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ATK Mohun Bagan did the double over their rivals East Bengal in the second Kolkata derby of the season and extended their lead at the top of the Indian Super League (ISL) table.

Star striker Roy Krishna scored one goal and provided the assist for the other two as the Mariners blanked their rivals.

Former East Bengal coach Subhash Bhowmick took a dig at East Bengal's tactics as he suggested that the Red and Golds had no plan going into this big clash.

"The better team won," Bhowmick told Goal. "The planning made all the difference. They (East Bengal) don't know where to use which player. In fact, they should have lost 4-0. Tiri gifted them a goal. Two teams played. One team had a purpose whereas the other team did not have any purpose. There is no coordination between the defence and midfield."

The ASEAN Championship-winning coach heaped praise on coach Antonio Habas and his team and mentioned that the Mariners had a fixed plan right from the beginning and they have stuck to it all through the season.

"Mohun Bagan had a target and they planned accordingly. Habas is leading his team towards that goal from the very first day. They wanted the Champions League spot and they have been working towards it from the beginning."

Bhowmick also suggested that with the squad which they have at their disposal, if East Bengal had finished higher on the league table he would have been surprised.

"Even before ISL started I had mentioned that with this squad, if East Bengal had finished fifth or sixth I would have been very happy," claimed the former Indian international player.

Former India international Shyam Thapa has criticised the foreign players at East Bengal following the Red and Golds ' 1-3 defeat against ATK Mohun Bagan in the Kolkata derby on Friday.

Fijian striker Roy Krishna grabbed a goal and two assists as Mariners completed a double over their arch-rivals this season in the Indian Super League (ISL). 

Thapa, who has played as a striker for East Bengal and Mohun Bagan during his playing days, slammed the displays of defender Danny Fox and forward Bright Enobakhare and suggested that they should take notes from their opponents' performances.

"I never expected East Bengal to play so poorly in the derby.  They should change Danny Fox, he is too old to play in ISL. It seems that Bright is playing an exhibition match. He doesn't think that he is playing a competitive match. Dribbling is not football. You should understand when to release the ball. He does not have a match-temperament. That's why he is playing in India even with so much quality. He should learn to play for the team.

"I don't know what the coach is saying to him. He always wants to score by beating three defenders and if possible the goalkeeper as well. Is that the attitude of a striker? I appreciate his quality but he doesn't know when to release the ball. "

"Roy Krishna is the real striker. He is a genuine hero. He scored a classic striker's goal and assisted two. You learn from Krishna. Bright's attributes are not helping the team. 

Thapa also added that East Bengal's Indian coach Renedy Singh should have done a better job of making the foreigners understand the importance of one of the oldest derbies in the world. 

"Danny Fox is so experienced and yet he is trying to play short when Bagan is pressing so effectively. Just clear the lines when you are being closed down quickly. Subrata should also have cleared the ball long. 

"Renedy should make foreigners understand the importance of a derby. He has played so many derbies himself, he should make them understand how important a derby is. If they were playing in Kolkata, the crowd would not have spared them. Conceding three goals in a derby is too much. 3-1 is a poor result.

"Look at (Jacques) Maghoma, he is now tired and looks out of colour for the past three-four matches. Steinmann also is a shadow of his former self," he said.

East Bengal's rivals Bagan received praise from the former East Bengal striker and he opined that the Mariners deserve to be the league leaders this season.  

"Mohun Bagan are playing very good. They deserve to be at the top spot. Antonio Habas understands the emotion and passion of the Kolkata crowd. He understands the importance of the match."
 

Liverpool head coach Jurgen Klopp has claimed that his side would be closer to runaway Premier League leaders Manchester City if 2020-21 had been a "normal season".

Several key Liverpool players have been injured for significant stretches, particularly in defence where Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip are all likely to miss the rest of the season.

Klopp's side won their first Premier League title last season but currently find themselves in sixth place, 16 points back of Pep Guardiola's side.

What Klopp said

"It was never the case where we thought how can we overtake City. Or how can we become the finest team in English football again, whatever that means," Klopp said.

"We just wanted to be the best version of ourselves. We have that chance again. If that is good enough, it is good enough. If another team is better, that’s how sport works.

"We cannot do more than be the best version of ourselves and that is what we will try again as a team.

"For that we need a little bit more luck, of course. Some slightly more luck with injuries and we can get closer to that.

"We all agree, and I’m sure Pep would say that, in a normal season for both teams we would not be 16 points away.

"But we are. That’s how it is. We accept it. This season it is not our concern how close we get to City. It is how far we can go up the table. That is enough work to do.”

Who has been injured for Liverpool?

Some of Liverpool's most important players have missed significant time this season. Most damaging to the Reds' cause have been the injuries to Van Dijk, Gomez and Matip – the team's top three centre-backs. 

In addition, Diogo Jota, Thiago Alcantara, Naby Keita, Fabinho, Jordan Henderson, Alisson and Trent Alexander-Arnold have all missed time at various points.

Fabinho and Henderson have been forced into makeshift centre-back roles to cover for the spate of injuries, leaving the Reds weaker in midfield as a result. 

Ozan Kabak and Ben Davies were brought in during the January transfer window to help cover Liverpool's absences in defence.

What's next for Liverpool?

Liverpool face Everton in the Merseyside derby on Saturday, before further league matches against Sheffield United, Chelsea and Fulham.

Klopp's side then face RB Leipzig in the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie, having won the first leg 2-0 this week.

Further reading

Nottingham Forest forward Sammy Ameobi has been nominated for the Championship Goal of the Month award for January.

The Nigerian forward delivered eye-catching performances for Chris Hughton’s men last month, scoring twice, amid other dazzling displays.

The forward’s bagged the goals against Millwall on January 16 and his second strike in the encounter has been shortlisted for the best goal award.

Ameobi fired home a fine effort from the edge of the box to help Nottingham Forest secure victory in the game which ensured the forward ended a 16-game goal drought.

The 28-year-old will slug it out with Swansea City's Matt Grimes and Reading's John Swift for a chance to clinch the individual accolade.

Nottingham Forest will take on Blackburn Rovers in Saturday’s Championship game and manager Hughton has confirmed Ameobi will not feature in the encounter.

The centre-forward is recovering from a knee injury, although he has returned to training, he is not fully fit to play a game yet.

“Sammy Ameobi has trained today, as did Samba, but they’re still just a little bit short at the moment,” Hughton said in a press conference.

“They are close, but it’s certainly good to have Ryan Yates back and Luke Freeman after being off on paternity leave.”

Nottingham Forest are on a two-game winless run which has seen them dropped to the 18th spot on the Championship table after gathering 33 points from 30 games.

The Reds will hope to return to winning ways against Blackburn Rovers to boost their chances of avoiding relegation at the end of the season.

Ameobi has been with Forest since the summer of 2019 after cancelling his contract with Bolton Wanderers.

The forward has since featured in more than 70 games for the club across all competitions and this season he has played 28 matches, scoring three goals and providing one assist.

Ameobi played for the Nigeria U21 side and will be expected to continue his impressive performances with Nottingham Forest to boost his chances of getting a call-up to the Super Eagles.

Carlo Ancelotti has warned his Everton side that they are coming up against a team of "lions" in the derby match against Liverpool on Saturday.

The reigning Premier League champions have lost three games in a row heading into the meeting against their Merseyside rivals, who are just three points behind them.

Former AC Milan, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich boss Ancelotti admitted that his side may feel some trepidation as they take on Jurgen Klopp's men, but insisted that is not always a bad thing.

What did Ancelotti say?

"I had derbies in Milan, Madrid, everywhere. A derby is a special game," he said at a press conference.

"It is not a normal game, if you think it is a normal game you are wrong. And special games bring more pressure, more fear sometimes.

"But fear is not a bad thing in my opinion because if you don’t have fear then you are going in front of the lion thinking it is a cat.

"But it is not a cat, it is a lion, so fear is important to have. It can help you to be more focused. This is the point.

"You can be worried, you can have fear but you need to have motivation, concentration and also in this kind of game brave. You have to show your quality. You don’t have to be scared."

He added: "To play Liverpool you have to compete with the intensity levels they use in the games and you have to try and find solutions in front because you can't only defend against them.

"So you have to try to propose something and we will try to propose something."

Everton's miserable decade against Liverpool

Everton have not beaten Liverpool in any competition since October 2010. 

They have drawn 12 and lost 11 of the derby matches between the two sides since then and Ancelotti believes his side can end that unfortunate run this week.

“Every derby you want to win. [It's been a] long time since Everton have won a derby. It could be the right time - the right time depends on what we are able to do on the pitch, only this," he said.

"Is there extra pressure because of the record? No, for this we don't have pressure because the worst has happened a lot of times in the past.

"I think we are better compared to the past and think we can have more opportunities to get a result."

Further reading

Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta has said he always knew Ilkay Gundogan had the goalscoring potential he is displaying at Manchester City this season.

Gundogan has scored 11 goals in the Premier League this term, already far surpassing his previous career high of six league goals set in the 2018-19 season. 

Ahead of Arsenal's match against City on Sunday, former City assistant Arteta recalled working with the German at the Etihad.

What did Arteta say about Gundogan?

"I think now he's playing a higher role in the team," Arteta said. "He's always had the ability to arrive in the box and has great timing and great qualities to finish the actions.

"Before he played a deeper role and he had the license to do that.

"He's a tremendous player and he's doing really, really well this season."

What is Gundogan's status for Sunday's game?

Gundogan missed Wednesday’s victory over Everton as a precaution after suffering a slight groin strain in the win over Tottenham four days earlier.

The 30-year-old is set for a late fitness test ahead of the trip to Arsenal, Guardiola has confirmed.

City look to continue red-hot form

Guardiola's side have won an incredible 17 straight matches in all competitions, having last failed to win in a 1-1 draw against West Brom on December 15.

City have opened up a 10-point lead atop the Premier League table as they look to regain the title they lost to Liverpool last season.

Further reading

Thomas Tuchel said he hasn't had enough time as Chelsea manager to make a decision on Olivier Giroud's future, having been in the job for less than a month.

Frank Lampard was sacked at the end of January and replaced by the former PSG head coach, who has since gone on a run of six games unbeaten.

Giroud and Tammy Abraham have jostled for starts during Tuchel's early time in charge but the France international's contract is set to expire at the end of June.

What has been said?

Tuchel spoke about the 34-year-old ahead of his side's upcoming game with Southampton: “No decisions made, because it’s too soon to make these decisions, too soon in the season, and I don’t have enough time to make these decisions because I just started three weeks ago. 

"We need more time to get to know the group better and better and everybody deserves more time to show their value for the group. What I can say is that, until now, I am super happy that he is here.

"He is one of the top strikers in the box, he’s physically strong, he has an incredible first touch when he takes balls directly. He is very, very strong on that. He is very strong on headers.

"He had an amazing game against Newcastle. He is very, very strong, very, very positive in training, very impressive, and right now he plays a key role in the squad, where a lot of young offensive players play.

"He is a key figure, maybe not because he plays everywhere for 96 minutes, but the way he behaves and with his experience daily so far the last three weeks. He has a huge impact in a most positive way that we can wish, and this is what I can say.

"So I am very happy that he is here, and from there, we will arrive at decisions, but it is too soon.”

Are there any further clues on what Giroud might decide?

Giroud opted to remain at Chelsea in January after reclaiming his spot in the starting line-up, having grown concerned earlier in the season.

That worry over a lack of starts attracted interest from a host of clubs, most notably Juventus, who had the France international as a top January transfer target.

Ultimately, that interest came to nothing but the Turin giants could well come back in for him in the summer when his contract expires in west London.

Giroud is interested in playing in MLS in the future but is understood to want to stay at the highest level of European football for his next move.

What else did Tuchel say ahead of Southampton?

The match against Ralph Hasenhuttl's side will feature a clash between two former Bundesliga managers, and both coaches have been influenced by legendary German coach Ralf Rangnick.

Tuchel was encouraged to become a coach while playing for Rangnick at Ulm in the lower tiers of German football, while Hasenhuttl worked under him after he became the mastermind of the Red Bull football project.

"I was a player with Ralf Rangnick, a player in the third and second division, and I learnt from Ralf that it’s not necessary to follow the striker to the toilet when he goes to the toilet," Tuchel humorously began. "He was the first guy to tell us that.

"He made a third division team be stronger than we actually were with brand new tactics, with the back four not man-marking but defending in the space in a 4-4-2 or a 4-5-1. It was a game-changer for me.

"To watch football games after my experience with Ralf was different because I had a totally different view of what’s going on. Ralf had his experience at Leipzig for sure and he worked with Ralph more or less as the father of everything that happens at Leipzig.

"There are many coaches influenced by this kind of philosophy. But in the end, I truly believe that everybody has to find his own style. Everybody needs to be authentic. You need to be yourself. You cannot copy anybody.

"The way from Ralph is also impressive. He had a very good season at Ingolstadt. He had a very successful season at Leipzig and now a big impact with his aggressive style of playing at Southampton. This is the challenge we have to face tomorrow.

"I cannot give you the answer to why there may be a trend [of German coaches succeeding]. That is too much of a question for me right now. Maybe we need to reflect on that some other day when we have more time!"

Further reading

William Troost-Ekong scored an own goal in Watford’s 2-1 victory over Derby County in Friday’s Championship game.

The centre-back was handed his 20th league appearance against the Rams since teaming up with the side from Serie A club Udinese last summer.

The Nigeria international started the game, forming a four-man defence along with Adam Masina, Kiko and Craig Cathcart.

The 27-year-old defender did not live up to expectations, turning the ball into his own net to pile pressure on the Hornets in the encounter. 

Xisco Munoz’s men, however, managed to hold on to their lead and secure all three points to ensure they extended their winning run to three games.

Joao Pedro opened the scoring in the 19th minute with a fine strike before Will Hughes doubled the lead three minutes later after receiving an assist from Nathaniel Chalobah.

After the restart, Derby County tried all they could to try and avoid defeat and in the 77th minute, Troost-Ekong was forced to turn the ball into his own net to help the Rams reduce the deficit.

The Nigeria international made frantic efforts to correct his error in the encounter as Watford managed to clinch all three points.

Troost-Ekong featured for the duration of the game along with Senegal international Ismaila Sarr in the encounter.

Sarr, was, however, unable to add to his seven goals and nine assists this season in the outing but gave a good account of himself.

The victory helped Watford moved to the third spot on the Championship table after gathering 57 points from 31 games.

Troost-Ekong will hope to make amends when the Hornet take on Blackburn Rovers in their next league game on February 24.

The defender will be expected to make Gernot Rohr’s team for the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers in March.

Troost-Ekong has made 45 appearances for the Nigeria national team since he switched his allegiance to the West African side from the Netherlands in 2015.

Jamshedpur will no cha in the top four if they drop points against Mumbai City when the two sides meet in a 2020-21 Indian Super League (ISL)  tie at the Tilak Maidan Stadium in Vasco, on Saturday evening.

TV CHANNELS & LIVE STREAM

The Star Sports Network have the exclusive broadcasting rights of the ISL in India.

Commentary will also be available in vernacular languages across India.

 TEAM NEWS

Jamshedpur Possible XI:

Injured - None
Doubtful - None
Suspended - None

Key Players - Nerijus Valskis, David Grande
 

Mumbai City Possible XI:

Injured - None
Doubtful - None
Suspended - Hugo Boumous

Key Players - Adam le Fondre, Ahmed Jahouh
 

Ghana and Morocco settled for a 0-0 draw on matchday two of the ongoing Africa U20 Cup of Nations in Mauritania.

With neither side unable to find the back of the net in the Group C fixture, each team left Stade Municipal de Nouadhibou with a point.

The result has left both teams tied on four points at the top of the standings, with Ghana sitting as leaders due to a better goal difference, a result of their big 4-0 opening day thrashing of Tanzania.

Earlier on Friday, Tanzania came from behind to hold Gambia to a 1-1 draw, leaving the two teams also tied with a point each but with the latter sitting up on the third position owing to a superior goal difference following their narrow 1-0 loss to Morocco on matchday one.

On Monday, Ghana will take on Gambia as Tanzania face Morocco in the last round of group games. The top two teams at the end of the series secure qualification to the quarter-final of the competition.

Ghana coach Abdul Karim Zito made one change to the team that handed Tanzania the thrashing, with Patrick Mensah replacing Eric Ansu Appiah.

Schalke 04 winger Joselpho Barnes also kept his place in the team after scoring on matchday one, his first game for the country of his parents at any level.

Morocco's team saw three changes from the opener, with Oussama Raoui, Tawfik Bentayeb and Ayoub Mouloua replacing Omar El Hilali, Oussama Zemraoui and Mehdi Maouhoub.

Strasbourg goalkeeper Alaa Bellaarouch started in post for Morocco, who also had Malaga duo Adil Tahif and Haitam Abaida, Mohamed Aymane Ouhatti of Amiens in the starting set-up.

In the end, there was little to separate the two sides as Mohammed Sulemana’s 67th minute effort from long range flew just over the Moroccan bar, one of a series of half-chances of the game.

In the first Group C game of the day, Novatus Dismas' 88th minute free-kick earned Tanzania a point in their 1-1 draw with Gambia.

The young Scorpions, who scored first through Momodou Bojang's volley five minutes to half-time, looked headed for their first win of the championship until Dismas struck late on.

Ordinarily, the top four teams at the U20 Afcon ought to be rewarded with qualification tickets for the U20 World Cup but the situation has changed due to cancellation of the global gathering because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Red Star Belgrade have issued a statement apologising for racial abuse directed toward AC Milan forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic during their Europa League match on Thursday.

Ibrahimovic was on the bench but did not play in the last-32 first leg, which ended in a 2-2 draw in Belgrade. 

But cameras picked up a fan yelling ethnic insults at Ibrahimovic, who has roots in Bosnia. 

What did Red Star say?

In a statement, the Serbian outfit said: "Red Star vehemently condemns abusive chants to Zlatan Ibrahimovic during the Europa League match with AC Milan.

"The club did everything in its power to organise the event on a high level and we will not allow a primitive individual to stain Serbia's traditional hospitality.

"We will work with the authorities to identify the offender and we will also insist that he is punished to the full extent of the law.

"Red Star again sincerely apologises to Zlatan Ibrahimovic and we stress that the club will have zero tolerance for such outbursts in the future."

Why was Ibrahimovic abused?

The striker was born in Sweden to a Croatian Catholic mother and a Bosnian Muslim father. 

The fan who abused Ibrahimovic used a pejorative term for Bosnian Muslims, with Ibrahimovic shown on the video to not react to the fan's abusive comments. 

The countries that are now Serbia, Croatia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, among others, were at one point all part of Yugoslavia before the country's breakup in the early 1990s. 

The early 1990s also saw a bloody war involving several countries from the former Yugoslavia, which much of the region's population vividly remembers.

Further reading

Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel has revealed he is responsible for Hakim Ziyech’s lack of game time at the club.

The 27-year-old teamed up with the Stamford Bridge outfit last summer from Dutch club Ajax but has struggled to make an impact with the Blues due to injury problems and other factors.

The Morocco international has made 19 appearances across all competitions for Chelsea since his arrival and under Tuchel, the forward has only played two games.

The former Paris Saint-Germain boss explained the winger’s difficulty to enjoy sufficient game time is a result of his decision, which also affects other players at the club.

“It is my fault actually, not his, it is my hard decisions at the moment as well for Mason [Mount], Callum [Hudson-Odoi] and for Christian [Pulisic] sometimes in the half positions where we seem the strongest,” Tuchel said in a press conference.  

“It is the same for Hakim at the moment and for some other players, there were hard decisions to make. It is never easy but it is a good thing, we have quality to make our decisions.

“There are decisions for other players that means Hakim suffers, I can absolutely understand and agree with that so it is my responsibility and fault in this case that he cannot show more of his potential.

“When I look at the schedule and rhythm for the next games I can be sure that we will need all of our players. Hakim had a good session yesterday and has shown he is ready.

“When the moment comes we expect the best Hakim Ziyech. This is not easy, I can agree and understand but this is how it sometimes is during some moments at a club like Chelsea with a squad that keeps winning.

“Sometimes you have to wait, he is not the only guy to suffer from these decisions and we will turn around and if he takes care and shows he is ready when he is needed, things will turn around again I am sure.”

Chelsea will take on Southampton in their next Premier League game on Saturday and Ziyech will hope to play a part in the encounter.

The Stamford Bridge outfit are on a seven-game unbeaten run, having last tasted defeat on January 19 against Leicester City.

The run of impressive form ensured their current fourth spot on the Premier League table after gathering 42 points from 24 games.

Monaco coach Niko Kovac says his side will have to work together to stop Kylian Mbappe when they face Paris Saint-Germain on Sunday.

Mbappe leads the Ligue 1 scoring chart with 16 goals and enhanced his reputation as one of the world's best strikers on Tuesday when he netted a hat-trick in PSG's 4-1 Champions League win against Barcelona.

Monaco sit fourth in Ligue 1 but have conceded more than twice as many goals as PSG and more than any other team in the top eight.

What did Kovac say?

Kovac admits his side will have a hard time keeping Mbappe quiet in the French capital, but has faith that they can do it with teamwork.  

"PSG are a world-class team. They score a lot of goals and Kylian Mbappe is currently in great shape," he said at a press conference.

"We must try to stop him. But it is not possible to do it with one player. We cannot stop Mbappe one on one. It's mission impossible. We must be united, we must take care of him together, but that can make other PSG players more free. We have to do a good physical and tactical job to compensate for that.

"We have the second best attack. Granted, we have the worst defence in the top four right now, but we also have some arguments to make. I think we really have to fight, stay united and above all outperform on Sunday evening, in order to bring something back from the Parc des Princes. 

"If we take this game from the right end and manage to maintain a positive result over the minutes, that will give us the possibilities to bring something back from this trip."

PSG are confident and in good form

Kovac was impressed by PSG's performance at Camp Nou in midweek and believes they are gaining momentum amid their five-game winning run.

"I was rather satisfied at the end of the game. Everyone saw the quality of the service delivered by Paris Saint-Germain," he said.

"We all know that this team is growing, gaining momentum and progressing. We therefore expect a difficult match against them, but we do not go admitting defeat. We go there to play our match, to try to compete with them.

"It is difficult to know if this victory will give them even more motivation for the rest of the season. It's true that the big teams in the top five leagues tend to end up like a cannonball. We see their motivation increase tenfold in the final sprint. So I think this victory will have a positive effect for Paris. I just hope it doesn't take effect from Sunday's game."

PSG trail Ligue 1 leaders Lille by one point ahead of the weekend's games, while Monaco, who are unbeaten in their last 11 matches, sit five points behind Mauricio Pochettino's team.

Further reading

Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta has said Manchester City are the best team in Europe ahead of the teams' meeting in the Premier League on Sunday. 

Pep Guardiola's side have opened up a 10-point lead atop the Premier League table as they ride an incredible 17-game winning streak. 

The Gunners, meanwhile, enter Sunday's match in 10th place after winning just one of their last four league matches.

What Arteta said

“What they have done is react to a difficult moment,” the Gunners boss said regarding City's stuttering start to the 2020-21 campaign.

“A big team has to do that when everyone is doubting their ability to compete again and be the team that they are.

“They reacted in a really convincing way, all united and doing what they do best – being very consistent and winning games very comfortably.

“I think they are the best team in Europe at the moment.

“The way they are performing, the football they are playing and the consistency of the results, take all that and it makes them the best team.

“So we have a big but, as well, a very exciting challenge ahead of us on Sunday.”

Man City's amazing run

City have now won 17 straight games in all competitions, last failing to win in a 1-1 draw against West Brom on December 15, and last losing on November 21 against Tottenham.

In addition, they have won their first 10 Premier League matches in 2021, the longest ever winning run by a team from the start of a calendar year in top-flight history.

City have been led by their defence, having conceded just 15 times in the league this season. Chelsea and Aston Villa, who have conceded 24 goals each, are tied for second place in that category.

Arteta's City history

After retiring as a player, Arteta began his coaching career at Man City in 2016 as an assistant to Guardiola.

The Spaniard developed a strong reputation during his time in Manchester and eventually parlayed that into the managerial role at Arsenal, taking charge of the Gunners in 2019.

Further reading

Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson has urged his side to start winning games without "influential" forward Wilfried Zaha.

The Ivory Coast international has been playing a key role in ensuring the Eagles maintain their Premier League status.

Palace have struggled to win games without the winger, having now lost 18 of their last 20 English top-flight matches when he did not play, failing to score in 16 of those 18 games they lost.

Zaha is currently on the sidelines due to a hamstring injury and the Eagles have not won since the forward last featured for them against Newcastle United, losing against Leeds United and Burnley.

Ahead of their Premier League game against Brighton and Hove Albion on Monday, Hodgson has showered encomium on the 28-year-old for his impact for the club but has encouraged his team to brace for the challenge without the winger.

"It will be too soon, it was quite a nasty muscle injury he got, so once again we will have to go into the game with the sword of Damocles hanging over us in the fact that if we do not win it, it will be because Wilf is not there," Hodgson told Sky Sports.

"He has been so unbelievably influential during my time at the club, he has done a fantastic job for us, he has contributed and helped us every year to get us to where we've been, i.e. outside the relegation zone and looking forward to another Premiership year.

"But the fact is we must find a way of making certain it is not a case of if he does not play, we cannot win because the fact is these other players have a lot of talent and skill too and we cannot deny the fact or criticise anyone for making the fact known, or asking me the question what about it. I do not complain about that.

"But certainly the players, I know will be a little bit disappointed to feel it is as simple as Wilf plays we win, Wilf does not play, we don't, because they know that injuries happen and you have to learn to deal with it.

"But we are not alone, when clubs miss their best player. When Harry Kane has not played for Tottenham, there has been more difficulty for them to get results.

"But it is a fact we have to try and deal with and if we want to get that monkey off our back, then we had better start winning games when Wilf is not there."

Zaha has scored nine goals and provided two assists in 19 Premier League games this season, amid other dazzling displays.

Arsenal have spoken out against the racist abuse Willian has received and insist that discrimination must not be allowed to become "normalised" in football.

Willian shared a screenshot of racist messages he received on Instagram on Friday as he became the latest to footballer to be targeted on social media.

And the club swiftly backed the Brazilian winger, condemning any person that abuses another person on social media.

What has been said?

"This is another depressing example of what is sadly happening to our players and many others on a regular basis," an Arsenal spokesperson said.

"Social media is one of the ways our supporters across the world can feel closer to the club and our players, but across football and beyond we’ve seen an online world poisoned by hateful, racist and discriminatory words. 

"As our chief executive Vinai Venkatesham said only yesterday, we cannot underestimate the impact abuse has on individuals and the recent spate of abuse needs to be a wake-up call. We all need to work together to drive this behaviour out. This includes clubs, governing bodies, fans, media and politicians; but requires the help and commitment of social media companies.

"Through Arsenal for Everyone we strive to ensure that everyone connected to the club feels an equal sense of belonging. We will continue to celebrate our diversity and use our platforms to educate others and continue our zero-tolerance approach to discrimination. 

"We commit to using our voice and network to strengthen measures and action taken by relevant authorities to punish those responsible for this abuse which affects us all. Where any individual is found to have an Arsenal membership, they will be banned. We cannot and will not let racist and hateful abuse become a normalised part of the game."

Who else has been targeted?

There has been a spate of racist attacks on Premier League footballers online in recent weeks.

Manchester United duo Axel Tuanzebe and Anthony Martial were victims of attacks last month, prompting the club to call for social media companies to do more to fight the issue.

United attacker Marcus Rashford also hit out at abuse he has received, saying it shows "humanity and social media at its worst". 

Meanwhile Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger said this month that he has received abuse and called on social media companies to take responsibility.

Instagram announced last week that it will take a "tougher" approach to dealing with users who break hate speech rules and will work with police to identify and prosecute culprits.

Further reading

The Merseyside derby between Liverpool and Everton is one of the most eagerly anticipated rivalries in the Premier League, with good reason.

Both sides have long, storied histories, no shortage of silverware in their trophy cabinets and extremely passionate supporters who back their teams with gusto.

Interestingly, however, despite the intensity of games the derby encounter is sometimes referred to as 'the friendly derby'.

Why is that the case? Goal takes a look at the reasons for the alternative moniker.

Why is Liverpool vs Everton called the friendly derby?

There are many reasons why Liverpool versus Everton is sometimes referred to as 'the friendly derby' by observers, but, put simply, it is because there is no real deep-seated animosity between the supporters.

While some rivalries may be divided along well defined lines, there is something of a blurring of the line when it comes to the Merseyside derby.

Strikingly, it is not uncommon for one family to have both Liverpool and Everton supporters in it, with a kaleidoscope of red and blue jerseys to be found in homes, in stadiums and bars on matchdays.

The perceived friendliness among Liverpool and Everton fans was perhaps best encapsulated in the support leant to the Reds by the Toffees during the Hillsborough campaign for justice.

Less than a mile separates Anfield from Goodison Park and the connection between the clubs was made literal as fans stretched a chain of scarves across Stanley Park - the green area between the stadiums.

Such intermingling and expressions of solidarity is generally unheard of when it comes to other high profile derbies across the world.

Some rivalries have grown up around stark sectarian divides, such as with the Old FIrm between Celtic and Rangers, or historical socio-political issues, such as in El Clasico between Barcelona and Real Madrid.

However, while small issues may have arisen among some supporters, there is no widespread sense of pure hatred between Liverpool and Everton fans.

Is Liverpool vs Everton still the friendly derby?

Of course, that's not to say that the rivalry is a cuddly one where everyone loves one another. 

While it remains a relatively friendly derby today, there are certainly arguments, bragging rights at stake and the odd grudge that festers over time.

In fact, there is a sense that the Merseyside derby has grown a bit more choleric in recent seasons, with the camaraderie that had been built up diminishing slightly.

Games between the sides have been quite hot-tempered and in early 2020 there was an obvious display of disrespect by some Everton fans, who turned their backs while making a two-fingered salute when You'll Never Walk Alone was played. Police were heavily present on that occasion after the game, with reports of small minorities stoking tensions.

Later that year, injuries sustained Virgil van Dijk and Thiago in the Merseyside derby drew sharp criticism of Everton's apparent aggression from Jurgen Klopp.

The German coach was furious about losing two of his most influential players, saying: "Injuries happen in football, very often in challenges – very often both players try to play the ball but it was not the case in these two challenges (by Jordan Pickford and Richarlison) and that makes it very difficult to take."

Worryingly, the Merseyside Police had to investigate abusive tweets that had been sent in relation to Jordan Pickford and Richarlison, who were perceived to be at fault for the injuries.

Ahead of the return fixture in 2021, Klopp insisted the injuries were in the past and that the focus was not on revenge, but on winning the game.

"When we got the diagnosis for Virgil, it is good we didn't play Everton immediately again, let me say it like this," Klopp said. "That's how it is, we are all human beings and it was not nice.

"Now, it's long gone and we just don't think about it anymore, but it's still a derby and that's enough to be motivated on the absolute highest level and trying to play the best possible football you can play."

Recent flare ups between players on the pitch and fans outside it aside, the depth of resentment between the two sets of fans arguably pales in comparison to that between Liverpool and Manchester United fans.

Unlike the neighbourly rivalry between Everton and Liverpool, the Northwest derby between the Reds and the Red Devils is rooted in historical grievances between the people of Liverpool and Manchester.

Having said that, Steven Gerrard once remarked, "I hate both of them!" when asked if he would rather win against Man Utd or Everton, so it might just depend on who you ask.