One hundred and ten weeks. That is how long it's been since Manchester United fans could gloat about their side sitting pretty at the top of the Premier League table for a whole week. A lot has changed since United finished the 2012-13 campaign as league champions under Sir Alex Ferguson. Here, Sportsmail lists six key games which have shaped United's rise back to the top of England's top-flight league and debates whether Louis Van Gaal's men can hold off their rivals to be in with a shout come the end of the season.
WORLD CUP LIVE: Australia in control against Uruguay as Wallabies bid to take advantage of England's defeat
Australia take on Uruguay at Villa Park in Birmingham for their second World Cup Pool A fixture of the tournament. Michael Cheika's side will be hoping to beat Uruguay convincingly, having missed out on a bonus point after beating Fiji just 28-13. The Wallabies will be hoping to capitalise on England's Twickenham defeat to Wales in Pool A on Saturday night, as they take on the South Americans. Join JOHN DOWNES and MATT LAWTON for the action.
England choke at Twickenham as they blow 10-point lead after late rally by Wales to leave World Cup hopes hanging by a thread
ENGLAND 25-28 WALES - SAM PETERS AT TWICKENHAM: In his worst nightmares Stuart Lancaster will not have envisaged his England team turning in a performance of such mind-numbing ill-discipline. They threw this game away with a combination of extraordinary stupidity at the breakdown and chronically poor decision making at the death. The decision to kick for touch with two minutes to go instead of attempt a kick at goal will haunt every member of this England team and management.
Wales' famous win comes at a cost as three more of Gatland's squad suffer injuries
Warren Gatland's injury crisis deepened as Wales suffered three casualties in three minutes at Twickenham on Saturday night.
Hamilton takes step closer to third title after dominant drive to seal Japanese GP victory
MATT MORLIDGE IN SUZUKA: The ease in which Lewis Hamilton muscled Nico Rosberg out of his path on Sunday demonstrated his clear superiority over his team-mate. The first corner summed up the season. Pole-sitter Rosberg was forced off the track and out of the title race via a small shunt from Hamilton, who dominated from start to finish.
Real Madrid fail to score at Bernabeu for first time in 56 matches as Ronaldo and Co are held by 10-man Malaga
REAL MADRID 0-0 MALAGA - RIK SHARMA AT THE SANTIAGO BERNABEU: Thirteen - unlucky for some. Cristiano Ronaldo tried to beat Carlos Idriss Kameni 13 times but he didn't manage it.
City stunned as Lamela wraps up victory for Spurs after Kane ended his drought... but THREE goals should've been ruled offside
TOTTENHAM 4-1 MANCHESTER CITY - ROB DRAPER AT WHITE HART LANE: The chant, so familiar last season, rang out around White Hart Lane with added gusto. 'Harry Kane, he's one of our own,' they sang, an element of relief audible in their chorus. Kane finally managed to score and his grin could hardly have been wider.
Messi ruled out for two months with knee injury after coming off against Las Palmas
A wincing Lionel Messi asked to be substituted in the eighth minute after hurting his left knee during Barcelona's Spanish league match against Las Palmas.
South Africa 46-6 Samoa: Boks back with a bang as Pietersen scores three in bonus point romp at Villa Park
MATT LAWTON AT VILLA PARK: South Africa put the disappointment of last weekend's historic defeat to Japan in Gloucester behind them as JP Pietersen ran in two tries in a comfortable 46-6 victory over Samoa at Villa Park.
Pitch invader dives into ruck wearing a Springbok jersey and a pair of jeans to spark confusion and laughter at Villa Park
South Africa's 46-6 victory over Samoa was interrupted by an uninvited guest as an intruder entered the field of play in the closing minutes at Villa Park. With the Springboks well on their way to recording a much-needed win having succumbed to a shock defeat in their opening Pool B game against Japan last weekend, one spectator decided to spoil the occasion. As Samoa looked to build towards a consolation try, a man in jeans and South Africa jersey looked to join a ruck, but was swiftly taken down by replacement Vavao Afemai.
Buglioni crushed by Chudinov in world title tilt at Wembley
MARTIN DOMIN AT WEMBLEY ARENA: If pride and guts won world titles, Frank Buglioni would be waking up a champion this Sunday morning. But Fedor Chudinov proved a class above as he picked off the challenger during a one-sided beating. Buglioni had pinpointed the Russian as his best chance of seizing a world title but was barely able to win a round.
Lewandowski brace takes him past 100 Bundesliga goals as scoring streak rolls on
MAINZ 0-3 BAYERN MUNICH: Bayern Munich secured their position as Bundesliga leaders with a comprehensive victory. Thomas Muller missed a penalty for the champions in the first half while new signing Douglas Costa forced a superb save from Loris Karius before Robert Lewandowski opened the scoring with his 100th Bundesliga goal.
Bale leads Twitter tributes after Wales beat England... while Samuel L Jackson consoles Robshaw
Real Madrid superstar Gareth Bale was one of many famous faces to take to social media following Wales' narrow victory over England in their Rugby World Cup showdown in Twickenham.
New Zealand enjoy tour around London and soak up the sights before Georgia match
The New Zealand internationals enjoyed a spot of sightseeing in London as they enjoyed their time off ahead of their next Rugby World Cup clash with Georgia. Waisake Naholo, Keven Mealamu, Beauden Barrett and Sam Whitelock all represented the All Blacks as they toured around the capital of England. The quartet travelled on the London Underground and took in the sights which included the London Eye and Big Ben as part of their open bus tour.
Villa's penalty and Lampard strike edge New York to vital win over Vancouver
David Villa converted a penalty in stoppage time to give New York City a 2-1 victory over the Vancouver Whitecaps on Saturday night. Villa sent goalkeeper David Ousted the wrong way for his 17th goal of the season and lift his side to victory in the MLS encounter. Frank Lampard had given New York City the lead with his second goal in the MLS in the first half.
THE PICK OF MAILONLINE'S SPORTS WRITING
Anelka and Riise join Lucio, Simao and Postiga at Indian Super League launch
John Arne Riise, Florent Malouda and Nicolas Anelka were among the big names in presence at the launch of the 2015 Indian Super League on Saturday. The franchise competition will kick off it's second season on October 3 and the marquee players were in attendance at the event in Mumbai. Former Manchester City player Elano was also at the event, as were Nicolas Anelka, Lucio and Simao.
United star Shaw posts picture of him putting weight on his leg as he recovers from double break
Luke Shaw has already started the long road to recovery after his horrifying leg break and the Manchester United defender shared an encouraging picture of progress on Instagram.
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STARS OF SPORT
- MailOnline Fantasy Football is back... and you can pick Euro stars like Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi to boost your Premier League side
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From Japan beating South Africa to Fiji pushing England... this is the most competitive World Cup ever
This is the most tightly contested World Cup
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- Manchester United defender Shaw begins the road to recovery Luke Shaw shared an encouraging picture of progress after breaking his leg against PSV
- Anelka and Riise join Lucio, Simao and Postiga at Indian Super League season launch Former Chelsea star Florent Malouda was also in attendance
- Proud Welshman Bale leads tributes after Wales beat England in Rugby World Cup Real Madrid superstar Gareth Bale took great delight in the victory
MORE STARS OF SPORT
- Beckham and Noel Gallagher put aside Manchester club rivalry while out in New York Becks and City fan Gallagher enjoy night out in Italian restaurant
- All Blacks Carter, Messam and Vito pose with 1D's Niall Horan The All Blacks joined the scrum of One Direction fans at the O2 Arena in London on Saturday
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Ronaldo sharpens up with a shave before being snapped by his 'bros'Real Madrid star caught spending some time in front of the mirror
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Tom Jones presents Wales with their shirts for titanic showdown against EnglandThe Welsh music legend was enlisted for a final pep talk before Saturday
- Jags cheerleaders entertain crowd as Fulham run riot on QPR Cheerleaders from the Jacksonville Jaguars NFL team were at Craven Cottage
- Arsenal joined in training by French Rugby World Cup stars and former Gunner Pires as they prepare for trip to Leicester Vive La France!
- Ancelotti links up with former players Pirlo and Lampard for dinner as speculation over Liverpool job continues Enjoying his spare time with New York meeting
- Sir Alex was right, I wasn't world-class! Beckham agrees after United revelation Former boss claims he only managed four top stars at Old Trafford
- Chelsea crock Courtois gives double thumbs up after knee surgery as keeper's rehabilitation begins Courtois will be sidelined for about 10 weeks
- Ireland's World Cup squad try the Spinball ride out on day out at Alton Towers Conor Murray and Co hit the amusement park in preparation for Romania
- England stars launch historic Fifa 16 that includes women's teams for the first time City skipper Steph Haughton says it's 'surreal' to play as herself
- Which Aston Villa player gets roasted by his captain for sporting a black hood and cape in the dressing room? Micah Richards says: 'I can't help you anymore'
- Ranger in Blackpool gear as troubled striker posts video training on sand dunes but still has no future with Seasiders The 24-year-old posted two Instagram videos to show his fitness regime
- Farrell celebrates 24th birthday at Pennyhill Park after recall to England starting XV Saracens' No 10 forms part of a muscular new midfield to take on Wales
- Spurs say sorry to Wayne Gretzky after spelling ice hockey great's name incorrectly Tottenham left red-faced by error on shirt presented to him
- Life is a canvas for Inverness keeper Fon Williams whose original oil paintings are set for top gallery exhibition Welsh No 1 will have his works of art showcased next summer
- All Blacks going underground! Carter and Co take the Tube Dan Carter hopped on the Tube with his fellow New Zealanders in bid to beat London traffic
- Robshaw used rugby to let off steam as a child after death of his father, says England captain's mother Emotional revelations ahead of World Cup clash with Wales
- Fury dresses as BATMAN for press conference with Klitschko... and he even entered to superhero's theme tune! Centre of attention
- Button swaps a Formula One car for a scooter... so has the British driver found a new career if he is to retire from the circuit? Rode Honda's Uni-Cub
- 'You're a girl. If you beat me, I'll give you $100,000'... David 'Tank' Abbott challenges UFC champion Rousey Astonishing chauvinistic rant
- It's a family affair: Why the Welsh will always love England brothers Mako and Billy Vunipola Brothers moved to Pontypool from Tonga in 2000
- Do England still have what it takes to win the Rugby World Cup? These days it's all about winning breakdowns and power behind kicks SPONSORED
- Alves' girlfriend Joana Sanz wins L'Oreal Paris Best Model Award Barca star Dani Alves' girlfriend has added to their impressive family trophy cabinet
- Martial among lucky few to get his hands on FIFA 16 three days before official release Manchester United star Anthony Martial looked delighted to own a copy
- Hamilton poses with his 'new whip'... a £165,000 Mercedes Maybach as he prepares for Japanese Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton showed off his new set of wheels
- Tevez visits Ham in hospital as Boca star apologises for leg break Ham thanked Tevez after the former Manchester City striker visited him in hospital on Monday
- Clyne crowned FIFA 16 champion! Liverpool star Nathaniel Clyne won the coveted FIFA 16 Celebrity Cup after defeating midfielder Jason Puncheon
- Rooney and Mata 'make dreams come true' as they pose with children on charity day Man United stars put a smile on the faces of young children
- Close shave for Barcelona star Neymar! Brazil superstar Neymar gave the thumbs up as he attended a Gillette event inside Barcelona's famous Nou Camp
- Liverpool players check in for training as pressure mounts on manager Rodgers Liverpool's season is on the slide, and the players seem to know it
- A star is born: Martial gave his man-of-the-match award to his baby daughter! Manchester United's £58m teen star shared his prize with young 'un
- Solheim Cup shame as Pettersen's outrageous decision not to concede putt leaves players in TEARS But USA celebrated an unlikely victory in the end
- Messi misses ANOTHER penalty (and can't hide his anger) Lionel Messi missed a penalty but still got on the scoresheet in Barcelona victory
- Murray storms to straight sets victory over Tomic as Great Britain reach first Davis Cup final since 1978 Great Britain will play Belgium in the final
- Banzai! 80-1 underdogs Japan set Rugby World Cup alight MATT LAWTON: South Africa got their World Cup campaign off to a disappointing start
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Ronaldo walks out with son of a Syrian refugee
The son of the Syrian refugee tripped by a Hungarian journalist accompanied Cristiano Ronaldo onto the pitch
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It's a thumbs up from Shaw as defender flies back to Manchester
Luke Shaw is back in England as he continues recovery after breaking leg against PSV
- 'When did you get fined for not showing up for training?' Andros Townsend shared an hilarious gaffe made by girlfriend Hazel O'Sullivan on Twitter
- As he returns to Southampton, how did Morgan Schneiderlin learn English? The Manchester United man watched Only Fools and Horses
- Fournette sets Twitter alight and announces Heisman credentials Leonard Fournette announced himself as a frontrunner for the Heisman Trophy
- Martial collared by star-struck traffic warden in Manchester Manchester United striker Anthony Martial had returned to popular restaurant Wings
- Pacquiao attends 'Philippine Festa' as guest of honour Manny Pacquiao attended the annual 'Philippine Festa' in Japanese capital Tokyo
- Joker Walker sits in on press conference Kyle Walker took a back seat during a Korean press conference to celebrate Son Hueng-min's first goals
- Neymar poses with Star Wars actor John Boyega Barcelona superstar takes on British actor and Jedi warrior in celebrity poker match
- Rivaldo shows off gruesome scar as former Barcelona star goes under the knife Brazilian legend thanks fans for support after knee surgery
- Haskell bares all as England World Cup star poses naked ahead He is willing to lay his body on the line for the next six weeks and James Haskell isn't shy
- Everything you wanted to know about England Who runs the fastest 100m? And who likes to belt out Celine Dion? WILL KELLEHER guides you through the XV
- De Bruyne thanks fans for 'warm welcome' The £52m man was the centre of attention at a meet and greet and praised the City faithful after Manchester move
- Man City's new green third kit unveiled by Nike... and it was inspired by the historic 1999-00 play-off comeback against Gillingham at Wembley
- Ranieri promises to take his Leicester City players out for pizza if they keep their first clean sheet of season Leicester are riding high in the Premier League
- Robshaw is dating a singer, while Carter is wed to an ex-hockey star... meet the WAGs ahead of the World Cup Rugby World Cup takes over for next six weeks
- Hulk feels the effects of Champions League win with FOUR ice packs strapped to his legs Hulk powered through 90 minutes to help Zenit St Petersburg win
- Florenzi has Puskas Award in his pocket Forget Lionel Messi and Neymar. Alessandro Florenzi will steal the headlines with a magical long-range screamer
- France coach picks up Croydon parking ticket as things go from bad to worse for Les Bleus The bus pulled up in a south London bus stop on Wednesday night
- Joshua revving up for glory as British boxing's rising star treats himself to 'new toy'... a lime green dirt-bike Anthony Joshua is raising the (handle)bar
- Dawson sparks outrage in New Zealand by mocking haka with 'hakarena' dance Heightened tensions between World Cup hosts and favourites
- Forest release trailer for new film 'I Believe in Miracles', celebrating Clough's success The movie premieres at Nottingham Forest's City Ground on October 11
- Twitter mocks Ramos for dive during easy win over Shakhtar Real Madrid ran riot, but Sergio Ramos' ludicrous dive caught the eye of internet wags also
- Neymar looking to put his rivals in the shade(s) Brazil and Barcelona attacker agrees a big-money deal to be the face of Police Eyewear for third successive year
- The Great Britannia Bake-off: Bojan is cream of the crop as he wins Stoke cake-making competition Star forward is a man of hidden talents
- Rousey thrills Aussie UFC crowd ahead of her 'biggest challenge' against boxing world champion Holly Holm Vocal crowd was cheering her on
LATEST MATCH REPORTS
- Newcastle 2-2 Chelsea: Substitutes Willian and Ramires rescue champions after falling behind to strikes from Ayoze Perez and Georginio Wijnaldum at Blues' bogey ground
- Real Madrid 0-0 Malaga: Cristiano Ronaldo toils in front of goal as Rafa Benitez's side are held at home by 10 men
- Celtic 0-0 Hearts: Ten-man Hoops left frustrated by Scottish Premiership newcomers Hearts as 100 per cent home record comes to an end at Celtic Park
- Barcelona 2-1 Las Palmas: Luis Suarez double takes champions top... but injured Lionel Messi could be out for EIGHT WEEKS
- West Ham 2-2 Norwich: Cheikhou Kouyate snatches late point to maintain strong start and top four place for the Hammers
- Liverpool 3-2 Aston Villa: Daniel Sturridge's brace eases pressure on Brendan Rodgers but Rudy Gestede's two made it a nervy win
- Stoke 2-1 Bournemouth: Jon Walters and Mame Biram Diouf earn Mark Hughes' side first Premier League victory of the season as visitors' striker Callum Wilson is taken off on a stretcher
- Southampton 3-1 Swansea: Virgil van Dijk, Dusan Tadic and Sadio Mane all on target as Saints record impressive victory to move into the top half of the Premier League table
- Manchester United 3-0 Sunderland: Wayne Rooney ends goal drought as Memphis Depay and Juan Mata goals move hosts top
- Leicester 2-5 Arsenal: Alexis Sanchez nets stunning hat-trick as Gunners come from behind to end Foxes' unbeaten run
- Tottenham 4-1 Manchester City: Harry Kane ends goal-drought with Eric Dier, Toby Alderweireld and Erik Lamela also on target as hosts storm to stunning comeback victory at White Hart Lane
RUGBY WORLD CUP
Australia ramp up preparations for Uruguay with new father Mumm leading the way
Michael Cheika's Australia have been put through their paces ahead of facing Uruguay in the World Cup with Dean Mumm set to lead out the Wallabies. Australia won their opening Pool A clash, prevailing 28-13 over Fiji on Wednesday and will hope to post another victory against the South Americans before sterner tests ahead.
Skelton and Billy Vunipola are kindred spirits but will line up against each other when England face the Aussies
CHRIS FOY: Will Skelton is Australia's giant answer to Billy Vunipola. The parallels are profound. Both men are 22, of Polynesian descent, arrived from a neighbouring country, learned how to harness their bulk and are driven by religious belief. These are kindred spirits, who are destined to be brought together by sporting rivalry on Saturday. 'I can relate to Billy very well,' Skelton told the Mail on Sunday.
Italy 23-18 Canada: Rizzo and Garcia score tries to deny underdogs victory
taly held off a brave challenge from Canada for a 23-18 victory in the Pool D clash at Elland Road in Leeds to record their first win of this year's Rugby World Cup.
LATEST FOOTBALL NEWS
JAMIE CARRAGHER: Chelsea will ask themselves if Costa is worth the hassle... he's more interested in fighting than scoring
JAMIE CARRAGHER: Is he worth the hassle? It is a question all managers will ask themselves about the players who give them most trouble. Some individuals, like Eric Cantona and Luis Suarez, are worth so much to a team that they will be treated differently. Those two were never injured, could win games on their own and contributed so much that Sir Alex Ferguson and Brendan Rodgers accepted the controversy. Then you have someone like Diego Costa.
Bournemouth striker Wilson taken off on stretcher during game with Stoke
Callum Wilson was taken off on a stretcher during Bournemouth's Premier League game with Stoke after the in-form striker clashed with Philipp Wollscheid.
Nantes 1-4 PSG: Ibrahimovic, Cavani and Di Maria all on target in cruise for French champions
League leaders Paris Saint-Germain came from behind to win 4-1 at Nantes and maintain their unbeaten start to the season on Saturday. Yacine Bammou, who worked selling Zlatan Ibrahimovic shirts in the PSG shop little more than two years ago, opened the scoring for Nantes in the 11th minute and hit the post moments later.
Napoli 2-1 Juventus: Higuain strikes to extend Juve's woeful start to the season
NAPOLI 2-1 JUVENTUS: Napoli ensured Juventus' miserable start to the Serie A season continued as they held on for a 2-1 victory at San Paolo Stadium.
Salah and Gervinho lead Roma revival as Garcia's side record 5-1 win over Carpi
Roma reignited their league campaign with a 5-1 drubbing of newly-promoted Carpi on Saturday. Roma manager Rudi Garcia was already under pressure after picking up just one point in two matches against Sassuolo and Sampdoria. But his side responded with goals from Kostas Manolas, Miralem Pjanic, Gervinho, Mohamed Salah and Lucas Digne.
OTHER SPORTS NEWS
Armitstead is the women's road race world champion after exhilarating sprint finish in Richmond
Lizzie Armitstead described becoming women's road race world champion as a 'dream come true'.
Barnett praises 'warrior' Nelson after unanimous decision win at UFC Japan
Few expected Josh Barnett and Roy Nelson to last the distance in Saturday night's main event, but after 25 minutes of action it was Pride legend Barnett who took the win in his beloved Japan.
RACING
THE BEST WRITING IN SPORT
Meet the Premier League's latest gunslinger... Wilson on his rise from non-league to the big time at Bournemouth
RIATH AL-SAMARRAI: The numbers loop around Callum Wilson's mind - five followed by 13 followed by 22. They are all significant to a fascinating striker who is jointly the Premier League's top scorer but is also a man of unique quirks. They come to the surface here, in Bournemouth's home changing room, where he is fiddling with his matchday shirt and explaining why the 13 on his back is relevant and lucky. 'When I signed there were quite a few numbers available,' he says. 'I went for that one because a few things have happened on the 13th day of the month: I passed my driving theory test, my driving test, I had my first driving lesson, my little boy was due on the 13th.