Tottenham Hotspur striker Emmanuel Adebayor is racing to get back in time from the African Nations Cup with fellow forward Jermain Defoe ruled out for as long as three weeks for the striker-light club.
English Premier League champions Manchester City will kick off their title defence at home to promoted Southampton on August 18 before facing Liverpool at Anfield the following weekend.
Here we bring you all the sporting action from last week in this stunning photo feature.
Chelsea striker Demba Ba struck twice on his debut as the FA Cup holders enjoyed a 5-1 drubbing of Southampton in the third round on Saturday and Robin van Persie's majestic last-gasp equaliser salvaged a 2-2 draw for Manchester United at West Ham.
Images from the Europa League matches played across Europe on Thursday.
A new year is born but Arsenal still frustrate their fans after summing up the season by beating Europa League combatants Newcastle United 7-3 at the weekend and then needing an own goal to draw 1-1 at lowly Southampton.
Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson played down his outburst at referee Mike Dean during Wednesday's 4-3 win over Newcastle United and accused opposite number Alan Pardew of hypocrisy.
Manchester United opened up a seven-point lead at the top of the Premier League even as rivals Man City suffered a shocking reverse at Sunderland on the Boxing Day.
Wayne Rooney faces two or three weeks on the sidelines after the Manchester United striker injured his knee in training ahead of Wednesday's Premier League clash with Newcastle United.
Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson has presided over enough festive fixtures to know rotation is the key as he prepares for a busy period starting with the visit of Newcastle United in the Premier League on Wednesday.
Roberto Firmino's 90th-minute header sent Liverpool back to the top of the Premier League with a 2-1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur, whose 11-match unbeaten run came to an end on Wednesday.
A Titus Bramble own goal helped Manchester United edge closer to their 20th league title when they won 1-0 at Sunderland on Saturday to stay 15 points clear of champions Manchester City with only eight Premier League games left to play.
Michael Owen enjoyed a stellar career as a prolific striker for England and Liverpool but said he would reflect in retirement on 'what might have been' had he not been robbed of his incredible speed due to injury.
A career that was launched into orbit by a stunning goal against Argentina in the 1998 World Cup will end meekly 15 years later after Michael Owen announced on Tuesday he will hang up his boots at the end of the season.
Fulham striker Hugo Rodallega headed the decisive goal to seal a 2-1 win over Newcastle United in an absorbing Premier League match at Craven Cottage on Monday.
Former England striker Michael Owen announced on Tuesday that he would retire from professional soccer at the end of the season. 'I now feel it is the right time to bring the curtain down on my career,' the 33-year-old said on his personal website (www.michaelowen.com).
Responding to an initiative already run by fans of both clubs, City and United will donate 50,000 pounds each to the Trussell Trust, a support network of more than 1,200 food banks.
Demba Ba helped injury-hit Newcastle United end a sequence of four successive English Premier League defeats by grabbing two goals in a 3-0 victory over 10-man Wigan Athletic on Monday.
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.
Tottenham Hotspur trounced a sorry Inter Milan 3-0 in the Europa League on Thursday while last year's European champions Chelsea were humbled 1-0 by Steaua Bucharest after being stung by a Raul Rusescu penalty.
Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard was presented with a statue of the city's liver bird symbol to mark his 600th appearance for the club before their Premier League game against Newcastle United at Anfield on Sunday.
Safety measures will include tents where temperature checks will be conducted, strict hygiene criteria, no canteens and no showers. A maximum of five players will be allowed per pitch with tackling forbidden.
Chelsea surrendered another three points in their quest for a top-four Premier League finish as Newcastle United's new signing Moussa Sissoko struck in the last minute to grab a 3-2 win that left Rafa Benitez's side reeling.
A turbo-charged start yielding two goals in the opening 15 minutes and a spectacular effort by Tom Cleverley led Manchester United to a 3-0 victory at Newcastle United in the Premier League 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.
Theo Walcott evoked memories of the great Thierry Henry when his dazzling hat-trick inspired Arsenal to a 7-3 win over Newcastle United on Saturday in one of the best English Premier League games of the season.
Factbox on the 20 Premier League clubs after the transfer window closed.
Stuart Pearce will take temporary charge of England for this month's friendly against the Netherlands while the search for Fabio Capello's permanent successor as boss gets underway ahead of June's European Championship.
Manchester United trailed three times before a last-gasp goal from Javier Hernandez earned a rip-roaring 4-3 win over Newcastle United that opened a seven-point lead at the top of the English Premier League.
Champions Chelsea have not enjoyed the best of starts at home this season and face their biggest test yet on Saturday with the visit of free-scoring leaders Manchester City.
Schar's goal for Newcastle United in the 1-1 draw with Watford should have been chalked off
Newcastle United's Alan Pardew was named Premier League manager of the season on Friday to cap an impressive campaign in which he turned his unfancied side into contenders for Champions League qualification.
Images from the English Premier League matches played on Saturday.
Newcastle United's Papiss Cisse has gatecrashed the Premier League in spectacular style and his second strike in Wednesday's win at Chelsea could sneak in as a goal of the season contender, especially given its potential importance.
Manchester United returned to winning ways in ruthlessly emphatic fashion
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field.
Liverpool failed to mark captain Steven Gerrard's 600th appearance for the club with a win when they were held to a 1-1 draw by Newcastle United in the Premier League at Anfield on Sunday which leaves them mired in mid-table.
Arsenal, who fired Unai Emery as manager last week and appointed former player Freddie Ljungberg as caretaker boss, now sit 10th in the table on 19 points, with Brighton a single point behind and three places below them.
Manchester United missed the chance to make significant inroads into Manchester City's lead at the top of the Premier League after stumbling to a 1-1 draw against Newcastle United at Old Trafford on Saturday.
Sunderland drew with Newcastle United at the Stadium of Light while Queens Park Rangers and Everton also drew at Loftus Road.
