Everton tightened their grip on fourth place in the Premier League and the prospect of Champions League football with a 1-0 win over Reading on Saturday.
Manchester United went top of the EPL after a 4-0 romp at Sunderland while Chelsea and Arsenal were held to a draw.
Chelsea host Villa on Wednesday, Newcastle United on Dec. 29 and are away at neighbours Fulham on new year's day.
Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice as Manchester United beat Fulham 2-0 at Old Trafford on Monday to climb to second in the Premier League.
Liverpool continued their hot streak by beating Bolton Wanderers 4-0 on Sunday with captain Steven Gerrard scoring one goal and having a hand in the other three. In the day's other Premier League game Alex McLeish got off to a flying start in charge of Birmingham City as Sebastian Larsson stuck a terrific injury-time goal to snatch a 3-2 win at Tottenham Hotspur.
Cesc Fabregas and Sol Campbell are doubtful for Champions League semi-final first leg against Villarreal
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.
Chelsea's hopes of catching leaders Arsenal suffered a setback after a 3-2 defeat at Aston Villa in the premier league.
Michael Owen's first-half double helped Liverpool crush Blackburn Rovers 4-0 and reclaim fourth place in the English premier league.
Real Madrid thrashed Villareal 5-0 while arch-rivals Barcelona beat Athletico Madrid 3-1 on Sunday.
Michael Owen has given coach Steve McClaren a lift before September's Euro 2008 qualifiers by returning to action.
A stunning 87th-minute free kick by captain Steven Gerrard gave Liverpool a 2-1 victory at Aston Villa as the new Premier League season opened on Saturday.
Chelsea's lead at the top of the Premier League was cut to one point on Wednesday when they lost 2-1 at Everton with Louis Saha continuing his scoring jinx over them. Second-placed Manchester United drew 1-1 at Aston Villa while Arsenal stayed in the hunt after beating Liverpool 1-0.
Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford returned to full training after a recent shoulder operation and should be available after the international break, manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said.
The Manchester United midfielder pulled off a rare double when he was named both PFA Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year.
Liverpool came within a point in the battle for third after they drew 0-0 at Aston Villa.
Manchester United went top of the Premier League with a 2-1 home win over Bolton Wanderers on Saturday as Chelsea went down 2-1 at Aston Villa and Liverpool lost at Sunderland to a goal that went in off a beach ball.
City were due to open their season against Aston Villa and United against Burnley but those games will be moved.
Manchester United beat Aston Villa 3-1 to maintain their six-point Premier League lead.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer struck in injury time to earn Manchester United a 2-1 home win over Aston Villa in the third round of the FA Cup on Sunday.
Jose Mourinho said Father Christmas must be a Chelsea fan after his side grabbed a last-gasp 3-2 win at Wigan Athletic on Saturday.
Leaders Manchester United registered a resounding 3-0 victory at Aston Villa, while Chelsea scored a last-gasp 3-2 win at Wigan Athletic.
Arsenal's England striker Danny Welbeck will miss Euro 2016 after being sidelined for nine months following surgery on his right knee, the Premier League club said on Wednesday. Welbeck went off in Sunday's 2-2 draw at Manchester City after sustaining "significant cartilage damage", the London club said on their website (www.arsenal.com). Since returning in February after a knee injury suffered in May last year, Welbeck has been in good form, scoring five times including winners against Leicester City and Norwich City.
Marcus Rashford scored twice as Manchester United extended their 100 percent record on the road, coming from behind again to win 3-2 at the English Premier League's bottom club Sheffield United on Thursday.
Striker Georgios Samaras scored his fourth goal in eight games for his new club to give them a 2-1 victory over Aston Villa.
England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson has no intention of not honouring his contract and would like to extend it to the 2010 World Cup, his agent said on Sunday.
Manchester beat Aston Villa 2-0 to slash Chelsea's Premier League lead to six points.
Arsenal will begin their quest to become the first club since 1886 to win the English FA Cup three years in succession.
The champions beat Aston Villa 2-1 while Manchester United went down 1-2 at home to Blackburn Rovers in the Premier League.
Champions League holders Liverpool beat Sunderland 1-0 as Xabi Alonso scored through a free kick.
IMAGES from the Premier League matches played on Saturday
Police said they had interviewed Lee Bowyer and Kieron Dyer after their on-pitch brawl during an English Premiership game earlier this month.
Liverpool opened up an eight-point lead at the top of the Premier League with an emphatic and hugely impressive 3-1 win over defending champions Manchester City.
