Newcastle 0-3 Sunderland: Paulo Di Canio has become an instant Mackem legend after getting his first victory in charge against Sunderland's Tyne and Wear rivals. The win sees them move up to 15th and three points clear of relegation, also improving their goal difference threefold. Defeat for Newcastle means that they are only two points further ahead of Sunderland. Stephane Sessegnon gave Sunderland the lead on 27-minutes after turning Jonas Gutierrez before firing past Tim Krul on the edge of the area. Krul was later taken off for a suspected dislocated shoulder which means he's out for the remainder of the season. Adam Johnson made it 2-0 on 74-minutes with a great solo effort that saw him run inside, unchallenged, before beating Rob Elliot. The points were wrapped up eight minutes from time when David Vaughan fired a spectacular shot in to the far corner. The game has been marred though as there have been 27-arrests in Newcastle between fans and three police officers have sadly been injured.
Stoke 0-2 Manchester United: United are now seven points away from clinching their 20th Premiership title. It took four minutes for the visitors to take the lead when an undefended corner saw Michael Carrick poke the ball in off the post. The win was confirmed on 66-minutes when Robin Van Persie went down under a Andrew Wilkinson challenge in the box. The Dutchman stepped up and dispatched the penalty to end his recent drought. United went close to conceding their first penalty of the season when Nemanja Vidic slipped and Kenwyne Jones fell over him just inside the box, but the referee gave nothing and the defeat for Stoke keeps them just three points above the bottom three.
Arsenal 3-1 Norwich: Another late show sees Arsenal move in to third, a point ahead of both Chelsea and Tottenham, Chelsea now have a game in hand. Defeat for Norwich means that they are still only four points above the drop zone. Olivier Giroud hit the cross bar early in the first half but despite this and other missed chances, Norwich actually went on to take the lead; Michael Turner heading home from a Robert Snodgrass free-kick 11-minutes in to the second half, just moments after making a goal-saving block at the other end. Arsenal were given a penalty five minutes before the end when Kei Kamara pulled Giroud's shirt, Mikel Arteta stepped up and just managed to beat Mark Bunn to level the match. Arsenal then took the lead three minutes later when Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's pull back across the six yard box was tapped in by Giroud. The points were then sealed in injury time just after Johnny Howson's shot was saved by the feet of Lukasz Fabianski' Theo Walcott laying the ball back, after looking to be in an offside position when he received the ball, to Lukas Podolski to fire in to the corner of the net on the edge of the box.
Everton 2-0 QPR: QPR's chances of survival have got slimmer again after defeat in Goodison, remaining seven points from safety with most of their rivals having at least one game in hand over them. The win for Everton does keep their Champions League hopes alive and are now three points behind Tottenham and Chelsea. The deadlock was broken five minutes before half-time when Kevin Mirallas' blocked shot fell to Darron Gibson, 25-yards out. The Irishman's shot deflected past Julio Cesar for only his second goal for Everton. The points were sealed 11-minutes in to the second half when Victor Anichebe turned in Sylvain Distin's header from a corner, after the striker had hit the post earlier in the half.
Aston Villa 1-1 Fulham: It's another game where Villa fail to keep a lead and actually shoot themselves in the foot. The point does move them three points above the relegation zone with Fulham now making it to the magic 40-mark, nine points above the bottom three. Villa took the lead ten minutes in to the second half, after Dimitar Berbatov had hit the post, when Andreas Weimann's pull back was cleared only to Charles N'Zogbia who curled it home nicely from 12-yards. The equaliser came on 66-minutes when a corner was headed in to his own net by Fabian Delph by the near post and it proved to cost Villa the three points.
Southampton 1-1 West Ham: Southampton's great recent run of form means that this point sees both teams move seven points clear of relegation. After Rickie Lambert's effort somehow didn't cross the line and then come back off the post in the first half, Southampton took the lead 14-minutes in to the second half when Gaston Ramirez finished neatly at the second attempt. West Ham equalised on 66-minutes when Andy Carroll's low free-kick found its way in to the bottom corner.
Reading 0-0 Liverpool: A point probably isn't enough at this stage for Reading, but they have to thank Alex McCarthy and a goal-line clearance that they got one. Reading still find themselves seven points clear of safety and still all but down.
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