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Kai Havertz looks “lightweight” and “not bothered” at Chelsea says Robert Huth, with the former Blues defender saying his fellow German needs a “shake” and strong leaders around him at Stamford Bridge.

Frank Lampard was considered to have pulled off quite the coup when bringing the 21-year-old playmaker to west London. A £70 million ($91m) transfer package was required to prise one of European football’s hottest prospects away from Bayer Leverkusen, with Chelsea fending off plenty of rival interest in order to get a deal done.

Little value has been found so far, with Havertz finding the going tough in the Premier League.

Questions are already being asked of his price tag and attitude, with Huth among those to have suggested that the youngster is not giving as much as he needs to.

The former Chelsea centre-half told Stadium Astro: “It’s all well and good saying he needs to be the main guy but he’s at a big club and he needs to make that happen himself. Now is the time to shine.

“I just don’t like his body language at all, he looks a bit lightweight. It’s his first year, but he looks like he’s not bothered at times. He loses the ball, gives it away and doesn’t work back. It is a difficult time to come in with no fans, but you just want to shake him.

“We used to have Mahrez in our changing room [at Leicester] who got a lot better, but the team took care of him by saying ‘you can’t just do one side of it or 10 minutes of the game’.

“Maybe Chelsea lack that internal leader or leaders where that conversation happens. It’s not always a nice conversation to have when you’re not performing well, but it needs to happen. He needs someone to tell him what it takes to play in the Premier League. Maybe the whole changing room is a little bit too nice.”

Havertz is not the only Germany international to be struggling for form at Chelsea, with fellow big-money recruit Timo Werner also failing to live up to expectations.

He has managed just one goal in his last 15 appearances, with that solitary effort coming in the FA Cup clash with League Two side Morecambe.

Huth has fewer concerns about the 24-year-old forward, but concedes that he is lacking confidence at present.

“He started well,” added the ex-Blues star. “We can talk about whether he should play down the middle or on the wing, but the fact is that he just can’t score at the moment.

“He does get chances. He does get in positions, we have seen it before with strikers, he is in one of those phases where he needs a goal and his confidence builds.”

Indian Super League (ISL) clubs Mumbai City and Jamshedpur have pulled off a swap deal in the January transfer window, Goal can confirm. 

The Islanders have signed winger Jackichand Singh and in turn, have allowed Faruk Choudhary to join Jamshedpur for the rest of the season. 

Jackichand has previously worked for Sergio Lobera at Goa and brings with him the experience of having players for several Indian clubs over the years. The 28-year-old India international winger has 13 goals and 13 assists in 85 ISL appearances for various clubs. The ISL clubs he has featured for are Mumbai City, Pune City, Kerala Blasters, Goa and lately Jamshedpur. 

The former Royal Wahingdoh player has played all 12 games for Jamshedpur in the ongoing edition of the ISL and has three assists to his name. He will be a beneficial addition to the strong Mumbai City squad who are unbeaten in their last 10 games.

24-year-old Farukh, who enjoyed a productive stint with Jamshedpur last season, is set for a return to the Men of Steel. In 17 games last season, he picked up a goal and four assists but chose to sign for Mumbai City at the end of the season. Owen Coyle will be hoping that Farukh can pick up from where he stopped the last time he was at Jamshedpur. 

Mumbai City are at the top of the table with 26 points from 11 matches. Jamshedpur, who have lost their last three games, are currently are eighth with 13 points. 

Bukao Saka “has the potential to be a world-class player” says Lauren, with the former Arsenal defender also hailing Gabriel Martinelli as “one of the best talents in the Premier League”.

The Gunners have shown considerable faith in youth this season, with Mikel Arteta forced into changes after overseeing the club’s worst start to a campaign since 1974-75.

Seasoned veterans such as Mesut Ozil and Sokratis have been forced out, allowing academy graduates and youngsters to prove their worth.

Emile Smith Rowe is the latest to make the most of his big break, with the 20-year-old playmaker shining on the Premier League stage.

Saka is another to have shown that he can cut it among the elite, with the talented teenager already up to 65 senior appearances while collecting four full England caps.

The 19-year-old has also committed to a new contract at Emirates Stadium, with Lauren expecting big things from the versatile left-sided player.

He told Gentingbet: “Saka has the potential to be a world-class player. He is a player who understands the game which is so important.

“How many times does he lose the ball during a game? Not many at all. He plays simple. He can play in a variety of different positions and do a great job in all of them.

“I still think he hasn’t achieved his full potential. Sometimes for a young player to reach their potential then they need to be surrounded by top players who will make them better. But Saka has all the qualities to be a top, top player.”

Another of those that Lauren has high hopes for is Brazilian forward Martinelli, with the South American shaking off a run of unfortunate injuries to force his way back into contention for regular game time under Arteta.

“Martinelli is one of the best talents in the Premier League,” added Lauren, who formed part of Arsenal’s ‘Invincibles’ squad in 2003-4. “He was unlucky to get injured last season as he was showing excellent promise. He is quick, he can attack the spaces in the last third.

“He can play in the number nine or wide positions. He is quick in transitions and has lots of pace, as you can see from his goal against Chelsea last year. Hopefully, he can come back strong from his injury and pick back up where he left off.

“Arsenal need all their players fit – the season is very long. And Martinelli is so useful to have in Arsenal’s attack as he can play in all of the positions across the front three.”

Zinedine Zidane retains the full support of his board at Real Madrid, Goal has learned,  with the Frenchman not facing the axe despite suffering a humbling Copa del Rey defeat to Alcoyano.

That reversal, which came against third-tier opposition that had been reduced to 10 men, means the Liga heavyweights have seen another route to potential silverware in 2021 blocked off.

The result means they have suffered cup heartache twice in the space of a week, with Athletic Club having beaten them in the Supercopa de Espana final courtesy of a 3-2 extra-time win.

Prior to that, Real had been held to a goalless draw by Osasuna in their last league outing and are now three games without a win.

Four points separate them from table-topping neighbours Atletico Madrid in the Spanish top-flight, and Zidane’s side have played two games more than Diego Simeone’s troops.

Unsurprisingly, difficult questions are now being asked of those at Santiago Bernabeu.

Many of those are being directed at Zidane, with a French coach with two La Liga titles and three Champions League crowns on his managerial CV facing the first crisis of his career to date.

He is aware that his position will come under threat if results do not improve , with the World Cup winner telling reporters when quizzed on his future: "We have done good things, not so much lately, but apart from the last games we did good things this season. We have to concentrate on the things that can be done.

"When you lose, you always talk. I take responsibility and whatever has to happen, will happen. I am very calm, the players wanted to win the game. They try and sometimes different things happen. You have to assume responsibility.

"I am going to assume it, as always."

Zidane added: "It is a difficult moment, we are out of the Copa, we had to do something else but we couldn't. The players have tried. This is football, it is very difficult because we played against a Segunda B team and we have to win the game, but it didn't go like that.

"It's not a shame, it can happen, it happens, these are things that happen in a football career. I assume responsibility and we will continue working. We will not go crazy."

A desire to avoid kneejerk reactions is shared by those above Zidane at the Bernabeu.

They have seen Real face similar situations in the recent past,  with a 2-0 defeat to Shakhtar Donetsk in December leaving the Blancos sweating on their Champions League fate.

They responded positively to reach the last-16, collecting six successive wins across multiple competitions, and believe that their fortunes can be reversed once again.

Zidane is under pressure to deliver on that front, but he will be given time to do so – starting away at Alaves on Saturday.

Vipers Sports Club defender Livingstone Mulondo has stated he is going to come back with a purpose as he nears a complete recovery from a torn anterior cruciate ligament.

The former Busoga United defender has been out for almost two seasons after he got injured, underwent surgery and got sidelined. He was not part of the Venoms team that won the Premier League title last season.

“Coming back from this injury and long layoff is a blessing and I feel like I have to come back with a purpose,” Mulondo told the club’s website.

“I can’t come back just to be complacent or just to play cautiously. If I come back, I have to come back with 100 percent effort, come back better than I was before.

“I don’t want to be the guy that comes back and kind of falls off. I want to show that I’m the same player I was before.”

Vipers' strength and conditioning coach Ram Nyakana Mpuga said Mulondo has been training brilliantly and is now ready to feature in competitive games.

“It now looks like Mulondo is on the comeback trail as he has shown flashes of brilliance in the practice matches played since the resumption of this season,” Mpuga said.

“He has also continued to play and train well during the club’s daily drills and can come up against his teammates, among other things, leaving the coaches impressed.

“I feel he is both physically and psychologically well to play competitively again because his response towards exercises and rehabilitation has been hugely positive.

“His balance, stamina and agility are better than they were months back so now we have to see how he will react on the pitch.”

Mulondo last played in 2019 during a 1-0 win against BUL FC at St Mary’s Stadium when Michael Nam – a Kenyan tactician – was still in charge of the Kitende club.

When he will finally start playing, Vipers will look upon Mulondo and his teammates to fight for the retention of the league title. The Venoms could not advance in the Caf Champions League as they were eliminated by Sudan’s Al Hilal Omdurman in the preliminary stage.

East Bengal are currently second from the bottom on the 2020-21 Indian Super League (ISL) ahead of their clash against toppers Mumbai City on Friday. But the team from Kolkata will take heart from the fact that they have not been defeated (W2, D5) in their last seven games.

The Robbie Fowler-coached side currently have 12 points from as many games and are six points adrift from a top four spot. But it must be noted that they had lost the reverse fixture against Mumbai City 3-0.

"We knew that it was always going to be difficult as we entered the league very late. There was hardly any preparation time. If you see that match, except the goals we conceded, we didn't play that bad. We controlled the match in patches," said assistant coach Renedy Singh.

Bearing in mind that Mumbai City are on a 10-game unbeaten run (W8, D2), he added, "Mumbai [City] is a good side and they have been doing really well but we have to concentrate on our own style, the way we have for the last seven matches. I think the boys have worked really hard. 

"It's not easy to get results. We have seen the first four matches and only after the Kerala [Blasters] match (1-1 draw) in the first leg, the boys have been doing really well. It's a process that we cannot skip. We have been in a good process now and we need to get some wins."

East Bengal have been in the news for voicing their concern over refereeing decisions, with official complaints on multiple occasions - one of which resulted in referee Arumughan Rowan getting suspended.

"With all due respect to the referees, we knew that this is a problem for all the teams but I think they (referees) can do better. We have played with 10 men three times and we didn't lose those games. It's not easy for players to play with 10 men so many times," Singh remarked.

And while January signings in Bright Enobakhare, Ankit Mukherjee and Raju Gaikwad have impressed, the former East Bengal midfielder expects a better showing from the team collectively.

"The way we have played for the last seven days, it's a process and the whole team has to play better. Every Indian and foreign player will do better and I feel it will come very soon.

"We have to take inspiration from being unbeaten for the last seven matches and not losing playing for three matches playing with 10 men," he signed out.

Kakamega Homeboyz forward Moses Mudavadi believes his team should have won the game against Bandari last weekend.

The two teams played against each other in the FKF Premier League and the Dockers managed to win the game 4-3. The coastal-based side scored through Abdallah Hassan, who scored a brace, William Wadri, and Yemi Mwana while Mudavadi scored a brace for the visitors with another goal coming from Aston Esiye.

"Personally I was at the top level and performed as expected by coach [Nicholas Muyoti]," Mudavadi told Homeboyz's online TV. 

"But as a team, we did not get the result we wanted despite giving our best on the pitch. The game was good, and I felt we deserved to win considering the number of chances we created."

The winger also expressed his feelings after the Western-based side managed to get three goals at Mbaraki Stadium despite the defeat.

"As strikers, we have struggled in front of the goal in the many matches we have played," Mudavadi added.

"Like in the Tusker game [which we lost 1-0] we created many scoring opportunities but we did not take them. In the Bandari game, there was an improvement on us strikers; we played our part and I feel it is our stepping stone for us strikers to start from."

Mudavadi is also optimistic the brace he scored against the Dockers will help him perform even better in the forthcoming assignments. He has further promised the fans things will change for the better soon.

"Pressure is on me; the brace I scored [against Bandari] was my first one ever since I started playing in the top-tier and it has really motivated me. I am looking forward to the next game with confidence hoping to get another goal. 

"To our fans, on behalf of the team, we are very much sorry. We know they are hurting but I promise them we will soon bounce back, things will become better.

"We will do our best and achieve the targets set." 

Homeboyz have collected just five points from the seven games they have played. They have won one game, drawn two and lost four games and as a result, they are placed 14th on the log.

Nigeria’s former goalkeeper trainer and assistant coach Joe Erico has died at the age of 72.

Erico, nicknamed ‘Jogobonito exponent’, passed away on Tuesday morning in Lagos surrounded by his family, after a brief illness.

Confirming this development to Goal, a close family member Tomiwa Aghedo said the country’s coaching icon had died after complaining of stomach ache.

“I feel sad informing you that coach Joe Erico passed on this morning [Tuesday],” Aghedo told Goal.

“He complained of stomach ache yesterday and he was subsequently rushed to the hospital, where he was told to present his Covid-19 test result before he would be attended to.

“Coach Erico went for the test as directed and very early this morning he passed away. It’s terrible news at this point in time and everyone of us is devastated.

“We are consoled by the fact that he served Nigeria with all his strength and he lived a good life worthy of emulation.”

MORE TO FOLLOW

Arsenal need to be adding “the best players” they can to their ranks at Emirates Stadium, admits Lauren, with the former Gunners defender aware of speculation linking the north London giants with Houssem Aouar and Jack Grealish.

He is reluctant to be drawn on the identity of those that Mikel Arteta should be targeting in current and future transfer windows, but would like to see proven performers brought on board.

Lyon playmaker Aouar has been a long-standing target for Arsenal , and could soon be on his way out of France, while Aston Villa captain Grealish continues to see his stock rise on the back of becoming one of the Premier League’s most creative influences.

“I believe that Arsenal need the best players in order to win the Premier League and Europa League,” ex-Gunners defender Lauren told Gentingbet when quizzed on possible recruitment business.

“Edu and Arteta will have a clear vision of what they want and will have a plan in place to bring those players in.”

Pressed specifically on Aouar, Lauren said: “Arteta knows the method and the idea of play they are looking to implement to lead Arsenal success so he is the one that has the right to answer that question.”

He added on the Grealish rumours: “I would love is to see the best players in the world at Arsenal, the team needs the best players in order to win things and keep fighting at the top of the Premier League.

“Edu and Arteta know this and they have the power to understand what they need, in order to the push forward, as a club.”

Arsenal do not have the biggest of budgets to work with as they seek to bolster their ranks, but Arteta has started to freshen up his squad by removing deadwood such as Mesut Ozil , Sead Kolasinac and Sokratis Papastathopoulos, meaning that he may be freed to dip into the market.

Lauren, who formed part of the Gunners’ fabled ‘Invincibles’ squad from 2003-04 added on the need to reinforce when competing across multiple competitions: “Arsenal is a club I love, they need to be fighting to win the Premier League and win the Europa League competition, getting to the Champions League and to do that you need the best players in the world otherwise it is difficult to win things.”

Arsenal, who have rediscovered a spark of late after making their worst start to a season since 1974-75, will be back in action on Saturday when they take in an FA Cup fourth-round clash with Southampton.

Kaizer Chiefs defender Philani Zulu is relishing his defensive responsibilities with the Glamour Boys.

During his time with Maritzburg United, Zulu was employed primarily a left-winger. In his four seasons with Chiefs, he’s alternated between left-back and left-wing, but of late has become coach Gavin Hunt’s preferred option on the left side of defence.

It's a position which has been troublesome for Hunt – he’s also used the likes of Yagan Sasman, Siphosakhe Ntiya-Ntiya and Daniel Cardoso in that role this term. Recent showings by Zulu though have suggested that he could be the answer.

“Playing at left-back, I have been entrusted with a very hard task,” Zulu told Chiefs media.

“But I just put it upon myself to keep working hard because everyone is needed in the team.

“The more effort I put in where I am, and with the help of every other player on the field, it makes me want to give more - it's about me performing to the best of my ability but also helping my team-mates,” he added.

Having struggled for several months this season, January has thus far proved to be a turning point for Amakhosi – thanks to consecutive wins over AmaZulu, Cape Town City and Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila.

“We are looking forward to carrying on with the momentum and winning as much games as we can,” the Pietermaritzburg-born player said.

“At training the spirit is high, we don't want to look back. Moving away from the bottom of the log is a big relief. It took a lot of hard work, we had to dig deep and it paid off very well.

“Now we know what is needed we are trying our best to keep going and not to look back. We just keep on focusing on what lies ahead - that's what's going to help us as a team.”

Next up for the Glamour Boys is a trip to the Winelands this weekend for Saturday’s league clash against Stellenbosch FC.

“Stellenbosch are a very good side,” Zulu commented. “The way they play, they keep the ball, they control the ball.

“There are no small teams or big teams in the PSL - all the teams are playing to the best of their abilities and its a very tough team to play against. Travelling to Cape Town is never easy.”

Chiefs are seventh on the table, with 16 points from 12 games, 10 points behind league leaders Mamelodi Sundowns and Swallows FC.

Jamie Carragher has insisted Liverpool do not need to hit the panic button after their first big slump in form for three seasons, as he backed Jurgen Klopp champions to rediscover their mojo and bounce back in the Premier League title race.

Last Sunday's 0-0 draw against Manchester United saw Liverpool fail to score for a third successive match, as the reigning champions slipped further behind their rivals in an unpredictable title race.

Yet Liverpool legend Carragher, who played 737 games for the club in a career that saw him win nine major trophies, has insisted the alarm bells ringing for Klopp's misfiring side are misplaced, with their dip in form not providing evidence that they are about to surrender their title. 

Ahead of Liverpool's game against Burnley on Thursday, Manchester City have been installed as title favourites and Carragher believes this season's race is too unpredictable to call at this stage.

"Panic is not a word I would use to describe where Liverpool are at this moment because as a team, they have proved themselves time and again in recent years, but they have some questions to answer now," said Carragher, speaking to Goal at a Sky Sports event.

"You can't say Mohamed Salah or Sadio Mane are not great players, of course not. They've had a dip in form, that is all they have had at this moment and also, teams are working out how to play against Liverpool.

"I think when Jurgen Klopp initially came in there was a problem against teams who defended deep against them, certainly at Anfield. They would drop points in those games and that seemed to have gone away in the last couple of years. 

"Now it looks like they are having problems breaking teams down. They have played their last three fixtures against teams where you would expect them to have maybe seven points out of nine in those games.

"People talk about missing Virgil van Dijk and, bizarrely, they haven't missed him defensively really, when you look at the record. But of course you miss him for lots of different reasons, and actually on the ball…in terms of building from the back and starting the attack, Liverpool mixed it up really well, playing different balls last season. 

"This team had a great balance last season. They would be direct at times in a football sense, where you'd see Van Dijk play that ball over the top or switch the play and it would be really quick.

"At the moment, the football just feels a bit slower I would say and I think a lot of that is the build-up from the back. Van Dijk is unique in being a great defender and (having) his ability on the ball. I think teams that want to stop Liverpool and are maybe coming for a draw are finding it easier to regroup and be compact and not be moved about as much and as quickly, certainly because of Van Dijk being out."

Carragher believes a more competitive title race is good for the Premier League, as he argued the unpredictability of this season is making for compelling viewing for fans unable to attend games due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

"We wanted to see the other teams get closer to Liverpool because we need it to be more competitive than it was last season," he continues. 

"From a Liverpool perspective, it was great to win the league in the manner they did last season, but you want to see a competitive title race and we didn't really get that last season. 

"We don't want any team to be 20 or 30 points ahead and while I want Liverpool to win the league, obviously, I'd like to see them in the tight title race and winning it on the last day of the season in exciting fashion, going down to the wire. 

"If the top one or two teams are getting 99 and 100 points every season, it means there are less points to go around and the teams at the bottom are stranded with no points and the teams outside the title race are miles away from the contenders. 

"I would like to see the total points needed to win the Premier League go down to less than 90 points this season as that would mean we have a more interesting title race and that's what we are getting now.

"One week you feel United are out of it, then two weeks later they are top. Spurs were up there for a time. Chelsea have had moments when they looked threatening.

"For me, it will still be between City and Liverpool at the end of the season, but Man Utd have certainly put themselves in the mix."

Liverpool vs Burnley is live on Sky Sports and NOW TV on Thursday. 

The Tanzania Premier League Board (TPLB) has set February 13 as the resumption date of top-flight football.

The Tanzanian top-tier was suspended early in the year, but the league managers have now come up with new dates for it to continue. 

"TPLB has informed all teams taking part in the 2020/21 Tanzania Mainland League that the top-tier will resume on February 13," read the statement obtained by Goal.

"The league was suspended to allow teams to take part in the Mapinduzi Cup that took place in Zanzibar as well as Chan that is going on in Cameroon."

Teams like Simba SC, who are the reigning champions, Namungo FC, Azam FC, Ruvu Shooting, KMC FC, Dodoma Jiji FC and Gwambina FC might start their games earlier.

"However, teams having matches in hand will be involved as soon as February 4, before matchday 19 kicks-off. The fixtures will be released soon," TPLB further clarified. 

"We wish all the teams the best preparations and all the best in the remaining league matches."  

Yanga SC top the standings with 44 points after playing 18 games. The 27-time champions have managed to win 13 games and drawn five and are currently the only unbeaten side this season.

Wekundu wa Msimbazi are in second position on the table with nine points less. They have managed to collect 35 points from the 15 games they have played. The defending champions have won 11 games, drawn two and lost as many.

2014 champions Azam are third with 32 points from the 17 games they have played. The Ice-cream Makers have won nine games, five draws and three losses.

Meanwhile Yanga have come out to dismiss reports they have released two of their players Michael Sarpong and Carlos Carlinhos.

The two players have not enjoyed a good start with the Jangwani giants after they signed for the team at the start of the 2020-21 campaign.

While Sarpong arrived from Rwanda, Carlinhos joined from Angola but they have all struggled to impress with Carlinhos the most affected as he missed a number of matches in the first round of the Mainland Premier League due to injury.

Carlinhos was recently named in Yanga’s squad for the Mapinduzi Cup and despite travelling with the team to Arusha, he was later asked to return to Dar es Salaam, with the club stating he had been given time off to rest his injury.

Criticism of Liverpool star Thiago Alcantara is “very harsh” says John Aldridge, with the former Reds striker saying it is too early to pass judgement on the midfielder.

A man snapped up from German giants Bayern Munich during the summer of 2020 has not enjoyed the best of starts to his time in England. Having contracted Covid-19, the Spain international then picked up a knock during the Merseyside derby with Everton in October.

He had been playing his way into form at that stage with some impressive cameos, but progress was stunted as the 29-year-old playmaker was forced onto the sidelines.

A return to action has been made over recent weeks, but Liverpool have been struggling as a collective and Thiago has figured in three Premier League contests that have delivered no wins and just two points.

Questions are being asked of his value to Jurgen Klopp’s cause, with some suggesting that he is not right for the system at Anfield.

Aldridge feels detractors are being unfair on a proven performer, with the ex-Reds frontman telling the Liverpool Echo: “Thiago has come in for some recent criticism after the draw with Manchester United and I find that very harsh.

“People questioning his role in the side if he suits Liverpool's style. He’s only played three times in the league since he’s come back and it’s at a time when the front three aren’t clicking.

“You can’t put it on Thiago, no chance. He’s such a gifted player and so lovely to watch. No, I’m not having it. Assess him at the end of the season.”

While calling for patience when it comes to Thiago, Aldridge admits that Klopp could look at shuffling his pack in upcoming fixtures as defending champions Liverpool seek to kick-start their campaign.

He added, with a home date against Burnley on Thursday next up for the Reds: “I think Jurgen might make a few changes against Burnley. Games are coming thick and fast with United again at the weekend then Tottenham and West Ham. Three away games after this.

“I don’t know what he’ll do but he’ll mix it up a little bit. He needs to. Hopefully [Joel] Matip is fit and he can release [Jordan] Henderson in midfield.

“He can’t release Fabinho because he’s been player of the season. He has to stay in defence until we get more people back in that position.

“I think it’s strange he hasn’t looked at [Takumi] Minamino with [Roberto] Firmino below his best. I thought he might have got 25 minutes at least against United but for some reason he’s not getting the time. I don’t know why, only Jurgen knows.”

Paul Pogba admits he is “all about winning” at Manchester United and will be “angry” again when the Red Devils start to come unstuck.

Losses have been few and far between for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side of late.

United are unbeaten in their last 13 Premier League outings, with a run that has included outings against the likes of Everton, Manchester City and Liverpool stretching back to a 1-0 reversal at home to Arsenal on November 1.

Across their last 19 fixtures in all competitions, the Red Devils have stumbled just three times – with those setbacks dropping them out of the Champions League and Carabao Cup.

A welcome return to form in the English top-flight has lifted a rejuvenated outfit to the top of the table, with that standing cemented with a hard-fought 2-1 win away at Fulham.

Solskjaer’s side trailed again in that contest, as has become the norm on their travels this season, but the predatory instincts of Edinson Cavani and a stunning strike from Pogba got them over the line.

A feel good factor has returned to Old Trafford, with a slow start to the 2020-21 campaign shrugged off, and those who have faced questions of their form and future are starting to thrive once more.

World Cup winner Pogba falls into that category, having sparked plenty of transfer talk, but he is playing with a smile on his face at present.

He told BT Sport after putting in a match-winning performance at Craven Cottage, to go with the one he recently delivered at Burnley: “I love winning.

“It’s all about winning. I will always be happy when I win, and I will always be happy when I’m on the pitch. Today we won, so I’m happy. The day we lose I’ll be angry again. This is me.”

United have reached the halfway point of their season with 40 points taken from 19 games.

They are just two points clear of arch-rivals Manchester City, who boast a game in hand, while only eight points separate the top seven.

Pogba is expecting a thrilling fight to the finish in an intriguing title tussle, with the France international adding: “It’s the Premier League, so it’s always hard.

“It’ll never be easy and we know there are big teams as well close with us on points, so we have to do us. That’s it.”

United’s attention is about to switch back to knockout football, with another meeting with Liverpool in the fourth round of the FA Cup next on the agenda for Solskjaer’s side.

ATK Mohun Bagan's Arindam Bhattacharya has had the safest pair of hands in this edition of ISL (Indian Super League). With seven clean sheets and a save percentage of 86.5 (best in the league), the keeper is at the top of the goalkeeper rankings. 

He has been in a rich vein of form since the beginning of this season and halfway through the league, he has put up impressive shifts under the sticks for the Bagan. 

At the turn of the year, it was his outstanding performance that helped Antonio Habas' team earn a point against Chennaiyin. It was his alacrity that the Marina Machans were denied on at least four occasions. The experienced custodian rolled back the years and hardly put a foot wrong in that match. 

On most occasions, his performances make the difference for the ATK Mohun Bagan as they have won most matches (five out of six wins) by a one-goal margin. It is often noticed that once Habas' team gets the lead, they fall back and try to defend it, and hence the keeper has little margin for error. 

Mumbai City's Amrinder Singh comes a close second. He also has seven clean sheets but his save percentage is slightly less (85.7). However, he has conceded just three goals, while Bhattacharya has let in one more. 

The Islanders have been solid defensively and Singh has faced only 30 shots on target, compared to 42 of Bhattacharya, highlighting the efficiency of Mumbai's defence. 

'Savejit' living up to his name

East Bengal's Debjit Majumder has been in pristine form, as per the statistics. He has made the most number of saves (40) in the league and the Red and Gold's recent surge in form can be attributed to his heroics as the last man in defence. In almost every game, the keeper has been pulling off some match-defining saves which have spared Robbie Fowler the blushes after a horrendous start to the campaign.

In fact, after the match against Chennaiyin, the former Liverpool player applauded his keeper and said," I think he's been brilliant. He had a few good saves. He's a goalkeeper who is playing really well." If East Bengal's defence was a bit more solid, Majumder's numbers would have matched up to Bhattacharya and Singh. 

He has done a commendable job to come back strongly after a poor 2019-20 season where he had to play second fiddle to Shankar Roy at Mohun Bagan for the entire I-League season after a few brain fade moments against Churchill Brothers which resulted in a 4-2 loss. 

Gurpreet Sandhu going through a lean patch 

India international Gurpreet Singh Sandhu is not performing at the levels he is accustomed to with Bengaluru FC. The golden glove winner of the previous season has already conceded 16 goals after 12 games in this season, whereas he leaked the same number in the entirety of the last term. 

He has 65.85 save per cent which is abysmal for a keeper of his standards. Against Mumbai City FC, it was an absolute howler on his part when he could not keep out Bartholomew Ogbeche's header which handed the league leaders a two-goal cushion killing any hopes of a comeback. 

Mumbai City FC custodian Amrinder Singh has been booked for two yellow card offences, the most amongst goalkeepers.

Kerala Blasters FC keeper Albino Gomes has saved the most penalties in the current campaign of the season (three).

NorthEast United FC’s Gurmeet Singh and Kerala Blasters FC’s Albino Gomes have conceded the most goals from outside the box this season (two). In fact, Gomes has also conceded the most goals from inside the box (19). 

All stats till January 18, 2021. 

Stat courtesy: OptaJeev 

Al-Duhail Sports Club Director Adnan Al Ali has claimed Al Ahly will present them with a difficult game during the Fifa Club World Cup opener.

If the Asians win the match, they will then take on European champions Bayern Munich in the next round.

Ali has stated the team will first enter into a camp on February 1 in order to have special preparation ahead of the clash against the Egyptian heavyweights.

“The draw was done and our match against Al Ahly – the Egyptian and African champions – will be difficult,” Ali told the club’s website. “We will have different preparations for this tournament, preparations that are different from ones for local competitions.

“We are the host team for Club World Cup and we hope to have an honourable appearance and achieve positive results. If we succeed against Al Ahly, we will confront Bayern Munich which is definitely going to be a very difficult match.

“We will depend on the ability of our players to appear in a way that will represent Qatari football in a proper way.

“We will have a match in the Amir Cup against Al Ahli SC and it will act as one of the preparations for Fifa Club World Cup.”

Olunga – who is set to appear for the first time in the global club competition – is among the new players who joined the Qatari club that earned a place in the tournament after the withdrawal of Auckland City FC.

“After the withdrawal of New Zealand [Auckland City FC withdrew citing stringent coronavirus regulations] and reaching the second stage of the championship, we decided to have the team in a closed camp from February 1.

“It is the best and special way to prepare the players for the Al Ahly match and we trust the ability of the technical staff to prepare the players technically and physically for the showdown

The director pointed out that Olunga and new players were brought specifically to help Al-Duhail achieve their ambitions in the Club World Cup.

“We have included a number of new players to strengthen our ranks and among them are Ali Karim and [Michael] Olunga. They are important additions to the team that is preparing to represent the country in this important championship,” Ali added.

“Al Saad hosted the last edition and this will be the last edition being hosted in Qatar and we certainly hope our participation will be positive. We hope to achieve our goals by participating as required.”

The fixtures will be played at three venues - in the city of Al Rayyan: Khalifa International Stadium, Education City Stadium, and Ahmed bin Ali Stadium when the tournament begins on February 4.

Tanzania assistant coach Selemani Matola believes his charges were punished by Zambia in Group D's Chan game owing to their minor mistakes.  

On Tuesday, second-half goals from Collins Sikombe and Emmanuel Chabula ensured Chipolopolo became the first team to score more than one goal in Cameroon. The interim Simba SC coach is optimistic the team will get a favourable outcome in their next game.

"We played very well only that minor mistakes we committed were advantageously used by our opponents," Matola said as quoted by Daily News.

"We got some chances to equalise like the one missed by Ditram Nchimbi, but in the end, the final results were not good to us."

Did Taifa Stars miss experience in the biennial competition?

"That is not the reason because each player who featured had a great match and what we ought to do now is to thoroughly prepare for our next clash," Selemani concluded.

Defender Shomari Kapombe says the team lost concentration after the pause, leading to the two goals conceded. But he is confident the technical team has identified the mistakes and the team will improve in the next game against Namibia.

"I believe that the technical bench has identified the weak areas we displayed and will use them to make the team stronger in our upcoming tie so that we can win and revive hopes of sailing into the next round," the defender said.

"In the first half, our performance was great and we dominated the match but in the second half, we lost concentration thereby enabling [Zambia] to score two goals. But the most important thing is to do well in our next battle."

His sentiments were echoed by fellow player Baraka Majogoro who also appreciated the coach for trusting him.

"I am thankful to the coach for trusting me to play in this crucial match of the competition. I hope that my performance in the next game will double to stamp the much needed victory."  

Guinea, who defeated Namibia 3-0, lead Group D on goal difference with Chipolopolo coming in second. Tanzania are third while Namibia are at the bottom.

The 2020-21 Indian Super League (ISL) has so far been a season to remember for three talented Indian full-backs. The triple As - Hyderabad duo Akash Mishra, Asish Rai and NorthEast United's Ashutosh Mehta have all consistently delivered stellar displays this season.

When the season began, there was a dearth of in-form full-back talent in India. Apart from Pritam Kotal, who has played as a right-back in the national team, there were not many who could easily claim a full-back spot. And even Kotal had played as a third centre-back last season. Ashique Kuruniyan, who started his career as a winger, was the best bet at left-back with Subhasish Bose also maintaining decent performances.

Now India can confidently consider three more options in those roles. 19-year-old Akash Mishra has been excellent for Manuel Marquez's team and already has one assist to his name in 12 matches. His level of consistency has been remarkable and he has played every single minute of Hyderabad's ISL season so far. 

Mishra has marauded up and down the left flank of Hyderabad as and when required and he has contributed to the improved displays of the likes of Halicharan Narzary who is currently the joint Indian top scorer in the ISL. Mishra has also been good at the defence, dealing with whatever thas been thrown at him so far.

On the opposite flank, Asish Rai has been giving Mishra good competition for the tag of being the best full-back in the squad. He has been more adventurous at times and as a result more prone to defensive lapses but remains one of the best in his position in India right now. While he had one assist in 14 games last season, he has two in 12 already this time around and has played all 12 games for the Nizams so far. 

The third 'A', Ashutosh Mehta's career graph has been spectacular. He was phenomenal for Kibu Vicuna's Mohun Bagan in their title-winning 2019-20 season. Mehta opted to choose NorthEast as his next destination and has picked up from where he left off. 

Mehta has been a strong presence on NorthEast's right flank even as the team struggled to be consistent with their performances. He scored a fantastic textbook header in his team's last game against Jamshedpur and has one goal and an assist to his name in 12 games this season. 

His pinpoint crosses from the right flank have been a nightmare for defences but the team has not always had the same quality in making use of his deliveries from the right flank. Mehta would have had more assists to his name if NorthEast's attack, involving Idrissa Sylla, improve in front of goal. 

The 2020-21 season has produced three key names for the role of full-back. They have all been excellent so far and it will be interesting to see if they get into the national team reckoning.

Former Indian Super League (ISL) champions Bengaluru have now gone six games without a win in the seventh season of the competition.

It is very unusual for a club like Bengaluru to lose five out of their last six matches. It is even more unusual for the Blues to succumb to Kerala Blasters but on Wednesday, the Yellow Army came out as the stronger team in Goa and picked up only their second win in eight games against Bengaluru in ISL. 

It was not smooth-sailing for either team. Kibu Vicuna fielded Jeakson Singh alongside Costa Nhamoinesu at centre-back, with Sandeep Singh as the makeshift right-back and Dhenechandra Meitei on the opposite flank. New signing Juande was given the defensive midfield role. 

This second-hand backline struggled to keep things tight at the back as the likes of Cleiton Silva, Sunil Chhetri and Udanta Singh threatened to score when they pushed forward. Dhenechandra's left flank was very well targeted by the Blues as they took advantage of his inexperience at this level.

Blasters have the worst defence in the league this season and their ineptitude inside the box was on display when Bengaluru scored a goal from a throw-in. The throw-in fell for Cleiton Silva to smash home the opener with a fantastic side volley. 

The Yellow Army, as they have done multiple times this season, pressed well and showed intent to get back into the game in the second half. But this time around, they actually managed to convert their second-half efforts into goals and that made the difference. 

Bengaluru's poor defending allowed Blasters to score the equaliser in the 73rd minute. Hooper's powerful shot from close-range hit Gurpreet on his face and as he went down, substitute Puitea slammed the loose ball into the net and the Bengaluru defence failed to clear the ball, ending up watch the ball hit the net. 

Blasters showed the desire and the commitment that was required to pull off a dramatic end to the game. They pressed for a winner but so did Bengaluru FC. Both teams went for the goal that would've clinched the tie, which made for a thrilling finish. Leon Augustine should've clinched a winner for the Blues while another header hit the post. But it was Blasters who got the all-important goal. 

Gary Hooper released Rahul KP into the vacant space behind the Bengaluru defence who were camped in their attacking half. A confident Rahul dribbled into the box and struck a powerful shot at Gurpreet who failed to save the effort and it went right through into the goal. It must be noted that Rahul had scored an exact replica of this goal when the two sides met earlier this season and Gurpreet would be disappointed at letting him score with a shot at the same area. 

Rahul KP's confidence to take that shot right at the end deserves special credit as that made it three points instead of one for Blasters. Hooper registered two assists to his name, signalling a new role for him in the team. Sandeep, who slotted in as the right-back, did enough to keep Nishu Kumar waiting on the bench if Vicuna wants to stick with the new position for the player. Those players gave Naushad Moosa and his team a lot to think about - where is the Bengaluru team that killed games off in style? 

Blasters showed the spirit to turn a draw into a win. They remain four points away from the last playoff spot after the 12th round. Nothing is impossible.