Images from the English Premier League matches played on Sunday night
The league has ruled out a 'pause' to the season to allow clubs to recover their squads, although the surging Omicron variant has put paid to half of the weekend's fixtures including Manchester United's home game with Brighton & Hove Albion.
'It's still my motivation to carry on working hard, to still love the passion for the game, and of course Manchester and my teammates help me all the way so I have to appreciate all the people who help Cristiano.'
Aston Villa returned to winning ways in stunning fashion as Ollie Watkins scored twice in a 3-0 away thumping of an abject Arsenal in drizzly north London on Sunday.
Preview and timings of the Premier League matches this weekend
"It feels like a missed chance because I felt the performances were really good and the focus and the hunger was good every single day," said England midfielder Jordan Henderson.
If this sporting clash was, as English essayist, novelist and journalist George Orwell said, "war minus the shooting" both sets of players were more than ready, and set about each other with little restraint.
Jose Mourinho admitted that he broke the government protocols for the coronavirus by leading his side in a training session this week. Earlier, Tottenham faced backlash for deciding to cut the wages of all non-playing staff by 20 per cent in response to the coronavirus crisis.
The Portuguese won the Europa League and League Cup in two full seasons at Manchester United but was sacked midway through the last campaign with the club sixth in the Premier League.
Kevin de Bruyne has been named the Premier League's Player of the Season for the 2021-22 campaign
Edinson Cavani and Anthony Martial struck late goals as Manchester United claimed a scrappy 2-0 victory over Everton at a bitterly cold Goodison Park,
The 32-year-old will also be dropped for the Gunners' league game against West Ham.
'Without Harry Kane many people were talking about Sonny (Son Heung-min) but today it was Lucas Moura who scored three goals and you know if you don't respect all the players, you cannot only have 11 players'
Seven-time European champions AC Milan hit back from two goals down against Celtic to claim a 4-2 victory that sent them into the Europa League knockout phase on Thursday as they were among 14 teams to progress in Europe's second-tier competition.
London sides Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal made winning starts as did fellow Premier League club Leicester City.
The 29-year-old midfielder's former club Inter Milan terminated his contract in December because the heart starter device that he had implanted is not permitted in Serie A.
Diego Maradona passed away on November 25, 2020. He was 60 when he breathed his last.
It was an eventful weekend in the English Premier League. Pritesh Mistry reviews the action.
IMAGES from the EPL matches played on Saturday
Realistically, the Foxes, who beat Chelsea in the FA Cup final last Saturday, need to win and hope one of their rivals slip up.
Tottenham Hotspur manager Jose Mourinho and his coaching staff will put players through their paces from home starting Monday as the club holds live video training sessions amid the coronavirus pandemic. Spurs' players are in self-isolation with Britain in lockdown and the English Premier League suspended until at least April 30.
Liverpool will resume their quest for a first top-flight title in 30 years at city rivals Everton on June 21, as the English Premier League released its revised fixture list for the first three weeks of the restarted season on Friday. Liverpool are 25 points clear at the top and are two victories away from winning the Premier League, but will have a shot at securing the title by beating Everton if City lose to Arsenal.
'When April arrives we have to be ready and to fight for the trophy'
Tottenham Hotspur have told their players to respect the government's social distancing guidelines after several squad members were pictured training in a London park, the Premier League club have said.
Emma Hayes, who led Chelsea to the 2021 Champions League final, is joined on The Best FIFA Women's Coach shortlist by England manager Sarina Wiegman and Canada coach Beverly Priestman.
Norwich had their game at West Ham United postponed due to COVID-19 cases, injuries and illness reported among players and staff, while Leicester had matches against Tottenham Hotspur and Everton postponed due to coronavirus cases among their players.
Manchester City moved 11 points clear at the top of the English Premier League after a last-gasp goal from Rodri gave them a 2-1 victory at fourth-placed Arsenal on Saturday in a controversy packed game at the Emirates stadium.
Reaction to Tottenham Hotspur's last-gasp 3-2 Champions League semi-final win over Ajax Amsterdam.
The difference between this side and the under-achieving teams towards the end of Wenger's reign is their experience. Martinelli made his debut in 2019 while Saka has been a regular since the 2019-20 campaign.
West Ham United's hopes of avoiding relegation suffered a cruel blow as an own goal by midfielder Tomas Soucek and Harry Kane's first goal since December condemned them to a 2-0 defeat at Tottenham Hotspur on Tuesday.
IMAGES from the EPL matches played on Saturday
Newcastle dealt a huge blow to Arsenal's chances of qualifying for the Champions League by beating them 2-0
Images from Saturday's action in the English Premier League.
There is still a long way to go, with a young Ajax side sure to present a formidable obstacle to a Spurs squad shorn of leading strikers Harry Kane and Son Heung-min.
West Ham's Zouma given 180 hours of community service for kicking his cat
Manchester City to beat second-tier Sheffield Wednesday 1-0 and reach the FA Cup quarter-finals but Jose Mourinho's problems piled up as his Tottenham Hotspur side were bundled out in a penalty shootout by Norwich City.
Tottenham Hotspur condemned the actions of midfielders Erik Lamela and Giovani Lo Celso and defender Sergio Reguilon after the trio breached COVID-19 protocols to attend a Christmas party.
The all-rounder is riding on a high after his brilliant match-winning performance against Australia in the third Test of the ongoing Ashes series.
Chelsea kept alive their remote Premier League title chances with a 2-0 win over London rivals Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, set on their way by an exquisite strike from Hakim Ziyech which was quickly followed up by a Thiago Silva header.
New Everton boss Sean Dyche's reign began with a shock 1-0 victory over English Premier League leaders Arsenal.
