Hull City midfielder Ryan Mason has suffered a fractured skull in a clash of heads with Chelsea's Gary Cahill and is in a stable condition after having surgery at a London hospital.

Diego Costa marked his return to the Chelsea side with a goal-scoring performance in a 2-0 win against Hull as the EPL leaders extended their advantage to eight points.

• Martyn Herman

Liverpool, Tottenham, Manchester City and Manchester United all dropped points as Chelsea secured their lead at the top without kicking a ball.

• David Polkinghorne

Canberra United now reliant on results going their way if they're going to finish top of W-League.

• Michael Lynch

What a difference a year makes. Twelve months ago Melbourne City were the team of all-conquering talents in the W-League.

• Dominic Bossi

Western Sydney Wanderers finally found the result befitting of their performances after claiming their first home win of the A-League season to keep their finals hopes alive.

• Michael Cockerill

The football world is once again open for business, but it seems there is less interest in Australian players than ever before.

• Michael Lynch

Three games in seven days with trips to Wellington and Perth thrown in for good measure. Surely that takes its toll on players physical and mental strength?

• Emma Kemp

A-League title favourites Sydney FC enter this week's Big Blue with a psychological advantage after nearest rivals Melbourne Victory were brought undone by their gruelling road trip.

The three surviving players of the air crash two months ago that killed 19 members of Brazil's Chapecoense football club have lifted the Copa Sudamericana trophy in honour of their teammates.

• Julien Pretot

A furious Mario Balotelli asked fans whether racism was "legal in France" after the Nice striker accused Bastia supporters of abusing him during his team's 1-1 Ligue 1 draw, prompting a French League investigation.

• Justin Chadwick

Melbourne Victory have slumped to their second straight defeat, with Perth coming from behind to secure a 2-1 win in Saturday night's A-League clash at nib Stadium.

• Cathy Walshe

Brisbane have ended their five-week winless A-League run with a hard-fought 1-0 win over the Phoenix in Wellington.

• Chris Dutton

Stand-in Canberra United captain Ash Sykes has warned her teammates against expecting an avalanche of goals when they play the W-League's worst defensive side on Sunday.

• Dominic Bossi

In less than one year, Andrew Nabbout went from being deemed not good enough for the worst ever Australian team in A-League history to the best domestic chance to win the Johnny Warren Medal.

• Dominic Bossi

Sydney FC heap pressure on Melbourne Victory ahead of Thursday's "Big Blue" suggesting the race for the premiership will become a one horse race if Victory fail to win.

• Michael Lynch

The FFA Cup has only been going for three years but already it has captured the imagination of the soccer public – nowhere more so than in Victoria.

Liverpool's former captain and talisman Steven Gerrard will return to his roots as part of the Academy's coaching set-up, the Premier League club announced on Friday.

• Dominic Bossi

Not even controversy could stop Sydney FC from continuing their dominance this season as the Sky Blues racked up their 12th win of the season, extending their undefeated record.

DOHA, Jan 20 AP - A British man has died while working at a stadium that will be a venue for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, organisers say.

Western Sydney Wanderers coach Tony Popovic has warned Brendon Santalab to watch his on-field aggression as he prepares to make his return from a three-match ban.

• Dominic Bossi

A-League teams won a club versus country battle with the FFA, but it could come at a significant cost to the Olyroos who are falling behind the pacesetters in Asia.

• Michael Lynch

Melbourne Victory boss Kevin Muscat has flagged a number of changes – some forced, some by choice – for the road trip to Perth following the team's surprise 3-0 loss to Wellington Phoenix in New Zealand on Tuesday night.

• Michael Cockerill

He may not be one of us – at least in a football sense – but there's a lot to be proud of in the ascension of Adama Traore at the African Cup of Nations.

​Central Coast manager Paul Okon has challenged the A-League match review panel to follow the precedent shown in Besart Berisha's case and clear his striker Roy O'Donovan.

• Michael Lynch

Melbourne City interim coach Michael Valkanis can be pleased enough with his results so far: two wins out of three and the latter an unlucky defeat in Adelaide when the champions scored a last gasp winner against the run of play.

• Michael Lynch

It was the win they had to have - only their second in seven weeks - but Melbourne City lacked the killer touch in a 2-1 victory over a Central Coast Mariners side that played for well over an hour with ten men following the sending off of striker Roy O'Donovan.

Former Real Madrid striker Robinho was recalled by Brazil for the first time in more than a year on Thursday to face Colombia in a charity match to raise funds for the victims of the Chapecoense air crash.

• Dominic Bossi

More A-League marquees are on the horizon with tripling of the player fund though clubs aren't holding out for a bigger cheque from the TV rights as Fox Sports and Channel 10 edge closer to a partnership.