Following Chelsea's tame draw against Manchester City, questions are being raised about the Jose Mourinho-managed team's game plan and attitude.
New Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has urged his players to retain the aggressiveness they have shown during the pre-season, saying that the combative nature of the game was essential to the style of play he is looking to impose at the club. Six players were booked, while midfielder Cesc Fabregas was shown a red card, in Chelsea's feisty 1-0 victory over Liverpool on Thursday after Gary Cahill's early header condemned the Merseyside club to their first pre-season defeat.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger announced on Friday that he will step down from his role at the Premier League club at the end of the season after almost 22 years at the helm.
Premier League-based trio Diego Costa, Juan Mata and Santi Cazorla were among a high-profile list of absentees when Spain coach Vicente Del Bosque named his provisional 25-man squad for Euro 2016 on Tuesday. Costa injured his hamstring against Liverpool in Chelsea's penultimate game of the season. Atletico Madrid striker Fernando Torres was also absent from the squad despite his improved form towards the end of the season, as were Arsenal midfielder Cazorla and Valencia forward Paco Alcacer, Spain's top scorer in their qualifying campaign.
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.
Chelsea maintained their stranglehold on the Premier League by beating Sunderland 1-0 on Wednesday to register their 10th successive win and move six points clear at the top of the table.
Failing to sign Cristiano Ronaldo is outgoing Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger's biggest transfer regret
Arsenal right back Hector Bellerin will be in Spain's Euro 2016 squad, the country's football federation said on Tuesday. The 21-year-old Bellerin and the other 18 players named to face South Korea in a friendly in Wals-Siezenheim, Austria on Wednesday, have been guaranteed spots in the European Championship squad. Bellerin was included after Real Madrid right back Dani Carvajal sustained a leg muscle injury in Saturday's Champions League final victory over Atletico Madrid. The Real Madrid and Atletico players in the squad will be named later on Tuesday when Spain coach Vicente del Bosque announces his final list.
Chelsea striker Diego Costa and Arsenal's Gabriel Paulista have both been charged by the Football Association after incidents in Saturday's bad-tempered Premier League derby at Stamford Bridge.
Manchester City thrashed Stoke City 4-0 at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday to leapfrog Arsenal into third place in the Premier League.
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho complained about a 'witch-hunt' by the footballing authorities against Diego Costa ahead of Tuesday's Champions League Group G match at Porto.
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho raised a few eyebrows on Friday when he said he had no interest in awards like FIFA's FIFPro World XI list for 2014.
European Champions Spain produced a dominant display to thrash South Korea 6-1 in Salzburg, Austria on Wednesday in their penultimate friendly before Euro 2016.
Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fabregas said the uncompromising attitude to hard work of incoming manager Antonio Conte is exactly what is needed to galvanize the outgoing Premier League champions.
Cesc Fabregas and Branislav Ivanovic struck late goals to earn improving champions Chelsea a 2-1 victory at Southampton in the Premier League on Saturday.
Jose Mourinho's side have been the most impressive of any of the title contenders.
Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has said that the League Cup will provide an opportunity for him to assess the development of the youngsters in his squad.
Premier League champions Manchester United is reportedly making a pounds 60 million bid for a positive Gareth Bale transfer from Tottenham Hotspur and is prepared to smash their 30.8 million transfer record to prise him away from White Hart Lane.
Chelsea midfielder Eden Hazard is convinced he has not lost his magic touch that was on full display last season and is taking confidence from his goal against Arsenal as he seeks to rediscover the same form this campaign.
On the final day of matches in the English Premier League, Chelsea, who finished the season with 87 points after beating Sunderland 3-1 at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, lifted the trophy on Sunday.
Mesut Ozil guided Arsenal to a 2-0 victory over Napoli while a late Cesc Fabregas header gave Barcelona a laboured 1-0 win at 10-man Celtic in the Champions League on Tuesday.
Chelsea are now 11 points ahead of Manchester City who have 13 games left to play and while Italian Conte is too cagey to start proclaiming his side yet, only a monumental loss of form can deny them the title.
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.
West Ham United manager Sam Allardyce believes it is acceptable for players to "make a meal out of" contact if it helps them win penalties and free kicks.
Jose Mourinho will select a strong Chelsea side out of respect to high-flying Championship team Derby County when they meet in the quarter-finals of the Capital One Cup on Tuesday.
Conte wants 'perfect game', while hoping Messi's goal drought continues
World Cup winners Germany are no mood to experiment against minnows Gibraltar in their Euro 2016 qualifier on Friday, promising a goal bonanza to make amends for recent poor results.
He also said he expected to be at Chelsea for the remainder of his four-year contract and that Chelsea would finish first or second in their Champions League group.
Spain and Italy have undergone managerial changes since Antonio Conte handed Vicente del Bosque a tactical masterclass at Euro 2016, but Spain go into Thursday's World Cup qualifier in Turin in better shape than their Group G rivals.
Chelsea will pay 30 million euros ($33.54 million) for the player, three of which will be based on performance, the Spanish champions said on their website.
Spain's preparations for Euro 2016 suffered a blow as they were beaten 1-0 by Georgia on Tuesday in their final warmup friendly ahead of the tournament in France. Tornike Okriashvili tapped in from close range in the 39th minute to secure a surprise victory for Georgia at Getafe's Coliseum Alfonso Perez stadium. Spain, who have won the last two European Championships, had not lost since being beaten in a friendly by the Netherlands in March 2015 and came into their final warmup match after convincing wins against Bosnia and South Korea. The hosts, however, lacked a cutting edge against a well-organised Georgia side who defended deep after taking the lead.
Watford equalised seconds before halftime through Abdoulaye Doucoure and in a rampant spell of attacking football went ahead four minutes after the break when Roberto Pereyra tapped home a Richarlison cross.
Data, complied by FA Fair Play delegates who attend every Premier League match, shows Chelsea have the least respect towards match officials, the Telegraph reported.
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.
Last season's FA Cup runners-up Chelsea struck four times before the break to crush second-tier Hull City 4-0 and stroll into the quarter-finals at Stamford Bridge on Friday.
Chelsea finally produced a performance befitting of champions to demolish Newcastle United 5-1.
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.
Barcelona midfielder Cesc Fabregas has said his only wish is to succeed with the Spanish champions and has dismissed the idea that he could be lured away to another club.
Manchester United have not given up their pursuit of Barcelona's Cesc Fabregas and talks to bring the Spain midfielder to Old Trafford are "ongoing", coach David Moyes said.
Chelsea rounded off the UEFA Champions League group stage with a 3-1 victory over Sporting.
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