Chelsea are 10 points clear at top of the English Premier League championship table.
Liverpool were sent spinning to a 2-0 defeat at promoted Burnley in the English Premier League on Saturday while Chelsea came from behind to win 2-1 at Watford thanks to late goals from Michy Batshuayi and Diego Costa.
Gerrard will wave goodbye to the Liverpool fans in his final home match against Crystal Palace on Saturday.
Liverpool's hopes of qualifying for the Champions League all but ended.
Arsene Wenger hit back at Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho's thinly-veiled criticism.
Chelsea have been accused of being boring but they will not mind one bit if they beat Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge on Sunday to win the Premier League title for the first time in five years.
The Premier League bursts back into life after the international break.
France coach Didier Deschamps, who has kept tinkering with his squad since the start of the European Championship, will be forced to rejig once again when the hosts face Iceland for a place in the semi-finals. With centre back Adil Rami and holding midfielder N'Golo Kante suspended, Deschamps, who has been praised for shrewd tactical moves in the tournament, is looking for the best options for Sunday's game at the Stade de France.
Stuttering Chelsea retained their Premier League lead by virtue of the alphabet heading into the new year but will need a quick riposte at home to Newcastle United on Saturday (2030 IST) to hold Manchester City at bay.
Manchester City emerged from a trough of despair to beat Tottenham Hotspur 3-1 and move to within three points of the Premier League title at Wembley on Saturday.
Netherlands international Daley Blind believes sacked Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal deserved more respect, better treatment.
England's Harry Kane and Jamie Vardy struck in a 2-1 friendly win over fellow Euro 2016 finalists Turkey on Sunday as the home side warmed up with a performance that highlighted their potency in attack and defensive limitations.
Jose Mourinho is a proven winner who is the perfect choice as Manchester United manager, the club's former defender Phil Neville said on Sunday.
Raheem Sterling and Philippe Coutinho helped Liverpool reach the FA Cup fifth round.
Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal blamed injuries and unrealistic expectations for his team's disappointing season after a 3-1 win over Bournemouth on Tuesday confirmed a fifth place finish in the Premier League.
Some English clubs may consider vaccine status of transfer targets
A suspicious package destroyed by a bomb disposal team after prompting the evacuation of Manchester United's stadium on Sunday was a fake device accidentally left behind after a training exercise, police said.
Images from EPL matches played on Wednesday.
Tottenham Hotspur stormed back from 2-0 down to beat Burnley 4-2 in their FA Cup third-round replay on Wednesday despite resting their top striker in the once-fabled competition.
But for third-placed Spurs, who trail leaders Manchester City and Liverpool by five points, this may prove to be a loss that leaves them with too much ground to make up.
The omens are good for a Chelsea side heading into Christmas top of the Premier League tree but manager Jose Mourinho does not want to give title rivals Manchester City any reason to cheer over the festive season. Check out the big games on Boxing Day.
Tottenham Hotspur have the chance to exert psychological pressure on Premier League leaders Chelsea when they open the weekend programme at home to Watford on Saturday.
Four wins a row have lifted Manchester United into the Premier League's top four and Louis van Gaal's managerial reign is beginning to bear fruit after a difficult start.
A 3-0 reality check at the hands of Manchester City was always a moment waiting to happen for Southampton. Just how they bounce back from Sunday's defeat may now determine their fortunes this season.
Raheem Sterling scored a hat-trick as champions Manchester City made a convincing start to their title defence with a 5-0 win over West Ham United.
Players from both teams took a knee in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement before Wednesday's game at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas, but their gesture was overshadowed by booing from a small section of fans.
Liverpool blew a chance take a vice-like grip on the title race and Chelsea suffered their worst league defeat in 23 years.
Images from the EPL matches played on Saturday
Here are five talking points from the weekend's Premier League action:
New buyers of English and Welsh soccer clubs may be forced to sell up to 10 per cent of their stakes to fans of the club under plans put forward on Friday by Britain's opposition Labour party to shake up club ownership and governance rules.
Images from Saturday's English Premier League matches.
West Ham United manager Sam Allardyce deserves credit for re-introducing the 'West Ham way' after a positive start to the Premier League season, co-chairman David Sullivan said on Friday.
Here are five talking points from the weekend's action:
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field.
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.
The Dimitri Payet saga may have been preying on the minds of West Ham fans of late but the swaggering talent of big Andy Carroll is helping them forget all about the unseemly sideshow involving their French midfielder.
McTominay injury takes gloss of vibrant United display
A summary of Tuesday's League Cup matches.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic was again at his irrepressible best with another double earning Jose Mourinho's increasingly confident Manchester United a 2-0 win at West Bromwich Albion in the Premier League on Saturday.
Guardiola said City had plenty of options, with Gabriel Jesus the only main striker fit and ready but Ilkay Gundogan and Raheem Sterling are able to slot into the role.
