Cesc Fabregas scored twice to send Arsenal second in the Premier League, four points behind Chelsea but with a game in hand, after brushing aside Aston Villa 3-0 at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.
Chelsea's stuttering form continued on Saturday when the Premier League leaders kicked off a hectic holiday programme with a 0-0 draw at Birmingham City.
Wayne Rooney scored a two-penalty hat-trick as Manchester United won 4-1 at Portsmouth on Saturday to trim Chelsea's Premier League lead to two points.
Hull City, who visit Anfield on Saturday, have displayed superb away form in their first season in the top flight, and offer no guarantee of three points to Rafael Benitez's side.
Arsenal recovered from going two goals down in the opening eight minutes to beat Hull City 3-2 after extra time in the FA Cup final and win their first trophy for nine years at Wembley on Saturday.
Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero and goalkeeper Joe Hart could return from injury in time for Saturday's Premier League game against Stoke City, manager Manuel Pellegrini has said.
Arsenal are going through a sticky patch, goals and points are drying up and injuries are mounting, so it is not the best time to entertain Manchester United on Saturday. Chelsea, who returned to the top last week on goal difference with a 5-0 thrashing of Sunderland, are at Blackburn Rovers on Sunday while Liverpool, stunned 2-1 at Tottenham Hotspur, are at home to West Bromwich Albion on Saturday.
Chelsea, Valencia and Lazio shook things up in England, Spain and Italy by climbing to the top of their respective leagues.
Chelsea demolished the team that succeeded them as Premier League winners when champions Leicester City succumbed tamely 3-0 at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.
Arsenal eased past second-tier Reading 2-0 with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain scoring twice, while Newcastle United romped to a 6-0 win over 10-man Preston North End and Hull City won 2-1 at Bristol City.
Arsenal also suffered a shock defeat when they went down 2-1 at Stoke City and Hull City came from 1-4 down to push Manchester United all the way before losing 4-3 at Old Trafford, in the English Premier League.
Newcastle United manager Alan Pardew faces a hefty fine and a touchline ban after being sent off for headbutting Hull City midfielder David Meyler during his side's 4-1 win at the KC Stadium on Saturday.
West Bromwich Albion inflicted further misery on Manchester United, winning 2-1 at Old Trafford on Saturday to condemn the champions to their worst start to a Premier League season and leave them in the bottom half of the table after six games.
New England captain Rio Ferdinand has withdrawn his appeal against a one-match ban handed down after what the FA termed a 'frivolous' appeal against a violent conduct charge, Manchester United said on Tuesday.
Premier League champions Manchester United suffered a shock League Cup exit for the second season running when they lost 2-0 at home to second division Coventry City on Wednesday.
Newcastle United grabbed a Premier League lifeline Monday when late goals by substitutes Obafemi Martins and Peter Lovenkrands secured a 3-1 home win over fellow relegation strugglers Middlesbrough.
e 23-man lists of the 32 teams for the 2006 football World Cup after the May 15 deadline to confirm squads ended on Monday.
Arsenal rediscovered their Premier League form on Saturday with a convincing 3-0 victory over Newcastle United at the Emirates Stadium. Portsmouth ended a run of six successive league defeats when they won 3-0 at Everton while Hull City's flying start ended emphatically when they were thrashed 5-0 at home by Wigan Athletic.
Carlo Ancelotti's Chelsea came from behind to win 3-1 at Sunderland on Tuesday and make it two wins from two in the Premier League.
Chelsea moved 12 points clear of Arsenal, who suffered their fourth defeat in nine league matches, while fourth-placed Liverpool fell 13 point adrift after their wretched 2017 continued with a shock 2-0 defeat at resurgent Hull City.
Gareth Southgate insists Middlesbrough will fight on after their Premier League future was left hanging by a thread following a damaging 3-1 defeat by relegation rivals Newcastle United.
West Ham United maintained their impressive start to the season when they beat champions Manchester City 2-1 at Upton Park on Saturday to consolidate their place in the top four of the Premier League.
Arsenal set up an FA Cup quarter-final against Hull City when they cruised past Championship (second division) side Burnley 3-0 in their delayed fifth round match at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.
Chelsea sacked manager Luiz Felipe Scolari on Monday after seven months in charge, saying that results and performances 'appeared to be deteriorating at a key time in the season'.
Aston Villa beat Blackburn Rovers 2-0 on Saturday for a club record seventh consecutive away league victory to stay firmly in the Premier League title race.
Aston Villa became the latest of the Premier League's top-four challengers to miss an opportunity when they were held to a disappointing goalless draw by West Ham United on Sunday.
Bolton Wanderers sacked manager Gary Megson on Wednesday following a 2-2 home draw with Hull City which left the club in the Premier League relegation zone.
Wayne Rooney was involved in every goal as Manchester United beat struggling Hull City 3-1 on Sunday to slash Chelsea's lead to two points in the Premier League. The result lifted champions United back ahead of Arsenal, who defeated fourth-placed Aston Villa 3-0 with Spain midfielder Cesc Fabregas coming off the bench to score two second-half goals, into second place.
Consistency in the second half of the season will decide the Premier League title, Manchester United and Arsenal agreed on Sunday after reeling in faltering leaders Chelsea.
Wayne Rooney gave away a goal but redeemed himself to inspire Manchester United to a 3-1 win over struggling Hull City which slashed Chelsea's lead to two points at the top of the Premier League on Sunday. The result lifted champions United back ahead of Arsenal, who beat fourth-placed Aston Villa 3-0 with Spain midfielder Cesc Fabregas coming off the bench to score two goals, into second place.
Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson said there was still no return date set for defender Rio Ferdinand who is sidelined by a recurring back problem.
Holders Manchester United overcame the 29th-minute sending-off of teenaged Brazilian defender Fabio Da Silva to beat Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-0 in the third round of the League Cup on Wednesday.
Tottenham Hotspur's in-form England striker Jermain Defoe can become Premier League top scorer this season, according to manager Harry Redknapp.
Photos from the English Premier League matches played on Sunday
Newcastle United's euphoria after their win over Middlesbrough on Monday turned to despair on Saturday when a 1-0 loss at home to Fulham left their Premier League status hanging by a thread.
Newcastle United were left deep in relegation trouble after being held to a goalless draw at home to Portsmouth in a tense Premier League match on Monday. With four matches left to play, Newcastle remain in the drop zone with 31 points, although the draw was enough to move them ahead of Middlesbrough on goal difference and up to 18th place.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has been named the Premier League manager of the month for February, while in-form Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane picked up his fourth player of the month award.
Former Hull City wing back Bernard Mendy scored through a stunning bicycle kick as hosts Chennaiyin FC beat Kerala Blasters 2-1 in a Hero Indian Super League match on Tuesday.
Chelsea missed the chance to reclaim top spot in the Premier League when they were held to a 1-1 home draw by West Ham United on Sunday, a day after Liverpool, Manchester United and Arsenal also drew.
Chelsea's long unbeaten home record in the Premier League ended on Sunday when Liverpool earned a 1-0 victory to take over at the top of the standings. Xabi Alonso's deflected first-half shot sealed the points for the visitors, who move three points clear of Chelsea with 23 points from nine games. It was Chelsea's first home reverse in the league since February 2004, a run of 86 unbeaten matches.
