Mikel's best goal in Chelsea shirt

One of my favorite moments of @mikel_john_obi's Chelsea career. pic.twitter.com/v2C8MnGTvW

 6 January 2017

A letter to my Chelsea family - Mikel Obi

The Nigerian international who left for Tianjin TEDA FC in China a couple of days back has written a farewell message to the Chelsea fans, thanking them for their support. He also explained the reason behind his decision and claimed that the lack of playing time was a big issue for him.

Read:

A letter to my Chelsea family. 🔵⚪️ pic.twitter.com/FhcUyq3iaV

— Mikel John Obi (@mikel_john_obi) 6 January 2017

It's goodbye London, welcom China for Mikel

Mikel Obi has left Chelsea, the team where he grew from a boy to a man and became a father. In his 10 years at the London Club, Mikel rightly divided opinions, but his achievements for the club have to be hailed and will forever be remembered.

In his 10-year stay, Chelsea became a global club and won major titles that had not been won before he came in from Norway as a gangling ball-playing midfielder.

Chelsea’s official site said, “His finest moment came in 2012 in Munich when his incredible discipline in midfield protected the defence and helped us to claim our first Champions League triumph.”

Premier League Table 2016/17: Week 20 EPL Results, Updated Standings, Top Scorers & Assists

Chelsea‘s 13-match winning run was brought to an end last night as Tottenham secured a memorable 2-0 win over their rivals thanks to a brace from Dele Alli.

The England international scored two identical headers in either half to hand Spurs a morale-boosting win. The Blues are still five points clear at the top of the table and will be hoping to bounce back against Leicester in their next game.

Meanwhile, Jurgen Klopp will be disappointed that his team have failed to close the gap with Chelsea.

Mahrez wins African Footballer of the Year as Nigeria wins big

Mahrez

Algerian and Leicester City Super star Riyad Mahrez has been voted as the African Player of the Year at the 25th edition of the Glo-CAF Awards held Thursday night in Abuja.

Mahrez dethroned Pierre-Emerick AUBAMEYANG who won the last edition but finished as runners up this year.

Sadio Mane finished in third place. 

Salvation in Sight for Manchester United

Manchester United are a club with rich history, known as one of the greatest teams in the world with one of the largest worldwide fanbases. Sir Alex Ferguson managed Manchester United for an incredible 26 years from 1986 to 2013. Ever since his retirement, they have been looking for the right replacement to win trophies and keep their supreme status as a club.

This transition over the last five years has seen three different managers take charge; the latest being José Mourinho this season. Immediately he looked to use the resources and money that the club had, bringing in huge signings such as Zlatan Ibrahimović, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Eric Bailly and the world record transfer of Paul Pogba.

Fernando Llorente: Antonio Conte is the best coach I’ve worked with

Swansea City striker, Fernando Llorente, says that he does not know anything about the rumoured interest from Chelsea, and that he is solely focussed on continuing with the Wales club.

Antonio Conte, the Chelsea manager, is looking to bolster his attacking department following the departure of Oscar to the Chinese Super League. Michy Batshuayi has hardly played under Conte this season, and although the Italian has backed him publicly, it seems that he is not fully convinced with the Belgian striker.

Real Madrid’s James Rodríguez gives Sevilla rude awakening in Copa del Rey

• • Real Madrid 3-0 Sevilla
  • James Rodríguez 11, 44pen; Raphaël Varane 29 

James Rodríguez, left, celebrates with Luka Modric after scoring Real Madrid’s third goal against Sevilla before half-time in the first leg of the Copa del Rey last-16 tie. Photograph: Denis Doyle/Getty Images

Real Madrid started 2017 by extending their unbeaten run to 38 matches in all competitions with a comfortable 3-0 victory over Sevilla in the first leg of their Copa del Rey last-16 clash.

A first-half brace from James Rodríguez and a Raphaël Varane header was enough for Madrid to ease the foot off the gas in the second half before the second leg in Seville on 12 January.

Álvaro Morata missed a glorious early chance after Luka Modric picked out the Spain international in the six-yard box. Morata diverted the ball wide with the linesman saving the striker’s blushes as he was flagged for offside.

Arsenal’s record lives on – how Arsène Wenger’s boys of 2002 made history

Ashley Cole, Patrick Vieira and Sol Campbell celebrate Arsenal’s Premier League title with a 1-0 victory over Manchester United in May 2002, the 12th league win of their record run. Photograph: Alex Livesey/Getty Images

Chelsea’s defeat at White Hart Lane means they have failed to equal Arsenal’s English top-flight record winning run of 14 consecutive matches, falling one short at 13, although they did match the record for successive wins in a single season.

Chelsea’s run began following their 3-0 defeat at Arsenal on 24 September, after which they won 2-0 at Hull City and carried on winning right through October, November and December.

Arsenal supporters will claim their run was of greater significance, even if it spanned two seasons, given that the 13 successive victories at the end of the 2001-02 campaign carried Arsène Wenger’s side to the title. They also fitted in winning the FA Cup, beating Chelsea 2-0 in the final in the Cardiff to complete Wenger’s second Double in five seasons.

Anglo-Nigerian and Tottenham’s Dele Alli ends Chelsea’s winning run short of record

The most damaging part for Chelsea, suffering their first league defeat since losing against Arsenal at the end of September, has nothing to do with it stopping them establishing a record in the Premier League era of 14 successive wins in a single season. It would have been a nice one to chalk up, but a team with their ambitions will be far more distressed about what it means for the league table and the confidence it might give Tottenham Hotspur, seven points back, to think they can still play a considerable part in the title race.

Dele Alli’s goals certainly ought to encourage Spurs on a night when their supporters endured opposition songs poking fun that they “won the league in black and white”, referring to the fact that the last time the team from White Hart Lane finished as champions was back in 1961. Alli scored one at the end of the first half and another early in the second period. Both were headers and the England international has managed two goals in each of his past three games.