Brad Friedel's future with Aston Villa may be in question, but the 39-year-old American goalkeeper showed Sunday he is still more than capable of playing at the highest level.Despite allowing three goals, Friedel came up with a flurry of highlight-reel saves to help his struggling side fight to a thrilling 3-3 draw against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
Didier Drogba's 84th-minute equalizer and John Terry's go-ahead strike five minutes later appeared to have put Friedel's heroics to waste. One minute after Terry scored, however, Ciaran Clark slipped behind the Blues back line to nod home substitute Marc Albrighton's cross. The tally knotted the score and stole a crucial point for the visitors.
Friedel, who allowed a first-half Frank Lampard penalty and had little chance on the goals from Drogba and Terry, preserved his club's lead throughout most of the second half. He brilliantly tipped a Lampard volley over the crossbar and closed the angle to deny a point-blank effort from Florent Malouda.
The draw pushed Villa to 5-9-6 overall, two points clear of the relegation zone. Chelsea, meanwhile, fell further behind in its bid to defend the Premier League title, dropping to fifth at 10-5-5.
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