For the first time, the clubs of the Premier League are set for a winter break this month. But it's already proving chaotic and a little controversial with lots of clubs forced to change their plans last-minute.

Jan Vertonghen's time at Tottenham appears at an end, with no new contract extension in sight for the 32-year-old who has been at the club since 2012.

ON THE ROAD - ADAM SHERGOLD: Ronnie Radford's famous goal for Hereford in 1972 is generally considered a great football moment. But not in the Cumbrian town of Barrow-in-Furness.

MATT BARLOW AT FRATTON PARK: Arsenal have made it through to the FA Cup quarter-finals with a 2-0 victory over Portsmouth in the fifth round.

Birmingham starlet Jude Bellingham will not be given the chance to test himself against Premier League opposition in the FA Cup fifth-round clash with Leicester on Wednesday.

Billy Gilmour has boosted his chances of being fast-tracked into Scotland's senior squad with his breakout performance in Chelsea's FA Cup win against Liverpool on Tuesday night.

Billy Gilmour's man of the match performance for Chelsea in their FA Cup win over Liverpool has seen calls grow louder to insert him straight into the next Scotland line-up. 

Tim Krul had Spurs' penalty takers and the directions they would shoot listed on his water bottle ahead of Norwich's shock win on spot kicks in the FA Cup on Wednesday night.

Jan Vertonghen admits Tottenham must address the problem of goals they concede if they are to salvage something from their disastrous season after crashing out of the FA Cup on Wednesday.

Eric Dier's moment of madness in vaulting into the stands was sparked after he spotted his brother, Patrick, in a melee with a Tottenham fan who was trying to get the player's attention.

Eric Dier's confrontation with a Tottenham Hotspur supporter has been the talk of social media overnight following his outburst at the end of a FA Cup tie on Wednesday night.

MARTIN SAMUEL - CHIEF SPORTS WRITER: There were only a few hours between Trabzonspor stating that Sturridge's contract had been terminated, and the specific explanation.

Carlo Ancelotti is braced for an emotional return to Stamford Bridge, but says Roman Abramovich never revealed why he sacked him as manager of Chelsea in 2011.

Comparisons have been made to the infamous Eric Cantona kung-fu kick incident at Selhurst Park 25 years ago. But Tottenham ambassador Mabbutt dismissed that comparison as nonsense.

DANNY MURPHY: As a footballer, I heard a lot of things from fans they shouldn't be shouting. I caught a lot of stuff about my mum, my wife, my kids. But you still don't go into the crowd, full stop.

Manchester United midfielder Juan Mata revealed former Red Devils manager Louis Van Gaal cried in front of his players during his time at Old Trafford.

Lukas Podolski claims he was unfairly sidelined during his time at Arsenal but insists he had a positive relationship with the club including then manager Arsene Wenger.

Dier vaulted rows of seats at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to drag his younger brother Patrick away after he became involved in a post-match bust-up with a supporter but will face no action.

Lineker secured numerous achievements as a pro, including promotion with Leicester, an FA Cup at Tottenham, and a Copa del Rey at Barcelona. Now, though, he's better-known elsewhere.

US boxing promoter Al Haymon has signed a deal with ITV to enter the British market - and he wants to kick-off with a fight between James DeGale and Chris Eubank Jr.

Alongside his twin brother Jermell at a public workout, the 28-year-old showed he is in peak physical condition as he prepares to face fighter Willie Monroe Jr in New York on Saturday.

Floyd Mayweather sat ringside on Saturday as Manny Pacquiao outpointed Adrien Broner - and the pair came face-to-face once more on Monday as talk of a rematch rumbles on.

Speaking after Davis' knockout win over Hugo Ruiz to win the WBA super featherweight title, Mayweather revealed to reporters his surprising plans in the coming months.

Oscar De La Hoya, sensing Mayweather-Pacquiao II really may be in the offing this time, makes his blocking move by teasing Floyd Jnr with the vision of an alternative rematch - against Canelo.

Mayweather supposedly hung up his gloves for good after victory over Conor McGregor in August 2017. But his dad said: 'I think he's going to return when the right man gets in his face.

Former professional boxer Floyd Mayweather has been enjoying his retirement in Hong Kong. The now boxing promoter was relaxing in a hot tub that was fitted with two TV screens.

Conor McGregor may currently be 'retired' from mixed martial arts but it seems the Irishman fancies giving boxing another go.

Floyd Mayweather is set for another enormous payday in Japan as the 'Money Man' is targeting another lucrative exhibition. He banked £7million for a first round knockout last year.

Tyson Fury versus Deontay Wilder II is being projected to eclipse the $600million (£476m) amassed in revenue when Floyd Mayweather Jnr fought Manny Pacquiao in 2015.

RUGBY WORLD CUP DIARY: The All Blacks have been more than happy to stop for fan photographs, but one superstar in their hotel was not so obliging. 

The fighter had posted a clip of himself showing off his multi-million pound possessions, and urged his followers to 'catch up' whilst revelling in the price tag.

The Sun report that Mayweather has chose to stage the March 1st event at the low-budget Grand Hotel, owned by Britannia - which has consistently been voted the UK's worst hotel chain.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. has been accused of assaulting a man who asked for a picture outside a Miami hotel a day before the Super Bowl, but video of the incident does not show any physical contact.

The star, 45, showcased a very smooth complexion as she slipped into a monochrome jumpsuit at Floyd Mayweather's birthday party at the Boulevard 3 in Hollywood, California on Friday.

The mother of Floyd Mayweather's three children, Josie Harris, has been found dead in her car by police in the United States. According to TMZ , police are not treating the death as suspicious.

Roger Mayweather, who passed away on Tuesday aged 58, devoted his entire life to the sport of boxing. Undoubtedly, he will go down as one of the greatest trainers the sport have ever seen.

Marcos Maidana revealed he has kept a rather strange keepsake from his rematch with Floyd Mayweather in Las Vegas. The American has denied to losing a tooth during their fight.

In March boxing superstar Floyd Mayweather was hit with two bereavements, and has not had the chance to speak out publicly since. Taking to social media, he reveals what is on his mind.

Andrew Milroy died from a single stab wound to the chest in Lloret de Mar during the early hours of yesterday morning.

Police said the 23 year old victim Matthew Denice was still alive when he became trapped in the wheel arch of Guaman's truck.

A pilot onboard a plane flying from Bangkok to Novosibirsk in western Siberia died from a heart attack, transportation prosecutors said Friday.

Tiny droplets of water make the bugs take on an altogether different look - looking inflated by the covering of liquid.

The twin sloths may look cute in the alternative outfits but actually it is a way of ridding their tiny bodies of the parasitic mites.

Photographer Nuray Gonulalan was amazed when she looked up and saw the familiar punctuation symbol - often associated with shock or panic - hovering above her in Mogan Lake, Ankara, Turkey.

Twelve oceanfront houses were swept away and officials said there was damage to 80 per cent of the remaining homes on Fire Island, off the south shore of Long Island.

The victims, an eight-year-old boy and a five-year-old girl, were discovered by Naperville police at the home of Elzbieta M. Plackowska, 40 in Illinois.

Alex Machavo, of Medford, Oregon, was attacked by the injured animal near Shady Cove on Thursday. According to Andrea Carlson, a local sheriff's spokeswoman, the hunter and his wounded target rolled down a 50-ft embankment with the bear biting 22-year-old Machavo all the way down.

John Filipowicz, 51, and his son John, 20, were found still holding onto each other in their basement as they shielded themselves from the torrent which covered them in 12ft of water in seconds. Relatives said that the two had an 'incredible bond' and would never have been separated – in life or in death. John the elder stayed behind to watch over his house in Staten Island, New York, but his son refused to leave because he wanted to be by his side.

North Carolina man Jurgen Henn, who works in a nearby retail complex, said he heard so many crunches and metal grinding crashed over the years.

Greedy landlords and hotel owners looking to make a quick buck from the thousands without power or displaced by Hurricane Sandy were exploiting people's desperation by demanding outrageous prices for a shelter. As of yesterday morning Craigslist was full of posts for costly rooms, with one ad promising people the luxury of a single bedroom apartment with electricity for a 'mere' $700 per night.