Blackburn Rovers halted a four-game Premiership losing streak on Sunday, drawing 1-1 at home with Tottenham Hotspur in a match that swung dramatically around the performance of Türkiye international Tugay.
The midfielder had gone 15 months without a league goal before producing a fierce 25-meter volley in the 23rd minute, striking cleanly after a headed clearance fell to him inside the box area. His effort sailed past goalkeeper Paul Robinson to put Blackburn ahead.
The afternoon soured for Tugay in the 61st minute, however, when his lunging tackle on Hossam Ghaly was ruled both a foul and a professional foul by referee Phil Dowd, resulting in a penalty and a red card. Jermain Defoe converted the spot kick, securing Tottenham's third away point of the season. Ghaly was himself dismissed in stoppage time for an elbow on Michael Gray.
In the day's other match, Aston Villa drew 0-0 at Wigan, with Danish goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen turning in a standout performance. He stopped a point-blank header from Lee McCulloch and quickly came off his line to deny Paul Scharner. Villa also struck the post in the first half. The result moved Villa up to fifth place, level on points with Arsenal but behind on goal difference.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in November 2006, in its own words.