The weekend fixtures began with the visit of wounded Manchester City to Saint James park to play against a Newcastle side that have not won a single match in seven consecutive games, Manchester City entered into the early kickoff fixture six point behind leaders Manchester United. First half goals from Sergio Aguero and Javi Garcia put city ahead and made sure to prove their Manager right who claimed His team are a much better side than their City rivals.
Newcastle Demba Ba scored in the second half to give Newcastle a lifeline, but Manchester City's Yaya Toure scored a third to kill off the game and deny Newcastle any dream of a come back.
With 3 goals and 3 point in the bag City reduced the points gap to 3 points behind first placed Manchester United, but that reduction only lasted some few minutes as United were up against Sunderland 30minutes later.
Fully aware that City have closed down the gap to three, Sir Alex fielded a very strong squad to host Sunderland at Old Trafford, with the returning Nemanja Vidic having to make do with a place on the bench.
United started brightly after having recorded a significant victory a week ago against bitter rivals and title challengers Manchester City.
Robin Van persie opened the scoring with a close range shot after an Ashley Young cross was being deflected to his direction.
Tom Cleverly made it two, with a well placed shot after a beautiful exchange of passes with fellow English Midfielder Micheal Carrick to record His second premiership goal of the season.
United with into the break 2 goals up, and United have never lost a game in which they were leading at half time at Old Trafford.
As the second half began, United made their intentions to score more goals clear to Sunderland when they missed some clear chances in front of goal.
Sunderland also pulled out some excellent saves from the United Goal keeper De Gea.
Wayne Rooney then added a third for United, His seventh goal in five straight premiership matches.
Moments later Nemanja Vidic was introduced with a standing ovation from the crowd as he replaced Rio Ferdinand who was partnering Chris Smalling at center back.
Sunderland pulled one back through former United youngster Fraiser Campbell.
But with time running out Sunderland could not stage an upset with their top goal scorer Steven Flecther substituted due to injury during the half time break.
Else where Christian Benteke inspired Aston Villa to a shock 3-1 win over Liverpool at Anfield with a superb brace to complete a memorable week for Paul Lambert's men.
Villa were two goals to the good at the break thanks to Benteke's long-range effort and Andreas Weimann's superb goal following more good work from Benteke.
Man of the match Benteke added a third soon after the restart before Liverpool grabbed a late consolation two minutes from time through captain Steven Gerrard.
Liverpool started off brightly, but for all their fine approach play they could not find a way past a stubborn Villa rearguard.
Villa stunned the home side when they broke the deadlock against the run of play on 29 minutes with a fine strike from Benteke.
There did not look much on when Benteke picked up a pass from Brett Holman 25 yards from goal, but the striker fired in a shot which clipped the inside of the right-hand post to beat Pepe Reina.
Four minutes later Villa were inches away from doubling their lead when Weimann capitalised on hesitant defending from the home side and chipped his effort over the stranded Reina only to see his effort land on top of the crossbar.
Liverpool continued to huff and puff as they tried to get back into the game, but it was Villa who doubled their advantage five minutes before the break with a superb goal from Weimann.
Weimann played a ball into Benteke inside the box and the striker brilliantly backheeled the ball back into the path of his strike partner who drilled his shot under Reina to send the visiting fans into raptures.
After a bright start to the second half from the home side, with Daniel Agger having a penalty claim waved away and Luis Suarez and Stewart Downing both seeing efforts saved by Brad Guzan, Villa put the game beyond Liverpool on 51 minutes with a third goal as Benteke netted his second of the contest.
Joe Cole was robbed of the ball inside his own half and Benteke burst past the two weak challenges from Martin Skrtel and Joe Allen before finishing from inside the box high into the net past Reina.
Liverpool pushed forward in a bid to get back into the game and they had two further shouts for a penalty for handball waved away by the officials.
The home side grabbed a consolation two minutes from time as Gerrard diverted Glen Johnson's shot into the net past Guzan, but it was too little too late for Liverpool as Villa eased to all three points
Mean while Queens Park Rangers' long wait for a win in the Premier League finally came to an end in a 2-1 London derby victory over Fulham.
Two second-half goals from Adel Taarabt, the latter of which was a superb solo effort, made it 17th time lucky for the Loftus Road club.
Harry Redknapp still has a huge task to save QPR, who had a late scare through Mladen Petric's goal, from relegation but they are at least off the bottom of the table.
Last weekend's draw at Wigan Athletic saw them break the record for the longest winless start to a Premier League season, with chairman Tony Fernandes this week admitting the season has been "nothing short of a disaster".
The Rs have, though, shown signs of improvement since Redknapp succeeded Mark Hughes at the helm, following up three successive draws with a first win on Saturday - thanks in no small part to man of the match Taarabt.
After a disappointing first half, it was QPR supporters with something to shout about when the game restarted after the break.
Stephen Kelly came on for the seemingly injured Sascha Riether when play resumed, with QPR taking just seven minutes to score their first goal against Fulham since 1983.
Like so many times before, Taarabt made a burst forward but this time his strike took a lucky deflection of Brede Hangeland, wrong footing Mark Schwarzer and trickling home.
The playmaker was booked for his celebrations but it could not stop QPR's momentum, with Djibril Cisse curling just wide in the 60th minute after Chris Baird was dispossessed.
Fulham were rarely threatening the hosts, who deservedly got their second when Taarabt burst through in the 68th minute.
After picking up the ball just inside the Fulham half, the midfielder went past Hangeland and showed a few neat touches, before rolling past Schwarzer with the outside of his right foot.
Petric ensured a nervy ending when his strike deflected in off Jamie Mackie's outstretched leg but QPR held on.
In the other fixture Norwich defeated Wigan who are not finding life easy in the premiership this season by 2 goals to 1.
Norwich's Wes Hoolahan celebrated signing a new deal by netting the winner in a hard-fought victory over Wigan at Carrow Road.
Anthony Pilkington's powerful strike separated the sides at half-time, but Shaun Maloney's superb equaliser brought Wigan back into the game early in the second period.
However, after great work down the left by Pilkington, the impressive Hoolahan, who prior to kick-off penned a contract extension keeping him at Norwich until summer 2015, headed the winner from close range to give the Canaries a deserved three points.
The win extended City's unbeaten run to 10 Premier League games, their longest sequence without defeat in the top-flight since March 1987.
After a cagey opening, the game sprang into life thanks to Pilkington's goal.
Hoolahan, who was fantastic throughout, quickly intercepted the ball, and laid a pass through for Pilkington, who smashed the ball past Ali Al Habsi into the roof of the net.
The goal acted as a wake-up call for Wigan, who had started poorly. Neat interplay between Arouna Kone and James McArthur resulted in the Scotsman bringing a smart save from Mark Bunn down to his left.
Al Habsi, who will be disappointed not to have saved the first goal, again looked shaky, as he could only palm a cross into the path of Pilkington, who could not convert.
However, the Latics keeper more than made up for his earlier errors, with a fantastic instinctive save from point-black range to deny Robert Snodgrass from a Javier Garrido cross.
Two changes at half-time from Roberto Martinez made a huge difference to Wigan, and it was one of those substitutes - Maloney - who superbly brought the visitors back into the game early in the second period.
Kone looked to have run out of options, but calmly found Maloney on the edge of the 18-yard box and he rifled the ball past a helpless Bunn.
Wigan could not maintain their pressure, and Grant Holt should have done better with a volley to put Norwich back in front, before Hoolahan netted what turned out to be the winner from six yards, getting on the end of an excellent Pilkington centre.
Pilkington himself could have added to his tally late on, bringing a one-handed save out of Al Habsi, but Norwich held on for a deserved victory, and kept their incredible run going.
Stoke City and Everton settled for a point apiece at the Britannia Stadium following a bruising 1-1 draw in the Premier League.
But the main talking point of the game was Marouane Fellaini's clear headbutt on Ryan Shawcross, which referee Mark Halsey failed to spot.
A Shawcross own goal gifted the Merseysiders the opening goal 11 minutes before half-time, but the hosts hit back thanks to Kenwyne Jones' first top flight goal in 16 months, seven minutes after the break.
After that, both teams had chances to claim all three points, but they happily settled for a share of the spoils.
Fourth-placed Everton have now drawn nine of their last 13 Premier League away games and five of the last six, while ninth-placed Stoke stretched their unbeaten home record to 15 league games.
Everton made a lively start to the contest, with Nikica Jelavic seeing his shot from Seamus Coleman's tee-up blocked by Shawcross in the ninth minute.
The Potters fell behind in the 36th minute through an own goal from captain Shawcross, who inadvertently nodded in a Steven Pienaar cross.
Having gone in front, Everton swiftly looked to go for the jugular and Leon Osman really should have made it 2-0 but blasted wide from Leighton Baines' cut-back, drawing an angry reaction from his manager David Moyes.
Stoke appeared full of purpose after the restart and within three minutes, Tim Howard was called into action to save a mis-hit close-range volley from Charlie Adam.
However, the American was eventually beaten as Jones, retaining his starting place up front, equalised in the 52nd minute, heading Shawcross' long-range delivery past Howard.
Having broken his long scoring drought in the league, Jones looked in the mood for more and moments later he dinked the ball over Howard, only to see it hit the woodwork.
Everton then seemed lucky to escape punishment, with Fellaini appearing to headbutt Shawcross as the two players marked each other in the box. The Stoke man was left lying on the turf, but the officials took no action.
Given that the sides had drawn eight top-flight games each this season before Saturday's encounter, it perhaps came as little surprise that the points were shared.
Other Premiership fixtures will see Tottenham take on West Ham on Sunday 16/12/12 at 13:30hrs GMT
then West Bromich Albion take on West Ham the same day at 16hrs GMT
While Monday night fixture for the week 17 is between Reading and Arsenal 17/12/12 at 20hrs GMT.
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