Manchester City withdrew from the battle to secure the services of Arsenal's Chilean forward Alexis Sanchez, leaving Jose Mourinho's Manchester United as the most likely destination for the 29-year-old.
Arsenal manger Arsene Wenger remains on the hunt for striking options for his injury-hit squad despite being boosted by the return of forward Olivier Giroud for Monday's English Premier League clash at Aston Villa.
Guardiola says City's points record may last years
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has criticised FIFA's Ballon d'Or award given to the world's best player for glorifying the individual at the expense of the team.
UEFA said on Thursday that they will probe the matter and opened disciplinary proceedings against England on the matter.
Cesc Fabregas might have been "Made in Arsenal" but all that matters for his manager Jose Mourinho is that he has been playing "phenomenal" football for top-of-the-table Chelsea.
Arsenal kept up their 100 percent home record this season with a 2-0 win over West Bromwich Albion in the Premier League on Monday, with new club record signing Alexandre Lacazette grabbing both the goals.
Football's law-making body the International FA Board (IFAB) will meet on Saturday and discuss VAR and the off-side law, although no proposal has been tabled for a concrete law change.
Arsenal's bid to win the FA Cup for a third successive year ended on Sunday when they lost 2-1 at home to Watford in a pulsating quarter-final tie.
Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey scored a contender for goal of the season when he blasted home a 30-metre volley to help his team cruise past Galatasaray 4-1 to finish second in Champions League Group D.
Photos from the UEFA Champions League Round of 16, 2nd leg match played between FC Barcelona and Arsenal at the Camp Nou on Wednesday
IMAGES from an exciting Europa League semi-final first leg match played at Emirates Stadium on Thursday
Arsenal have the players and qualities to challenge for the Premier League title and their failure to do so is frustrating, striker Alexis Sanchez has said.
Following is a match by match look at the English Premier League's weekend fixtures:
Fans are openly speculating that owner Roman Abramovich, a man who places notoriously high demands on his managers, could call time on Jose Mourinho's second spell at Stamford Bridge if Liverpool can inflict another defeat on the champions.
Liverpool will attempt to sweep away the January blues on the last day of a wretched month when they host commanding Premier League leaders Chelsea at Anfield on Tuesday.
Alex Ferguson, the most successful manager in Manchester United's history, underwent emergency surgery on Saturday for a brain haemorrhage, the club said.
Antonio Valencia's early thunderbolt put Manchester United en route to a 4-0 Premier League victory over Everton on Sunday, but they needed a flurry of late goals to finally subdue their unfortunate visitors.
Mesut Ozil quit Real Madrid to join Arsenal because he realised he no longer had the confidence of Real coach Carlo Ancelotti, the Germany playmaker said.
A text message saying "goal" sent to the referee's watch will end disputes over whether the ball has crossed the line in the English Premier League this season.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Pep Guardiola says Manchester City are not yet ready to compete with Europe's elite but his side will be confident of opening their Champions League campaign with victory over Borussia Moenchengladbach on Tuesday.
Chelsea plucked a performance straight from the Jose Mourinho textbook -- with John Terry writing a chapter all of his own -- as they grafted to a 0-0 draw at Arsenal on Sunday that leaves them almost certain to claim the title.
Manchester United stretched their winless Premier League streak to four games after their manager Jose Mourinho and midfielder Ander Herrera were sent off in a 0-0 home draw with Burnley on Saturday.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Arteta, who will lead City in their Champions League opener against Olympique Lyonnais on Wednesday because manager Pep Guardiola is suspended, also said that his team were better placed to challenge for top European honours this season.
With no Champions League football for a third straight season, the financial realities are starting to bite and Arsenal will be desperate for some of their talented youngsters to come through.
Olivier Giroud scored the decisive spot kick as Arsenal beat Chelsea 4-1 in a penalty shootout to win the Community Shield at Wembley on Sunday.
FA Cup: Arsenal end Lincoln's adventure
Arsenal will begin their quest to become the first team in modern times to win the FA Cup three years running with a home tie against fellow Premier League side Sunderland in January.
Tottenham Hotspur's success in claiming a top-four Premier League finish on Wednesday to guarantee Champions League football next season has been a "massive achievement", manager Mauricio Pochettino said.
A full-strength Arsenal added another piece of silverware to their recent FA Cup success by beating Everton 3-1 in the final of the Premier League's Asia Trophy on Saturday.
Out-of-sorts Chelsea have a golden opportunity to restore battered self-confidence when they face Maccabi Tel Aviv in their opening Champions League Group G match.
Manchester City tore Arsenal apart for the second time in five days on Thursday, beating them 3-0 on a freezing night at The Emirates to restore their 16-point lead as they close in on the Premier League title.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
The two previous meetings at Anfield ended in 4-0 and 3-1 defeats for Arsene Wenger's Arsenal teams, but there is a fresh optimism around the club after a successful transfer window.
England's League Managers' Association has revealed that the average tenure of a Premier League manager is now little more than two seasons, with 11 of last year's 20 starters already kicked out.
Rediff.com brings a preview of the main matches coming up this weekend in the English Premier League.
Rediff.com brings a preview of the main matches coming up this weekend in the English Premier League.
