Manchester United's winless run continued but they gave under-fire coach Louis van Gaal crumbs of cheer with a committed display in an entertaining 0-0 draw with Chelsea while Arsenal went top of the table on Monday.
Chelsea's terrible start to the season plumbed new depths on Saturday when the Premier League champions lost 2-1 at West Ham United.
Images from Saturday's Premier League matches.
Only one point separates the two sides with Chelsea on 31 and City on 30 but Antonio Conte's impact at Stamford Bridge appears greater than his City counterpart Pep Guardiola's at the Etihad.
Theo Walcott's double fired Arsenal back to the top of the Premier League as the Gunners got their title challenge back on track with a 3-1 victory at West Ham United on Thursday.
Per Mertesacker is confident new goalkeeper Petr Cech will enhance Arsenal's defence and the centre back said he has already developed an understanding with the Czech international.
Liverpool's Egyptian forward Mohamed Salah scored his 29th Premier League goal six minutes from time to secure a 2-1 win at Crystal Palace that took them up to provisional second spot in the table on Saturday.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field.
Manchester City made sure of third place in the Premier League when they romped to a 5-0 win at Watford on Sunday to ensure a Champions League berth for next season.
There may be little glamour in being a mid-table Premier League team but this season suggests that those clubs who become bored with such an existence can find the alternative is far worse.
Chelsea ticked off three more points in their Premier League title quest with a 2-1 victory over Manchester City on Wednesday but Tottenham Hotspur's Houdini-like 3-1 win at Swansea means the race is far from over.
Chelsea are 10 points clear at top of the English Premier League championship table.
Manchester City failed in an audacious transfer deadline day move for Leicester City midfielder Riyadh Mahrez, British media reported on Wednesday.
Manchester City's Kompany out of Liverpool clash with calf injury
Gerrard will wave goodbye to the Liverpool fans in his final home match against Crystal Palace on Saturday.
Liverpool were sent spinning to a 2-0 defeat at promoted Burnley in the English Premier League on Saturday while Chelsea came from behind to win 2-1 at Watford thanks to late goals from Michy Batshuayi and Diego Costa.
Liverpool's hopes of qualifying for the Champions League all but ended.
Arsene Wenger hit back at Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho's thinly-veiled criticism.
Chelsea have been accused of being boring but they will not mind one bit if they beat Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge on Sunday to win the Premier League title for the first time in five years.
The Premier League bursts back into life after the international break.
Stuttering Chelsea retained their Premier League lead by virtue of the alphabet heading into the new year but will need a quick riposte at home to Newcastle United on Saturday (2030 IST) to hold Manchester City at bay.
France coach Didier Deschamps, who has kept tinkering with his squad since the start of the European Championship, will be forced to rejig once again when the hosts face Iceland for a place in the semi-finals. With centre back Adil Rami and holding midfielder N'Golo Kante suspended, Deschamps, who has been praised for shrewd tactical moves in the tournament, is looking for the best options for Sunday's game at the Stade de France.
IMAGES from the English Premier League matches played on Saturday.
Raheem Sterling and Philippe Coutinho helped Liverpool reach the FA Cup fifth round.
Netherlands international Daley Blind believes sacked Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal deserved more respect, better treatment.
England's Harry Kane and Jamie Vardy struck in a 2-1 friendly win over fellow Euro 2016 finalists Turkey on Sunday as the home side warmed up with a performance that highlighted their potency in attack and defensive limitations.
Jose Mourinho is a proven winner who is the perfect choice as Manchester United manager, the club's former defender Phil Neville said on Sunday.
Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal blamed injuries and unrealistic expectations for his team's disappointing season after a 3-1 win over Bournemouth on Tuesday confirmed a fifth place finish in the Premier League.
Tottenham Hotspur stormed back from 2-0 down to beat Burnley 4-2 in their FA Cup third-round replay on Wednesday despite resting their top striker in the once-fabled competition.
A suspicious package destroyed by a bomb disposal team after prompting the evacuation of Manchester United's stadium on Sunday was a fake device accidentally left behind after a training exercise, police said.
Manchester City emerged from a trough of despair to beat Tottenham Hotspur 3-1 and move to within three points of the Premier League title at Wembley on Saturday.
The omens are good for a Chelsea side heading into Christmas top of the Premier League tree but manager Jose Mourinho does not want to give title rivals Manchester City any reason to cheer over the festive season. Check out the big games on Boxing Day.
Four wins a row have lifted Manchester United into the Premier League's top four and Louis van Gaal's managerial reign is beginning to bear fruit after a difficult start.
A 3-0 reality check at the hands of Manchester City was always a moment waiting to happen for Southampton. Just how they bounce back from Sunday's defeat may now determine their fortunes this season.
Tottenham Hotspur have the chance to exert psychological pressure on Premier League leaders Chelsea when they open the weekend programme at home to Watford on Saturday.
But for third-placed Spurs, who trail leaders Manchester City and Liverpool by five points, this may prove to be a loss that leaves them with too much ground to make up.
New buyers of English and Welsh soccer clubs may be forced to sell up to 10 per cent of their stakes to fans of the club under plans put forward on Friday by Britain's opposition Labour party to shake up club ownership and governance rules.
West Ham United manager Sam Allardyce deserves credit for re-introducing the 'West Ham way' after a positive start to the Premier League season, co-chairman David Sullivan said on Friday.
Raheem Sterling scored a hat-trick as champions Manchester City made a convincing start to their title defence with a 5-0 win over West Ham United.
Liverpool blew a chance take a vice-like grip on the title race and Chelsea suffered their worst league defeat in 23 years.
