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Vihiga United head coach Sammy Okoth has warned his charges against over celebrating the Gor Mahia win and end up drowning against Sofapaka in their next Football Kenya Federation Premier League match.

The two teams are set to play for the first time this season at the Mumias Complex on Saturday.

The hosts are coming into the match full of confidence after defeating the reigning champions K'Ogalo last weekend at Kasarani Stadium, Nairobi.

"It was a sweet victory for us and it was what we needed as a team," Okoth told Goal on Friday.

"But that is gone now and we have to focus on our game against Sofapaka on Saturday. The danger of getting a win over a big team is that sometimes players tend to be carried away forgetting they need to continue preparing for the next game.

"I have already warned my players over the same and I will keep on reminding them that we need another good performance because the league is a marathon and not a sprint."

The former Zoo FC coach has further explained the condition of his squad ahead of the meeting against the 2009 league champions.

"The team is in good shape, we have been preparing well and everyone is available," Okoth continued.

"We will be doing some final training sessions, polish on a few areas before our game but I am hopeful of getting a positive outcome."

Will Vihiga bring in new players in the forthcoming short transfer window?

"It will all depend on what happens with my squad; if some players leave then we will have their replacements," Okoth added.

"But again, we might bring in maybe a player or two because we intend to continue battling for the top-ten positions."

Batoto ba Mungu are coming into the match days after confirming the release of eight players, among them Nigerian forward Promise Chinoso.

According to a list of axed players obtained by Goal, others who have gone with Chinoso are former KCB defender Jacobs Faina, defender Bryson Juma, who was signed in November from second-tier Soy United, midfielders David Simiyu and Collins Wakhungu, goalkeeper Isaiah Wakasala, Ghanaian striker Jedinak Nana and another Nigerian striker Michael Karamor.

Chelsea captain Cesar Azpilicueta has rubbished claims that he was involved in a bust-up with Antonio Rudiger prior to Frank Lampard being axed from his role at Stamford Bridge.

It has been suggested that unrest behind the scenes contributed to another change in the dugout being made by Premier League heavyweights.

Inconsistent results and inability to bring the best out of big-money additions did Lampard’s cause few favours, as he was axed after just 18 months, but squad harmony was also said to be an issue.

Azpilicueta insists that was never the case, with the Blues skipper echoing comments from club colleague Tammy Abraham.

The Chelsea striker posted on social media: “Hearing some mad stuff about @ToniRuediger on social media today. Compete nonsense. Toni is a big bro to all of us.”

Azpilicueta has said on reports that he clashed with the German defender at training: “Everything is fine and I can say that didn’t happen. We didn’t have any issues and we don’t have. We always work together.

“As other players, we have sometimes our discussions, normal in football. When results are not going well, everybody has more tension around but nothing further than this.

“Normal footballers like normal workers in their offices or with other jobs with pressure who have to deliver and nothing further than this. There is not an issue, we are so committed.”

Spanish defender Azpilicueta added on fingers of blame being pointed in the direction of playing staff now that Lampard finds himself out of work: “We saw that [in the past] and sometimes when a manager leaves, people can blame some players but we are players, we are humans and we always want to do the best for the club, for the manager.

“That’s our job, that’s our passion and obviously we are not happy when results are not going well and sometimes, yes, we have seen the reaction from the fans but there is no issue. We are all together working.

“Of course, of course, 100 per cent [do not abuse Rudiger]. You see now social media, lots of abuse, you know we doing campaigns about racism, all of this, and you know it’s sad when you see people abusing.

“The fans I ask for unity, together, difficult times. We want the best for the team and, hopefully, this negativity we can leave it behind and we go together.

“We miss the fans, so we would like to be together fighting in these tough moments like we have always done. We always overcome the difficulties.”

Chelsea, who now have Thomas Tuchel calling the shots, will be back in Premier League action on Sunday when they take in a home date with Burnley.

AFC Leopards chairman Dan Shikanda has promised to reward each player in the squad with a house if they win the 2020-21 FKF Premier League title.

The former international has exclusively told Goal the offer will last for the next two seasons and has urged the players to end their 22-year drought and win the trophy for the fans and the community.

“We have given the players a very good offer if they win the league this season we will give them a house in Nairobi and if they retain the title again next season, we will also give each of them another house,” Shikanda told Goal on Friday.

“We managed to pay the players their salaries during the Covid-19 break [when they were not playing any football], and in the same breath we want to tell them if they win the league this year, the title will go to AFC Leopards and they will each get a house in Nairobi.

“If they give our fans and our community the title, which we have not won for 22 years, I want to state clearly that each of them will get a house in Nairobi, and the offer is valid for two years, this year and next year, and there are serious people behind the plan including myself.”

On whether he is happy with the team’s start to the season, Shikanda said: “We can still do better and we hope we will do better but the ultimate goal being number two will not help the club but being number one will help us.

“We are looking forward to starting work on finishing the process of the land we were given by the government and building that land into a stadium will depend on the results from the league, this year and next year because of the goodwill we have at the moment will only be translated into tangible results if we can win the league.

"If we can win the league, the players will get their houses and the club will be able to get a stadium in the next two years, build their own stadium so we want to drive on that goodwill and it will all depend on the result from the team.”

Shikanda further clarified that they have been able to settle salary arrears owed to the club and promised to clear the remaining bit in due course.

“Whatever is remaining is too small for December we have paid 70 percent salary for December and we are hoping to finish it soon and then pay salary for January, apart from the accrued cases which we found when we came to office, we have tried as much as possible to clear them," he confirmed.

“I have also given a good example, despite the league taking a break due to Covid-19 our players were still paid salaries during that period, now we are telling them these, win the league and give our fans and the community the title and you shall be given a house, the 30 players will all get a house from us, who are behind paying their salaries.”

Ingwe are currently fourth on the 18-team table with 15 points from seven outings.

Ugandan Premier League side KCCA FC have started the construction work at the Omondi Stadium six years after plans to revamp it were made public.

The Sarjan Construction Company have been handed the contract and their first phase will be on the VIP wing, which will last for at least two years. The 13-time champions are expanding their home ground to help in the generation of income as well as creating a good environment for their supporters and players.

"We had the official groundbreaking of the Omondi Stadium, Lugogo," the Kasasiro Boys confirmed on their official social media platforms.

"The RCC Kampala Huddu Hussein represented the Minister of Kampala and Metropolitan Affairs, while KCCA Executive Director Dorothy Kisaka, the club patron His Worship the Lord Mayor of Kampala Erias Lukwago, Director Education and Social Services Mrs. Juliet Namuddu, the Chairman of KCCA FC Martin Ssekajja together with other officials from Kampala Capital City Authority and the Fourth Estate graced the event.

"Sarjan Construction will be the contractors for the first phase works on the VIP wing, which is expected to last for 18 - 24 months."

The Garbage Collectors chairman Martin Ssekajja insisted all operations will continue as usual despite the ongoing work.

"During the construction of the first phase works, we shall continue with all our operations at the stadium and will provide all updates regarding this exercise," Ssekajja stated. 

"In the meantime, our offices and all football activities will remain at – at the stadium during first phase construction. In this fast-moving environment, we will issue more updates when appropriate," the club had confirmed earlier on their official portal.

The renovation of the stadium came after the team was barred from using the venue by the Confederation of African Football (Caf) for their Confederation Cup return leg fixture against AS Kigali of Rwanda.

The Caf inspection team toured the venue a week prior to the match and termed it unfit to host the game, with KCCA instead player at St Mary’s Kitende, which is the home of their rivals Vipers SC.

Despite winning the return leg 3-1, the Kasasiro Boys were eliminated from the competition on the away goals rule. 

AS Kigali’s were handed a 2-0 walkover win in the first leg after their opponents failed to raise a quorum for the tie when nine players and a coach tested positive for coronavirus.

Having missed the two MTN8 semi-final Soweto Derby encounters against Orlando Pirates earlier this season, Kaizer Chiefs striker Samir Nurkovic will be determined to make an impact in Saturday's showdown at the Orlando Stadium.

Chiefs lost 5-0 to Bucs on aggregate in the two MTN8 semi-final games and now get their shot at revenge in Saturday afternoon's league clash (15:30 kick-off).

Amakhosi have certainly improved since then, both in terms of results and in getting some players back from injury, including Nurkovic, who has been very influential for Gavin Hunt's side.

The Serbian has also been captaining the team recently in the absence of the injured Ramahlwe Mphahlele and is expected to lead them again on Saturday.

“Playing in big derbies like the Soweto Derby is every player’s dream. I have had the privilege to play three derbies last season and I am happy to be part of this derby again,” Nurkovic told his club's website.

He said that the Soweto derby was one of the reasons he came to South Africa, and while admitting disappointment that there will not be any fans due to Covid-19 restrictions, the powerful target man has urged the Amakhosi faithful to support from afar.

“My experience in the derby has been unbelievable thus far,” the 28-year-old said in reference to the three derby matches he played in last season.

“Playing in front of 90,000 spectators is a dream come true for every player. It has exceeded all my expectations.

"It is unfortunate that this derby will have no supporters at the same stadium, but I am sure they will be supporting us from home, playing without supporters is very different,

"They are always the 12th man and give us extra motivation. We really miss them at the stadium.

“As much as we prefer to have our beloved fans at the stadium, they have to prioritise their and their families’ health by adhering to the government regulations.

"We urge them to stay at home and continue to support us from there. Thank you to all of them for doing so and hopefully we will have them in the stands soon.”

At the end of Sevilla’s 3-0 victory over Cadiz on Saturday, Morocco’s Youssef En-Nesyri took the match ball home with him to add to his growing collection.

It was the second home game in a row in which he’d scored a hat-trick for Los Nervionenses, with those three goals putting him onto 12 so far in the 2020/21 LaLiga Santander season.

Only Atletico de Madrid’s Luis Suarez has the same tally; nobody has more.

That victory put Sevilla into fourth place in the LaLiga Santander table and it’s fair to say that En-Nesyri has been their most important player this entire campaign.

The Fes-born striker’s dozen league goals represent 46 percent of Sevilla’s total of 26, while En-Nesyri is also scoring vitally important goals.

Six of his 12 LaLiga Santander strikes have been to open the scoring. No other player in Spain’s top division has moved the scoreboard first as often as the graduate of the prestigious Mohammed VI Academy.

The 23-year-old is in the form of his life and is repaying the faith shown in him by the Sevilla hierarchy when he was signed from CD Leganes in the previous winter transfer market.

Over the second half of 2019/20, the forward scored six times and netted two goals during their triumphant Europa League run.

However, last season it was Luuk de Jong who scored the most important goals for Sevilla as they won the continental trophy.

En-Nesyri then missed a crucial one-on-one chance against Manuel Neuer as Bayern Munich defeated Sevilla in the Uefa Super Cup back in September and the Moroccan was in tears after the game.

However, he has responded in the best way possible.

“Life always gives you second chances,” sporting director Monchi told the player and En-Nesyri has stepped up his level to the point where he is one of the most dangerous players in all of LaLiga Santander.

“It’s the result of hard work and focus,” the player said of his improvement.

Currently tied with Suarez at the top of the league’s scoring charts, En-Nesyri will be aiming to become just the second ever Sevilla player to win the LaLiga top scorer award.

The other was Juan Arza all the way back in 1954/55.

The only other time a player from Africa has finished as LaLiga Santander’s top scorer was when Samuel Eto’o won the award back in 2005/06, so history could be in the making.

En-Nesyri would also be the first North African player to ever take home the prize.

Sevilla, as a club, are looking to make this a historic season. They won’t be able to retain their Europa League title, but they’re aiming higher, having reached the knockouts of the Champions League – where En-Nesyri has contributed another four goals – and will face Borussia Dortmund in the last 16.

Julen Lopetegui’s side remain alive in the Copa del Rey too and are only one point behind Barcelona and four behind Real Madrid in the league standings as they target a podium finish.

En-Nesyri will be key as Sevilla aim to meet their objectives over the second half of the season, as defenders can’t keep up with his pace and movement right now and goalkeepers are being beaten left, right and centre as the forward’s finishing reaches another level.

Tanzania coach Etienne Ndayiragije has maintained his players deserved to be praised despite being eliminated from the African Nations Championship in Cameroon.

The Taifa Stars needed a win during their final Group D match against Guinea to be assured of progressing to the quarter-finals of the competition.

However, it was not the case for the team as they managed to battle to a 2-2 draw in the match played at the Reunification Stadium, with Yakhouba Gnagna Barry and Victor Kantabadouno on target for the National Elephants, while Baraka Majogoro and Edward Manyama scored for the Taifa Stars.

The result was enough to bundle them out of the competition with Guinea and Zambia progressing to the next stage.

Despite the early, coach Ndayiragije has maintained his players deserve praise because they showed a fighting spirit in the fixture but a lack of concentration undid them.

“As a team, we have improved a lot basing on the displayed performance,” Ndayiragije said as quoted by Daily News.

“During our first game against Zambia, we played very well in the opening stages but after conceding, morale dropped. Against Guinea, even though we conceded early, the boys kept pushing until we equalised and sourced another goal to lead 2-1 but, lack of concentration enabled the Guineans to settle the score.”

Ndayiragije also blamed the match officials for the penalty they awarded to Guinea, saying it was not a penalty.

On his part, midfielder Feisal Salum admitted it was not good to exit the competition at an early stage but said they had picked up some positives to take back home from the competition.

“The results were not what we wanted as we really wanted to win but we just thank God for everything and the good thing is that we have learned a lot putting in mind that most of the players in this squad are new and were making their debut in a big tournament,” Salum told the same publication.

Keeper Aishi Manula also said they tried their best to reach the last eight of the competition but luck was not on their side.

“I think Tanzanians wherever that are have seen how we performed on [Wednesday] but, it was a tough game since our opponents also wanted to get through using the same path. As players, we did our best to win.”

The National Elephants finished top of the group with five points, the same as Zambia who had an inferior goal difference. Tanzania finished on four points while Namibia finished with one point.

Uganda international Murushid Juuko has welcomed the decision by Express FC to sign Muzamiru Mutyaba.

The former KCCA midfielder arrived at the Red Eagles on Wednesday as a free agent after agreeing to pen a one-year contract.

The arrival of Mutyaba has left Juuko excited as the two players are re-uniting having featured together for Victoria University in the Ugandan Premier League.

“I am so glad we [management] managed to sign Mutyaba,” Juuko told the club’s official website. “We played together at Victoria University and bonded very well.

“Mutyaba brings a lot on the table both on and off the pitch, his creativity is unmatched, therefore, I am positive that as long as we double our efforts, this is going to be a fantastic season for the Express nation.”

On signing the player, Express revealed on their official website: “They don’t come often and as creative as Muzamiru [Mutyaba].

“The ever composed and skilful creative midfield gem will now call Express home for the next one year joining as a free agent after he ran down his contract with KCCA last season.”

Mutyaba, who will don his favourite number 10 shirt, explained the reason why he made the move to sign for the six-time league champions.

“First of all, I would like to thank the management of the club [Express] for making this happen,” Mutyaba said after penning the contract.

“Yes, I had many options on the table but none fitted the bill to my satisfaction, I join a club that has a lot of ambition, good organization, and great players, therefore I couldn’t have made a better decision.”

Mutyaba will bring a lot of creativity to the Red Eagles - who are handled by Wasswa Bbosa - especially in the final third, where he will link up with Abel Eturude and Ibrahim Kayiwa.

Mutyaba is good at dead-ball situations and also has an eye for goal with his long-range shooting.

Mutyaba was a key figure at KCCA in all the success the club enjoyed since his arrival in 2015 from Victoria University, as he managed to win several titles including three league titles, Uganda Cup (two) and Pilsner Super 8 and Fufa Super Cup.

He becomes the ninth player signed by Bbosa this season as the team strives to wrestle the title from Vipers SC.

Express are one of five unbeaten sides in the league and currently lie sixth with eight points from four games, one fewer than the majority of the other 15-teams as the league awaits a restart following the country’s participation in the Chan tournament.

Wazito FC coach Francis Kimanzi has confessed they will have to play with a lot of zeal if they are to get a win against Kakamega Homeboyz in an FKF Premier League match on Friday.

The two sides will face off at Kasarani Stadium with Wazito currently enjoying a winning run of four matches, while the Kakamega-based outfit returned to winning ways last weekend after beating promoted side Bidco United 2-0 at Bukhungu Stadium.

However, Homeboyz have enjoyed a good record against the Nairobi-based side as they have won three of their last five meetings, with the remaining two ending in draws.

It is the reason coach Kimanzi has remained cautious heading into the fixture insisting, they will have to focus on their style of play and be aware of the threat posed by their opponents.

“The most important thing is to focus on our preparations because you know the possibilities we have against Kakamega Homeboyz and the threats they always pose against us is very important we focus on our game,” Kimanzi told Wazito Online.

“We have checked the way they [Homeboyz] operate, we are ready and we are aware of the threats they pose but also the most important part is to focus on the possibilities that we have, because believe in the squad comes with good preparations so when the players have prepared well, then the trust will always be there.

“If you have not prepared enough then there is always that drop of confidence and so I like the fact the confidence seems to be there and we have that zeal to always play and win our matches, and always there is always the spirit to fight and do things differently.

“We also play more comfortably nowadays, we want to enjoy the game and play according to instructions and this shows you the team is enjoying what they usually do in training sessions.”

In a recent interview, Homeboyz chairman Cleophas Shimanyula warned Wazito to expect a tough game, insisting their focus is to win the next three matches after downing Bidco United.

“I told you earlier that our season is going to kick-off against Bidco United and we have exactly managed to beat them,” Shimanyula told Goal on Monday.

“What my players needed was to get a win and having beaten Bidco United, we can now start looking forward to our next matches, we don’t care who is lined up to play against us next, all I know we are back and ready to do what we usually do, win our matches.

“I know [Wazito] are enjoying a good run but we don’t care about that. We will stop their good run, we will extinguish them, all we need are the three points, we want to get out of the position we are in, it is not our position and we must make sure we win our matches.”

Wazito are third on the 18-team table with 17 points from nine matches while Homeboyz are in the 12th position with eight points from eight outings.

India are set to play their rest of the World Cup qualifying matches at a centralised venue in either Oman or Qatar, Goal has learnt. Whereas, the national camp will be held in UAE (United Arab Emirates) before they travel to Oman or Qatar.

All participating teams of the group have accepted the proposal of a centralised venue, barring Bangladesh who are keen to get home advantage given all their remaining matches were supposed to be at home. Although it is yet to be decided whether it will be held in Oman or Qatar, the scales are tilted towards the Asian champions. 

Most qualifying groups are trying to complete the games at centralised venues.

It must be noted that before entering Qatar, Indian players and staff will need to get a negative Covid-19 certificate. However, on arrival in Qatar, the contingent will have to undergo another Covid-19 test and be in quarantine till the result is declared negative, which usually happens within 24 hours. 

If the matches are in Oman, the contingent needs to take Covid-19 tests on arrival and undergo a seven-day mandatory quarantine before taking another Covid test. If the results are negative, they will be allowed to leave the quarantine. 

Previously in November, in an online meeting of AFC's Competitions Committee, chaired by Tran Quoc Tuan, it was decided that the seventh and eighth matchdays of the qualifiers will be conducted in March 2021. The ninth and tenth matchdays will be held in June 2021.

It was agreed that all the second round Asian Qualifiers should be completed by June 15, 2021. 

Initially, AFC had chalked out a schedule to hold the remaining matches in October and November but they had to postpone due to the difficulties caused by the Coronavirus pandemic. 

India are currently placed fourth in Group E with three points from five matches. Qatar top the table with 13 points while Oman are hot on their heels with 12. India are virtually out of contention for the top two spots but a third-place finish is well within the reach of the Blue Tigers. That will book them a direct berth in the third round for the 2023 Asian Cup Qualifiers. 

India lost narrowly to Oman at home before holding Asian champions Qatar to a goalless draw. The inspiring result was followed by two more draws and a loss against Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Oman respectively. 

Eight group winners and four best runners-up will progress to the continent's 12-team final qualifying stage for the 2022 World Cup. 

Dheeraj Singh recorded over 20 appearances in competitive football between 2017 and 2019, but has just one game to show for since 2020.

Having started in all three of India's games in the 2017 U-17 World Cup that was held in India, he joined the Indian Arrows outfit in the I-League where kept a clean sheet in six matches before stepping into the Indian Super League (ISL) circuit in the 2018-19 season.

His impressive showing with Kerala Blasters in ISL season 5 made him the preferred choice when Derrick Pereira, now the technical director at FC Goa, was the Indian U-23 national team coach during the 2020 AFC U-23 Championship qualifiers held in March 2019.

However, 13 games after being the first choice with the Blasters later, Dheeraj moved off course when he decided to join Kolkatan outfit ATK last season. He did win the ISL medal with the club but it came at the cost of just one game - when he started in the 2-2 draw against Bengaluru FC in the final league game of the season in February 2020.

As a result, Dheeraj has also been overlooked by Indian senior national team coach Igor Stimac after the 2022 World Cup qualification games against Afghanistan and Oman in November 2019. The former U-17 World Cupper's name wasn't in the India probables for the India camp that was to be held in March 2020 before the world was hit by the Coronavirus pandemic.

After ATK's merger with Mohun Bagan, he signed a fresh deal with ATK Mohun Bagan for the 2020-21 ISL season but is yet to play a game, as other young prospects have been getting regular game time.

Dheeraj has since joined FC Goa in the January 2021 transfer window and was named in the matchday squad in the 1-1 draw against Kerala Blasters last weekend. With Nawaz falling out of favour after failing to reach an agreement to extend his stay with the Goan outfit, the opportunity perfectly befits 20-year-old Dheeraj who has signed a three-year deal at the club. 

There are promising signs for the Manipuri goalkeeper given that the Goan outfit has previously placed their trust in young talent such as Nawaz and Saviour Gama who have put in impressive performances. However, he will have to first displace Naveen Kumar.

Hyderabad struggled to break down an organized Bengaluru defence for 86 minutes in their 2020-21 Indian Super League (ISL) match on Thursday. 

Bengaluru were sure and looked relieved to set to end their seven-game winless run. But then Aridane Santana scored in 86th minute. And then came Fran Sandaza's strike in the 90th minute. And that ensured that the Blues extended their winless run to eight games.

The Blues look assured in their half for the majority of the game. The game had a Bengaluru win written all over it but they failed to fight till the final whistle and paid the price. 

Bengaluru suffered an early blow when Juanan picked up a hamstring injury early on in the game and had to be replaced by Parag Srivas. But the altered backline still did a very good job of keeping a talented Hyderabad attack in check. 

Rahul Bheke slotted in at centre-back and the substitute Parag Srivas played as the full-back but the Hyderabad forwards missed whatever chances they created. 

A Cleiton Silva free-kick was helped into the net by Sunil Chhetri for Bengaluru's opening goal. Chhetri has had a disappointing season so far in the ISL but made an impact early on and became the leading Indian goalscorer with five goals in 13 matches. Halicharan Narzary, who has four goals to his name (none of them penalties), failed to make a similar impact in the final third at the other end. 

Final third action soon dried up but Hyderabad had their best chance of the half on the stroke of half-time from a quick counter-attack. Liston Colaco, who was otherwise ineffective, did well to release Akash Mishra into space. The full-back, another player who couldn't thrive down the flanks like he usually does, had a rare chance to cross freely into the box. He delivered a good cross into the centre where Narzary missed a sitter. 

Bengaluru's hope of claiming a win was strengthened when the impressive Kerala-born attacker Leon Augustine scored after the hour-mark. Hitesh Sharma was punished for his misplaced pass as Leon ran down on goal and coolly slotted the ball into the net with the outside of his right boot to give Bengaluru a two-goal cushion. 

That was supposed to be the climax moment for Bengaluru. There wasn't supposed to be a late comeback, going by how well Bengaluru had managed to keep the incessant Hyderabad attacks at bay. But then Marquez change in tactics and the players' spirit stole the show in the final minutes of the game. 

Substitute Rohit Danu, who came on as part of the tactical shuffle, impressed on the right flank. His delicious cross into the box was guided into the net by Aridane Santana for the first goal.

The second goal also came from the right flank. The Blues defence, which was tightly-knit in the first half, failed to clear the ball into the box and allowed Roland Aldberg's effort from the edge of the box to reach Fran Sandaza. The substitute found the net from close-range to complete the comeback and once again prove the spirit and talent that this season's Hyderabad has. 

The equaliser looked offside but the Bengaluru defence had played Sandaza onside, extending their winless run.

Peter Crouch insists Liverpool are "still in the title hunt" while backing his old club to finish above Manchester United come the end of the season.

Liverpool moved back into the top four after picking up a 3-1 away win at Tottenham on Thursday night.

The reigning Premier League champions had lost ground on arch-rivals United and Manchester City after a five-match winless run, but looked back to their fluent best against Spurs, with Roberto Firmino, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Sadio Mane all getting on the scoresheet.

The Reds are now sitting four points behind first-placed City having played a game more, with another crucial fixture against West Ham at the London Stadium up next on Sunday.

United missed the chance to return to the summit after losing 2-1 at home to Sheffield United in midweek, having previously been billed as favourites to dethrone Liverpool.

Crouch doesn't think Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side will be able to keep pace with Jurgen Klopp's men in the long run, and he still believes the Premier League trophy could end up back at Anfield for a second successive year despite their recent struggles for consistency.

“I believed it when they were still going through this bad spell. I had a little bet with Rio [Ferdinand] last night. I still think they will finish above United. I think they’re still in the title hunt," the ex-Reds striker told BT Sport.

“I think they have got some top players. I thought Henderson dropping into centre-back tonight was fantastic and, yeah, it’s going to be a struggle at times because Nat Phillips had to come on and I’m not sure what happened with Matip.

“They’re definitely struggling in that area, but when you’ve got the attacking talent they have on display you cannot write them off.”

Ex-United defender Ferdinand covered Liverpool's latest win alongside Crouch, and echoed his sentiments with regards to the Merseyside outfit's title credentials.

“‘Is their season over in terms of challenging?’ I think they have answered that emphatically tonight,' he said of Klopp's team.

“Yes, they were given some gifts tonight but you’ve got to be there to take them. They punished this Spurs team and Liverpool are going to be there or thereabouts.

“When you have got a strikeforce like this, yes they have had a bit of a blip in form, a little downturn in form in front of goal, but these guys are seasoned at knowing how to be around the top of the Premier League."

Trent Alexander-Arnold has expressed his belief that Liverpool "dominated" Tottenham on their way to picking up a "needed" and "deserved" victory in north London.

Liverpool brought a five-match winless streak to an end by beating Tottenham 3-1 away from home on Thursday night .

After a fiercely competitive opening 45 minutes, Roberto Firmino turned home a Sadio Mane cross in first-half stoppage time to give the visitors a narrow advantage heading in at the break.

Mane also played a key role in the Reds' second goal of the match early in the second period, with Spurs keeper Hugo Lloris parrying his shot straight into the path of Alexander-Arnold, who then rifled a fierce volley into the far corner of the net.

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg got the hosts back into the game with a stunning strike from just outside the box moments later, but Liverpool had the final say on proceedings just after the hour mark.

Mane capped a superb all-round display when he produced an expert first-time finish after latching onto a pinpoint Alexander-Arnold through-ball, sparking wild scenes of celebration on Jurgen Klopp's bench.

The reigning champions had gone four games without scoring prior to their latest outing, their worst sequence in 21 years, while a defensive injury crisis has forced their manager to constantly tinker with his line-up to the detriment of the team's overall balance.

However, the Reds looked back to their best against Tottenham, with Alexander-Arnold delighted to see their hard work pay off against a potential top four and title rival.

"We needed that and we deserved it. We dominated most of the game, they had the goal disallowed which probably would've changed the game," the 22-year-old told BT Sport . "We came with a game plan which we executed perfectly and we deserve the three points.

"Goals in games like this change the way the opposition play, they had to come out a bit more in the second half. We could find the space easier and we had our chances and put a few away.

"We've had set back after set back especially in the centre back area and Joel Matip played well and then Nathaniel Phillips in the second half - they have both done a great job which shows the quality we have round the pitch. For myself, it's always good to get a goal and help the team.

"Nothing has really changed, we're the same team we always have been. We have the same mentality going into games, we respect the opposition. We have the expectation on ourselves that we should win the game and it was a whole performance from the lads."

Liverpool’s centre-back crisis has deepened after Jurgen Klopp confirmed Joel Matip suffered an ankle ligament injury in the win over Tottenham.

The former Cameroon international was substituted at half-time of the Reds’ 3-1 victory, with Klopp later admitting the issue looks to be a serious one.

“Ankle ligament,” he told reporters in his post-match press conference. The 29-year-old will undergo a scan to determine the severity of the problem, but initial fears are that it could be a serious one.

That leaves the reigning champions in what Klopp described as “an incredible situation”, with all three of their senior centre-backs sidelined, and Fabinho, who has filled in so admirably this season, also nursing a problem.

The Brazilian missed the game at Spurs with what the club describe as “a minor muscle issue” and is a doubt for Sunday’s trip to West Ham as a result.

It meant Jordan Henderson, the captain, moved back into defence, partnering Matip in the first half and Nat Phillips in the second. Those, incredibly, were the 15th and 16th different centre-back partnerships Liverpool have fielded this season; in 20 Premier League matches they have started with 11 different combinations.

Klopp was asked, naturally, if the injury to Matip would force the club to act in the transfer market by making a signing before Monday’s deadline. 

"We think about everything, as you can imagine,” he said. “We think about everything the whole time. 

“We try to do the right thing and we have to do the right thing. I am not picky but we need to find the right player. 

“We have players still, but it's incredible what's happening in defence."

Liverpool at least ended their five-game winless league run with a dominant performance in north London. Roberto Firmino, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Sadio Mane were all on target – the first league goals the Reds have scored since December 27 – in a victory which moves them up to fourth in the Premier League table, four points behind leaders Manchester City who boast a game in hand.

Fashion Sakala scored a brace as KV Oostende secured a 2-1 win over Standard Liege in Thursday's First Division A encounter.

The 23-year-old continued from where he stopped on Saturday after grabbing the equaliser in their 2-1 comeback victory over Royal Antwerp, with KV Oostende's opening goal at the Diaz Arena in the eighth minute.

The Zambia international benefitted from Jelle Bataille's assist but his lead was cancelled out shortly after the break with Michel Balikwisha grabbing the equaliser for the visitors.

Sakala found the back of the net in the 64th minute to score the match-winning goal to seal back-to-back league wins for De Kustboys.

Thursday's efforts took his tally to 11 goals and the 2017 Africa U20 Cup of Nations winner is now enjoying his best goalscoring return in a single season since he scored 10 goals for Spartak Moscow II in the Russian Football National League back in the 2017-18 campaign.

He is also the second top scoring African in the First Division A after Nigeria's Paul Onuachu who has scored 22 goals for Genk so far this term.

Senegal's Makhtar Gueye, Morocco's Medhi Carcela-Gonzalez, DR Congo duo Merveille Bokadi and Jackson Muleka, and Burkina Faso's Abdoul Tapsoba were the other African stars on parade in Oostende.

KV Oostende climbed to fourth in the league table after the victory with 38 points after 24 matches, and they overtook Standard Liege with just a point separating both teams.

Salaka will be hoping to help Alexander Blessin's side maintain their winning form when they visit Zulte-Waregem for their next league fixture on Sunday.