Separated by a few feet in the Goodison Park directors’ box, and several decades of experience on their managerial CVs, Carlo Ancelotti and Mikel Arteta viewed a drab and dour stalemate which offered little insight into which appointment will ultimately prove the right approach from these two slumping giants of the English game.

You have to admire Ole Gunnar Solskajer’s determination to end up back where he started.

Carlo Ancelotti and Mikel Arteta will not face each other on the touchline today when Everton meet Arsenal at Goodison. The incoming gaffers will wait in the wings, ‘running the rule’, no doubt gaining an insight into the size of their tasks.

So Mayo poked the bear, and the bear reacted by consuming them whole. In eight blistering minutes after the interval, Dublin turned a two-point deficit into and an eight-point lead.

One of Lampard’s greatest skills is his effortless communication skills.

Anti-racism campaigners believe players are nearing the point when they will walk off the pitch if they continue to be subject to racist abuse, but concede it will be a “massive decision” to take.

It may not have been quite as dramatic or memorable as that Steven Gerrard goal almost 14 years ago to the day but, as Mohamed Salah clinched Liverpool’s place in the Champions League knockout stages, this important victory certainly carried echoes of that famous night.

Defender Jordi Alba says it is now up to every Barcelona player to stand up and perform as the club prepares to cope without talisman Lionel Messi.

I get a lift to five-a-side football on a Monday night with two Italian guys called Francesco and Mariano.

The same week Stephen Rochford embarked on his first of three underwhelming Connacht championship campaigns with a visit to Ruislip, another manager familiar with some football grounds in London as well as working with top players for a support base craving silverware brought out a book called Quiet Leadership.

Frank Lampard has worked under Claudio Ranieri, Jose Mourinho, Carlo Ancelotti, Luiz Felipe Scolari, Guus Hiddink, and Manuel Pellegrini during a glittering playing career.

West Ham are back on the hunt for a “high-calibre” manager after opting not to extend the contract of David Moyes.

The exit door at Emirates Stadium had barely shut behind Arsene Wenger when a number of his backroom staff followed him out the door yesterday, as the club prepare for life beyond the Frenchman.

After spending 22 years in the spotlight as Arsenal manager there is a great sense of intrigue as to what comes next for Arsene Wenger.

All the latest from the action in Spain, Italy, Germany and France.

Champions League talking points with Ger McCarthy

Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane looked supremely relaxed as he smiled his way through yesterday’s press conference ahead of tonight’s Champions League last-16 first leg at home to Paris Saint Germain.

There have been regular reports of friction between head coach Conte and the Chelsea hierarchy, mostly over transfers.

Antonio Conte insists Chelsea's season will be considered a success - even if it finishes without a trophy.

Antonio Conte insists Chelsea’s season will be considered a success — even if it finishes without a trophy.

Manchester United are looking to bolster their strike force in the January transfer window and are reported to have made inquiries about signing Jamie Vardy from Leicester City and Javier Hernandez from West Ham, according to the Telegraph.

Who would you choose?

Only at Real Madrid could the manager be potentially under pressure for his job at the end of a week which began with the team returning home as world champions.

West Ham are looking for a new manager after Slaven Bilic was sacked this morning.

Read what the papers say about Ozil, Draxler and Ancelotti

Celtic discovered Bayern Munich are still very much a European force as the Hoops suffered a 3-0 defeat in their Champions League clash at the Allianz Arena.

Boss Brendan Rodgers wants Celtic to stick to their ideals when they take on the might of Bayern Munich on Wednesday night.

Lionel Messi scored twice as Barcelona beat Las Palmas 3-0 in a game played behind closed doors after the Spanish league refused Barca’s plea to postpone the game on the day of the highly-charged Catalonia referendum.

When Carlo Ancelotti was dismissed by Bayern Munich this week, various theories for why he had been rather unceremoniously dumped were presented. What had gone wrong? Had he lost the dressing room? What had changed?

Bayern Munich midfielder Renato Sanches has joined Swansea on a season-long loan, the two clubs have announced.

The opening weekend of the season may be too early to talk of a crisis, but the mood music around Stamford Bridge is not good and Saturday’s humiliation by Burnley was not out of character from a club that has appeared dysfunctional since before becoming champions last May.

Alexis Sanchez’s start to the season could be derailed after the Arsenal forward posted a picture on social media claiming he was ill.

What's being said online and in the papers.

Arsene Wenger insists Alexis Sanchez has not told him he wants to leave Arsenal.

Where next for Real Madrid and their latest generation of Galacticos - to infinity and beyond?

Less than two years ago, Real Madrid president Florentino Perez shifted uncomfortably in his seat at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu as most of the 80,000 Blancos supporters around him chanted ‘Florentino Dimision’ (‘Florentino Resign’).

Both come from old port cities beside the Mediterranean, but the two men arrived at the top of their profession by completely different routes, writes David Shonfield.

Hamburg beat Wolfsburg 2-1 in dramatic fashion to secure their Bundesliga status and plunge the Wolves into a relegation play-off.

The ability of Chelsea as a football club to snatch ignominy from the jaws of victory can never be underestimated, although last night’s victory at the Hawthorns at least protects a memorable Premier League campaign with another title, their fifth of the Abramovich era, writes Allan Prosser.

West Brom 0 Chelsea 1: Antonio Conte came, he saw, and last night he conquered as Chelsea were crowned Premier League champions.