Manchester United's struggle to achieve a top-four finish continued on Tuesday as Zlatan Ibrahimovic came to their rescue with an added time penalty to salvage a 1-1 draw against Everton in their Premier League clash at Old Trafford.
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.
English football clubs splurged on the final day of the transfer window, laying out 210 million pounds to take total gross spending to a record-high 1.4 billion pounds as the Premier League again flexed its unrivalled financial muscles.
Santi Cazorla scored a 94th-minute penalty as sub-par Arsenal beat Southampton on Saturday with Laurent Koscielny's overhead kick having earlier cancelled out Petr Cech's own goal.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Chelsea go into Sunday's game holding a 10-point lead over second-placed Arsenal and manager Jose Mourinho may have to thrust one of his young strikers into the fray.
Jose Mourinho got the better of old adversary Arsene Wenger once again as Chelsea showed their strength-in-depth by reaching the League Cup quarter-finals with a 2-0 win over London rivals Arsenal on Tuesday.
"Diego Costa's out which means we have to solve that problem in 24 hours," new interim coach Guus Hiddink told reporters.
How quickly affections can switch in soccer. Where once they would serenade coach Jose Mourinho at Stamford Bridge with an operatic flourish, now Chelsea fans have fallen headlong for another man driving them inexorably to the Premier League title.
Spaniard Pedro scored twice as Chelsea tightened their grip on top spot by sweeping past Bournemouth 3-0 on Monday, a club record 12th successive Premier League win taking them seven points clear.
It is too early to say who has got the best of the most frenetic transfer market.
League leaders Chelsea were made to battle for a narrow 2-1 win over strugglers Queens Park Rangers at Stamford Bridge as they maintained their unbeaten start in the Premier League on Saturday.
Images from the English Premier League matches played on Saturday.
The former Chelsea goalkeeper had to wait for 11 games to reach the landmark and produced an inspired performance that included a second-half penalty save from Watford striker Troy Deeney to help Arsenal seal the win.
Stuttering Chelsea retained their Premier League lead by virtue of the alphabet heading into the new year but will need a quick riposte at home to Newcastle United on Saturday (2030 IST) to hold Manchester City at bay.
'We want to thank him (Costa) for what he did with this club. We wish him all the best for the future'
Arsenal shoved Chelsea off the top of the table but Leicester City's Jamie Vardy, with a dazzling hat-trick, was the man of the moment on Saturday as the struggling Premier League champions blew aside Manchester City 4-2.
Leaders Chelsea stretched their Premier League winning run to a club record-equalling 11 as Diego Costa's header shortly before halftime secured a 1-0 victory at London rivals Crystal Palace on Saturday.
Irresistible Chelsea go into the Christmas round of fixtures knowing they can end the year by re-writing the record books.
'It's very difficult to play football in these circumstances within 48 hours. It's amazing for the fans around the world, everybody has the Premier League, I'm more than happy to do that but it's very hard for the players'
Marouane Fellaini scored late in extra time to spare Everton's blushes as they came from a goal down to beat League One (third division) Stevenage 2-1 and reach the League Cup third round on Wednesday.
Rooney's 50th, 150th and 200th EPL goals have all come against Manchester City.
Champions Manchester United will travel to Swansea City for their first English Premier League match under new manager David Moyes, while Manuel Pellegrini's Manchester City are at home to Newcastle United on August 17.
City are 18 points clear of second-placed Liverpool after beating Chelsea 1-0 at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday and need just four wins from their final nine games to be sure of the title.
Images from the English Premier League matches played on Sunday
Arsenal maintained their challenge for a first trophy in nine seasons when they beat Liverpool 2-0 at the Emirates Stadium to open up a five-point lead at the top of the Premier League on Saturday.
Mohamed Salah was inevitably on the scoresheet as Liverpool took full advantage of the inactivity of their top-four rivals to thrash West Ham United 4-1 at Anfield and provisionally move into second in the Premier League.
Monaco's Colombia striker Radamel Falcao has recovered from a thigh problem after a three-week injury layoff, the Ligue 1 club's coach Claudio Ranieri said on Wednesday.
Alan Pardew's dream of reprising a celebrated 25-year-old FA Cup triumph was scuppered by Liverpool as the seven-times champions came from behind to book a place in the quarter-finals with a 2-1 win at Crystal Palace on Saturday. This year's shock-laden competition had continued with second-tier Blackburn Rovers' 4-1 thrashing of the Premier League's Stoke City.
Sergio Aguero scored five times in 20 minutes including an eight-minute hat-trick as Manchester City came from behind to thrash Newcastle United 6-1 and go back to the top of the Premier League table on Saturday.
Images from the English Premier League matches played on Tuesday.
Fans are openly speculating that owner Roman Abramovich, a man who places notoriously high demands on his managers, could call time on Jose Mourinho's second spell at Stamford Bridge if Liverpool can inflict another defeat on the champions.
Salah joined Chelsea under Mourinho in 2014 but failed to establish himself at Stamford Bride and was loaned out to Fiorentina and Roma before a permanent move to the Stadio Olimpico outfit in 2016.
Instead of hoping for a slip-up from Premier League leaders Leicester City, Tottenham Hotspur must win their remaining five games to give Spurs their best chance of winning their first league title since 1961, midfielder Erik Lamela said. The 24-year-old winger has shone under manager Mauricio Pochettino this season, but his four goals and six assists might still not be enough, as second-placed Spurs are still seven points behind Claudio Ranieri's men. "We still believe... Our task is to win all the remaining games. Whether Leicester win or lose, the important thing is that we are concentrated on the job in hand," Lamela told British media. "We have the finish the season in the best manner possible. There are five games left and our aim is five victories." Spurs have the meanest defence in the league, conceding just 25 goals in 33 games, and according to defender Jan Vertonghen that has been crucial in the North London club's impressive run.
Manchester City made it five wins out of five in the Premier League and Cristiano Ronaldo scored five goals for Real Madrid but Chelsea and Juventus continued to struggle at the weekend as the Champions League looms.
Check out the top footballers of the weekend...
Manchester City squandered a gilt-edged opportunity to close the gap on Premier League leaders Chelsea when they let slip a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 at home to struggling Burnley on Sunday.
Burnley's seemingly doomed attempt to avoid relegation from the Premier League.
Wenger dropped Rob Holding for the visit to Stoke, preferring Shkodran Mustafi alongside Nacho Monreal and Sead Kolasinac at the back.
Liverpool scored a stunning 3-2 win over bottom side Queens Park Rangers with four goals coming in a frenzied seven-minute finale at Loftus Road as the drama continued in the Premier League on Sunday.
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