With 10 games left, United are now 12 points behind league leaders Arsenal and three behind second-placed Chelsea.
Manchester United beat Everton 2-0 to reach the FA Cup quarter-finals, while 10-man Arsenal were held 1-1 by Sheffield United
The first offering of a 12-day Premier League feast is served up on Saturday when Arsenal travel to Wigan Athletic for a clash involving two of the country's most unpredictable teams.
Newcastle United produced an astonishing fightback to draw 4-4 at home to Arsenal on Saturday after trailing 4-0 with just 26 minutes gone in the Premier League on Saturday.
Premier League leaders Arsenal suffered a comedown from their midweek Champions League win over AC Milan as they were held to a 0-0 draw at strugglers Wigan Athletic on Sunday. Arsenal are two points clear of second-placed Manchester United, but have played one match more. The Londoners have 66 points from 29 games, United 64 from 28 and Chelsea 58 from 27.
They were held 2-2 by Bolton Wanderers in the English Premiership.
Erling Haaland and Phil Foden scored hat-tricks to fire champions Manchester City to a rampant 6-3 thrashing of local rivals Manchester United in the English Premier League on Sunday.
IMAGES from the English Premier League matches played on Saturday.
Arsenal bounced back from two successive Premier League defeats in emphatic style by thrashing Wigan Athletic 4-0 at the Emirates on Saturday.
IMAGES from the EPL match played between Arsenal and Newcastle on Monday
Big-spending Chelsea snatched a late and barely deserved 1-0 win at Manchester City to take second place, edging ahead of champions United on goal difference.
Images from the English Premier League matches played across England on Wednesday.
Manchester City maintained their pressure on Arsenal with a 2-0 win over Newcastle United in their Premier League match on Saturday.
Champions Manchester United delivered a superb display to win 3-1 at title rivals Arsenal in the English Premier League on Sunday. AS Roma moved level on points with stuttering AC Milan in second spot in Italy's Serie A after a 2-1 win over bottom side Siena.
Arsenal beat Reading 3-1on Monday to extend their club record to 27 unbeaten matches and replace Manchester United on top of the Premier League.
Manchester United, Bayern Munich and Barcelona cemented their commanding positions at the top of their respective leagues with victories over the weekend.
Holders and Premier League leaders Arsenal will be at home to Championship (second tier) Burnley in the fourth round of the FA Cup after most of the big guns avoided top flight opponents in Monday's draw.
Manchester United are trying to sign Dutch international striker Robin van Persie from Premier League rivals Arsenal, said manager Alex Ferguson.
Neither the weather nor the anti-climax of the ceremony taking place the day after the FA Cup final defeat by arch-rivals Manchester United 2-1 could dampen the spirits as flags, bananas and even a blow-up Jack Grealish dummy were held aloft in triumph.
Arsenal scored a late goal to force a 1-1 draw against Aston Villa but saw their lead at the top of the Premier League cut to one point after Manchester United won 3-0 at Fulham.
Manchester United received a taste of their own medicine as a last-gasp equaliser from Tottenham Hotspur's Clint Dempsey deprived the Premier League leaders of a valuable win on Sunday.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola congratulated local rivals Manchester United on securing the services of striker Alexis Sanchez from Arsenal even though the Chilean international has not formally completed his transfer.
Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has been charged with improper conduct by the FA after he was sent off at the weekend for the second time in a month.
But title rivals Chelsea and Manchester United were held in Saturday's Premiership matches.
Arsenal won the FA Cup for the 10th time on Saturday when they beat arch-rivals Manchester United 5-4 on penalties.
The following is the draw for the Champions League last 16 which was held in Nyon on Monday:
Unbeaten Arsenal stretched their lead in the Premier league to five points after a 2-1 win at Aston Villa on Saturday while Chelsea beat West Ham United 1-0 to overhaul Manchester United and go second.
Sixth-placed United's chances of finishing in the top four were dealt a blow at Goodison Park and the nature of Sunday's defeat prompted manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to issue an apology to fans ahead of the clash with their city rivals.
Images from Saturday's action in the English Premier League.
Alex Ferguson has described it as the most important derby in his 26 years at Manchester United while Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini thinks his side are too far behind in the Premier League title race for it to be decisive.
But the Gunners failed to open up a bigger lead over their title rivals.
Manchester United's top-four aspirations suffered a setback as Louis van Gaal's side were blown away 3-0 by Everton.
Frank Lampard hit four goals for Chelsea in a 7-1 demolition of Aston Villa to put the Londoners briefly on top of the English Premier League with 71 points before United responded with a 4-0 win in an evening game at Bolton Wanderers -- Dimitar Berbatov scoring twice for the champions.
United are four points behind fourth-placed Arsenal, with a game in hand, as they search for a way into the top four and a place in next season's Champions League.
Emmanuel Adebayor came off the bench to score a second half hat-trick as Arsenal crushed relegated Derby County 6-2 at Pride Park in the Premier League on Monday. Arsenal moved on to 77 points, a tally that ensures they will finish at least third. Manchester United and Chelsea occupy the top two spots, both on 81 points.
The result also means Everton have clinched fourth place to qualify for the Champions League for the first time.
Manchester United maintained their stranglehold on Tottenham Hotspur with a controversial 2-0 Old Trafford victory to move back within five points of Premier League leaders Chelsea on Saturday.
Cesc Fabregas provided the inspiration as Arsenal stayed in hot pursuit of Premier League leaders Chelsea and champions Manchester United with a 2-0 victory at Bolton Wanderers on Sunday.
