Ricardo Carvalho last night took the highly unusual step of issuing a public apology for the two-footed tackle on Gabriel Agbonlahor that led to the Chelsea defender being sent off as the Christmas football programme began with an explosion of goals and a plethora of red cards.

Before the evening kick-off between Portsmouth and Arsenal at Fratton Park, no fewer than 19 players had been dismissed in the Barclays Premier League and Coca-Cola League, equalling the record set four years earlier for the number of dismissals in a day in England. Luton Town finished their match away to Bristol Rovers with eight men.

Carvalho’s reckless challenge came in the 80th minute of an extraordinary match against Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge that accounted for eight of the 29 goals plundered in the top flight and three of the red cards. Chelsea finished with nine players after Ashley Cole was sent off for handling on the line in the last minute, allowing Gareth Barry to score from the penalty spot and secure a 4-4 draw for Villa, who had earlier had Zat Knight dismissed.

“It was never my intention to hurt Gabriel Agbonlahor,” Carvalho said. “I was going for the ball and I don’t want people to think that I tried to hurt another player. I didn’t see him after the game to apologise but I asked for a message to be passed on to him.”

Chelsea are to appeal against Cole’s sending-off, but should they fail they will lose both the England defender and Carvalho to suspension. With Frank Lampard limping off yesterday with a thigh strain to join Didier Drogba and John Terry on the injury list, Avram Grant knows that his resources will be stretched to the limit.

“It’s not easy times,” Grant, the first-team coach, said, “but I didn’t think it was easy times from the first day I was here with injuries. As long as we have a chance we will not give up [on the title]. We will do everything to challenge.”

Another manager under pressure, but for different reasons, is Sam Allardyce, who questioned the commitment of his Newcastle United players after a 1-0 defeat away to Wigan Athletic. More than 5,000 travelling fans sang the name of Alan Shearer, with further cutting chants aimed at Allardyce and the team after Ryan Taylor’s free kick secured victory for the home side. With Mike Ashley, the Newcastle owner, among the fans in the away enclosure, Allardyce admitted that he had no qualms with the supporters taking out their frustrations.

“I expect it all the time now with a club of this size, but I don’t blame the fans,” Allardyce said. “If I was one of them, I’d be singing what they were singing because it just wasn’t good enough. I’m a top man in my field and I know it’s not good enough.”

Liverpool moved back into the top four when Steven Gerrard’s last-minute goal earned a 2-1 win away to Derby County, but they could not match the emphatic nature of Manchester United’s 4-0 win away to Sunderland, Wayne Rooney ending his five-match Premier League barren run with the opener and Louis Saha scoring twice. “This is one of our strongest squads for some time and they are proving that,” Sir Alex Ferguson, the United manager, said.