With dreams of European glory in tatters, Manchester United, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur turn their attention to the FA Cup quarter-finals this weekend clinging to their last chance of silverware this season.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has been named the Premier League manager of the month for February, while in-form Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane picked up his fourth player of the month award.
How quickly affections can switch in soccer. Where once they would serenade coach Jose Mourinho at Stamford Bridge with an operatic flourish, now Chelsea fans have fallen headlong for another man driving them inexorably to the Premier League title.
Eden Hazard is enjoying life under new Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri but says reports that he is about to announce the signing of a new deal with the London club are wide of the mark.
Costa, the Premier League's leading scorer with 14 goals, will miss Saturday's game following a disagreement with Chelsea manager Antonio Conte and a club fitness coach Julio Tous, the reports say.
Ronaldo helped Real Madrid to a second consecutive Champions League title and finished as the tournament's top scorer with 12 goals earlier this year.
Spain goalkeeper Iker Casillas has given a strong indication that he will retire from international footbal after 16 years. The 35-year-old did not play in any of Spain's four games at Euro 2016 with national team coach Vicente del Bosque picking Manchester United's David De Gea in goal. Casillas, who made his debut in 2000 and is Spain's most capped player with 167 appearances, posted a video on his twitter account (@casillasworld) of a Rambo film with the dialogue saying: "I don't know where but I'm going."
LeicesterCity manager Claudio Ranieri hopes Chelsea midfielder N'Golo Kante will be given a warm reception when he returns to his old stomping ground for the first time since leaving the English champions.
Chelsea long-serving captain John Terry has signed a new one-year contract, making a U-turn after saying in January he would be leaving at the end of the season. The club's website said Terry, 35, had agreed a new deal that would take him into a 22nd season at Stamford Bridge which he joined as a schoolboy. "I am delighted to sign a new contract with the club. Everyone knows I'm Chelsea through and through," Terry said. "I am looking forward to next season under the new manager and hopefully we can make it a successful one."
Conte heavily rotated his team for the game, leaving players such as Lukaku and Eriksen on the bench. But Inter treated the family members, sponsors and club employees in attendance to a festival of goals.
Chelsea's players must quickly adapt to new manager Maurizio Sarri's demands as the Italian looks to reshape the team for the new Premier League season
Antonio Conte's return to Italian football on Tuesday proved such a chastening experience as he watched his Chelsea side dismantled by AS Roma in the Champions League that he worries they could be set for a "very difficult" season.
Former Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard has hailed John Terry as the Premier League's greatest ever defender after the club announced their captain will leave Stamford Bridge at the end of the season.
Chelsea's struggle to retain the title is hardly surprising as the club returned to the Champions League and their league rivals strengthened their squads, former Leicester City manager Claudio Ranieri has said.
Following is a match by match look at the English Premier League's weekend fixtures:
Chelsea must improve their defensive solidity if they are to challenge for silverware this season, winger Eden Hazard has said. Despite coach Antonio Conte's reputation of building teams around a solid defensive unit, Chelsea have conceded nine league goals this season, including three against Arsenal on Saturday, the first of which came from an error by Gary Cahill. The London club have kept just one clean sheet in six league games this campaign.
Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fabregas has quashed persistent transfer rumours, saying he had never thought of leaving the StamfordBridge and that he is extremely happy with his current club.
Chelsea had the look of champions again as they maintained their comfortable seven-point advantage at the top of the Premier League with a 3-1 victory at Bournemouth on Saturday -- but Tottenham Hotspur will not give up the chase.
Tite likes Tottenham striker Richarlison, saying "he only has eyes for the goal" while Gabriel Jesus, who failed to score in five appearances at the 2018 World Cup, appears to now be vying with the likes of Raphinha and Antony for a wide role in the Selecao.
Diego Costa has accused Chelsea of treating him like a "criminal" in a forthright newspaper interview which will deepen the breach with the Premier League club.
Zinedine Zidane has stepped down as Real Madrid coach with immediate effect five days after his team were pipped to the La Liga title by city rivals Atletico Madrid, the Spanish club said on Thursday.
IMAGES from the English Premier League matches played on Wednesday
It might not save manager Antonio Conte's job but Chelsea can still salvage a disappointing season by winning Saturday's FA Cup final
Images from the match played between Chelsea and Manchester United at Stamford Bridge on Sunday
IMAGES from the English Premier League matches played on Sunday
Chelsea a 1-0 win over Manchester United in a compelling Premier League clash on Sunday
Jose Mourinho will have no qualms about frustrating entertainment-hungry Manchester United fans if it means securing a win on his return to Stamford Bridge on Sunday.
Chelsea captain John Terry is assessing whether to retire from football after the Premier League champions' final game of the season against Sunderland on Sunday.
Watford equalised seconds before halftime through Abdoulaye Doucoure and in a rampant spell of attacking football went ahead four minutes after the break when Roberto Pereyra tapped home a Richarlison cross.
The 21-year-old Denmark international has made 22 appearances for the English champions this term having cemented his place at the heart of Antonio Conte's three-man defence.
Arsenal became the highest-profile casualties of the FA Cup third round as the 14-time winners lost 1-0 at Nottingham Forest, but Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur avoided early exits after scares against lower-league sides on Sunday.
In a thriller at Anfield, a weakened Liverpool side came back from the brink to beat Leicester City on penalties after a 3-3 draw, setting up a semi-final against Arsenal.
IMAGES from the English Premier League matches played on Tuesday.
Nigeria midfielder John Obi Mikel has become the latest big name player to join the Chinese Super League gold rush after leaving Chelsea for Tianjin Teda.
Cesc Fabregas kept alive Chelsea's hopes of finishing in the top four with a quickfire goal in a 1-0 win at Swansea City which leaves the Welsh side facing a major fight to retain their Premier League status.
Second-half strikes by Federico Valverde, Brahim Diaz and Endrick gave feeble Real Madrid an unconvincing 3-0 win over lowly Real Valladolid.
Nuno's coaching staff have also been relieved of their duties. The club have not yet announced a replacement but British media reported former Chelsea and Inter Milan boss Antonio Conte is linked.
IMAGES from Serie A matches played in Italy on Wednesday.
Chelsea have enough experience to keep their composure in the title race after Sunday's 2-0 defeat at Manchester United cut their lead at the top of the Premier League table to four points with six games left, goalkeeper Asmir Begovic has said.
The move would end a turbulent spell at the club for the Argentine, who has fallen out with fans along on the way and provided fodder for the gossip columns thanks to his marriage to Wanda Nara, a media personality who also acts as his agent.
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