John O'Shea was Manchester United's unlikely hero as they beat Arsenal 1-0 in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League semi-final.
Manchester City continued their imperious start to the season with a 2-1 win over Swansea City to reach the fourth round of the League Cup on Wednesday but it was a testing night for rivals United who eventually overcame Northampton Town 3-1.
Manchester United defender Patrice Evra will miss the FA Cup fourth round match at Southampton due to a family bereavement, manager Alex Ferguson said on Friday.
Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal believes his side has a "big chance" of securing a top four finish to qualify for the Champions League next season after defeating neighbours Manchester City on Sunday. United, who claimed a 1-0 win at the Etihad, are sixth in the Premier League, a point behind their fourth-placed city rivals with eight games remaining. "The gap would have been too big if we had drawn or lost. It would have been very difficult," Van Gaal told British media "Now it is in our own hands but we have to win our games. We have more home matches than away and we don't lose so much at Old Trafford... so we have a big chance." United welcome 12th-placed Everton after the international break, followed by a trip to second-placed Tottenham Hotspur. They also host current leaders Leicester City on May 1.
Manchester United beat Aston Villa 3-1 to maintain their six-point Premier League lead.
Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson was far from disheartened after Villarreal held out for a 0-0 draw in their Champions League opener at Old Trafford on Wednesday. With striker Dimitar Berbatov injured and a doubt for the weekend and midfielders Paul Scholes and Michael Carrick also unavailable Ferguson named an unexpected line-up and was not too disappointed with a draw to start their title defence.
Cristiano Ronaldo could join Michael Carrick on the sidelines for Wednesday's match against AaB Aalborg as Manchester United aim to equal a Champions League record and qualify for the last 16 as winners of Group E. The defending champions will stretch their unbeaten run in the competition to 19 if they avoid defeat against the Danes -- a record currently held by Ajax and Bayern Munich.
Alex Ferguson, the most successful manager in Manchester United's history, underwent emergency surgery on Saturday for a brain haemorrhage, the club said.
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Manchester United are feeling the pressure ahead of their Champions League qualifier against Club Bruges on Tuesday, according to manager Louis van Gaal.
Manchester United are finally beginning to look like their old selves.
Liverpool target Chelsea after midweek tinkering, while third-placed Manchester City, whose hopes of qualifying for the Champions League knockout stage were dealt a severe blow in a humiliating 2-1 home defeat by CSKA Moscow on Wednesday, travel south to face struggling Queens Park Rangers.
Table toppers Chelsea have seen their lead reduced to just six points thanks to a revival from reigning champions Manchester City. If Chelsea slip, City can pile on the pressure to make the EPL battle a little interesting.
Guardiola says City's points record may last years
Four months after quitting Liverpool for Manchester City, Raheem Sterling will have the first opportunity to justify the move by getting one over his former employers when the teams meet at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday.
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.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Although it was far from unexpected, Frank Lampard's international retirement increased the challenge facing England manager Roy Hodgson as he looks to move the team forward for the 2016 European Championship and beyond.
The destination of the Premier League trophy will not be decided when current champions Chelsea meet their immediate predecessors Manchester City.
Rediff.com brings a preview of the main matches coming up this weekend in the English Premier League.
Manchester City squandered a gilt-edged opportunity to close the gap on Premier League leaders Chelsea when they let slip a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 at home to struggling Burnley on Sunday.
Roy Hodgson has given himself the option to give England a youthful, fresh edge at the World Cup after including Ross Barkley, Raheem Sterling, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Luke Shaw and Adam Lallana in his provisional squad on Monday. There were no real surprises as the irresistible late-season form of Everton's attacking midfielder Barkley and Liverpool wide man Sterling made their inclusion an easy choice for Hodgson despite having only five caps between them.
A summary of Wednesday's matches in the UEFA Champions League.
