Seasonal cheer has been scarce for Louis van Gaal after a six-match winless sequence for his Manchester United side intensified rumours that he will be sacked and Stoke City are unlikely to be offering any solace on Saturday.
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Media reports said former England manager Roy Hodgson was in line to replace De Boer at Selhurst Park.
Jubilant with his side's maiden Premier League title, LeicesterCity manager Claudio Ranieri has heaped praised on his players' determination and focus that led his side to the recent glory.
Saturday's clash between Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford is already shaping up as an early-season eliminator to challenge runaway leaders Manchester City for the Premier League title.
Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal gave himself a pat on the back on Thursday for having the "guts" to give teenage striker Marcus Rashford his break in the side.
Meanwhile, Manchester United winger Jesse Lingard says his "heart is at Old Trafford" and negotiations are ongoing over a new deal with the club that will extend a contract that runs out at the end of next season.
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The following are talking points from the weekend's Premier League action:
Tottenham Hotspur have shown impressive durability in the Premier League lately, but they will need to be at their most steadfast to deny champions and league leaders Manchester City who travel to Wembley on Monday.
The Croatian replaced Sam Allardyce in June 2015 and led the club to a seventh-placed finish in his first season. He also oversaw their move to the London Stadium last season, but has won just two out of 11 league games in the current campaign.
Manchester City moved back into third place and almost guaranteed Champions League qualification thanks to a 3-1 home victory against West Bromwich Albion on Tuesday at the Etihad Stadium.
Here are five talking points from the final weekend of the Premier League season:
Brazil coach Dunga blamed a virus that hit several players for his team's early elimination from the Copa America at the hands of Paraguay on Saturday.
City, who have a 16-point lead, can win the Premier League title with a victory over Jose Mourinho's side at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday, but after their 3-0 loss to Liverpool in the Champions League on Wednesday, Guardiola said the players needed a lift.
England striker Wayne Rooney has signed a four-year contract extension with Premier League champions Manchester United that will keep their prize asset at the club until June 2019.
'We want to thank him (Costa) for what he did with this club. We wish him all the best for the future'
Manuel Pellegrini has said he would choose winning the Premier League with Manchester City and being shown the door over continuing as the team's manager for an extended period without any major success.
Britain's world number three Andy Murray stressed the importance of gender equality in tennis, saying the work ethic required to succeed is the same for both men and women.
Images from the EPL matches played on Saturday
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Champions Chelsea begin title defence at home to Swansea City, while runners-up Manchester City kick-off at West Bromwich Albion
Chelsea's Diego Costa continued his stunning start to life in the Premier League with a hat-trick in a 4-2 comeback win over Swansea City on Saturday that left champions Manchester City staring up the table after a 2-2 draw at Arsenal.
"I think he plays on Wednesday because on Saturday it was a decision to protect him," manager Jose Mourinho told the club website (www.chelseafc.com).
Ninety-six seats were left empty and draped with Liverpool scarves at the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley Stadium on Saturday as English soccer paused to remember the Hillsborough tragedy that took place 25 years ago this weekend.
Summary of World Cup qualifiers played across the world on Thursday
Brief reports of English Premier League matches on Saturday:
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Chelsea icon Frank Lampard scored for Manchester City to end his old club's perfect start to the Premier League season while Leicester City came from 3-1 down to beat Manchester United 5-3 on a remarkable day in the Premier League on Sunday.
Record signing Mesut Ozil is now over his key penalty miss against Bayern Munich having ended a three month goal drought with a dynamic display in the FA Cup win over Everton, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said.
Manchester City rediscovered their swagger to beat Chelsea 2-0 and move into the quarter-finals of the FA Cup on Saturday, Manuel Pellegrini winning the battle of tactical wits against Jose Mourinho.
Arsenal's bid to win the FA Cup for a third successive year ended on Sunday when they lost 2-1 at home to Watford in a pulsating quarter-final tie.
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Leicester's Mahrez finds form in time for January sales
On Thursday morning, the world woke up to the news of the death of iconic New Zealand cricketer Martin Crowe. A teenage prodigy, who went on to carve an illustrious career with his superlative batting and smart captaincy, lost his three-year long battle against cancer at the age of 53. Unfortunately, Crowe is among a few famous cricketers who battled to beat cancer but didn't survive the fight.
Manchester City thrashed Southampton 6-1 to remain top of the Premier League.
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Newcastle grabbed a point to leave City manager Pep Guardiola frustrated.
Chelsea exploited Manchester City's decision to field a weakened team by romping to a 5-1 win in the FA Cup fifth round on Sunday as they joined London rivals West Ham United and Crystal Palace in the quarter-finals.
Pep Guardiola's formidable managerial skills will be put to the test again when his stuttering ManchesterCity side visit his former club Barcelona in a top-of-the-bill Champions League clash on Wednesday.
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