The top three places in the Premier League table look secure for Liverpool, Manchester City and Leicester City, but the fourth spot, currently occupied by Chelsea, remains tantalisingly within reach for several clubs including Carlo Ancelotti's Everton and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's United.
Everton went ahead of Liverpool into fourth place in the Premier League on Monday with an impressive 2-0 victory at Manchester City.
Arsenal are eighth, seven points adrift of fourth-placed Chelsea, while Norwich remain second from bottom.
IMAGES from the English Premier League matches played on Sunday.
Champions Chelsea begin title defence at home to Swansea City, while runners-up Manchester City kick-off at West Bromwich Albion
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane said he was disappointed that he was only asked about the referee's decisions after his side earned a 2-1 victory at Real Sociedad on Sunday to climb above Barcelona and top La Liga.
Manchester United defender Nemanja Vidic has been banned for two games following his sending-off during the 4-1 home defeat by Liverpool on Saturday.
Manchester United enjoyed a hugely satisfying Saturday, beating Everton 1-0 to go five points clear in the Premier League after challengers Arsenal and Aston Villa were held to home draws. Cristiano Ronaldo's 44th-minute penalty at Old Trafford was enough to give the champions 53 points from 23 matches.
Arsenal ended their seven match winless run in the Premier League with a surprise 3-1 London derby victory over Chelsea at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday while Manchester United were held to a 2-2 draw at Leicester City.
City were given a stern test on a wet and windy night at a noisy Kassam Stadium but two goals from Raheem Sterling eventually saw them through.
Leicester City continued to do their best Houdini impression on Saturday as they escaped the Premier League drop zone for the first time since November while Manchester City went up to second spot with a thrilling win.
Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez will get a close-up of the missing piece of his jigsaw puzzle on Saturday when Gareth Barry runs out for Manchester City at Anfield for a match with huge implications for both clubs.
Manchester United are likely to welcome back captain Wayne Rooney from suspension for their visit to Premier League champions Manchester City on Sunday, hoping the striker can add to his record scoring tally in the derby.
Manchester City chalked up yet another victory to maintain their stranglehold of the Premier League title race but pursuers Manchester United and Leicester City both secured important wins to enhance their top-four bids on Sunday.
Manchester United, who could have been 10 points clear of Liverpool if they had beaten them last weekend, could find themselves in second place in the table when the Premier League resumes in two weeks' time.
The following are talking points from the Premier League weekend:
Bolton Wanderers moved off the bottom of the Premier League and out of the relegation zone with a 2-0 home defeat of Manchester City on Sunday. A poor game was settled by two late goals, the first a close-range effort from Ricardo Gardner and the second an own goal from City defender Richard Dunne.
The English Premier League title race was thrown wide open with leaders Manchester United losing a second successive match and Liverpool thumping Aston Villa 5-0 to close the gap at the top to one point. Barcelona maintained their six-point lead in Spain, while a double from Zlatan Ibrahimovic ensured Inter Milan stayed seven points clear in Serie A.
Images from the English Premier League matches played on Wednesday night.
The top four failed to muster a goal on Saturday as Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United drew 0-0 while Arsenal went down 3-0 at Manchester City. Premier League leaders Chelsea could find no way through Newcastle United at Stamford Bridge. Liverpool had the same problem at home to Fulham and third-placed Manchester United were held 0-0 in a lively game at Aston Villa.
Manchester City and Everton players took to the field wearing Ukrainian flags before their Premier League game on Saturday while there were anti-war messages at stadiums elsewhere following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
West Ham United piled more misery on managerless Tottenham Hotspur by coming from behind to book their place in the League Cup semi-finals with a 2-1 win at White Hart Lane and Manchester United also reached the last four on Wednesday.
An opening-day Premier League defeat, a growing injury list and the weight of an unspent transfer kitty hang heavily over Arsenal as they head into Wednesday's Champions League playoff clash with Fenerbahce.
Wayne Rooney scored two first half goals to help send Manchester United to a 4-1 win over a spirited Aston Villa on Saturday, temporarily lifting the gloom surrounding David Moyes' dismal first term in charge.
Manchester United defender Patrice Evra wasted no time in poking fun at Luis Suarez for his latest misdemeanour, pretending to chomp on a fake dismembered arm after his side clinched a 20th English title by beating Aston Villa on Monday.
Tottenham Hotspur caretaker manager Tim Sherwood said he was in the dark about his future as the sense of crisis at the north London club intensified following their 2-1 home League Cup defeat by West Ham United on Wednesday.
ManchesterCity moved up to third in the Premier League on Saturday while Newcastle United boosted their hopes of survival by coming back from two goals down at Liverpool to draw 2-2 and secure a precious point.
De Bruyne out for up to six weeks due to injury, says Guardiola.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Aston Villa will be the first league visitors to Arsenal's new Emirates Stadium on the opening day of the Premier League.
Eight wins and a draw in their last nine games had seen Leicester emerge as the closest pursuers of runaway leaders Liverpool but they went down 3-1 at the Etihad despite taking an early lead through Jamie Vardy. Images from the English Premier League matches played on Saturday.
With City pulling out and Chelsea set to leave, while Liverpool's players posted a shared Twitter message saying they want no part of the new league, the ESL project looks doomed.
Eden Hazard scored from the spot in stoppage time to salvage a 2-2 draw for Chelsea against West Bromwich Albion, who were seconds away from inflicting a first Premier League home defeat on a Chelsea side managed by Jose Mourinho.
Manchester United remain winless at home in the league this season after Arsenal enjoyed their first win at Old Trafford
Arsenal visit Liverpool looking for a first league win at Anfield since 2003. Defeat for Arsene Wenger's side will move seventh-placed Liverpool within a point of them, having played a game more.
Upcoming matches in the English Premier League.
The schedule of matches in the English Premier League between Saturday, September 26 and Monday, September 28.
