Manchester united
Fernandes gem knocks Liverpool out of FA Cup, Chelsea ease pressure on Lampard
Fernandes struck with 12 minutes left at Old Trafford to cap a thrilling clash that left Liverpool searching for answers after another painful defeat.
The win sent the Red Devils two points clear and equalled the club record of 17 Premier League away games without defeat set by the treble-winning side of 1999.
United are two points clear of second placed Manchester City, who have a game in hand, and third placed Leicester.
After unexpectedly gate-crashing the title race with nine wins during an 11-match unbeaten run, Manchester United head to Anfield knowing they have a golden opportunity to open up a potentially priceless six-point lead over Jurgen Klopp's men.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's men now lead defending champions Liverpool by three points ahead of a top-of-the-table clash between the two most successful sides in English football history at Anfield on Sunday.
Liverpool and United will clash for two consecutive weekends with the top two also facing off in the Premier League on Sunday.
Jurgen Klopp's defending champions head into the New Year with a three-point lead despite dropped points against strugglers West Brom and Newcastle.
Marcus Rashford's deflected strike deep into stoppage time beat Wolves 1-0 on Tuesday to move United up to second and within two points of leaders Liverpool.
United failed to hold out for a record-equalling 11th consecutive away Premier League win as Vardy's movement outfoxed the visitor's defence.
Manchester United will face bitter rivals Manchester City in the League Cup semi-finals after a dramatic 2-0 win at Everton, while Tottenham joined them in the last four with victory against Stoke on Wednesday.
Solskjaer said he had enjoyed his regular clashes with Leeds as a player and his two goals in a 4-3 win for Alex Ferguson's men in 2002 were a particular highlight.
United dropped down to the Europa League, which they won in 2017, after RB Leipzig knocked them out of the Europe's top competition at the group stage.
The Manchester derby is the most eye-catching fixture during a Premier League weekend that includes a trip to Crystal Palace for leaders Tottenham and a date at Fulham for champions Liverpool.
United now have to contemplate an unwanted run in the Europa League, Europe's second-tier competition, which they won in 2017.
Raiola said the World Cup-winning France midfielder, 27, needs a "change of scene" after struggling to establish himself under United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Cavani is PSG's all-time top goalscorer after scoring 200 times in seven seasons in the French capital. But he was let go when his contract expired in June, not even hanging around for PSG's run to a first ever Champions League final in August.
Four straight wins have taken Spurs to 20 points after nine games, ahead of Liverpool on goal difference, but Frank Lampard's Chelsea are just two points behind them.
They are the first teams to make it out of the group stage, doing so with two games to spare, on a night which saw Erling Braut Haaland, Neymar, Cristiano Ronaldo and Bruno Fernandes all get among the goals.
With the final international fixtures of the year done and dusted, a gruelling winter schedule of club football awaits for England's top-flight with nine rounds of league matches before 2 January.