Sportsday - Wednesday's football news as it happened

World number one Sir Andy Murray was a break down early on against Austria's Gerald Melzer in the second round of the Qatar Open but is now a break up, leading 4-2, after winning three games in a row.

Tottenham were impressive at Watford and they seem to have found a momentum now with Harry Kane and Dele Alli finding form.

I have a feeling they will halt the Chelsea surge which has been so impressive. To win 13 games in a row is just fantastic but Chelsea have some hard fixtures on the horizon.

Prediction: 2-1

Lawro's full predictions v comedian Arron Crascall

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While much of the focus has been on Premier League leaders Chelsea and their attempt to make it 14 wins in a row, opponents Tottenham are in excellent form themselves.

Mauricio Pochettino's side are fifth in the table, 10 points behind the Blues, having won their past four games. In fact, they've taken 15 points from 18 since losing 2-1 to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on 26 November.

Spurs go into the game off the back of two 4-1 away wins - against Southampton and Watford.

"Chelsea arrive in very good shape - us too after the last few games," says Pochettino.

"I think it's important for us and for the Premier League to try to win and try to stop them and reduce the gap."

Manchester City midfielder Fernandinho will serve a four-game ban after his claim for wrongful dismissal was rejected by an FA independent commission.

Fernandinho was dismissed towards the end of the first half of City's 2-1 win over Burnley on Monday for a two-footed challenge on Johan Gudmundsson.  

The Brazilian will miss Friday's FA Cup tie at West Ham, plus the Premier League games against Everton, Tottenham and West Ham.  

He will serve an additional one-game ban as it's his second red card of the season.

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As we've mentioned already, a victory for Chelsea at White Hart Lane would make them the first team to win 14 consecutive top-flight matches within the same season. 

And that's not just in the Premier League era - that's going all the way back to the inaugural Football League season of 1888-89.

A win would equal Arsenal's English top-flight record of 14 successive wins between February and August 2002 (across two seasons).

The Gunners won the last 13 games of 2001-02 as they secured the Premier League title, and their opening match of the 2002-03 campaign.

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Sir Andy Murray is just getting under way in his Qatar Open second-round match against Austria's Gerald Melzer.

The world number one is aiming to extend his winning streak in competitive matches to 26.

Murray, who has just held serve in the opening game, is following Novak Djokovic on court after the Serb saw off Argentina's Horacio Zeballos 6-3 6-4.

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Talk about rarity value. We might witness something here that no team has been able to achieve in any one top-flight season since this league was first played in 1888.

And if they manage it, Chelsea will become only the fifth team to win 14 consecutive league matches at any time, in any of the divisions.

Tottenham are already one of the victims of this Chelsea winning streak, having lost at Stamford Bridge in November. But they'll have other ideas this time round, and with good reason too, after running into a rich vein of form of their own with four successive wins.

More on the news that West Ham midfielder Sofiane Feghouli's red card against Manchester United has been overturned by the FA.

West Ham boss Slaven Bilic said Phil Jones "made a meal" of the tackle from the Algeria international.  

Feghouli is now eligible to play against Manchester City in the FA Cup third round on Friday evening and in the following Premier League fixtures with Crystal Palace and Middlesbrough.

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More breaking news... Stoke have signed goalkeeper Lee Grant from Derby for £1.3m on a two-and-a-half-year deal.

Grant has been on loan at the Potters since August and has become the Premier League club's first-choice keeper following Jack Butland's long-term absence.

West Ham's Sofiane Feghouli has had his red card against Manchester United rescinded by an FA independent commission.

The midfielder was sent off by referee Mike Dean for a challenge on Red Devils defender Phil Jones 15 minutes into a match the Hammers lost 2-0.

Chelsea have Pedro back from suspension as they bid for a record 14 consecutive wins in a single top-flight season.

Nemanja Matic was rested for the win over Stoke and could earn a recall.

Tottenham defenders Kyle Walker and Jan Vertonghen could return to the starting line-up after they missed the win over Watford through suspension.

Erik Lamela remains out with a hip problem but Mousa Dembele, who was rested against Watford, is expected to return in midfield.

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Right, time to switch our focus to tonight's Premier League fixture as leaders Chelsea travel to fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur.

The sides met at Stamford Bridge less than six weeks ago with Antonio Conte's side coming from behind to win 2-1, thanks to goals from Pedro and Victor Moses.

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Surprising timing with the one-day series against England starting on 15 January... India's limited overs captain MS Dhoni has resigned but will be available for selection for the ODIs and Twenty20 internationals to follow.

A nice tweet from Arsenal Ladies midfielder Leah Williamson as the newly knighted Sir Mo Farah - just the four Olympic gold medals in his collection - provided "a little extra inspiration on a cold Jan morning".

BBC Sport app users may need to select 'view more on Twitter' to see the image...

Elsewhere in tennis, as preparations for the Australian Open continue, Novak Djokovic has taken the first set 6-3 against Argentina's Horacio Zeballos in round two of the Qatar Open.

World number one Sir Andy Murray is due to follow Djokovic on court when he faces Austria's Gerald Melzer.

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We mentioned Roger Federer's pretend bongo playing before (see 14:09 entry) - now he has inadvertently reduced a girl to tears before the coin toss at the Hopman Cup doubles.

Watch below how Federer and Alexander Zverev talked round the overwhelmed girl on court in Perth before the match between Switzerland and Germany... BBC Sport app users may need to select 'view more on Twitter'. 

Federer and partner Belinda Bencic won the match against Zverev and Andrea Petkovic to ensure Switzerland edged the tie 2-1.

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Sunderland have rejected a £6m bid for striker Jermain Defoe from the 34-year-old's former club West Ham.  

It is understood the Hammers will raise their offer for Defoe, who has scored 11 goals in 21 appearances for the struggling Black Cats this season.

His latest goals came on Monday as Sunderland twice fought back from a goal down to draw 2-2 with in-form Liverpool, which left manager David Moyes' side in 18th position.  

More on the news that Leeds United owner Massimo Cellino has sold 50% of his stake in the club to Italian businessman Andrea Radrizzani. 

Cellino took over at Elland Road in April 2014 but the 60-year-old has received three Football Association bans in that time.

In December 2016 he was banned from all football activities for 18 months and fined £250,000 for breaching the FA's football agent rules over the sale of Ross McCormack to Fulham in 2014. He is appealing against the punishment.

Radrizzani added: “I am very impressed with the job Garry Monk has done this season and I will do all I can to support him and the team moving forward.

“The responsibility is on myself, Massimo and the executive management at the club to work together over the coming months to provide the best platform and environment for Garry and the team to achieve success."