Kevin de Bruyne was hailed as playing football "on another level" by his manager Pep Guardiola after the Belgian maestro orchestrated another Manchester City symphony on Saturday.
As the curtains fall on another year, Rediff.com brings you all the action from the sports field that defined 2019.
On the face of it, Jose Mourinho shouldered the blame for the wounding defeat in his first Manchester derby at Old Trafford on Saturday.
Philippe Coutinho thumped home a second-half winner as Liverpool broke the resistance of Championship Blackburn Rovers to reach the FA Cup semi-finals with a gritty 1-0 replay victory on Wednesday.
Manchester City stumbled to the most unexpected defeat of the Premier League season on Saturday before neighbours Manchester United began their brave new world under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer with a glorious reminder of long-forgotten attacking swagger.
The German was clearly swept up in the emotion at the end of the game as a delirious Anfield crowd sang the club's anthem "You'll never walk alone" with the players lined up in front of the Kop.
Manchester United's 3-2 Champions League defeat at VfL Wolfsburg on Tuesday was difficult to understand, said manager Louis van Gaal after they crashed out in the group stage for the first time since 2011.
The expanded European soccer Championship format with 24 teams in the finals instead of 16 contributed to fairytale runs by so-called minnows at Euro 2016 but also helped Portugal lift their first major trophy. The new formula introduces an extra knockout stage, the round of 16, with the top two teams in each of the six groups going through as well as the four best third-placed sides. Portugal did just that, finishing third in their group and going on to win the tournament with a 1-0 victory in extra time over hosts France in Sunday's final.
Cristiano Ronaldo wept tears of despair then tears of joy as Portugal stunned host France to lift the 2016 Euro Title in Paris. The Portuguese talisman has won everything at club level with Manchester United and Real Madrid. But Ronaldo has now become a true great after leading his country to European glory- Portugal's first major football title. Ronaldo tried to fight through pain due to a knee injury that he had suffered during the match but the knee injury took it's toll on him as Portugal lost their captain, who had to be carried off on a stretcher.
Ten-man Arsenal suffered a 3-0 Premier League defeat at Leicester City on Sunday in another blow to their hopes of finishing in the top four and qualifying for the Champions League.
City are looking to retain the title they won in record-breaking fashion last year and secure their fourth Premier League crown in eight years.
A soccer friendly between Belgium and Spain scheduled for Brussels on Tuesday has been postponed for security reasons after the Paris attacks, the Belgian soccer federation said in a statement.
City have 89 points, one more than rivals Liverpool, with both teams having three games to play -- and none of them against top six opponents.
Records fell on the final day of the Premier League season on Sunday as Manchester City beat Southampton 1-0 to become the first team to reach 100 points and Mohamed Salah established a new Premier League goalscoring mark as Liverpool clinched a top-four spot.
Players, manager, fans celebrate title triumph with victory parade
While he never managed to win an English league title medal with Liverpool, Gerrard will forever be associated with the Champions League final in 2005 when Liverpool fought back from 3-0 down at halftime to win on penalties in Istanbul.
News of all that transpired on and off the football field.
Raheem Sterling scored a second-half hat-trick as leaders Manchester City beat Watford 3-1 on Saturday while Liverpool kept the gap at one point by overcoming Burnley 4-2 on Sunday.
Reports in British media put the latest bid at 125 million euros.
Michael Clarke conceded his side's middle-order woes were down to his poor form with the bat and vowed to get among the runs in the last two Ashes Tests after Australia lost the third match to trail England 2-1.
Manchester City beat Swansea 3-1 to make it a perfect 10 victories under Pep Guardiola, including six in the Premier League, as they recorded their best start to a top-flight campaign. City's victory was the perfect riposte to the Spaniard's old rival Jose Mourinho, who earlier saw his remodelled Manchester United sparkle without the dropped Wayne Rooney, thumping Premier League champions Leicester City 4-1. On a day of goals, both Manchester sides were outscored by Liverpool, who crushed Hull City 5-1 to take their tally to 24 in the past eight games.
Spanish playmaker Mata, 31, joined United in 2014 for a then club record transfer fee of 37.1 million pounds ($46.86 million) from league rivals Chelsea.
England striker Jamie Vardy says Leicester City have no intention of treating the Champions League as some sort of belated Premier League victory parade, and are ready to add another chapter to last season's stunning success story.
Spain began a new era under Luis Enrique in impressive fashion as they came from a goal down to outplay England in a 2-1 win in their Nations League opener at Wembley Stadium on Saturday.
Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal appeared to need the sword of Damocles hanging over his head before he resorted to adopting the traditional fluid attacking style that served the team well in an impressive 3-0 win over Stoke City.
Steven Gerrard spoke of dread, devastation and defeat on Saturday as the Liverpool captain said farewell to an adoring and emotional Anfield crowd after 17 years and more than 700 appearances.
Images from Sunday's Premier League matches.
Former Cup winners Coventry, now plying their trade in the bottom division of the Football League, revived memories of happier times as Jordan Willis and Jack Grimmer scored the goals in a 2-1 victory at the Ricoh Arena.
The visitors got off to the perfect start when a mix up at the back saw Riyad Mahrez square for Jamie Vardy to tap into an open goal in front of the Kop in the third minute. Liverpool looked for an immediate riposte, but Salah missed two gilt-edged opportunities before Sadio Mane saw an effort disallowed for offside as Juergen Klopp's men grew frustrated.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
England's right-back Kieran Trippier is one of the World Cup's top performers.
The Argentine scores a hat-trick to become the highest foreign goal scorer in the Premier League on Sunday. Also, in bagging a 12th Premier League hat-trick he surpassed the 11 of Alan Shearer with whom he had shared the record.
'I am talking about people outside of here. I think it is pretty clear. Sometimes we haven't lost games and the hysteria around it is pretty clear. There is maybe something else going on from behind' 'We wanted to win for the manager'
IMAGES from the FIFA World Cup Group D match played between Argentina and Iceland at Kazan Stadium on Saturday
From outcast to hero, Steven Finn rediscovered the zing that made him England's youngest bowler to take 50 Test wickets by ripping through Australia and boost the home side's hopes of regaining the Ashes.
The victory takes Pep Guardiola's side into provisional second spot
Manchester United battled back from two goals down to beat Newcastle United 3-2 at Old Trafford on Saturday as a 90th-minute winner from Alexis Sanchez completed a spirited comeback to ease the pressure on manager Jose Mourinho.
Son Heung-min's thunderous finish helped Tottenham Hotspur secure a 2-0 victory at Leicester City and Liverpool eased past fourth-tier Exeter City 3-0 in FA Cup third-round replays on Wednesday.
Mickelson conceded the hole after firing his tee shot into the water with Molinari on the green to leave the Italian as the first European to win all five matches in a week -- having not won any of his previous six.
Images from English Premier League matches played on Sunday.
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