Chelsea ended their slump with a win over Arsenal while seemingly invincible Manchester City lost their 100 per cent record to West Ham United on a day of contrasting fortunes for the Premier League title favourites on Saturday.
Images from the English Premier League matches played on Wednesday night.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola will not allow his players time off for Christmas as he wants to ensure they are fully prepared for Monday's English Premier League trip to basement team Hull City.
Here are five talking points from the weekend's Premier League action:
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.
Chelsea and Manchester City tightened their stranglehold on the Premier League title race on Saturday, recording victories over struggling clubs to stretch further clear of their increasingly forlorn pursuers.
Images from Europa and Champions League matches played on Wednesday.
Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini will be back in the dugout after returning from suspension when City attempt to kick-start their Champions League campaign against a rampant, in-form AS Roma at the Etihad on Tuesday.
Manchester United teenager Marcus Rashford wrote another chapter in his fairytale introduction to top-flight football, scoring a brilliant goal to secure a 1-0 win in his first derby match against Manchester City on Sunday.
The victory takes Pep Guardiola's side into provisional second spot
Chelsea exploited Manchester City's decision to field a weakened team by romping to a 5-1 win in the FA Cup fifth round on Sunday as they joined London rivals West Ham United and Crystal Palace in the quarter-finals.
Manchester City moved back into third place and almost guaranteed Champions League qualification thanks to a 3-1 home victory against West Bromwich Albion on Tuesday at the Etihad Stadium.
Manchester City overcame a spirited Bournemouth side 3-1 on Saturday to maintain their unbeaten streak and extend their lead at the top of the English Premier League to five points.
Images from the English Premier League matches played on Monday
Manchester City tightened their stranglehold at the top of the Premier League on Wednesday by trouncing bottom club West Bromwich Albion 3-0 as nearest rivals Manchester United suffered a chastening 2-0 defeat at Tottenham Hotspur.
A summary of sports events and persons who made news on Saturday.
Christian Pulisic scored his 10th goal for the United States before being substituted after picking up a knock in a 1-1 draw with Chile in a friendly in Houston on Tuesday.
The club anthem Blue is the Colour resounded around a joyful Stamford Bridge and champagne flowed as Chelsea clinched their first Premier League title for five years with a typically stubborn 1-0 victory over Crystal Palace on Sunday.
Manchester City's faltering attempts to retain their title suffered a huge blow on Saturday when they lost 1-0 at Burnley, giving Chelsea the chance to open an eight-point lead when they host Southampton on Sunday.
Two superb curling efforts from Jordan Henderson and Philippe Coutinho handed Liverpool a 2-1 home win against Manchester City in the Premier League on Sunday to deliver a thumping blow to Manuel Pellegrini's title aspirations.
Lionel Messi does not need a Copa America win to feel like the king of the world. He captured that crown a long ago, says Dhruv Munjal.
Key moments in Chelsea's Premier League title-winning season.
Summary of all that transpired on and off the football field
A round-up of Wednesday's action in the UEFA Champions League.
James Maddison scored a brilliant winner to help Leicester City come from behind and beat Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 in the Premier League on Saturday in a match dominated by VAR drama.
The victory puts the pressure back on title rivals Liverpool who are at Cardiff City on Sunday and trail by a point with each side having played 34 games.
European champions Bayern Munich led the charge into the last 16 of the Champions League when they beat Viktoria Plzen 1-0 to chalk up a record-equalling ninth straight victory in the competition on Tuesday.
ManchesterCity reached the quarter-finals of the League Cup after they finally broke down a resilient Newcastle United to win 2-0 after extra time on Wednesday, while Tottenham Hotspur needed penalties to get past Hull City.
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
Images from the UEFA Champions League matches played on Wednesday.
Chelsea's unbeaten start to the season ended with a dramatic 2-1 defeat at Newcastle United; Champions Manchester City took full advantage of Chelsea's surprise reverse to cut the gap at the top.
In case they needed it, the short trip to Crystal Palace will re-focus Chelsea's globe-trotting players on matters at home as the Premier League slips back into gear this weekend after the second international break of the season.
Ten-man Manchester City staged a dramatic comeback with late goals from Leroy Sane and Raheem Sterling securing them a 3-2 win at Schalke 04 in their Champions League Round of 16 first leg.
Rediff.com brings a preview of the main matches coming up this weekend in the English Premier League.
Defending champion Germany suffered a shocking defeat, while Brazil, Spain and Argentina -- the other pre-tournament favourites -- managed just draws in their opening round matches.
VfL Wolfsburg reached the Champions League last 16 and dealt a knockout blow to Manchester United with a 3-2 victory to claim top spot in Group B and condemn their opponents to the Europa League on Tuesday.
Liverpool had won each of their previous four home leagues games in which they conceded first and 12 minutes later they had turned another match on its head as Roberto Firmino's trickery set up Mane to give the hosts the lead at the second attempt.
Manchester City claimed the win required to finally end Liverpool's relentless attempt to dethrone them as Premier League champions as they hit back from a goal down to crush Brighton and Hove Albion on the south coast on Sunday.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer continued his dream start as Manchester United caretaker manager with a 3-1 Premier League win over Huddersfield on his Old Trafford debut in the dugout on Wednesday.
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