Arsenal closed the gap on leaders Liverpool with a 2-1 Premier League victory at Nottingham Forest
Messi opened the scoring after two minutes and eight seconds, the quickest goal of his career, slipping the ball through Thibaut Courtois' legs from a tight angle.
Chelsea's ability to grind out victories will make it very difficult for anyone to catch them in the English Premier League, Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho said.
Italian Antonio Conte was named as Chelsea's new head coach with a three-year contract, the outgoing Premier League champions announced on Monday.
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.
Struggling Premier League champions Chelsea have held talks with Montreal Impact over former Blues striker Didier Drogba, the Major League Soccer team has said.
Chelsea agreed a deal to sign Real Madrid striker Alvaro Morata, subject to the Spain international agreeing personal terms and passing a medical.
Tottenham Hotspur missed the chance to move into the top four when they were held to a 1-1 draw at West Ham United
Chelsea may have restored some breathing space over Manchester City with a 2-0 win over Newcastle United on Saturday but they have not regained the form that made them runaway title favourites earlier in the season.
Struggling Premier League champions Chelsea have the quality to climb back up the table under interim manager Guus Hiddink, goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has said.
The Spaniard missed the 2-1 defeat after injuring his hamstring against Manchester City before the international break.
A Chelsea deal for Barcelona forward Lionel Messi would be impossible under financial fair play rules, assistant coach Steve Holland said on Friday.
IMAGES from the English Premier League matches played on Tuesday
Chelsea's Brazilian contingent will grow in size to five players after they agreed to sign teenager Nathan from Atletico Paranaense on Thursday.
Reaction to Arrizabalaga's refusal to be substituted
Hazard collected 53 percent of the vote making him a comfortable winner, while he and Terry's Chelsea team mates Cesc Fabregas, Branislav Ivanovic and goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois also featured in the top 10.
Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri made a winning start to life in the Premier League as his team enjoyed a 3-0 win over Huddersfield Town at the John Smith's Stadium on Saturday.
Chelsea manager Antonio Conte gave short shrift to media reports linking him with a move away from the English Premier League leaders and said he was eager to build "something important" at Stamford Bridge.
Arsenal travel across town to a vengeful Chelsea on Saturday knowing that another depressing defeat at Stamford Bridge would see their Premier League title hopes swept away with the lunchtime leftovers.
Napoli coach Walter Mazzarri has laughed off talk that his side are favourites ahead of Tuesday's UEFA Champions League last-16 first leg against Chelsea in Naples.
The decision comes after the player's positive drugs test for cocaine and his admission that he took the drug.
IMAGES from the English Premier League matches played on Sunday
Chelsea replaced Liverpool at the top of the English Premier League with a 1-0 victory at Middlesbrough.
Chelsea forward Eden Hazard expects ManchesterCity and Liverpool to be the London side's main rivals in the Premier League title race after the top three sides all enjoyed victories on the weekend.
Arsenal denied Chelsea the double with a 2-1 victory in an enthralling FA Cup final.
Chelsea kept up their pursuit of the Premier League's top three clubs with a 1-0 win away to London rivals Crystal Palace on Sunday, thanks to a strike by N'Golo Kante early in the second half.
Departing captain John Terry led his Chelsea champions to a rip-roaring 4-3 victory over Watford on Monday, scoring the first goal on an evening of celebration, fireworks and streamers rather than vintage football at Stamford Bridge.
Real Madrid beat holders Manchester City in an edge-of-your-seat 4-3 shootout victory to reach the semi-finals of the Champions League.
Manchester United's Alejandro Garnacho scored with a magical overhead kick in the third minute to send the visitors on their way to a 3-0 victory over an Everton team already reeling in their first Premier League game after being docked 10 points.
Chelsea will face Dynamo Kiev at home in the first leg of their Europa League last-16 tie, while London rivals Arsenal will travel to Rennes following Friday's draw in Nyon, Switzerland.
Chelsea chief executive Ron Gourlay said on Wednesday he was leaving Stamford Bridge after a decade in which Chelsea were crowned kings of Europe but also suffered plenty of off-field dramas too.
At 80 million euros, 23-year-old Kepa Arrizabalaga will become the most expensive goalkeeper in football history, ahead of Liverpool's Alisson Becker.
Frank Lampard controlled his inner turmoil and scored with a brilliantly taken penalty to put Chelsea within sight of their first Champions League final on Wednesday. The 29-year-old England midfielder, whose mother Pat died at 58 from pneumonia last Thursday, then let his guard down and wept with emotion while his celebrating team mates swamped him. The goal, after 98 minutes of a pulsating semi-final second leg against Liverpool, turned the match Chelsea's way.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Chelsea beat Eintracht Frankfurt on penalties on Thursday to set up an all-English Europa League final with local rivals Arsenal in Baku on May 29.
Chelsea's hopes of catching leaders Arsenal suffered a setback after a 3-2 defeat at Aston Villa in the premier league.
Chelsea's 2-1 defeat at surprise league leaders Leicester City on Monday, their ninth loss in 16 league games since the start of a season that has gone spectacularly wrong, proved to be the final straw.
A stunning strike from Jordan Henderson helped Liverpool secure a comfortable 2-1 win at Chelsea on Friday that ended the London club's unbeaten start to the season and underlined the growing potential of Juergen Klopp's side.
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