United finished second last term, their best placing since the 2013 title win in Alex Ferguson's last season in charge, but the Red Devils were a massive 19 points behind champions Manchester City and never truly in contention.
Danny Welbeck's hat-trick in a 4-1 thrashing of a feeble Galatasaray side helped ignite Arsenal's Champions League campaign in a lop-sided Group D clash in north London on Wednesday.
The Copa America was played as a 12-team tournament from 1993 when the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) invited two teams from CONCACAF, the North and Central America and Caribbean region, to join in.
FA Cup winners Arsenal beat champions Chelsea 1-0 in England's Community Shield season curtain-raiser at Wembley on Sunday to end a long wait for victory over their London rivals.
Chile overwhelmed an out-of-sorts Spain 2-0 to join the Netherlands in the second round of the World Cup and eliminate the defending champions on a memorable night at the Maracana on Wednesday.
IMAGES from the Champions League matches played on Tuesday
And, since, pictures speak more than words, Rediff.com brings you images from these sporting events and others that made headlines in the week gone by.
A towering Diego Godin header secured Atletico Madrid a 1-1 draw against Barcelona and a first La Liga title for 18 years in a thrilling climax to the campaign on Saturday.
Chile bundled reigning champions Uruguay out of the Copa America with a 1-0 victory.
Second-half goals from Arturo Vidal and Eduardo Vargas gave hosts Chile a 2-0 victory over Ecuador.
Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea added another heart-stopping save to his collection as his team held a highly-impressive Sevilla side to a 0-0 draw away from home in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie on Wednesday.
Manchester City paid the price for missed chances as they were held to a 1-1 draw at Burnley on Saturday with Johann Berg Gudmundsson's 82nd minute equaliser earning the hosts a share of the points.
Manchester United stretched their winless Premier League streak to four games after their manager Jose Mourinho and midfielder Ander Herrera were sent off in a 0-0 home draw with Burnley on Saturday.
Argentina got their World Cup qualifying campaign off to the perfect start on Thursday when Lionel Messi's early penalty gave them a 1-0 win over Ecuador in a lacklustre match in Buenos Aires.
Olivier Giroud's rush of blood almost ruined Arsene Wenger's Christmas on Friday as the France forward's red card left Arsenal sweating towards the end of their 2-1 defeat of Queens Park Rangers.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger will take into consideration the views of the club's divided fan base before deciding whether to extend his 20-year reign at the north London side.
Arsenal missed the chance to heighten the congestion at the top of the Premier League and suffered fresh injury blows when a frustrating 1-1 draw at Norwich City failed to take them alongside leaders Manchester City and Leicester City on Sunday.
Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic returned to Manchester United on a year-year contract "to finish what I started," the 35-year-old announced in a club statement on Thursday.
Goals by substitutes Leroy Fer and Memphis Depay gave the Netherlands a 2-0 victory over Chile on Monday that put them top of World Cup Group B and likely to avoid a second-round meeting with Brazil.
Leicester City were left in touching distance of a fairytale first Premier League title on Sunday after Leonardo Ulloa's double helped them outclass Swansea City at a delirious King Power Stadium.
Chile's euphoria at reaching the final of the Copa America was tempered by the reminder that every time they have been in this position before they have finished as runners-up.
Bravo stopped Portugal's first three spot kicks from Ricardo Quaresma, Joao Moutinho and Nani while Chile converted their first three to win the clash of South American and European champions.
Five talking points from the Premier League weekend:
Arsenal scored twice in three minutes through a deflected Granit Xhaka strike and Danny Welbeck's header to claim a deserved 2-0 win over Manchester United on Sunday and inflict a first Premier League defeat on the visitors in 26 games.
A summary of Sunday's Premier League matches.
Sterling has scored six goals in five starts for City this season and has impressed with his overall contribution to Guardiola's prolific attack which has struck 29 goals in eight Premier League games.
The start to the 13 Tests long season could not have been better for India. A convincing win in their 500th Test over New Zealand with spinners Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja weaving their magic on a turning track to hand India a 1-0 lead in the three-match Test series. Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq receiving the Test mace for their meteoric rise to No.1 ranking in cricket's traditional format. Also, football took precedence once again, a struggling Manchester United ran riot at Old Trafford as they beat Premier League champions Leicester 4-1. An outstanding first-half performance by Arsenal helping them beat London rivals Chelsea. Other top teams like Manchester City and Liverpool also taking full points.
Third-placed Inter Milan scored twice in the last six minutes through Stefan De Vrij and Alessandro Bastoni to snatch a 2-1 win at Parma in Serie A on Sunday despite a subdued display. The scarcely-deserved victory left Inter eight points behind leaders Juventus and four adrift of second-placed Lazio with 10 games each to play.
Guardiola has crafted a sleek offensive unit but, after a breathless opening 15 minutes at The Emirates, they appeared to ease off as their intensity levels dropped and they allowed Arsenal back into the match.
"I've had a bit more luck than in recent weeks, so I'm making the most of it. For a striker, it always works in cycles and I know that. You can't start doubting yourself," Giroud told reporters after the game.
You would have been hard pressed at the start of the season to find anyone to bet on Liverpool's Brendan Rodgers becoming the first Premier League manager to get the sack, but he is now the bookies' joint favourite.
Chile have never beaten Argentina in open play in 27 Copa America meetings in 100 years yet have twice in 12 months dashed the hopes of Lionel Messi's team of lifting a major trophy.
'It gives a strong answer to all the questions that were raised during the week'
Alexis Sanchez had equalised for the visitors, scoring on the rebound after Manuel Neuer saved his 30th-minute penalty but the Gunners suffered when captain Laurent Koscielny limped off injured to leave the defence exposed.
Argentina remain winless in South American qualifying for the 2018 World Cup after struggling to a 0-0 in Paraguay on Tuesday, while Uruguay and Ecuador both made it two wins from two games to top the group.
West Ham United maintained their impressive start to the season when they beat champions Manchester City 2-1 at Upton Park on Saturday to consolidate their place in the top four of the Premier League.
Chilean forward Alex Sanchez returned to haunt his old club with the opening goal in Manchester United's 3-1 victory at Arsenal in a heavyweight FA Cup fourth-round clash.
Lionel Messi's return sparked Argentina to a 2-1 win over Chile in Santiago on Thursday, breathing new life into their South American qualifying campaign for the 2018 World Cup.
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