English Clubs

MADRID - Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane has ruled out playing Eden Hazard in Tuesday's home Champions League quarterfinal first leg against Liverpool, saying he will not risk another injury setback for his club's record signing.

Belgian Hazard, ravaged by injuries since joining Real from Chelsea in 2019, returned to training on Friday ahead of schedule from his latest muscle problem but played no part in Saturday's 2-0 win over Eibar.

NEWCASTLE - Tottenham Hotspur manager José Mourinho said they were the architects of their own downfall after failing to hold on to the lead in a 2-2 Premier League draw at Newcastle United on Sunday.

Spurs led 2-1 at the break thanks to a quick-fire double from Harry Kane but an 85th-minute equalizer from Joe Willock prevented Mourinho's side from provisionally moving up to fourth in the table.

Christian Pulisic’s latest injury setback is frustrating. It’s frustrating for Chelsea fans who want to see him recapture the form he showcased throughout “Project Restart.” It’s frustrating for USMNT fans who simply want to see him play week in, week out. And it’s supremely frustrating for Pulisic, a 22-year-old with clear leadership qualities who’s sacrificed everything in the singular pursuit of playing for one of the world's biggest clubs.

This month's League Cup final between Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur will be allowed to host 8,000 spectators as part of pilot events to pave the way for the return of large crowds to stadiums, the British government said on Sunday.

The final will be held at London's Wembley Stadium on April 25. It was due to be played on Feb. 28 but was pushed back in the hope that a later date would allow fans to attend.

Gareth Southgate made the surprising decision to keep Liverpool fullback Trent Alexander-Arnold off his England squad for March’s World Cup qualifiers. The 22-year-old, who was named to the PFA Team of the Year the last two seasons, wasn’t deemed good enough for the Three Lions, perhaps a victim of his club’s poor run of form.

LONDON — Relegation-threatened West Bromwich Albion secured a stunning 5-2 win over 10-man Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Saturday to hand Thomas Tuchel his first loss as the London club's manager.

West Brom, second-bottom of the table, moved seven points from the safety zone while Chelsea stayed fourth but could be overtaken by West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur this weekend.

Chelsea were looking to record an eighth consecutive clean sheet but Thiago Silva's sending-off for a second yellow card after a reckless challenge opened the floodgates as West Brom ran riot.

Premier League clubs paid a total of 272.2 million pounds ($375.1 million) to agents in the year to Feb. 2021, with Chelsea heading the list of top-flight spenders, according to data released by the Football Association (FA) on Wednesday.

Despite suffering major losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Premier League clubs spent nearly nine million pounds more on agent fees than in the previous year.