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Leeds fans at the City Ground today. Mike Egerton/EMPICS Sport
AS IT HAPPENED

As it happened: Premier League 3pms

The league’s top three all played on a busy St Stephens’ Day.

WE DON’T KNOW about you, but St Stephens’ Day football is one of our favourite times of the year.

As always, we’d love to hear your thoughts on the game. E-mail ben@thescore.ie, tweet @thescore_iepost a message to our Facebook wall, or leave a comment below.

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  • Everton 2-1 Wigan
  • Fulham 1-1 Southampton
  • Manchester United 4-3 Newcastle
  • Norwich 0-1 Chelsea
  • QPR 1-2 West Brom
  • Reading 0-0 Swansea
  • Sunderland 1-0 Manchester City
  • Aston Villa v Tottenham, 5.30pm
  • Stoke v Liverpool, 7.45pm

You may or may not have overindulged a little yesterday but if it’s Premier League football you’re after, you’ll get your fill by the end of the day. What was originally a full set of fixtures is one game down after Arsenal’s meeting with West Ham was postponed due to  a scheduled tube strike. Not to worry as we’ve got seven matches kicking off in a half hour – with two more to follow this evening.

We’re hearing that the West Brom coach has got stuck in traffic on the way to Loftus Road (unconfirmed whether bargain-hunting shoppers are the cause). The Baggies players have just arrived but kick-off will be delayed  by 15 minutes.

Right, time for team news…

Everton: Howard, Neville, Jagielka, Distin, Baines, Osman, Hitzlsperger, Gibson, Pienaar, Jelavic, Anichebe. Subs: Mucha, Heitinga, Oviedo, Naismith, Gueye, Barkley, Vellios.

Wigan: Al Habsi, Boyce, Caldwell, Figueroa, Stam, McCarthy, Jones, McArthur, Beausejour, Maloney, Kone. Subs: Pollitt, Di Santo, Gomez, McManaman, Boselli, Ramis, Golobart.

Sunderland: Mignolet, Gardner, Rose, Kilgallon, Cuellar, Larsson, Colback, Johnson, McClean, Sessegnon, Fletcher. Subs: Bardsley, Campbell, Wickham, McFadden, Vaughan, Bramble, Westwood.

Manchester City: Hart, Kompany, Zabaleta, K Toure, Nastasic, Y Toure, Garcia, Silva, Milner, Aguero, Tevez. Subs: Pantilimon, Lescott, Rekik, Barry, Razak, Sinclair, Dzeko.

Man Utd: De Gea, Smalling, Ferdinand, Evans, Evra, Valencia, Carrick, Scholes, Giggs, van Persie, Hernandez. Subs: Lindegaard, Vidic, Cleverley, Fletcher, Buttner, Wootton, Tunnicliffe.

Newcastle: Krul, Simpson, Williamson, Coloccini, Santon, Anita, Perch, Bigirimana, Cisse, Ba, Marveaux. Subs: Elliot, Shola Ameobi, Obertan, Sammy Ameobi, Ferguson, Tavernier, Campbell.

Norwich: Bunn, Martin, Turner, Bassong, Garrido, Snodgrass, Tettey, Johnson, Pilkington, Hoolahan, Holt. Subs: Rudd, Howson, Jackson, Morison, Elliott Bennett, Barnett, Ryan Bennett.

Chelsea: Cech, Azpilicueta, Ivanovic, Cahill, Cole, Mikel, Luiz, Moses, Oscar, Mata, Torres. Subs: Turnbull, Lampard, Hazard, Ferreira, Marin, Piazon, Ake.

QPR: Green, Da Silva, Ferdinand, Hill, Traore, Mbia, Faurlin, Mackie, Taarabt, Wright-Phillips, Cisse. Subs: Julio Cesar, Diakite, Derry, Granero, Dyer, Hoilett, Ehmer.

West Brom: Foster, Jones, McAuley, Olsson, Popov, Mulumbu, Morrison, Fortune, Gera, Brunt, Lukaku. Subs: Myhill, Ridgewell, Rosenberg, Long, Dorrans, Odemwingie, Tamas.

Fulham: Schwarzer, Riether, Hangeland, Senderos, Riise, Dejagah, Sidwell, Baird, Kacaniklic, Berbatov, Rodallega. Subs: Stockdale, Kelly, Ruiz, Karagounis, Briggs, Hughes, Frei.

Southampton: Kelvin Davis, Clyne, Fonte, Yoshida, Shaw, Schneiderlin, Cork, Steven Davis, Puncheon, Ramirez, Lambert. Subs: Boruc, Hooiveld, Rodriguez, Ward-Prowse, Do Prado, Richardson, Mayuka.

Reading: Federici, Gunter, Pearce, Mariappa, Harte, Kebe, Leigertwood, Karacan, McAnuff, Guthrie, Pogrebnyak. Subs: Taylor, Le Fondre, Hunt, Morrison, Tabb, Robson-Kanu, Cummings.

Swansea: Vorm, Tiendalli, Chico, Williams, Davies, Dyer, Britton, Ki, Moore, Routledge, Michu. Subs: Tremmel, Bartley, Graham, Monk, Shechter, de Guzman, Agustien.

As you’ve probably noticed, Wayne Rooney’s name is not on Manchester United’s teamsheet. The striker, who was substituted after a poor performance against Swansea last weekend, was injured in training yesterday along with team-mate Ashley Young. With Danny Welbeck missing through sickness, the league leaders haven’t one striker on the bench.

Let’s getting going then. We’ll be focusing on how Newcastle get on at Old Trafford while bringing you all the thrills and spills from the other games.

Ball into the United box, header clear isn’t convincing and it drops to Demba Ba. The Senegalese striker swings a leg first time but misses completely and is left looking a little embarrassed.

GOAL! Manchester United 0-1 Newcastle (James Perch)

The visitors take a surprise lead after four minutes. Ba advances forward and takes the strike on. David De Gea parries only as far as Perch, who finishes clinically.

Horrible start for United and De Gea will be disappointed with not pushing the ball further away. They break down the right with Antonio Valencia, who plays in Javier Hernandez. He gets down the right but his cross can’t find a team-mate.

GOAL! Fulham 1-0 Southampton (Dimitar Berbatov)

The Bulgarian puts Fulham ahead before picking up a yellow card for revealing a t-shirt which reads: “Keep Calm and Pass The Ball”. Pictures will surely follow.

Good build-up from United and Paul Scholes clips a pass to the back post, where Valencia stretches to get the volley in but Tim Krul collects easily.

Ball launched up field by Krul, headed down to Ba and his effort is blocked by Rio Ferdinand. When it’s put back in Fabricio Coloccini glances into the hands of De Gea.

Vincent Kompany has hit the post Man City’s clash with Sunderland at the Stadium of Light, but it remains 0-0 after 20 minutes.

Back at Old Trafford, Ba causing havoc with a run at the United defence. He tries to pick out his compatriot Demba Cisse but it runs through to De Gea.

GOAL! Manchester United 1-1 Newcastle (Jonny Evans)

They’re level. A free-kick is whipped into the danger area and Newcastle don’t deal with it properly. Hernandez is able to get a shot off and, when Krul saves, Evans gets ahead of man to poke into an empty net.

GOAL! Manchester United 1-2 Newcastle (Jonny Evans o.g.)

Minutes after drawing his side level, the Northern Irish defender puts the ball into the back of his own net. Danny Simpson has acres of space to fire in a strike and it comes off Evans to beat De Gea. The linesman rules it out for offside but, after much deliberation, referee Mike Dean overrules it and gives the goal.

Davide Santon’s shot smothered by De Gea the second time of asking then Evans is shown a yellow for a handball. Newcastle playing the effective football at the moment.

Next into Dean’s book is Hernandez, who chases back on Sylvain Marveaux and takes him down 20 yards out. The Frenchman takes responsibility and smashes it off the crossbar with De Gea rooted.

GOAL! Norwich 0-1 Chelsea (Juan Mata)

The Spaniard sees his strike from the edge of the box go in off the post at Carrow Road.

GOAL! QPR 0-1 West Brom (Chris Brunt)

Robert Green beaten by a low drive from the Baggies winger.

Half-time scores:

  • Everton 0-0 Wigan
  • Fulham 1-0 Southampton
  • Manchester United 1-2 Newcastle
  • Norwich 0-1 Chelsea
  • Reading 0-0 Swansea
  • Sunderland 0-0 Manchester City

They’re around ten minutes behind at Loftus Road, meanwhile, where it’s QPR 0-1 West Brom. I’m going to have a root in the tin of Roses. Back in a tick.

Juan Mata celebrates his goal against Norwich. Credit: Sean Dempsey/PA Wire/Press Association Images

A few goals coming up…

Perch with Newcastle’s opener:

YouTube credit: Satya Messi

1-1 Evans:

YouTube credit: GoalsFootballTV

The Evans own-goal to make it 2-1:

YouTube credit:

Fergie having a pop as the second half begins.

Good work by Hernandez creates an opening for Giggs, whose cross finds Robin van Persie but the former Arsenal favourite puts the volley well wide.

GOAL! Everton 1-0 Wigan (Leon Osman)

It may have taken a huge deflection off Gary Caldwell but Osman claims Everton’s first at Goodison Park.

GOAL! Sunderland 1-0 Manchester City (Adam Johnson)

City old boy scored against his former club. The winger steps inside David Silva and beats Hart from 25 yards. Keeper was poor while the City players were unhappy with a foul on Pablo Zabaleta in the build-up.

GOAL! Manchester United 2-2 Newcastle (Patrice Evra)

All-square. Fourth Premier League goal of the season for the Frenchman. Picks it up 20 yards out, strikes through the legs of a Magpies defender and beats Krul, who could’ve done a little better.

GOAL! QPR 0-2 West Brom (Robert Green .o.g.)

A Brunt corner goes into the air, Antoine Fortune puts Green under pressure and the Rs goalkeeper punches into his own net.

GOAL! Manchester United 2-3 Newcastle (Papiss Cisse)

Only on the field, former United player gets the better of Chris Smalling from a throw and cuts the ball back to Cisse. On his day, the striker is one of the best finishers in the league and he showed it there – smashing it first time past De Gea with his left foot.

GOAL! Manchester United 3-3 Newcastle (Robin van Persie)

Another crazy Manchester United game. Valencia finds Van Persie and although Krul blocks his initial shot, he can do nothing about the second attempt. Can’t take your eyes off this for a second.

Hernandez rounds Krul and instead of trying to score, he tries to pick out Van Persie but Coloccini intercepts. Valencia then mishits his volley.

GOAL! Everton 2-0 Wigan (Phil Jagielka)

The Toffees defender heads hom from a Phil Neville cross to double their lead.

A foot wide from Van Persie when Michael Carrick finds his run.

And, second later…

Valencia whips in a cross and Hernandez heads onto the post and wide. Newcastle clinging on with ten minutes to play.

GOAL! QPR 1-2 West Brom (Djibril Cisse)

The Frenchman has halved the deficit after Samba’s Diakite cuts open West Brom’s defence.

GOAL! Everton 2-1 Wigan (Arouna Kone)

Everton not out of sight just yet as Ivorian striker Arouna Kone pulls one back.

GOAL! Fulham 1-1 Southampton (Rickie Lambert)

The Saints talisman equalises from the spot after a handball by Chris Baird.

More chances at Old Trafford to report. De Gea pulls his hands away from a shot and watches it bounce off the post and fortunately back into his arms. Giggs then crosses from Hernandez, who heads straight at Krul. Van Persie then nods wide.

GOAL! Manchester United 4-3 Newcastle (Javier Hernandez)

Carrick clips over the top and Hernandez sidefoots past the goalkeeper for what must be the winner in the 91st minute.

Full-time scores:

  • Everton 2-1 Wigan
  • Fulham 1-1 Southampton
  • Manchester United 4-3 Newcastle
  • Norwich 0-1 Chelsea
  • Reading 0-0 Swansea
  • Sunderland 1-0 Manchester City

Still a few minutes to play in QPR v West Brom, where the visitors lead 2-1.

After a less than convincing performance from the home side, they yet again come from behind to snatch victory at the death. With Manchester City losing out at Sunderland, the gap at the top has been extended to seven points. Chelsea also close in on the second-placed side with a narrow win over Norwich, Everton see over Wigan while there are draws for Fulham and Southampton and Reading and Swansea.

You’ve haven’t long to wait for your next Premier League fix as Aston Villa face Tottenham in 25 miuntes. We’ll be liveblogging that so make sure to check back in.

I’ll leave you with Javier Hernandez’s winning goal:

YouTube credit: Futbolhd111

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