Millwall produced the shock of the day.

Play-off chasers Sheffield Wednesday and Huddersfield both left it late to end 2016 with 1-1 draws in the Sky Bet Championship.

So where does this leave Chelsea? Top of the table, certainly, having shown the invaluable ability to win despite being outplayed for large swathes of a game.

Zebre may be competing in the top tier of European club rugby this season but even if they beat Connacht this weekend to record their first victory in the Champions Cup, their heroics will go largely unnoticed in their home town of Parma.

It comes after a run of six games without a win.

Pep Guardiola insists he will adopt a "game by game" mentality as Manchester City continue to sweep all before them.

The Football Association of Wales has rejected an approach from Hull to speak to national team manager Chris Coleman.

David Moyes has confirmed he wants to take his former Manchester United players Marouane Fellaini and Adnan Januzaj to Sunderland.

Gianfranco Zola believes Eden Hazard has the ideal conditions to attain even greater heights at Chelsea.

Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany was not dropped last week as a result of an alleged dressing room bust-up but instead was axed by Manuel Pellegrini because of his poor form.

Relegation-threatened Cagliari have sacked coach Gianfranco Zola after less than three months in charge following a miserable run of results.

Cristiano Ronaldo got an early birthday present yesterday as the former Manchester United star was voted the greatest player to have graced the Premier League.

Liverpool and Chelsea’s rivalry has developed in intensity and bitterness with every passing year

Manchester United manager David Moyes insists stability and longevity are the magic ingredients for the most successful clubs.

Fabio Capello, Glenn Hoddle and Southampton boss Mauricio Pochettino have emerged as contenders for the vacant Tottenham manager’s position after Spurs sacked Andre Villas-Boas yesterday.

A brutally honest Ian Holloway admitted he couldn’t keep Crystal Palace up as he left the club last night.

Reality television is renowned for supplying bursts of fame but Mullingar native Connor Smith has bucked the trend by holding his own for Championship club Watford and the Ireland U21s.

Crystal Palace 1 Watford 0 (AET)

Billed as the richest match in world football, it was an occasion which demanded a calm and experienced head.

There is no chance of Watford ditching their commitment to attacking football if they get promoted to the Barclays Premier League, according to their longest serving player Lloyd Doyley.

Leicester 1 Watford 0

Hull 2 Cardiff 2

Watford 1 Leeds 2

Norwich manager Chris Hughton has hailed the consistency this season of Wes Hoolahan, the Republic of Ireland international whose strictly limited appearances in the green shirt have been the source of a lot of the recent criticism aimed at Giovanni Trapattoni.

St Patrick’s Day will mark 22 years since the day Diego Maradona’s career fell to pieces.

Former Chelsea assistant manager Ray Wilkins has revealed that club owner Roman Abramovich is a “big fan” of Watford boss Gianfranco Zola.

Manchester City 3 Watford 0

Gianfranco Zola insists Mario Balotelli can be a “fantastic” player – if his talent can be successfully mastered.

Mario Balotelli will be on the bench again for Manchester City’s FA Cup third round against Watford today.

Rafael Benitez vowed to play a strong side in Chelsea’s Club World Cup semi-final against Mexican side Monterrey this morning (10.30am), despite admitting his players were still suffering with jet lag.

Gianfranco Zola believes his experiences at Watford will aid him in his quest to land the Chelsea job at some point in the future.

Watford 1-2 Hull City

Sometimes, you’d think that Roman Abramovich bought Coventry that time and not Chelsea.

Watford 4 Barnsley 1

Mark Hughes has been sacked as manager of QPR after failing to win any of their opening 12 Barclays Premier League fixtures this season.

While some Englishmen who declared for Ireland over the years may have openly admitted to having tenuous links to their ancestral home, there can be no questioning the agenda of Under-19 captain Tommie Hoban.

Huddersfield 2 Watford 3

Derby 5 Watford 1

WAYNE ROONEY (Everton to Man Utd (£20m, 2004)

Pulling up in front of the Fota Island Hotel, Gianfranco Zola hops off a golf buggy, offers a warm handshake and, with it, that familiar beaming smile.

Roberto Di Matteo responded as quick as a flash when asked to recall the last time Chelsea had been top of the Barclays Premier League.