Match-by-match facts and statistics ahead of the Premier League
The fixture list suggests that Chelsea should still be able to finish above challengers Tottenham Hotspur. But strange things can happen when the pressure reaches it's greatest intensity and here was certainly something strange about Chelsea at Old Trafford on Sunday.
Manchester United's struggle to achieve a top-four finish continued on Tuesday as Zlatan Ibrahimovic came to their rescue with an added time penalty to salvage a 1-1 draw against Everton in their Premier League clash at Old Trafford.
England striker Daniel Sturridge celebrated his return after a five-month injury layoff when he came off the bench to score as Liverpool beat West Ham United 2-0 in the Premier League on Saturday.
Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere will be out of action for three months after undergoing ankle surgery, the Premier League club said on Thursday.
It was a day of role reversal as Jose Mourinho's often cautious Chelsea thumped Everton 6-3 in a thriller on Saturday while champions Manchester City's attacking talents were blunted in a shock 1-0 home defeat by Stoke City.
However, experienced goalkeeper Joe Hart and Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere were both omitted from a squad announced on Wednesday via a social media video featuring young recreational players from around the country shouting out the names.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field.
Among other transfer news globally, defender Rahul Bheke joins Mumbai City FC while Locatelli completes Juventus move.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Chelsea's slim hopes of winning the Premier League all but evaporated in the Stamford Bridge sunshine on Sunday as Norwich City ground out a 0-0 draw that left them hanging on to top- flight status by their fingernails.
Manchester City now need, at most, 11 points from their remaining seven matches to secure their third Premier League title in four seasons.
Eden Hazard and Fernando Torres applied the gloss to a workmanlike 2-0 victory at Hull City that lifted Chelsea ominously to the top of the Premier League on Saturday.
On a day of frenetic spending that took the Premier League total to a record far above one billion pounds ($1.29 billion), Antonio Conte's side also missed out on two of their other targets - Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Fernando Llorente.
Former Cup winners Coventry, now plying their trade in the bottom division of the Football League, revived memories of happier times as Jordan Willis and Jack Grimmer scored the goals in a 2-1 victory at the Ricoh Arena.
Luis Suarez struck a clinical hat-trick as Liverpool thrashed West Bromwich Albion 4-1 at Anfield to keep pace with Premier League leaders Arsenal on Saturday.
Manchester United survived a tense finale to beat West Bromwich Albion 2-1 at the Hawthorns on Sunday and close to within 11 points of Premier League leaders Manchester City.
Aston Villa were relegated from the Premier League for the first time since it began in 1992 when they suffered their 24th loss of the season in a 1-0 defeat at Old Trafford on Saturday.
Rediff.com brings a preview of the main matches coming up this weekend in the English Premier League.
Chelsea playmaker Eden Hazard says it "would be a dream" to play under French great and current Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane in the future.
Images from Sunday's action in the Premier League.
Premier League champions Liverpool maintained their 100 per cent start to the season with a 3-1 win against Arsenal at Anfield on Monday leaving them level on nine points with pacesetters Everton and Leicester City.
James Rodriguez netted twice and Dominic Calvert-Lewin became the first Everton player to score in the opening four matches of a Premier League season as they beat Brighton & Hove Albion 4-2 on Saturday to stay top of the table with a maximum 12 points.
Manchester City stayed ahead of age-old local rivals Manchester United at the top of the Premier League on Saturday with a deserved 1-0 win away to champions Chelsea.
London clubs' erratic start to the Premier League season improved with victories for Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal on Saturday but Manchester sides continued to make the running, with City and United the top two.
Liverpool, level on points with Manchester United, can add to the pressure if they take three points at West Ham United in Saturday's lunchtime kickoff.
Four months after quitting Liverpool for Manchester City, Raheem Sterling will have the first opportunity to justify the move by getting one over his former employers when the teams meet at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday.
Manchester United and Manchester City must switch their focus from the Champions League to the Premier League when they meet at Old Trafford on Sunday in a derby that Louis van Gaal says will show whether United are true title contenders.
Willian's late strike snatched a 1-0 home win for Chelsea over a stubborn Everton side to maintain lead.
Liverpool flirted with what would have been an embarrassing low in their poor start to the season as they were taken to penalties by fourth tier Carlisle United, but came through to reach the League Cup fourth round on Wednesday.
IMAGES from the English Premier League matches played on Saturday
Manchester City tightened their stranglehold at the top of the Premier League on Wednesday by trouncing bottom club West Bromwich Albion 3-0 as nearest rivals Manchester United suffered a chastening 2-0 defeat at Tottenham Hotspur.
Arsenal must trust in Arteta, says Guardiola.
Swansea City came from behind to beat Arsenal 2-1 and Tottenham Hotspur's misery continued with a 2-1 home defeat by Stoke City, making it a nightmare Sunday for north London.
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.
Arsenal stayed ahead of Manchester United in the race to qualify directly for next season's Champions League when they drew 1-1 at Old Trafford on Sunday while Manchester City made sure of their place in the group stage with a 4-2 win at Swansea City.
Belgium have retained injured Vincent Kompany in their final World Cup squad but put fellow defender Laurent Ciman on standby in case the Manchester City skipper is not fit for their opening match in Russia.
Manchester United humbled Manchester City 4-2 in the continent's big derby of the weekend.
Liverpool have extended captain Jordan Henderson's contract, the Premier League side said on Tuesday, putting an end to speculation over his future at the Merseyside club.
Images from the English Premier League matches played across England on Tuesday
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