Betfacts / Joe Dyer / 21 February 2009 / Leave a comment

Arsenal miss out on three points too while Chelsea leave Villa Park with a valuable win. Joe Dyer reports on Saturday in the Premier League.

Arsenal were once again denied at The Emirates with Ricky Sbragia's Sunderland holding Arsene Wenger's Champions League chasers to a 0-0 draw.

The Betfair markets made the goalless stalemate a highly unlikely result with the home team backed at [1.23] in the match odds market and the draw [5.2]. The final score of 0-0 touched [15.5], while one goal or more was backed at a low of [1.06].

Arsenal's European ambitions were not dealt a crushing blow by the result however, with Aston Villa losing at home to Chelsea in the early kick-off.

Martin O'Neill's men are still [1.56] favourites for a top-four finish, ahead of Arsenal at [2.32].

The drama in the league came at the Britannia Stadium where Stoke and Portsmouth traded the lead twice before finishing up with a 2-2 draw.

Nico Krancjar's 76th minute opener meant Pompey touched a low of [1.25] on the exchange, but Stoke immediately came back with a penalty and then took the lead. Both goals came from James Beattie.

Having been backed at [7.2], City were now in to [1.1] only to have their hearts broken by a 92nd minute equaliser, an own goal by Ryan Shawcross.

Over 3.5 goals was backed at [36.0] before that second half flood.

There was considerably less drama in the remaining games where Bolton beat West Ham courtesy of two goals in the opening 11 minutes. Middlesbrough and Wigan did not have the firepower to break a 0-0 deadlock at the Riverside, denying those who backed one goal or more at [1.11].

Boro are now [2.24] third favourites to go down.