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.
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, Mon
Actor Jean Smart won the award for Best Actress in a Comedy Series for 'Hacks' at the 31st annual Critics Choice Awards and used her acceptance speech to deliver a humorous reflection on the long and complicated relationship between artists and critics, according to E! News.
Television host and comedian Jimmy Kimmel won the award for Best Talk Show at the 31st annual Critics Choice Awards and used his acceptance speech to deliver a satirical message aimed at US President Donald Trump, according to Variety.
Actor Seth Rogen won the award for Best Actor in a Comedy Series at the 31st annual Critics Choice Awards, held in Santa Monica, California, according to E! News.
The tribute was led by host Chelsea Handler, who remembered Rob Reiner as "the nicest guy in Hollywood" during her opening monologue at the awards ceremony. Handler reflected on Reiner's personal warmth, professional generosity and the impact he had on those around him.
Manchester City's clash against Chelsea ended in a draw. Fulham snatched a point in a dramatic 2-2 draw with Liverpool, and Manchester United came from behind to earn a 1-1 draw with Leeds United in the ongoing English Premier League (EPL) 2025-26 season.