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Roberto Martinez celebrates PA
AS IT HAPPENED

As it happened: Premier League

Could Liverpool get back on track? Who would win the big relegation face-off between Bolton and Blackburn? Relive all the action here.

Send us your thoughts and comments on the afternoon’s action. Tweet us @migueldelaney@thescore_iefind us on Facebook, or leave a comment below.

Arsenal 3-0 Aston Villa

Bolton 2-1 Blackburn Rovers

Liverpool 1-2 Wigan

Norwich 2-1 Wolves

Sunderland 3-1 QPR

Swansea 0-2 Everton

The teams:

Swansea: Vorm, Rangel, Caulker, Williams, Taylor, Sinclair, Britton, Allen, Sigurdsson, Routledge, Graham. Subs: Tremmel, Tate, Monk, McEachran, Lita, Moore, Gower.

Everton: Howard, Hibbert, Distin, Jagielka, Baines, Osman, Gibson, Cahill, Neville, Pienaar, Jelavic. Subs: Mucha, Heitinga, Stracqualursi, McFadden, Gueye, Fellaini, Anichebe.

Sunderland: Mignolet, O’Shea, Kyrgiakos, Turner, Bridge, Gardner, Vaughan, Colback, McClean, Bendtner, Sessegnon. Subs: Gordon, Campbell, Wickham, Kilgallon, Ji, Meyler, Elmohamady.

QPR: Kenny, Young, Onuoha, Ferdinand, Taiwo, Taarabt, Derry, Diakite, Mackie, Zamora, Cisse. Subs: Cerny, Hill, Gabbidon, Bothroyd, Buzsaky, Barton, Wright-Phillips.

Arsenal: Szczesny, Sagna, Koscielny, Vermaelen, Gibbs, Arteta, Song, Walcott, Rosicky, Gervinho, van Persie. Subs: Fabianski, Andre Santos, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Ramsey, Djourou, Chamakh, Benayoun.

Aston Villa: Given, Hutton, Collins, Cuellar, Warnock, Petrov, Herd, Albrighton, Ireland, Heskey, Agbonlahor. Subs: Guzan, Bannan, Weimann, Lichaj, Baker, Gardner, Carruthers.

Liverpool: Reina, Flanagan, Carragher, Skrtel, Jose Enrique, Henderson, Gerrard, Spearing, Downing, Kuyt, Suarez. Subs: Doni, Aurelio, Carroll, Coates, Sterling, Shelvey, Eccleston.

Wigan: Al Habsi, Alcaraz, Caldwell, Figueroa, Boyce, McCarthy, McArthur, Beausejour, Moses, Maloney, Di Santo. Subs: Kirkland, Thomas, Crusat, Ben Watson, Gomez, Sammon, Stam.

Bolton: Bogdan, Steinsson, Wheater, Ream, Ricketts, Mark Davies, Reo-Coker, Pratley, Miyaichi, Ngog, Petrov. Subs: Jaaskelainen, Alonso, Eagles, Knight, Kevin Davies, Klasnic, Sordell.

Blackburn: Robinson, Lowe, Dann, Hanley, Martin Olsson, Formica, Nzonzi, Pedersen, Marcus Olsson, Hoilett, Yakubu. Subs: Bunn, Dunn, Modeste, Petrovic, Orr, Goodwillie, Vukcevic.

Norwich: Ruddy, Martin, Ward, Whitbread, Lappin, Elliott Bennett, Howson, Fox, Hoolahan, Holt, Jackson. Subs: Steer, Johnson, Morison, Crofts, Surman, Wilbraham, Naughton.

Wolverhampton: Hennessey, Stearman, Johnson, Bassong, Ward, Kightly, Edwards, Jonsson, Jarvis, Fletcher, Doyle. Subs: De Vries, Ebanks-Blake, Berra, Milijas, Foley, Price, Gorman.

And we’re off…

Slow start at Anfield anyway. And a very muted atmosphere.

Arsenal should be ahead against Aston Villa as they pile on the pressure. Still no goals anywhere after 10 minutes though.

Still no goals anywhere. Arsenal and Bolton ahead in their respective games. It’s turgid stuff at Anfield… and elsewhere to be fair.

GOAL! Arsenal 1-0 Aston Villa

Kieran Gibbs darts into the box and strikes past Shay Given – who might have done better – but Arsenal are ahead. No less than they deserve.

Is age beginning to affect Shay? Should have saved that Gibbs effort and his game generally doesn’t seem to be as dependable as it used to be?

This from Infostrada:

Three different English players have scored for Arsenal in this season’s Premier League, the most for the Gunners since 2002/2003.

Lot of mosaics around the grounds – especially at the Reebok and Emirates – for Fabrice Muamba.

GOAL! Arsenal 2-0 Aston Villa

Theo Walcott slots a calm finish past Given after a measured pass from Alex Song.

Penalty to Wigan! Carragher had his hands on Moses before Skrtel swung a boot into him…

GOAL! Norwich 0-1 Wolves

Matt Jarvis turns in Kevin Doyle’s touch but…

GOAL! Norwich 1-1 Wolves

… Grant Holt – of course – immediately strikes back! He lobs it over Hennessey in Messi-esque fashion!

GOAL! Bolton 1-0 Blackburn Rovers

A big goal in the relegation battle as David Wheater heads in Martin Petrov’s cross…

GOAL! Liverpool 0-1 Wigan

After a long wait in which Moses received treatment, Shaun Maloney keeps his cool to power the ball into the bottom corner. No chance Reina.

Yakubu heads just wide at the Reebok Stadium!

The mosaic at the Reebok for Muamba. PA

GOAL! Bolton 2-0 Blackburn Rovers

And that last entry might have been timely because with the fans chanting Muamba’s name and Bolton fired up, Wheater heads in his second of the game! This time from Miyaichi’s cross!

Brilliant header off the line from Neil Warnock to prevent Robin van Persie opening his account for the day.

GOAL! Sunderland 1-0 QPR

Nicklas Bendtner heads home James McClean’s cross superbly. Three in his last four fo the Dane.

Not happening for Liverpool, who have been dull and dismal. Only Gerrard providing a bit of spark with a few well-played balls…

PENALTY to Norwich! Hoolahan’s shot blocked by Jonsson’s hand.

GOAL! Norwich 2-1 Wolves

Holt hammers the penalty down the middle. Wolves go further into trouble. Real trouble.

Good link-up play from Liverpool with Suarez releasing the careering Gerrard.His shot is well blocked by A-Habsi though.

Half-times everywhere: very good for Arsenal, Bolton and Wigan. Very bad for Liverpool, Villa and Bolton.

Andy Carroll on for Liverpool for second half, coming on for Henderson who’s been barracked by the fans.

The second halves have started.

GOAL! Liverpool 1-1 Wigan

Liverpool, who had restarted with a bit more vigour, immediately hit back. Gerrard squares for Suarez who timed his run superbly and rolls the ball past Al-Habsi.

N’Gog almost makes it three for Bolton against Blackburn. That game looks over.

Liverpool well on top now. A remarkable difference to their first half.

Liverpool goal ruled out as – you’ll like this – Suarez handles the ball on the line. There’s also a push from Skrtel though.

RED CARD!

Djibril Cisse has gone in with two feet. Another QPR red card. They look dommed in this one anyway.

GOAL! Bolton 2-1 Blackburn Rovers

Game on! Nzonzi heads in at the near post from Pedersen’s long throw.

Three goals and two red cards in five games for Cisse. Quite the impact!

GOAL! Swansea 0-1 Everton

Leighton Baines curls in a supreme free-kick. That is a corker.

GOAL! Liverpool 1-2 Wigan

Another calamity for Liverpool, and they’re punished by a man who is often guilty of them himself! Gary Caldwell takes advantage of a bouncing ball from a set-piece, calmly rounding Pepe Reina before slotting home!

GOAL! Sunderland 2-0 QPR

Game over at the Stadium of Light thanks to McClean. Another fine performance from the Irish winger as he gets a second bite of the cheery and slams home via a deflection.

Liverpool have long list any momentum. Wigan now stroking the ball about and looking very comfortable.

GOAL! Swansea 0-2 Everton

Fully deserved second for Everton, who’ve been piling on the pressure, with Fellaini setting up for Jelavic.

GOAL! Sunderland 3-0 QPR

This is turning into a rout with McClean running the show. He plays a one-two with Vaughan before the latter squares for Sessegnon to prod home.

GOAL! Sunderland 3-1 QPR

Taiwo curls in an even better free0kick than Baines. Mifgnolet got a hand to it but could do nothing. Surely QPR are beaten though?

RED CARD!

Grant Holt dismissed after an awful tackle on Michael Kightly from behind.

The heavily-fancied Raheem Sterling comes on for Liverpool. That at least willlift the Anfield crowd. Third youngest player in the club’s history.

Almost a third for Wigan! The ball appears to break for Conor Sammon but he can’t quite get enough on it on the edge of the box.

Blackburn just have a chance at Bolton where they’re also building the pressure! This is getting tight. You can feel the anxiety.

Liverpool in the ascendancy as the game closes out. But there are five minutes of added time.

Paul Robinson is in the Bolton box as Blackburn press and press and appeal for penalty Doesn’t look like it’s going to happen for them…

And Bolton have beaten Blackburn. The most fitting tribute to Muamba and one that might well help secure their Premier League status next season.

GOAL! Arsenal 3-0 Aston Villa

Mikel Arteta smashes in an absolute corker from distance! What a goal! Unstoppable!

All over at Anfield.

And that’s full-time everywhere. A great day for Arsenal, Wigan and Bolton. An awful one for Liverpool, QPR, Blackburn and Villa. That makes it very tight at the bottom but also secures Arsenal’s grip on third place.

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