Didier Drogba scored both goals for the leaders in a 2-0 win over Middlesbrough and champions Arsenal could only scrape a 1-1 draw with Manchester City.
The Italians drew 2-2 in Greece against Egaleo, a result which sends Middlesbrough, Villarreal and Partizan Belgrade through as the three qualifiers from Group E.
Hardwick captained England 13 times before a knee injury cut short his international career in the late 1940s.
Arsenal crushed Middlesbrough 4-1 while Chelsea ended the challenge of minor League Scarborough with a 1-0 win.
They have games against Blackburn Rovers and Middlesbrough respectively on Saturday.
A night of wholesale team changes for the 11 Premier League sides in action produced one notable upset with top flight Stoke City losing 2-0 at second-tier Bristol City.
Arsenal have the players and qualities to challenge for the Premier League title and their failure to do so is frustrating, striker Alexis Sanchez has said.
The Manchester United manager admits he does not understand why his team have lost two games in a row despite returning to full strength.
Alex Ferguson fears Man U will struggle to break down Middlesbrough because of the work Steve McClaren has put in.
Jose Mourinho urged Anthony Martial to resist the temptation to move away from Old Trafford.
Arsenal beat Liverpool 4-2 to take a seven-point lead over Chelsea at the top of the league with seven matches remaining.
Manchester United will travel to third-tier MK Dons in the Capital One Cup second round following the draw on Wednesday, the first time they have been involved at this stage of the competition for 19 years.
'I think they're in a big fight now'
Manchester United were celebrating their eighth premier league title in 11 seasons on Sunday after Arsenal lost 3-2 at home to Leeds.
Ten-man Manchester United held on to beat Middlesbrough 1-0 at the Riverside on Sunday.
Champions Arsenal eased to a comfortable 2-0 home win over Middlesbrough on Saturday, extending their lead at the top of the English premier league to two points.
Arsenal moved top of the Premier League table but were unconvincing in a 0-0 home draw with Middlesbrough who were well worth their point on Saturday.
Cristiano Ronaldo scored the 750th goal of his remarkable career in a 3-0 win over Dynamo Kyiv on Wednesday
Benzema to stand trial in sex tape case, says lawyer.
Manchester United's hopes of a top four finish suffered a blow on Sunday as relegation-threatened Swansea City came back for a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford.
Major world record deals are here.
After a close season in which he said he wanted to leave the club but ended up staying at Old Trafford, all eyes were on Paul Pogba as Manchester United began their Premier League campaign on Sunday. Yet following a 4-0 home win over Chelsea, in which the French midfielder set up the third and fourth goals, manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was full of praise for the former Juventus star.
Images from the League Cup matches played on Tuesday
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field.
A summary of Tuesday's League Cup matches.
Atletico Madrid crashed out of the Copa del Rey to Girona on Wednesday following a highly entertaining 3-3 draw at home to the Catalan side, who sneaked through to the quarter-finals on away goals after the tie finished 4-4 on aggregate.
Leicester City have returned to the Premier League for the first time since 2004 despite not kicking a ball on Saturday after Queens Park Rangers and Derby County both lost.
Former World Cup winner and Arsenal's record goal-scorer Thierry Henry announced his retirement from soccer on Tuesday, bringing an end to his a glittering 20-year career.
Jose Mourinho will select a strong Chelsea side out of respect to high-flying Championship team Derby County when they meet in the quarter-finals of the Capital One Cup on Tuesday.
A match by match look at this weekend's English Premier League fixtures.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
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