Luis Suarez warmed up for next week's FA Cup final with a hat-trick in Liverpool's 3-0 win at Norwich City in the Premier League on Saturday while high-flying Newcastle United were thumped 4-0 at lowly Wigan Athletic.
Manchester United ensured the Premier League title race would go to the final day as they responded to Chelsea's win at Anfield with a nervy 1-0 victory at Sunderland on Sunday. Chelsea's 2-0 success earlier had put the Londoners four points ahead but Alex Ferguson's team clung on to their hopes of an unprecedented fourth successive title by closing the gap back to one with a game each remaining.
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.
Fernando Torres scored twice as Liverpool produced one of their best performances of the season to beat Sunderland 3-0 on Sunday and stay well in the hunt for fourth place in the Premier League.
Manchester United's seemingly inevitable march to the top of the Premier League table could finally come to fruition at nearby Bolton Wanderers Saturday as the champions step up their bid for a third successive title. Alex Ferguson's men followed up the weekend's emphatic victory against Chelsea with a 1-0 win over Wigan Athletic on Wednesday to reduce Liverpool's lead at the top of the standings to just two points with a game in hand.
Chelsea romped to a 5-0 victory at Middlesbrough and Manchester United beat West Bromwich Albion 4-0 while Liverpool and Arsenal produced stirring fightbacks to claim home wins over Wigan Athletic and Everton. Liverpool snatched a 3-2 triumph over Wigan, while Arsenal netted three second-half goals to record a 3-1 victory against Everton.
Robin van Persie struck twice to earn Manchester United a 2-0 win over Wigan Athletic in the English season's curtain-raising Community Shield at a sun-drenched Wembley on Sunday.
Nine-man Liverpool suffered a sixth loss in seven games on Saturday with a 3-1 defeat at Fulham in a day of red cards in the Premier League.
Fernando Torres scored twice as Liverpool battled to a 3-2 English Premier League win at West Ham United on Saturday after the Londoners had twice pegged them back. Belgian centre back Thomas Vermaelen was a less likely two-goal hero as his double set up Arsenal for a 4-0 home thrashing of Wigan Athletic - emphatically avoiding a hat-trick of defeats after losses to Manchester United and City.
Liverpool's FA Cup match on Saturday is one of four all-Premier League tussles, with leaders Manchester United also hosting Aston Villa, Everton taking on Blackburn Rovers and Portsmouth facing Wigan Athletic.
Champions Manchester United shook off their midweek defeat at Burnley with an emphatic 5-0 away win at Wigan Athletic in the Premier League on Saturday.
Manchester United and Chelsea will approach their looming Champions League final in contrasting moods.
Manchester United strolled to a 2-0 defeat of Manchester City on Sunday to return to the top of the Premier League and closer to a record-equalling 18th title.
Two goals from Kieran Richardson gave Sunderland a 2-0 victory over Portsmouth to boost their hopes of escaping the Premier League drop zone.
Arsenal defender Johan Djourou is doubtful for Wednesday's Champions League quarter-final second leg against Villarreal after damaging his knee playing in Saturday's 4-1 win over Wigan Athletic.
Birmingham City presented Alex McLeish as manager on Wednesday then cast doubt on the likelihood of Hong Kong businessman Carson Yeung taking control of the Premier League club
Wayne Rooney scored the winner but suffered a hamstring injury in a 1-0 victory over Wigan Athletic that moved Manchester United up to second in the Premier League on Wednesday.
Champions Manchester United stumbled to their second successive Premier League draw on Wednesday when they were held 1-1 at Portsmouth.
Attendances at Premier League games are down by an average of 920 fans per game this season, according to an investigation by the Daily Telegraph.
A rare header by Cesc Fabregas three minutes into injury time earned Arsenal a 1-1 draw on Saturday after hosts Sunderland seemed on course for an upset victory in the Premier League. Manchester United edged closer to the leading pack with a 2-0 win at a rain-sodden Blackburn Rovers after goals from Wes Brown and Wayne Rooney.
rare header by Cesc Fabregas in injury time earned Arsenal a 1-1 draw at Sunderland on Saturday after the home side had seemed on course for an upset win when they took the lead in the 86th minute.
Terry had surgery in France last week to cure a back problem and has been sidelined since a league win over Newcastle United on Dec. 13.
Manchester United retained the Premier League title on Sunday when they won 2-0 at Wigan Athletic.
The race for the English title could finish next Sunday with the top two teams level on points for only the sixth time.
Manchester United took a huge step towards retaining their Premier League title when they beat West Ham United 4-1 at Old Trafford on Saturday after playing more than half the match with 10 men.
Manchester United surged six points clear at the top of the English Premier League with a 2-1 comeback victory over Arsenal at Old Trafford on Sunday that also snuffed out the London club's slim title hopes. Emmanuel Adebayor put Arsenal ahead early in the second half but a Cristiano Ronaldo penalty levelled and Owen Hargreaves won it with a 72nd-minute free kick. The result leaves United on 80 points, six clear of Chelsea, who host Wigan Athletic on Monday.
Everton lost ground in the race for a Champions League place on Sunday when they went down 1-0 to struggling Fulham at Craven Cottage, a ground where the Merseysiders have not mustered a point in 42 years. In the day's other games Manchester City came from behind to beat Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 while Wigan Athletic beat Bolton Wanderers 1-0 despite playing with 10 men for 85 minutes.
Frank Lampard capped a great week for himself and Chelsea when he opened the scoring in a 2-0 win at Wigan Athletic on Saturday as the Londoners gained ground on Premier League leaders Arsenal and Manchester United.
Arsenal beat Sunderland 3-2 on Sunday to move back to the top of the Premier League after Robin van Persie secured victory with a well-worked winner 10 minutes from time.
Written off before the start of the season, the Gunners can clock up a 10th consecutive victory in all competitions when they welcome Roy Keane's Sunderland to the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.
Man of the match Wayne Rooney scored twice as Manchester United routed Wigan Athletic 4-0.
League leaders Chelsea and Liverpool however won their matches in the Premier League.
A stunning strike by midfielder Kevin Nolan earned Bolton Wanderers a 1-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur in Monday's Premier League match.
Charlton were relegated from the Premier League after losing 2-0 at home to Tottenham Hotspur.
Arsenal scored twice in the last six minutes to secure a 3-1 home victory over Fulham that left their London rivals deep in relegation danger.
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