Rediff.com brings you the previews of the main matches scheduled for this weekend in the English Premier League.
Chelsea must add a new dimension to their brand of football if the champions are to mount a strong defense of the Premier League title they won in some comfort last season, said manager Jose Mourinho.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola will not allow his players time off for Christmas as he wants to ensure they are fully prepared for Monday's English Premier League trip to basement team Hull City.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Jose Mourinho has confirmed that record signing Paul Pogba is ready to make his second Manchester United debut when Southampton visit Old Trafford in the Premier League on Friday.
Rooney, the all-time leading goalscorer for club and country, has started eight Premier League games this season and has not played since Feb. 1.
This was not quite Liverpool back to their best but it was an important statement of intent for Klopp's side that they will not be giving up their title without a fight.
Sevilla coach Vincenzo Montella has suggested that the only way his side will be able to stop Manchester United forward Alexis Sanchez in Wednesday's Champions League last-16 first leg will be to tie the Chilean up with a rope.
Southampton missed a penalty as they held a makeshift Manchester United side to a 0-0 draw in a tepid Premier League clash on Wednesday.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field.
Manchester United's troubled season hit a new low on Saturday as Jose Mourinho saw his gamble on introducing a new tactical system backfire with an insipid 3-1 defeat to West Ham United in the Premier League.
United beat Leicester City at Old Trafford in the opening game of the season but Spurs present a very different quality of opponent.
Jose Mourinho believes football is only about winning and that managers who favour a possession-dominated beautiful game and neglect steely defence and lethal counter-attacking are "stupid".
World Cup winner Paul Pogba's third minute penalty and a late goal from Luke Shaw gave Manchester United a 2-1 win over Leicester City at Old Trafford in the opening game of the Premier League season on Friday.
If, as former British Prime Minister Harold Wilson once said, a week is a long time in politics, four and a half months in football clearly represents an eternity.
Liverpool's hopes of opening up a menacing five-point lead at the top of the Premier League were scuppered in unlikely fashion as struggling West Bromwich Albion snatched a 1-1 draw at Anfield
Guardiola also took aim at Spanish league president Javier Tebas, a long standing critic of City, who had questioned whether CAS was the right court for deciding such matters.
'Being back in the Champions League is going back to the natural habitat. Manchester United (have been there) season after season'
Bookmakers were quick to install Everton manager David Moyes as the favourite to replace Alex Ferguson, who announced he was stepping down as boss of Manchester United on Wednesday after more than 26 trophy-laden years in charge.
Mourinho miffed at United players' attitude in St Etienne win
Roberto Firmino's 90th-minute header sent Liverpool back to the top of the Premier League with a 2-1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur, whose 11-match unbeaten run came to an end on Wednesday.
Liverpool has displayed a good performance so far in both Premier League and Champions League this season.
'I want to say I was convinced even before (the defeat by Chelsea in February's FA) Cup match that controlling the two players that play behind Diego (Costa) and controlling the full-backs, because they go really deep with two wide men, would create lots of problems and I repeat the same'
City will look to extend lead against United at Old Trafford
AC Milan midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng, who led a walk-off in a club friendly in January after being racially abused, believes the game needs to be more multi-cultural.
England's League Managers' Association has revealed that the average tenure of a Premier League manager is now little more than two seasons, with 11 of last year's 20 starters already kicked out.
Manchester United's Wayne Rooney is fit to face Arsenal on Saturday, his manager Jose Mourinho said, after reportedly injuring his knee tripping over an energy drink bottle in the Wembley dressing room last week.
Juventus substitute Cristiano Ronaldo was denied a stoppage-time winner by VAR as Udinese came from two goals down to snatch a 2-2 draw in their thrilling Serie A season opener on Sunday.
An out-of-form Virat Kohli turned to Stamford Bridge for some inspiration ahead of the fifth and final Test at the Oval.
Striker Costa ends second spell at Atletico Madrid.
Here are five talking points from the weekend's Premier League action:
Eden Hazard's first-half penalty proved decisive as Chelsea salvaged their season by beating Manchester United 1-0 in the FA Cup final in what is widely-expected to be manager Antonio Conte's swansong.
Newcastle grabbed a point to leave City manager Pep Guardiola frustrated.
Manchester United's Zlatan Ibrahimovic came off the bench to score the winner as they recovered from an early deficit to beat Championship strugglers Blackburn Rovers 2-1 away in the FA Cup fifth round on Sunday.
Headed goals from Anthony Martial and captain Harry Maguire earned Manchester United a hard-fought 2-0 win at toothless Chelsea on Monday amid more VAR controversy, putting them back in the hunt for a top-four Premier League finish. The VAR system made the headlines once again after two Chelsea efforts were ruled out and England international Maguire escaped sanction for a kick out at Michy Batshuayi.
Marcus Rashford has made more appearances than any other player at the club this season
Union Berlin's Paul Jaeckel scored a 76th-minute winner to give his team a 1-0 victory at VfB Stuttgart on Sunday and send them two points clear at the top of the Bundesliga.
John Terry has recovered from an ankle injury and will be available for Chelsea's home clash with Manchester United on Sunday, manager Antonio Conte said on Friday.
Summary of all that transpired on and off the football field
Chelsea a 1-0 win over Manchester United in a compelling Premier League clash on Sunday
