IMAGES from the Premier League matches played on Wednesday.
Uruguay will head to the World Cup on a winning note after beating Uzbekistan 3-0 in a chilly warmup in front of their own fans on Thursday.
London clubs' erratic start to the Premier League season improved with victories for Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal on Saturday but Manchester sides continued to make the running, with City and United the top two.
Chelsea's Ruben Loftus-Cheek had a Europa League night to remember by scoring the first hat-trick of his career as the midfielder inspired them to a 3-1 home win over Belarus champions BATE Borisov on Thursday.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field.
Chelsea kept alive their remote Premier League title chances with a 2-0 win over London rivals Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, set on their way by an exquisite strike from Hakim Ziyech which was quickly followed up by a Thiago Silva header.
Mesut Ozil helped Arsenal shake off the hangover of a midweek pounding in Germany with a starring role in a 3-0 win at Aston Villa while sloppy Liverpool lost 3-1 at West Ham United in the Premier League on Saturday.
IMAGES from the Premier League matches played on Saturday
A summary of Sunday's action in the Premier League.
Liverpool reclaimed top spot in the Premier League with a 3-1 win over Burnley at Anfield on Saturday, but they were made to battle hard by a brave visiting side.
Danny Welbeck and Jesse Lingard both scored twice as English champions Manchester United got their first win of the David Moyes era with a 5-1 victory over an A-League All Stars team at the Olympic Stadium on Saturday.
Wayne Rooney celebrated his 100th England cap by scoring a penalty to lead his team to a 3-1 win over Slovenia in a Euro 2016 Group E qualifier at Wembley on Saturday which only came to life after halftime.
Ronaldo answered his critics five minutes after halftime with a superb finish
Manchester United consolidated their fourth place, on 22 points, after first-half goals from Chris Smalling and Wayne Rooney and a brilliant, morale-boosting strike from Robin van Persie after the break sealed a 3-0 victory over Hull City.
The 27-year-old Belgium international had joined City squad last week after helping his country progress to the World Cup semi-finals in Russia.
Frank Lampard could make an emotional appearance against former club Chelsea this weekend as his new employers Manchester City host Jose Mourinho's side in an early showdown between the Premier League's heavyweights. Catch all the action.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Arsene Wenger reckoned that leaving his leading marksman Alexis Sanchez on the substitutes' bench had been a "debatable" decision but it was one that appeared to backfire on the Arsenal manager in the 3-1 defeat at Liverpool on Saturday.
Southampton striker Rickie Lambert will lead England's attack in the World Cup qualifier against Moldova on Friday after Daniel Sturridge was ruled out through injury.
Overall fatigue and long-term injuries to key players combined to end Arsenal's pursuit for the Premier League title this season, goalkeeper Petr Cech has said.
Danny Welbeck and Jesse Lingard both scored twice as English champions Manchester United got their first win of the David Moyes era with a 5-1 victory over an A-League All Stars team at the Olympic Stadium on Saturday.
A summary of Saturday's action in the English Premier League.
Jose Mourinho admitted that Sunday's 2-0 defeat to Arsenal means it will now be "impossible" for Manchester United to finish in the top four.
Arsenal had more than twice as many chances but failed to take any as the visitors defended gamely.
Images from the English Premier League matches played on Saturday
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 Saturday's action in the Premier League.
A ninth successive win in all competitions for United was celebrated with real vigour, as they moved to within a point of City in second, giving Arsenal the chance to go eight points clear at the top of the standings with a win over Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.
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Under-pressure Everton manager Roberto Martinez enjoyed some respite as his struggling side won for the first time in eight league matches.
Chelsea's Diego Costa continued his stunning start to life in the Premier League with a hat-trick in a 4-2 comeback win over Swansea City on Saturday that left champions Manchester City staring up the table after a 2-2 draw at Arsenal.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Lukas Podolski's transfer to Inter Milan moved closer on Saturday when the Germany forward met coach Roberto Mancini.
Manager Arsene Wenger wants Arsenal to reinforce their title credentials by beating Manchester City in the Premier League on Sunday and called on his players to show no fear at the Etihad Stadium.
Chelsea maintained their iron grip on top spot with a 2-1 win at Crystal Palace while Southampton recorded one of the biggest victories in Premier League history when they crushed a woeful Sunderland side 8-0 at St Mary'son Saturday.
The hosts struggled to break down Arsene Wenger's side despite enjoying the majority of possession and will feel hard done by after crafting the best of the game's few openings in a lively game at Stamford Bridge.
Liverpool frustrated as they were forced to settle for a 1-1 draw at Brighton on Saturday
'No problem with the player. It isn't true, that information'
Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger will be without right back Mathieu Debuchy for a "longer period" of time and is struggling with defensive options for their Champions League group opener against Dortmund.
Manchester United dominated Europe's transfer activity as the transfer deadline window slammed shut on Monday, manager Louis van Gaal taking his summer spending spree to more than 150 million pounds.
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