Premier League clockwatch - as it happened

Evening Rare are the evenings when Carling Cup overshadows Premier League. With the two halves of Manchester duking it out at Old Trafford, tonight's top-flight games seem destined to take something of a back seat, which is a shame since there's potential here for at least a couple of corkers. In the 7.45pm kick-offs, second-placed Arsenal travel to the Midlands to face Champions League hopefuls Aston Villa and third-placed Chelsea host a Birmingham side who haven't lost in 11 games. Then at 8pm we have rising Everton against plummeting Sunderland and an all north-west affair between Blackburn and Wigan. I'll be back with team news in a second, but in the meantime feel free to send me suggestions for what jobs David Moyes could get Philippe Senderos to do once he works out that his new signing isn't so good at defending. If you do decide the Carling Cup is more exciting after all, you can always follow Manchester United v Manchester City live with Paul Doyle . And if you just can't decide then our live scores are right here . Here comes the team news ... First of all for Aston Villa v Arsenal. Nicklas Bendtner and Samir Nasri are back on the bench for Arsenal despite having only just returned to training and the former, in particular, will be a welcome sight for a team who have been crying out for a proper targetman up front. Luke Young replaces the injured Stephen Warnock for Villa, while Stiliyan Petrov is also back, having shaken off his achilles complaint. Aston Villa: Friedel, Cuellar, Collins, Dunne, Luke Young, Ashley Young, Milner, Petrov, Downing, Agbonlahor, Heskey. Subs: Guzan, Sidwell, Delfouneso, Davies, Delph, Shorey, Beye. Arsenal: Almunia, Sagna, Gallas, Vermaelen, Clichy, Denilson, Fabregas, Ramsey, Rosicky, Eduardo, Arshavin. Subs: Fabianski, Nasri, Walcott, Traore, Campbell, Eastmond, Bendtner. Referee: Lee Probert (Wiltshire) Chelsea v Birmingham Carlo Ancelotti announced his team yesterday, so no surprises here. Birmingham are also unchanged. Chelsea: Cech, Ivanovic, Terry, Carvalho, Ashley Cole, Ballack, Lampard, Deco, Malouda, Joe Cole, Anelka. Subs: Turnbull, Zhirkov, Paulo Ferreira, Sturridge, Matic, Alex, Borini. Birmingham: Hart, Carr, Roger Johnson, Dann, Ridgewell, Larsson, Bowyer, Ferguson, McFadden, Jerome, Benitez. Subs: Maik Taylor, Marcos Madera, Fahey, McSheffrey, Queudrue, Damien Johnson, Vignal. Referee: Steve Bennett (Kent) Everton v Sunderland Matthew Kilgallon makes his Sunderland debut, and George McCartney, Nyron Nosworthy and John Mensah are all back in the side. Everton's only change from their FA Cup defeat to Birmingham is to replace Diniyar Bilyaletdinov with Leon Osman. Everton: Howard, Neville, Heitinga, Distin, Baines, Donovan, Fellaini, Osman, Pienaar, Cahill, Saha. Subs: Nash, Bilyaletdinov, Arteta, Vaughan, Senderos, Anichebe, Coleman. Sunderland: Gordon, Mensah, Nosworthy, Kilgallon, McCartney, Henderson, Cattermole, Cana, Zenden, Richardson, Bent. Subs: Fulop, Malbranque, Campbell, Jones, Meyler, Reid, Da Silva. Referee: Phil Dowd (Staffordshire) Blackburn v Wigan With Chris Kirkland out, Vladimir Stojkovic makes his Premier League debut for Wigan, and the Latics also welcome back Gary Caldwell, Charles N'Zogbia, Mario Melchiot, Hendry Thomas and Paul Scharner all back. Blackburn bring in David Hoilett and El Hadji Diouf for the suspended Chris Samba and injured David Dunn. Blackburn: Robinson, Chimbonda, Nelsen, Givet, Olsson, Emerton, Nzonzi, Hoilett, Pedersen, Diouf, Kalinic. Subs: Brown, Roberts, Reid, Andrews, Di Santo, Salgado, Jones. Wigan: Stojkovic, Melchiot, Caldwell, Bramble, Figueroa, Thomas, Diame, N'Zogbia, Scharner, McCarthy, Rodallega. Subs: Pollitt, Gohouri, Amaya, Scotland, Gomez, Sinclair, Boyce. Referee: Lee Mason (Lancashire) Prediction time ... Here are my picks - if you've got any sense you'll rush straight down the bookies and bet against the following happening: Aston Villa 2-2 Arsenal Chelsea 2-0 Birmingham Blackburn 1-2 Wigan Everton 3-0 Sunderland 7.45pm: They're kicking off at Villa Park and Stamford Bridge. Surely Birmingham's unbeaten run has to end tonight ... doesn't it? 7.48pm: "I think it's pretty important that you tell the world that Gareth Bale finally started and won a league game for Tottenham last night," tinkles Ethan Dean-Richards. "That's the end of my favourite bit of trivia." 7.49pm: First goal of the night is in the Championship, where Gary Hooper has made it Scunthorpe 1-0 Sheffield Wednesday . I cannot guarantee this level of lower-league coverage will continue. Goal! Chelsea 1-0 Birmingham Well that didn't take long, did it? Joe Cole beats Lee Bowyer down the right, then swings a cross right onto Florent Malouda's head, and the Frenchman makes no mistake. 7.54pm: That goal aside, Birmingham are actually making a decent account of themselves so far. Moments the goal, Christian Benitez had got in behind the defence before slamming a shot wide of the left-hand post, and right after it they went straight down the Chelsea end and won a corner, which Ivanovic cleared. 7.57pm: Arsenal fashion their first decent chance of the game, as Brad Friedel reacts sharply to push Denilson's left-footed effort behind after Eduardo had sliced badly at a ball from Rosicky. That right there is why Arsenal need Bendtner back. 7.59pm: "Where's the Manchester derby prediction," demands Michael Aston. "Mine's, Old Filthy lucre 4-1 New Filthy lucre." I had been leaving that for Paul Doyle in the Carling Cup minute-by-minute , but just for argument's sake I'll say 3-1 to United. 8.01pm: Late games are getting going now as well, as Ashley Young whisks a free-kick over the wall but just an inch or two wide of Manuel Almunia's right-hand upright at Villa Park. 8.02pm: Thomas Vermaelen was booked for fouling Heskey to bring about that Young free-kick by the way. Quite a rare booking for him, actually. 8.05pm: "Once Davie Moyes learns the horrible truth about Senderos' defending, he'll use him as a hat stand to store the Fellaini wigs they sell in the club shop," opines Gary Naylor. Wouldn't that be more of a wig stand, then? 8.07pm: Until a moment or two ago Chelsea had only had the one shot on target but they are beginning to build up a head of steam. First Carvalho sees a header ping back off the post and Lampard lumps one goalwards from just outside the area, but Hart gathers comfortably. Goal! Everton 1-0 Sunderland Tim Cahill gives Everton the lead from the first real chance of the game at Goodison Park, finding space in the area to nod home Marouane Fellaini's cross from the left. According to Sky's bods that's the 20th goal he's scored with his head in the Premier League. 8.12pm: Neither team has really taken charge yet at Villa Park, with Villa pressing and challenging Arsenal as much as you'd expect without really making any headway going forward. 8.15pm: Up in the SPL it's Celtic 1-1 Hibernian after half an hour, Anthony Stokes having equalised Marc-Antoine Fortune's opener. GOAL! Chelsea 2-0 Birmingham I fear I may have been too conservative in my prediction. Michael Ballack strides forwards before rolling the ball across into the path of Frank Lampard, who looks up 25 yards out before cracking a drive into the bottom left corner. Very tidy finish. 8.18pm: Worrying moment for Arsenal as Young skips past Clichy, the defender slipping and falling to the ground as he tries to turn, before whipping the ball over from the right-hand side to Downing at the far post. Downing, sadly for Villa, cannot keep his shot down and it flies a good way over. 8.20pm: And if they thought that was a worrying moment, here comes a much more troubling one - Thomas Vermaelen, who seems to have picked up some sort of knock, just went off to be replaced by Sol Campbell. He looked a long way short of peak fitness against Stoke on Saturday, and with such an important run of games coming up, Arsenal really don't want to be dealing without Vermaelen. GOAL! Everton 2-0 Sunderland GOAL! Blackburn 1-0 Wigan They always come in bunches don't they. First Landon Donovan seizes on a Tim Cahill flick-on to slot the ball into the bottom corner of the Sunderland net at Goodison Park, then Morten Gamst Pedersen gives Blackburn the lead at Ewood Park with a breathtaking drive from outside the area that arrows straight into the top left corner. 8.25pm: "Perhaps David Moyes thinks he's re-signed Thomas Gravesen," says Niall Mullen, wading into our Philippe Senderos discussion. "Or maybe he just wants to prove that Liverpool aren't the only club in the city capable of signing a rubbish Swiss defender." 8.27pm: In case anyone was wondering, it's still 0-0 at Old Trafford. 8.29pm: Nearly half-time at Stamford Bridge, where Chelsea are well on top now, and Villa Park, where Villa are probably just about shading it. Fabregas, so influential in the last meeting between Arsenal and Villa, is yet to make an impact. I do wonder if Wenger will come to question the judgement of giving him the full 90 minutes against Stoke, given that he had clearly made the decision to otherwise not field his strongest team. 8.31pm: And as I type that, of course, Cesc Fabregas seizes on the ball in midfield, leaves Petrov for dead and wins himself a yard on James Collins in the Villa area before rifling a shot across goal that pings back off the far post. Rosicky seizes on the loose ball but can't get it out from under his feet quickly enough and winds up snatching at his shot, skewing it away and wide of Friedel's left-hand post. 8.34pm: Half-time now at both Villa Park and Stamford Bridge. 8.35pm: "After three years of being utterly rubbish, it's no coincidence that with contract renewal/transfer window time, Mort Gamst Pederson has remembered how to play football instead of being a professional oxygen thief," harrumphs Andy Bradshaw. 8.37pm: Wigan have looked the better side at Ewood Park since falling behind, but it's Blackburn with the chance to extend their lead here, as David Hoilett flashes a shot wide of the post from inside the area. 8.39pm: Yeah, Sunderland look flatter than six-day old Coke at the moment. So far they have mustered a total of zero shots on target, to go with their equally impressive haul of zero shots off target. 8.42pm: On that theme, we have a question from Gary Naylor. "Over the last twelve years, seven times Chairmen have gone to their boards and said, 'You know the man we need to take us to the next level? Steve Bruce,'" notes Gary. "Anyone know why?" To be fair, not may people were questioning that decision earlier this season when they were flying in the European places. The wheels really do seem to have come off lately though. 8.45pm: Still 0-0 at Old Trafford as they edge towards half-time, though I've heard a few oohs and ahs from Paul Doyle doing the minute-by-minute , so I get the impression it hasn't exactly been dull. 8.47pm: Of course, the really big game in Manchester tonight is FC United of Manchester v Frickley. Which is also 0-0 at half-time. 8.49pm: It's half-time at Goodison Park with Everton still leading Sunderland 2-0, and if anything it could have been more. Louis Saha had a shot blocked behind by John Mensah shortly before the break and by my count, Sunderland are still yet to have a shot. 8.50pm: Half-time at Ewood Park as well. Still Blackburn 1-0 Wigan. 8.51pm: As those games head into the break, the ones at Villa Park and Stamford Bridge are getting underway again, and Villa find themselves in trouble right away, as Collins lunges at a Clichy cross right in front of Friedel, causing the goalkeeper to spill the ball out into the middle of his area. There were two Arsenal players loitering in the box, and only one other defender, but the ball broke kindly and Villa were able to hack it away. 8.53pm: And now Villa waste a fantastic chance! Young's cross from the right clipped the head of Gallas and floated over to the back post where Downing had space but simply failed to direct his header on target from two yards out. Downing has now had two of the best chances of the game for Villa and failed to find the target with either. 8.56pm: "Philippe Senderos isn't rubbish," insists Luke Williams. "At least, he doesn't look rubbish when he plays in the Swiss national team. Eh? Oh ..." 8.58pm: If all these words are beginning to hurt your eyes, then you might want to check out our gallery of tonight's action instead . 9pm: With Birmingham still 2-0 down at Chelsea, Alex McLeish has taken Cameron Jerome off for Kevin Fahey. A striker for a midfielder - smacks of damage limitation, really, doesn't it? 9.03pm: Eduardo has now pulled up injured for Arsenal, and is currently limping to the sideline, so this could be the moment to reintroduce Bendtner ... 9.04pm: Fantastic chance for Arsenal! Arshavin beats three men as he flies from the half-way line and to the edge of the six-yard box in the blink of an eye, before seeing his close-range effort parried out by Friedel. The ball runs to Rosicky inside the area, but his effort crashes back off the bar. 9.06pm: They're playing again at Goodison and Ewood Park. 9.08pm: Bendtner is now on for Eduardo for Arsenal. Apologies if I'm focussing more on this match now, but frankly the Chelsea and Everton games are just a bit one-sided. 9.09pm: "You're assuming those ohs and ahs from Doyle are about the football," parps Colin Greer. "He could be checking out adult entertainment on the web. It's quite readily available, you know." Adult entertainment? But why would he be oohing and ahhing at More4? 9.11pm: United have now taken a 1-0 lead . Don't know who or how - but you can find out with Paul Doyle here. 9.13pm: The good news? Sunderland have now had a shot. The bad? Lorik Cana drilled it wide of Tim Howard's left-hand post. 9.14pm: Great chance for Birmingham to reduce the arrears at Stamford Bridge, as Benitez races away on the break before rolling the ball to an unmarked McFadden inside the area, only to watch his team-mate stroke the ball wide from close range. 9.17pm: Ashley Young draws a foul from Clichy after Villa switch the ball from left to right and so far today he's had the beating of the Arsenal full-back pretty much every time he's had the ball. The free-kick is put behind for a corner ... 9.18pm: ... which is easily gathered by Almunia. GOAL! Blackburn 1-1 Wigan Wigan have been steadily growing as this game goes on at Ewood Park, and they now have the equaliser their good build-up has merited, Gary Caldwell heading home from a James McCarthy corner. 9.23pm: Now Blackburn hit the bar! Brett Emerton lofted the ball over from the right and it was Pedersen again who rose in the middle, but just couldn't keep his header down. 9.25pm: Villa very much enjoying the better of things now for Villa, and Gallas has to do well to head clear as Young swings a very inviting ball in towards the Arsenal six-yard box from a free-kick on the left. 9.26pm: Samir Nasri is on for Rosicky, who never seems to actually finish a game. This actually happened a minute or two ago, but I missed it in flicking my attention between games. 9.27pm: There was some injury bother in the follow-up to that Pedersen chance for Blackburn. There was a clash of heads between the Blackburn player and Mario Melchiot, his marker, and the later has now been replaced by Emmerson Boyce. Pedersen had some cotton wool shoved up his nose but is now soldiering on. 9.30pm: Manchester United are now 2-0 up in the Carling Cup semi-final. 9.33pm: We're into injury time at Villa Park, and there will be just three minutes of injury time. GOAL! Chelsea 3-0 Birmingham Frank Lampard adds further gloss to what was already a very comfortable victory for Chelsea, hammering a low left-footed effort past Hart from inside the box. 9.35pm: And now City have pulled one back at Old Trafford - making it 2-1 on the night and all square on aggregate. GOAL! Blackburn 2-1 Wigan Nikola Kalinic restores Blackburn's lead, heading home from a couple of yards out after rising to meet a Pedersen corner, while Wigan's defenders just didn't bother. Full-time: Chelsea 3-0 Birmingham Full-time: Aston Villa 0-0 Arsenal 9.39pm: Disappointing result for Arsenal, then - not that there's any shame in drawing away to Villa, but with fixtures against Manchester United and Chelsea coming up they might have viewed this as the one they had to win. Chelsea go back to the top of the table - a point clear of Manchester United and two ahead of Arsenal, with a game in hand on both. Birmingham's unbeaten run is, emphatically, over. 9.42pm: Luke Williams submits the strangest email I've received tonight. "I was going to suggest Henrik Larsson for the veggie IX, but there's no point. As a swede, he'd just get pushed to the side and ignored. Even by the vegetarians ..." 9.45pm: Sunderland finally showing some signs of urgency late in this game against Everton, Zenden and McCartney exchanging passes down the left before the latter wins a corner. Zenden's delivery is humped clear by Fellaini, but the ball is worked back over to him on the left, and this time his delivery fizzes right across the six-yard box at knee-height but there's absolutely nobody attacking it in the middle. 9.47pm: Lower-league full-time round-up: Championship: Scunthorpe 2-0 Sheffield Wednesday, Newcastle 2-0 Crystal Palace League Two: Burton Albion 1-0 Lincoln SPL (yeah, you see what I did there? "Lower league" ... SPL ... honk!) Celtic 1-2 Hibernian, Dundee Utd 3-3 St Johnstone, Falkirk 0-0 Motherwell, Hearts 0-3 Aberdeen, St Mirren 0-2 Rangers 9.49pm: Zenden forces a sharp save from Howard with a well-struck near-post effort from inside the box. 9.51pm: United have scored again. It's Manchester United 3-1 Manchester City. 9.52pm: Wigan have run out of ideas at Ewood Park and if anything Blackburn have been closer to extending their lead over the last few minutes. As things stand they will go up to 11th tonight, leaving Wigan in 14th. Full-time: Everton 2-0 Sunderland That's it at Goodison Park, and Everton move up to ninth with the win. Full-time: Blackburn 2-1 Wigan And there's the final whistle at Ewood Park as well. That's it from me, then A good night for Everton and Blackburn, a very good one for Chelsea, who could have an opportunity to extend their lead at the top even further this weekend as Arsenal face Manchester United (who, incidentally, are now through to the Carling Cup final, having won 3-1 on the night and 4-3 on aggregate). Birmingham see their unbeaten run come to an end, but when they stop to survey the damage will still find themselves sitting pretty in eighth. You can be sure Alex McLeish would have taken that after 22 games if you'd offered it to him at the start of the season. Thanks for all your emails tonight, sorry I couldn't use them all.