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As it happenedended

Swansea vs Aston Villa live: Latest score after Leicester go eight points clear, Chelsea and West Ham draw

Follow all the thrills and spills as the Premier League hurtles into its closing weeks

David Hughes
Saturday 19 March 2016 06:33 EDT
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Rudy Gestede and Ashley Williams come to blows during the first half
Rudy Gestede and Ashley Williams come to blows during the first half (Getty Images)

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Welcome to the Independent’s live coverage of the Premier League with another fascinating clutch of matches at both ends of the table with the title race and relegation fight still wide open.

In the early kick-off Arsenal travel to Everton hoping to repair their fractured season. Meanwhile Chelsea, whose season is already in ruin, entertain top-four chasing West Ham United across the capital for a match which could underpin their unlikely hopes of securing Champions League qualification.

Table-toppers Leicester City, on the other hand, make the treacherous trip to face lowly Crystal Palace in the knowledge that Alan Pardew’s Eagles have previous when it comes to scuppering title bids, as Liverpool and Manchester City have discovered in recent years.

Watford face Stoke, Norwich meet West Bromwich Albion and Swansea welcome Aston Villa in a trio of massive games elsewhere on this most intriguing of weekends in the top-flight.

Today's matches...

  • Everton vs Arsenal – 12.45pm
  • Chelsea vs West Ham United – 3pm
  • Crystal Palace vs Leicester City – 3pm
  • Watford vs Stoke City – 3pm
  • West Bromwich Albion vs Norwich City – 3pm
  • Swansea City vs Aston Villa – 5.30pm 

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The fans are certainly enjoying themselves in south Wales anyway...b7df3a8a-46ba-47e2-8f66-0ed4adcda3fc.jpg

Kristin Hugo19 March 2016 17:43

13 mins: Brighter from Swansea, as Barrow jinks down the right to drill a low ball across the six-yard box, but Ciaran Clark does well to clear for a corner...

Kristin Hugo19 March 2016 17:44

14 mins: Gylfi Sigurdsson's low, whipped corner is met at the near post by Cork, but he can't divert his diving effort on goal...

Kristin Hugo19 March 2016 17:44

15 mins: Carles Gil delivers superbly into the hosts' penalty area, but Gestede can't get on the end of it and Fabianski gathers easily...

Kristin Hugo19 March 2016 17:45

17 mins: Long ball towards Gestede leads to an almighty tangle between the striker and Ashley Williams – it all gets a little silly as they link arms and wrestle each other to the ground before squaring up, but they both escape punishment from Mike Dean...

Kristin Hugo19 March 2016 17:48

18 mins: Jordan Veretout's cross is cleared by Williams to Gueye, but his low effort is blocked...

Kristin Hugo19 March 2016 17:49

20 mins: Stephen Kingsley's clearance in the penalty area bounces off Williams' arm, but the Swansea captain was at point-blank range and it would have been a ludicrously harsh penalty...

Kristin Hugo19 March 2016 17:51

Further to the little scuffle between Williams and Gestede, replays showed the Swansea man clearly raising a hand into the Villa striker's face – it wasn't particularly ferocious, but the Welsh international can still count himself a little lucky to escape a card...

Kristin Hugo19 March 2016 17:52

23 mins: Veretout's corner is met by Clark, but the defender's free header goes a yard over – he really should be hitting the target there!

Kristin Hugo19 March 2016 17:54

Remi Garde will be the happier of the two managers after an unusually assured opening quarter from his side...f5ee826e-72f1-422d-9a8b-b50eaf1a3df4.jpg

Kristin Hugo19 March 2016 17:55

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