IMAGES from the English Premier League matches played on Wednesday.

Manchester United manager Ralf Rangnick said the club had to ensure its players were vaccinated following a COVID-19 outbreak that led to the postponement of their last two Premier League games.

The league has ruled out a 'pause' to the season to allow clubs to recover their squads, although the surging Omicron variant has put paid to half of the weekend's fixtures including Manchester United's home game with Brighton & Hove Albion.

The Premier League found a record 42 cases of COVID-19 among players and staff at various clubs over the past week.

Ayew strikes as Palace hold Southampton to 2-2 draw

Some English clubs may consider vaccine status of transfer targets

Manchester United suffered an outbreak of COVID-19 among players and staff on Sunday, jeopardising their next Premier League game against Brentford.

Spurs Premier League match at Brighton postponed due to COVID-19

Chelsea paid a heavy price for a 3-2 defeat at West Ham United as first Liverpool, then Manchester City, leapfrogged them in the English Premier League title race on Saturday, with City ending the day on top for the first time this season.

Images from Saturday's action in the Premier League.

Imperious Liverpool extended their Premier League home winning streak against Arsenal to six on Saturday with an easy 4-0 victory that lifted them to second in the table.

A summary of Saturday's action in the Premier League.

Images from the English Premier League matches played on Saturday.

Images from Saturday's Premier League matches.

A round-up of Saturday's action in the Premier League.

Manchester City came from behind twice to earn a 2-2 draw with Liverpool in a breathless and pulsating Premier League encounter, at Anfield, on Sunday. All four goals came in the second half.

Images from the English Premier League matches played on Saturday.

A summary of Sunday's action in the Premier League.

IMAGES from Premier League matches played on Saturday.

All the summer transfer details right here...

Images from Saturday's action in the English Premier League.

Norwich opened the floodgates in one of three earlier kickoffs, with their new U.S. international signing Josh Sargent and Greek winger Christos Tzolis each scoring twice on their full debuts at Carrow Road.

Images from the English Premier League matches on Saturday.

Brighton's Potter urges players to get vaccinated after family member's COVID death.

Spain are still favourites to finish top of Group E above Sweden, Poland and Slovakia but, after struggling to break down conservative sides such as Georgia and Greece in March, they know coming first will not be a procession.

The former Borussia Dortmund player was substituted as a precaution early in the second half of the 3-2 defeat at Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League on May 18.

Spurs striker Bergwijn is major casualty as Netherlands trim squad

Images from English Premier League matches played on Sunday.

Images from English Premier League matches played on Sunday.

Brighton & Hove Albion scored three times in the second half to fight back from two goals down and beat Manchester City

Should Manchester United win their next two games, the gap will be cut to four points and while only a collapse of astonishing proportions would deny Manchester City the title.

Images from Saturday's action in the Premier League.

Images from the football matches played across Europe on Tuesday.

Tottenham Hotspur missed the chance to move up to provisional fourth place in the Premier League after relegation-threatened Newcastle United held them to a 2-2 draw with a late equaliser from substitute Joe Willock at St James' Park on Sunday. Images from EPL matches played on Sunday.

Images from Sunday's action in the Premier League.

Images from the English Premier League matches played on Sunday.

Chelsea moved into the Premier League's top four as Mason Mount's superb first-half goal earned them a 1-0 win at champions Liverpool who suffered a club-record fifth straight home league defeat on Thursday.

Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice as Juventus strolled to a 3-0 home win over bottom side Crotone in the Italian Serie A on Monday, with the victory taking the champions up to third in the standings.

Images from Sunday's action in the Premier League.

Arsenal's best chance to equalise came from a Granit Xhaka free kick which looked destined for the top corner until the Gunner's former keeper Emiliano Martinez at full stretch pushed it around the post with a fingertip save.