Barclays Premier League as it happened: Liverpool 3-2 Tottenham, Arsenal 2-1 Leicester City

That's it! Mario Balotelli's first Premier League goal of the season has given Liverpool a late win over Tottenham, who fall out of the top four this evening down to sixth. It sees Brendan Rodgers' side close the gap on the top four to just five points.

FULL TIME:

Liverpool 3-2 Tottenham

Tottenham respond kindly by making a mess of their attempts to launch the ball into the Liverpool box. Two over hit passes allow Liverpool to get the ball back and the home side should see this out now.

Liverpool make a right mess of trying to keep that in the corner. Four minutes of time added on at Anfield.

Spurs give away their second sloppy free kick in a matter of minutes with Erik Lamela this time giving it away. Liverpool can now keep the ball pinned in the final third for the final few minutes.

Liverpool lead again! Better late than never for Mario Balotelli. Ibe slides an excellent ball in from the right to Lallana who moves into the six yard area where the Italian slides ahead of his man to slam into the roof of the net.

Goal! Liverpool 3-2 Tottenham (Mario Balotelli)

FULL TIME:

Arsenal 2-1 Leicester City

Hull City 2-0 Aston Villa

Sunderland 0-2 QPR

Mario Balotelli meanwhile has come on for Liverpool. Something we forgot to mention earlier, Aaron Ramsey limped off for Arsenal about five minutes ago. Not a great sign with Alexis Sanchez currently sidelined.

Into the final five minutes of three of our games. Just over 15 on the clock at Anfield.

Coutinho again clips a ball into space to find Moreno, in a similar area to where he found Sturridge a few moments ago. The Spaniard is forced to hit it first time but Lloris saves at his near post.

Coutinho clips a wonderful ball through for Sturridge to chase onto but Dier crashes through the back of him. Another penalty? No, says the referee! That looked a rash one from Dier but he may have got to the ball first.

Liverpool immediately come again on the counter with Markovic leading the charge. He has Rose for company but other than that, it's two on two with Sturridge over to his left. The Serbian however over hits a poor pass however and the ball sails out of play.

Tottenham level again! A free kick from 25 yards out is parried away by Mignolet but Kane, whose starting position may have been marginally offside, responds quickest to cut the ball back into Dembele who bundles the ball over the line.

Goal! Liverpool 2-2 Tottenham (Mousa Dembele)

Goal! Hull 2-0 Aston Villa (Dame N'Doye)

What a save from Mignolet! Spurs respond immediately again and the ball breaks to Lamela on the edge of the box. He lashes a vicious shot towards the top corner, but the Belgian does terrifically to bat it over the top.

Gerrard steps up and, despite the best efforts of Lloris, sweeps it into the right corner!

Goal! Liverpool 2-1 Tottenham (Steven Gerrard)

After a rubbish start to the second half, Liverpool have a penalty! Sturridge skips past Mason into the box but is felled by the challenge of Rose. After consulting with the linesman, the ref points to the spot!

PENALTY - Liverpool

Leicester City's record signing is off the mark in the Premier League. Arsenal might feel a bit miffed over it, mind, as Cambiasso appeared to handle the ball while shifting it out to Riyad Mahrez. There was no whistle, however, and Kramaric duly finished from close range.

Goal! Arsenal 2-1 Leicester (Andrej Kramaric)

Big shout for a penalty from Arsenal early in the second half as Alexis Sanchez's cross appears to touch the hand of Danny Simpson. Nothing from the referee, however.

Sturridge hits the post with a back heel! The chance again comes through Ibe who has enjoyed a wonderful evening's work terrorising the Spurs backline. His ball into the six yard area is scuffed by Dier straight into Sturridge who tries his luck with his back to goal, but can't beat the woodwork.

Harry Kane is back on the edge of his own box now putting a shift in, rushing back to put a foot to rob Sturridge of possession.

Mason nicks a cute ball through to Kane down the inside left channel and the in-form striker is in again, only for Mignolet to block his chipped effort! Didn't matter, anyway, the offside flag had been raised.

HALF TIME

Sunderland 0-2 QPR

Arsenal 2-0 Leicester City

Hull 1-0 Aston Villa

A sublime strike from Bobby Zamora has doubled QPR's lead against Sunderland! The ball again comes from Phillips out on the right and finds Zamora, who lashes a superb half volley into the top corner.

Goal! Sunderland 0-2 QPR (Bobby Zamora)

Arsenal have a second and Ozil is involved again. It's the German again who draws another decent save out of Schwarzer, only for Walcott to arrive on the scene and tap him his side's second with less than five minutes of the half remaining.

Goal! Arsenal 2-0 Leicester City (Theo Walcott)

Tottenham equalise! What a lovely goal from Spurs and it is Kane again. A neat move finds Eriksen about 30 yards out from goal. He swivels, looks inside to Lamela who does likewise, shifting the ball to Kane who has appeared in the box. He first touch his excellent, clippin the ball onto his right foot, deceiving Sakho in the process before driving for the bottom corner. Mignolet gets something on it, but not enough.

Goal! Liverpool 1-1 Tottenham (Harry Kane)

Harry Kane just tried to score from the half way line and didn't score. HE IS USELESS.

Nearly a disaster for Spurs there as Bentalab plays a ball back towards his own goal only for Sturridge to spring on it. He's almost one on one but Dier responds magnificently and keeps up with the striker before somehow winning a goal kick for his side.

Moments after Liverpool's opener Jan Vertonghen advances forward brilliantly before freeing Lamela out to his left. The Argentine perhaps waits to long before taking the shot on, allowing Can to slide across and make the block.

Liverpool get in on the party! At one end Harry Kane's has the ball nicked off his foot just as he was about to pull the trigger inside the box. Liverpool lift the ball upfield to Sturridge, who looks inside for the onrushing Markovic. He veers on and works the ball onto his left foot before shooting for goal and Lloris can't get to it! The Spurs goalkeeper will feel he could have done much better.

Arsenal lead! Mesut Ozil's corner forces Schwarzer into a save, but Koscielny is onto the rebound and sweeps home from close range.

Goal! Liverpool 1-0 Tottenham (Lazar Markovic)

Goal! Arsenal 1-0 Leicester City (Laurent Koscielny)

Sturridge denied! Ibe pulls out towards the right-hand byline, dances past his man and drills an excellent ball into the box which Markovic lays off first time to Sturridge. His shot is low and accurate, but Lloris reacts wonderfully to make the save.

Hull meanwhile have an important lead against Villa. Dame N'Doye brilliantly brings a big goal kick under control and looks for his strike partner Jelavic, whose shot takes a big deflection on it's way into the back of the net.

Brilliant from Ibe who skips past two challenges before being fouled on the edge of the box by Rose. Gerrard takes the free kick, but swings a decent effort just over the bar.

Sturridge can stretch his legs for the first time, sprinting down the inside right channel, shrugging off the challenge of Danny Rose. He shoots from a tight angle across goal but Lloris makes a comfortable save.

Goal! Hull 1-0 Aston Villa (Nikica Jelavic)

And QPR lead! Away from home! It's Leroy who is up to meet Phillips' wonderful cross from the right with a powerful header.

Lamela gives the wall away and Markovic frees Sturridge in down the inside left flank. He pauses for the overlapping run of Moreno but overhits the pass which rolls out of play. Bit of a rusty first pass from the England international.

Goal! Sunderland 0-1 QPR (Leroy Fer)

Wonderful stuff from Mesut Ozil who splits the Leicester defence with a wonderful pass to free Walcott, but his effort is well saved by Schwarzer.

Leicester within a few inches of taking an early lead at the Emirates! It is Riyad Mahrez who races into space before working letting fly with a low effort just inside the past. It squeezes through Ospina's legs but flies just far off the far post!

And we are off and underway at Anfield, too.

New Hull signing Dame N'Doye is looking to cause problems for Villa this evening. A couple of his early runs have failed to spring the offside trap, but is looking to cause problems this evening.

Tomas Rosicky and Alexis Sanchez combine inside the edge of the Leicester box but the Chilean's shot is blocked.

And we are off and underway in three of our games this evening. Alexis Sanchez starts through the middle with Theo Wacott operating on his right with Mesut Ozil on his left.

Arsenal v Leicester, Hull v Aston Villa and Sunderland v QPR are all underway in just over five minutes. Liverpool v Tottenham follows at 8pm.

Mauricio Pochettino speaking to BT Sport ahead of kick off.

I think that we have improved a lot since the beginning of the season, when you implement new ideas and a new philosophy it's not easy. But you see now how we worked from the start of season. I'm happy for the latest results but we have to look forward.

"We need to try always hard on the training ground and now maybe the work pays off at the present. But we have to be careful to keep working and looking forward as we have a lot of tough games and Liverpool is a very, very tough game.

"Harry Kane is still young but a very great person. We must keep going and we need to be focused and ready to compete tonight.

As you may have notice amid all that team news, Rio Ferdinand is also back in the QPR back line this evening.

And you won't be surprised to hear that Tottenham remain unchanged from the side that beat Arsenal 2-1 at White Hart Lane on Saturday.

Daniel Sturridge started his last game for Liverpool against Tottenham over five months ago. In the reverse of that fixture, in front of an Anfield crowd, he does that again tonight.

And it's a pretty attacking selection elsewhere from Brendan Rodgers too, with Lazar Markovic, Philippe Coutinho and Jordon Ibe all starting.

BREAKING: Daniel Sturridge starts his first game since August to lead Liverpool's attack.

Liverpool team to play Tottenham: Mignolet, Can, Skrtel, Sakho, Moreno, Gerrard, Henderson, Markovic, Coutinho, Ibe, Sturridge

Subs: Ward, Johnson, Lovren, Lambert, Lallana, Allen, Balotelli

BREAKING: Harry Kane leads Tottenham's attack this evening with support from Erik Lamela and Christian Eriksen.

Tottenham team to face Liverpool: Lloris; Walker, Dier, Vertonghen, Rose; Bentaleb, Mason; Lamela, Dembele, Eriksen; Kane

Subs: Vorm, Davies, Fazio, Chadli, Paulinho, Townsend, Soldado

Sunderland team to face QPR: Pantilimon, Reveillere, Vergini, O'Shea, van Aanholt, Bridcutt, Larsson, Gomez, Johnson, Wickham, Defoe.

Subs: Brown, Fletcher, Graham, Alvarez, Coates, Agnew, Mannone

QPR team to face Sunderland: Green, Isla, Caulker, Ferdinand, Suk-Young, Phillips, Barton, Henry, Kranjcar, Zamora, Fer

Subs: McCarthy,Traore, Hill, Wright-Phillips, Taarabt, Zarate, Doughty

Hull team to play Aston Villa: McGregor, Dawson, Bruce, McShane, Elmohamady, Brady, Huddlestone, Livermore, Meyler, Jelavić, N'Doye

Subs: Harper, Davies, Robertson, Quinn, Ramírez, Hernández, Aluko

Aston Villa team to play Hull: Guzan, Hutton, Okore, Clark, Cissokho, Westwood, Delph, Gil, Sinclair, Agbonlahor, Weimann

Subs: Given, Vlaar, Bacuna, Cleverley, Benteke, Sanchez, Cole

Leicester team to play Arsenal: Schwarzer, Simpson, Huth, Morgan (c), Upson, Konchesky, Mahrez, Cambiasso, James, Schlupp, Kramarić

Subs: Hamer, Drinkwater, King, Albrighton, Ulloa, Wasilewski, Nugent

BREAKING: David Ospina continues in goal for Arsenal but Olivier Giroud drops to the bench

Arsenal team to play Leicester: Ospina, Bellerin, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Monreal, Coquelin, Rosicky, Walcott, Cazorla, Ozil, Alexis

Subs: Szczesny, Gibbs, Gabriel, Flamini, Ramsey, Welbeck, Giroud

A 5-0 defeat at White Hart Lane in December 2013, a 4-0 defeat at Anfield in March 2014, a 3-0 defeat again in north London last August. At least it's steadily been getting better for Tottenham Hotspur. But no goals and 12 conceded in their last three appearances against Liverpool doesn't read well for Tottenham. But the trend of Tottenham losing out in duels against the Premier League's heavyweights is changing. Will it continue tonight?

What better way to get you through the working week than peppering it with lots and lots of Premier League action?

All 20 teams are in action over the next two days with Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur colliding in the pick of this evening's games. Arsenal host Leicester City at the Emirates while relegation matters dominate our other two games, with Hull City hosting Aston Villa while manager-less Queens Park Rangers travel to Sunderland.