Liverpool's FA Cup match on Saturday is one of four all-Premier League tussles, with leaders Manchester United also hosting Aston Villa, Everton taking on Blackburn Rovers and Portsmouth facing Wigan Athletic.
Fernando Torres scored twice as Liverpool battled to a 3-2 English Premier League win at West Ham United on Saturday after the Londoners had twice pegged them back. Belgian centre back Thomas Vermaelen was a less likely two-goal hero as his double set up Arsenal for a 4-0 home thrashing of Wigan Athletic - emphatically avoiding a hat-trick of defeats after losses to Manchester United and City.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said his team did not show enough quality to get the three points.
Manchester City produced a blistering first-half performance to win 4-1 at Sunderland in the League Cup third round on Tuesday, inflicting more misery on Dick Advocaat's struggling side.
Everton went ahead of Liverpool into fourth place in the Premier League on Monday with an impressive 2-0 victory at Manchester City.
England coach Fabio Capello has bemoaned a lack of goalkeeping talent at his disposal, saying on Monday it forced him to bring back goalkeeper David James.
Chelsea gave departing coach Guus Hiddink the perfect leaving present when they came from behind to beat Everton 2-1 in the FA Cup final at Wembley on Saturday.
Newcastle United's euphoria after their win over Middlesbrough on Monday turned to despair on Saturday when a 1-0 loss at home to Fulham left their Premier League status hanging by a thread.
Aston Villa will be the first league visitors to Arsenal's new Emirates Stadium on the opening day of the Premier League.
Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard will miss the next few weeks after tearing a muscle in his right thigh.
Manchester United beat Sunderland 4-0 while Chelsea were held to a 4-4 draw by Astin Villa in the EPL.
Federico Macheda came off the bench to save Manchester United for the second week running on Saturday when the 17-year-old Italian got the decider in a 2-1 win at Sunderland with his first touch seconds after coming on.
Federico Macheda's debut goal for Manchester United is the result of a cattle market where young players are snapped up by rich foreign clubs, Lazio president Claudio Lotito said on Monday.
Teenager Federico Macheda marked his Manchester United debut with an astonishing stoppage-time winner to give the defending champions a 3-2 victory over Aston Villa and keep them on course for the Premier League title. The 17-year-old substitute, who replaced Nani after 61 minutes, showed tremendous composure to turn Villa defender Luke Young and curl the ball past Villa keeper Brad Friedel.
Unbeaten Arsenal stretched their lead in the Premier league to five points after a 2-1 win at Aston Villa on Saturday while Chelsea beat West Ham United 1-0 to overhaul Manchester United and go second.
Yossi Benayoun struck in injury time to give Liverpool a hugely important 1-0 victory at Fulham that took them top of the Premier League on Saturday. The win takes Liverpool to 67 points, two ahead of champions Manchester United, who have two games in hand and host Aston Villa on Sunday.
England internationals were the target of boos up and down the country on Saturday in a backlash to the national team's failure to qualify for Euro 2008.
The English Premier League title race was thrown wide open with leaders Manchester United losing a second successive match and Liverpool thumping Aston Villa 5-0 to close the gap at the top to one point. Barcelona maintained their six-point lead in Spain, while a double from Zlatan Ibrahimovic ensured Inter Milan stayed seven points clear in Serie A.
Manchester United crushed Derby County 4-1 away while Everton beat Aston Villa 3-1 at Goodison Park on Sunday to reach the quarter-finals of the FA Cup. United were pushed all the way by the Championship (second division) strugglers in the League Cup semi-finals last month but cruised home this time with goals by Nani, Darron Gibson, Cristiano Ronaldo and Danny Welbeck.
New Chelsea coach Guus Hiddink said Thursday he was excited at the prospect of managing a club challenging for three major trophies.
Tottenham Hotspur rallied to hold Aston Villa 4-4 in a Premier League match after two dreadful errors from England goalkeeper Paul Robinson looked to have sunk them.
Liverpool climbed to the top of the Premier League table with a 2-1 victory over struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday.
Liverpool's stay might only last for 24 hours until overnight leaders Chelsea visit Aston Villa on Sunday.
Liverpool stayed top of the Premier League on Sunday after an emphatic 5-1 win at Newcastle United gave them maximum points from their two Christmas fixtures.
Chelsea missed the chance to top the table at Christmas when, after having captain John Terry sent off in the 34th minute, their 11-game away English Premier League winning streak ended with a 0-0 draw at Everton on Monday. Terry was shown a straight red for a wild lunge at Leon Osman, taking the steam out of the Londoners, who had dominated until the dismissal but were then forced to hang on in the second half.
Mikel Arteta's team are third with 61 points after 27 games, a point behind Manchester City
Premier League leaders Liverpool stumbled again at home on Saturday, needing two Steven Gerrard goals to salvage a point in a 2-2 draw with Hull City.
Bolton Wanderers illuminated a dull day in the Premier League on Saturday with a 4-1 victory at Sunderland that lifted them to seventh in the standings.
The top four failed to muster a goal on Saturday as Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United drew 0-0 while Arsenal went down 3-0 at Manchester City. Premier League leaders Chelsea could find no way through Newcastle United at Stamford Bridge. Liverpool had the same problem at home to Fulham and third-placed Manchester United were held 0-0 in a lively game at Aston Villa.
The Turkey defender was allowed to spend time with his family, his club Aston Villa said.
Chelsea stayed top of the Premier League with a 2-0 victory over Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge on Sunday while Liverpool kept pace after an astonishing comeback earned them a 3-2 win at Manchester City.
Minor league Eastleigh suffered FA Cup heartbreak when they conceded a late equaliser to four-times winners Bolton Wanderers on a gluepot pitch at their snug Ten Acres ground on Saturday.
Three months after the last ball was kicked, the Premier League emerges from the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic this week for what will be a 92-match slog to the finish.
Terry had surgery in France last week to cure a back problem and has been sidelined since a league win over Newcastle United on Dec. 13.
Manchester City celebrated their fourth Premier League title in five years in spectacular style on Monday as fans thronged the streets of the city to party with their heroes for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ruthless Arsenal threw down the gauntlet in the Premier League title race with a 5-0 thrashing of London rivals Chelsea to roar three points clear at the top of the table on Tuesday.
Manchester United routed Aston Villa 4-0 while Arsenal fought back from two goals down for a 3-2 win over Bolton Wanderers.
It was United fifth draw in nine games and leaves them in fourth place in the Premiership.
Aston Villa moved into fifth place in the Premier League after a John Carew hat-trick sealed a 4-1 hammering of Newcastle United.
