Foxes Clear On Top After Defeating Reds

After an FA Cup weekend, it was strange to have a full midweek programme in the Premier League but the hectic schedule didn't dampen the results as six sides scored two or more while half the league kept a clean sheet in gameweek 24. Due to a busy week myself, an out of date review is a bit pointless so I will just post the results.

FA Cup Fourth Round Review

After a number of 'cupsets' in the third round, the fourth round draw created the potential for a few more as eight top flight sides faced lower division opponents across a three day weekend.

Friday night saw Championship promotion hopefuls Derby County host top flight Manchester United at the iPro Stadium with the Rams hoping to stage an upset. However, the visitors put a dent in the hosts' hope as they took the lead on 16 minutes through Wayne Rooney but it was all square on 37 minutes as George Thorne made it 1-1 ahead of the interval. United regained the lead through Daley Blind on 65 minutes before sealing a 3-1 win and a place in the fifth round with Juan Mata's 83rd minute effort.

Saturday's early game saw League One side Colchester United hosting top flight Tottenham Hotspur with the hosts hoping to secure a huge 'cupset' that would boost their struggling season so far. They remained level until the 27th minute when Nacer Chadli fired Spurs ahead and the hosts did well to keep the score to just 1-0 long into the second half. However, two goals in 14 minutes put the visitors in complete control with Eric Dier (64) doubling the lead before Chadli's second made it 3-0 on 78 minutes. Colchester claimed a consolation just two minutes later but it came via an own goal from Ben Davies but the goal spree was to be completed a further two minutes later as Tom Carroll sealed a 4-1 win.

Holders Arsenal played host to Championship side Burnley looking to continue their pursuit retaining the trophy for a third season while the Clarets hoped to end the Gunners' streak. A superb opener from Callum Chambers set the Gunners on their way on 19 minutes only for the visitors to draw level through Sam Vokes on the half hour mark for 1-1. The tie was sealed just eight minutes after the restart as fit-again Alexis Sanchez fired in for 2-1.

In a battle between two tof flight sides at opposite ends of the table, Aston Villa hosted Manchester City with Villa looking to take away the focus from the league while City looked for back-to-back cup wins having sealed a League Cup final spot. Villa's afternoon turned bad inside the first four minutes as Kelechi Ihenacho made it 1-0 to City before he added a second from the penalty spot to make it 2-0 in the 24th minute. Villa's only real positive from the game so far was that they kept City out for the next 50 minutes until Ihenacho completed his hat-trick on 74 minutes before Raheem Sterling completed a 4-0 rout just two minutes later.

A Championship face-off saw Bolton Wanderers host Leeds United at the Macron Stadium with both sides eager to extend their cup run to take the the focus of struggling league campaigns. The visitors struck an early opener as Souleymane Doukara made it 1-0 in the eight minute before Toumani Diagouraga doubled the lead on 39 minutes. Bolton struck back late in the second with Darren Pratley's 80th minute strike but it proved to be just a consolation as Leeds reached the next round with a 2-1 win.

League One side Bury played host to Championship side Hull looking to stage a shock against the 2013 runners-up who had there eyes on a potential repeat of their famous run to Wembley. Chuba Akpom put the Tigers ahead in the 14th minute and he doubled the lead in the 57th minute via the penalty spot to leave the hosts with a huge task to avoid defeat but their chase was made even harder as Akpom completed his hat-trick on 69 minutes for 3-0. Bury claimed a consolation via Craig Jones' 86th minute effort for 3-1.

An all-top flight battle took place at Selhurst Park as Crystal Palace hosted Stoke City with both looking to extend their cup run after mixed league seasons so far. The tie proved to be a close one with just one goal separating the sides as Wilfred Zaha struck a 19th minute winner to seal a 1-0 success.

Championship side Nottingham Forest hosted top flight Watford hoping to claim a scalp against a side going well in the Premier League. The hosts did well to keep the tie goalless not only into half-time but as the end of the 90 minutes neared, a replay looked on the cards. However, the Hornets had other ideas as Odion Ighalo continued his superb scoring streak with late winner in the 89th minute.

League two side Oxford United hosted Blackburn Rovers hoping to secure back-to-back giant killings after dumping out Swansea City in round three. However, Blackburn took control in the first half with two goals in the final nine minutes of the half as Ben Marshall slotted in a 36th minute penalty before Tony Watt made it 2-0 just before the break. Oxford's hopes of a comeback were dashed midway through the second half as Marshall hit his second to complete a 3-0 win in the 76th minute.

League Two side Portsmouth hosted top flight Bournemouth looking to extend their cup run one step further with a giant killing that would edge them closer to adding to the memories of two finals in the 2000's. However, the Premier League side had other ideas as they sealed a 2-0 win but their place in the next round was not clear as the sides remained at 0-0 long past the hour mark. Josh King put the Cherries ahead in the 71st minute before Marc Pugh confirmed the win seven minutes from the end.

Championship side Reading hosted League One high-fliers Walsall with the Saddlers looking to claim a scalp over their higher placed hosts. The hopes of a 'cupset' were dented late in the first half as Hal Robson-Kanu made it 1-0 in the 37th minute before a Matej Vydra strike on 40 minutes gave the Royals a 2-0 advantage.

Walsall remained in the hunt despite the deficit but were cut adrift on the scoreboard by two goals in the final 15 minutes as Daniel Williams made it 3-0 on 75 minutes before a second from Vydra completed a 4-0 rout.

League One side Shrewsbury Town hosted Sheffield Wednesday hoping to secure back-to-back upsets after dispatching Cardiff City in round three.  Lewis McGugan put the Owls ahead with a 19th minute opener before a leveller from Jean Louis Akpa-Akpro came in the 57th minute. McGugan regained the lead for the visitors on 76 minutes before a late show from the Shrews sealed a famous 3-2 triumph as Shaun Whalley levelled on 87 minutes before an added time winner came from Jack Grimmer.

Top flight West Bromwich Albion hosted League One side Peterborough United at the Hawthorns wary of a potential upset but with hopes of extending their run in the competition. The Baggies struck first with an opener from Saido Berahino in the 14th minute and had to settle for just a single goal lead deep into the second half until Shaquile Coulthirst levelled on 79 minutes. Berahino struck his second goal on 84 minutes to make it 2-1 but the visitors forced a replay just two minutes later as Jon Taylor made it 2-2 and put them into the bag for the fifth round draw.

Saturday's evening game saw a top flight battle between Liverpool and West Ham United at Anfield with both sides meeting in the competition for the first time since the famous 2006 final. Both managers fielded weakened sides due to the league resuming in midweek but the fringe players brought in did well as they cancelled each other out in a 0-0 draw.

Sunday saw a double header of lower league sides hosting top flight sides starting with League Two side Carlisle United hosting Everton in the first game at Brunton Park since the December flood which drowned the stadium under 12ft of water. The Toffees wasted no time in taking control with two goals in the opening 14 minutes with a second minute strike from Arouna Kone added to on 14 minutes by Aaron Lennon's effort.  The tie was wrapped up just after the hour mark as Ross Barkley made it 3-0 in the 65th minute.

The final tie of the weekend saw Championship side Milton Keynes Dons host Chelsea hoping to take advantage of the Blues mixed season so far. The Blues opened the scoring with a strike from Oscar on 15 minutes before a leveller for the hosts came just six minutes later from Darren Potter for 1-1. Chelsea regained the lead with a second from Oscar on 32 minutes before he completed a first half hat-trick in the 44th minute for 3-1. Eden Hazard added a penalty on 55 minutes before Bertrand Traore completed a 5-1 rout in the 62nd minute. 

Capital One Cup Semi Finals Review

After the first legs were both settled by a single goal advantage, the 'Road to Wembley' was far from completed as the four sides faced off in the second legs across Tuesday and Wednesday.

Tuesday night saw Liverpool host Stoke City at Anfield with the Reds looking to reach a 12th League Cup final while the Potters needed to overturn a 1-0 deficit to avoid an exit at the penultimate stage. The Reds look to have completed the first half still ahead in the tie but Stoke had other ideas as Marko Arnautovic put the visitors ahead on the night and levelled the tie at 1-1 on aggregate. The 1-0 lead for Stoke lasted until the end of the 90 minutes meaning a period of extra time which saw the sides remain level going into a penalty shootout.

Both sides made mixed starts but Jon Walters, Glenn Whelan, Ibrahim Affelay, Xherdan Shaqiri and Marco van Ginkel were all on target for Stoke, while Adam Lallana, Christian Benteke, Roberto Firmino, James Milner and Lucas were successful for Liverpool but the crucial spot kick came from Joe Allen who sealed a 6-5 win in sudden death. 

Wednesday night saw Manchester City host Everton at the Etihad Stadium with City hoping to overturn the Blues' 2-1 advantage from the first leg. The Toffees doubled their aggregate advantage as early as the 18th minute as Ross Barkley bemused the home defence to slot in for 1-0 and 3-1 overall. Fernandinho levelled the score on the night just six minutes later to make it 3-2 overall. The visitors were looking good as their advantage continued deep into the second half but they were soon behind on the night and controversially as Kevin De Bruyne scored from a cross that had come from the ball being out of play and City wrapped a 3-1 win and 4-3 aggregate success in the 76th minute with a Sergio Aguero strike.

Foxes Clear At The Top While Reds Edge Canaries

Ahead of the double resuming of cup action in the form of the Capital One Cup semis and the FA Cup fourth round, Premier League gameweek 23 saw a nine-goal thriller with three other sides scoring three times while just three teams claimed a clean sheet.

Saturday's early game saw Norwich City host Liverpool at Carrow Road with the Canaries hoping to avoid a trilogy of losses while the Reds looked for their first league win of 2016. The Reds made the first breakthrough in the 18th minutes as Roberto Firmino put them one goal to the good but they were soon pegged back by a clever back-heeled effort from Dieumerci Mbokani who equalised on 29 minutes for 1-1.

The Canaries stunned the visitors with two goals either side of the interval with Steven Naismith continuing his scoring streak against the Reds with a debut goal on 41 minutes before Wes Hoolahan tucked away a 54th minute penalty for a 3-1 lead. Liverpool hit back with two strikes in eight minutes from Jordan Henderson (55) and a second for Firmino (63) to level at 3-3. James Milner made it 4-3 to the visitors before an added time leveller from Seb Bassong looked to have salvaged a draw at 4-4. However, Liverpool sealed a stunning win as Adam Lallana fired in with just seconds left of added time to seal a 5-4 win.

In the first of six 3pm's, Crystal Palace hosted Tottenham Hotspur in a London derby at Selhurst Park with the Eagles searching for a first win in five games while Spurs looked for back-to-back successes. The hosts took the lead on the 30 minute mark as Jan Vertonghen deflected into his own net for 1-0 but Harry Kane levelled for the visitors on 63 minutes before a stunning effort from Dele Alli on 84 minutes and a late strike from Nacer Chadli sealed a 3-1 win.


Leicester City hosted Stoke City at the King Power Stadium knowing a win would send them three points clear at the top while the Potters hoped for a second win in three games. The sides looked to be going into half-time all square only for Danny Drinkwater to fire the Foxes in front three minutes before the interval. Jamie Vardy doubled the lead as he ended a barren run in front of goal in the 66th minute and the Foxes wrapped up a comfortable 3-0 win with an 87th minute effort from Leonardo Ulloa.

Manchester United hosted Southampton at Old Trafford looking to close on the top four and also end a run of 10 home games without scoring in the first half while the Saints hoped to claim a third consecutive win. The sides played out a goalless first half meaning United's shocking run of 0-0's at home extended to an 11th game and the home fans were even more upset when Charlie Austin marked his Saints début with the winning goal in the 87th minute to seal a 1-0 success.

Sunderland hosted Bournemouth at the Stadium of Light looking to cut the gap from safety while the Cherries hoped to claim consecutive wins. A great start from the visitors saw them take an early lead with a goal from recent signing Benik Afobe in the 13th minute but the hosts ensured a level score going into the interval with a 45th minute leveller from the in-form Patrick Van Aanholt for 1-1. Both sides pushed for a winner in the second half but had to settle for a share of the points which leaves the hosts four points from safety.

Watford hosted Newcastle United at Vicarage Road desperate to end a run of four defeats while the Magpies harboured hopes of consecutive victories. A tight first half saw the sides remain level into the interval but just seconds after the restart, Watford were ahead as Odion Ighalo fired in for a 1-0 advantage. Craig Cathcart doubled the lead with a rare goal in the 58th minute before Jamaal Lascelles scored his first goal for the Magpies to cut the gap to 2-1 on 71 minutes but the Hornets held on to claim a first win in six.

West Bromwich Albion played host to local rivals Aston Villa in a derby game at The Hawthorns hoping to avoid consecutive losses while Villa had the chance to remain unbeaten for a third game. The sides were hard to part in both the first half and second half as they were evenly matched on the score front, sharing the points in a 0-0 draw.

The evening game saw West Ham United host Manchester City at Upton Park with the chance to move into fifth with a win while for City, a win would close the gap at the top. A perfect start for the hosts saw Enner Valencia fire them into the lead inside the first minute before Sergio Aguero made it 1-1 just eight minutes later from the penalty spot. Valencia regained the Hammers' lead in the 56th minute before a second strike from Aguero sealed a 2-2 draw in the 81st minute. 

Super Sunday began with Everton's hosting of struggling Swansea City at Goodison Park with the Toffees looking for their first win of 2016 while the Swans had hopes of securing consecutive victories. The visitors took the lead with a penalty from Gylfi Sigurdsson in the 17th minute before gifting the hosts a leveller on 26 minutes as Jack Cork deflected into his own net to make it 1-1. The winning goal came on 34 minutes as André Ayew made it 2-1 to the visitors and they held on to move clear of the bottom three.

The final game of the weekend saw a London derby at the Emirates Stadium as Arsenal hosted Chelsea hoping to draw level with Leicester at the top while the Blues looked to register a second win in four games. Arsenal were dealt an early blow with the dismissal of defender Per Mertesacker in the 19th minute and were quickly made to pay as Diego Costa fired the visitors into a 1-0 lead within four minutes. The Gunners ten men pushed to draw level but to no avail as they slipped to a first loss in five games leaving them in third spot.

FA Cup Third Round Replays Review

After an weekend of surprises and huge wins in the FA Cup third round earlier in the month, this week saw the replays of ten ties following the rearranged tie between Newport County and Blackburn Rovers.

The aforementioned tie between the League Two and Championship sides took place on Monday night after a waterlogged pitch saw the original postponed, the tie was settled in the 90 minutes as Rovers claimed a 2-1 victory in a game which saw both sides reduced to ten men. Marshall put the visitors ahead with a ninth minute penalty before Brown was sent off just a minute later and County used the extra man in the 30 minute mark as Byrne levelled for 1-1.

Jordan Rhodes sealed the win for the visitors on 75 minutes before County's night ended on a further downer with the late dismissal of Day in the final minutes.

Tuesday night saw eight ties replayed starting with top flight basement boys Aston Villa hosting League Two side Wycombe Wanderers at Villa Park. Alike the original game, the sides were hard to part on the scoreboard in the first hour but Villa showed their superiority in the final 15 minutes with strikes from Ciaran Clark and Idrissa Gueye completing a 2-0 win.

An all League One meeting saw Bradford City host Bury with the sides battling to secure a home tie against Championship side Hull City. A tight game saw the sides remain level at 0-0 at the end both the 90 minutes and the end of 30 minutes of extra time meaning the lucrative fourth round place would be settled in a penalty shoot-out which the visitors won 4-2.

Championship side Bristol City hosted top flight West Bromwich Albion in a battle to secure a home tie against League One side Peterborough United. The sides were separated by just a single goal across the 90 minutes as Baggies record signing Salomon Rondon secured a 1-0 win with a strike in the 52nd minute.

A huge home tie against Premier League champions Chelsea was the prize as Championship side Milton Keynes Dons hosted League Two side Northampton Town. The sides remained level at 0-0 at the end of the first half before two goals in eight minutes put the hosts in control, Reeves converted a 53rd minute penalty ahead of a 61st minute effort from Murphy for 2-0. The win and the chance to welcome Chelsea was confirmed late on as Church converted the Dons second penalty on 89 minutes for 3-0.

League Two side Portsmouth hosted Championship side Ipswich Town with a plum tie at home to top flight Bournemouth at stake. The 2008 winners took the lead in the 32nd minute with a penalty from Roberts before McNulty doubled the lead on 37 minutes to set up a potential 'cupset'. Ipswich pulled one back through Maitland-Niles on the hour but were unable to avoid a surprise exit from the competition with a 2-1 defeat.

Yeovil Town hosted fellow League Two side Carlisle United in a battle to secure a lucrative home tie against top flight Everton. Compton put the hosts ahead in the 31st minute before an equaliser from Sweeney in the 77th minute ensured the sides would continue the battle into extra time. The tie remained at 1-1 meaning the sides would face a penalty shoot-out which saw Carlisle win 5-4.

The lowest ranked and only non-league side left in the competition was Eastleigh and as they travelled to face Championship strugglers Bolton Wanderers,a home tie against Leeds United was just 90 minutes away. Alike the original tie, Eastleigh struck first and this time around it was Partington with an 11th minute strike before two goals in six minutes before half time saw the sides go into the break at 2-2. Bolton levelled through Madine on 39 minutes before a 43rd minute effort from Moxey put the hosts ahead only for Mohamed to level in the final seconds. The tie was settled just before the hour mark as Pratley backed up his late leveller from the 1-1 draw with a 58th minute strike for 3-2.

Tuesday's final tie saw a battle between two Championship sides as Reading hosted Huddersfield Town for the right to host League One promotion hopefuls Walsall.

Huddersfield raced into a 2-0 lead inside 15 minutes with strikes from Paterson (8) and Smith (15) before they were reduced to ten men as Hogg as dismissed on 27 minutes before Piazon cut the deficit on 29 minutes.

A brace from Vydra in the 57th and 61st minutes put Reading 3-2 ahead and the tie was wrapped up by two late goals for the home side as Vydra completed his hat-trick ahead of a strike from Iglesias to complete a 5-2 rout.

Wednesday saw two ties starting with the all top flight battle between Leicester City and Tottenham Hotspur with a trip to League One side Colchester United awaiting in the next round. Tottenham struck an opener in the 39th minute through Son Heung-Min before Nacer Chadli sealed a 2-0 win with a 66th minute strike.

The second tie of the evening saw top flight Liverpool host League Two side Exeter City at Anfield with a home tie against West Ham United, the impetus for the League two side while the Reds would hope to avenge a league double suffered to the Hammers. The Reds fielded a mix of youth and experience which was a bit stronger than the original tie and it was clear early on as Joe Allen made it two goals in three games in the tenth minute. Exeter did well to keep the gap to a single goal long into the second half but were unable to take their chances and Liverpool wrapped up the win with two goals in the final 16 minutes. Academy starlet Sheyi Ojo curled in a superb second on 74 minutes before Joao Teixeira made it 3-0 with six minutes left of the 90.

Top Two Remain Level While Reds Slip Against United

After a full midweek programme, the Premier League continued with gameweek 22, a weekend which saw six sides score three or more goals while seven sides secured a shut-out.

The weekend began with the early kick-off between Tottenham Hotspur and Sunderland at White Hart Lane with Spurs looking to close on the top three and deny a move out of the bottom three for the visitors. A fairly quiet first half saw a frantic end as the visitors took the lead through the in-form Patrick Van Aanholt on 40 minutes only for the advantage to be quickly cancelled out by Christian Eriksen's leveller three minutes before the interval.

The hosts turned the game around in a nine minute period as Moussa Dembélé made it 2-1 on 59 minutes before Eriksen's second in the 67th minute made it 3-1. The points were wrapped up in the 79th minute as Harry Kane slotted in a fourth via the penalty spot.

In the first of five 3pm games, Bournemouth took on Norwich City at the Vitality Stadium with both keen to move clear of the bottom three with a win. A quick start from the Cherries saw them take the lead inside 10 minutes through Dan Gosling before new signing Benik Afobe doubled their advantage in the 54th minute. The Canaries' afternoon got worse rather than better as they conceded a penalty on 79 minutes which Charlie Daniels converted to confirm a 3-0 win.


Chelsea and Everton faced off at Stamford Bridge with the hosts looking for just their second win in five games while the Toffees hoped to end a poorer run of two wins in eight games. The sides played out a goalless first half before the Toffees were gifted the lead as John Terry deflected into his own net within five minutes of the restart before Kevin Mirallas doubled the lead just six minutes later.

The hosts drew level with two goals in as many minutes as Diego Costa cut the gap on 64 minutes before a leveller on 66 from Cesc Fabregas for 2-2. Everton looked to have sealed a 3-2 win with a strike from Ramiro Funes Mori in the 90th minute but their joy was soured by a last-gasp strike from John Terry which should have been chalked off for offside but sealed a 3-3 draw.

Manchester City hosted Crystal Palace at the Etihad Stadium with eyes cutting the gap to the top two while the Eagles looked to end a run of four games without a win. The hosts opened the scoring in the 22nd minute via a superb effort from Fabian Delph before Sergio Aguero doubled the lead four minutes before the interval. The Argentine striker added his second and City's third on 68 minutes before a clever combination between himself and David Silva saw the Spaniard confirm a 4-0 win in the 84th minute.

Newcastle United looked to cut the gap to safety as they hosted West Ham United at St James Park with a first win in five while the Hammers had the chance to claim a fourth win in a row. A stunning start for the Magpies saw them race into a 2-0 lead inside 15 minutes as Ayoze Perez (10) and the in-form Georginio Wijnaldum (15) put the hosts in control.

The Hammers cut the deficit just after half-time as Nikica Jelavic made it 2-1 on 49 minutes but the hosts held on to secure a narrow win that moved them to just one point away from 17th spot.

In a battle between two mid-table sides, Southampton hosted West Bromwich Albion at St Mary's Stadium with the Saints hoping to claim back-to-back wins and the Baggies looking for a their win in four games. A rapid opening for the hosts saw James Ward-Prowse sweep in a clever free-kick in the fifth minute before adding a second goal from the penalty spot on 35 minutes to put the hosts in control. The Baggies looked to respond but were cast aside in the contest with 28 minutes remaining as Dusan Tadic repeated his super-sub strike from midweek to make it 3-0 in the 72nd minute.

The evening game saw two sides at either ends of the table face off as bottom side Aston Villa hosted joint top side Leicester City at Villa Park with the hosts looking to build on their second win of the season from midweek while the Foxes knew a win would send them clear at the top. 

Shinji Okazki put the Foxes in front with a 28th minute opener but his effort was cancelled out deep into the second half as substitute Rudy Gestede fired in an equaliser in the 78th minute for 1-1 which was how the game ended with Villa happier in avoiding defeat but still sitting six points adrift at the foot of the table.

Super Sunday began at Anfield as fierce rivals Liverpool and Manchester United faced off with the Reds looking for their first league win of the year while United were desperate to secure a first away win since November. The sides played out a fairly tepid first half which saw them remain level at 0-0 and the equality on the scoreboard continued deep into the second half before Wayne Rooney took advantage of a slow Reds defence from a corner to secure a 1-0 win in the 78th minute.

The second game on Sunday saw Arsenal travel to face Stoke City at the Britannia Stadium with the Gunners looking to capitalise on Leicester's failure to win with a win that would sent them clear at the top while the Potters hoped for consecutive victories. A tight game overall between the sides saw them share the points in a 0-0 draw which meant that the Gunners regained top spot by way of goal difference with Stoke closing the gap to the top four to six points.

The final action of the week came on Monday night as struggling Swansea City hosted Watford at the Liberty Stadium with the Swans keen to impress incoming manager Francesco Guidolin who watched on from the stands while the Hornets hoped to avoid a fourth consecutive defeat. The game proved to be a close one with just a single goal settling the contest as Ashley Williams secured a much needed 1-0 win for the hosts with a 27th minute strike.

Foxes Level At The Top After Reds Deny Gunners

A midweek programme in the Premier League saw week 21 split across two evenings which saw defence become a rarity with eight sides scoring three or more goals and just five claiming a shutout.

Tuesday saw three games starting with Aston Villa hosting Crystal Palace at Villa Park with the Villans eager to secure a first home win of the season while the Eagles looked to end a run of three games without a win. A tight affair saw the sides remain deadlocked at 0-0 into the half-time interval before a 58th minute strike from Joleon Lescott put Villa ahead and the slim lead proved to be enough to secure a 1-0 win and their first since the opening week of the season.

AFC Bournemouth hosted West Ham United at the Vitality Stadium looking for a first win since mid December while the Hammers had the chance to secure a third win in a row. The Cherries started the better of the two sides as they took a 1-0 lead inside 17 minutes through Harry Arter but the Hammers battled back just after the hour with Dmitri Payet equalising on 67 minutes. The hosts were then cast aside as Enner Valencia scored a ten minute brace on 74 and 84 minutes to seal a 3-1 win.

Newcastle United hosted Manchester United at St James Park looking to move out of the bottom three while the visitors had eyes on a return to the top four. The Magpies suffered an early blow by conceding a penalty in the ninth minute which Wayne Rooney converted for a 1-0 lead before Jesse Lingard doubled the lead in the 38th minute.

Georginio Wijnaldum slotted in on 42 minutes for to cut the deficit to 2-1 before Aleksandar Mitrovic scored from the penalty spot on 67 minutes to level at 2-2.  Rooney struck his second and United's third in the 79th minute for 3-2 but the hosts salvaged a draw in added time with a last-gasp effort from Paul Dummett.

Wednesdays action saw five games kick off at 7.45pm starting with Chelsea's hosting of West Bromwich Albion at Stamford Bridge. The Blues struck the opening goal on 20 minutes with a rare strike from Cesar Azpilicueta but were pegged back just 13 minute later as Craig Gardner equalised for 1-1. The Baggies gifted their hosts the lead in the 73rd minute as Gareth McAuley deflected into his own net but his blushes were saved by a last gasp leveller from James McClean who salvaged a 2-2 draw in added time.

After meeting in the Capital One Cup last week, Manchester City hosted Everton at the Etihad Stadium looking to avoid back to back defeat to the Toffees while looking to close on the top two. The sides seemed to be more evenly matched that the previous game as after the semi final first leg saw three goals, this game saw none as the sides shared the points in a 0-0 draw.

Southampton hosted Watford at St Mary's Stadium looking for only their second win in nine games which the Hornets hoped to avoid back-to-back defeats. The Saints took an early lead as Shane Long fired in for 1-0 in the 17th minute and the lead was doubled midway through the second half as Dusan Tadic scored within minutes of coming off the bench to seal a 2-0 win on 72 minutes.

Stoke City hosted struggling Norwich City at the Britannia Stadium with both sides looking to secure a third win in a row. The Canaries suffered a blow on 31 minutes with the dismissal of Gary O'Neil but the hosts took until four minutes after half-time to make their man advantage count as Jon Walters opened the scoring in the 49th minute. Despite being down to ten men, Norwich equalised just six minutes later through Jonny Howson who mad it 1-1 but a goal from Joselu on 67 minutes put the Potters back in front before a Ryan Bennett own goal confirmed a 3-1 win for Stoke.

The last of the early games came from the Liberty Stadium as Swansea City hosted Sunderland with the Swans looking to move clear of the bottom three while the Black Cats looked to exit the danger zone with a win. A perfect start for the visitors saw them take the lead inside three minutes through Jermain Defoe but they were pegged back on 21 minutes by a penalty from Gylfi Sigurdsson who made it 1-1. A mixed three minutes for the hosts saw Kyle Naughton sent off on 37 minutes before Andre Ayew put them 2-1 ahead. Patrick Van Aanholt continued his good run in front of goal with an equaliser on 49 minutes but a second from Defoe on 61 minutes was followed by his hat-trick strike five minutes from the end to seal a 4-2 win.

The final two games kicked off at 8pm with top spot the prize for the two visiting sides starting with current league leaders Arsenal's trip to face Liverpool at Anfield. The Reds struck an early as Roberto Firmino gave them a 1-0 lead inside ten minutes but a rapid response from the Gunners saw Aaron Ramsey equalise just four minutes later. Firmino struck his second on 19 minutes to regain the lead but another short lived lead for the Reds was ended by Olivier Giroud making it 2-2 in the 25th minute.

After the the frenzy of four goals in the first 25 minutes, the sides remained level into half-time before Arsenal went ahead for the first time on 55 minutes with Giroud's second goal making it 3-2. The visitors looked set to go clear at the top of the table only to be denied in the final seconds of added time by a rare strike from Joe Allen who made it 3-3 leading to a spectacular celebration from Reds manager Jurgen Klopp.

Tottenham Hotspur hosted Leicester City at White Hart Lane with the hosts keen to open a gap to fifth place while the Foxes looked hoped for a favour from Liverpool which coupled with a win for themselves would move them level at the top. After drawing 2-2 just days earlier in the FA Cup, the sides played out a tight game which was settled by a single goal as Robert Huth headed in on 63 minutes to claim all three points.