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U.S. women's national team star Crystal Dunn has said she hopes to one day be the face of the sport. 

The 28-year-old has become one of the most important players on the USWNT, playing a vital role in the team's 2019 World Cup win. 

Dunn is naturally an attacking player but has been successfully deployed as a makeshift left-back with the USWNT.

As the U.S. continues to undergo a reckoning over race, Dunn hopes that her talent along with her outspoken advocacy will make her the ideal representative of the sport. 

“With my versatility and being one of the few Black women on the U.S. women’s national team, what I would have loved to see happen earlier, which I still hope will happen, is to be recognized as a face of women’s soccer,” Dunn told Forbes. 

“I am recognized as a player on the national team, which is great. But what I would like to see shift is the whole idea that this sport is predominantly white or that it is a white person’s face that is the face of women’s soccer.

"I have earned the right to be posterized and be a part of huge campaigns and lead the way for women’s soccer and not feel like I am just a player.”

Though Dunn has earned plaudits for her ability to play many different positions, she confessed that she doesn't necessarily revel in her versatility.

“I never wanted to be a versatile player,” said Dunn. “Most people want to be great at something. If you are a striker, you want to be known for scoring goals, assisting and creating goals. For me, I did not get the luxury of working on one quality. I have to be good at scoring and creating goals and good at defending.”

Dunn is hoping that as perceptions shift around Black athletes in all sports, she will be recognized in her preferred position as an attacking playmaker. 

"For a long time, Black quarterbacks were an anomaly," Dunn said.

"That is why I'm so passionate about wanting to be seen as a 10 because it is a position that not a lot of Black women play. 

"Black women, I would say, are mostly center backs, outside backs, and wide forwards. Playing at a 10 means that I am now combating the stereotypes of being fast, physical, and strong.

"I am passionate about wanting the world to see more Black women, especially in the roles that don't fit the stereotypes that have been placed on us; that goes against everything that people have seen and use to describe Black athletes."

Inter manager Antonio Conte has says that he expects Christian Eriksen to stay with the club despite his continued links with a departure.

Eriksen came off the bench to provide the match-winning goal on Tuesday, leading Inter to a 2-1 win over AC Milan.

The Danish star's goal came via a sensational free-kick in the 97th minute, helping Inter overcome their local rivals who were down to 10 men after Zlatan Ibrahimovic's second-half dismissal.

Eriksen has struggled since making the move to Inter last January, and he looked poised to leave Inter after the club's CEO Giuseppe Marotta revealed he had been placed on the transfer list.

Former Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino and PSG have been among the teams linked with a move, as have Leicester in recent days, but Conte says that he doesn't expect Eriksen to leave any time soon.

“For a month now I’ve been saying the same thing: this is the Inter squad," Conte told RAI Sport. "Nobody will arrive, nobody will leave. I keep saying it and nobody seems to believe me.

“We are working with Eriksen on a tactical level to find an alternative for [Marcelo] Brozovic, because we don’t have someone like that in the squad.

“Christian is a very intelligent lad, he has quality, he’s part of the project and I am happy he scored that goal. I really wanted him to take it, as we all know the quality he has from set plays.

“He’s very shy, so I hope this goal can shake him up and make him come out of his shell. We all like him, he’s a good lad, perhaps too good! He needs to be more determined.”

Inter currently sit second in Serie A and now sit just two points behind their city rivals in the Scudetto race.

Conte and co will now face Juventus in the Coppa Italia semi-final, which is set to take place over two legs.

“They will certainly be two difficult games, the lads must all be ready to play the way they did this evening," Conte said. “It’s inevitable there is a lot of expectation around me and my work, but you need to go through the journey and be given time to do the work.

“I think, unlike some other clubs, at Inter people always see the glass half-empty rather than half-full. I think these lads are improving, we need a bit more time, it’s a strange time for everyone off the field more than on it and I am proud to be the ‘chief’ of these lads who give their all for Inter.”

Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta was full of praise for Nicolas Pepe, who scored a vital goal for the Gunners in their 3-1 win at Southampton on Tuesday. 

Stuart Armstrong gave the home side the lead after just three minutes before Pepe struck back five minutes later after he was played in by Granit Xhaka. 

Bukayo Saka would go on to give Arsenal the lead before half-time before Alexandre Lacazette's goal in the second half put the game away. 

Arteta's resurgent side are up to eighth in the table, with only Man City collecting more points than Arsenal have in the league since Boxing Day. 

Pepe's Arsenal career seemed to be in doubt after November's red card against Leeds but the Ivorian has bounced back, much to the delight of his manager.

"He was really good again," Arteta told BT Sport of Pepe, who made his first league start since December 19. "He created big moments. He deserved his chance today and he took it."

Saka was another star on the night for Arsenal, as he became just the second English teenager to score for Arsenal in consecutive Premier League appearances after Ashley Cole in October 2000.

On Saka, Areta said: "He has been very consistent. He has played in different positions and adapted. He is assisting players. It was another strong performance today."

Arteta was happy to see his side quickly bounce back against the Saints, who defeated the Gunners 1-0 in the FA Cup just three days prior. 

"I think we were good from the start," Arteta said. "We conceded a goal from a corner but responded straight away. We were good on the ball. We got out of trouble and made some big chances. Our pressing was brilliant. We were good in the break. It was a strong performance."

"It is tough to win here. They are strong and have been in form. It showed a lot of intelligence and resilience from the team in the way they managed the game.

"We have still a lot to do. We have to improve, be humble and train good for the next game."

Mikel Arteta dedicated Arsenal’s 3-1 win at Southampton on Tuesday night to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

The Gunners skipper was missing at St Mary’s, just as he was on Saturday for the FA Cup meeting between the sides, with Arsenal putting his absence down to ongoing family reasons.

Both Bukayo Saka and Alexandre Lacazette sent messages to Aubameyang following their goals - making it clear that the Gabon international was in their thoughts - much to the delight of Arteta.

“I love how they support each other and how they protect each other,” said the Arsenal boss. “Auba is having a difficult time and we are all behind him. This win was for him.”

Arteta wouldn’t give an update on Aubameyang’s situation ahead of Saturday’s meeting with league leaders Manchester United.

Kieran Tierney also sat out the win at Southampton on Tuesday night due to a leg injury and remains a doubt for the weekend.

"I don't know,” Arteta said, when asked whether the Scotland international would be fit. “He wasn't available against Southampton in the FA Cup. He was injured. He is still injured today. Let's see how he progresses for the game against Man Utd."

Arsenal go into Saturday’s game eighth in the table following a run of five wins from their last six league games. They are just five points off the top four and back in the hunt for a Champions League spot, but Arteta is not getting carried away by the recent upturn in form.

“I don’t want to really look at the table,” he said. “I want to look at ourselves and how we can get better and how we can get that consistency that we have been lacking. Tomorrow is another day, we’ll review the game, train, look at the many areas where we have two get better and see what we get.”

Arteta added: “To come to here [Southampton] and play the way we played against a real good side, I think we should be proud. It’s never easy to come here against this team.”

Arteta also revealed that he was "very positive" that a loan deal for Real Madrid midfielder Martin Odegaard would be wrapped up imminently.

The Norway international has been in England since Sunday evening and should soon complete his move.

“I think we are pretty close, but it’s not finalised as I understand it” said the Gunners boss. “I haven’t talked to Edu or the club in the last few hours. But we are very positive that we can finalise the deal.”

Manchester City goalscorer Ilkay Gundogan was full of praise for team-mate Joao Cancelo, who he says has improved in a new role in the last few weeks, following their victory over West Brom.

Gundogan scored two of Manchester CIty's five goals in Wednesday's 5-0 win with Cancelo adding a goal of his own.

In addition to his goal, Cancelo provided the assist on Gundogan's first goal, which opened the scoring in just the sixth minute.

Cancelo has settled in to a more regular role with Manchester City in recent weeks, despite struggling during the 2019-20 season, his first in the Premier League.

The former Juventus fullback's role sees him acting as a pseudo-midfielder, with his playmaking ability on full display centrally.

His ability to adapt to that role has impressed Gundogan who, along with Cancelo, has Manchester City flying in recent weeks.

"[Joao Cancelo] has the ability to offer something a little bit different in the role," Gundogan told BT Sport. "He gets a lot of touches and he has quality. I knew this, that's why I made the run and the ball was perfect.

"He's doing well, especially the last few weeks. We need this rhythm to maintain this level and we're going to get even more moments

"We will try our best, we had a few plays in the last couple of weeks in a few different conditions, struggling with injuries, all the players are getting more and more ready.

"Obviously Kevin [De Bruyne] is a big miss for us but we have players who will get more game time and we need everyone because everyone gives us a different quality we need to keep going."

While Gundogan was quick to give credit to Cancelo, the German midfielder is also in strong form. Hehas now scored six goals in his last 10 games, which hasn't been a surprise to Man City boss Pep Guardiola.

Guardiola said: "Gundo has this sense - after this, he is able to take a touch, slow down, take a second to compose and finish. We are delighted with what he is doing. The first season he was injured and we missed him a lot, since then his attitude and personality is outstanding."

The midfielder, meanwhile, added that he is comfortable in a more attacking role as he has been given the chance to go forward more in recent weeks.

"There's not really a secret [to my scoring]," he said. "I'm just in the right spaces at the right moment. I'm in a bit more of an offensive role, if I get the chance close to the box I try to make the right decisions - I just tried to do my best."

Jill Scott says it would be “disrespectful” to say she joined Everton on loan from Manchester City just for game time.

The England icon, who is the Lionesses’ second-most capped player of all time after Fara Williams, had only started two Women’s Super League games for City this season despite being a regular every year since joining in 2014.

With the Summer Olympics fast approaching, Scott joined the Toffees on loan last week - a club she knows well having represented them for seven years prior to moving Manchester - but while she believes the move “should probably keep [her] in the frame” for Team GB, she is not expecting to just be given minutes.

“I don't want to be disrespectful and say, ‘I'm coming here to get game time’, because it's going to be difficult,” Scott said. “There are a lot of top players here: Izzy Christiansen, Claire Emslie, I could go on. Training has been difficult and I know that I'm going to have to be on top of my game in order to challenge for a place here.

“I'm enjoying it and that's the main thing, I'm just willing to get my head down. I suppose what will be, will be with the Olympics. It's going to be so difficult to get into that squad.

“I still feel like I've got a lot to give and I still believe in myself and I hope this move will kind of mirror that.

“It’s definitely the right move for me at this time. If I wasn’t to get selected for the Olympics, or they weren’t to go ahead, then at least I know I tried.

“Maybe it would have been easier for me to stay at City, in my comfort zone, going in every single day, but this shows that I’ve still got the drive and determination that I want to push myself - I really do. I turn 34 next week but I honestly have still got the same amount of drive and energy as when I was 21, so I just want to make the most of it.

“Whatever happens - yes, that’s [Olympics] the end goal - but I’ve still got things I want to achieve now and those goals will be with Everton.”

The loan move seals an emotional return to her former club too. Scott was part of the Everton team that won the FA Women's Premier League Cup in 2008 and also helped them seal four successive second-placed finishes in the old FA Women's Premier League National Division between 2007 and 2010, back in an era where Arsenal dominated the game.

The England international even recalls coaching forward Chantelle Boye-Hlorkah when she was last here, the 25-year-old then coming through Everton’s youth set-up.

“She was probably only 11 or 12 years old,” Scott remembers, having only been 19 herself when she joined the Toffees in 2006.

“Now, to see her playing for the first team and being able to have those dreams and aspirations that are a reality. When I was here the first time, we always had that dream of being a professional footballer, but it wasn’t even a thing.

“It is really special being back here, to see how far the club has come and how well the girls are doing in the league, making the FA Cup final. I'm sure they can go on to achieve a lot of success.

“When I walked in, it's like I've never been away, to be honest. It's 15 years ago that I first signed here and to think of the journey that's gone on since then, it's been pretty incredible.

“One of the biggest changes is I'm here at 10 o'clock in the morning and not 10 o'clock at night. I think that shows how far the women's game has come and it's probably quite a good analogy.”

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has revealed how Edinson Cavani has been teaching Mason Greenwood good habits after the teenager was suffering from "second season syndrome".

Greenwood had an incredible first full season in the Manchester United first team, scoring 17 goals in 49 appearances. However, with off-field influences having an impact and his form taking a dip, he found himself at the centre of attention for the wrong reasons earlier this season.

Solskjaer has always been consistent in his message that he has no concerns over the teenager despite him only managing four goals in 23 appearances in the current campaign. His impressive goal against Liverpool in the FA Cup fourth round on Saturday sparked a great reaction and there is hope he can now push on.

Solskjaer said: “It’s always a challenge. Everything is a test. We talk about the second season syndrome and if you take your eye off the ball for just a slight second, the Premier league is unforgiving.

"I have always said that 99% effort is 100% failure, and of course players who ease off in training every single day a little bit - I’m not saying this is Mason. I am saying it’s the case for every single one - it’s always a learning curve and test.

“I feel now that we have maybe overcome those issues because they know my demands on the standards and habits and physical demands and the running stats.”

One person who has been influential in helping Greenwood push on is Cavani. Solskjaer said the veteran striker had been teaching the England international and it is not just the teenager who has benefitted from the former PSG star’s arrival.

“I see the players talk to each other all the time and of course Edinson with his experience can be really helpful and he is there as a backup, he is there as a mentor,” Solskjaer said.

"It doesn’t matter if it’s Marcus [Rashford] or Dan [James] or Anthony [Martial] or Mason, they have all got things to learn from Edinson and the more humble and hungry you are to listen the better you will become. Edinson has been in every single position to score a goal or to win the ball back throughout his career and there is so much for them to learn off him.”

Cavani arrived on the final day of the summer transfer window and with a week to go of the winter transfer window Solskjaer is expecting a couple of outgoings to his squad but is not anticipating any new faces at Old Trafford.

“I would be surprised if we do any incomings,” he said. “The squad is strong. It is full of quality. I still need to leave players out for the squad at times, bar something surprising happening I don’t think anything will happen in terms of incomings no.”

Paris Saint-Germain are continuing discussions with Tottenham over Dele Alli as the two sides hash out details over a loan deal, Goal can confirm.

Alli has been reported as a target for PSG for weeks, with the arrival of former Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino furthering links between the midfielder and the French giants.

Spurs and PSG have been in talks over a potential deal, which would be a loan for the rest of the season and would include a fee.

There would be no option to buy as part of that deal, with Spurs not willing to let go of Alli permanently at this time.

The midfielder himself has given his approval to the deal, having struggled to get regular games under Jose Mourinho in recent months.

Pochettino has approved as well, as the Tottenham boss is ready to reunite with his former player now that he has replaced recently-confirmed Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel as PSG manager.

The one hang-up currently is Tottenham, who will not sanction a deal without first finding a replacement.

Even so, PSG remain optimistic, with sources confirming to Goal that it is "not an easy deal, but always a possibility".

Alli has been with Tottenham since 2015, having signed for the club from MK Dons for an initial fee of £5 million ($6.9m) The 24-year-old midfielder has made 234 Spurs appearances, scoring 64 goals in all competitions.

However, this campaign he has struggled for regular game time, making only four appearances in the Premier League.

Alli's time with the club has coincided with a consistent, yet trophyless, run near the top of the Premier League that includes a trip to the 2018-19 Champions League final.

Spurs currently sit sixth in the Premier League ahead of a rematch from that Champions League final against Liverpool this Thursday. As things stand, Tottenham are one point behind the Reds in the league, although they do have a game in hand on last year's Premier League champions.

PSG, on the other hand, are once again on top of Ligue 1, level on points with Lille ahead of Sunday's visit to Lorient.

Kerala Blasters will be looking to do the double against Jamshedpur when the two sides meet again in the 2020-21 Indian Super League (ISL) at the GMC Stadium in Bambolim, on Wednesday 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

Kerala Blasters Possible XI:   

Injured - Jordan Murray, Nishu Kumar, Costa Nhamoinesu 
Doubtful - None
Suspended - Kibu Vicuna, Jeakson Singh, Rahul KP

Key Players - Gary Hooper, Facundo Pereyra

Jamshedpur Possible XI: 

Injured - None
Doubtful - None
Suspended - Peter Hartley   

Key Players - Nerijus Valskis, Farukh Choudhary

Thomas Tuchel has been appointed Chelsea manager following the dismissal of Frank Lampard amid a run of poor results with the club.

Tuchel, who signed an 18-month contract with the Blues with the possibility of further extension, is already a coach with proven experience – having previously taken the reins of both Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain.

But how do you say 'Tuchel'? Goal takes a look.

It is pronounced "Too-khel", but with a bit of a throat noise in between syllables when alternating from the vowel to the consonant.

Tuchel's name, which is of German origin, is not pronounced the way its French equivalent would be said – such as "too-shell" – and it is not purely pronounced "too-kel" with a solid "k".

Tuchel has joined Chelsea after he was sacked from PSG a month earlier, whose dismissal - which came after a 4-0 victory over Strasbourg - reportedly came as a surprise to some at the club.

The German coach led PSG to the final of the 2020 Champions League, losing 1-0 to Bayern.

At PSG, Tuchel won two Ligue 1 titles since his appointment in May 2018, as well as one Coupe de France title.

While manager of Borussia Dortmund from 2015 to 2017, replacing outgoing coach Jurgen Klopp who joined Liverpool, Tuchel lifted the DFB Pokal.

Tuchel replaced Lampard on January 26, with the former Chelsea midfielder being dismissed a day earlier after just 19 months in charge.

"I would like to thank Chelsea FC for their confidence in me and my staff," Tuchel told the Chelsea official website.

"We all have the greatest respect for Frank Lampard’s work and the legacy he created at Chelsea.

"At the same time, I cannot wait to meet my new team and compete in the most exciting league in football. I am grateful to now be part of the Chelsea family - it feels amazing!"

Ardent Chelsea followers in Nigeria have taken to social media to react to the appointment of Thomas Tuchel as the Blues’ boss.

The 47-year-old German was named as the Londoners’ permanent manager after Frank Lampard was shown the exit door by the club on Monday.

Before his new role at Stamford Bridge, Tuchel was in charge of Paris Saint-Germain where he was sacked in December despite leading the Parc des Princes side finish as runners-up in the 2019-20 Champions League.

Tuchel will be in charge against Wolverhampton Wanderers at home in the English Premier League on Wednesday.

As usual, football fans – mainly Chelsea supporters are pleased with his arrival while wishing him all the very best.

Defending African Nations Championship champions Morocco defeated Uganda 5-2 at the Reunification Stadium in Douala on Tuesday night to qualify for the quarter-finals, while sending the Cranes crashing out of the tournament.

Uganda, who had talked up their chances of progress before the campaign, have now fallen at the first hurdle of the Chan on each of the five occasions they've qualified for the tournament.

Soufiane Rahimi - who scored a brace - Hamza El Moussaoui, Abdelilah Hafidi, and Ayoub El Kaabi were on target for the defending champions, while Ibrahim Orit and Saidi Kyeyune scored for the opponents.

Morocco started the game on a high as they targeted an early goal to ease the pressure. They camped in the Cranes' territory, and in the eighth minute, managed to win a free kick in a promising position. 

Omar Nemssaoui took it and tried to bend it into the far corner but goalkeeper Charles Lukwago parried the ball out for an unfruitful corner.  

The East Africans were reduced to chasing shadows in the early exchanges as the Atlas Lions dominated the proceedings. In the 13th minute, Johnny McKinstry's charges had the goalkeeper to thank for his heroics. 

Later, Rahimi picked out captain El Kaabi, who was making a run in the danger zone. The defenders were beaten and the forward looked certain to score, but Lukwago, somehow, managed to deflect the ball out for a corner.

The Atlas Lions' pace was just too much for the 2019 Cecafa Senior Challenge champions who struggled to settle.

However, against the run of play, the Cranes opened the scoring in the 25th minute. They won a free kick about 30 yards from the Morocco goal. It was taken and the North Africans failed to clear the danger.

The ball eventually fell to Orit, whose shot from 16 yards, beat the helpless Anas Zniti. 

The reigning champions continued pushing for an equalizer but they did not find it easy against the determined Cranes, who defended in numbers. In the 37th minute, a strong cross was played in but once again, Lukwago made a timely save.

Two minutes later, Orit was let loose 25 yards from the goal, but his fierce strike was straight at the Atlas Lions custodian.

Morocco won a penalty in the second minute of the added time when Kyeyune handled the ball in the danger zone. El Kaabi held his nerve to send the goalkeeper the wrong way and bring the teams into level terms.

The Atlas Lions needed just five minutes after the break to score their second goal. Adam Ennaffati went past his marker before crossing the ball to the unmarked Rahimi who put the ball into the bottom corner with ease.

In the 60th minute, Orit's fierce striker struck a Moroccan defender's arm in the danger zone. However, the referee pointed to the corner flag, a move that was bitterly contested by Orit who expected a penalty. 

Lukwago was once again called to action in the 65th minute. The Atlas Lions captain capitalized on a defensive blunder to steal possession but failed to beat the Cranes keeper ones again.

A school-boy mistake from the Ugandans in the 70th minute allowed El Moussaoui to get possession before maneuvering his way past two players and unleashing a rocket past the goalkeeper.  

Rahimi completed his brace with 10 minutes to go to guarantee the defending champions march into the quarters in style. 

Cranes halved the score in the 85th minute through Kyeyune, who was teed up by Bright Anukani after the Atlas Lions had conceded a free-kick 20 yards out.

However, the Moroccans were not done, and in stoppage time, Hafidi's effort was deflected into the net by Lukwago to ensure a 5-2 win.

In the group's other game, Rwanda defeated Togo 3-2 to finish second in the group and qualify for the quarters alongside the Lions.

Uganda XI: Charles Lukwago (GK), Aziz Abdu Kayondo, Denis Iguma, Musitafa Mujuzi, Halid Lwaliwa (c), Shafik Kagimu, Bright Anukani, Saidi Kyeyune, Viane Ssekajugo, Ibrahim Orit, Brian Aheebwa.  

Morocco XI: Anas Zniti, Omar Nemssaoui, Hamza El Moussaoui, Soufiane Bouftini, Abdelmounaim Boutouil, Reda Jaadi, Mohammed Ali Bemammer, Yahya Jabrane, Adam Ennaffati, Ayoub El Kaabi, Soufiane Rahimi

Romelu Lukaku and Zlatan Ibrahimovic were involved in a heated clash on the pitch at the end of the first half in Tuesday's clash between AC Milan and Inter. 

AC Milan had taken the lead in the Coppa Italia quarter-final through Ibrahimovic, who fired home in the 31st minute to open the scoring at San Siro. 

Tempers flared up just before the break after Lukaku took exception to a foul by Milan defender Alessio Romagnoli. Ibrahimovic stepped in and squared up to the furious Belgian, with the pair going head to head while exchanging heated words. 

Lukaku could clearly be heard by the on-pitch microphone saying to the Swede: "Well let's go inside you b*tch!", in an invitation to engage in a further confrontation in the tunnel.  

Referee Paolo Valeri attempted to regain some semblance of control by issuing both players a yellow card, with Lukaku now set to miss Inter's next match in the competition. 

Nicolo Barella also got involved by trying to hold Lukaku back while Fikayo Tomori – making his Milan debut after just joining on loan from Chelsea – aimed to hold back Ibrahimovic. 

As the first half drew to a close, both players continued to be restrained as the teams went down the tunnel for half-time. 

Just after the second half began, Ibrahimovic received a second yellow card for a challenge on Inter defender Aleksandar Kolarov and was sent off.

Lukaku and Ibrahimovic were team-mates at one point, playing together at Manchester United during the 2017-18 campaign. 

Last year, Lukaku spoke of his admiration for the Swede , saying he was impressed by his ability to remain in such good form at an age when most players have already retired.

“Ibra is a champion, I respect him,” Lukaku told  Tiki Taka.  “In Manchester I could train every day with him, that was the most beautiful thing for me. It will be nice to play against him. He is a great champion and professional.

“For me it’s not normal that he can do those things at the age of 38. He works a lot; he always gave me advice when we played together in Manchester.”

Former Chelsea midfielder Oscar says that he dreams of someday playing for the club again before his career is over.

Oscar originally featured for the Blues from 2012 to 2017 after making the move to England from Brazilian side Internacional. The midfielder won two Premier League titles during his time with the club while also claiming a Carabao Cup title and a Europa League triumph.

In total, Oscar made 203 appearances for the Blues, scoring 38 goals, before heading to China to join Shanghai SIPG for a reported £60 million ($82m).

Oscar has, in the years since, explained the move came from his desire to take care of his entire family after seeing his mother raise him and his siblings alone following the death of his father, but when the time is right, he hopes to return to Chelsea, a club he still remembers fondly.

“I don’t think about leaving China,” the 29-year-old midfielder told Yellow and Green Football. “There is a great project for me here - but, to end my career, I would like to return to Chelsea.

"I built a beautiful story there and went to the Premier League very young, at a time when fans did not trust Brazilian players that much. I helped change that. I’ll be a bit older when I try this move again but, as I am playing very well, with good stats, I feel there is still a place for me at Chelsea.”

He added: “I could take up all this interview talking about the good moments and memories I enjoyed at Chelsea, but I have two others that I appreciate the most: my first hat-trick, against MK Dons, and a game against Arsenal where I did not score but did eight slide tackles. The fans applauded me when I got subbed off and it felt as if I’d scored a hat-trick then too.”

In addition to wanting a Chelsea return, Oscar is also hoping to feature for Brazil again as well.

Oscar has not played for Brazil since 2015, having earned 48 caps while scoring 12 goals before that, but the playmaker says he hopes to someday represent his country once again.

He said: “It makes it harder to return to the Selecao, but I’m ready if the team needs me. Of course, it is a dream of mine, but I understand it is much more difficult now.”

Phil Foden made his 100th career appearance for Manchester City on Tuesday when he started against West Brom in the Premier League. 

Foden has come up through City's academy and has long been tipped as one of the club's stars of the future. 

After making his senior debut for City against Feyenoord in the Champions League in November 2017, Foden was brought in gradually by head coach Pep Guardiola.

Though he found playing time difficult to come by in his early City career, Foden has now developed into one of the club's most important players at the age of 20.

Despite his young age, Foden has won a host of trophies during his City career, including two Premier Leagues, one FA Cup and three Carabao Cup titles.

This season, Foden is Manchester City’s top scorer in all competitions with nine goals in 25 appearances, one more than he netted in 38 games last season.

Speaking to Man City's official Twitter account ahead of Tuesday's game at The Hawthorns, the club's former striker Shaun Goater was full of praise for the youngster.

"I really like what I see from Foden," Goater said. "He brings energy, he brings a really wise head when you see him on the field. He's making decisions and you think 'he's been around for someone so young.' It's beautiful to watch and I'm just really looking forward to seeing him play more and more."

With Kevin De Bruyne currently out for up to six weeks due to a hamstring injury, City will likely need to rely even more on Foden in the coming weeks. 

Speaking after City's win over Cheltenham in the FA Cup at the weekend, though, Guardiola encouraged Foden to ignore any pressure to replace the Belgian star. 

“We have the players,” Guardiola said. “Phil has to be Phil and not be Kevin De Bruyne because there is only one Kevin De Bruyne. He needs to keep doing what he has been doing in terms of when we are in a bad moment or when we are losing in terms of what he gave to the game.”

Swansea City boss Steve Cooper is excited by the keen competition for places in his set-up as Andre Ayew and teammates battle it out in the club's quest for Premier League promotion.

The Wales-based outfit is on course to make a return to the elite division for the first time since 2018 as they currently sit third in the Championship table.

On Saturday, Ayew, Swansea's second top scorer in all competitions so far this season, was left on the bench as the Jack Army handed Nottingham Forest a 5-1 thrashing in the FA Cup.

“I think any of the boys not in the starting line-up or not in the squad, they are always fighting,” said Cooper ahead of Wednesday’s league tie with Brentford, as reported by his club's official website.

“It’s the same for the boys in the team and the squad, they are fighting to stay in there.

“It’s not just in the forward positions, where we have signed Jordan [Morris], we have a number of good players that, if they are not starting in one game, are more than capable of starting and being involved in the next one.

"You just look at the weekend with Wayne Routledge and Liam Cullen played, and we also have Andre and Jamal [Lowe] in addition to Jordan.

“We have options, and I think that is healthy, especially with this schedule as you are probably going to need more than the normal-sized core of players.

“The more strength in depth we can have the better, competition for places is a good thing and we feel we have that in a number of positions.”

Ayew has been among Swansea's best performers this season, having registered eight goals in the Premier League.

He is continuing his exploits from last term when he finished as the club's top scorer after registering 15 goals in 44 Championship outings.

The 31-year-old will hope to continue his exploits in the league clash with Brentford on Wednesday. He has so far made 23 league appearances for Swansea, starting in all but one of the games.

Sarah Michael and Ritah Kivumbi have completed one-year contract extensions with Swedish Elitettan side Mallbackens.

Before agreeing to the new deals, Nigeria international Micheal joined from Kvarnsvedens IK in 2020, while Uganda international Kivumbi arrived from top-flight outfit Vaxjo in the same year. 

The Super Falcons star netted seven goals in 19 matches - the same number of goals as the Ugandan defender in 21 appearances.

The latest means the African duo has penned new one-year contracts at Strandvallen, indicating their futures at the club are not yet over as the team eyes top-flight promotion this season.

"Ritah Kivumbi extends her contract with Mallbackens IF over the 2021 season," the club announced on its official Instagram page.

"Ritah came from Växjö DFF in the Allsvenskan for the 2020 season. She became the points league winner in MIF together with Emmie Johansson in 2020 with 7 goals and 3 assists.

"We are convinced that Ritah will continue to produce goals and points and make a strong contribution to Mallbackens' offensive in 2021!"

On the part of Michael, Mallabackens confirmed: "Our experienced forward Sarah Michael has chosen to extend her contract over 2021!

"Sarah has qualities that give variables to our game and contribute with clear target play, goal danger and weight in our attacking play.

We are looking forward to Sarah's season and we are happy to see her in Mallbackens IF again this year!" 

Before moving to Mallbackens, the 30-year-old had played for Pitea, Djurgarden, Orebro, Lidköpings, and Kvarnsvedens IK.

At the international stage, she represented Nigeria at the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics and the Germany 2011 Women's World Cup.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has not been named in Arsenal’s squad while Thomas Partey and Nicolas Pepe will be starting against Southampton in their Premier League game on Tuesday night.

The Gabon international remains unavailable for the Gunners owing to “personal family reasons” as Mikel Arteta’s men chase victory at St. Mary’s Stadium.

The former Borussia Dortmund man has featured prominently for the North Londoners in the 2020-21 campaign scoring five goals in 17 league outings.

Victory over Ralph Hasenhuttl’s men would see Arsenal avenge their FA Cup defeat after the defence of their cup crown ended at St Mary’s.

Meanwhile, Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire internationals Partey and Pepe have been handed a start alongside England international of Nigerian descent Bukayo Saka.

Whereas, Ghana prospect Eddie Nketiah will start from the bench in the blockbuster showdown.

Arsenal are currently 11th with 27 points from 19 games and will aim to secure their ninth win of the ongoing season.

They walloped Newcastle United 3-0 in their last league game and the African duo in the starting line-up are keen to help them accrue all points at stake.