Looking for Soccer News?

African Nations Championship defending champions Morocco stormed into the final after a 4-0 win over hosts Cameroon, to set a date with West African heavyweights Mali.

Soufiane Rahimi scored a brace for the Atlas Lions at Limbe Stadium with other goals coming from Soufiane Bouftini and Mohammed Ali Bemammer.

It took the North Africans 28 minutes to find the back of the net against the Indomitable Lions.  

The Moroccans won a free kick in a good area which was taken by Omar Namsaoui. Cameroon goalkeeper Haschou Kerrido failed to put the ball to safety and Bouftini did not hesitate to find the back of the net.

The second goal for the reigning champions came in the 40th minute. The tournament hosts had committed forward in numbers and they were caught on the counter-attack. The ball was eventually passed to Abdelilah Hafidi who passed the ball to Rahimi and the latter eventually scored to register his fourth goal of the competition.

Defensive lapses in the 75th minute allowed Rahimi to win possession in the danger zone and had no problem scoring his fifth of the tournament.

The final goal was scored in the 82nd minute courtesy of Bemammer.

"It was a little difficult for us from the start, but things got better when we scored the first goal," Morocco coach Houcine Ammouta said after the game. 

"It was a collective effort by the whole team to get this result. I congratulate the Cameroon team for coming this far in the tournament."

Cameroon coach Ndtoungou Mpile Martin stated nothing seemed to work for the Indomitable Lions. 

"We always have regrets when we suffer defeat as a team. Today nothing seemed to work for us and yet Morocco committed less errors."

At Japoma Stadium in Douala, Mali advanced to the finals after a 5-4 win in the shootout following a goalless draw in regular and extra time. 

In the shootout, Morlaye Sylla failed to get the ball in the back of the net, giving Mamadou Coulibaly a chance to send substitute goalkeeper Sekouba Camara the wrong way and ensure the Eagles reach the finals.

Morocco will now play Mali in the final on Sunday while Cameroon will be playing Guinea hoping to finish third in the biennial competition. 

Selangor FC's 2021 home kit was launched on Monday to rave response by their fans and Malaysian football fans in general, with the 1986 Malaysia Cup final strip-inspired shirt nearly selling out just days after the launch.

READ: Selangor to release collectible fourth jersey this season

Due to the lockdown throughout Malaysia currently, the launch could only be done through social media, unlike in the previous seasons when a squad introduction-cum fan gathering was also held. According to club CEO Johan Kamal Hamidon, their initial plan had been to launch the kit at a historic venue that is dear to them; the Merdeka Stadium, Kuala Lumpur.

The ground, now no longer used for top-level matches, is the former home of Selangor until 1994, and was also where the 1986 cup final was played. Although the Red Giants were victors in the 1986 Malaysia Cup final with a 6-1 thumping of Johor, the match was perhaps more famous as Malaysia and Selangor legend Mokhtar Dahari's last ever match in a Selangor shirt. His image is also featured on the back of the 2021 strip.

"The launch was supposed to be done at the Merdeka Stadium," revealed Johan in a telephone call with Goal on Wednesday. "Or at least that was the plan."

"The [kit launch] video was supposed to be shot there, we've even finalised the stryline, but to be honest we couldn't develop it (the general launch plan) further. Due to the pandemic restrictions, we didn't know the size of crowd we could bring, the type of gathering we could do, the questions that we could not answer then and even today. We didn't want to spend resources on something uncertain."

Also forced to be scrapped was a complementary launch plan of opening club-run pop-up stores in all nine districts in the state of Selangor, from where fans could purchase the new shirt in person.

"We had also wanted to identify a location in every district where we could set up a pop-up store, something like that. That way we could have segregated the distribution, like a satellite launch.

"It was nothing grand, but at the time we still hoped that small gatherings would be allowed [by the government]," added the club official.

While the lockdown has made it difficult for the club to host events, it has also made kicking off the 2021 Malaysian league season near impossible. A recent extension in the lockdown throughout most of the country is likely to push the league start to a later date.

Johan is hoping that the Malaysian Football League (MFL) and the Malaysian FA (FAM) will be able to convince the powers that be that the league should be allowed to start sooner rather than later, while adding that Selangor are willing to help the two organisations' push, if called upon.

"I think that MFL and FAM are doing a good job in convincing the government that we (Malaysian professional football) have a good track record. They have been proactive in consulting with the clubs on how to let football still take place while containing the pandemic, and they also noted down suggestions from the clubs.

"If called upon by MFL and FAM, Selangor will be more than happy to support them and play our role in the effort of convincing the government," he noted.

READ: 'Don't tarnish Mokhtar Dahari's memory'- Selangor fans issue reminder as response to retro-inspired new kit

Churchill Brothers remained on top of the I-League table despite settling for a goalless draw against Aizawl FC at the Kalyani Municipal Stadium on Wednesday.  

The Red Machines almost took an early lead the Aizawl goalkeeper almost turned the ball into his own net, in the 8th minute, after a corner kick from Bryce Miranda caught him off guard. 

The match saw both the teams create plenty of chances but none were able to find the back of the net. In the initial minutes, MC Malsawmzuala delivered a freekick from 25 yards out but it rattled the woodwork and came back into play. However, the best chance of the match fell for Shubert Pereira in the 15th minute as from a long ball inside Aizawl’s box which saw the midfielder twist and turn before taking a shot which was met with a good save. 

Churchill Brothers, later, held a high line and dominated possession while Aizawl FC tried to press from the front and win the ball higher up the field. Half chances fell equally for both teams but decent saves by the goalkeepers meant that neither could take the lead.

The league leaders, however, missed creativity in their ranks as Luka Majcen played as the lone striker with Bryce Miranda and Shubert Periera on the flanks.

Sudeva Delhi's Naocha Singh brace sinks Chennai City

Sudeva Delhi bagged their second win of the season with a 4-0 win over Chennai City at the VYBK Stadium in Kolkata. 

Naocha Singh scored a brace in the 6th and 10th minute while Naorem Mahesh (51') and  Manvir Singh (71') scored one each in the second half to take the match away from Chennai City. By the virtue of the victory, the capital-based franchise are in the second spot with eight points, with Churchill Brothers four points clear off them. 

Sudeva Delhi FC were off to a dominating start as Singh netted twice within the first 10 minutes. The first goal came after Singh was found with a brilliant cross from Naorem Mahesh as he tapped the ball home. 

Sudeva later continued to play their high-pressing game as a result Kean Lewis stole possession and put Naocha Singh onto goal as the forward produced a sublime finish from a tight angle.

Naorem Mahesh Singh netted the third for Sudeva Delhi as he dodged the Chennai City FC defenders with his pace and then slotted the ball home. It became bad to worse for Chennai City as Manvir Singh's curling shot went at the back of the net. 

Mohammedan SC play out goalless draw against NEROCA

Mohammedan SC was held to a goalless draw by NEROCA FC at the Kalyani Municipal Stadium. The home team goalkeeper Shubham Roy made brilliant saves to keep the scoreline tied against the Manipuri side.

The first shot on goal came in the 4th minute as Sanjib Ghosh hit a long ranger but it was saved with ease by NEROCA FC goalkeeper Bishrojit Singh. Later, Mohammedan’s Suraj Rawat made a brilliant run on the flanks but failed to deliver the killer cross as he ran out of touch.

Khangam Horam could have converted a header in the 28th minute but the NEROCA striker failed to find the target. There were chances aplenty as Mohammedan found another chance in the next five minutes through SK Faiaz’s cross but Neroca’s Shoaib Akhtar cleared off the danger.

Mohammedan SC continued to threaten the opposition but their finishing woes continued as Faisal Ali failed to find any support from his teammates just ahead of halftime. 

The second-half began with both teams playing end-to-end football. Mohammedan, however, displayed attacking intent as they won a string of corners but failed to make the most of it. The match remained goalless at full-time as both teams failed to convert their chances. 

On Wednesday, for the second game in a row, Kerala Blasters opened the scoring and allowed their opponents to get back into the game in the second half of a 2020-21 Indian Super League (ISL) fixture. 

Blasters had a difficult task at hand at the start of the week. They were set to play teams occupying the top two positions on the table. And as the week draws to a close, supporters must have learned why those two opponents are where they are on the table. Their mentality despite conceding was a model for others to follow. 

It wasn't a typically dominant display from Mumbai City against Blasters. There were a lot of positive signs for Kibu Vicuna's team who managed to go toe-to-toe with the best team in the league.

Juande and Vicente Gomez, albeit a bit slow on the ball, managed to dictate proceedings in the midfield against their opponents who were without the suspended Ahmed Jahouh. 

The pendulum kept swinging in the first half and it was the Islanders who had the better chances to score at the start of the match. Adam Le Fondre threatened twice in the opening 15 minutes, after latching onto the dangerous Hugo Boumous' defence-splitters inside the box and firing inches wide of Albino Gomes' goal on both occasions. 

Blasters broke the deadlock after a good move allowed Rahul KP to force a save off an excellent Amrinder Singh and concede a corner-kick. Sahal Abdul Samad delivered an inch-perfect set-piece from the left side for Vicente Gomez who headed the ball neatly into the net. The pendulum had swung the other way. 

Jordan Murray out of nowhere, nearly doubled his team's lead when he hit a ferocious volley from distance which nearly crept into the top left corner of the net. Amrinder Singh, Mumbai City's hero of the first half, kept the league leaders in the contest and that proved to be useful. 

The second half was all about Mumbai City's mentality to claw their way back into the contest. It took just seconds for them to equalise against the worst defence in the league. A low cross into the box from the right from Cy Goddard took a deflection off Costa's legs and found its way towards Bipin at the far post who sneaked in unmarked and slammed the ball home. 

Mumbai actively searched for a second goal and it was gifted to them after the hour-mark. Costa, who has been in terrible form since the first few games, clumsily brought down Le Fondre inside the box and conceded a penalty. The striker wrote a thank you note with a powerful strike that left Gomes with no chance. The pendulum had completed its final swing and the comeback was complete. 

For all the positive output from Blasters' midfield and attack, their defence let them down and it's been a recurring theme of their games. They, like many other teams, have been at the end of poor refereeing decisions, but at the end of the day, there is simply no excuse for terrible defending. 

Kerala Blasters' defence numbers:

Paris Saint-Germain star Kylian Mbappe would jump at the chance to join Real Madrid, according to his former team-mate in the French capital Jese. 

Mbappe's future has been called into question regularly in recent months, as talks to extend his contract at Parc des Princes have made little progress. 

The 22-year-old forward's current deal expires at the end of the 2021-22 season, and if negotiations do not prosper PSG would be forced to choose between cashing in on one of their most valuable assets or risking a free transfer 18 months from now. 

Madrid has long been touted as a likely destination for Mbappe should he choose to leave, and Jese, who has represented both the Spanish giants and PSG, is certain the forward would relish such a move. 

"He would love to go to Real Madrid," the forward explained to El Partidazo de COPE on Wednesday. 

"His idol has always been Cristiano [Ronaldo]. He loves Madrid and I am sure he will play there one day." 

Jese, 27, is currently at Las Palmas after seeing his time at both Madrid and PSG marred by injury misfortune and poor playing form. 

His contract at Parc des Princes was terminated in December after featuring just once for the club in the 2020-21 season and he is now hoping to rebuild his career at his hometown club. 

"I am keen to talk about football. I have to leave the past behind and now I want to focus on football," he added. 

"I have always given my all but in the end things haven't worked out. 

"A lot of people assumed I was finished. That motivates me even more to train and play well. I had offers from Turkey, Mexico, Saudi Arabia ... I am here because I have my loved ones close by as well as the club's support." 

Though he is keen to put the past behind him, Jese cannot help but recall the cruciate ligament injury he suffered against Schalke back in 2014, which forced him out for a long period when he was being dubbed as Madrid's next great. 

"I have gone over the Schalke injury many times in my head," he admitted. 

"Clearly it marked my sporting career. It was like driving a Ferrari at 300km/h and crashing. Now you have to start fresh and fix it."

Barcelona head coach Ronald Koeman has hit out at Angel Di Maria over the PSG forward's comments suggesting Lionel Messi could join him in Paris next season.

Messi's contract at Camp Nou expires at the end of the season and PSG have been mentioned as a possible destination, in part because they are one of only a handful of clubs that could afford the Argentine star's massive wages.

PSG’s sporting director Leonardo has opened the door to a move, telling France Football last month: “Great players like Messi will always be on PSG's list. But this is of course not the time to talk about it, or to dream about it."

Di Maria echoed his sporting director's comments on Wednesday after his side's 3-0 win over Nimes.

"Yes, yes, I hope so," Di Maria told Canal Plus of a possible PSG move for his international team-mate. "There are many possibilities. We have to be calm and things will develop."

Koeman got word of those comments and speaking after Barcelona defeated Granada 5-3 in an extra-time thriller in the Copa del Rey, the Dutch manager accused Di Maria of being disrespectful.

"It seems to me a lack of respect. Someone can be wrong in saying something like that," Koeman said.

"It is not fair, I do not think it is respectful towards Barca to speak like that of a player who is ours. So many people from PSG talk a lot about Leo, who plays for Barca.

"Besides, we have a tie against them," Koeman added, referring to the teams' upcoming Champions League last-16 matchup.

Koeman did express his delight with his team's performance on the night after Barca came back from two goals down in normal time and then scored three goals in extra time.

"It's incredible," Koeman added. "The football is incredible. I think we've done well. We had chances to win the game earlier.

"The team has been huge. In the last five minutes of the first half, we scored two goals. Then extra time was incredible

"The first thing that stands out about the team is their mentality. We never stop trying."

Jurgen Klopp hopes to have Sadio Mane available for Liverpool’s crunch clash with Manchester City on Sunday.

The Senegal star has missed the Reds’ last two games with a muscle issue. And while his team-mates overcame his absence superbly in winning at West Ham last Sunday, they were abject without him on Wednesday night, losing 1-0 at home to Brighton.

The defeat, their second in a row at Anfield after 68 unbeaten home league games, leaves their title hopes hanging by a threat. The champions sit fourth, seven points behind leaders Manchester City, who also boast a game in hand.

A win on Sunday, then, is vital for Klopp’s side, and the German hopes to be boosted by Mane’s return for the visit of Pep Guardiola’s men.

“[With] Sadio we will see,” Klopp told his post-match press conference. “He might be available for the weekend, I don't know. He didn't train with the team today. We will see.”

Klopp was also without star Brazilian duo Alisson Becker and Fabinho for the defeat to Brighton. Fabinho is nursing a muscle problem, while Alisson fell ill on the morning of the game. Both have a chance of featuring against City.

Klopp suggested that Diogo Jota, though, could be as many as four weeks away from a return, despite being pictured stepping up his recovery from a knee injury this week.

“Diogo is – I don't know exactly – a couple of weeks, two, three, four. I'm not sure,” Klopp added.

The 53-year-old had no complaints about his side’s latest loss, their fourth in the league, suggesting his players were “mentally fatigued” after recording eye-catching wins over Tottenham and West Ham in the past week.

“It’s long ago we looked like this - fatigued, mentally fatigued,” Klopp said. “And that leads to not the best legs as well. It was a tough week and today we were not fresh enough, that means then not good enough to break the formation of Brighton.

“We had two tough games and we are not mentally fatigued, like, depressed or whatever. Just tonight we were not mentally fresh enough, that's for sure. 

“That's what I mean and not depressed or whatever. Please don't forget I'm not native and don't make stories of my bad English. So, we were not fresh enough here, that's true, and that's what we have to be.”

He added: “I know and you know as well how much better football these boys can play. There might be two reasons. One is they don't want to, and I think even you would agree with me that that's probably not the case. So then why didn't it work? These are the things we have to figure out.”

Liverpool head coach Jurgen Klopp admitted that his side are mentally and physically fatigued after a disappointing 1-0 home loss to Brighton on Wednesday.

Steven Alzate scored in the 56th minute for the Seagulls in what would prove to be the game's only goal at Anfield. 

Liverpool's 68-match unbeaten streak at Anfield came to an end with a loss to Burnley on January 21, and the Reds are now on a two-game home losing streak after falling to Brighton. 

Generating attack at home has been a major issue of late, as Liverpool have failed to score in three consecutive home league games for the first time since October 1984. 

With the Reds’ goalless run at Anfield currently at 348 minutes, Klopp said his side are lacking mental and physical sharpness at present.

"Tonight we looked really like we weren't fresh enough mentally and physically," Klopp told BBC Radio 5.

"A lot of moments where we gave the ball away too easily, in moments the boys looked tired mentally. I know they can pass the ball from A to B but it didn't happen, we made it easy for Brighton but they also did really well.

"Brighton deserved to win, no doubt about it. For me it's more important to find an explanation for why we lost this game and understand what happened here tonight. We didn't look convincing."

The Reds have now slipped to seven points behind first-place Manchester City, who also have a game in hand. Ahead of his side's meeting with high-flying City on Sunday, Klopp knows his team desperately need to find solutions.

"You saw what went wrong, it's more about why," Klopp added to BT Sport. "The only explanation now is that we are a fatigued team, mentally, more or less. That leads to not the maximum freshness in your legs. Brighton deserved to win, they played well, they did well.

"The only thing we can do is use the things that happen and learn from them. The solution is always the players. It has been a tough week and tonight it was not enough. City are flying and we have to find solutions."

Emmanuel Dennis scored his maiden goal in Germany on Wednesday but he later missed a penalty as second division club Jahn Regensburg knocked FC Koln out of the German Cup via penalties after a 2-2 draw.

After making his winning debut in the Bundesliga against Arminia Bielefeld on Sunday, Dennis - currently on loan from Club Brugge until the end of the season - earned a starting spot in Markus Gisdol's team and it did not take long for him to make a statement in Regensburg.

Few minutes after Ismail Jakobs opened the scoring for the visitors, the Super Eagles forward got off the mark in the 22nd minute following an assist from the German to double their lead.

However, the lead was short-lived as Jahn Regensburg pulled two goals back within the final 10 minutes as both teams went into the break on level terms.

With the encounter tied at 2-2, Dennis had another chance to grab a brace and score a potential match-winning goal but his penalty was saved by goalkeeper Alexander Meyer in the 78th minute.

Both teams could not find a winner and they proceeded into extra-time with the 23-year-old striker replaced by his compatriot Toluwalase Arokodare in the 96th minute.

They held on for a penalty shoot-out where Arokodare's effort was not enough as Koln bowed to a 4-3 defeat.

Following the disappointing loss, Dennis and Arokodare will turn their attention to the Bundesliga and they will be targeting maximum points to boost Koln’s survival chances when they visit Borussia Monchengladbach for their next fixture on Saturday.

The Billy Goats are 14th in the league table with 18 points from 19 matches - a point adrift of the drop zone.

Jose Mourinho believes that managing Chelsea can't be too hard because he and multiple other coaches have won titles at Stamford Bridge in recent seasons.

Mourinho will have his first chance to take on new Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel on Thursday when Spurs host the Blues in north London. 

The Portuguese boss made his name at Stamford Bridge after joining from Porto in 2004, winning three Premier League titles over two separate stints in charge. 

But Mourinho is not the only manager to bring a league title to Chelsea recently, as he pointed out before his current side's clash with his former employers. 

“I don’t think it’s very difficult to coach at Chelsea because I was champion three times, [Carlo] Ancelotti was champion, Antonio Conte was champion. Who else? It cannot be very, very difficult because we win titles there," Mourinho said. 

“I believe Chelsea always has great players and great squads and good coaches are happy to work with these clubs and with players that give you a very good opportunity to win titles.”

Chelsea have been far from title contention in recent months, with Frank Lampard sacked last week following a dismal run of form that saw the Blues lose five of eight matches in the league.

Tuchel, most recently in charge of PSG until he was sacked in December, was brought in and has led the Blues to a win and a draw in his first two matches in charge. 

Mourinho believes that managing in the Premier League will be a major step up for Tuchel, who led PSG to Ligue 1 championships in both of the full seasons he was in charge.

“The biggest challenge for a coach is to work in the best leagues. Our league in this moment is the most challenging one," Mourinho said.

“Tuchel was coming from a league that you cannot compare with the Premier League.

“But he is used to working with players of high calibre, used to dressing rooms with important players. He will fit well in a club like Chelsea.”

Tottenham enter Thursday's match in seventh place, level on points but with a game in hand over eighth-place Chelsea.

Jesse Lingard is pleased to have struck up an instant rapport with his new team-mates at West Ham as he marked his debut for the club with two goals to take down Aston Villa on Wednesday. 

Lingard had endured a torrid start to the season with Manchester United, failing to make a single Premier League appearance under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer during the first half of 2020-21. 

The 28-year-old was subsequently farmed out on loan to West Ham at the end of January in the hope of regaining first-team action. 

If his debut is anything to go by, David Moyes may have pulled off a transfer masterstroke in bringing the winger to east London. 

Lingard scored twice in the Hammers' 3-1 triumph at Villa Park, with Tomas Soucek also finding the net for the visitors, and the winger revealed after the game that he already feels comfortable in Moyes' starting XI.  

"Three points is the most important thing, the team worked hard as a collective and we think about the next one against Fulham," he told BT Sport after the game.

"The team have been great with me, I have settled in fairly quickly and some familiar faces help.

"In training we have that connection and built it up fairly quickly. On matchday it is fairly easy to play with Michail Antonio and Declan Rice.

"I started tonight, scored two goals and got three points. I was smiling before the game and during, I just enjoy playing football."

"It has been a long time, I have come here to get game time and scored two goals but like I said, three points is the most important."

Antonio was also delighted to see his colleague hit the ground running and praised Lingard's talent and attitude while highlighting the importance of West Ham's collective strength.

"It was unbelievable. It is a quality team, Villa. Great attacking threats and solid," the striker explained to BT Sport.

"We knew it would be difficult but we played well and pressed them. Jesse (Lingard) is the new boy and will get the limelight but it is a team performance. Jesse is an unbelievable player. He plays nice one two touches with me and Benrahma. He always wants the ball and shows.

"Today was a difficult game. All we can do is play well every time we step out on the field."

Chelsea had loan offers for both Billy Gilmour and Tino Anjorin on transfer deadline day but Thomas Tuchel admits that he wanted to keep them after seeing them in training.

Gilmour was open to a loan move as he is keen for first-team minute in order to bolster his chances of making Scotland's squad for Euro 2020, which will now take place in the summer of 2021.

However, Tuchel was impressed by the youngster, along with Anjorin, who increasingly found himself training with the first team under the previous manager Frank Lampard.

“That was maybe the most comfortable transfer period in my life as a professional coach,” Tuchel told reporters. “I was in only a few days, I was happy with every guy that was out there on the pitch, there were no big injuries.

“So there was no need for one minute to think about bringing players in. It was the opposite, we decided to keep Tino Anjorin and Billy Gilmour with the group because I like a lot what I see from the two guys.

“Billy is very, very close in terms of quality and work ethic and personality. So we decided very quickly. It was not even a decision, it was simply clear that we go with this group going forward.”

Gilmour could step into Chelsea's squad ahead of his side's trip to face Tottenham on Thursday, with Kai Havertz likely to be unavailable through injury.

Recalling the youngster is just one of several decisions that have shown Tuchel is willing to engage his full squad – one that Lampard had previously described as oversized.

Marcos Alonso's recall into the starting line up in the 2-0 win over Burnley saw him play for the first time since September and his return puts pressure on Ben Chilwell.

“It gives us a big scale of decisions and now Marcos has to work hard to push forward and stay in the squad. And Chilly, at the same time, is pushing to come into the squad and that’s the best situation we can have,” Tuchel added.

Tuchel's first two games have seen him rotate players in many positions but Hudson-Odoi has been the one attacker that he has stuck with after moving him to play at right-wing-back.

Hudson-Odoi vindicated the decision with man-of-the-match displays while playing out of position against Burnley and Wolves. Having been in London for just 24 hours before his first game, Tuchel didn't have time to brief Hudson-Odoi on the new role but is glad that it has worked out regardless.

“No, maybe it was a good thing I didn’t ask because maybe I would have doubted my decision,” Tuchel continued.

“With Callum it was a big advantage because I was new, there was just one day. He was happy to start and he took his chance.

“So all the qualities that he has - the high speed, the quick recoveries, a huge amount of high-speed runs, high-speed dribbling. He’s good one-on-one and he is always a threat to the last line.

"He took his chance in the first game and there was no need to change for the second game. Maybe in some defensive duels in the air there is room to improve but this is absolutely normal and I am very happy that he was happy to be on the pitch and gave his best.”

Thomas Tuchel has responded to Jose Mourinho's comments that the PSG job “cannot compare” with one in the Premier League ahead of Chelsea's trip to Tottenham on Thursday night.

Mourinho appeared to play into the perception that coaching in the Premier League will be more challenging than in France with recent comments directed at the new Chelsea boss.

As he takes charge of his first London derby, Tuchel will also face Mourinho for the first time as a manager and he responded to the remarks made by his opposite number.

“You cannot compare. I absolutely agree. It is totally different. It’s a totally different culture. It’s a different attitude. It’s a different way to play,” Tuchel told reporters. “I want to point this out very clearly: for me there is no better and no worse - it’s [just] very, very different.

“Jose’s right, it is a big difference. It’s not a matter of what is better or what is worse it’s just if it fits and right now this fits perfectly for me. I feel absolutely comfortable.”

Tuchel's match at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium will be his third in charge of the club after Frank Lampard was sacked last week.

It will be against the only man to be sacked twice by Roman Abramovich, Chelsea's billionaire owner, who is famous for being ruthless with his managers. Still, Mourinho is widely regarded as a success at Chelsea, having won three Premier League titles over two spells.

Tuchel was asked how he will handle the desire to get quick results with long-term performances in his approach in west London.

“I think for that we need a good relationship between the players and me so we can always talk about the performance,” he said. “The results will hopefully follow. They don’t follow all the time in football.

“It is the hardest thing to control for a manager who wants to control everything and for a coach who wants to plan everything but in football, you have to accept that you can’t control the result. In the Premier League, you cannot control the result. It is impossible.

“What is performance? It's: 'what does the manager expect of me, why does he expect it of me and what does the team expect from me as a player when I play, and how should we play together as a group'. It's like an orchestra; we have to follow a certain rhythm, discipline and style.

“If you ask me if I prefer to win lucky, or lose undeserved, I go for a lucky win of course because it is easier to improve on that. But, we are here to perform on a level that allows us to increase the possibility to win because in football there’s not more that we can do.”

Liverpool defender Andy Robertson has admitted that his side are not in the title race at present after a dismal 1-0 home defeat to Brighton on Wednesday.

Steven Alzate scored in the 56th minute for the Seagulls in what would prove to be the game's only goal at Anfield. 

Liverpool struggled to generate much in attack all night, managing just one shot on target. 

The loss kept the Reds seven points behind Manchester City, who also have a game in hand over last season's champions. 

Liverpool appear a long way off the blistering pace they set last season, with their attack at home looking particularly poor of late. 

The Reds have failed to score in three consecutive home league games for the first time since October 1984, with their scoreless run at Anfield now reaching 348 minutes.

Speaking to the BBC after the match, Robertson admitted his side were second best on the night against Graham Potter's relegation-threatened outfit.

“Brighton were the better team. We were hugely disappointing all over the park," the Scotland international said. "You have to give the team credit for playing well. They created chances, pressed us – did everything we wanted to do.

“We didn’t really do anything of note. With a long record of going unbeaten we’ve lost two [in a row at home]. When you don’t show up you don’t get results.

“We prepare for every game different. It’s just not clicking. We need to find a way to get results, especially at home. You can do everything in training."

Next up for Liverpool is a home match against Manchester City on Sunday, with Robertson confessing his side are a long way from challenging for a second straight Premier League crown.

“Any game against Man City is a big one," Robertson continued. "As this moment stands, we’re not in the title race. We are seven points behind them and they have a game in hand. I’m sure they’d say the same if they were potentially 10 points behind. We need to get back to the Liverpool everyone knows.

“We’re still a good team. We don’t turn into a bad team overnight.”

Youssouph Badji scored three goals in Club Brugge’s 6-1 victory over third division club Olsa Brakel in the Belgian Cup round of 32.

The 19-year-old doubled the Blue-Black's lead in the 21st minute after Hans Vanaken's opener in the second minute, and he later scored two goals in the second half.

He found the back of the net on the hour-mark and then sealed the emphatic with his 74th-minute goal.

Wednesday's goals were Badji's first-ever hat-trick in his professional career and they took his tally to seven goals after 11 matches in all competitions for Club Brugge this season.

Following their victory at the Jan Breydel Stadium, Philippe Clement’s men have been paired with First Division A rivals Royal Antwerp for their round of 16 fixture which is scheduled for February 10.

On a personal note, Badji has made a great start to his European career after he joined the Belgian giants from Senegalese outfit Casa Sports in January 2020. He was rewarded as Club Brugge Player of the Month for August - the month he made his First Division A debut and he returned two goals and an assist in four matches.

The Senegal international was also part of the team that won the league title for the 2019-20 season even though he did not play a game, but he made an appearance as they finished second in the Belgian Cup last campaign.

On Saturday, Badji will be aiming to end his 12-game goal drought in the league when Club Brugge visit Waasland-Beveren for their next fixture.

The Blue-Black sit at the summit of the First Division A table with a 14-point lead above Royal Antwerp and Genk.

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola warned that there is still more to come from his charges as they wrapped up a 13th consecutive win in all competitions on Wednesday at the expense of Burnley. 

While the scoreline may not have been quite emphatic as neighbours Manchester United's 9-0 thrashing of Southampton the previous evening, City's win never looked in doubt at Turf Moor. 

Gabriel Jesus gave the visitors the lead within three minutes to set Guardiola's men off to a perfect start, with Raheem Sterling adding the second and, as it proved, final strike of the game shortly before half-time. 

The 2-0 victory was City's ninth straight Premier League win, a run which has seen them push ahead of their title rivals in recent weeks to open up a three-point lead over United having played one game fewer. 

But if the club's fellow title challengers were hoping they would soon let their foot off the gas, Guardiola advised they think again. 

"Can we improve? A lot. Today we lost some simple balls, that is the only thing I am concerned about," the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich coach told reporters after the final whistle. 

"I am asking them to do effort and the simple things well, we are trying. Today more than usual we lose simple balls, but in general I am satisfied, because we continue to be solid and create enough chances.

"Knowing that coming here, against Burnley away, it is always difficult. Today we did it again really well. We can do better, but in general I don't have regrets. The players are human beings and are fantastic.

"We were lucky to score early, after that the first time we started to break the lines. The first pass, the second half was much better, the first 15 minutes of the second half was the best.

"It's always a good result here, Burnley away. So everyone knows how difficult it is, and we didn't concede many chances again and created clear chances to score. I am satisfied."

City return to action on Sunday, when they face fourth-placed Liverpool at Anfield.

NorthEast United and FC Goa, both with 21 points from 14 games, head into a 2020-21 Indian Super League (ISL) fixture against each other at the Tilak Maidan in Vasco, on Thursday 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

NorthEast United Possible XI:

Injured - None
Doubtful - Dylan Fox, Ashutosh Mehta
Suspended - None

Key Players - Deshorn Brown, Federico Gallego

FC Goa Possible XI: 

Injured - Brandon Fernandes
Doubtful - None
Suspended - Edu Bedia

Key Players - Igor Angulo, Jorge Ortiz