Arbeloa gives Barcelona a "precious gift"

with the exhaustion of Aston Villa

Barcelona were the real winners at Villa Park. Aston Villa's 1-1 draw with Fulham in the ninth round of the Premier League saw the Catalans' upcoming opponents drop two points at home and burn through plenty of energy ahead of the two sides' eagerly awaited Champions League clash.

Nicolas Jackson opened the scoring in the 39th minute. The Senegalese striker pounced on a defensive error from Åvingröber, carried the ball into the box and fired it home.

Villa could have led earlier. John McGinn had rattled a penalty against the crossbar.

Fulham drew level in the second half through an own goal from Japanese goalkeeper Zion Suzuki in the 64th minute. He failed to deal with an Alex Iwobi corner, the ball slipping from his hands and crossing the line.

Unai Emery threw on several substitutes in search of a winner, but the scoreline held until the final whistle and each side took a point. The draw moved Aston Villa onto 12 points, with Fulham on 9.

For Barcelona, the outcome matters more than the standings suggest. As they prepare to face Aston Villa in Europe, the English side not only dropped two points but ground through a draining contest that ran their players until the final moments. That hands the Catalans an indirect boost ahead of the big meeting.