Newcastle corner...

Ayoze Perez's set piece is headed clear by Joleon Lescott, but only as far as the away substitute. 

Quick feet from the Spanish forward gives him space near the bye-line, Mark Bunn gathers at his near post.

Rafa looks pensive. He glances at his watch. About 10 minutes to go. Newcastle need a goal...

West Ham are chucking everything they have at Swansea. Dimitri Payet's chipped ball into the box finds Diafra Sakho, whose shot is deflected just wide of the post.

Pat Nevin
Ex-Chelsea winger at Stadium of Light for BBC Radio 5 live

"They are a totally different side this second half Sunderland. When it falls to Defoe I don't think anyone expected anything else."

Gaz in Durham

How's that Sunderland goal gone down at Villa Park? Not very well in the away end. The home fans quite enjoyed it though. Defoe's strike coincides with the 74th minute in Birmingham - which the Villa supporters greet by flinging tens of inflatable beach balls on the pitch.

Imagine what Rafa Benitez is thinking? It was his Liverpool team who were beaten by the beach ball at Sunderland remember! Villa on top...(not written that many times this season.)

Dwight Gayle is denied a hat-trick as his volleyed effort from a tight angle, following Yannick Bolasie's cross, is blocked by a Stoke defender.

What just happened?! We blacked out for a minute. 

That is how you do it. Bravo Premier League.

Image source, Reuters

You've got to admire a man who owns up to a blunder. Referee Mark Clattenburg wrongly books Jonny Evans, then goes back to the decision at the next break of play to instead issue the yellow card to Claudio Yacob. Come on Clatts, you should have known it was Yacob. The man is a walking booking...

Chance for Manuel Lanzini. He is released by Dimitri Payet and pulls the trigger from the edge of the box but his effort is blocked by a sliding Swansea defender.

If Sunderland manage to nab a point (or better) out of this then they will have Vito Mannone to thank. The Black Cats use another of their nine lives, their Italian keeper making himself big to block an unmarked Diego Costa's effort from 10 yards. How crucial could that be?

West Ham are having a stinker. An absolute stinker. Swansea's quick, counter-attacking style has caused them no end of problems. And they are struggling to offer anything meaningful in attack. They do finally manage to get Andy Carroll in a decent area but from his downward header Diafra Sakho is caught offside.

We'll have team news coming up from the King Power party in the next 10 minutes or so.

Andros Townsend stands over a free-kick close to the right touchline. Newcastle send up the big lads from the back. Can he find one? Nope. Villa's first man clears.

But wait! Villa only partially clear, allowing Cheick Tiote to lob over the home defence to Aleksandar Mitrovic. He's through, he pokes over Mark Bunn....he misses the target.

Half an hour for Newcastle to find that vital winner....

That didn't last long. Joe Ledley, who came on at half-time for the injured Yohan Cabaye, has gone off injured himself. Jordon Mutch his replacement. Soon after, Jason Puncheon goes close for the home team with an effort from inside the box that he fires over the bar.

When you need a goal desperately, who do you summon off the bench? Er, John O'Shea? That's what Sunderland boss Sam Allardyce has done. The centre-back replaces Lamine Kone in a like-for-like swap. The Ivorian defender jogs off quickly enough, but he must be injured. Surely.