Premier League

Chelsea dismissed manager Frank Lampard after 18 months in charge on Monday after the man at the heart of much of their greatest success as a player failed to deliver as coach despite spending over $300 million in the summer transfer window.

Former Paris Saint-Germain manager Thomas Tuchel is the favorite to replace Lampard, British media reported.

Lampard, who led the club to a top-four finish and the FA Cup final in his managerial debut 2019-20 campaign, leaves with Chelsea ninth in the Premier League after a run of five defeats in eight league games.

Newcastle United's French winger Allan Saint-Maximin is set to return following two months out after suffering the long-term effects of COVID-19, manager Steve Bruce said on Friday.

Saint-Maximin has not played for Newcastle since their 2-0 defeat at home to Chelsea on Nov. 21, but Bruce said he could feature in Saturday's Premier League game at Aston Villa.

The 23-year-old returned to light training last week.

Manchester City’s first goal in its 2-0 Premier League victory against Aston Villa on Wednesday will go down as one of the most controversial goals of the season.

A goal had yet to be scored heading into the final 11 minutes of normal time. Controversy struck when a City player headed the ball up the field to no one in particular. The only City player nearby was Rodri standing in an obvious offside position.

If you believe The Athletic — and not just their 15,000-word oral histories about that time when something slightly, comparatively odd happened — then Frank Lampard is finished as manager of Chelsea following Tuesday’s 2-0 defeat to Leicester City.

Roberto Firmino may lose his place in Liverpool's attacking trio with Jürgen Klopp's side struggling for goals in recent weeks, former defender Jamie Carragher said.

Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mané and Firmino scored a combined 183 Premier League goals over the last four campaigns and helped the Merseyside club to their first title in 30 years last season. But their form has dropped off recently and they have gone three league games without a goal, including Sunday's 0-0 draw with leaders Manchester United at Anfield.

A tense, shouty and ultimately intriguing but largely uneventful meeting between Liverpool and Manchester United ended in a 0-0 stalemate at Anfield on Sunday to keep the Red Devils on top of the Premier League after 18 matches while Liverpool fell to third. 

In the end, Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s side came closest to securing all three points if not for Alisson’s big second half saves on Bruno Fernandes and Paul Pogba. 

Tottenham Hotspur's record signing Tanguy Ndombele conjured a moment of magic to seal his side's 3-1 victory at the Premier League's bottom club Sheffield United on Sunday.

Spurs had just seen the commanding lead given to them by Serge Aurier and Harry Kane halved by David McGoldrick's header on the hour when Ndombele struck with an audacious flicked lob.