Marcos Alonso indicates commitment towards Chelsea

Several European heavyweights delivered commanding performances as the Round of 16 first-leg matches of the UEFA Champions League produced high-scoring contests and dramatic finishes across Europe this week.

Newcastle United scored a dramatic late winner to beat Manchester United 2-1 at St James' Park in their Premier League fixture on Thursday. On the other hand, Chelsea registered a dominant 4-1 victory over Aston Villa in their fixture, according to the Premier League website.

Arsenal restored their five-point lead at the top of the Premier League points table with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Chelsea at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday. Manchester United, on the other hand, defeated Crystal Palace by 2-1, according to the Premier League website.

Tottenham Hotspur has named Igor Tudor as their new head coach, the club said on Saturday.

The agreement comes just days before the 12-year-old departs for Valencia, Spain, for the opening round of the 2026 Champions of the Future Academy series. MM, powered by DAG Ltd, has signed Rivaan following an impressive rise through the Indian karting ranks.

This victory ended Arsenal's four-game losing streak in semi-finals under Mikel Arteta. They will face either Pep Guardiola's Manchester City or Newcastle United in the finals held next month at the iconic Wembley Stadium.

The results see Chelsea climb to fourth in the standings, just ahead of Liverpool in fifth, as Arsenal continue to lead the table with 53 points from 24 matches.

16 teams will battle it out in the knockout phase play-offs for the remaining eight places in the Round of 16. Those confirmed in the play-offs include Atalanta, Atletico de Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, Benfica, Bodø/Glimt, Club Brugge, Galatasaray, Inter Milan, Juventus, Bayer Leverkusen, Monaco, Newcastle United, Olympiacos, Paris Saint-Germain, Qarabag and Real Madrid.

Taking to X, Tharoor had posted a picture with Gambhir after meeting him at Nagpur, where the first T20I against New Zealand was held. In the post, he wrote, "In Nagpur, enjoyed a good &frank discussion with my old friend @GautamGambhir, the man with the hardest job in India after the PM's! He is being second-guessed by millions daily but stays calm & walks on undaunted. A word of appreciation for his quiet determination and able leadership. Wishing him all success -- starting today! #INDvNZT20"

Real Madrid have announced the departure of coach Xabi Alonso, with Alvaro Arbeloa being named as his replacement. The announcement comes a day after the team's 3-2 defeat to Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup final.