Premier League Newcastle United's FA Cup hopes floundered on England's south coast for the second year in a row as Championship club Brighton and Hove Albion kicked off third round action with a 2-0 victory on Saturday.
IMAGES from the English Premier League matches played on Wednesday.
Debutant Owen Hargreaves scored his first goal for more than three years and Mario Balotelli grabbed his first of the season as Manchester City beat holders Birmingham City 2-0 in a League Cup third round tie at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday.
Premier League quartet Sunderland, Norwich City, Queens Park Rangers and Swansea City were bundled out of the League Cup in the second round on Tuesday.
Arsenal, who fired Unai Emery as manager last week and appointed former player Freddie Ljungberg as caretaker boss, now sit 10th in the table on 19 points, with Brighton a single point behind and three places below them.
Addo joins Roberto Martinez (Belgium), Carlos Queiroz (Iran) and Gerardo Martino (Mexico) as coaches who immediately left their jobs after World Cup elimination this week.
Manchester United languish 14th in the standings on 19 points, their worst placing to end a calendar year since they were 15th in 1989.
This season's FA Cup favourites Tottenham Hotspur were held to a 0-0 draw at third tier Stevenage Sunday but Liverpool laid their claim to be the real frontrunners with a 6-1 fifth-round thrashing of Brighton & Hove Albion.
Substitute Gabriel Martinelli fired a last-gasp winner to earn Arsenal a 1-0 victory over Manchester City on Sunday.
Reigning champions City are also involved in a separate independent hearing into the club's alleged breaches of Premier League financial regulations which began in September, with a verdict expected some time before the end of the current season.
IMAGES from the Premier League matches played across England, on Sunday.
Liverpool hammered Sparta Prague 6-1 on Thursday to storm into the Europa League quarter-finals 11-2 on aggregate.
Goals from Freddie Hinds, Bobby Reid and Niclas Eliasson put the visitors through to the third round. Watford finished with 10 men after Jose Holebas was sent off.
Brighton secured their second victory of the competition with a comfortable win at Ajax thanks to goals from Ansu Fati and Simon Adingra.
Kevin de Bruyne struck twice to inspire Manchester City to a dominant 4-2 win at Crystal Palace on Saturday and move the champions level on points with Liverpool at the top of the Premier League table.
Manchester City were bundled out of the English League Cup by League One Brighton & Hove Albion on penalties on Wednesday.
Images from the English Premier League matches played on Saturday
A summary of Sunday's action in the English Premier League.
Rennes denied late Europa League equaliser due to little-known rule
Manchester City have now won only once in 11 games in all competitions.
For the only eighth time in Premier League history, the title will be decided on the final day
Arsenal had more than twice as many chances but failed to take any as the visitors defended gamely.
Five images from last week's action in Europe for you to savour.
A summary of Saturday's action in the English Premier League.
Brighton and Hove Albion's Tomer Hemed grabbed the only goal as they ended Newcastle United's three-match winning streak with a 1-0 victory on Sunday in a battle between two of this season's promoted sides.
A Sergio Aguero hat-trick helped Manchester City get back to winning ways in the Premier League with a 3-1 victory over Newcastle United, as they stayed 12 points ahead of Manchester United who had to dig deep to secure a 1-0 win at Burnley.
Images from the English Premier League matches played on Saturday.
Images from the English Premier League matches played on Sunday
IMAGES from EPL matches played on Saturday.
City were due to open their season against Aston Villa and United against Burnley but those games will be moved.
Ivan Toney, once Brentford's lynchpin in attack, has moved to Al-Ahli for 40 million pounds ($52.50 million).
Liverpool strolled to a 2-0 victory over Brentford, while Newcastle drew 1-1 at Bournemouth.
Images from the English Premier League matches played on Saturday
Chess grandmaster Magnus Carlsen's knack for complex strategy has helped steer him into the upper echelons of an unlikely competition -- fantasy football. The Norwegian stands third on the Premier League's official fantasy football competition (FPL), only being knocked off top spot on Monday after Crystal Palace's 1-1 draw against Brighton and Hove Albion.
Fulham's home game against Brighton & Hove Albion on Wednesday has also been pushed behind closed doors, while West Ham United too will host Crystal Palace without spectators on the same day.
Brazil missed a string of chances and were left to rue a lack of quality in the final third after they were held 0-0 by Costa Rica.
The defeat halted Brighton's impressive three-game winning streak which included a 4-1 win over Chelsea and a 3-1 victory at Arsenal in the League Cup on Wednesday.
A summary of Saturday's action in the Premier League.
In Conte's absence, Stellini guided Spurs to wins over Manchester City, West Ham United and Chelsea.
