Winning back-to-back titles for the first time since 1984 is likely to prove a rather more arduous challenge for Liverpool.
Newcastle United eased their relegation fears with a 2-0 home win over Fulham on Saturday as attention focused on the battle to stay in the Premier League.
Newcastle United drew a scrappy Premier League relegation clash 1-1 at Birmingham City on Monday leaving coach Kevin Keegan still without a win in eight league matches since returning to the club. The draw lifted Newcastle one spot to 14th with 29 points from 30 matches, while Birmingham rose from 17th to 16th taking their tally to 27 points from 30 games.
Sunderland are still not safe after losing 2-0 at Newcastle United in the day's second derby, Michael Owen scoring twice for Kevin Keegan's resurgent side at St James' Park.
Manchester City's spending of more than 180 million pounds ($223.58 million) was the second-biggest outlay ever worldwide by a club in the January transfer window.
Tottenham Hotspur's poor start to the season showed little sign of improving when they were beaten 3-1 by Newcastle United.
Romelu Lukaku scored for Chelsea in a 5-1 FA Cup third-round victory
Alexander Isak's early headed goal lifted Newcastle to a 1-0 victory over Arsenal on Saturday at St. James' Park, as Eddie Howe's men delivered a blow to Arsenal's title chase with their first win in six Premier League outings.
Newcastle United maintained their unbeaten start to the season Saturday, sending Wigan Athletic to the bottom of the Premier League with a 1-0 victory at St James' Park thanks to a late winner from Frenchman Yohan Cabaye.
Michael Owen could play for the first time since the 2006 World Cup in the Premier League game at Reading.
IMAGES from the EPL matches played on Sunday.
'If you were to lift the two trophies, I think you have a pretty good chance to be on a nice list of captains that have achieved great things in this club.'
Liverpool shrugged off the absence of Mohamed Salah as midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai scored an 88th-minute penalty to give them a 1-0 Champions League win at Inter Milan.
City midfielder Phil Foden was not named in England coach Thomas Tuchel's squad for a pair of upcoming games, after requesting to be omitted. Foden said this week he was nursing an ankle injury.
Wolverhampton Wanderers stunned Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 with stoppage-time goals from Pablo Sarabia and Mario Lemina on Saturday, thwarting the visitors in their bid to reclaim top spot in the Premier League table.
Newcastle United assistant manager John Carver and Wigan Athletic first team coach Graham Barrow have been fined 1,000 pounds by the FA following an altercation at halftime in a Premier League match last month.
Arsenal's best chance to equalise came from a Granit Xhaka free kick which looked destined for the top corner until the Gunner's former keeper Emiliano Martinez at full stretch pushed it around the post with a fingertip save.
'Not in the dressing room. Of course there are a lot of rumours but it is not that we get distracted by it.'
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.
Former England captain Alan Shearer carries the hopes of an entire city when he leads Newcastle United in tonight's UEFA Cup semi-finals against Olympique Marseille.
Newcastle United's Dutchman Giorginio Wijnaldum scored four times as they won their first Premier League match this season at the ninth attempt by thrashing Norwich City 6-2 to climb off the bottom of the table on Sunday.
Premier League Newcastle United's FA Cup hopes floundered on England's south coast for the second year in a row as Championship club Brighton and Hove Albion kicked off third round action with a 2-0 victory on Saturday.
Manager Steve McClaren called for more of the same after Newcastle United beat Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday to put some daylight between themselves and the relegation zone, but stopped short of describing the win as a turning point in their season.
Liverpool piled more misery on Newcastle United with a 3-0 victory at Anfield in the Premier League on Saturday. First-half goals from Jermaine Pennant and Fernando Torres, his 25th of the season, and Steven Gerrard's effort after the break strengthened Liverpool's hold on fourth place over city rivals Everton.
Newcastle United striker Demba Ba struck in the last minute to salvage a 2-2 draw with Everton in a pulsating Premier League match at Goodison Park on Monday.
Newcastle United and Arsenal were charged by the FA on Monday for failing to control their players during their bad-tempered goalless draw in the opening Premier League match of the season at St James' Park on Saturday.
Newcastle United closed in on the top four with a 2-0 victory at Blackburn Rovers on Wednesday and Arsenal slipped to seventh after a goalless draw at Bolton Wanderers stretched their winless run in the Premier League to four matches.
Michael Owen scored Newcastle United's first goal since the return of Kevin Keegan as manager on Sunday but they could still only draw 1-1 at home with north-east rivals Middlesbrough.
Newcastle United midfielder Joey Barton was refused bail and remanded in custody after he appeared at Liverpool Magistrates Court on Friday charged with common assault and affray.
Goals from Dirk Kuyt and Xabi Alonso helped Liverpool secure a 2-0 home win.
Chelsea missed their chance to slash Manchester United's lead in the Premier League to a single point on Sunday when they were held to a 0-0 draw at Newcastle United.
Brighton and Hove Albion's Tomer Hemed grabbed the only goal as they ended Newcastle United's three-match winning streak with a 1-0 victory on Sunday in a battle between two of this season's promoted sides.
United down Newcastle after Saints stun Chelsea on a dramatic night in the English Premier League.
"We are all hopeful that the surgery I have had will ensure I don't have any repeat of the condition in the future."
Newcastle United gained immediate promotion back to the English Premier League without playing on Monday after Nottingham Forest's failure to beat Cardiff City in the Championship (second division).
IMAGES from the Premier League matches played on Sunday
DeAndre Yedlin has joined Championship (second tier) side Newcastle United on a five-year deal from Tottenham Hotspur for an undisclosed fee, the clubs have announced.
Newcastle United striker Andy Carroll has been charged with assaulting a teenage girl, police said on Monday.
