Tottenham can see the glint of silverware at the end of what has been a very long tunnel after they held on to a 1-0 victory over Chelsea in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final.

There has forever been a great clamour to hear from the referee. To let the referee explain his decisions. But are we ready for what he has to say? Or would it just confirm our worst fears? And maybe even all of Jose Mourinho’s suspicions.

The 28-year-old is yet to return to Chelsea for the new season, having remained in Brazil in a bid to force a move to Atletico Madrid.

Manchester United believe they are edging closer to a deal to sign striker Romelu Lukaku from Everton.

The family of a woman who was killed in a freak Luas accident have settled their High Court action for €548,000, writes Ann O'Loughlin of the Irish Examiner.

Accumulated profits at the firm owned by former Irish rugby captain Jamie Heaslip more than doubled to €135,235 last year.

After a woman threatened to reveal all about a sexual encounter she had with a married man, he beat her to death with a hammer, a prosecution barrister told a jury at the Central Criminal Court yesterday.

As Diego Costa prepares to serve his first suspension of the season, when Chelsea play Bournemouth at 3pm today, the debate over whether Antonio Conte has managed to tame the Premier League’s most explosive talent could still be the key to how the title race pans out.

 

Alexandre Pato says he is “so happy” to be joining Chelsea after the Brazilian forward arrived in London ahead of his loan move to the Premier League club.

Back before Chelsea’s own results got really ominous for Jose Mourinho, the Portuguese issued his own ominous warning for the Premier League as regards their Champions League results. The Stamford Bridge boss had been asked about the fact the domestic competition still wasn’t going to alter fixtures to accommodate clubs playing in Europe.

Everton defender John Stones has handed in a transfer request in an attempt to force through a move to Chelsea.

Real Madrid manager Rafa Benitez has said he will “only speak about football” after Jose Mourinho’s criticism of him and his wife.

Dust off your bonnets, polish those buckles, and get the horse and trap ready for a trip into the past as a West Cork town prepares to step back in time.

All the fuss had surrounded Tottenham’s goal machine and local boy Harry Kane coming into the Capital One Cup final but it was that man Diego Costa who once again stole the headlines for Chelsea as he fired them to their first major trophy of the season.

“When you lose, you have to focus immediately on the next game."

Chelsea 3 Tottenham 0

On Monday evening last, The Bridge Bar, an institution in Ballyhea for a century, closed its doors.

Didier Drogba said he couldn’t turn down the chance to work with Jose Mourinho again after agreeing a one-year deal at Chelsea yesterday.

Starting tomorrow, seven games in nine days will decide the destination of the Premier League title for 2014. But it might not even take as long as that...

RTÉ’s Tony O’Donoghue is on a bit of a roll at the moment. First, there was his interview with Roy Keane in their native Cork, a stand-up affair in front of an invited audience in the august surrounds of the Aula Maxima in UCC.

Didier Drogba can anticipate a rousing reception on his Stamford Bridge return with Galatasaray tonight, but Jose Mourinho has no intention of extending the warm welcome to Roberto Mancini.

€200m in investments and up to 4,000 marine-centred jobs and new tourism attractions are in Cork Harbour’s pipeline, reports Tommy Barker.

The Department of Communications has responded to social media criticism over the time it took to pinpoint the location of a drowning man in Cork City.

Chelsea 2 - Aston Villa 1

Egyptians were on edge today after supporters and opponents of ousted president Mohammed Morsi fought overnight street battles that left at least 30 dead across the increasingly divided country.

Trust has become a key ingredient in food production in Ireland, according to the Irish Food Writers’ Guild.

Swansea 1 Chelsea 1

The Metropolitan Police decision to launch an official investigation into allegations referee Mark Clattenburg used inappropriate language against two Chelsea players has sparked a new debate over the role of police in football matters.

Chelsea 4 Norwich 1

James O’Donovan had an explosive start in his bowl-of-odds win over John Creedon in the Munster Senior Championship at Rosscarbery.

ANDRE VILLAS-BOAS, who has only been at Chelsea for 20 weeks after arriving as the prodigal son from Portugal and who has yet to make a real signing of his own, is in serious danger of being home again for Christmas.

ANDRE VILLAS-BOAS has refused to accept he is fighting to keep his job as Stamford Bridge after Chelsea lost two home games in a row for the first time in the Roman Abramovich era — and has instead claimed the club’s notoriously twitchy owner is behind him.

FRUSTRATED at the end of as disappointing first half, Chelsea supporters were provided with relief when they were invited to welcome the player voted the club’s best ever onto the Stamford Bridge pitch at the interval.

HOPEFULLY by the time you read this missive, I’ll be breakfasting on Las Ramblas, basking in the warm glow, after the Gunners have made a complete mockery of all those who believed we didn’t have a hope in hell of surviving beyond our outing to Camp Nou.

Everton manager David Moyes expects Steven Pienaar to be at training this morning – even though the midfielder is negotiating a move to Chelsea.

CHELSEA’S inherent weaknesses – and with it their title challenge – were brutally picked apart for the rest of the Premier League to see following a remarkable performance by Sunderland at Stamford Bridge yesterday that saw Steve Bruce’s side win 3-0.

Nicolas Anelka put his own Luzhniki Stadium pain behind him to suggest that Manchester United’s Wayne Rooney would be welcome at Stamford Bridge.

IT IS no consolation to England manager Fabio Capello but the international break has come with perfect timing for Carlo Ancelotti.

CARLO ANCELOTTI insists Chelsea will not sell reported Real Madrid target Ashley Cole this summer.