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 manager Jose Mourinho has promised to show plenty of restraint and respect if he inflicts a first Premier League defeat of the season on his former side Chelsea on Saturday.
Saturday's clash between Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford is already shaping up as an early-season eliminator to challenge runaway leaders Manchester City for the Premier League title.
Liverpool signed Brazil international Alisson from AS Roma on Thursday, smashing the world record for a goalkeeper in a deal worth up to 72.5 million euros ($84 million).
Juergen Klopp named Philippe Coutinho as captain and the Brazilian curled a sublime effort into the top corner with the home side's first real attacking foray after just six minutes.
Images from the English Premier League matches played on Saturday.
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.
If anyone was still wondering why Liverpool spurned Barcelona's bids for Brazilian playmaker Philippe Coutinho, his part in Saturday's 3-2 win over Leicester City provided the answer.
IMAGES from the English Premier League matches played on Sunday.
ManchesterCity beat Liverpool 3-1 on penalties to win the League Cup after Sunday's final finished 1-1 after extra time.
Salah himself blasted home the spot-kick and Leeds looked as though they may be in for a very long day.
Sadio Mane struck four minutes into stoppage time to give Liverpool a last-gasp 1-0 win over derby rivals Everton that lifted them into second place in the English Premier League.
Images from Sunday's action in the Premier League.
Manchester City came from behind twice to earn a 2-2 draw with Liverpool in a breathless and pulsating Premier League encounter, at Anfield, on Sunday. All four goals came in the second half.
A vote will take place at the Premier League shareholders meeting on September 7 and clubs from the lower divisions in the English Football League are set to follow suit next month.
Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich face Borussia Dortmund on Saturday with relations between the German heavyweights seemingly at an all-time low.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Liverpool's Sadio Mane marked his return from injury with a late goal to break Norwich City's resistance and secure a 1-0 win on Saturday to extend his side's Premier League lead to 25 points.
Liverpool took a giant step towards their first title since 1990 on Saturday when their 3-0 win at Bournemouth combined with Manchester United's 2-1 victory at Manchester City to leave the champions 14 points adrift of the Premier League leaders.
The Champions League quarter-final between Liverpool and Manchester City is one of the most anticipated games of the season pitting the Premier League's runaway leaders against the top scorers in Europe's elite competition.
Joint-leaders Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool both dropped points on a busy day of English Premier League action as Leicester City and Southampton narrowed the gap in what is shaping up to be one of the most open title races for years.
The following are talking points from the weekend's Premier League action:
IMAGES from the EPL matches played on Saturday.
A night of wholesale team changes for the 11 Premier League sides in action produced one notable upset with top flight Stoke City losing 2-0 at second-tier Bristol City.
Three months after the last ball was kicked, the Premier League emerges from the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic this week for what will be a 92-match slog to the finish.
England's League Managers' Association has revealed that the average tenure of a Premier League manager is now little more than two seasons, with 11 of last year's 20 starters already kicked out.
Messi, whose deal expires in 2021, had called his side "weak" and "inconsistent" after they lost the league title to Real Madrid.
City, who have a 16-point lead, can win the Premier League title with a victory over Jose Mourinho's side at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday, but after their 3-0 loss to Liverpool in the Champions League on Wednesday, Guardiola said the players needed a lift.
Liverpool analysts had watched how Barcelona players were always distracted when decisions went against them and word was passed down to Carl Lancaster, a coaching mentor at the club's academy, who asked the ball boys to serve their players quickly.
Villarreal's Adrian Lopez produced a stinging sucker punch in stoppage time to leave Liverpool reeling and move the Spaniards closer to a maiden European final after their Europa League last four first leg clash finished 1-0 on Thursday.
Jason McAteer believes the lack of an 'Anfield factor' at the Champions League final will give an experienced Real Madrid side a slight advantag
Daniel Sturridge has said manager Juergen Klopp has put the Liverpool squad through the "most intense" pre-season of his career with the England striker pushing himself to the limit in a bid to avoid another injury-disrupted campaign.
Liverpool started the ball rolling with a convincing 4-1 win at home to promoted Norwich and City responded a day later with an even more emphatic 5-0 victory at West Ham United.
IMAGES from the English Premier League matches played on Wednesday.
Jose Mourinho's future as Chelsea manager looked increasingly uncertain after Liverpool beat them 3-1 in the Premier League at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.
Premier League title race looks poised to be one of the most thrilling in years.
Guardiola beat out Chelsea's Antonio Conte, Burnley's Sean Dyche, Liverpool's Juergen Klopp, Manchester United's Jose Mourinho and Arsenal's Arsene Wenger for the award.
Arsenal beat Liverpool 5-4 on penalties on Saturday to lift the FA Community Shield, the curtain-raiser for the English domestic season, after the two sides played out a 1-1 draw on a chilly afternoon at Wembley.
Imperious Liverpool extended their Premier League home winning streak against Arsenal to six on Saturday with an easy 4-0 victory that lifted them to second in the table.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
