Europe's top flights battled on amid the snow and freezing temperatures over the weekend, with a memorable Manchester United comeback among the highlights.
After taking over Sunderland a month ago with the side in the doldrums, Martin O'Neill looks to have rediscovered the magic touch he showed at Leicester City and Celtic by turning the club into a resilient force.
Manchester City cruised to a 3-0 victory at home to Stoke City to ensure first place in the Premier League at Christmas, while chasers Manchester United and Arsenal both secured precious away victories.
Sir Alex Ferguson has moved to protect his young players, insisting they will not be "hounded out" of the club despite their exit from the UEFA Champions League in midweek.
The defensive shortcomings of Estonia’s Ajax Lasnamae, the goalscoring prowess of Demba Ba, Fernando Cavenaghi and Cristiano Ronaldo, plus a goal drought in Cesena, are the focus of FIFA.com’s latest stats review.
Manchester United narrowly beat Sunderland on the 25th anniversary of Sir Alex Ferguson's appointment, while Manchester City edged an enthralling contest against Queens Park Rangers to stay in command.
