Two big derbies and an eventful weekend of football awaits us all...
A summary of sports events and persons who made news on Friday
Manchester City must put a potentially ruinous fortnight behind them as they seek to reboot their faltering season with a big performance in their Champions League last-16, first leg trip to Dynamo Kiev on Wednesday.
Manchester United might have left themselves too much ground to make up in the Premier League title race as they trail leaders Chelsea by 11 points after 13 games, according to their manager Jose Mourinho.
Is VAR sucking the life out of the game?
Allowing independent panels to punish players retrospectively for diving and other infringements would be a "disaster", according to Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho.
Chief executive emerges as rival to wealthy Bahraini in race to save Leeds United.
Arsenal should be worried by Real Madrid's claim they have contacted "the best player in the world," since the other two already play for them.
Liverpool started the ball rolling with a convincing 4-1 win at home to promoted Norwich and City responded a day later with an even more emphatic 5-0 victory at West Ham United.
Gianfranco Zola said he wanted to excite West Ham United's fans with attacking football as he prepared to be named manager of the east London club.
Manchester United forward Cristiano Ronaldo was named UEFA's European Club Footballer of the Year on Thursday after scoring 42 goals last season including eight in the Champions League.
There will be no seismic shifts in the balance of the world's richest football competition if the first weekend of the new Premier League season is anything to go by.
Goalkeeper Alisson Becker scored a stunning header in the fifth minute of stoppage-time as Liverpool snatched a 2-1 victory at the death against relegated West Bromwich Albion at The Hawthorns on Sunday.
Brilliant Zlatan Ibrahimovic leaves Chelsea feeling blue.
Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has promised to show plenty of restraint and respect if he inflicts a first Premier League defeat of the season on his former side Chelsea on Saturday.
RB Leipzig scored twice in the opening 13 minutes but had to survive a late comeback from Manchester United to cling on to a 3-2 win on Tuesday that sent them into the Champions League knockout stage and eliminated the English side.
IMAGES from the UEFA Champions League quarter-final played between Atletico Madrid and Leipzig on Thursday.
Patrick Head, Technical director of BMW Williams, recalls the first time he heard Juan Pablo Montoya's name.
English Premier League club Sunderland have appointed Gustavo Poyet as manager on Tuesday. The 45 year-old has agreed a two year contract at the Stadium of Light and will take charge of the Black Cats with immediate effect.
The FA is to investigate an alleged anti-Semitic gesture made by West Bromwich Albion striker Nicolas Anelka during Saturday's 3-3 Premier League draw at West Ham United.
Victory at Chelsea on Sunday would put Manchester United back in Premier League title contention, manager Louis van Gaal said on Friday as the former champions were again linked with Jose Mourinho. Fifth-placed United are 10 points behind leaders Leicester City with 14 games remaining and the Dutchman, buoyed by a 3-0 home victory over Stoke City last weekend, said his side should not be counted out. United finally produced some much-needed swagger at Old Trafford to give Van Gaal breathing space as his future continues to be the subject of media speculation. "The competition is still not finished," Van Gaal told reporters on Friday.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
FIFA president Gianni Infantino said a wind of change was blowing through football's scandal-plagued world governing body after announcing a sponsorship deal with China's Wanda Group on Friday.
Here are five talking points from the weekend's Premier League action:
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Ousmane Dembele endured a rough start to his Barcelona career but the French winger appears to be finding his feet at a crucial time in the season.
Norway goalkeeper Oda Maria Bogstad was told she would have to self-isolate for 14 days after returning from Portugal due to fears about the spread of the coronavirus. Bogstad flew from Oslo to Bergen and with the Norwegian FA also cancelling all football activity until at least April 15 to try to contain the virus, she decided not to stick around.
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has denied that the club's success is purely down to the financial muscle of owner Roman Abramovich.
Aston Villa captain Jack Grealish has been charged with multiple driving violations after being involved in a car crash during the COVID-19 lockdown in March, police said on Thursday. British media had reported that police had opened an investigation after the Villa midfielder was pictured leaving an estate in Birmingham following a traffic accident on March 29.
Such is the level of consistency of Manchester City (nine straight wins) and Liverpool (five straight victories), that it can be easy to lose sight of just how good this title race is.
Ireland are fourth on 16 points, one point behind Switzerland and France and two adrift of group leaders Israel.
As Leicester City celebrates its Premier League triumph, Bikash Mohapatra/Rediff.com salutes the man behind it.
A last-minute own goal gave Liverpool a 2-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur to keep them top of the Premier League but Manchester City stayed two points behind having won at Fulham. Huddersfield Town were relegated after their defeat by Crystal Palace.
Winning trophies with his boyhood club and rediscovering his scoring touch is what Fernando Torres really craves after returning home to Atletico Madrid.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Messi doesn't need to win a World Cup to prove his greatness, feels iconic former Argentine striker Hernan Crespo.
Former Bayern Munich coach Flick takes over Germany to 2024
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