Wayne Rooney may not start Manchester United's Europa League match against Ukrainian side Zorya Luhansk for his own protection as he is struggling with a back injury, manager Jose Mourinho said on Wednesday.
Records tumbled in the transfer window as Premier League spending totalled 1.165 billion pounds ($1.54 billion), financial analyst Deloitte's Sports Business Group said on Thursday. The outlay represents a 34 percent rise on the previous highest in all windows of 870 million pounds set 12 months ago and means the overall spend by clubs in 2016-17 already represents a record for a single Premier League season.
Chelsea demolished the team that succeeded them as Premier League winners when champions Leicester City succumbed tamely 3-0 at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.
A Chelsea deal for Barcelona forward Lionel Messi would be impossible under financial fair play rules, assistant coach Steve Holland said on Friday.
Manchester United won away for the first time this season when they beat Arsenal 2-1 at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday to climb to fourth in the Premier League table.
Long-serving defender John Terry will remain Chelsea's captain in the coming season, new manager Antonio Conte said on Thursday at his first news conference since joining the Premier League club. Terry, 35, signed a new one-year contract at Stamford Bridge in May to end speculation that he was going to leave the London club after more than 700 appearances. He remains a firm favourite with the club's fans. "John Terry is captain of this team. He is a great player with a great personality and charisma. He knows the club. We take all decisions together with the club and I am very happy John signed," Conte said.
Arrizabalaga appeared to be injured as he prevented City's Sergio Aguero from scoring in the closing moments of extra time, and manager Maurizio Sarri ordered his substitution before Chelsea went on to lose the showpiece match 4-3 on penalties.
Here are some of the other events -- in pictures -- that made news last week.
Thibaut Courtois reckons Chelsea are capable of achieving what the Belgium keeper came agonisingly close to doing at Atletico Madrid last season - winning a European and domestic double.
Chelsea's Spanish striker Diego Costa was named along with usual suspects Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in the 23- man FIFA Ballon D'Or short-list released on Tuesday.
Leicester City must wait at least one more day for their first-ever Premier League title after drawing 1-1 with Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday.
Frank Lampard, Chelsea's all-time leading scorer, netted against his old club when he came on as a late substitute for Manchester City to give the champions a 1-1 draw.
'I'm very excited to be here. I'm very happy'
Veteran Drogba showed that he still has a lot of steam in him as he scored in Chelsea's win over Spurs, while Aguero continued to top the goal-scorers' list this season, finding the net for City. Images from the EPL matches played across England on Wednesday.
Liverpool have the joint biggest lead in top-flight history at this stage of the campaign and no team has ever failed to win the title with an advantage of this size. Already there is talk of Liverpool going through the league entire season unbeaten -- matching the 'The Invincibles' of Arsenal in 2003/04 and Preston North End in 1888/89.
Everton secured their English Premier League status as Dominic Calvert-Lewin scored five minutes from time to snatch a thrilling 3-2 victory over Crystal Palace after they rallied from two goals down at a rocking Goodison Park on Thursday.
Chelsea finally produced a performance befitting of champions to demolish Newcastle United 5-1.
Schalke 04 halted the Chelsea juggernaut when they drew 1-1 in their Champions League Group G opener at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday, handing a wake-up call to the London club who had won their first four games of the season.
Catalans will have to cope without their inspirational captain Andres Iniesta, the man who has pedigree when it comes to beating the Blues.
First-half goals by Danny Welbeck and Alex Iwobi earned Arsenal a first win in four league games to revive their Premier League title hopes in the early kickoff at Goodison Park on Saturday.
Conte wants 'perfect game', while hoping Messi's goal drought continues
Leicester City were give a Premier League reality check when the unlikely leaders lost 1-0 at Liverpool on Saturday after Manchester United slumped to a third consecutive league defeat to pile more pressure on manager Louis van Gaal.
Carlo Ancelotti says he would like to return to England's Premier League but the Italian manager with one of the most garlanded records in world football is not interested in taking any new job this season.
Willian and Lionel Messi scored as Chelsea and Barcelona finished 1-1 after an absorbing first leg of their Champions League last 16 tie on Tuesday, while Bayern Munich, helped by two typical Thomas Mueller goals and two from Robert Lewandowski, romped to a 5-0 home win over Besiktas.
Arsenal snatched a dramatic 2-1 victory over Burnley to keep their title hopes on track after the referee Jon Moss awarded penalties to both sides and sent off home manager Arsene Wenger in injury time.
The brilliance of Chelsea's Eden Hazard ended Liverpool's 100 percent start to the season as Maurizio Sarri's side enjoyed a 2-1 win at Anfield in the League Cup third round on Wednesday.
Jose Mourinho is starting to feel drained at having to watch his Chelsea team hang on for scrambling victories despite dominating opponents, the manager said after Thursday's 1-0 Premier League win over Swansea City.
'Last season it was the same -- we won here and it was the referee. Today as well'
On a crazy evening it looked as though Joe Willock's screamer had earned Arsenal a memorable victory, but Liverpool proved irrepressible as their barnstorming season continued.
As many as 721,469 appointments were made through the national booking service on Friday -- the day of the announcement -- at an average of more than eight every second. To cope with demand, the NHS said it is using stadiums and football grounds as giant vaccination centres.
Ibrahimovic has not played since suffering a career-threatening knee ligament injury in United's Europa League quarter-final second leg match against Anderlecht at Old Trafford in April.
Jordan Henderson has spent much ofhis Liverpool career being compared unfavourably with Steven Gerrard, but his stunning goal against Chelsea on Friday could have come straight from the copybook of the former Anfield hero. After Dejan Lovren had put Liverpool ahead, Hendersontook aim from 30 metres, curling home a superb effort that ended a goal drought stretching back more than eight months. It put Liverpool two ahead on their way to a 2-1 victory that ended the hosts' unbeaten start to the season and underlined the growing potential of Juergen Klopp's Liverpool side.
IMAGES from the English Premier League matches played on Wednesday.
'It has been good on pitch and off pitch,' Lampard said.
New manager Frank Lampard is confident the Premier League club do not need to bring in new players to taste success.
IMAGES from the English Premier League matches played on Wednesday.
IMAGES from Premier League matches played on Saturday.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has apologised for shoving his Chelsea counterpart Jose Mourinho on the touchline during a Premier League match at Stamford Bridge.
Italian Antonio Conte was named as Chelsea's new head coach with a three-year contract, the outgoing Premier League champions announced on Monday.
'It was a great atmosphere, I am so pleased for all of the people who have had harder times with us this season'
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