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Arsenal legend Ray Parlour claims to be “sure” that Aaron Ramsey will “one day come back” to Emirates Stadium, with the Wales international currently plying his trade at Juventus.

The 30-year-old midfielder headed to Turin in the summer of 2019 when he left north London as a free agent, having allowed his contract to run down, and brought an 11-year spell with the Gunners to a close.

Ramsey bid an emotional goodbye when the time came for him to pack his bags, with fond memories held of a spell that delivered 369 appearances and three FA Cup triumphs.

He is now looking to replicate that success in Italy, with his debut campaign delivering a Serie A crown.

The Welshman is enjoying his football under Andrea Pirlo as part of a star-studded Juve squad, but Parlour believes the call of home will prove too strong at some stage.

The former Arsenal winger told talkSPORT when asked if he could see Ramsey back at the Emirates: "He’s doing well at Juventus at the moment and enjoying his football.

“He’s been a top professional his whole career, the way he conducted himself when he left Arsenal.

“He probably wanted to stay but at that moment in time they didn’t want to give him the wages he wanted.

“He was a brilliant player and I’m sure one day he will come back. He’ll probably finish his career in England – we don’t know where it’s going to be.

“He could go back to Cardiff.”

Ramsey burst onto the senior stage at Cardiff, with a competitive debut made for the Bluebirds at just 16 years of age.

It may be that his career goes full circle and he looks to complete his playing days back where it all began.

Arsenal will, however, be keeping a door open for now, with the Premier League heavyweights still crying out for a player of Ramsey’s ilk.

Creativity and goal threat from midfield have been big misses for Mikel Arteta’s side of late, with efforts being made to counter those issues with another transfer window open.

Ramsey is not a target at present, as he remains under contract at Juve until 2023, but nothing can be ruled out further down the line.

Manchester United will not “do anything” in the January transfer window, claims Rene Meulensteen, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer considered to be “happy with the squad he’s got”.

The Red Devils have seen their ranks bolstered by the arrival of Amad Diallo, with the highly-rated 18-year-old completing a move from Atalanta that was agreed in the summer of 2020.

It has been suggested that Solskjaer should be looking to build on that deal by adding another centre-half to his squad, with Real Madrid skipper Sergio Ramos mooted as a possible target.

Meulensteen, though, cannot see any further business being carried out before the next deadline passes, with a few quiet weeks on the recruitment front set to be taken in at Old Trafford.

Sir Alex Ferguson’s former right-hand man told talkSPORT when asked if he expects Solskjaer to spend: “Not really.

“I don’t think they’re really going to do anything in the January transfer market, I think that’s been made clear by Ed Woodward and Ole.

“I think they’ve got clear ideas on how to take it forward, it’s a long-term process and I think he’s happy with the squad he’s got.

“If they had all their players available against Man City, including [Edinson] Cavani, it could have been a different game.

“I don’t think they will do anything.”

United suffered a derby defeat to City in their latest outing, with a 2-0 Carabao Cup reversal seeing Solskjaer’s side come unstuck in a fourth successive semi-final appearance.

Questions are being asked of whether the Red Devils can bring a four-year wait for major silverware to a close this season, with Meulensteen looking for the club’s class of 2020-21 to take important lessons from the iconic reign of Ferguson.

The Dutchman added: “If you look back at the amount of United wins in the last minute of games and extra-time, it was all based on keeping the pressure on but mainly making sure there was the quality and the composure.

“The game that springs to mind was the game also against City when Michael Owen scored the winner, and if you look at that, that was on the highest quality when Ryan Giggs played in the ball to Owen.

“Sir Alex would never have allowed that [how United ended the game on Wednesday night].

“He would have changed things tactically to put more pressure on the opposition and force them to make mistakes. But there was always quality that got the goal that was getting us the draw or the win.”

If Arsenal got “anywhere near the top six” this season then Gunners great Ian Wright says he would be “happy with that” and consider foundations to have been put in place for future success.

Mikel Arteta appeared to be carrying out that construction work in 2020 as he oversaw FA Cup and Community Shield triumphs.

Those successes proved to be another false dawn for Arsenal, with the north London giants getting off to their worst start to a season since 1974-75.

A run of three consecutive victories around the turn of the year has helped to turn the tide somewhat at Emirates Stadium, with the Gunners looking up again rather than over their shoulder.

Wright has been encouraged by performances against Chelsea, Brighton and West Brom, with confidence slowly returning to Arteta’s ranks.

If that momentum can be maintained, then European qualification through final league standings is still there to be shot at in 2021.

“If Arsenal got anywhere near the top six and they start to create and do what we’re seeing now in the last few games, I’d be happy with that, for now,” the legendary former Gunners striker told The Kelly and Wrighty Show.

“I think that the confidence that will be going through the guys now, they’ll be looking forward to those games.

“Whereas a couple of weeks ago, before the three wins, they would be games where you’d be thinking, ‘oh my gosh, this could be quite intense for Arsenal’.

“Before the Chelsea game they had a run of games where you couldn’t see Arsenal winning, with the form that they were in. But in the Premier League, three wins changes everything.

“It changes the confidence, you’ve got players who can’t wait to play and Arsenal look like a different proposition to teams now.

“The two [Premier League] games coming up now, Arsenal will feel like they can win those games.”

An FA Cup third-round clash with Newcastle is next on the agenda for Arsenal, with the Magpies due at the Emirates on Saturday.

Steve Bruce’s side will also be faced in Premier League competition on January 18, with that fixture being sandwiched by a home date with Crystal Palace and a trip to Southampton.

England’s women’s national team will continue preparation throughout 2021 for a huge summer next year, when they host the 2022 UEFA Women’s European Championship.

It promises to be a big year for the team, who will part ways with head coach Phil Neville and see Sarina Wiegman, currently in charge of the Netherlands, take over the role after this summer’s Olympic Games.

England themselves will not compete at the Games, though a number of their players will head out to Tokyo as part of the Team GB squad that will be aiming for a gold medal.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Lionesses haven’t played a game since March 2020, when they competed in the SheBelieves Cup, a tournament held annually by the United States women’s national team.

No fixtures were scheduled for the April international break that followed, but the impact of coronavirus meant the team would not meet up again until September, for a training camp.

Games against Germany and Norway were due to take place in October and December respectively, to close out the year, but were both postponed. A positive Covid-19 test among England’s backroom staff caused the trip to Germany to be called off, while the Norwegian FA chose not to travel for the latter fixture.

England are expected to return to action in February, with the first international window set for February 15-24.

The Lionesses have occupied those FIFA dates with the SheBelieves Cup for the last five years, since it was established back in 2016.

However, the FA announced in July of last year that the team would not travel to the USA for the tournament in 2021. In November, Neville then revealed that England had other plans for February.

“Because we’ve had a lack of competitive fixtures, [and we are] not going to SheBelieves [Cup], Sue [Campbell, the FA’s director or women's football] and Kay [Cossington, the FA’s head of women's technical development] are working hard on doing something in February that we can’t announce yet because nothing is guaranteed or signed, sealed and delivered,” he said.

“If it does come off, it will be really exciting for players, one that we can really look forward to and that will really benefit us going into the next 12 months of their development.”

However, nothing has been announced since those comments.

There are further international windows in April (5-13) and June (7-15) before the Olympic Games begin in July, after which Wiegman will take charge.

The England players will be welcomed into camp by the Dutch coach for the first time in September, with further FIFA dates for internationals following in October and November.

Qualifying for the 2023 Women’s World Cup, to be hosted by Australia and New Zealand, should also commence this year.

However, there is still no official date for when the draw will be made for the UEFA qualifying groups, nor has the FA yet confirmed any friendlies for England in 2021.

Mesut Ozil’s legacy at Arsenal will not be damaged by the way his time at the club has come to an end.

That is according to boss Mikel Arteta, who says the German’s record since arriving in north London is "unquestionable", even if he never plays another game for the club.

Arsenal had gone eight years without a trophy when Ozil joined from Real Madrid in 2013, but in his first season he helped Arsene Wenger’s side win the FA Cup.

The north Londoners went on to win the trophy a further three times during Ozil's stay in north London and he has contributed 33 goals and 54 assists in 184 Premier League games for the Gunners.

But Ozil’s Arsenal’s career has halted dramatically during the past year, with the playmaker not featuring since March and not even being included in Arteta’s 25-man squad for the first half of the 2020-21 campaign.

A January departure now looks a real possibility for the 32-year-old, with Fenerbahce hoping to lure him to Turkey.

An exit in the coming weeks would deny Ozil the chance of a proper send off from the Arsenal fans and would cap what has been an unseemly end to what had been a hugely successful stay.

But Arteta believes that whatever happens this month or in the summer, when Ozil’s contract is due to expire, the German’s legacy at Arsenal is already secured.

“What Mesut has done at the football club is unquestionable and that will stay,” said the Spaniard.

“It doesn’t matter if he plays two more games, 10 more games or none.

“I think what he has done is there for the records, the history of the club and his contribution, nobody can discuss that.”

Arsenal’s focus during the January transfer window is on getting the likes of Ozil, Sokratis and Shkodran Mustafi out of the door as they look to trim what is a bloated squad.

Sead Kolasinac has already left, as has William Saliba, but more are expected to follow before the end of the month.

Should Arsenal manage to free up space in the squad, they will look to bring in at least one new addition, but it is far from clear at this stage whether it will be possible.

Ideally Arteta would like to have things sorted quickly so he knows exactly what he has to work with during the second half of the season, but he accepts the club is trying to do business in extremely challenging times.

“At the moment, the market is really complicated,” he said.

“The situation around every club is not easy and to get the negotiations going as well is harder because you cannot be face to face. You cannot travel to another country and make a deal happen like that.

“Everything has to be through the phone or Zoom. It can go either way to be fair. I can tell you what I would like, which is on day one to have the squad like I want and the players out and in sorted, but I think it is really complicated right now.”

Manchester City have been warned by Trevor Sinclair that ongoing talk of a possible move for Lionel Messi could complicate matters when it comes to contract discussions with Kevin De Bruyne.

The talismanic Belgian midfielder is yet to commit to fresh terms at the Etihad Stadium.

There is no rush on that front for City, with De Bruyne already tied down until 2023, but the Blues would like to put an extension in place.

Sinclair, though, believes a lack of progress on that front is down to a star turn in Manchester wanting pay parity with the very best in the business.

That would be Messi if Pep Guardiola is able to put a reunion with the Barcelona superstar in place, with it still being suggested that the mercurial Argentine could head to England as a free agent in the summer.

“De Bruyne hasn’t even got an agent, he’s acting for himself, which I think is fantastic,” former City winger Sinclair told talkSPORT.

“He knows his worth; if you don’t know your worth at 29 years old then you’ve got something wrong.

“He probably knows what the ball-park figure is that he wants to be earning; he’ll want to be the top-paid player at the football club.

“But what he might’ve said is that he wants to be the top-paid player regardless of who comes in. That’s a problem for City if they’re serious about signing Messi.

“De Bruyne’s wages could go up an astronomical amount if he wants to be on bigger wages than Messi.”

City are not the only side to be keeping a close eye on goings on at Camp Nou, with a stunning saga in Spain keeping everyone guessing.

Messi will see his current deal expire at the end of the season, meaning that he could sever ties with the only club side he has represented in a record-breaking career, and a move to an ambitious Premier League heavyweight would hold obvious appeal.

Paris Saint-Germain are also said to be keen, as one of the few other sides in world football that could afford to finance a deal, with some big decisions approaching for a six-time Ballon d’Or winner.

Sinclair has previously stated that he considers a switch to City to be “inevitable” for Messi, and the ex-England international added when asked if he still believes that to be the case: “I do, yeah. There’s been a bit of a lull, but I don’t think he felt comfortable leaving over the summer.

“He’s keeping his head down, working hard, but when it comes to the end of the season, there’s a clause in his contract whereby if he activates it at a certain time in the year, he goes on a free.

“There will be a lot of clubs interested… Man City and PSG, he just takes your club to another level.

“It’s a completely different ball park.”

Rangers midfielder Bongani Zungu is enjoying his time under Steven Gerrard whom he described as ‘very demanding’ and an ‘extremely professional’ manager.

Zungu linked up with the former Liverpool captain in Glasgow after completing a season-long loan from French Ligue 1 club Amiens on the transfer deadline day in October.

The 28-year-old has been a playing a part in the Gers' 22-game unbeaten streak in the Premiership, and he has disclosed how Gerrard’s personality is influencing the team's performances.

"We call him the gaffer. He's very demanding," Zungu was quoted as saying by Daily Record. "I followed him as a youngster and when I signed he said he saw something in me that was like him. That was very humbling.

"He's a very demanding coach who takes every game seriously and pays a lot of attention to detail. He likes players who are humble - you need to be a gentleman.

"Off the pitch, we must mind what we say to the media, mind what we post, he's very strict and knows everything.

"I've been there a few months now and I've learned so much from him. As a midfielder, we do have one-on-one discussions and I ask him about movement.

"There are coaches that when they enter the dressing room, you feel their presence and that's him.

"He's a very good person and extremely professional so I am very happy to have the opportunity to work with him.”

Rangers have suffered just a defeat in all competitions this season (vs. St. Mirren in a League Cup match), however, they hold a 19-point gap above second-placed Celtic in the Scottish top-flight.

Zungu credited Gerrard for the Gers’ remarkable run this season as they look to end their 10-year wait for the Premiership crown.

The Bafana Bafana star continued; "He believes in high standards and we all listen to him and take instructions. I think the fact that he is Steven Gerrard and one of the greatest midfielders in the world during his career helps. Everyone listens to him.

"Our record is down to him. It goes back to him and his high standards. This is how he coaches. You can tell this guy has been successful.

"Things like nutrition, he's very strict about it. He's just very professional."

Although he is yet to start a Premiership match, Zungu is in line to make his ninth league appearance for Rangers when they travel to Aberdeen on Sunday.

The U.S. Women’s National Team are targeting gold at this summer’s Olympic Games and will hope to prepare accordingly for the tournament as international football begins in 2021.

The Summer Games, pushed back a year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, carry huge significance in the women’s game, standing second-only to the Women’s World Cup.

Back in 2016, Jill Ellis’ side were eliminated in the quarter-finals by a Sweden team led by former USWNT head coach Pia Sundhage.

However, after winning their second successive World Cup title last summer, the United States, with Vlatko Andonovski in charge this time around, will be the favourites this summer as they aim for their fifth Olympic gold.

The Covid-19 pandemic cancelled a significant amount of international football in 2020, with the USWNT only returning to action at the end of the year with a 2-0 win over the Netherlands in November.

It was their first outing since March last year, when they beat Japan 3-1 to clinch the 2020 SheBelieves Cup title.

The outbreak of coronavirus meant fixtures against Australia and Brazil, which were scheduled for April 10 and April 14, respectively, had to be cancelled.

However, Andonovski’s team already have two fixtures scheduled for January to conclude a 20-day training camp.

There are three further international windows for games to take place before this summer’s Olympics.

The window which runs from February 15 to February 24 will include the 2021 edition of the SheBelieves Cup, a tournament that has been hosted in the United States every year since 2016.

The USWNT’s opponents this year are yet to be confirmed, with England, who have played at every edition and won the tournament in 2019, having already announced they will not be attending.

France, who have been part of the tournament on three occasions and won the title back in 2017, hosted their own competition in 2020 too, the Tournoi de France.

There are then further international windows in April (5-13) and June (7-16) before the Women's Olympic Football Tournament gets underway in Tokyo, Japan, on July 21.

The USWNT will learn their group stage opponents for the Olympic Games later this year, with all qualified teams not yet confirmed due to the impact of coronavirus.

The final line-up will be learned at the end of February, with a two-legged play-off between South Korea and China to decide the final AFC spot, while Cameroon and Chile will also face off in a two-legged CAF-CONMEBOL play-off.

Following the conclusion of the Olympics Games, the USWNT will reconvene between September 13 and 21, October 18 and 26 and November 22 and December 1.

There will be no qualifying games for the 2023 Women's World Cup to contest with for Andonovski's team this year, as the Concacaf representatives at that tournament will be determined in 2022, via the Concacaf Women's Championship.

Veteran midfielder Humphrey Mieno is hopeful Tusker FC will return back to winning ways in their league assignment on Sunday.

The 11-time league champions will be away at the Bukhungu Stadium playing Kakamega Homeboyz. Their last game against Sofapaka ended 1-1 and the 31-year-old believes they will come back stronger.

"[After a draw with Sofapaka] we are coming back a little stronger," Mieno told Goal.

"The lads are looking sharp, we are training well, and hopefully we are going to get maximum points from [Kakamega Homeboyz]."

The former Gor Mahia and AFC Leopards midfielder has further conceded the Brewers will not find it easy against their hosts who he believes have quality players and technical bench as well.

"I have not seen [Homeboyz] play [this season] but from what I know from last season and the season before," Mieno continued.

"They are a good side, they are a strong side and they have good players, a very tactical technical bench and I think it is going to be a tough match from the players and from their previous performances but I think we are going to come out with the victory."

Tusker are third on the table with 11 points after winning three of their opening six matches, drawn two and lost one. Prior to their draw with Batoto ba Mungu, Tusker had won three games in a row.

Mieno believes the Brewers can still get back to winning ways if they concentrate more. 

"So far, it is not bad and we can pick up from where we are. We can still do better, pick more points in the upcoming games.

"We just need to compose ourselves and concentrate more and I think we can pick more points from the upcoming matches."

In an initial interview, midfielder Jackson Macharia also pointed out where Tusker have been going wrong.

"We started with analysing the Sofapaka game, what we did well and what we did not," Macharia told Goal.

"In the next game [away to Kakamega Homeboyz], we will be rectifying the mistakes made. 

"In training, we have been working on possession [to stand a better chance of winning]. The fact that we are also playing away means we have to try and score first. It is a good ground as well; we hope to come home [with maximum points].

"Our main undoing against Sofapaka is that we did not create chances but in training, we have been working on our finishing and possession in our final third."

Mesut Ozil will not be remembered as an all-time great at Arsenal, says Ray Parlour, with the former Gunners star of the opinion that Arsene Wenger and Bukayo Saka are next in line for statues at Emirates Stadium.

Attention is starting to turn towards the legacy that will be left in north London by a World Cup winner when he finally heads through the exits.

A deal in the January window is said to be on the cards, with Mikel Arteta having left a door open for Ozil by freezing him out of his plans in 2020-21.

The former Germany international will see a lucrative contract expire in the summer if he does stick around, allowing him to hit the free agent pool, with a long-running saga approaching a conclusion one way or another.

Ozil will depart after eight seasons at Arsenal that have delivered 254 appearances, 44 goals, 77 assists and three FA Cup triumphs.

It has been suggested that, despite his struggles for consistency, he should be held in higher regard by the Gunners, but Parlour is not convinced that his efforts will live as long in the memory as some of those that will have graced the club before and after him.

“He (Ozil) is a very talented player, but the consistency wasn’t there for him,” Arsenal legend Parlour told talkSPORT.

“If you go back to some of the opportunities where he’s playing in big games and you need to shine as a leader and he didn’t. He sort of went missing in games.

“But statue? They’ve got the right three at the moment, absolutely. There’s [Thierry] Henry, [Dennis] Bergkamp and Tony Adams.

“The next statue that goes up at Arsenal should be Arsene Wenger. That’s the next statue.

“I wouldn’t look at any players at the moment who deserve a statue.

“I’d go back to probably [Cesc] Fabregas was a better player [than Ozil] with what he achieved at Arsenal. Then you look at [Aaron] Ramsey before he left, he wanted to stay, but they couldn’t agree a deal.

“[Jack] Wilshere when he was at Arsenal, [Santi] Cazorla, what a player he was, you look at the career he had at Arsenal.”

Parlour added: “You look at what he (Ozil) has achieved in his career and I can see why people say he’s a legend. He’s won a World Cup.

“At times in games he was absolutely brilliant, but he didn’t do it on a consistent basis. That was his problem.

“You’ve got to do it week in, week out if you’re going to be a top, top player. Look at [Kevin] De Bruyne, does he ever have a bad game? If he has a quiet game, he still does something in that game to probably assist a player or maybe score a goal.

“At times when Ozil played, if he had a quiet game you didn’t see him. That was the difference between two top, top, class players.

“I will put him in the bracket of being top class who can make a difference in a game; Henry and Bergkamp could make a difference on their own in a game and Ozil didn’t do it enough.

“He’s got the ability to do that as a player. Wrighty (Ian Wright) is probably well in front of anybody to have a statue if you’re going to give statues out to players.

“But for me the next statue that goes up (for Wenger) will be the last one, unless Saka has 10 great years at Arsenal.

“He’s started his career at Arsenal, he’s been the main man in the last season. If he has a wonderful career at Arsenal then players like that should be waiting for a statue.”

Kylian Mbappe has become “Neymarised” at Paris Saint-Germain, says Emmanuel Petit, with the World Cup winner told he is trying too hard to be like a Brazilian team-mate.

A France international at Parc des Princes has no need to follow in the footsteps of others as he has become a global superstar in his own right.

At just 22 years of age he has already collected three Ligue 1 titles, graced a Champions League final and claimed a global crown with his country.

Mbappe has been a regular source of goals at domestic and international level, with the target found on 104 occasions through 142 appearances for PSG.

He is, however, considered to have gone off the boil of late, with another blank drawn in a 1-1 stalemate with Saint-Etienne last time out.

New PSG boss Mauricio Pochettino has admitted that Mbappe “needs to improve” as part of a new era in the French capital, with Petit echoing those comments.

The 1998 World Cup winner believes an exciting talent has become overly concerned with adding tricks to his repertoire, allowing him to dazzle as Neymar often does, but his strengths are considered to lie in different areas.

Former France star Petit told RMC Sport of Mbappe: “Apart from the problems related to his physique and possibly his mind, I have the impression that he has become entangled in his brain and that he needs to take a step back and regenerate himself.

“But it happens to all players.”

Petit added: “He has a body expression that doesn’t seem positive to me. I have the feeling that he is ‘Neymarised’, that he wants to do what Neymar does on the pitch when he does not have the qualities of Neymar at all.

“I also have the impression that his opponents have analysed his main quality, speed. The real quality of this boy is to play on spontaneity and not to take the lead.”

PSG, who sit second in Ligue 1 at present as they seek to defend their domestic crown, will be back in action on Saturday at home to Brest, with Mbappe needing to step up in that contest as Neymar continues to work his way back from an ankle injury.

Rivers Angels extended their unbeaten start to the current campaign after they celebrated their second victory of the season in a 2-0 victory over Abia Angels in Port Harcourt on Thursday.

Coming into the showdown, Rivers were forced to a 1-1 draw at Edo Queens before the festive break but returned to winning ways with a triumph over Ann Chinjine's team.

After a goalless first half, Abiodun Deborah's header broke the deadlock for the hosts in the 54th minute before Vivian Ikechukwu got her second with her strike on the brink of full time.

The win was Rivers third of the season and takes them to third on the log with eight points from four matches, while Abia Angels dropped to sixth place on the NWPL log after four games.

In Lafia, Nasarawa Amazons secured their first win of the season at the Lafia City Stadium as they defeated Delta Queens 1-0.

Chinyere Igboamalu's 41st-minute goal was all the Solid Miners required to end their disappointing start to the season.

The victory means Christopher Danjuma's side has now won one out of four matches as the Agbor-based out suffered their second defeat of the season in four opening league outings.

The result saw the Lafia side sit in 12th position with three points from four matches, while Delta Queens have slipped to seventh on the log with six points from four outings this season.

Elsewhere, Bayelsa Queens maintained their hundred percent winning start to the season in Yenegoa, where they claimed a 2-1 triumph over Confluence Queens at the Samson Siasia Stadium.

Going into the contest, the Restoration ladies had claimed their fourth win of the campaign from a 1-0 win at Nasarawa Amazons and they were at their best to make it four out of four encounters.

Nkechi Agams stunned the hosts as she opened the scoring for the visitors after just 11 minutes in the contest but Joy Jerry gained the equaliser for Bayelsa Queens three minutes from time.

After the break, the visitors held onto their nerves but conceded a late penalty which Anjor Mary converted to seal the hosts' victory.

With four wins out of four games, Bayelsa Queens have now opened a three-point lead at the top of the log with 12 points, while Confluence Queens are 11th with four points from four outings.

At Akure Township Stadium, Sunshine Queens failed to bounce back to winning ways as they were forced to a 0-0 draw by Edo Queens.

The draw left Sunshine in ninth position with four points from four games, while Edo are fourth with eight points from four matches.

In Lagos, DreamStar Ladies left it late to ground out their first win of the season after a 3-2 win over Ibom Angels on Wednesday.

Smarting from three defeats in a row at Abia Angels, the Galacticas started on a high thanks to Uduakobong Peter's 40th-minute goal.

On the brink of the half time break, Anuoluwapo Salisu found the back of the net to double the lead for the hosts at the Agege Stadium. 

Ibom Angels, however, fought back in the second half as Olamide Isiaka reduced the deficit 10 minutes after the restart before Blessing Nkor levelled matters from the spot in the 64th minute.

With the two teams looking destined to share the spoils, the hosts were gifted a late penalty and Salisu converted from the spot her second of the match three minutes from full time. 

The victory moved DreamStar off the bottom to 13th position with three points, while Ibom are 10th on the log with four points.

Still in Lagos, but at Legacy Pitch, FC Robo continued their highflying start to the season, with a 5-1 thrashing of Pelican Stars.

A brace from Gift Monday along with strikes from Taiwo Lawal, Rukayat Shobowale and Esther Ndubuisi overshadowed Joy Okoronkwo's consolation for the visitors. 

The outcome saw Emmanuel Osahon's side move to second on the log with nine points from four, while Pelican dropped to the bottom, with one point from the same number of games.

In Warri, Royal Queens secured their second win of the season following a 1-0 triumph over Osun Babes thanks to Eunice Godwin's 88th-minute solitary strike at the Stephen Keshi Stadium.

The triumph moved Royal to eighth position with six points, while Osun are fifth with the same points from four matches.

Goal rounds up the top business stories of the week with Soccerex, including Juventus' sponsorship extension, a study into the use of illegal Premier League match streams and a shake up of media rights in the Eredivise. 

Juventus extend Jeep sponsorship deal

Juventus have renewed their shirt sponsorship contract with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) Italy for another three seasons. 

The agreement, which starts in 2021-22, is worth €45m (£40.5m) a year plus bonuses and will see the Jeep brand on the front of Juventus shirts until the end of the 2023-24 season.

“This agreement stems from the mutual satisfaction of a successful partnership that has been accompanying Juventus and Jeep since 2012/13 sporting season,” Juventus said in a statement.

The deal is the most lucrative of all shirt sponsorship deals in Serie A.

Both Juventus and Fiat are owned Exor Group of companies, which are run by the Agnelli family.

Premier League fans' usage of illegal streams revealed

Almost 1.9 million people in the UK have illegally streamed Premier League games in 2020, according to new research from personal finance comparison site finder.com.

The survey found that four per cent of respondents had watched at least one Premier League game without paying.

Fans aged between 18 and 24 were the most likely to stream illegally, with 6% admitting to doing so. Only 3% of 40 to 54 year-old fans admitted to illegally streaming games.

The study referenced the recent scheme to make some Premier League matches available as pay-per-view as a possible influence on fans' demand for illegal streams. The scheme was abandoned in November.

Eredivisie clubs up stake in league media rights business

The Dutch top division has increased its interest in Eredivisie Media and Marketing (EMM) by acquiring Endemol Shine’s 8.82% stake in the company that controls media rights for the league.

The deal sees the Eredivisie’s interest in EMM increase from 35.28% to 44.1%.

Other shareholders in EMM include the Walt Disney Company (51%) and the Dutch Football Association (KNVB) with 4.9%.

Through EMM, the Walt Disney Company holds broadcast rights for the Eredivisie in a 12-season deal which expires at the end of the 2024-25 season and is worth an average guaranteed sum of €80m (£72m) per season.

Interested in the business of football? Make sure you attend Soccerex Connected, February 1-5. Find out more at Soccerex .

Young Africans (Yanga SC) have confirmed winger Carlos Carlinhos has returned to Dar es Salaam and will not play any part in the Mapinduzi Cup tournament in Zanzibar.

The Angolan star was keen to use the one-week tournament to revive his career at the club after a rather poor start which saw him miss a couple of Mainland Premier League matches in the first round.

Despite starting well by scoring two goals and assisting two, Carlinhos picked an injury that saw him miss a number of matches including the derby against rivals Simba SC which ended in a 1-1 draw.

He later returned and played only one match and picked another injury which ruled him out of the first round matches.

However, he was named in the 20-man squad for the Mapinduzi Cup which kicked-off on January 4, and according to the club’s Information Officer Hassan Bumbuli, he has suffered another injury setback and was forced to return to Dar es Salaam.

“The squad is in good shape; all the players are fit except for Carlinhos who has been forced to return to the capital, Dar es Salaam,” Bumbuli told reporters in Zanzibar.

“He will have to continue with the treatment as well as the programs he was scheduled for due to his lack of fitness.”

His withdrawal makes him join the list of Yanga players not in the tournament including Feisal, Kaseke, Yasin Mustapha, Farid Mussa, Bakari Mwamnyeto, Ditram Nchimbi, and striker Yacouba Songne.

Songne, who is the current Yanga top scorer with four goals and has provided a total of four assists, injured his leg during the league match against Ihefu where they won 3-0, at Sokoine Stadium in Mbeya.

Yanga started the competition with a 0-0 draw against Jamhuri FC and are scheduled to take on Namungo FC in their second match on Friday

On Thursday, Azam FC started their campaign in the 2021 edition of the Mapinduzi Cup with a 1-1 draw with Mlandege at Amani Stadium on Thursday night.

Congolese striker Mopiana Mozizi scored on his debut to hand the Ice-cream Makers a first-half lead before Rashid Mandawa replied for the opponents.

The 2014 Tanzania Mainland League champions came into the match hoping to start well and go top of Group C. The Chamazi-based charges coach George Lwandamina opted to give some fringe players a chance to show what they are capable of doing.

Ghana legend Asamoah Gyan has been named the Most Attractive Player in the Ghana Premier League (GPL) by the African Sports Centre for Data, Research and Technology (ASC).

The former Sunderland, Udinese and Stade Rennais man is the new poster boy of the top-flight, taking over from former Asante Kotoko star Sogne Yacouba who led the order in 2019.

He beat off loose competition from Medeama and former Asante Kotoko midfielder Justice Blay, Kotoko goalkeeper and captain Felix Annan, Aduana Stars striker Yahaya Mohammed, Hearts of Oak winger Patrick Razak and new Kotoko Brazilian signing Fabio Gama Cos Santos.

The news was captured in the 2020 Ghana Premier League Report released to the general public via ASC's official website on Thursday.

According to the ASC, the report is based on "a nationwide survey involving a sample size of 3,300 respondents in Ghana. Data was collected in every administrative district in each administrative region of the country, giving the research and its findings a strong base".

"Attractive” was defined as "the one player that is most likely to draw or pull respondents to watch a GPL game or follow the GPL".

The research was conducted between October and November last year before the commencement of the 2020-21 GPL season.

Gyan topped the order, polling 52 per cent of respondents' choices, 45 clear off closest contender Blay (7%) who came fifth in 2019. Annan, who placed second in 2019, has fallen down the chart to third in the 2020 edition with 5%, just above Yahaya (4%).

Former Brazil U17 and U20 playmaker Gama, who joined Kotoko in a two-year deal in October, came fifth (3%) without having kicked a ball in Ghana at the time of the research.

Kotoko winger Gyamfi, who placed third in 2019, has fallen down on the pecking order to seventh in 2020.

Yacouba, who has since left the GPL for Tanzanian side Young Africans, won the 2019 title with 16% of votes.

After 17 years abroad, Gyan made a return to the GPL, signing for Legon Cities last October. He has been touted by many as the most high-profile player to ever play in the domestic league.

Ghana's all-time top scorer and most capped player with 51 goals in 109 international outings, the 35-year-old also currently stands as Africa's all-time top scorer at the World Cup with six goals.

The 2010 BBC African Footballer of the Year Award stands among the many individual honours in his cabinet.

Manchester United are “too nice” and need to “be b*stards” in order to get their hands on major silverware, says Dimitar Berbatov, with semi-final heartache becoming all too familiar at Old Trafford.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side put themselves in contention for three trophies last season, only to come unstuck in the last four on each occasion.

History is repeating itself in 2020-21, with the Red Devils suffering a derby defeat to arch-rivals Manchester City when a final appearance in the Carabao Cup was within touching distance.

Solskjaer has denied that there is a psychological issue in his squad that is preventing them from getting over the line, with the Norwegian adamant that positive progress continues to be made.

Berbatov is not convinced, with a man who won two Premier League titles and the League Cup during his time at United looking for the Red Devils to add more “smart and cunning” to their game.

He told Betfair of efforts to bring a four-year barren run to a close: “It's now four semi-finals in a row that United have failed to win and this is a bad habit that they need to break. Four times in a row is too many to be just a coincidence.

“Sometimes the pressure and the high expectations can get to players when they need to take that step to reach a final. United need to evaluate what is going on in these important matches and try to correct it. Winning a trophy is a big step in the right direction and unfortunately they have missed out on another.

“Sometimes when you have these derbies in important matches, it's not about momentum or form, it's about how much you want it, how smart and cunning the players are, if necessary use some dirty tricks, do whatever it takes to win.

“Sometimes you need to be like this and, like Jose Mourinho said: ‘You need to be b*stards to win trophies’. I don't see enough of that from United in these important matches.

“Roy Keane spoke about how shocked he was too see players hugging each other after the last Manchester derby. I agree with him. What the f*ck, this is a derby go out there and win.

“They're missing someone who is dirty in the team, someone who can show the aggression that would give them an edge. United are too nice at times.”

The Red Devils are set to open another trophy quest on Saturday when they face Watford in the third round of the FA Cup, while Solskjaer’s side have also forced their way into the Premier League title picture and dropped into the last 32 of the Europa League.

Bright Enobakhare has made a fantastic start to his East Bengal career with two goals in as many matches. The Nigerian came off the bench to score against Odisha FC and in his first against FC Goa, he wowed the Indian Super League (ISL) fans with a fantastic solo goal.

The 22-year-old is currently the toast of every East Bengal fan and much will be expected from him when they face Bengaluru FC on Saturday.

"It's a great time for me here. The players and the staff are amazing. We just have to focus on the next game and try to get as many points as we can by the end of the season," said Enobakhare.

This season, the former Wigan striker had played a total of 14 minutes for AEK Athens this season and had a goal to his name which came in September 2020. There were questions about his fitness levels but the player has answered them in some style.

“I think everything will come in place. It's going on (well) and we'll see how it goes till the end of the season."

He was asked his preferred starting position in attack to which he responded, "I don't mind playing in any position. Scoring doesn't depend on your position but on how you play."

Meanwhile, Enobakhare has warned his team of complacency and stated that the mistake made against FC Goa cannot be repeated in future matches.

"I think, when I scored (against Goa), everyone just relaxed. We thought it was all over. Anything can happen in one minute. When it happened (Goa equalised), we realised that the game is still on. So, everyone had to try to get as many points as we could get."

His goal against Goa was hailed as one of the best solo goals scored in the history of the ISL. However, the former Wolves striker mentioned that this wasn’t the only solo goal scored in his career. However, it must be mentioned that the goal scored against Barnet was a tap-in with an assist from Adam le Fondre, now who plies his trade for Mumbai City. Enobakhare did score a wonder-goal but that was in a pre-season game against Doncaster Rovers.

“Yes, I've done it (scored an as good solo goal) before. In my first debut (start) with Wolves, when I was 17, against Barnet. I think that goal was even better than this," he claimed.

Uganda head coach Johnathan McKinstry has explained how his players have developed huge belief from the concluded pre-African Nations Championship mini-tournament.

Uganda sailed through the competition without a defeat after drawing Cameroon 1-1 before beating Zambia and Niger 2-0 and 3-0 respectively.

“There are several things we have learnt from the pre-Chan mini-tournament,” McKinstry told the Fufa website. “First, it was about testing all players by having a good time on the field and getting the final squad for the Chan final tournament itself.

“We also have a number of our players who have not been here and have played Cecafa only. However, there are some in the squad who have not even played at Cecafa.

“It has given them huge belief heading into the tournament and that they can compete at this level. We played three good teams Cameroon, Zambia and Niger.”

Uganda finished the tournament as the best team after picking seven points, Zambia came second with four points while Niger were third with three points also.

Cameroon managed just a point from the opening draw against the Cranes.

Uganda are expected to leave for Douala where they will be based for the opening matches of the tournament. They are in Group C alongside Morocco, who are the defending champions, Rwanda, and Niger.

McKinstry has already named his final squad and designated captainship responsibilities to Viper SC’s defender Halid Lwaliwa.

Wakiso Giants’ captain Hassan Ssenyonjo, Steven Mukwala – the 2019/20 top scorer - BUL FC’s Joseph Semujju and URA defender Ashraf Mandela were dropped from the final team.

Final Uganda squad:

Goalkeepers: Lukwago Charles (KCCA FC), Mutakubwa Joel (Kyetume FC), Alionzi Legason Nafian (URA FC), Ikara Tom (Police C)

Defenders: Hassan Muhamud (Police FC), Kayondo Abdu Aziizi (Vipers SC), Mujuzi Mustafa (Kyetume FC), Ssenjobe Eric (Police FC), Iguma Denis (KCCA FC), Willa Paul (Vipers SC), Lwaliwa Halid (Vipers SC), Mbowa Paul Patrick (URA FC)

Midfielders: Mawejje Tonny (Police FC), Kagimu Shafik Kuchi (URA FC), Anukani Bright (KCCA FC), Kyeyune Saidi (URA FC), Byaruhanga Bobosi (Vipers SC), Watambala Abdu Karim (Vipers SC)

Forwards: Ojera Joachim (URA FC), Brian Aheebwa (KCCA FC), Ocen Ben (Police FC), Viane Ssekajugo (Wakiso Giants FC), Orit Ibrahim (Vipers SC), Muhammad Shaban (Vipers SC), Karisa Milton (Vipers SC).

Wilfried Zaha has claimed he gave Arsenal a green light to make a move for him in the summer of 2019, but the Gunners “chose Nicolas Pepe over me”.

The Crystal Palace winger emerged as a top target for Unai Emery when added creativity on the flanks was sought at Emirates Stadium.

Zaha was keen on crossing London and linking up with the club he supported as a boy. Arsenal were, however, to turn their attention elsewhere and ended up investing a club-record £72 million ($98m) in Ivory Coast international Pepe.

Little value has been found, with the Gunners being left to ponder what could have been as Zaha continues to shine in the Premier League stage with Palace.

The 28-year-old told Jamie Carragher’s The Greatest Game Podcast on discussions with Arsenal and ultimately being overlooked in favour of an international team-mate: “I had a conversation with the manager.

“Emery was just like, ‘we don’t really need to go through much’. He said he’d seen me play, he knows I can change games at any time and stuff like that. He was like, ‘yeah we’d love to have you’ and I was just like, ‘yeah I’d love to come’.

“The conversation was rather straightforward because I played against him when he was manager of Arsenal. He saw what I could do, saw my work-rate, and what I could add to the team.

“Obviously, it was up to the club who they chose - and they chose Pepe over me.”

Zaha has contributed eight goals and two assists to the Palace cause this season having remained a talismanic presence at Selhurst Park, while Pepe has five efforts to his name at Arsenal.

The 25-year-old has underwhelmed since completing a big-money move from Lille, with Zaha still puzzled as to why the Gunners opted to take a sizeable risk on a player with no experience of life in England.

He added: “You’re seeing a player come from Brazil or another league - they’re always going to attract more attention - but I just think if there’s a player that plays in the Premier League, you see him week in, week out. You know what he does.

“I feel like it’s a no-brainer. The other leagues are totally different.”