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Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho was upbeat on Sunday despite seeing his side go down to their second Premier League defeat in the space of just 72 hours. 

Having lost to Liverpool 3-1 on Thursday, Spurs came unstuck again on the south coast as Brighton secured a vital 1-0 win to move seven points clear of the relegation zone. 

Leandro Trossard scored the only goal of an entertaining match, while Graham Potter's charges might have doubled their lead late on were it not for a wonderful goal-line block from Toby Alderweireld to deny the hosts. 

Spurs now lie sixth in the Premier League standings, having won just twice in their last nine outings and missing the form that saw them touted as possible title contenders back in December. 

But Mourinho was able to see the positives after the match, even if he was frustrated by his side's subdued start to the match which cost them the goal.

"We didn't start well. They could have scored immediately when they hit the post," he explained to  BBC Sport   after the final whistle.

"In the first half I felt the team was probably too sad with the goal conceded and the situation. There was a lack of energy. In the last 25, 30 minutes they gave everything but of course with some limitations. We couldn't score but at the same time gave them the chance to counter-attack.

"The boys showed great spirit in the second half and the boys showed they are suffering and they tried to fight against that sadness.

"They tried, so I have nothing negative to say about them. I leave the game with a good feeling about my boys because they tried hard in the second half.

"We tried everything but they defended everything, brought on another centre-back, and it was not possible for us to score."

Mourinho's adversary Potter, on the other hand, could not hide his delight at what he described as Brighton's finest performance for quite some time. 

"It’s our best performance this season and last. From start to finish we did what we needed to do, created some chances, scored a really good goal, good attitude around the pitch, good quality, against a top opponent but I thought closer to a 2-0 than a 1-0. I am really proud of the players," the Seagulls manager beamed to BBC Radio Five Live.

"You always think do you need a second goal? It’s football, anything can happen. 1-0 tells us a lot about the team’s character, it’s an important win for us.

"Another clean sheet is a positive and I don’t have to answer questions about our run at home! We are in a good moment but we know we have to play well against Liverpool."

Odisha and Jamshedpur both come into this 2020-21 Indian Super League (ISL) tie on the back of back-to-back draws preceding a defeat in their last three games. The fixture will be staged at the GMC Stadium in Bambolim on Monday 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

Odisha Possible XI:   

Injured - None
Doubtful - None
Suspended - Cole Alexander

Key Players - Diego Mauricio, Manuel Onwu

Jamshedpur Possible XI: 

Injured - None
Doubtful - None
Suspended - None   

Key Players - Nerijus Valskis, Farukh Choudhary

Tomas Soucek has been a better signing for West Ham than Bruno Fernandes has been for Manchester United, according to former Hammers star Carlton Cole.

While Fernandes has earned rave reviews since arriving in the Premier League last January from Sporting CP, Soucek has been rather less celebrated after a move from Sparta Prague at the same time.

Cole argues, however, that pound for pound, the £19 million ($24m) Czech has been the superior player.

“He's been immense this season. For me, he's obviously the signing of any club so far this season out of every club, pound for pound,” he said on Sky Sports of the midfielder, who has netted seven goals this term.

“You talk about Bruno Fernandes being so impactful [at] Man Utd but for me, pound for pound, he's been even better than Fernandes.

“He's been everywhere. whenever he's on that pitch he breeds confidence for every West Ham player and every West Ham person connected to the club.

“I wasn't expecting to have a goalscoring midfielder at West Ham and he's just come in and done the job. He's been unbelievable and everyone's taken confidence from his performances so far.

“He's been outstanding and when you've got a player like that in your team, especially as the driving force in midfield, he's enabled to chip in with the goals and with Declan Rice around him, it's opened up the game for him too.”

Meanwhile, former Liverpool midfielder Jamie Redknapp compared the midfielder’s influence to Marouane Fellaini's at Everton under the current Hammers boss.

“He's been the Fellaini for them. David Moyes always liked that big midfielder coming into the box, score goals,” Redknapp said.

Although West Ham lost to Liverpool on Sunday, the London side are outperforming pre-season expectations and are presently challenging for a European spot.

They are fifth in the Premier League, just four points shy of fourth-placed Leicester.

Their next outing will come against Aston Villa at Villa Park on February 3, followed by a trip to Fulham the next Saturday.

Soucek may then get an opportunity to square up against Fernandes as West Ham meet Manchester United in FA Cup action on February 9.

Swallows FC head coach Brandon Truter says they will avoid a defeat at all costs against Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns at home. 

The Beautiful Birds have had a dream start to the current PSL season as they remain undefeated and they are placed joint-second with SuperSport United on the league standings, five points behind leaders Sundowns.

Swallows have secured away draws against top local clubs such as Sundowns, SuperSport and Orlando Pirates and they are set to face Chiefs at FNB Stadium on May 15 having defeated Amakhosi 1-0 at home in the first round clash in November 2020.

The Soweto giants are set to host Sundowns on March 10 and Pirates on April 24 at their home ground, Dobsonville Stadium. 

What's been said

“We have to look at where the draws are. It was an away draw against Sundowns, it is a draw again away from home against SuperSport," Truter said on The Citizen. 

These are tough teams, they have been there and done that. Getting a draw in the top flight against teams like these is gold, as long as you don’t lose away from home. 

“Within our camp we are expected to win every game. The only team that we are going away to from the big teams is Chiefs because we played Sundowns, Pirates and SuperSport away," he continued. 

"We are hoping to get the results when they come to Dobsonville, but we are not losing. 

“The amount of games we played in January, it is about six matches in a four-week period and that is going to take its toll on the players," he added. 

"But I think we are doing alright. Scoring so late tells us about the character of the team, it tells us that we don’t give up.

"We keep fighting until the end of the game and until the end of the season as well.” 

Why does it matter & what's the bigger picture?

Further reading

Lille have announced that Abou Ouattara has been sent on a season-long loan to Ligue Two outfit Amiens SC, with an option to buy.

“Lille today announced the loan of Abu Ouattara to Amiens SC (League 2). The 21-year-old Burkina Faso international striker, on loan from Vitoria Sport Clube (Portugal) for the first part of the season, will finish the 2020-2021 season with the current 8th in Ligue 2,” a statement from the French elite division website read.

Since joining the Mastiffs from Belgian top-flight side KV Mechelen in 2019, the Burkina Faso winger has struggled to break into the first team of the Stade Pierre-Mauroy giants.

On arrival in France, he spent two seasons with the Lille B team where he managed five goals in 24 league outings.

Upon his promotion to the A-side in the 2019-20 campaign, he was frozen out of Christophe Galtier’s squad with his only game being the 2-1 victory over Angers – where he replaced Jonathan Ikone in the 82nd minute.

He was subsequently loaned to Primeira Liga side Vitoria Sports Clube for the second part of the 2019-20 season, and again for the next half-season.

With this move, the 21-year-old will spend six months at Stade de la Licorne where he is expected to feature prominently under manager Oswald Tanchot, whose men are eyeing promotion to the French top-flight.

Ouattara took to social media to express his excitement with his latest move.

“Happy to sign in Amiens SC!! Thank you for trusting me, we have a lot to achieve together,” he tweeted.

At Amiens, Ouattara will wear jersey number seven as well team up against fellow Africans such as Molla Wague (Mali), Racine Coly (Senegal), Emmanuel Lomotey (Ghana), Chadrac Akolo (Congo), Nathan Monzango (Congo), Amadou Ciss (Senegal), Cheick Timite (Cote d'Ivoire), Driss Khalid (Morrocco) and Stephen Odey (Nigeria).

Barring any obstacles, he could make his debut when Amiens travel to Stade du Hameau on February 2 for their clash against Pau, who sit at the base of the log.

The LFP slayers are seventh on the log having garnered 31 points from 22 outings in the ongoing 202-21 season.

Mohamed Salah’s double against West Ham United has made him the first Liverpool player to score 20 goals or more across all competitions in four consecutive seasons since Ian Rush’s feat between 1981 and 1987.

The Egypt international powered Liverpool to a 3-1 victory over the Hammers in Sunday’s Premier League outing.

After enduring a six-match goal drought in the Premier League, Salah broke the deadlock in London in the 57th minute and he later doubled the Reds' lead with another cool finish after a breathtaking counterattack in the 68th minute.

Georginio Wijnaldum completed the emphatic win with his 84th-minute strike as West Ham's eight-game unbeaten run in all competitions came to an end with their first defeat since December 21, although Craig Dawson hit a late consolation for the hosts.

Salah's double stretched his tally against the Hammers to nine goals which makes the London Stadium outfit the side he has scored the most Premier League goals against.

He is now the leading scorer in the English top-flight with 14 goals after 18 matches - two goals ahead of Tottenham duo Harry Kane and Heung-Min Son

In addition to his impressive stats, the 28-year-old has scored over 20 goals across all competitions in every season since he joined Jurgen Klopp's team from Roma in 2016 - becoming the first player to embark on such a run since Ian Rush’s historic feat in the 1980s

Rush scored 20 or more goals during each of his first six seasons at Liverpool before he left for Juventus in 1987.

After securing back-to-back away wins against Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham, Salah will be hoping to inspire the Reds to victory when they host Brighton & Hove Albion for their next Premier League fixture on Wednesday.

They are third in the league table with 40 points after 21 matches - four points behind leaders Manchester City and a point behind second-placed Manchester United.

Zambia women's head coach Bruce Nwape has summoned 32 players for next month's 2021 Turkish Women's Cup in Alanya.

The Copper Queens aim to continue their fine tune-up fror the Tokyo 2021 Olympics at the eight-nation tournament in Turkey following a hard-fought 2-1 friendly triumph over Chile last December.

In Alanya, Southern Africa nation will be competing for the first time and are drawn against Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea and Uzbekistan. 

The 32-woman list is dominated by 28 players from the Zambian Women's Premier League, along with four foreign-based stars for the invitational competition scheduled for February 15-24.

Notable invited faces include Shanghai striker Barbra Banda, Zaragoza duo Hellen Mubanga and Rachel Nachula, Red Arrows striker Grace Chanda and Green Buffaloes star Tembo Martha.

While BIIK Kazygurt star Racheal Kundananji returns to the fold for the first time since in November 2019, Hapoel Be'er Sheba duo of Hazel Nali and Mary Nwakapila were left out.

With camp reopened at Tecla Hotel in Lusaka on Sunday, Nwape is scheduled to start training activities with invited players on Monday.
 
Zambia will launch their campaign at the Turkish tournament against Nigeria and will look to seize the chance to avenge their 4-0 group stage defeat at the 2018 Africa Women's Cup of Nations.

ZAMBIA FULL SQUAD

1. Musole Ngambo - [Zesco United], 2. Catherine Musonda- [Indeni Roses], 3. Muchahabali Ingutu - [YASA], 4. Tricia Mutale - [Kitwe Girls FC], 5. Anita Mulenga - [Green Bufalloes], 6. Martha Tembo [Green Bufalloes], 7. Lushomo Mweemba [Green Bufalloes],  8. Esther Siamfuko [Queens Academy], 9. Mary Mulenga [Red Arrows], 10. Judith Soko [Unattached], 11. Imponene Bertha- [Green Bufalloes], 12. Doreen Mwaseba [Red Arrows], 13. Chileshe Rhoda [Indeni Roses], 14. Esther Banda - [BUSA], 15. Mary Wilombe [Red Arrows], 16. Agnes Musesa [Green Bufalloes], 17. Changwe Trynes [Green Eagles], 18. Chewe Theresa [Green Bufalloes], 19. Chitundu Avell [Zesco Ndola], 20. Grace Chanda [Red Arrows], 21. Misozi Zulu [Unattached] 22. Judith Zulu [Green Bufalloes], 23. Mapepe Xiomara [Lusaka Dynamos], 24. Mary Nanyiza [Lusaka Dynamos], 25. Naomi Phiri [Lusaka Dynamos], 26. Maylan Mulenga [Green Bufalloes], 27. Oseke Ochumba [Red Arrows], 28. Aisha Gama [Chipata Queens], 29. Barbra Banda [Shanghai], 30. Racheal Kundananji [BIIK Kazygurt], 31. Hellen Mubanga [Zaragoza], Rachael Nachula [Zaragoza]

Vincent Aboubakar found the back of the net while Anthony Nwakaeme and Bernard Mensah featured prominently as Trabzonspor secured a 2-1 victory over Besiktas in Sunday’s Turkish Super Lig game.

Cameroon international Aboubakar has been delivering scintillating performances for the Black Eagles since the start of the season and continued to do so at Vodafone Park.

The centre-forward was handed his 17th league appearance and utilized the opportunity to increase his goal haul, starting the game along with Ghana midfielder Mensah.

Nigeria international Nwakaeme was afforded his 18th appearance across all competitions and helped his side secure all three points. 

Besiktas headed into the encounter on the back of their four-game winning run and started on the front foot at Vodafone Park in an effort to try and extend their fine form.

Aboubakar opened the scoring in the 30th minute after receiving a sublime pass from the Democratic Republic of the Congo international Fabrice N'Sakala.

Trabzonspor levelled proceedings moments before the half-time break after Francisco Montero turned the ball into his own net.

After the restart of the game, Vitor Hugo gave his side the lead in the 63rd minute which proved to be the match-winning goal

Besiktas’ aim to avoid defeat suffered a setback when they were reduced to 10 men in the 77th minute after Dorukhan Tokoz was shown a straight red card for serious foul play.

Aboubakar featured for the duration of the game, struck six shots, completed two dribbles in the encounter.

The Cameroon centre-forward has now scored 12 goals and provided two assists, amid other dazzling displays this season.

His teammate Mensah was on parade for 66 minutes and had 51 touches on the ball before making way for Dorukhan Tokoz while Algeria international and on-loan Leicester City winger Rachid Ghezzal played for 66 minutes.

Nwakaeme was on parade for 86 minutes before he was replaced by Yusuf Sari while his teammate and DR Congo attacker Benik Afobe was an unused substitute.

With the result, Besiktas moved to the second spot on the league table after gathering 44 points from 21 games.

Trabzonspor, meanwhile, dropped to the fifth spot after accruing 36 points from the same number of matches.

Thembi Kgatlana bagged the only goal for Eibar but her side surrendered a one-goal lead to lose 2-1 at Rasheedat Ajibade and Ajara Nchout's Atletico Madrid in Sunday's Primera Iberdrola fixture.

Following a 2-2 draw with Real Sociedad in last time out, Iker Dorronsoro's ladies were aiming for a return to winning ways but ended up crumbling to a seventh defeat of the season in Madrid.

With a huge ambition to upset the former champions, the top-flight newcomers handed the South African star her ninth league start of the season, along with her compatriot Noko Matlou.

The visitors got off to a fine start at Centro Deportivo Wanda Alcala Henares when Kgatlana opened the scoring in the 12th minute.

Atletico, however, broke the resilence of the visitors when Deyna Castellanos set up Ludmila to net the equaliser 23 minutes later to ensure a stalemate between the two teams going into the break.

After the restart, Ludmila combined well with Castellanos this time and the latter struck eight minutes into the half to seal the victory.

With her latest at Atletico, Kgatlana has now scored seven goals in 15 league appearances and was involved for the duration of the tie, along with Equatorial Guinea's Ruth Alvarez.

Also, South African star Maltou was in action for 90 minutes before she was replaced by Ane Campos, while Nigeria's Charity Adule saw the last eight minutes after coming on for Sara Navarro.

On the other hand, Cameroon's Nchout featured for 89 minutes before Nigeria's Ajibade was brought on as her replacement.

The outcome means Atletico moved to fourth spot with 34 points from 17 games, while Eibar dropped to 10th with 21 from 16 matches.

In their upcoming fixtures, Jose Sanchez's side will confront Tenerife on February 7, while Eibar will welcome Sevilla same day.

Neymar has confirmed for the first time that he is happy to stay at Paris Saint-Germain despite constant speculation over the Brazilian's future in France. 

The ex-Santos and Barcelona star hit twice from the penalty spot on Sunday in his side's visit to Lorient. 

That double, however, proved insufficient for Mauricio Pochettino's charges, who slumped to a shock 3-2 defeat against a side who began the weekend tied in last place in Ligue 1 with Nimes and Dijon. 

But there was at least some cheer for PSG as Neymar, who has been linked with a move back to Barcelona on numerous occasions since arriving at the club in 2017, affirmed that he is where he wants to be in the French capital.

“I am happy today. I am truly happy," the Brazil star explained in an interview with TF1. 

"Things have changed a lot. I can’t exactly explain why. But today, I am feeling good. I have adapted. I am calmer and I am happier. I want to stay at PSG."

Kylian Mbappe's future has also been the subject of speculation around Parc des Princes, as little progress has been made on extending the youngster's contract. 

Neymar, though, has lent his voice to those calling on Mbappe to renew at PSG.

"I also want Kylian to stay. We want PSG to be a great team. I want to continue to play football and be happy, that is the most important thing," he added. 

“With Kylian Mbappe, we have a relationship of brothers. I am the eldest. We really like to play together.

"I want to get the best out of him. He's a golden boy. I call him 'Golden Boy' because he's really golden. He has a huge heart. As a footballer you know what he is worth, but even off the pitch he is amazing.

"He is smiling, happy, he knows how to have fun. We are very similar and we have to be happy to be 100 per cent."

Neymar also revealed his anguish at losing out in the Champions League final to Bayern Munich in August, a setback which he is keen to remedy.

"It’s something that I didn’t like at all. I cried ... I really wanted to bring this cup back to France," he admitted.

"Unfortunately we didn’t make it this time around, but we will have more opportunities and we’re going to make it all the way to the final and clinch this title."

Liverpool star Mohamed Salah revealed his distaste for refereeing technology after steering his side to a crucial 3-1 win over West Ham United on Sunday. 

The Egypt international took his Premier League tally to 15 in 2020-21 with two goals at the expense of David Moyes' charges. 

Both strikes came in the second half to see Liverpool clear of the hosts, with Georginio Wijnaldum later extending the Reds' lead to three before Craig Dawson hit a late consolation for the Hammers. 

It is the second time in 72 hours that Jurgen Klopp's men have run out 3-1 winners following Thursday's defeat of Tottenham, ending a barren spell of four league games without scoring a single goal. 

Salah is relieved to see his side back in form, but believes that VAR had something to do with their sudden slump. 

"I think before, I don't like VAR!" the forward explained to Sky Sports after the final whistle.

"From the beginning of the season, in my opinion it's killed the game. You have to be exactly the right side of the line [in offside calls].

"In other countries it's OK. I don't want to get a fine but it's my opinion. I don't like VAR."

Sunday's victory lifted Liverpool back up to third place in the Premier League at the expense of Leicester City, who came unstuck against Leeds United earlier in the day. 

Salah was pleased to see his side secure a second consecutive win on the road against Moyes' well-drilled Hammers.

"It's a good win for us today having played away for the second game in a row. We have to win every game and West Ham are a tough team," he added. "They play a really good game but I like playing against them. We just have to carry on and keep winning.

"I knew that Sadio and Roberto weren't going to start so there was a big responsibility on me, but I just try every game to help the team.

"My second goal? I practice all the time in training finishing with my right and left foot but I have to give credit to Shaka (Xherdan Shaqiri)."

Asisat Oshoala scored her fourth brace of the season to help Barcelona secure a 4-1 victory over Real Madrid in Sunday's Spanish Primera Iberdrola encounter.

The Nigeria international has been in breathtaking form for Lluis Cortez's team this season and continued her run against Real.

Oshoala was given her eighth league start of the term, spearheading the attack, and utilized the chances to increase her season tally.

Following a 4-1 bashing in a first-ever El Clasico last October, the hosts aimed for a league double over Real Madrid as Jenni Hermoso assisted Alexia Putellas to gain the lead in the 14th minute.

After her assist, Spanish forward Hermoso made a brilliant finish to singlehandedly double the lead of Barcelona nine minutes later.

The hosts continued their search for more goals as Caroline Graham Hansen teed up the Nigerian inside the six-yard box for an easy tap-in for a third of the day eight minutes from the break. 

After the break, Barcelona continued from where they left off in their first half as Oshoala grabbed her brace and a fourth of the match.

Real Madrid suffered a major set-back in the encounter when they were reduced to 10-player after goalkeeper María Rodriguez caught the ball outside the 18-yard box in the 72nd minute.

The visitors were gifted a penalty after Mapi Leon was sent off for a poor challenge inside the area and Olga Carmona converted from the spot nine minutes from full-time for their consolation goal.

Oshoala lasted the duration of the encounter and has now scored 13 goals and provided two assists in 13 league matches for Cortes' side this season.

The result moves Barcelona five-point clear at the top of the table, with 39 points from 13 matches and they will eye their 14th consecutive win of the campaign at Levante on February 3.

Chippa United coach Dan Malesela says he was concerned by the mentality his players took into Sunday’s match with Mamelodi Sundowns, which ended in a 2-0 defeat at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium for the Eastern Cape side.

The outcome of the game was never in doubt as Sundowns dominated throughout the 90 minutes and had Masandawana been more clinical, the scoreline could have been much higher.

Also responsible for keeping the goal tally down was Chippa keeper Ayanda Mtshali, who was named Man-of-the-Match after making a number of outstanding saves.

Malesela was unimpressed by his team’s efforts and felt they were in the wrong frame of mind before even stepping onto the park against last season’s treble winners.

“I wonder why we were so panicky, from the beginning, but also offish. One could sense a number of things when we were in the changing room, it was awfully quiet today,” Malesela said in his post-match interview on SuperSport TV.

“You know, that was unusual, I’ll find out what it is. But actually we were very lucky to be beaten two-nil. It could have been five or six or something like that.

“You get these things sometimes where people are just off and you don’t know why. But we’ll try and find out the reason and then work on the problem if there is a problem."

Such were Chippa’s struggles against the Brazilians that Malesela took off both Augustine Kwem and Thabiso Lebitsa in the 36th minute and replaced them with Avela Cezu and Gregory Damons.

“We had to do something because of they players we looked at, we said who is looking more panicky and who is not doing their functions properly,” Malesela revealed. “And we said lets take these ones out and take it from there.

“Besides the panicking and all of that, it also gives me another prospective, which I will not mention now, but I will discuss with the technical team and maybe they can give me a better idea of what is actually needed for us to do.  

“I wouldn't want to say its fatigue. Could be, but I doubt it,” Malesela added, following what has been a period of five away matches in 22 days for the Chilli Boys.

Asante Kotoko and Ashanti Gold played out a 1-1 draw in their Ghana Premier League derby on Sunday.

In the end, the two teams settled for a point apiece in the matchday 11 fixture at the Len Clay Stadium in Obuasi.

The result has left both teams tied on 17 points but whereas AshGold occupy the 15th position on the league table, Kotoko sit two places below in seventh position owing to an inferior goal difference.

Elsewhere on Sunday, leaders Karela United boosted their quest for a first league title with a 2-0 home win over Aduana Stars. Diawisie Taylor and Kwame Boateng scored in the second half to ensure victory over the 11th-placed Yellow and Mauves.

A big 5-0 home win over Liberty Professionals saw Wafa move to third on the log. Konadu Yiadom scored twice on the day, adding to goals from Marvin Owusu, Sampson Agyapong and Augustine Boakye. The Scientific Soccer Lads are second from bottom on the standings.

In Dormaa, Moro Sumaila scored for visiting Ebusua Dwarfs who held Aduana Stars to a 2-2 draw. Isaac Kwain scored an own goal to give the Crabs a 1-0 lead but Yahaya Mohammed and Sam Adams netted to put the hosts back in front. Aduana hold the sixth position while Dwarfs occupy the 13th spot.

The score was not any different in Elmina where Agyenim Boateng Mensah and Fahadu Suleman found the back of the net for visiting Dreams to cancel out Dennis Mensah and Benjamin Tweneboah strikes for Elmina Sharks. Sharks are ninth on the table, one place above Dreams.

Legon Cities have moved out of the relegation zone following a 1-0 away win over bottom-placed Inter Allies. Matthew Anim Cudjoe's 13th minute strike propelled the Royals to 14th on the standings.

Earlier on Saturday, Hearts of Oak fell 2-0 to Great Olympics in the Accra derby, losing by goals from Maxwell Quaye and Gladson Awako. Olympics are fourth on the table while Hearts sit four places below.

A Kwame Peprah hat-trick and a Boateng Frimpong effort ensured a 4-3 win for King Faisal over Berekum Chelsea whose consolation goals came from Paul Atta Agyei (two) and Stephen Amankonah. Faisal, nonetheless, are caught up in the relegation zone, with the same points as Chelsea who sit one place above.

On Friday, Emmanuel Boakye Owusu, Hafiz Konkoni Wontah and Listowel Amankona found the back of the net to ensure a 3-1 comeback victory for Bechem United over Eleven Wonders. Samuel Boakye broke the deadlock for the away side. 

Greater Manchester Police have opened an investigation after several Manchester United players were racially abused on social media in the past week.

Marcus Rashford was abused on Saturday after his side's 0-0 draw against Arsenal, and the forward hit out against those who targeted him.

"Humanity and social media at its worst. Yes I’m a black man and I live every day proud that I am. No one, or no one comment, is going to make me feel any different. So sorry if you were looking for a strong reaction, you’re just simply not going to get it here," he wrote.

"I’m not sharing screenshots. It would be irresponsible to do so and as you can imagine there’s nothing original in them. I have beautiful children of all colours following me and they don’t need to read it. Beautiful colours that should only be celebrated."

The abuse directed at Rashford followed on from  Axel Tuanzebe and Anthony Martial also being targeted after United's 2-1 defeat to Sheffield United in midweek.

Man Utd released a statement after Tuanzebe and Martial were victimised, saying: "Everyone at Manchester United is disgusted by the racial abuse received by players via social media after last night’s game. We utterly condemn it and it is encouraging to see other fans condemn this on social media also."

In a statement on Twitter , Greater Manchester Police confirmed they would be launching an investigation.

"We are aware of a number of Manchester United football players suffering abuse on social media accounts between Wednesday 27 January and Saturday 30 January," the statement read.

"Nobody should be subject to such abuse and it is deeply upsetting not only to those who suffer it, but to all those who come across this awful language too.

"These hateful words have no place anywhere in our society whether online or otherwise.

"A number of these comments have been reported to us and we are liaising with those involved to provide support and we will be investigating these crimes thoroughly.

"Tackling hate crime remains a priority for GMP and we take these reports very seriously."

The Red Devils weren't the only team to have players targeted by racist abuse on social media this week, as Chelsea defender Reece James revealed on Friday that he had also been abused online.

Dayot Upamecano is likely to leave RB Leipzig at the end of the season and will choose between Bayern Munich and a move to the Premier League, according to his agent.

The 22-year-old has caught the eye of several top teams amid his impressive displays for Leipzig since his arrival for Red Bull Salzburg four years ago.

Bayern have been open about their interest in Upamecano, as CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge admitted to it this month. This week, sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic revealed that the club "had a good meeting with agents" on Friday. 

Upamecano is tied to Leipzig until 2023, but his agent, Volker Struth, has confirmed he has a €42.5 million (£38m/$52m) release clause in his deal.

"The release clause was agreed because the player decided to want to take the next step at some point. It is very likely in the summer," he told Sport1.

“Nothing final has been decided yet. The tendency for him to leave the club in the summer is high."

He continued: "The release clause is €42.5 million. That is an insane sum in coronavirus times. In summer 2019 it was something else. The proportions of the transfer fees have changed. I believe that some clubs have to say goodbye to the market values ​​when they sell players."

Struth confirmed that there have been positive talks with Bayern, but two teams in England are trying to lure the France international, who will decide his next step very soon.

"Hasan Salihamidzic is really trying and has found the right temperature in the talks. There is not too much pressure in there. Nevertheless, it was emphasised that they are very interested in him," he added.

“[Apart from the Bundesliga] only the English league is in consideration. The Spanish clubs that were eligible are currently financially unable to do so.

"It's no secret that there are two interested parties from the Premier League. A decision will be made and announced in the next few weeks."

Bayern board member and former goalkeeper Oliver Kahn said he is confident the defender will choose the European and German champions, telling Sky on Sunday: "He's a player that many top European clubs want. But we are particularly attractive to such players now that they ultimately choose us." 

Emmanuel Dennis made his debut for Koln in their 3-1 victory over Arminia Bielefeld in Sunday’s Bundesliga game.

The Nigeria international teamed up with the Billy Goats on January 25 on loan until the end of the 2020-21 season from Belgian First Division A side Club Brugge.

The forward was afforded his first appearance for Markus Gisdol’s men and impressed, helping his side secure all three points at RheinEnergieStadion.

The 23-year-old started the encounter and formed a three-man attack for Koln along with Ondrej Duda and Ismail Jakobs.

The Billy Goats started the game on an impressive note as they aimed to return to winning ways after losing against Hoffenheim last time out.

Marius Wolf opened the scoring for the RheinEnergieStadion outfit as early as the 10th minute and doubled their lead in the 28th minute.

Elvis Rexhbecaj sealed the victory for Koln moments after the hour mark to render Sergio Cordova’s 73rd-minute strike a mere consolation.

Dennis featured for 82 minutes in his debut appearance in the Bundesliga and made a telling impact in the encounter.

The Super Eagles forward struck one shot, had 38 touches on the ball, completed one dribble, and had a 63 percent successful pass rate.

The victory ensured Koln moved to the 17th spot on the league table after gathering 18 points from 19 games.

Dennis will be expected to make his second appearance for the Billy Goats when they take on Jahn Regensburg in a Cup tie on February 3.

The forward has two appearances for the Nigeria national team and will hope to impress with Koln to boost his chances of getting regular call-ups to the Super Eagles.

Dennis started his European career with Zorya Luhansk in 2016 and spent a season with the side before teaming up with Club Brugge.