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Another Saturday of Premier League football is done and dusted and Chelsea have ended it where they started, on top of the table.

After seeing both Manchester City and Liverpool win earlier in the day, the Blues knew they needed to end Spurs’ unbeaten run in the league with a victory of their own to go back to the division’s summit.

At first, it looked like Spurs were going to upset the odds and finally win at Stamford Bridge as they took the lead through Christian Eriksen and largely controlled the opening half.

They couldn’t get a crucial second goal, though, and paid the ultimate price as Pedro curled home just before half time.

That completely knocked Spurs of their stride and soon after half-time they were behind, as the ever-improving Victor Moses finished off good work from Diego Costa.

2-1 it would stay at the Bridge. Here are five cracking photos to help sum up the 2-1 affair between the London rivals.

Eriksen’s thunderbolt

Christian Erkisen has received a lot of criticism this season and most of it has been fair, but he reminded us all of what he can do when he gets the chance. The smallest bit of space allowed the Danish international to lash home from outside the box with Thibaut Courtois having absolutely no chance of saving it. The goal was largely what Spurs deserved, having made the far better start of the two sides at the Bridge.

 Pedro’s reply

Anything Eriksen can do…

Pedro himself has received some criticism during his time at Chelsea with him taking time to settle at the club after arriving from Barcelona in summer 2015. He looks pretty happy at the moment, though, and his goal was exactly the kind of strike Blues fans would have expected to see more of by now following his successes at the Nou Camp. It was a great, swirling effort from outside of the box and got Chelsea back into the game.

 Work to be done at half time

Up until that point, Chelsea had been largely the second best team on the pitch. Antonio Conte must have been thinking that his side were pretty lucky to go back into the dressing rooms at 1-1. It was a worrying performance in that first-half but the Italian had evidently given his team new instructions at half-time because they were a different team after the interval, with pushed up wing-backs making all the difference. Conte proved once again that he’s a superb tactician.

 Moses delivers

The rise of Victor Moses continued as he got Chelsea in front shortly after half-time. The attacking player turned wing-back has been pretty good all season and his ability to time his runs into the box and support both ends of the team were evident throughout the game. He still had work to do with his finish after Diego Costa’s lay off but he duly dispatched the strike with the confidence of a man who is enjoying his football right now.

 Chelsea see it out

Moses’ strike proved to be the winner as Spurs just ran out of ideas. After a first half of decent enough football from the visitors, they looked completely knackered by the final whistle. A combination of being knocked out of the Champions League and growing criticism from some quarters appeared to have taken it’s toll, as the Blues saw them off with little trouble and sealed their return to the top of the league.

The FA Cup returns this weekend and with it it comes a lot of discussion about the magic it brings to football across the country.

It used to be respected among fans and clubs across the world as a magical competition but now it appears to have lost its appeal, with many claiming the rise of TV rights and the money that comes with it has effectively sucked the life out of the world’s oldest cup competition.

But has it really lost its magic? Or is all the money that comes with success in the Premier League masking the importance of success in the FA Cup? Our writers have had their say on the matter below…

Josh Challies

I think it probably has. Bigger clubs don’t seem to focus on the competition as much and that affects it’s stature. I’m not entirely sure how it can be improved but I’d definitely suggest removing the semi-finals from Wembley, as it plays down the occasion of the final.

The only way I can see the stature of the competition increase again is if they offer a Champions League spot for the winner, which is unlikely.

Christy Malyan

Nothing is permanent – but a lot of work needs to be done.

When I went to watch my beloved Charlton Athletic in FA Cup action against MK Dons last month, I was horrified to discover our four-stand stadium only had two tiers open, neither of which were anything close to full capacity. Admittedly, the Addicks aren’t exactly drawing high attendances at the moment anyway, but it highlights how the FA Cup has lost its connection with those who should be most excited by it – fans of clubs outside the Premier League’s top six.

Perhaps it’s time we re-formatted the competition to give lesser sides more of a chance, but there is a worrying apathy from those at the top as well. It feels as if the ‘big teams’ simply play weakened sides and if they happen to get to the quarter-finals, suddenly decide to take the competition seriously.

In a nutshell, everybody involved in the FA Cup needs a greater incentive. Champions League qualification is the obvious option, but I’d also like to see the FA grant an added financial bonus if you beat a team seeded higher than you in the competition.

That should motivate both ends of the spectrum, which should catalyse better performances and in turn bring more supporters to create better atmospheres. Hopefully, that’ll bring some of the sparkle back to the FA Cup.

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Alex Hams

It certainly has, for me. Nowadays I see the League Cup (or whatever it’s called now) as the more interesting tournament. The early-season schedule and mid-season final are entertaining, while more and more of the bigger clubs take it seriously, which has resulted in some great games over the past few years. On top of this, tedious replays are not an issue, with matches, excluding the two-legged semi-final, decided on the night via extra time or penalties, which adds to the excitement and removes that awkward last 30 minutes when teams are wary of really going for it if level.

The FA Cup feels like a tournament being left behind, and there’s only so long that the ‘tradition’ card can be played before people work out it’s actually not that good anymore. The fact that the semi-finals are held at Wembley is a joke, with that taking some of the gloss off of the showpiece game. A neutral venue for the games is needed, and if it weren’t for the FA seeking the cash I these matches would be played at Villa Park, Old Trafford or another good ground.

There’s still time to ‘save’ the competition, but something needs to be done.

Chris McMullan

The FA Cup hasn’t had been considered ‘magical’ for quite some time, which is a shame. It’s also fairly ironic. This century has seen two lower league sides reach the final, it has seen Portsmouth reach two finals, winning one of them, and it has seen Stoke City, Hull City and Crystal Palace reach the final. It has also seen Wigan Athletic beat the team that won the previous season’s Premier League title in the FA Cup final, before going on to be relegated from the top division.

And yet no one really seems to care. It’s too much to talk about a competition that thrives on giant killings and lower league sides making it into the latter stages, but there’s always a possibility of that sort of shock result when you pit the top sides against the lower ones in a straight knockout competition.

But there’s now a fetish for watching the best play the best – it’s a mouth-watering thought to imagine the top sides playing each other, but the thought of a lower league club taking on a Premier League side’s reserves doesn’t really whet the appetite in the same way. And it never will.

What do you think?

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Jesse Lingard has been rewarded for some exceptional performances in recent seasons for Manchester United with a bumper new deal that triples his wage, according to The Sun.

What’s the word?

Following a contract stand-off last month, Jesse Lingard has earned the new deal he craved at Old Trafford and has trebled his wages to around £95k-a-week, extending his stay with the Manchester giants to 2021 and possessing the option of an additional year.

Previously on £30k-a-week, United had previously offered to double that figure but Lingard’s impression on Jose Mourinho has led to a bumper deal, securing his future to the Red Devils and ending speculation over his future.

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Entering the final 18 months on his current deal, United were keen to ensure he did not enter the final year of that contract after the 24-year-old became an important member of the squad following his rise last season.

Under Louis Van Gaal, Lingaard earned 33 first-team opportunities last year and ousted £30m signing Memphis Depay from the first-team, before adding another 18 appearances this season under Mourinh0- 12 of which have been starts.

How important is the deal?

Jesse Lingard may not be the biggest name amongst Manchester United’s ranks but his appearances over the past few seasons show his importance to the side. Whilst he’s only made 11 Premier League appearances this season, and is yet to find the net, he remains a crucial asset for Mourinho.

The fact that Adnan Januzaj and Memphis Depay both look to be at the end of their time at Manchester United is a testament to the performances Lingard has put in, as the duo were previously excelling in the first-team and looked set to stay for the long-term.

Now though, with this latest deal, United have an excellent looking front line for the foreseeable future with Lingard potentially lining up with Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial for years to come.

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It’s been a fairly successful season for Southampton thus far, with Claude Puel’s side once again managing to cope following a summer of departures but the Saints haven’t really made too much progress.

An early exit from the Europa League shattered the dream for many and Southampton have struggled to compete for a spot in the European spots this season, a challenge that was always going to be difficult considering the impressive performances of the current top-six.

However, there are silver linings for the club to grasp onto and one of those is the new contract for Oriol Romeu, with the 25-year-old signing a fresh four-and-a-half year deal to cement his future to the South Coast side.

Arriving in 2015 from Chelsea, Romeu has made 41 appearances in the Premier League alone for Southampton and boasts an impressive CV, which includes spells with Valencia, Stuttgart and Barcelona.

Saints fans are certainly pleased with his ability and took to social media to express their delight with the news regarding Romeu’s new deal, as they’re keen to keep him at St. Mary’s for years to come.

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As reported by The Daily Mirror, Real Madrid are hoping to seal the summer signature of Man City’s star striker Sergio Aguero.

What’s the story?

Sergio Aguero has long been a prized asset of Manchester City and a massive target for big clubs all around Europe, but that interest could soon be about turn into firm offers.

The Mirror reckon that the striker could be the subject of a summer bid from Real Madrid as they look to transform their attacking line-up.

They say Madrid have been interested in Aguero ever since he played at city rivals Atletico, who could also be interested in a move for the star at the end of the season.

Guardiola is insistent that he’s not for sale according to the paper but money talks, and besides, his place in the City line-up is not as guaranteed as it once was.

Aguero’s future

Sergio Aguero was once the first name on the team sheet at Manchester City but under Pep Guardiola he’s had to work hard for a consistent start. That’s never more than now with the arrival of Gabriel Jesus from Palmeiras.

The 19-year old striker has staked a claim to replace the Argentinian, at least in the short team, with a dynamite display against West Ham mid-week.

There’s an argument to say that while Aguero is obviously the more accomplished player, Jesus may just be a better fit in the high pressing, possession based system that Guardiola likes to play.

That said, City should try their hardest to retain the services of Aguero. He’s still one of, if not the most, lethal attackers in the entire Premier League. Despite his ‘problems’ with Guardiola, he’s still managed to score 15 goals this season already in all competitions.

He has a big part to play in the short term, medium term and long term at Manchester City and moves from Madrid, like the one reported in The Mirror, should be quickly rebuffed.

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Manchester United will have to prepare for life without Wayne Rooney as club legend Paul Scholes believes the veteran striker will leave, in quotes made to The Daily Mail.

What’s the word?

Having surpassed Bobby Charlton to become Manchester United’s all-time leading scorer, Wayne Rooney has certainly ensured legendary status at Old Trafford but limited opportunities since Jose Mourinho took charge mean the club may have to wave goodbye.

That’s the view of another United legend, Paul Scholes, who told The Daily Mail he believes Rooney will leave the club if he continues to find himself on the bench regularly- which will hand a boost to MLS and Chinese clubs eyeing his services.

With United boasting the attacking talents of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford, there is little room left for Rooney to fill and that could mean the end for the player who joined the Red Devils in 2004.

What was said?

Speaking to The Daily Mail, Scholes admitted he can no longer see Rooney staying at Manchester United for the long-term:

“It’s a strange one. No one will be more frustrated than Wayne at not playing. Being a sub will be driving him up the wall. When he gets his chance he has to take it because he has real competition.”

“If it carries on going the way it is, I can’t (see Rooney staying for another two years). Maybe it will be re-assessed at the end of the season if he’s in and out of the team. I don’t see him as a player who will accept that. He will want to be at a team where he’s playing every week.”

Should Rooney leave?

It’s clear Manchester United don’t need Wayne Rooney anymore but the player himself may need the Red Devils, as an exit from Old Trafford would likely see him move to America or China- which would severely affect his opportunities with the international team.

Rooney has previously stated he will retire from England duty after the 2018 World Cup and a transfer this summer could see him miss out on the tournament all together, which would be a big blow for the skipper who’s eyeing one last charge for international glory.

Having struggled at international tournaments since his breakthrough at Euro 2004, Rooney will want to redeem himself in Russia next summer and may only get that chance if he’s still on United’s books.

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Paul Dummett took to Twitter the day after he and his Newcastle United teammates made a serious statement in the race for Premier League promotion.Rafael Benitez’s side were staring at defeat to Brighton with nine minutes on the clock on Tuesday night following Glenn Murray’s first-half penalty.However, they managed to score twice in the closing stages of the game to move back to the top of the Championship table with a two-point advantage.Mohamed Diame found the equaliser, but he did not know too much about it as the ball flicked off his boot and into the top corner without him hardly moving a muscle.The second goal was much more intentional, though, as substitute Ayoze Perez slotted home from eight yards out with one minute of normal time remaining.The dramatic manner of the victory was particularly enjoyed by Dummett, who has made 34 appearances in all competitions this season.

The most important outcome of Tuesday’s result is that Newcastle are now eight points above the playoff places, therefore boosting their chances of automatic promotion.

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Following a run of six points from their last nine Championship fixtures, the Derby County board decided to sack manager Steve McClaren for the second time on Sunday night.

The Rams’ 3-0 defeat to automatic promotion hopefuls Brighton and Hove Albion on Friday proved to be the final straw for the former England boss, with County lying 10 points from the play-off positions with nine matches of the season to go.

A place in the top six at the end of the campaign now looks beyond their reach, and another year at this level would be a blow for the board and the supporters.

While the news of the dismissal would have come to a blow to some of the Rams players, for others it might have been a relief after finding it difficult to break into the starting XI on a consistent basis.

Here are three Derby players that will be pleased with the dismissal of Steve McClaren…

Will Hughes

Despite being just 21 years of age, Hughes has quickly shown that he is one of Derby’s key players over the course of the past couple of years.

He only signed a new three-and-a-half year deal at Pride Park in January, but the talented midfielder has found first team starts hard to come by under Steve McClaren during the poor run of form in recent weeks.

It is something that bewildered the supporters – and probably the player too.

Craig Bryson

The 30-year-old midfielder was one of the key men for Derby during Steve McClaren’s first spell in charge of the club, but since the former England manager returned to the east Midlands in October, the Scot has often found himself on the substitutes’ bench – especially in recent weeks.

Having been at Pride Park since 2011, Bryson will still feel he has a lot to offer the team, and will be hoping that the departure of McClaren gives his more opportunities.

Ikechi Anya

The Scottish winger only joined Derby for £4m back in August – when the Rams were managed by Nigel Pearson – but since his departure and the arrival of Steve McClaren in October, he has found first team minutes hard to come by.

He has made just 20 appearances in the Championship this term, with the majority of those coming from the substitutes’ bench under McClaren, and will be keen to secure himself a regular spot in the starting XI when the new boss arrives.

West Ham United striker Diafra Sakho is closing in on a long-awaited comeback.

The club’s head of medical and sports science Stijn Vandenbroucke has told West Ham’s official website that Sakho is targeting a return to the pitch in April.

It has been a frustrating season for the 27-year-old, who has been restricted to just two Premier League appearances.

Sakho’s last outing for the Hammers was in the 1-1 draw with Manchester United at Old Trafford on November 27.

The Senegal international made an impressive start to life at West Ham when he signed from Metz in 2014, scoring 10 goals in 23 top-flight appearances.

Last season he was unable to recreate his form as just five goals were produced from the striker, who played 21 times in the league.

Due to his injury woes in the current campaign, Sakho has only found the back of the net once, but he will have an opportunity to provide a late flourish if all goes to plan in terms of his recovery.

Vandenbroucke revealed:

“Diafra has returned from a visit to the specialist in France, where they were happy with the progression of his rehab after his surgery and he will now step up his work with the rehab fitness coach, with a view to being reintroduced to full training in April.”

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As reported by Spanish outlet AS, Chelsea are set to benefit from Alvaro Morata’s unsettled spell at Real Madrid and are preparing a mega-money summer move to land their man.

What’s the story?

Despite Diego Costa banging in a barrel load of goals this season, Chelsea are looking to add quality and depth to their attack this summer as they prepare for life in next season’s UEFA Champions League.

Their main target appears to be Spanish striker Alvaro Morata, according to AS, and they’re willing to pay a massive £56m to land their man.

Morata is said to have come to terms with his future, or lack of, at Real Madrid with Zinedine Zidane failing to warm to the prolific striker.

On the fringes of the Madrid squad, is he good enough to make the grade at Chelsea and deliver more trophies to Stamford Bridge?

The super sub

Morata’s first team chances at Real Madrid have been limited this season. He’s made 31 appearances for the Spanish giants this term, but 18 of those have come from the substitute’s bench.

What’s impressive is his goal record despite that lack of action. He’s still managed to score 13 goals for his club and another 5 for his country since last year’s Euro 2016 tournament.

That’s goalscoring prowess that would undoubtedly have a big impact at Stamford Bridge. Perhaps even the difference between being able to compete on two main fronts in the Premier League and Europe, and suffering second season blues under Antonio Conte.

The Chelsea boss is of course familiar with the striker, having signed him for Juventus in 2014 before going on to take the Italian national team job.

They could finally be permanently reunited if the reported move comes off, which could ensure another season of Chelsea dominance.

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