Liverpool had the chance at Fulham to leapfrog Spurs to the top of the table but they were way below their best as they were also held to a 1-1 draw by Scott Parker’s side.
* Arsenal look extremely unlikely to be part of it, however, as they lost 1-0 at home to Burnley – a fourth successive home league defeat for the first time since 1959 leaving the Gunners languishing down in 15th spot.
* Leicester appear to be mounting a serious challenge after a commanding 3-0 win at Brighton and Hove Albion on Sunday – James Maddison scoring twice and Jamie Vardy once. Southampton eased to a 3-0 win over Sheffield United as they welcomed 2,000 fans back to St Mary’s.
* A lacklustre Paris St Germain dropped down to third in Ligue 1 after Tino Kadewere earned visitors Olympique Lyonnais a 1-0 victory at the Parc des Princes on Sunday. The French champions, whose forward Neymar sustained a possible ankle injury in stoppage time, were never in the mix as they surrendered top spot to Lille, who claimed a no-nonsense 2-1 win at home against Girondins de Bordeaux earlier. Lille have 29 points from 14 games, leading second-placed Lyon on goal difference with PSG on 28 points after their fourth defeat of the season.
* Lionel Messi dragged a nervous Barcelona to a 1-0 win at home to Levante in La Liga on Sunday to cool tensions after a chaotic week at the Catalan club. The win lifted Barca up to eighth in the standings on 17 points after 11 games, closing the gap with leaders Real Sociedad and second-placed Atletico Madrid to nine points.
* Serie A leaders AC Milan maintained their unbeaten league record in dramatic fashion on Sunday when Theo Hernandez scored twice, including an injury-time equaliser, as they fought back from two goals down to draw 2-2 at home to Parma. Milan stayed top with 27 points from 11 matches, but saw their lead cut after the five teams behind them all won. Inter Milan are second with 24, followed by Napoli and Juventus (23), Sassuolo (22) and AS Roma (21).
* Cristiano Ronaldo converted two late penalties on his 100th appearance for Juventus in all competitions as the Serie A titleholders ground out a 3-1 win away to a dogged Genoa side on Sunday.
* Lewis Hamilton wrapped up the Formula One season in Abu Dhabi on Sunday with his 165th podium finish and the after-effects of COVID-19 making themselves felt on his aching body. Hamilton finished third in a processional race, behind second-placed team mate Valtteri Bottas and Red Bull's winner Max Verstappen.
* Jamaican Leon Bailey scored twice to steer unbeaten Bayer Leverkusen to a 4-1 victory over Hoffenheim on Sunday and take over the lead in the Bundesliga for the first time in six years. Their seventh win in the last eight games leapfrogged Bayern Munich into first place on 25 points.
* Liverpool forward Diogo Jota will miss the Christmas fixtures after manager Juergen Klopp confirmed his knee injury picked up against FC Midtjylland in midweek was worse than first thought. Jota was injured close to the end of Liverpool's 1-1 draw in the Champions League.
* Schalke 04 came from a goal down to lead against Augsburg but conceded a stoppage-time equaliser on Sunday to stretch their winless run to 27 matches with a 2-2 draw.
* Real Sociedad passed up the chance to go clear at the top of La Liga after they were held to a 1-1 draw at home to Basque neighbours Eibar on Sunday, failing to capitalise on Atletico Madrid's derby defeat to Real Madrid a day earlier. Sociedad climbed back to the top of the table on 26 points after 13 games, level with second-placed Atletico Madrid who have two games in hand.
* Borussia Dortmund have sacked manager Lucien Favre following Saturday's 5-1 loss at home to promoted VfB Stuttgart, the German Bundesliga club said on Sunday.
* Englishman Lee Westwood was crowned Europe's number one golfer for the third time in his career with a second-placed finish on Sunday behind compatriot Matthew Fitzpatrick, who won the European Tour's season-ending DP World Tour Championship.
