-up.
Elsewhere, Tim Howard and Everton were forced to settle for a 1-1 share at Swansea City. The Toffees star contributed three saves and a cross capture. Howard's finest moment of the day came when he pawed away a nasty Bafetimbi Gomis strike in the 15th minute. However, the American was burned by a 68th minute Jonjo Shelvey spot kick after defender Seamus Coleman handled in the visitors' box. Though their three-game win streak fell by the wayside, Everton held firm in 12th place.
Geoff Cameron was among the standouts as Stoke City clawed back deep into stoppage time for a fully deserved 1-1 draw at West Ham United. The Potters right back enjoyed a strong two-way shift that included three tackles, three cross blocks, a doorstep shot block and several dangerous forays into attack. Cameron completed four of his eight crosses into the box, though none found the required finish at the other end. The result snapped 10th place Stoke's three-game losing streak.
One league below in the Championship, Jonathan Spector returned from injury, clocking in for the last 13 minutes of Birmingham City's 2-1 home win against Wolverhampton. After slotting in left center back, the veteran wasted little time in helping to ensure the Brums left with all the points. Spector kept busy by blocking a goalbound Danny Bath shot, executing an area tackle and picking off a centering feed, all between minutes 82 and 84. Now unbeaten in six at home, Birmingham rose a spot to 14th place.
Derby County defender Zak Whitbread made his first appearance since October, working the final 12 minutes of a 1-1 home draw with Brentford. Moments before Darren Bent rescued the Rams with a stoppage time equalizer, Whitbread went close with a bid of his own. Six minutes from time, the center back's corner kick header was on route to the top corner when swept away by Brentford custodian David Button. The point kept fifth place Derby unbeaten in three and on course for the promotion playoffs.
Tim Ream and Bolton suffered a last-minute leak in a 2-1 home loss to Norwich City. The Wanderers left center back rang up four pass interceptions, three tackles and a pair of big close-range shot blocks. Nevertheless, Bolton saw their three-game bulletproof run end.
Eric Lichaj was solid at right back in Nottingham Forest's 1-0 home loss to Huddersfield Town. The Illinois native set up a pair of good chances with long balls at the attacking end, while logging four clearances and two pass picks in defense. Winless in four, Forest have now drifted 13 points away from the promotion playoff zone with only six games to play.
In the Bundesliga, Fabian Johnson set up an early opener as Borussia Mönchengladbach kept hold of a Champions League group-stage slot thanks to a 3-1 home win over Borussia Dortmund. Less than 30 seconds into the contest, the left winger drew a cruel kick save, and Oscar Wendt buried the rebound. The assist was Johnson's fourth of the league campaign and sixth overall this term. For the game, Johnson completed 19 of 24 passes and added four pass interceptions. The win, 'Gladbach's fourth in a row, kept them two points ahead of Bayer Leverkusen.
Timothy Chandler and Eintracht Frankfurt kept it close for more than an hour before eventually falling 3-0 away to table-toppers Bayern Munich. The US international was among those at fault for losing Mario Götze on Bayern's second goal but otherwise put in a decent shift. Chandler completed 40 of 50 passes without a single handling turnover. Despite falling to their fourth successive away defeat, Eintracht tentatively stayed four points back of a Europa League spot.
Turning focus to Norway's Tippeligaen, Rhett Bernstein made a four-minute debut in the Mjøndalen back line to help preserve an impressive 1-1 draw at Strømsgodset. The result conditionally lifted the visitors level on points with first-place Vålerenga.
Ethan Horvath made the bench for champs Molde FK, serving as back-up netminder in a 3-1 road win over Bodø/Glimt. Zarek Valentin also watched the contest from the home dugout.
