Catch the day's action - goals, punches, red cards, rugby tackles and all - at 2230 GMT on BBC1 with Match of the Day.
1656: FULL-TIME Portsmouth 0-1 Charlton
The Addicks are the big winners down at the bottom of the table with a first away win in 15 months, coincidentally where they won then. It means they are one point behind West Ham and four points from safety.
1657: FULL-TIME Reading 3-1 Sheffield United
Handshakes at the final whistle instead of fisticuffs. That result checks United's recent progress, while Reading leapfrog Tottenham and Everton into seventh. The Blades stay 16th but are now firmly in the five fighting relegation as there is a five point gap to Aston Villa in 15th.
1657: FULL-TIME Newcastle 2-2 West Ham
West Ham throw away a two-goal advantage when a win would have seen them draw level on points with Wigan. What an up-and-down week for Magpies fans.
1656: FULL-TIME Middlesbrough 5-1 Bolton
What an absolute thrashing - and unexpected too. It means Bolton have missed the chance to climb above Arsenal into fourth spot.
1656: FULL-TIME Aston Villa 2-0 Watford
The Hornets remain rooted to the foot off the table after being stung by those two late goals which mean Villa avoid matching the club record of 12 games without a win.
1655: FULL-TIME Fulham 1-1 Tottenham
Late excitement in the London derby, but a draw does neither team any real favours. Fulham fall behind Middlesbrough and Aston Villa, while Spurs slip a place with Reading climbing above them.
1655: GOAL Aston Villa 2-0 Watford
The first one may have been unlucky on Watford, but the second is classy on Villa's part. Gabriel Agbonlahor latches on to a long ball forward and leaves Dan Shittu in his wake before slotting beyond Ben Foster.
1652: Portsmouth are piling on the pressure. Charlton keeper Scott Carson makes a fine save to deny Andrew Cole, who sees an effort go over the bar shortly after.
1649: GOAL Aston Villa 1-0 Watford
Gavin McCann's fierce drive into the box takes a massive deflection off Gavin Mahon for an own goal. When you're at the bottom and all that.
1649: GOAL Fulham 1-1 Tottenham
A deep free-kick evades everyone until it reaches Pascal Chimbonda at the back post. The Frenchman stays clam and lashes in to draw Tottenham level.
1648: Even being linked with a move to Newcastle is enough to get you injured if you're a defender. West Ham's Anton Ferdinand is off with a hamstring injury to be replaced by Jonathan Spector.
1646: GOAL Middlesbrough 5-1 Bolton
Another goal for Boro and another for Mark Viduka. Lee Cattermole bursts off the right flank and picks out the Australian who makes no mistake.
1645: GOAL Fulham 1-0 Tottenham
A bit of a delay before the spot-kick, not least because substitute Vincenzo Montella takes an age standing at the end of his run up before deciding what he's going to do. What's he going to? Score, that's what.
1643: Anthony Gardner's poor clearing header gives Brian McBride a chance to shoot but his effort is deemed to be handled by Michael Dawson as he looks to chest it away
1642: That is Amady Faye's first goal in English football and it is against his former club. How often does that happen?
1641: GOAL Portsmouth 0-1 Charlton
Will this be a first away win in 15 months for the Addicks. Amady Faye plays a quick one-two on the edge of the area with Bryan Hughes and gets to the return pass ahead of Sol Campbell and Glen Johnson and with the aid of a deflection off the former it loops over David James.
1639: GOAL Reading 3-1 Sheffield United
Reading's offside trap goes pear-shaped. They all run out as Stephen Quinn whips in a free-kick from the right but Christian Nade is onside as he comes through and has plenty of time to pick his spot.
1638: What's all this dithering? Perhaps it's something to do with being down near the bottom of the table and playing for a London club. West Ham's Matthew Etherington is bearing down on goal but is ushered wide and takes his time when a quick pass cut inside may have led to a goal. His dithering does not.
1636: Charlton's Dennis Rommedahl is through on goal but the Dane dithers, dithers some more, dithers a bit more, and a little bit more before Pompey's Sol Campbell comes in with a sliding blocked clearance.
1634: Newcastle hit the West Ham post. Nolberto Solano rifles in a shot and Obafemi Martins gets on it with a diving header which cannons back off the post.
1632: GOAL Reading 3-0 Sheffield United
Rob Kozluk inexplicably chests a goal-line clearance straight to Steve Sidwell. He makes amends by blocking the midfielder's effort, but Stephen Hunt is on hand to knock in the next rebound.
1631: And Milan Baros is sniffing out a goal but is unable to get on the end of a Gabriel Agbonlahor cross with Dan Shittu nipping in to clear.
1630: A chance for Aston Villa but Ben Foster blocks an effort from Milan Baros.
1629: Yet more trouble for Newcastle's defensive ranks. Shay Given is off with what looks like a groin strain. Steve Harper is on, after having a groin operation of his own.
1628: RED CARD Bolton
Another sending off and El Hadji Diouf must have said something to referee Alan Wiley before being given his marching orders with a straight red.
1627: Calum Davenport gets the ball in the back of the net on his debut, but the headed effort from Luis Boa Morte's cross is ruled out for offside.
1625: Kanu flashes a shot wide of the Charlton goal from the edge of the box on the left.
1623: Groans at Villa Park as the home side continue to struggle.
1619: Obafemi Martins latches on to a pull back from Kieron Dyer but his shot is well saved by Roy Carroll.
1618: It is all kicking off at the Madejski Stadium. Now there's a fight between the two benches after Wally Downes shoves Blades boss Neil Warnock. The Reading assistant casually steps away from the kerfuffle but is eventually sent to the stand. As is Warnock who laughs at the decision as he is ushered away.
1617: RED CARD Sheffield United
Keith Gillespie has been on the pitch for 10 seconds and is off for lashing out at Stephen Hunt with his elbow. For good measure he lands a punch on the Reading player as he leaves the pitch.
1615: GOAL Newcastle 2-2 West Ham
It is all square at St James' Park as Nolberto Solano scores from the spot after Luis Boa Morte handled in the box.
1613: RED CARD Fulham
Fulham are looking for a fifth successive home win over Tottenham, but they are going to have to keep that record going the hard way after Heidar Helguson is booked for a challenge on Tom Huddlestone - his second yellow.
1609: GOAL Reading 2-0 Sheffield United
The Royals double their advantage with a goal from an unlikely source - defender Ulises De la Cruz. The Ecuadorian strides forward from left-back, a tackle comes in and he is dispossessed but it breaks for Steve Sidwell who plays De la Cruz in with a retun pass.
1608: All six games are up and running again now.
1607: And the yellow card led to a hearty rendition of "You're just a greedy..." . What's that? More matches have got going? OK, let's focus on the football and not the chants.
1606: Fulham and Tottenham are the first to resume after the break. All got a but busy late in the first-half so no chance to mention that Steed Malbranque was booked. The home fans loved it.
1605: Sir Alex Ferguson is getting no peace today and is signing more autographs before the players emerge for the second-half. It doesn't seem to be bothering the Scot, and why would it after Chelsea's defeat earlier in the day?
1558: The half-time entertainment looks pretty tame in the Premiership and the Championship is setting the standard today, notably Hillsborough where they are trying to break a world record for the number of people playing air guitar. Sheffield Wednesday and Sunderland fans are being led by Saxon, purveyors of heavy rock.
1551: HALF-TIME
Referee Uriah Rennie is surrounded by more complaining West Ham players and officials after blowing for half-time.
1550: GOAL Newcastle 1-2 West Ham
James Milner pulls one back but it is a controversial one. Is Scott Parker interfering with play? The linesman flags but referee Uriah Rennie says no, but the midfielder almost stepped over Milner's low, whipped effort from the right of the box. Roy Carroll and Anton Ferdinand are booked.
1549: A great point-blank save from Tottenham's Paul Robinson as Brian McBride gets on the end of Franck Queudrue's cross from the left.
1548: Bolton almost get one back straight away but while an effort from Kevin Davies ruffles the net it is the wrong side of the post and ruffles the side-netting.
1547: GOAL Middlesbrough 4-1 Bolton
There's number four for Boro and it is a collector's item as Stewart Downing scores with his right foot. He spanks it in from 25 yards.
1546: GOAL Reading 1-0 Sheffield United
Andre Bikey fires up Reading as he sets the move in motion that leads to the opening goal. It is not exactly 'Goal of the Month' material, but the celebration is. Shane Long turns in a ricochet off Steve Sidwell and then lines up the mascot Kingsley Royal and rugby tackles him. Kingsley Royal is not a person, it's a lion. Well, there will be a person in there, but don't tell the kids. As for the name? No, I don't know either.
1543: Ibrahima Sonko is down again and it is that right knee again. This time he is replaced by Andre Bikey, who apparently used to sleep with a gun under his pillow when he lived in Moscow.
1542: Four games still without a goal and three of those are not exactly getting your correspondents excited. Portsmouth v Charlton has a bit more life to it mind.
1540: News just in and it is getting better for West Ham. Blackburn defender Lucas Neill has agreed terms with the Upton Park outfit. Get that man an Australian-Cockney dictionary.
1539: Wow, that is a lot of blood. Nigel Quashie and Obafemi Martins clash under a high ball and the West Ham man comes off the worse with a cut to his head which is pouring claret, as they call it in east London.
1537: Pressure on Charlton with a series of Portsmouth corners. From one of them Ben Thatcher is back in the spotlight as he clears Andrew Cole's header off the line.
1535: Reading's Ibrahima Sonko is back on the pitch. They call him 'Superman' in Berkshire and he is putting in a super-human effort but it is surely only a matter of time before he hobbles off for good.
1534: Kieron Dyer goes close for Newcastle and at the back they have more injury problems as Peter Ramage goes off.
1533: Ben Thatcher's not endearing himself to the Pompey crowd. He was already on a sticky wicket, but after a clash with Lauren leaves the new boy bloody and battered he can expect even more abuse.
1532: A glorious chance for Charlton. Marcus Bent soars to meet a Jerome Thomas cross but fails to find the target with his header. But then there's a second chance as Bryan Hughes almost latches on to the bouncing ball across the goal. Think Gazza v Germany in Euro 96.
1530: A nasty injury at the Madejski as Ibrahima Sonko's knee buckles after he clears. He screams in agony before hobbling off with assistance.
1529: A chance for Tottenham but Anthony Gardner heads Tom Huddlestone's cross over the Fulham goal.
1527: GOAL Middlesbrough 3-1 Bolton
Or is it over? Bolton work a corner along the ground through Kevin Davies and his lay off is rifled in low at the post by Kevin Nolan from the edge of the area.
1527: GOAL Middlesbrough 3-0 Bolton
Well that looks like one match done and dusted with barely a quarter of the game played. Stewart Downing whips in a delightful cross from the right and Mark Viduka plants his sizeable right foot on it at the back to side-foot a volley in at the back post.
1525: GOAL Newcastle 0-2 West Ham
Like London buses you wait more than 15 hours and then two come along at once. Marlon Harewood scores. He collects George McCartney's forward pass and rolls around Peter Ramage, brushing off his excuse for a tackle to slot.
1522: Time will tell whether West Ham can break that run and win at St James' Park, but what is definite is that their long-suffering support are celebrating a first away goal in 905 minutes with gusto.
1520: GOAL Newcastle 0-1 West Ham
But they could be breaking that bad run as Carlton Cole volleys in a valuable goal. A deep cross is headed back across goal by new signing Calum Davenport and Cole stabs in at the post.
1519: West Ham have not won at Newcastle since October 1998.
1518: There are a few bad runs to be broken today. Watford have not won at Villa since December 1969 and Bolton last beat Boro away from home in September 1996. Looks like that run could go on after their start.
1517: Tottenham have not won in almost four years at Fulham.
1516: It is all pretty cagey at the Madejski Stadium where Sheffield United have packed their midfield in search of a rare win over Reading. It is nine matches and more than four years since they took the spoils against the Royals. That was away from home as well.
1513: GOAL Middlesbrough 2-0 Bolton
This time Boro defender Abel Xavier finds the back of the net with an excellent header. He meets Stewart Downing's cross in oceans of space at the penalty spot and powers an effort high into the top corner before setting off on a glory run, punching his fist in delight, to celebrate with the bench.
1511: A chance for the Hammers at Newcastle. West Ham midfielder Yossi Benayoun brings down a cross in a crowded box and works some space but blazes high over the bar. The finish did not match the flourish that preceded it.
1510: Five hours translates as three matches without a goal plus an extra half hour somewhere along the line. Watford have not scored for more than three games against Villa, so goals could be at a premium.
1509: That is five hours since Villa scored a goal at Villa Park in the Premiership.
1508: GOAL Middlesbrough 1-0 Bolton
A first goal of the afternoon and it is an own goal against Gary Speed. The Welshman was in the wrong place at the wrong time and turned Abel Xavier's header into his own net after it rebounded off the post.
1506: Predictable boos ring out for Steed Malbranque at Craven Cottage.
1505: Predictable boos ring out for Ben Thatcher at Fratton Park.
1504: A little later at the Riverside where a minute's silence is observed for Boro legend Johnny Spuhler. He scored 81 goals in 241 games for the club in the 1940s and 50s.
1503: The action begins.
1502: Lauren's clearly got aspirations as a striker as he's wearing the number 10 shirt. It is like an Arsenal old boys reunion with Kanu and Sol Campbell also in the side and Tony Adams on the bench.
1501: Pedro Mendes and Ben Thatcher shake hands. As the teams peel away there are big hugs from new signing Lauren for his team-mates.
1500: All eyes on Fratton Park and Pedro Mendes and Ben Thatcher as the teams come out. Sol Campbell is Pompey skipper.
1558: The Thunderbirds countdown is on at Villa Park and here come the teams. Will they be 'Go'? Neither are exactly in form so do not count on it.
1457: Former Spur Michael Brown leads out Fulham against a Tottenham side featuring former Craven Cottage hero Steed Malbranque who is bound to get a warm welcome.
1454: Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson is watching at Fratton Park. An autograph for a fan, a word with John Motson and then a phone call - although he seems to be having trouble getting to grips with his mobile. Roll on kick-off.
1453: As we build up to the 1500 GMT matches, the afters from Liverpool v Chelsea are being wrapped up and in the post-match interviews Jose Mourinho tells the BBC he may or may not watch Sunday's Arsenal v Manchester United match. "It depends on what my kids want to do," he says.
1452: The Boro and Bolton players troop off down the tunnel now leaving centre stage to Roary the Lion, who is lapping up the adulation of kids in the front row.
1450: The pitches are cleared of players everywhere but Middlesbrough as kick-off approaches.
1445: There's a bit of confusion over when that 1,000th match was. Some stattos said it was against Sheffield United last time out, but it turns out he passed it at the tail end of last season. Nice glasses mind, oh, and a silver salver for serving them on.
1444: At Fratton Park there's a presentation for Harry Redknapp to commemorate his 1,000th match as a manager. He's got a nice crystal decanter and a set of glasses to take back to the wife tonight - although he's probably more bothered about the three points on offer.
1440: No Ashley Young on show at Villa Park for either the hosts Aston Villa or Watford. Which team will he be playing for in the next round of Premiership matches?
1438: And the Fulham faithful have even more reason to smile after the Chelsea result is read out. Defeat for their local rivals draws a huge cheer from those early arrivals.
1437: Lily Allen's 'Smile' is belting out over the PA at Craven Cottage and we've reason to smile today. Clear skies and dry pitches at all six pitches.
1436: FULL-TIME: Liverpool 2-0 Chelsea
That is the first time Rafael Benitez's Liverpool have got the better of Jose Mourinho's Chelsea in the Premiership and it means Manchester United could boast a nine-point lead by the end of the weekend.
Whatever happens between Arsenal and United on Sunday, Liverpool's win means the champions are now closer to the Merseyside reds in third than the Mancunian reds in first.
TEAM NEWS
On-loan Manchester United right-back Phil Bardsley makes his Aston Villa debut while striker Juan Pablo Angel and midfielder Steven Davis are restored to the starting line-up. Watford are without winger Ashley Young, who has been in talks about a move to Villa, while Damien Francis is promoted from the substitute's bench to start.
Fulham recall Ian Pearce to their starting line-up, with Jan Lastuvka replacing Tony Warner in goal. Wayne Routledge was unable to start under the terms of his loan deal from Spurs. Tottenham have former Fulham star Steed Malbranque in their side, while Aaron Lennon, Robbie Keane, Didier Zokora and Benoit Assou-Ekotto are on the bench after starting in the FA Cup midweek. Teemu Tainio, Hossam Ghaly, Jermain Defoe and Young-Lee Pyo are drafted in.
Middlesbrough skipper George Boateng starts after passing a fitness test on his knee, while defensive duo Andrew Taylor and Emanuel Pogatetz return with Seb Hines and Andrew Davies dropping to the bench. Bolton skipper Kevin Nolan is back after a rib injury and Abdoulaye Faye is back after suspension.
Portsmouth hand a debut to Lauren in place of the suspended Gary O'Neil, while Djimi Traore makes his home debut against his former side. Charlton make four changes with Osei Sankofa back after suspension, Amady Faye facing his former side and Jerome Thomas and Bryan Hughes also returning.
Newcastle welcome back Scott Parker for the concussed Antoine Sibierski and Stephen Carr plays for the first time since November. Visitors West Ham make three changes as Calum Davenoprt and Anton Ferdinand come in in defence and Marlon Harewood replaces the injured Carlos Tevez.
Reading make two changes from team that drew at Everton, Graeme Murty returns to replace Nicky Shorey and Shane Long starts in place of the injured Kevin Doyle. And it is two changes for Sheffield United as well. Paddy Kenny is back between the sticks in place of Paul Gerrard and Chris Armstrong replacing Keith Gillespie.
~RS~a~RS~International~RS~q~RS~~RS~z~RS~39~RS~){kind=small}
E-mail this to a friend
Printable version
Hamburg v Aston Villa
