Chelsea's defensive frailties were exposed again on Saturday when they gifted Aston Villa two goals from corners in a 2-1 away defeat, their second loss in three league games after they had won their first six.
First-half goals from Didier Drogba earned Chelsea a 2-0 win over Arsenal at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, securing them a return to the top of the Premier League, two points ahead of Manchester United.
Chelsea's perfect start to the season under new manager Carlo Ancelotti came to a surprise end on Saturday when the Premier League leaders lost 3-1 at Wigan Athletic and had goalkeeper Petr Cech sent off.
Striker Dimitar Berbatov will miss Manchester United's Premier League match at Aston Villa on Saturday (1730) after suffering a thigh injury, his agent said.
Ivory Coast became the first team to reach the African Nations Cup quarter-finals after beating Ghana 3-1 with 10 men in Group B on Friday.
Arsenal lit up the opening day of the Premier League season with a 6-1 demolition of Everton and Didier Drogba struck in stoppage time to give Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti a winning start on Saturday.
With the Premier League season kicking off on Saturday we look at the prospects of the 20 top-flight clubs.
Manchester United wasted a glorious chance to catch Chelsea at the top of the Premier League when they lost 1-0 at home to Aston Villa on Saturday. Earlier leaders Chelsea were held 3-3 at home by Everton despite two goals from Didier Drogba.
Chelsea became the first team into the FA Cup semi-finals when they comfortably beat Championship (second division) Coventry City 2-0 away on Saturday.
Chelsea regained their dominant place in the Premier League title race with a 3-0 win over Arsenal at the Emirates on Sunday that restored their five-point lead over Manchester United.
Manchester United and Chelsea cruised into the FA Cup semi-finals with comfortable away wins at Fulham and Coventry City respectively on Saturday. Carlos Tevez scored twice and Wayne Rooney and Park Ji-sung also struck as United turned on the style at Craven Cottage, while goals from Didier Drogba and Alex made it six wins out of six since new manager Guus Hiddink arrived at Chelsea.
Chelsea completed a clean sweep for English teams in the Champions League group stage after beating Cluj 2-1 on Tuesday to join holders Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool in the last 16 of the competition.
As Jose Mourinho returns to his Portuguese footballing roots, the Chelsea manager may have to decide which back-up marksman he trusts most to shoot down his old employers at Sporting Lisbon in the Champions League on Tuesday.
Chelsea's Didier Drogba said he lost his passion for football last summer after the death of his grandmother.
Mali striker Frederic Kanoute won the 2007 African Footballer of the Year award on Friday.
New signing Yuri Zhirkov smashed a 69th minute winner from 20 metres out to give Chelsea a 2-1 victory over their manager Carlo Ancelotti's former club AC Milan in a friendly on Friday.
Former Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini has been appointed as the new manager of Turkish side Galatasaray on a three-year deal.
Former Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini is in talks with Galatasaray to take over from Fatih Terim who was sacked as coach this week, the Turkish club said on Sunday.
Tottenham Hotspur defender Jonathan Woodgate scored the winning goal in extra-time as the north London upset the defending champions.
Nigeria scraped into the African Nations Cup quarter-finals on goal difference after beating Benin 2-0 to set up an appetising clash with hosts Ghana.
Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard will miss the next few weeks after tearing a muscle in his right thigh.
The Portugal winger finished ahead of Didier Drogba of Chelsea and United team mates Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes in the 60th vote organised by the Football Writers' Association (FWA).
Arsenal beat Bolton Wanderers 2-0 at home while Chelsea scored an identical win over Middlesbrough in the EPL.
Schalke 04 halted the Chelsea juggernaut when they drew 1-1 in their Champions League Group G opener at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday, handing a wake-up call to the London club who had won their first four games of the season.
Ahead of their high-profile clash on Saturday, check out the five standout clashes between Arsenal and Chelsea.
Manchester United stormed to the top of the Premier League on Saturday with a 4-1 thumping of Middlesbrough as Chelsea stole the limelight with a 6-0 hammering of third-placed Manchester City.
Chelsea consolidated top spot in Champions League Group B with a 2-0 win over Schalke 04 at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday.
That's because Chelsea expect to be without Didier Drogba and Salomon Kalou during the African Nations Cup early next year.
England skipper John Terry went off with a depressed fracture of his cheekbone, Didier Drogba was sent off and Chelsea were booed off after they were held to a 0-0 draw by Fulham in the west London derby on Saturday.
Chelsea failed to score for a fourth successive English Premier League match in a 0-0 draw with Fulham.
The English Premier League matches are on. Are you cheering for Chelsea? Or Manchester United?
Premier League leaders Manchester United beat Charlton Athletic 2-0 to stay six points clear of Chelsea.
Premier League leaders Manchester United outclassed bottom side Watford 4-0 on Wednesday to maintain their six point lead over Chelsea, who beat Blackburn Rovers 3-0.
'This award is not just mine.' 'It is my team mates' from Real Madrid and Croatia.' 'Without my coaches, I would not have won this and without my family I would not be the player I am today.'
So far, the 11th-hour mad-dash approach has made the Athens Games about security, construction and system failure, not about Olympic spirit.
Midfielders John Obi Mikel, Andre Schurrle and Ramires will all play no part while striker Didier Drogba is not fit enough to play for 90 minutes, according to manager Jose Mourinho.
The Manchester United midfielder pulled off a rare double when he was named both PFA Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year.
Valencia earned a valuable 1-1 draw at Chelsea on Wednesday in a combative first leg of their Champions League quarter-final.
The Premier League leaders suffered their third defeat of the season.
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