Liverpool striker Luis Suarez has been banned for eight matches and fined 40,000 pounds for racially abusing Manchester United defender Patrice Evra during a Premier League match at Anfield in October, the FA said on Tuesday.
The challenge against champions Chlesea on Sunday is for Manchester United to show that they can replicate the confident and businesslike win that City showed a month ago.
Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard scored the first hat-trick in a Merseyside league derby since 1982 as his side enjoyed an emphatic 3-0 victory over Everton in the Premier League at Anfield on Tuesday.
The English FA charged Liverpool's Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez on Wednesday with racially abusing Manchester United defender Patrice Evra during the 1-1 Premier League draw at Anfield last month.
One of the most eagerly-awaited clashes of the Premier League season turned into a major letdown as Liverpool and Manchester United nullified each other in a largely undistinguished goalless draw at Anfield on Monday.
Messi's damning assessment of the team came home to roost when the season re-started after the coronavirus stoppage and Barca surrendered the league title to Real Madrid, prompting the captain to launch a new tirade against the team.
Liverpool, who made nine changes to the team in their last game before the FA Cup final with Chelsea at the weekend, slumped to a 1-0 home defeat by Fulham in the Premier League on Tuesday much to the annoyance of manager Kenny Dalglish.
The calls for calm towards frenzied fans before Manchester United travel to Liverpool were at odds with manager Alex Ferguson's desire on Friday to simply talk about "a game of football".
Craig Bellamy scored the decisive goal against his former club as Liverpool reached the League Cup final on Wednesday by beating Manchester City 3-2 on aggregate, prompting manager Kenny Dalglish to go all teary-eyed.
A preview of the line-up action in the English Premier League.
Liverpool romed into the Europa League final with a 3-0 win over Villarreal on another magical night at Anfield to tee up a showpiece clash with holders Sevilla who swatted away visitors Shakhtar Donetsk 3-1 on Thursday.
Images from Saturday's action in the Premier League.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field.
Images from English Premier League matches played on Sunday.
Luis Suarez is a disgrace to Liverpool and should never be allowed to play for them again, Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson said after the Uruguayan refused to shake Patrice Evra's hand on Saturday.
Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez returned after a nine-match absence but failed to inspire Liverpool to victory in a cagey 0-0 draw with Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League on Monday.
After the Champions League game, Liverpool host Arsenal in the league on Sunday.
Manchester United defender Patrice Evra is standing by his allegation that he was racially abused by Liverpool's Luis Suarez and will continue to pursue the matter, United manager Alex Ferguson said on Monday.
A summary of Tuesday's Group stage matches in the UEFA Champions League.
Steven Gerrard scored on his first start for seven months before Javier Hernandez headed a late equaliser as Liverpool and Manchester United battled to a 1-1 draw in the Premier League at Anfield on Saturday.
Manchester City suffered a third loss in four matches as Steven Gerrard earned Liverpool a 1-0 victory in the first leg of their League Cup semi-final at the Etihad Stadium Wednesday.
Liverpool appointed Kevin Keen as first team coach on Sunday as part of manager Kenny Dalglish's reorganisation of his backroom staff.
Andy Carroll scored at Anfield for the first time this season to help Liverpool reach the fourth round of the FA Cup with a 5-1 win over League 1 (third division) Oldham Athletic on Friday.
Liverpool striker Luis Suarez has a 70 million-pound escape clause in his new 200,000-pound-a-week contract with the club, under which he could stay in Anfield until 2018 just before Christmas.
Images from the English Premier League matches played on Saturday
Former Livepool defender Phil Thompson is in India to promote a club-backed football program - 'Go Forward'. Through this initiative, talent will be spotted from a pool of 2,000 kids from 80 municipal schools of Mumbai (BMC). They boys will pass through three levels of coaching and training before 32 of them will receive rigorous training from I-League and Liverpool FC coaches.
Liverpool striker Luis Suarez has been named the top trending football topic of 2013.
Raheem Sterling's agent has fuelled the fire surrounding the player's contract standoff with Liverpool by saying the England winger would not sign a new deal at Anfield - even for 900,000 pounds a week.
Gerrard will wave goodbye to the Liverpool fans in his final home match against Crystal Palace on Saturday.
Liverpool have completed the signing of winger Stewart Downing from Aston Villa and AS Roma's Brazilian goalkeeper Alexander Doni, the Premier League club said on Friday.
Christian Benteke wants to stay at Liverpool but is reluctant to commit his future to the Anfield club unless he gets more game time under manager Juergen Klopp. The former Aston Villa striker scored nine league goals during a mixed first season at the Merseyside club but made 15 of his 29 Premier League appearances from the bench. Benteke was signed by Klopp's predecessor, Brendan Rodgers, for 32.5 million pounds ($47.00 million) and under the German found himself behind Daniel Sturridge, Divock Origi and Roberto Firmino in the pecking order.
Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson's big question on Friday was whether captain Nemanja Vidic is ready to return to the team for the next day's "game of the season" at arch rivals Liverpool.
Premier League champions Liverpool maintained their 100 per cent start to the season with a 3-1 win against Arsenal at Anfield on Monday leaving them level on nine points with pacesetters Everton and Leicester City.
Liverpool midfielder Lucas Leiva has signed a new long-term contract, the club said on Wednesday.
The first legs will be on Tuesday 24 and Wednesday 25 April, with the returns on May 1 and 2.
Juergen Klopp's side returned to English Premier League action on Friday with a hunger and desire that suggested they have spent the close-season break chomping at the bit to get back on the field.
Italy striker Balotelli has scored only once in nine appearances since signing from AC Milan for 16 million pounds and has often cut a frustrated figure during a series of low-key displays.
Premier League club Liverpool have agreed a fee with Sunderland for their England midfielder Jordan Henderson in a deal which British media reported would cost the Merseysiders up to 20 million pounds ($32.79 million).
A round-up of Wednesday's night's UEFA Chmpions League matches.
Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar were all on target as holders Barcelona beat Athletic Bilbao 3-1 on Wednesday to overturn a deficit from the first leg and advance to the quarter-finals of the King's Cup.
