Newcastle 1-1 Sunderland, Southampton 3-2 Liverpool: Barclays Premier League - as it happened

An amazing comeback from Southampton to deny Liverpool their fourth Premier League win in succession. Koeman's Saints looked dead and buried at the break, but the decision to send on Mane at half-time proved inspired despite his missed penalty.

That is it for this particular blog, but you can stay with IBTimes UK and follow live coverage of the Manchester derby between City and United by clicking here.

You can also follow my colleague Josh Evans, who is across Bournemouth's trip to Tottenham.

Goodbye.

So it's honours even in the Tyne-Wear derby, with that crucial Mitrovic header keeping both teams mired in the relegation zone. Sunderland stay 18th and two points adrift of safety, while Newcastle trail their rivals by one.

Full-time

Newcastle 1-1 Sunderland

Southampton 3-2 Liverpool

Mitrovic requires treatment after a nasty blow to the head. He wants to come straight back on but the Newcastle physio is adamant that he cannot continue. Benitez, who has no substitutions left, intervenes as peacemaker.

Four minutes of added time on the south coast too, where Liverpool look shellshocked.

Four minutes of added time between Sunderland and Newcastle. Mitrovic was yellow carded for removing his shirt while celebrating that equaliser and Cattermole has replaced Kirchhoff.

An incredible turnaround at St Mary's. Southampton equalise courtesy of a brilliant strike from Pelle. Not content with merely rescuing a point, the Saints look to have claimed all three with a second effort from Mane.

Koeman dances with delight but Klopp will be apoplectic with rage. His team were cruising in the first half.

Goal: Southampton 3-2 Liverpool (Sadio Mane)

Goal: Southampton 2-2 Liverpool (Graziano Pelle)

St James' Park erupts as Benitez's side finally pull level. It's brilliant and persistent work from Georginio Wijnaldum, who beats N'Doye all ends up before crossing to the back post where Mitrovic is on hand to power home a header.

Goal: Newcastle 1-1 Sunderland (Aleksandar Mitrovic)

Cries for handball against Kone but Cisse is flagged for offside. Newcastle are running out of time to avoid a seventh consecutive defeat against their bitter rivals.

Cisse on for Newcastle as Benitez withdraws Townsend. The striker comes close to making an instant impact but Perez's cross is just a little too high and ends up being claimed by Mannone.

Lallana tees up Benteke for a golden chance to seal all three points, but the Belgian cuts across his low shot and sends it wide of the post.

Shelvey shoots tamely at Mannone before Allardyce replaces Khazri with another striker in N'Doye. Kone makes a timely block to thwart Perez and win a goal kick.

A final substitution for Koeman sees James Ward-Prowse replace Oriol Romeu. Klopp responds by withdrawing Sturridge in favour of Christian Benteke.

John O'Shea on for Sunderland. Stand-in captain Kaboul makes way after apparently feeling a tightness in his calf.

Newcastle have sent on Siem de Jong for Colback as they search for an all-important equaliser. Chances are few and far between with just over 20 minutes remaining.

A lifeline for Southampton as Flanagan concedes possession cheaply to Pelle and Mane, making amends for his penalty miss, takes on Sakho before finishing well from close range.

Goal: Southampton 1-2 Liverpool (Sadio Mane)

Origi tests Forster with a powerful shot, while Elliot is at full stretch to thwart Patrick van Aanholt after good work from Khazri. That was an excellent one-handed save from the Newcastle goalkeeper.

Shelvey booked for Newcastle, who begin to turn the screw as Mitrovic's tame glancing header is held by Mannone and Sissoko fails to make a good connection with his volley attempt.

What a disastrous start for Skrtel. The centre-back, who has been out since December with a hamstring injury, struggles to fend off a clever low ball from Davis and gives away a penalty by pulling at the shirt of Pelle.

The Slovakian's blushes are spared, however, as Simon Mignolet saves the spot-kick from Mane.

Agonisingly close to an equaliser for Newcastle as Shelvey helps on Townsend's corner towards Perez, whose effort his cleared off the line by Yann M'Vila.

A flurry of substitutions at the break as Liverpool replace Lovren with the fit-again Martin Skrtel. Southampton make a double change, with an unhappy Koeman throwing on Wanyama and Mane for Jordy Clasie and Dusan Tadic.

We are back off and running. As it stands, Sunderland will pull out of the bottom three by virtue of a superior goal difference over Norwich. Defeat would leave 19th-place Newcastle four points adrift of their rivals.

Half-time

Newcastle 0-1 Sunderland

Southampton 0-2 Liverpool

The away fans high up in the gods at St James' Park go ballistic as their side edge in front. Defoe is the man who has scored, finding the bottom corner with a well-timed volley after Elliot had made an impressive save to deny Fabio Borini. Not enough purchase on the header away by Mbemba.

How important could that goal prove?

Goal: Newcastle 0-1 Sunderland (Jermain Defoe)

Simply no way through for Southampton at the moment.

At Newcastle, Mbemba strides powerfully into the Sunderland half before shooting over from distance. Rodwell similarly fails to trouble Elliot.

Five minutes plus stoppage time remaining before the break.

Janmaat becomes the second Newcastle player to be cautioned, the Dutch right-back clearly hauling back Jan Kirchhoff as he looked to push forward in possession.

Liverpool think they have notched a third as Allen rifles past Forster following a corner. As they run off to celebrate, the referee's assistant raises his flag after deeming that the offside Sakho was interfering with play by hurdling over the ball.

Yet another chance for Liverpool as Allen breaks and feeds Sturridge, who can only shoot straight at Forster from a tough angle.

Newcastle win a free-kick in a central position on the edge of the penalty area when Ayoze Perez is fouled by Kaboul. Shelvey steps up to power a low drive just wide of Mannone's right-hand post.

Lovren enters the referee's notebook to ironic cheers for his latest foul on Long. Southampton are all over the place at the back, though, with Coutinho, Adam Lallana and Emre Can combining during a swift counter attack that ends with Joe Allen drawing a strong save from Forster.

Sunderland are a whisker away from an opening goal as Wahbi Khazri sends a low ball across the face that Defoe is inches away from finishing on the slide.

A second goal in quick succession for rampant Liverpool and it's a fourth in his last three starts for Sturridge against Southampton.

Origi makes good headway with a dangerous run through the heart of Southampton's defence before finding the England striker, who momentarily bamboozles international teammate Ryan Bertrand and fires into the bottom corner.

Koeman will be sick of the sight of that particular duo.

Goal: Southampton 0-2 Liverpool (Daniel Sturridge)

Chances at either end in the derby. First Defoe slams into the side netting after being teed up nicely by Rodwell, then Townsend forces Vito Mannone to parry a powerful shot.

Former Sunderland midfielder Jack Colback will now serve a two-game ban after picking up his 10th yellow card of the season.

Deadlock broken at St Mary's and it's another wonderful goal for Coutinho to add to his growing collection. After Liverpool win back possession in midfield, the fleet-footed Brazilian picks up possession and drifts in past Graziano Pelle on the left flank.

In acres of space, he curls a low, right-footed shot past Forster from 25 yards. Lovely finish.

Goal: Southampton 0-1 Liverpool (Philippe Coutinho)

Daniel Sturridge stings the palms of Fraser Forster from distance before accidentally blocking a drive from teammate Origi.

Sunderland apply more pressure as Jack Rodwell's header is palmed over by a cautious Rob Elliot. Kone also has a chance but Newcastle survive.

At the other end, Townsend sends a dangerous cross to the back post that Moussa Sissoko can only blast back across goal. Shelvey shoots over and the attack breaks down.

Controversy on the south coast, were Shane Long has been denied a penalty by referee Roger East after tumbling under contact from ex-Saints centre-back Dejan Lovren. That looked like a real let-off for Liverpool.

Jonjo Shelvey finds Andros Townsend for Newcastle and the former Tottenham winger strides down that right flank with speed.

Instead of finding Daryl Janmaat on the overlap, however, he crosses in for Aleksandar Mitrovic and the Serbian international steals a yard on Lamine Kone but cannot keep his shot down.

It's Southampton's turn to threaten now as Virgil van Dijk, excellent in the air, rises above Mamadou Sakho to head Steven Davis' corner just wide.

An early opportunity for Sunderland on enemy territory. Borini does well to win a knock-down at the back post and Defoe takes a touch under pressure from Mbemba and Jamaal Lascelles before blazing over.

A positive start for Liverpool as they win an early corner before Philippe Coutinho bends an ambitious effort high and wide.

Both games are now underway.

Just over 10 minutes remaining until kick-off from St James' Park and St Mary's. Nerves will be beginning to jangle in the north east...

Allardyce has opted for Jermain Defoe ahead of Trabzonspor loanee Dame N'Doye in his only change from a 1-1 draw at Southampton a fortnight ago.

Jeremain Lens and Lee Cattermole both return to the match-day squad in place of Mikael Mandron and Sebastian Larsson, while Younes Kaboul continues as captain with John O'Shea on the bench.

New signing Emmanuel Eboue and Duncan Watmore miss out with hamstring and foot injuries respectively.

As for the derby, Benitez makes two changes from his maiden match in charge at Leicester. Chancel Mbemba and Andros Townsend come in as Steven Taylor and Vurnon Anita both drop to the bench.

Papiss Cisse is listed as substitute, but Cheick Tiote, Paul Dummett, Tim Krul, Kevin Mbabu, Massadio Haidara and Gabriel Obertan are all unavailable.

Southampton, meanwhile, make one alteration from the side that won at Stoke last weekend as skipper Jose Fonte returns from suspension. Victor Wanyama is back on the bench, as is Sadio Mane after having his harsh red card rescinded on appeal by the FA.

Jay Rodriguez recently played an hour for the Saints' U21 team in a 3-1 win over Middlesbrough as he continues his recovery from foot surgery , but Ronald Koeman has insisted that he needs to get a full 90 minutes under his belt before being considered for the first team.

Charlie Austin is out with a hamstring injury and centre-back Florin Gardos is not yet ready to make his comeback from a serious knee problem.

The headline team news for Liverpool sees Jon Flanagan named as their ninth captain of the season, with Jordan Henderson on the bench due to illness and James Milner suspended. The homegrown right-back returned from a 20-month injury absence earlier this year and recently ended speculation over his future by agreeing a new long-term contract on Merseyside.

He comes in for Milner, while Joe Allen replaces Henderson and Origi deputises for Roberto Firmino after the latter was this week forced to withdraw from the Brazil squad for upcoming 2018 conmebol World Cup qualifiers against Uruguay and Paraguay due to hamstring trouble.

Alberto Moreno remains sidelined with a similar problem that led to him missing the Europa League last-16 second-leg draw with Manchester United at Old Trafford on Thursday.

Lucas Leiva and Kevin Stewart are still out, as are long-term absentees Joe Gomez and Danny Ings.

Liverpool: Mignolet, Flanagan (c), Lovren, Sakho, Clyne, Can, Allen, Lallana, Coutinho, Origi, Sturridge

Subs: Ward, Toure, Smith, Skrtel, Henderson, Ojo, Benteke

Southampton: Forster, Martina, Fonte (c), Van Dijk, Bertrand, Clasie, S. Davis, Romeu, Tadic, Long, Pelle

Subs: Stekelenburg, Cedric, Yoshida, Wanyama, Ward-Prowse, Mane, Juanmi

Sunderland: Mannone, Yedlin, Kone, Kaboul (c), Van Aanholt, Kirchhoff, M'Vila, Rodwell, Khazri, Borini, Defoe

Subs: Pickford, Jones, O'Shea, Cattermole, N'Doye, Lens, Toivonen

Newcastle: Elliot, Janmaat, Mbemba, Lascelles, Colback, Sissoko, Shelvey (c), Wijnaldum, Townsend, Perez, Mitrovic

Subs: Darlow, Taylor, Anita, Saivet, De Jong, Riviere, Cisse

A glance at the bottom half of the Premier League table highlights just how important this derby is to Newcastle and Sunderland's respective survival hopes.

Although Crystal Palace remain badly out of form, a win for Swansea over hapless Aston Villa yesterday moved them further away from danger and a vital 1-0 victory for Norwich at West Brom, secured courtesy of Robbie Brady's second-half effort, has really put the pressure on. Defeat today would be a real hammer blow.

Team news to come very soon...

Talking of strong records, Liverpool have generally fared well at St Mary's over recent years. Divock Origi bagged a hat-trick and the returning Daniel Sturridge notched a brace on their last visit, a 6-1 mauling in a Capital One Cup quarter-final tie on the south coast.

Sunderland boast an excellent record against Newcastle of late. The Black Cats are unbeaten in the last eight meetings with their fiercest rivals and a 3-0 victory at the Stadium of Light back in October 2015 means they have now won each of the last six.

Benitez is no stranger to hostile derbies, however.

Newcastle vs Sunderland is not the only fixture taking place today, of course. Title contenders Tottenham face Bournemouth later as they seek to close the gap on leaders Leicester to five points, while there is also the small matter of a Manchester derby at the Etihad Stadium.

Before that, however, Jurgen Klopp will hope to temporarily banish thoughts of a mouth-watering Europa League quarter-final meeting with former employers Borussia Dortmund as his Liverpool side seek to collect their fourth consecutive Premier League victory against Southampton.

We will have team news and confirmed line-ups ahead of those 13.30 GMT kick-offs for you right here shortly, as well as live updates throughout the afternoon. Don't move a muscle....

Arguably the most important Tyne-Wear derby of them all takes centre stage in the Premier League this afternoon, with both beleaguered north-east clubs fighting tooth and nail to avoid what would be a very costly relegation to the Championship.

The threat of missing out on the £5.136bn television rights bonanza set to infiltrate the top-flight next season has only served to increase the pressure on teams in the lower reaches of the table. Throw in a heated long-running rivalry between Sam Allardyce and new Toon boss Rafael Benitez and this has all the ingredients of a potential cracker.