Arsenal and Chelsea enhance Champions League hopes as electric West Ham beat Stoke

Well that brings an end to our extended live coverage from our 3pm kick-offs. Head over to our live blog from the Etihad where City are playing Spurs. We're back tomorrow, but until then goodbye.

Full-time: Stoke 0-3 West Ham

West Ham out of the relegation zone as David Moyes claims seven points from nine in a week. Stoke meanwhile are one point above the relegation zone and chants of "You're getting sacked in the morning" directed towards Mark Hughes from his own fans tells you all you need to know about his career prospects.

Is Mark Hughes on his last knockings here as the manager of Stoke City. Peter Coates is going to hear this result loud and clear, if not he reaction from the home faithful.

GOAL! Stoke 0-3 West Ham (Mamadou Sakho)

Stoke have been totally deflated by that second goal and all the noise which accompanied Arnautovic's goal and his subsequent substitution which inflamed his relations with the Potters following.

GOAL! Stoke 0-2 West Ham (Marko Arnautovic)

Manuel Lanzini plays a one-two and slips the ball through for the Austrian who are half a dozen efforts on goal makes no mistake to put the Hammers two up with a quarter of an hour left.

Ryan Shawcross somehow doesn't level it up for Stoke. Chances have come at both ends and though it is only 1-0 it could very easily be much, much more.

OFF THE BAR! Arnautovic again and Stoke survive. The Austrian cuts onto his right foot and hits one off the crossbar with Lee Grant beaten.

He is already not a favourite of the home fans and he gesticulates towards the Stoke support, who have been on his back all afternoon, and they react in a few gestures of his own.

Half an hour to go and is this the last 30 minutes of Mark Hughes' Stoke tenure? Saido Berahino on for the Potters as they push for an equaliser.

Mark Noble celebrates scoring a first half penalty.

Chance for West Ham. Aaron Cresswell crosses and Marko Arnautovic comes in at the back post but can't convert and Stoke survive.

Nice touch from Mesut Ozil.

Back under way at the Bet365. West Ham still lead by a Mark Noble penalty, though the skipper has since been forced off injured.

Full time in our four 3pm kick-offs then. Wins for Chelsea and Arsenal, Huddersfield at Watford, while Brighton have been held by Burnley.

Stoke and West Ham are not long from getting under way in the second half at the Bet365 Stadium and we'll stay with that game until it reaches a climax. So don't go anywhere.

Full-time: Arsenal 1-0 Newcastle

Fraser Forster saves from Cesc Fabregas is stoppage time. Chelsea nearly home and dry here, but goodness knows how.

GOAL! Watford 1-4 Huddersfield (Aaron Mooy)

Half time: Stoke 0-1 West Ham

What a chance for Southampton. They should really be level as a cross from the right is directed goalwards by Austin at the near post, but Courtois is not required.

Newcastle really are giving it a go in this second half and Joselu should do so much better but directs his flying header over the bar. Arsenal are been desperately poor in this second half.

Charlie Austin kept out by Thibaut Courtois. Why did he not start? Southampton pushing for an equaliser.

Arsenal struggling to put Newcastle away and Elliot keeps the visitors in it with a fine save to deny Jack Wilshere. Can the Toon create anything?

Goal ruled out at Stamford Brigde. Hazard puts the ball on the net but he is slightly beyond the last defender from the rebound and the flag goes up.

RED CARD: Jonathan Hogg (Huddersfield)

GOAL! Stoke 0-1 West Ham (Mark Noble)

PENALTY TO WEST HAM

Marcos Alonso celebrates putting Chelsea ahead.

GOAL! Watford 0-3 Huddersfield (Laurent Depoitre)

Back under way across the country, while we also have football at the Potteries - a game delayed by electrical problems.

Half time across the country in the Premier League, in the four games which have managed to get going.

Chelsea and Arsenal are both one to the good over Southampton and Newcastle. Marcos Alonso and Mesut Ozil have their respective sides ahead.

Huddersfield lead Watford by two thanks to Elias Kachunga and Aaron Mooy's goals, with Troy Deeney having been sent off.

It is goalless at Brighton, but Burnley survived going behind after Glenn Murray missed a penalty which he controversially won.

Meanwhile at the Bet365 Stadium, Stoke and West Ham won't get under way until 4pm due to a power outage.

GOAL! Chelsea 1-0 Southampton (Marcos Alonso)

Antonio Conte won't be complaining about the amount of stoppage time now because there is enough time for Chelsea to take the lead. Marcos Alonso swings a free-kick around the wall and it beats a sleepy Fraser Forster at his near post.

Two added minutes at Stamford Bridge and Conte is fuming with the fourth official Robert Madley.

Nacho Monreal escapes without any clear damage after a head clash from a Newcastle corner. That was a brief foray into the final third for the visitors.

OFF THE POST! Pedro nearly gives Chelsea the lead via a rampaging run off the left-flank which via a flick off Lemina strikes the upright flush and Southampton clear. After an early spell, it has been all Chelsea in this first half.

Tiemoue Bakayoko opened the scoring for Chelsea in mid-week and he nearly does the same again but his shot is deflected behind by Yoshida.

So close to a second for Arsenal. Mesut Ozil draws Elliot and a combination of the Newcastle 'keeper and Jamaal Lascelles shuffle the ball behind.

Mesut Ozil celebrates putting Arsenal ahead.

Glenn Murray wins the penalty, a debatable one at that, but he can't take advantage as he lashes over. Burnley survive.

PENALTY TO BRIGHTON

Willian has been silky smooth in this first half and his run down the left sets up Marcos Alonso, whose right-foot effort forces Forster into a decent reaction save at the near post.

RED CARD: Troy Deeney (Watford)

Granit Xhaka needs no invitation to shoot from range but Newcastle do just that but his left-foot strike flies low and wide.

Watch Mesut Ozil's goal against Newcastle here

Hector Bellerin almost outdoes Ozil with a volley on his own, taking Sanchez's cross on the full but blasting over from the angle. It is all Arsenal at the moment.

N'Golo Kante tests Fraser Forster with a rasping drive which he turns away with his right hand.

GOAL! Arsenal 1-0 Newcastle (Mesut Ozil)

Well that is quite a goal. Mesut Ozil scores what is likely to be the goal of the weekend with a stunning volley. Sanchez's shot is blocked and then headed away by Newcastle but Ozil shuffles back and smashes it first time from 20 yards into the top corner.

GOAL! Watford 0-2 Huddersfield (Aaron Mooy)

The view from the Bet365 Stadium. Fans still stuck outside.

Cedric Soares was subject to a bad tackle from Gary Cahill earlier and his afternoon is over after just 16 minutes. Mario Lemina - one of those to drop out from mid-week - is coming on.

Willian really should give Chelsea the lead as he collects a slide-rule ball from Hazard but steers wide from 10 yards.

Latest from the Bet365 Stadium is that Stoke vs West Ham will kick-off at 4pm after the power outage earlier this afternoon.

Arsenal starting to have a lot of joy in the Newcastle final third and some wonderful one-touch football sets up Sanchez, but he lashes over from 20 yards.

Southampton have begun brightly at Stamford Bridge and Boufal is causing plenty of problems down the left, crossing into the six-yard box where it needs Courtois to turn the ball away.

Stoke vs West Ham is at this stage still going ahead after the power was restored but play is yet to get under way. All the news on that situation as we get it.

Half a chance for Arsenal as Sanchez and Lacazette combine, but Yedlin gets in the way and Newcastle survive.

GOAL! Watford 0-1 Huddersfield (Elias Kachunga)

First chance at the The Emirates and it comes for Newcastle as a back-post header from Merino forces Cech into a good low save.

Under way in the Premier League across the country. Updates on the way.

Fans at the Bet365 Stadium have an early Christmas present. Those travelling West Ham fans will be relieved too.

Hooray!

So how is our coverage going to work this afternoon?

The main games which will dominate our focus is Arsenal vs Newcastle and Chelsea vs Southampton, while we'll have news of all the goals as they go in from the other three games at the Amex, Bet365 Stadium and Vicarage Road.

Update from the Bet365 Stadium. Kick-off should be "shortly" after 3pm, but reporters inside the ground are not optimistic. Some talk the game could be delayed.

News from the Bet365 Stadium, where an electrical fault is destined to see kick-off delayed.

But as far as unnecessary effort to mark a week before Christmas, the prize surely goes to Chelsea.

Christmas has arrived at The Emirates in several forms.

Full time at the King Power Stadium and it finishes Leicester 0-3 Crystal Palace. Goals from Christian Benteke, Wilfried Zaha and substitute Bakary Sako scored the Eagles' first away win of the season and delivered their first win on the road. Leicester won 4-1 at Southampton in mid-week but things just did not go their way this afternoon.

The biggest piece of team news from the 3pm kick-offs has to be surrounding the six changes made by Southampton boss Mauricio Pellegrino after the 4-1 hammering by Leicester.

That includes Virgil van Dijk being left-out entirely, amid renewed speculation linking him with a move to Manchester City and Liverpool. He is not the only one I must be said, with Charlie Austin, Dusan Tadic, Sofiane Boufal, Steven Davis and Mario Lemina also miss out.

It raises this important question...

Watford vs Huddersfield

Stoke vs West Ham

Brighton vs Burnley

Now we have covered off our main games, let's have a look at the rest of our 3pm Premier League games, starting at the Amex.....

One change for Chelsea for the visit of Southampton, as Gary Cahill returns as captain to replace Antonio Rudiger. Alvaro Morata is back, but only on the bench.

There is no Virgil van Dijk for Southampton, amid renewed speculation over his future. Hoedt returns to replace him. There are four other changes as Ward-Prowse, Højbjerg, Redmond and Gabbiadini are all recalled.

Back to The Emirates where Arsenal have made just one change from the goalless draw at West Ham. That sees Alexandre Lacazette come in for Olivier Giroud.

Newcastle make five alterations. Karl Darlow is unsurprisingly dropped, with Rob Elliot replacing him. The remainder of the changes come in the front side, with the suspended Jonjo Shelvey and Dwight Gayle dropping out. Ayoze Perez and Joselu are among those to come in.

Meanwhile, the team are also in from Stamford Bridge.

And now the Newcastle XI.

And here is the Arsenal team....

An update from the King Power Stadium where it is all going off. Palace remain 2-0 ahead, but Leicester could easily have restored parity.

First, Vicente Iborra looked to have halved the deficit with a clinical header but that was ruled out for a push on James Tomkins.

No matter, Leicester thought they should have a penalty when Wilfried Ndidi went down under a challenge. Referee Martin Atkinson blew up, but only to award a free-kick to Palace and show a second yellow card to Ndidi, who has been sent off on his 21st birthday.

Palace should have had the chance to increase their lead when Marc Albrighton wipped out Christian Benteke but the official waved away the appeal.

And breathe.

Our other featured game this afternoon is Chelsea vs Southampton, so how might both sides line up?

Alvaro Morata is likely to return for Chelsea after a back problem. Danny Drinkwater could start but David Luiz is a doubt after having only recently returned from a long-term knee injury.

Southampton have a clean-bill of health. Nathan Redmond and James Ward-Prowse should earn recalls but it remains to be seen what happens to Wesley Hoedt, who was not on the bench on Wednesday.

Arsenal's players have arrived at the Emirates.

So let's look at the team news before the sides are confirmed at the top of the hour, starting with Arsenal vs Newcastle....

Aaron Ramsey and Theo Walcott are out for Arsenal but Shkodran Mustafi could be available after not playing since the international break. Alexandre Lacazette and Sead Kolasinac should also return.

Issac Hayden is likely to come in for Jonjo Shelvey, who is suspended. Aleksandar Mitrovic is out through injury but Paul Dummett, who has not played since the opening day, is fit after a back injury.

For those early risers, the Premier League action for the day is already under way with Leicester City hosting Crystal Palace. And it is Roy Hodgson's side who are on their way to breaking their duck away from home, leading 2-0 at the King Power Stadum.

Christian Benteke scored their first away league goal of the season wit a firm header, before Wilfried Zaha smashed home a second. The second 45 minutes has just got under way and I'll keep you abreast of any significant developments.

Today the focus is very much on the race for the Champions League, with Manchester City seemingly done and dusted as far as the title is concerned.

Arsenal can lay the first blow this weekend when they host a Newcastle side who are in free-fall, after seven defeats in their last eight. But with Rafael Benitez in toe anything is possible from the Toon.

Chelsea meanwhile take on Southampton at Stamford Bridge. The Blues went back to winning ways after a lean run, comfortably easing past Huddersfield. They welcome a Southampton side who are licking their wounds after being thrashing by Leicester in mid-week.

There are three other games to get your teeth into, with David Moyes' West Ham, an ever-improving Watford and Europe-chasing Burnley among those sides in action.

All the team news and build-up ahead of those 3pm kick-offs on the way.