Chelsea produced a toothless display as they were held to a 0-0 draw at home by struggling Southampton and lost Willian to injury in the process.
Maurizio Sarri reinstated Alvaro Morata to the team with Olivier Giroud ruled out, yet the service to the Spaniard was poor as Saints dug deep to hold on for a well-earned point.
A tame first half passed with few flashpoints, though Chelsea did see Willian forced off on the same day the club announced the signing of Christian Pulisic, who will arrive at the end of the season.
The home side had a Morata goal controversially ruled out for offside late in the second half as they failed to win at home for a second successive outing, following on from a shock 1-0 reverse against Leicester City on December 22.
Much of Jose Mourinho s reputation as one of the finest managers in football history is built upon the notion that he is the man for the big occasion.
A serial trophy winner across spells with Porto, Chelsea, Inter and Real Madrid, the Portuguese does not have to search too far for examples to back up this perception.
When he returned to Chelsea for the 2013-14 Premier League season, Mourinho insisted the Stamford Bridge club were in a rebuilding phase and that a title tilt was not realistic.
In the event, the Blues went far closer than their manager suggested was possible and bloodied the noses of that season s top two in the process, through wins home and away at Manchester City and Liverpool. Mourinho remained a man to be feared when the stakes were high.
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Best Odds: 21/20
Bookmaker:
Desperate to build off of their European romp in midweek, Manchester United will welcome Arsenal to an empty Old Trafford on Sunday evening.
Manchester United
Starting with the hosts, while some continued issues at the start of the season might have started to worry many around Old Trafford, there is no doubt that the Reds will be boosted by a stunning European display earlier in the week. Eventually breezing past German outfit and last season s semi-finalists RB Leipzig thanks to a 5-0 romp on home soil, the former Premier League champions are unbeaten since making a return from October s international break. While they might have entered the break with a woeful display in their 6-1 hammering against Tottenham, a pair of Champions L…
Paris Saint-Germain forward Neymar has reached 50 goals in Ligue 1 in record time for players this century.
The Brazil star struck in Saturday s home game against Bordeaux, equalising from the spot after winning a first-half penalty himself.
Neymar, who warmed up in a shirt paying tribute to the late Diego Maradona, had a hand in Moise Kean s quick second, too.
The leveller was Neymar s 50th league goal for PSG in what was only his 58th appearance in France s top flight since he joined in August 2017 in a world-record €222million move from Barcelona.
27 GOOOOAL! converts the penalty. 1-1!
— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_English)
The previous quickest to the tally since 2000 was former PSG striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who needed 59 games.…
Real Madrid could face Seattle Sounders in their Club World Cup semi-final following Friday s draw.
UEFA Champions League winners Madrid will enter the tournament in Morocco at the last-four stage next month.
Carlo Ancelotti s side will have to wait to learn the identity of their opponents, but it could be MLS debutants Seattle.
The Sounders are the first American team to reach the Club World Cup, having won the 2022 CONCACAF Champions League final against Liga MX s UNAM.
Seattle are to make their debut in the second round against the winner of the sole first-round tie between CAF runners-up Al Ahly and OFC champions Auckland City.
The victors in that match will then go through to face Madrid, record four-time world champions.
On the other…
Harry Maguire and Tyrell Malacia put through their own goal late on as Manchester United squandered a comfortable lead in a 2-2 draw against Sevilla in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final tie.
Captain Maguire deflected into his own net in the 92nd minute, just eight minutes after Malacia had turned past David de Gea as Sevilla somehow found a way back at Old Trafford in the quarter-final first leg.
A Marcel Sabitzer first-half double appeared to have Erik ten Hag s hosts in complete control, only for the late drama to leave United reeling by full-time.
Jose Luis Mendilibar s side will boast home advantage in a week s time as they eye a seventh Europa League title since the 2006-07 season.
We re level at the end of the first leg. ||
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This week's PGA Tour stop at TPC Craig Ranch for The CJ Cup Byron Nelson makes up for what it lacks in star names with plenty of intrigue. Players who are not already exempt for next week's signature event at the Wells Fargo Championship have a final opportunity to work their way into the Aon Swing 5 or the Aon Next 10. Our golf experts preview the event and provide their favorite prop picks along with best bets to win this week. The CJ CUP BYRON NELSON Location: McKinney, Texas, May 2-5 Course: TPC Craig Ranch (Par 71, 7,414 Yards) Purse: $9.5M (Winners: $1.710M) Defending Champion: Jason Day FedEx Cup Leader: Scottie Scheffler HOW TO FOLLOW TV: Thursday-Friday, 4-7 p.m. ET (Golf Channel); Saturday-Sunday, 1-3 p.m. (GC), 3-6 p.m. (CBS) Streaming (ESPN+): Thursday-Fri…