IMAGES from the English Premier League matches played on Saturday.
Factbox on the fifth Ashes Test match between Australia and England, which starts on Thursday:
Headed goals from Anthony Martial and captain Harry Maguire earned Manchester United a hard-fought 2-0 win at toothless Chelsea on Monday amid more VAR controversy, putting them back in the hunt for a top-four Premier League finish. The VAR system made the headlines once again after two Chelsea efforts were ruled out and England international Maguire escaped sanction for a kick out at Michy Batshuayi.
Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool raised the spirits with a rip-roaring 2-2 draw in a pre-Christmas Premier League classic on Sunday after a weekend marred by COVID-19 related postponements.
Twelve months ago Liverpool were ripping up the record books on the way to their first English top-flight title for 30 years but defeat by Everton on Saturday left them mulling a host of far less flattering statistics.
Sunderland and England midfielder Adam Johnson was arrested on Monday on suspicion of having sex with an under-age girl.
Liverpool's Mohamed Salah ended his Premier League goal drought in style by scoring twice as the champions raided the capital again to crush West Ham United 3-1 on Sunday.
Images from the English Premier League matches played across England on Tuesday
Liverpool's dream run was demolished in the most unlikely fashion by strugglers Watford on Saturday in what must be considered the most extraordinary reverse of the entire Premier League season. On the evening when the European champions were expected to complete the best sequence in the history of English football's top-flight with a 19th straight league victory, they were instead hammered 3-0 by the team lying one from bottom. Images from the EPL matches played on Saturday.
Images from Saturday's action in the Premier League.
Brighton & Hove Albion scored three times in the second half to fight back from two goals down and beat Manchester City
In Pep Guardiola's 100th match in charge of the Manchester club, captain De Bruyne led from the front as City outclassed the Gunners, who have now suffered six home games without a win. Images from the EPL matches played on Sunday.
English Premier League leaders Liverpool will need to maintain their excellent recent record against Everton in Sunday's Merseyside derby if they are to hold their advantage over second-placed Manchester City.
Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes fired home a late penalty to rescue a point for the visitors in a lively 1-1 draw at Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League on Friday.
Images from Saturday's action in the Premier League.
Marcus Rashford's penalty and a deflected strike from Mason Mount helped England come from a goal down to overcome top-ranked Belgium 2-1 at Wembley on Sunday and climb above them in their UEFA Nations League group.
West Ham United's hopes of avoiding relegation suffered a cruel blow as an own goal by midfielder Tomas Soucek and Harry Kane's first goal since December condemned them to a 2-0 defeat at Tottenham Hotspur on Tuesday.
'They have a belief that they can go and win anywhere.'
Liverpool made it three wins out of three as Mohamed Salah scored twice in a convincing 3-1 victory over Arsenal on Saturday to take control at the top of the Premier League.
IMAGES from the EPL matches played on Wednesday
Australia have barely put a foot wrong in the five-match series and will head to the MCG confident of pushing England toward a second successive whitewash on home soil.
Deaton was at a loss when asked what the future held.
Carlos Brathwaite struck a brilliant century but West Indies still lost to New Zealand by five runs in a thrilling finish, in the World Cup match, in Manchester, on Saturday.
Chelsea's third successive league win lifted them level on 18 points with Leicester City but are top thanks to a better goal difference. Leicester face Liverpool on Sunday.
Whatever happens in the title battle between Manchester City and Liverpool, which will go down to the final day of the season
This year marks the first that two quadruple champions are competing in the same season and their battle to see who joins Argentine legend Juan Manuel Fangio in second place on the all-time list with five titles promises to light up the series.
Virgil van Dijk made a dream start to his Anfield career, scoring the winning goal on his debut for Liverpool, as they beat city rivals Everton 2-1 in a pulsating FA Cup third round tie on Friday.
Images from the English Premier League matches played on Saturday
A round-up of Saturday's matches in the English Premier League.
United down Newcastle after Saints stun Chelsea on a dramatic night in the English Premier League.
England's sporting global ambitions have never been fully realised since Sir Alf Ramsey's team won the 1966 FIFA World Cup. Whether it is Gary Linekar or Hary Kane, the 'Cup' that they desperately want never came home during the last five and half decades.
IMAGES from the English Premier League matches played on Saturday.
Juventus progressed to the Champions League last 16 after a Cristiano Ronaldo goal and a late header from substitute Alvaro Morata gave them a comeback 2-1 home win over Hungarians Ferencvaros on Tuesday.
Photos from the Premier League matches played on Sunday
Manchester United and Chelsea secured places in the Champions League with wins on the final day of the Premier League season while Watford and Bournemouth were relegated along with bottom club Norwich City.
David Silva came to the rescue of Manchester City with two goals in a 3-0 victory over Crystal Palace.
France stretched their unbeaten run against Croatia to eight games after a late goal by Kylian Mbappe gave the world champions a 2-1 win in their Nations League top-tier Group 3 match on Wednesday.
IMAGES from Premier League matches played on Saturday.
Rodriguez whipped Everton in front from the edge of the box, and Michael Keane and Calvert-Lewin ensured it was two wins from two in the Premier League so far this season.
Louis Van Gaal said it would take him three years to transform Manchester United into a potential title-winning team when he became manager last summer, but judged by Sunday's loss to Southampton, he might have to wait a lot longer than that.
