Chelsea

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho: "We like to play at Stamford Bridge. The fans are being absolutely incredible with us. I don't even know how to react to how nice they are. When they sing my name, I am a little embarrassed.

"Chelsea fans' memory is amazing. If not, they don't treat me and the players like this."

Jose Mourinho is asked about the contrasting fortunes of Leicester and Chelsea this season

"It's incredible, but do you want to speak about how bad we are doing, or how well they are doing? I think they deserve us to speak about how good they are doing."

Undeterred by this deflection tactic, the BBC's John Southall keeps the same line of questioning: 

"If you want a stupid answer, I can give you a stupid answer. A stupid answer is easy to give. I think just an answer they deserve is to speak about how well they are doing. I would love to be in their position, obviously, but the reality is I am pleased where they are. 

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"One year ago they were bottom of the league, Ranieri was sacked from Greece after losing to the Faroe Islands, now he's the top manager in the Premier League, and the players are in the top of the league - this is fantastic."

Is it difficult to predict what is coming next with CHelsea? 

"I think you're right. We had some good results that we could say 'this is the end of such a bad period', but we are always having some negative results that bring us back to a position that we are not very proud with. I think the performance on Wednesday in a high level pressure match - I think the answer was so good that I don't see any reason for the players not to have the same kind of answer."

Chelsea

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho: "I think that the bad results are not normal, but the chance for every manager to do his work is and finish what he started is. What is not normal is what is happening now.

"I imagine myself finishing my contract with Chelsea. I have three and half years on my contract. After that I imagine myself coaching - not every club, there are some clubs I will never manage - but every club in the world."

Chelsea

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho on his side's title defence: "I don't know if it is eight, seven, five or six players who are underperforming. We were miles away from our level at the start of the season and when you are waiting for some top performances from individuals it makes a difference.

"Overall over the last month I think we are improving - against Tottenham and Porto - it is not just little moments."

Jose Mourinho is asked whether CHelsea can still finish fourth: 

"Before we lost the last 3 points against Bournemouth, I was convinced of fourth, of a great December for us. I have to be honest and say the last defeat was something that I was far away from believing was possible.

"The reality is that some clubs are doing so well, and some are not capable of doing what people are used to. It's not possible for clubs to win 3, 4, 5, 10 matches in a row now.

"Maybe we have a chance to dream with a great finish and finish fourth. While it is mathetmaticall possibly, we have to try."

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Chelsea

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho on Premier League leaders Leicester: "They deserve to be where they are. I said a few weeks ago that I did not believe that they could be champions, maybe I need to reconsider. It would be something magnificent, something to impress the football world.

"They are there because they are doing well. We are where we are because we are under-performing. It is the same players and coach that we had last year."

After Teofilo Gutierrez got booked, external for stealing a referee's vanishing spray to write his name on the pitch when celebrating a goal, we're asking about when celebrations went wrong... 

Craig Hughes: Steve Morrow for Arsenal is the obvious one when he fell off Tony Adams after the 1993 League Cup Final

Send us your suggestions using #bbcsportsday on Twitter.

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Louis Van Gaal has been speaking a lot about expectations at Manchester United in his news conference today. 

"I am working very hard to do what we can do. The problem is that we have to meet with the expectation. At a club like Man Utd they are very high," he said. 

"You have to manage expectation and get good results. I think you can also see a lot of positive things," said the Dutchman, whose side are three points off the top of the Premier League.

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"We are now in the Europa League. We have to try and win that. It is not easy. But people don't want to hear it. For them they have to win. But you cant compare with 10 years ago."

When asked to clarify what he meant, Van Gaal said "There is an evolution in football. That kind of stuff. Then you can make your own opinion. I was given a task to improve this team and win a title when it is possible. We are in that process."

Russian champions Zenit St Petersburg are reportedly in discussions with former AC Milan and Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti to replace Andre Villas-Boas who has already announced he will leave the club at the end of this season., external

Editor-in-chief of Express.ru Artur Petrosyan claims that Ancelotti could be paid £11.6m a season if he takes on the role.

Manchester United

Van Gaal is asked by one journalist whether 'just' winning the Europa League would be enough for him. He doesn't take well to the question:

"You think it is 'just'. That is the start of our conversation. I have already won it once with Ajax. I was so proud that I won it. I don't have the same opinion as you. You will write tomorrow it is nothing. For me it is a big competition."

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Barcelona forward Neymar has injured himself in attempting to pull of a 'sombrero' trick on team-mate Luis Suarez according to reports.

The piece of skill - that involves rolling the ball up that back of your leg and flicking it forwards over your own head and an opponents - is a regular in the Brazilian's arsenal.

However Sport newspaper - in a report quoted by the Daily Mirror, external - claim that he injured himself as he chased with Suarez to regain possession.

The Brazilian is already ruled out of most of the Club World Cup which Barca play their first match in on 17 December and may miss the final after his latest mishap.

With two papers linking his assistant Ryan Giggs with a move to Swansea, Louis Van Gaal says if his number two hears anything from Swansea, he should speak to him first, before adding that he never believes stories in the papers. 

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Louis Van Gaal is asked if he had any doubts about himself after the Champions League exit: 

"No doubts. I don't have any. You can lose and win in sport, you have to accept it. I am working very hard to do what we can do. The problem is that we have to meet with the expectation. At a club like Man Utd they are very high."

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Essex have signed New Zealand A fast bowler Matt Quinnon a three-year contract.

The 22-year-old, who has taken 62 first-class wickets, holds a British passport, so he will not count as an overseas player.

Manchester United

Manchester United

And we are up and running over at the Aon Training Complex where Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal is briefing the media ahead of United's match against Bournemouth on Saturday.

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England's women have been drawn in Group B of the 2016 World Twenty20,, external along with West Indies, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

Group A comprises Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and Ireland.

England fixtures:

17 March: Bangladesh (Bengaluru)

22 March: India (Dharamsala)

24 March: West Indies (Dharamsala)

27 March: Pakistan (Chennai)

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England's men have been drawn alongside West Indies, holders Sri Lanka and South Africa in the group stage of next year'sWorld Twenty20 in India. , external

The quartet will be joined by the winners of Group B, which consists of Zimbabwe, Scotland, Hong Kong or Afghanistan.

India are in Super 10 Group Two along with Pakistan, Australia, New Zealand, and the Group A winners - which will be either Bangladesh, Holland, Ireland or Oman. 

England fixtures:

16 March: West Indies (Mumbai)

18 March: South Africa (Mumbai)

23 March: Group B winners (New Delhi)

26 March: Sri Lanka (New Delhi) 

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West Brom boss Tony Pulis is under no illusions that his side's fortunes this year rely on the form of Saido Berahino. The striker has scored three goals this season, having bagged 20 last campaign. He played and scored in the under-21s' 2-1 defeat at West Ham this week and Pulis had this to say at his press conference ahead of Sunday's Premier League trip to Liverpool...

"We want him back in the fold and as good as he was last year. He was a top player for us last year. 

"Saido asked to play (in the under-21s). He wanted to have a game. His attitude was first class and he scored a good goal. 

"He needed a game to get closer to match fitness and, over the Christmas period, with the amount of games, it's good he has got game time."