Manchester City withdrew from the battle to secure the services of Arsenal's Chilean forward Alexis Sanchez, leaving Jose Mourinho's Manchester United as the most likely destination for the 29-year-old.
The Arsenal forward broke the record just five minutes into the match, taking his tally to 38 with his national side at the Kazan Arena, Kazan.
AS Roma edged closer to a first ever league and cup double by limping into the Italian Cup final after a 1-0 defeat at Udinese in Wednesday's second leg tie.
After a string of middling transfer windows, Manchester United have made their biggest statement of intent in recent years by signing centre back Raphael Varane and winger Jadon Sancho.
Lionel Messi was so distraught at Barcelona missing out on reaching the 2012 Champions League final that he was reduced to tears
Images from Wednesday's football World Cup qualifiers.
Manchester United substitute Marcus Rashford scored in stoppage time as they came from behind to beat Bournemouth 2-1 away and close the gap on the top four in an exciting Premier League clash.
After damaging losses to Dinamo Zagreb and Olympiakos Piraeus in their first two fixtures, the Gunners have to win to advance to the knock-out stages
Zenit St Petersburg striker Hulk scored after nine minutes when he muscled his way past a defender and fired home from 12 metres.
This and more from the happenings in the world of football
Kevin De Bruyne, Kelechi Iheanacho, Raheem Sterling and Ilkay Gundogan gave Man City a 4-0 win over Bournemouth before Nolito was sent off.
Manchester United signed Chile forward Alexis Sanchez from Arsenal in a swap deal with midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan after a protracted transfer saga finally ended on Monday.
Manchester City's Premier League title celebrations were put on hold as rivals Manchester United produced a remarkable comeback from two goals down to win their derby clash 3-2 at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday.
Chile won the Copa America for the first time on Saturday.
Chelsea's on-loan Brazilian international Alexandre Pato scored on his debut to help push pathetic Aston Villa to the verge of inevitable relegation with a seventh successive Premier League defeat on Saturday. Pato, the former Milan starlet who has been kicking his heels since joining from Corinthians two months ago, came on as a 25th-minute substitute and was immediately involved in the move which led to Ruben Loftus-Cheek netting his first league goal.
Wenger dropped Rob Holding for the visit to Stoke, preferring Shkodran Mustafi alongside Nacho Monreal and Sead Kolasinac at the back.
LaLiga leaders Barcelona's pursuit of a 27th Spanish title gained momentum after a 2-1 comeback win over Real Madrid.
Substitute Dusan Tadic fired the only goal as Southampton recorded a first league win over Manchester United for 27 years on Sunday, climbing above them into third in the Premier League.
Chile beat Colombia 2-0 in the Copa America semi-final on Wednesday and will face Argentina in Sunday's final after surviving a tumultuous match in Chicago.
Chile advanced to the quarter-finals of the Copa America on Tuesday after two goals in the first half from Eduardo Vargas and two in the second from Alexis Sanchez gave them a 4-2 win over Panama in Philadelphia.
IMAGES from the English Premier League match played at Selhurst Park in London on Monday
United, who had Nemanja Matic sent off for a second bookable offence in injury time, had an early effort from Alexis Sanchez disallowed for offside but soon took command via a scrappy 35th-minute effort from Romelu Lukaku and a superb left-foot volley from Chris Smalling three minutes later.
British media reports say Sanchez will seal his move to United this week
Results and images from the English Premier League matches played on Saturday.
Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud has no concerns over his future at the club despite being displaced in the starting line-up by Alexis Sanchez, vowing to fight his way back into manager Arsene Wenger's first-team plans. Chilean forward Sanchez has shone in the central striker's role, scoring eight goals in 15 appearances this season, while Giroud has missed much of the campaign with a toe injury.
Alexis Sanchez shrugged off an ankle injury and continued his resurgent form at the Copa America. The Chile striker fired his side to a 2-1 victory over Ecuador on Friday which took the holders into the quarter-finals of the competition.
Arsenal all but sealed Champions League qualification for an 18th successive season after they eased past relegation-threatened Hull City 3-1 in the Premier League on Monday.
Chile got the victory they needed if they are to have any chance of progressing from a daunting Group B when they held off a strong Australian fightback to emerge 3-1 winners in another open and entertaining World Cup clash on Friday.
A summary of Thursday's World Cup qualifiers.
Arsenal fear Sanchez injury loss could be 'big blow'.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Arsenal qualified for a 17th successive season with a nervy 1-0 win at home to Besiktas and Malmo made it for the first time with a 3-0 win over Salzburg, whose participation ended in the qualifiers for the ninth time in a row.
If there is one thing that still riles Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola, it is the suggestion that his English Premier League success is down to money. After City were cleared of breaking UEFA's Financial Fair Play rules by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which overturned the club's two-year European ban, the Spaniard was in a fiery mood as he railed against the idea that cash was behind the club's two Premier League titles.
Arsenal, who went nine years without a trophy before winning the FA Cup in May, collected their second piece of silverware in three months when they crushed champions Manchester City 3-0 in the Community Shield at Wembley on Sunday.
Cech's solid 'keeping and Liverpool's staunch defence ensured the match ended in a goalless stalemate
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Mourinho not concerned by Manchester United's slow pre-season
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 will not sell striker Olivier Giroud, midfielder Jack Wilshere and winger Theo Walcott in the January transfer window despite their lack of playing time at the Premier League club, manager Arsene Wenger has said.
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