Arsenal's Premier League title charge gathered momentum as they moved two points clear at the top with a scrappy 1-0 victory over Newcastle United on Saturday as Leicester City's push faltered with a goalless home draw against Bournemouth.
Leicester's Mahrez finds form in time for January sales
Following is a match by match look at the English Premier League's weekend fixtures:
A last-minute own goal gave Liverpool a 2-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur to keep them top of the Premier League but Manchester City stayed two points behind having won at Fulham. Huddersfield Town were relegated after their defeat by Crystal Palace.
Match-by-match facts and statistics ahead of the Premier League fixtures on April 28-30
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has called on the Football Association (FA) to ban players who dive in order to rid the game of play acting to win free kicks or penalties.
Chelsea face the prospect of having veteran Didier Drogba as their only fit striker for their visit to Manchester United on Sunday in what is usually one of the standout matches of the Premier League season.
Manchester City went 11 points clear with a record 14th consecutive Premier League win in an entertaining derby against Manchester United at Old Trafford.
Chelsea overpowered West Ham United and Manchester City outclassed West Bromwich Albion as the Premier League title rivals signalled their intent at the start of a hectic holiday programme on Friday.
Italian Ranieri takes his side, currently bottom of the Premier League, to United on Saturday and said he is looking forward to renewing his friendship with the man who replaced him as Chelsea manager in 2004.
City's Aguero doubtful starter for Watford trip
Germany midfielder Toni Kroos has eased Real Madrid's injury concerns and could be fit to play in their Champions League match at Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday, coach Zinedine Zidane said.
News of Van Gaal's impending departure from the club leaked out minutes after Saturday's 2-1 extra-time victory over Palace and, following relentless media speculation and a day of negotiations, it was confirmed by both sides on Monday evening.
Cardiff had lost six of their previous seven games but, knowing that anything but a victory would probably end their survival hopes after one season in the top flight, overcame a strong Brighton start to play with growing confidence and fully deserved their victory.
Manchester United emerged from the transfer window with a rich icing and the brightest of cherries to decorate their cake but the suspicion remains that the team's base may crumble under pressure.
Tottenham Hotspur's tenacious chase of leaders Chelsea continued as they claimed a 12th consecutive Premier League home win with a 4-0 rout of Bournemouth on Saturday to cut the gap to four points.
Arsenal will begin their quest to become the first team in modern times to win the FA Cup three years running with a home tie against fellow Premier League side Sunderland in January.
Images from the English Premier League matches played on Saturday
Minor league Eastleigh suffered FA Cup heartbreak when they conceded a late equaliser to four-times winners Bolton Wanderers on a gluepot pitch at their snug Ten Acres ground on Saturday.
The protracted disagreement between Cardiff City chairman Vincent Tan and manager Malky Mackay reached its inevitable conclusion on Friday when the Scot was sacked seven months after winning promotion to the Premier League.
Manchester City thrashed Southampton 6-1 to remain top of the Premier League.
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.
Six weeks ago, with Newcastle United in the Premier League's relegation zone and still looking for a first win of the season, Alan Pardew seemed highly unlikely to reach his fourth anniversary as manager in December.
Former Cup winners Coventry, now plying their trade in the bottom division of the Football League, revived memories of happier times as Jordan Willis and Jack Grimmer scored the goals in a 2-1 victory at the Ricoh Arena.
McTominay injury takes gloss of vibrant United display
Ben Johnson and Tomas Soucek scored second-half goals as West Ham United twice came back from a goal down to earn a 2-2 draw at home to Brighton and Hove Albion in the Premier League on Sunday.
Images from EPL matches played on Saturday.
Aaron Ramsey scored a hat-trick on Saturday as Arsenal thrashed Everton 5-1 in the Premier League at the Emirates with a display of free-flowing football that the Gunners have sorely lacked away from home this season.
Jose Mourinho's wretched week ended on a high note as Manchester United's big guns Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Paul Pogba finally began firing, both finding the target in a 3-1 win at dismal Swansea City on Sunday. Mourinho watched from the stands at the Liberty Stadium following his touchline ban imposed by the Football Association on Wednesday and was buoyed to see Ibrahimovic score twice -- his first league goals in eight weeks -- and Pogba net a superb volley. United, vastly improved after their midweek Europa League defeat at Fenerbahce, went ahead with a 15th minute strike from Pogba worthy of his 89 million pounds price tag before Ibrahimovic ended his goal drought with a sharp first-half double in the space of 12 minutes.
Neymar has been included in Paris St Germain's squad for Wednesday's Champions League game against Bayern Munich after recovering from a foot injury, coach Unai Emery said on Tuesday.
Following is a match by match look at the English Premier League's weekend fixtures:
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On a day of frenetic spending that took the Premier League total to a record far above one billion pounds ($1.29 billion), Antonio Conte's side also missed out on two of their other targets - Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Fernando Llorente.
An inspired Wayne Rooney became Manchester United's all-time leading goalscorer in European competition to ignite their crucial 4-0 trouncing of Feyenoord.
Five talking-points from the Premier League weekend after Manchester City suffered a shock home loss to Crystal Palace, meaning that Liverpool stayed four points clear at the top following their win over Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Santi Cazorla scored a 94th-minute penalty as sub-par Arsenal beat Southampton on Saturday with Laurent Koscielny's overhead kick having earlier cancelled out Petr Cech's own goal.
Rediff.com brings the latest news on English Premier League, results, and transfers around the world of soccer.
Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho blamed a mystifying loss of focus and confidence among his players for their shock elimination from the Champions League.
Summary of sports events and persons who made news on Thursday
'Jose Mourinho has been charged with misconduct in relation to his language and/or behaviour towards the match officials in or around the dressing room area at halftime'
