Defoe double earns Sunderland vital win; West Brom, Norwich victorious
Jermain Defoe scored twice as Sunderland beat Aston Villa 3-1 to leave the visitors seven points adrift at the bottom and facing an almost impossible task to survive.
Patrick van Aanholt's deflected drive gave Sunderland the lead on the half-hour before Carles Gil levelled with a spectacular volley after 63 minutes.
But Defoe scored twice in the final 20 minutes to take his season's total to nine as Sunderland ended a five-game losing streak.
West Brom beat in-form Stoke 2-1 as Johnny Evans claimed a stoppage time winner for the Baggies, his first goal for the club.
Evans struck after Stoke had been reduced to 10 men late on for Geoff Cameron's push on Claudio Yacob.
Stephane Sessegnon's first goal in 15 months had put West Brom ahead on the hour before Jonathan Walters equalised moments before Cameron's 83rd-minute dismissal.
Alex Tettey's 76th-minute goal gave Norwich a 1-0 victory over Southampton, who suffered their seventh defeat in nine games after Victor Wanyama had been sent off for two bookings with the game goalless.
