From the Back Pages, February 12: Relegation-threatened Aston Villa sack Paul Lambert after ten games without a win

Every season, there are always the standout moments in the title race, when everything falls into place for the team that will eventually finish at the top of the league. For Chelsea, this felt like it could conceivably be one. The clock was just turning into its 90th minute when Willian let fly with his right boot and Chelsea had been agitated to the point that Branislav Ivanovic had been guilty of a headbutt that will surely warrant another Football Association disciplinary charge. (The Guardian)

At the biggest Premier League clubs, specifically at Manchester United, Chelsea, Manchester City and Arsenal, with Liverpool on their tails, it is expected that the average first-team wage in five years’ time will be £10million per player per season, or £200,000 per week. (Daily Mail)