LONDON: Clint Dempsey scored twice as Fulham rallied to beat Manchester City 3-1 in the Premier League on Sunday, keeping the London club in contention for European qualification.

The American midfielder began Fulham’s comeback five minutes into the second half, scoring to tie the game after Stephen Ireland’s goal in the 28th minute. Dickson Etuhu’s volley gave Fulham the lead, then Dempsey scored again in the 83rd minute.

The win lifted Fulham up to eight place, just a point behind West Ham in the final European qualification spot.

“We kept fighting and we got the result we needed and now we are on 43 points,” Dempsey said. “It’s great to get back-to-back away wins because it’s something we haven’t been doing. Hopefully we can continue that form and have a strong end to the season and see where we get in the table.”

In Sunday’s other match, American goalkeepers Brad Friedel and Tim Howard each conceded three goals as Aston Villa tied 3-3 with Everton.

Manchester City put Robinho on the bench against Fulham after a string of lackluster performances from the Brazil striker despite Craig Bellamy and Shaun Wright-Phillips being injured.

Robinho came on in the 64th minute, but the $56 million man added little to the attack.

Everton, which is nine points ahead of Fulham in sixth place, twice threw away two-goal leads at Aston Villa.

Villa captain Gareth Barry salvaged the point with a tying goal on a penalty kick in the 66th minute to keep the team fifth in the league.

Referee Howard Webb awarded the kick after Joleon Lescott’s foot inadvertently caught Stilian Petrov’s face while he was acrobatically trying to clear the ball.

“It was a harsh decision,” Everton manager David Moyes said. “I thought it might have been an indirect free kick because all Joleon has done is put his foot up to try and get the ball.”

On Saturday, defending champion Manchester United stayed a point clear of Liverpool with a game in hand by beating Sunderland 2-1 while Liverpool defeated Blackburn 4-0. Third-place Chelsea beat Bolton 4-3 to stay within four points of the leaders.

MADRID —Real Madrid stayed six points behind Spanish leader Barcelona after being Valladolid 2-0 on Sunday.

Raul Gonzalez scored his 15th of the season in the 44th minute after splitting two defenders to direct Gonzalo Higuain’s centering pass beyond goalkeeper Sergio Asenjo.

Moments after Pepe appeared to foul Valladolid striker Henok Goitom inside the area, Arjen Robben scored on a quick counterattack in the 82nd minute off Jose Maria “Guti” Gutierrez’s long pass.

The Spanish champion, which picked up its 14th win in 16 games under coach Juande Ramos, now has 69 points.

Barcelona has 75 points after beating Recreativo Huelva on Saturday.

Juanma Mata beat goalkeeper Inaki Lafuente in the 88th minute as Valencia won 3-2 against Sporting Gijon to overtake Villarreal for fourth place, the final Champions League qualifying place.

Also on Sunday, it was: Racing Santander 2, Real Betis 3; Mallorca 2, Almeria 0; Osasuna 2, Athletic Bilbao 1; Numancia 0; Espanyol 0.

AMSTERDAM —Luis Suarez had a hat trick, including two on penalty kicks, to help Ajax rout Willem II 7-0 Sunday and keep alive the team’s hopes of playing in the Champions League next season.

The win kept Ajax within one point of second-place FC Twente with four matches to go. AZ, which beat NAC Breda 1-0 Friday, leads the league with 76 points.

AZ would win the title for the second time in club history with a home victory against Vitesse Arnhem next Saturday. Twente has 65 points after winning 4-2 against Roda JC on Saturday. Ajax has 64 points.

Veteran striker Roy Makaay scored a hat trick, including a 59th-minute penalty kick, to help Feyenoord defeat Heracles Almelo 5-1.

Viktor Elm scored in the 53rd minute to help SC Heerenveen beat FC Volendam 1-0, and Lasse Nilsson, Civard Sprockel and Ricky van Wolfswinkel scored a goal each to give Vitesse Arnhem a 3-2 win at FC Groningen.

PARIS —Nigeria defender Taye Taiwo scored twice Sunday to help Marseille beat Grenoble 4-1 and maintain the pressure on defending champion Lyon.

Vitorino Hilton and fellow Brazilian Brando added the other two goals as Marseille moved to 61 points after 31 games, two points ahead of Lyon, which hosts Monaco later Sunday and will reclaim the top spot if it wins. Bordeaux is in third place with 59 points.

In Sunday’s other game, Paris Saint-Germain was playing away at Lille.

FRANKFURT —Mario Gomez scored in injury time to give Stuttgart a 1-0 victory Sunday over Hamburger SV in the Bundesliga, while Bayer Leverkusen and Werder Bremen tied 1-1.

The loss means Hamburg drops into third place with 51 points, behind defending champion Bayern Munich on goal difference and three points behind leader Wolfsburg.

MILAN —Antonio Floro Flores scored two late goals Sunday for Udinese to beat nine-man Reggina 2-0 in the Serie A.

Floro Flores reached Giovanni Pasquale’s cross to score in the 85th minute and added another in injury time by shooting low inside the near post.

The loss leaves Reggina stranded at the bottom of the standings with 20 points, seven from safety with seven rounds remaining.

Like all sports events in Italy over the weekend, the match was preceded by a minute’s silence for the victims of the Abruzzo earthquake.