Premier League and FA Cup: 10 talking points from the weekend’s action

Chelsea’s Abramovich era has launched the careers of many promising footballers into the stratosphere. It has also halted a few in their tracks. Steve Sidwell, Scott Parker and Danny Drinkwater all left clubs where they were hot properties to sign for Chelsea, where they spent varying portions of their prime years watching blankly from the dugout. To this list we can add Ross Barkley, trusted to take a penalty but nothing more on Saturday by a manager for whom he has played 428 minutes this season. Five years after moving to west London, Barkley has started fewer league games for Chelsea than he did in his final season at Everton, and has had as many managers as he has scored league goals. Not every talented youngster will fulfil their potential; not every transfer will be a success. But it’s hard to think back to Barkley’s breakout years and not lament the scattergun stockpiling in which football’s super-clubs can afford to indulge. Alex Hess

Match report: Chelsea 0-0 Liverpool (5-6 pens)

Two straight defeats have taken Burnley back into the relegation zone and Thursday’s visit to Aston Villa has assumed monumental proportions. There was room for optimism in a battling performance at Tottenham that arguably deserved a draw, though. “I am really proud of the group,” Mike Jackson said. “They had a right go today. I’ve seen a group that was fighting and had spirit.” A point at Villa Park will keep their fate in their hands. Jackson will have to decide whether to stick with the five-man back line that largely blunted Spurs, or whether to be more expansive and go for the early goal that might make life considerably easier. There is the added complication that, unusually, they played Villa at home nine days ago and were well