Chelsea had the look of champions again as they maintained their comfortable seven-point advantage at the top of the Premier League with a 3-1 victory at Bournemouth on Saturday -- but Tottenham Hotspur will not give up the chase.
Five talking points from the Premier League weekend:
Salah, 25, struck four goals in Liverpool's 5-0 thrashing of Watford that lifted them back into third place in the Premier League on Saturday.
Jose Mourinho has offered another vote of confidence in Paul Pogba, adamant that Manchester United's misfiring summer signing should not be judged on his world-record transfer fee. United's manager says it is just a matter of time before the French midfielder demonstrates his natural quality at Old Trafford following an underwhelming spell since his landmark 89 million pounds ($115.71 million) move from Juventus in August.
Nicolas Anelka rescued Chelsea's FA Cup hopes on Saturday, scoring a hat-trick in a 3-1 victory at Watford to avoid a shock fifth-round exit. In their first game since Luiz Felipe Scolari was sacked and with replacement manager Guus Hiddink watching in the stands, Chelsea fell behind to the Championship (second division) strugglers when Tamas Priskin netted with 21 minutes remaining.
'I don't agree that Mesut has not had an impact on big matches. What about the win at home to Chelsea this season and Manchester United the year before?'
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has been given a four-match touchline ban after admitting a Football Association (FA) misconduct charge for appearing to push the fourth official during their Premier League win over Burnley on Sunday.
For the first time in 10 years, four English clubs have reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Watford's league match against Reading will not be replayed despite the match officials awarding Reading a goal that they never scored.
Robert Huth's double and a Riyad Mahrez goal sent Premier League leaders Leicester City six points clear after a stunning 3-1 victory at shell-shocked title rivals Manchester City on Saturday.
Surprise leaders Leicester City face a severe test of their Premier League title credentials over the next 10 days, starting with Saturday's trip to Manchester City.
Strong start bodes well for Spurs' title hopes, says Lee
Manchester City are already working on how they can improve next season after sealing a spot in the Champions League, manager Pep Guardiola said as he mulled over potential targets in the summer transfer window.
Liverpool took a giant step towards their first title since 1990 on Saturday when their 3-0 win at Bournemouth combined with Manchester United's 2-1 victory at Manchester City to leave the champions 14 points adrift of the Premier League leaders.
United rested several big names but were too good for Rovers at Old Trafford with Argentine striker Tevez running the show in a 5-3 victory in the only all Premier League clash of the quarter-finals. Tottenham, who beat Chelsea in the final last season, fell behind against Championship (second division) side Watford but hit back to win 2-1 at Vicarage Road.
Leicester City manager Claudio Ranieri has underscored the unpredictable nature of the Premier League this season, stating that it seemed as if "nobody wants to win the league".
Manchester United and Chelsea secured places in the Champions League with wins on the final day of the Premier League season while Watford and Bournemouth were relegated along with bottom club Norwich City.
Manchester United crushed Derby County 4-1 away while Everton beat Aston Villa 3-1 at Goodison Park on Sunday to reach the quarter-finals of the FA Cup. United were pushed all the way by the Championship (second division) strugglers in the League Cup semi-finals last month but cruised home this time with goals by Nani, Darron Gibson, Cristiano Ronaldo and Danny Welbeck.
New Chelsea coach Guus Hiddink said Thursday he was excited at the prospect of managing a club challenging for three major trophies.
Russia coach Guus Hiddink will take over as Chelsea manager until the end of the season from next week, he said on Wednesday. Hiddink said he plans to attend Chelsea's FA Cup fifth round tie at Watford on Saturday.
West Bromwich Albion manager Tony Pulis said on Friday he was disappointed to have lost a High Court battle last week after being ordered to pay 3.7 million pounds ($4.66 million) to his former club Crystal Palace in a dispute over the way he left.
Pep Guardiola's insatiable team were already thinking beyond the magnificent 2018-19 campaign and contemplating a third straight English title win next season with the Spaniard having said they will get even better.
Hull City and Swansea City earned valuable victories in their battle for Premier League survival but Middlesbrough slid further towards the drop after a 4-0 hammering at Bournemouth.
High drama ensued during the English Premier League matches on Wednesday as Spurs manager Jose Mourinho was booked while Brighton stunned Chelsea via Alireza Jahanbakhsh's superb equaliser to deny the Blues victory. Here is all the EPL action in IMAGES from Wednesday's matches.
Four months after quitting Liverpool for Manchester City, Raheem Sterling will have the first opportunity to justify the move by getting one over his former employers when the teams meet at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday.
Eriksen punctured Brighton's armour from Tottenham's 29th goal attempt -- 21 of which were from outside the penalty area.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Struggling Premier League champions Chelsea have held talks with Montreal Impact over former Blues striker Didier Drogba, the Major League Soccer team has said.
After bagging the League Cup, being locked in a titanic battle with Liverpool for the Premier League title and in the Champions League quarter-finals, Pep Guardiola's side remain on course for an unprecedented clean sweep.
'It's a case of realising how lucky we are and how we should go out there and enjoy it. You can see that everyone did enjoy it and the message clearly did get across'
Chelsea will take on Valencia in a Champions League quarter-final on Wednesday amid fresh speculation that coach Jose Mourinho is in his final season at Stamford Bridge.
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.
But it was not all good news for Mourinho, as substitute Marcus Rashford was sent off in the 71st minute for pushing his forehead into Phil Bardsley's head.
Mourinho's side failed to turn their domination into more goals and things got edgy late on when Saville's shot evaded Gazzaniga who seemed slow to get down.
European champions Portugal were let off the hook by Morocco's wasteful finishing and another Cristiano Ronaldo moment as they notched up a fortuitous victory in the World Cup on Wednesday. Yet, the reactions of the respective coaches suggested a different result.
Chelsea to host Burnley in Premier League season ope
Arsenal kept up their 100 percent home record this season with a 2-0 win over West Bromwich Albion in the Premier League on Monday, with new club record signing Alexandre Lacazette grabbing both the goals.
Manchester City made sure of third place in the Premier League when they romped to a 5-0 win at Watford on Sunday to ensure a Champions League berth for next season.
The Premier League kicked off in unique fashion on Saturday as an own goal by Tottenham Hotspur's Kyle Walker gave Manchester United a 1-0 victory in an undistinguished season opener at Old Trafford.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances