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Manchester City will seek to reassert themselves against Manchester United in Wednesday's Carabao Cup semi-final, with their status as the leading team in the rivalry for much of the past decade a source of pride to Pep Guardiola.

City have not finished below their neighbours in the Premier League since United's most recent Premier League title success in 2012-13, winning three subsequent top-flight crowns themselves.

Two of those came under Guardiola, United finishing a distant second in 2017-18 as City racked up a record-breaking 100-point haul.

The sides also met at the same stage of the Carabao Cup last season, as City prevailed en route to a third consecutive Wembley success in the competition, although there have been signs that the local argument is starting to turn of late.

“United has always been a big club," Guardiola said. "When I faced them with Barcelona, Bayern Munich and here, it was always important.

"It is a rivalry in the city and for many decades United was above Manchester City. For us, we are incredibly proud and it is an honour for the last decade to be there with them and sometimes win, most of the times, and sometimes lose."

A 3-1 first-leg triumph in last season's semi-final is City's only victory in the most recent five Manchester derbies.

Man Utd restored pride and caused nerves to jangle with a 1-0 win at the Etihad Stadium as Nemanja Matic scored and was sent off in the return game, while also completing a Premier League double in 2019-20 either side of those matches.

Both teams have hit more impressive form since December's turgid 0-0 draw at Old Trafford in their most recent encounter, although it is United who sit level on points with champions Liverpool at the summit and have a chance to go top if they avoid defeat in their game in hand against Burnley next week.

"They have always been contenders," Guardiola said. "Every year, when we start the season, United is a contender.

"If it didn’t happen in the last few seasons, it is a question for them. It is no different facing United or other contenders."

City turned in a majestic performance as they dispatched Chelsea 3-1 at the weekend - a performance that was all the more impressive after a coronavirus outbreak robbed them of six first-team players.

Kyle Walker and Gabriel Jesus have now completed 10 days of self-isolation after having positive tests confirmed on Christmas Day, but Ederson, Ferran Torres, Eric Garcia and Tommy Doyle will remain unavailable at Old Trafford for a one-off encounter - the EFL having ditched its usual two-legged format to ease fixture congestion.

“We don’t have many players. To play one or two games is okay but if this sustains for a long time and I can only use 14 or 15 players it will be more difficult," Guardiola explained.

"Like everyone in the world, we adapt, you have to adjust our lives and our professions as much as possible and we don’t have an alternative.

"The most important thing is that the guys who have Covid can recover well and the guys handle it well and try to avoid it as much as possible."

Christy Ucheibe and Jolina Amani will lead SL Benfica out against South Africa's Jermaine Seoposenwe's SC Braga in the 2019-20 Portuguese League Cup final at the Aveiro Municipal Stadium on Wednesday.

The meeting will be the fifth between the two teams in all competitions since the first in 2019, when Braga claimed a 2-1 victory, but Benfica have celebrated three wins in four meetings.

To book a final spot, Benfica emerged leaders on the log with two wins and one draw in three matches, wrapping up with a 4-0 thrashing of city rivals CF Benfica in February. 

Benfica will be without South Africa's Thembi Kgatlana, who was pivotal in the progress to the final before moving to Spain and SD Eibar earlier this year, but can count on Nigeria's Ucheibe and Cape Verde's Amani.

The African duo Ucheibe and Amani have been impressive for The Eagles this season, contributing three and four goals respectively.

On the other hand, Braga finished second in the four-team group, with two wins in three games, including a 3-0 win over Sporting CP to book their final spot.

When the two finalists met in the group stage, Benfica ran out 3-1 winners.

Miguel Santos will miss the services of departed Nigeria's Chinaza Uchendu, Sierra Leone's Shade Pratt and Cameroon's Farida Machia, but can only rely on South Africa's Seoposenwe.

Seoposenwe will be eager to record her first title success for Braga on her debut season, as will Ucheibe and Amani for SL Benfica.

Wednesday's final will be a preamble to January 13's final of the 2019/2020 Portuguese Women's Cup, where both Braga and Benfica will meet again at the same venue, giving Seoposenwe, Ucheibe and Amani the chance to complete a cup double within a week.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has responded to Jurgen Klopp’s Manchester United penalty jibe, suggesting that managers who keep bringing it up are trying to influence referees.

Klopp brought up United’s penalty record unprompted after his side lost 1-0 to Southampton in the Premier League on Monday night. 

“I hear now that Manchester United had more penalties in two years than I had in five and a half years,” the Liverpool manager said. “I've no idea if that's my fault, or how that can happen.” 

United have been awarded 11 penalties in all competitions this season, with six of those coming in the league, while Klopp’s side have been awarded five in the league – a minimal difference. 

But perhaps Klopp was talking more about the fact United have won 42 in all competitions since Solskjaer took over in December 2018, compared to Liverpool winning 19 in the same time frame.

“I don’t count how many penalties they have, so if they want to spend time on worrying about when we get fouled in the box, I don’t spend time on that,” Solskjaer replied when asked about other managers’ fascination with United being awarded penalties.

Klopp isn’t the first manager to mention United’s penalty record. 

Chelsea boss Frank Lampard brought it up in his pre-match press conference ahead of last season’s FA Cup semi-final and Solskjaer believes that could have impacted Mike Dean’s decision-making during the game, as he thought Anthony Martial should have been given a spot-kick after a possible foul from Kurt Zouma.

“I can’t talk on behalf of other managers, why they say things like this,” Solskjaer said. “Obviously I felt it worked last year in the semi in the FA Cup because Frank spoke about it and we had a nailed-on penalty that we should have had that we didn’t get. 

“So maybe it’s a way of influencing referees. I don’t know, but I don’t worry about that. When they foul our players it’s a penalty. It’s just when it’s inside the box.”

Solskjaer will have a chance to get one over on Klopp when the Red Devils travel to Anfield on January 17.

Wolfsburg forward Omar Marmoush has completed a loan move to German second division outfit FC St. Pauli.

Since joining the Bundesliga giants from Egypt Premier League side Wadi Degla, the Egypt U23 star has starred for the senior team as well as Wolfsburg II.

However, having been frozen out of Oliver Glasner’s squad at the Volkswagen Arena – making just one substitute appearance for the Wolves in the 2020-21 campaign, he has been loaned to second-tier side for the rest of the season.

“The Boys in Brown have strengthened in attack by taking Omar Marmoush on loan from VfL Wolfsburg to the end of the season after director of sport Andreas Bornemann agreed terms with the player and officials of the Bundesliga club,” the club announced in a statement.

At the Millerntor-Stadion, Marmoush joins Nigeria's Afeez Aremu in Timo Schultz’s squad. He has expressed his delight teaming up with the Bundesliga 2 strugglers.

“I’m very happy the deal has gone through,” he told the club website. “I want to bring my strengths to St. Pauli and get as much playing time as possible, of course, to take the next step in my development.

“I look forward to getting started and getting to know my new teammates.”

St. Pauli are currently 17th in the log having accrued just eight points from 13 games played so far, and manager Omar feels the youngster’s addition is a big plus.

“Omar can be used flexibly in attack and thus gives us additional options up top and on the wings,” said the club boss. “He can make goals as well as score them.

"We’ve lacked punch up front recently and we hope to pose more of an attacking threat with this addition.”

This sentiment is also echoed by club’s director of sport Andrea Bornemann: “Unfortunately, we haven’t been able to find any consistency in attack this season due to injuries, so we wanted to add a player in this area who can play in different positions. Omar Marmoush has that versatility.”

The Egyptian could make his debut when St. Pauli take on Wurzburger Kickers on Wednesday evening.

Mamelodi Sundowns central midfielder Mothobi Mvala is looking forward to playing in the Caf Champions League group stage after the Brazilians progressed on Tuesday.

The 26-year-old was on the scoresheet as Masandawana secured a 3-1 win over Jwaneng Galaxy in the Caf Champions League first-round first-leg match in Pretoria.

The result saw the PSL champions advance to the group stage after defeating the Botswanan champions 5-1 on aggregate. 

Nicknamed Sledge, Mvala netted Sundowns' second with a header from Aubrey Modiba's corner-kick, his third goal in four competitive matches this term.

"It was a good game. We implemented what we have been practising at training regarding the set-piece," Mvala told the club's social media platforms. "We knew that it was not going to be an easy game, but we had to work harder than them and we are now through to the group stage."

Mvala, who joined Masandawana from Highlands Park prior to the start of the current season, has managed to live up to his reputation as a goalscoring midfielder at the Tshwane giants. 

"For me personally, I have this good feeling because it is my first time in my career that I am playing in a Caf club competition," he added. "I am looking forward to being part of the team which will play in the group stage."

Mvala's teammate, Lebohang Maboe said it was imperative for Sundowns to qualify for the Champions League group stage. 

"I think it is a big step for us to reach the group stage. It is what the club expects from us," Maboe also told the club's social media platforms, "but it was not an easy game - starting in the first-half we should have done ourselves some justice by getting an early goal and probably put them on the back foot."

Maboe, who played the entire match as a playmaker, was pleased by the team's overall performance as Manqoba Mngqithi's side dominated the match at Loftus Versfeld Stadium. 

"We finally got that goal and we knew that the game had to open up," the former Maritzburg United midfielder continued. "We had to get the second one then the third one.

"We tried to control the game which we did. Yeah, overall I think we had a good game."

Sundowns have now turned their attention to their PSL encounter with Baroka FC which will be played on Saturday. 

U.S. national team striker Alex Morgan has revealed that she and her family have tested positive for Covid-19. 

Morgan, who recently returned to the United States after a short spell with Tottenham, announced the diagnosis with a post on Twitter.

It wasn't immediately clear whether Morgan's husband Servando Carrasco and infant daughter Charlie were both also infected, or if other family members caught the virus as well. 

"Unfortunately, my family and I closed out 2020 learning that we had contracted Covid while in California over the holidays," Morgan said on Twitter. 

"We are all in good spirits and recovering well. After our isolation is completed, I will follow US Soccer's return to play guidelines to ensure my body is fully recovered and I can join my team-mates back on the field soon. Be safe and happy new year."

Morgan now appears unlikely to be included on Wednesday when the USWNT announces their roster for their January training camp.

The 31-year-old is the second high-profile USWNT player to contract Covid-19 recently, with Lindsey Horan removed from the roster for November's friendly against the Netherlands after testing positive. Horan has since recovered.

Morgan joined Tottenham in September, leaving her NWSL side Orlando Pride on a short-term deal. 

The striker made just five appearances for the club, scoring two goals, as she battled a knee injury during her time in the Women's Super League. 

Morgan was also working her way back to fitness after she gave birth to Charlie in May.

Morgan had initially planned on aiming to return to the field in time for the Tokyo Olympics last summer, but was given a reprieve as the competition was pushed back by a year due to the pandemic.

“I definitely feel like I have been able to really just take a step back and go on my own timeline which has been so nice and so unexpected,” Morgan said in an interview with U.S. Soccer in November. “When I first got pregnant it was going to be the complete opposite.”

Morgan made her first appearance for the USWNT in more than a year when she came off the bench against the Netherlands.

Tottenham booked a place in the EFL Cup final as Moussa Sissoko and Son Heung-min got the goals in a 2-0 victory over Brentford.

Thomas Frank's Championship promotion-chasers headed into the match bolstered by a 16-match unbeaten run and victories over four other Premier League sides in this season's competition, but Sissoko's 12th-minute header punctured any early enthusiasm.

The visitors posed enough questions of Spurs in their usual eloquent style and Ivan Toney had a 63rd-minute header disallowed for offside.

Son then streaked clear of their defence to hammer home his 16th goal of the season and grant Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho his latest shot at silverware.

Brentford finshed with 10 men after Josh Dasilva's ugly lunge caught Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.

They had given themselves an uphill task by allowing Sissoko far too much room to glance home Sergio Reguilon's left-wing cross in a first half of few chances.

Toney outmuscled Davinson Sanchez to get on the end of Bryan Mbeumo's floated 34th-minute delivery, although Hugo Lloris was equal to a looping header.

The Brentford striker arguably caused his own goalkeeper more discomfort when Lucas Moura's header from Son's corner spun off Toney, with David Raya saving superbly as he tumbled backwards to his left.

Serge Aurier made a vital last-ditch challenge to thwart Toney after Mbeumo got the better of Sanchez five minutes into the second half.

Aurier and Son spurned presentable chances and Toney thought he had equalised for Brentford, only for a VAR review to show he was fractionally offside.

That close shave roused Spurs from their second-half torpor and Harry Kane combined with Tanguy Ndombele for the latter to slide Son through for an emphatic finish.

A spirited Brentford were sapped by that strike and needed another impressive intervention from Raya to prevent Kane from adding further gloss to the scoreline.

Dasilva was deservedly dismissed six minutes from time after leaving Hojbjerg with an ugly gash on his shin.

What does it mean? Mourinho's League Cup love affair continues

Mourinho has lifted the three-handled trophy on four occasions and it was his first honour in English football with Chelsea back in 2005. It was also the last major prize Spurs were able to collect, back in 2008. Victory over either of the other semi-final combatants - his former club Manchester United or Pep Guardiola and holders Manchester City - would surely by richly enjoyed by Mourinho if he and his players can complete the job at Wembley in April.

What's next?

Both sides turn their attention towards the FA Cup this weekend, with Brentford hosting Championship counterparts Middlesbrough and Spurs travelling to non-league Marine in the most intriguing tie of the third round.

East Bengal, who began their year with a 3-1 win over Odisha, will be up against FC Goa in the ongoing Indian Super League (ISL) at the Tilak Maidan in Vasco, on Wednesday.

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East Bengal Possible XI:   

Injured - Aaron Hamadi, Loken Meitei
Doubtful - None
Suspended - None

Key Players - Bright Enobakhare, Jacques Maghoma

FC Goa Possible XI: 

Injured - None
Doubtful - None
Suspended - None

Key Players -  Igor Angulo, Jorge Ortiz

The CONMEBOL Copa Libertadores  has reached its semi-final stage, as the delayed 2020 competition nears its end.

Tuesday marks the first last-four clash, with River Plate hosting Palmeiras at Independiente's Libertadores de America home.

The Millonario caused little surprise as they brushed past Nacional 8-2 on aggregate in the previous stage to book their fourth consecutive semi berth.

Palmeiras also breezed into the last four with a comprehensive win over Libertad, setting up an intriguing clash which kicks off in Avellaneda.

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How to watch River vs Palmeiras on US TV

What has happened to River and Palmeiras so far in the 2020 Copa Libertadores?

River's quest began in subdued fashion with a 3-0 defeat away to Liga de Quito in Group D, but Marcelo Gallardo's charges quickly rediscovered their best form.

Peru's Binacional were thrashed 8-0 and 6-0 while the Millonario also picked up four points against a Sao Paulo team featuring Dani Alves, pushing the Brazilians into third place and the Copa Sudamericana while River qualified in first. 

In the last-16 stage River dominated over Athletic Paranaense, racking up 39 shots over two legs to their opponents' 14. Goals proved hard to come by, though, and after tying the first leg 1-1 in Coritiba a single strike from Nicolas de la Cruz saw the Argentines over the line. Uruguay's Nacional were then put to the sword, with River's 2-0 home win followed by a 6-2 thrashing in Montevideo to produce an emphatic aggregate victory for the Millonario.

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Palmeiras hold the distinction of being the only surviving team yet to lose a single match in this Libertadores campaign. The signs were there from the start that the Verdao would prove tough customers, as they advanced from Group B in top spot with five wins, a draw and just two goals conceded in a formidable opening to the tournament.

Ecuador's Delfin proved no match in the last 16, falling 3-1 at home before suffering a 5-1 thrashing to bow out of their first experience of the Copa knockout phase. 

Libertad pushed the Brazilians a little harder, but still to no avail: a tough-fought 1-1 draw in Asuncion was followed by Palmeiras running riot in the second leg to win 3-0 and book only their second semi-final berth in the competition since 2001.

River and Palmeiras team news and preview

River chose to rest a number of key first-team players for Saturday's Superclasico with Boca Juniors, a gamble that partially paid off as the derby finished 2-2.

The likes of Ignacio Fernandez and Matias Suarez will now return to the starting XI after featuring as substitutes at the weekend, while Milton Casco is also in line to play after a rapid return from injury.  

Palmeiras have been boosted in the run-up to Tuesday's game by the return of attacker Gabriel Veron, who had been struggling with a thigh injury. 

Veron trained with his team-mates this week and is likely to start, while Ze Rafael and Gabriel Silva have also shrugged off injury to make it back into coach Abel Ferreira's plans.

Probable River XI:  Armani; Montiel, Robert Rojas, Paulo Díaz, Casco; Fernandez, Perez, De la Cruz; Suarez, Borre, Carrascal.

Probable Palmeiras XI:  Weverton, Gabriel Menino, Luan, Gómez, Vina; Danilo, Ze Rafael, Raphael Veiga; Gabriel Veron, Rony, Luiz Adriano.

When does the 2020 Copa Libertadores finish?

The 2020 Copa Libertadores was originally scheduled to conclude with a single final in a neutral ground, the system which replaced the old format of home and away legs last year, at the end of November. 

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, however, the tournament suffered almost six months of interruption, meaning that the final phases had to be pushed back into the South American summer months of late December and January. 

The last quarter-final tie between Boca Juniors and Racing Club concluded on December 23 with the former advancing to meet Santos. The first leg of that tie takes place just under 24 hours after River and Palmeiras lock horns for the first time, while both return matches take place next week.

The final proper is scheduled to be held at Rio de Janeiro's landmark Maracana Stadium on January 30.

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Barcelona were boosted on Tuesday as Ronald Koeman's squad received the Covid-19 all-clear in the wake of two members of staff testing positive.

A morning training session was called off as players underwent tests to determine whether the virus may have spread among the group.

But there were no positives detected and that meant Koeman's charges could train in the evening, ahead of playing Wednesday's match against Athletic Bilbao.

A club statement read: "In accordance with La Liga protocol, the FC Barcelona first-team squad undertook PCR tests on Tuesday morning. All tests came back negative, and thus training will take place this afternoon from 6pm CET."

The Camp Nou giants said on Monday that two members of the first-team staff had returned positives for coronavirus, and sports and health authorities were informed about those results.

Koeman's team sit fifth in La Liga ahead of their trip to the Basque Country to play Athletic, who are ninth.

Barcelona, who are 10 points off the top of La Liga, have won the previous two matches on their travels after going four away league games without a win.

The Blaugrana secured a 1-0 win at rock-bottom Huesca at the weekend, which came courtesy of a goal from midfielder Frenkie de Jong.

Following that game, Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen called upon his team-mates to raise the quality of their performances.

"We have to improve, that's what I think, overall in the last minutes so that we don't suffer as much. I think it's not needed," the Germany international told the club's website.

"But we won the game which is very important and we move forwards."

Barca have often been short in attack this season, as the club have relied on Martin Braithwaite to play striker in recent weeks. 

Head coach Ronald Koeman admitted his club were short a target forward, expressing his hope that a new striker can be brought in during the January transfer window.

"We have said several times, at the beginning of the season, that we need someone at the top to have more competition and more goals, more effectiveness, but this depends on many things," Koeman said after the match against Huesca.

New Paris Saint-Germain manager Mauricio Pochettino says that he will work to determine Neymar's best position as he looks to get the best out of the Brazilian star.

Neymar has been a key part of all of PSG's plans since making the switch from Barcelona in 2017.

However, PSG are blessed with a variety of options in the attack, with Neymar joined by the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Angel Di Maria and Mauro Icardi up top.

Now officially with PSG, Pochettino says one of his first orders of business will be to figure out how to best deploy his attack, with Neymar a key piece of those plans.

“When Neymar starts training with the squad we will find the best position for him so that he can be the best he can be,” Pochettino said at his first press conference. 

“We don't like to talk about systems. We will work on the game, on the animation and that all the players including Neymar be the best they can be. 

“They are all leaders, there are different ways of expressing leadership and the more leaders we have in the team, whether in the locker room or on the pitch, the more beneficial it will be for the club.”

Pochettino was asked about a number of transfers during his inaugural press conference, including a potential deal for Lionel Messi.

He was also asked about Christian Eriksen, who played under Pochettino at Tottenham and appears set for an Inter exit.

However, Pochettino focused on his own team, including his plans for Mbappe, who he believes is a player that can play either out wide or as a striker in his system.

“It's amazing to see the quality of this squad, of these players, it's not new to anyone and we are very happy to have this squad,” he said.

“Kylian is a great player, who can play on the sides and in the middle. The most important thing is that he can express his potential and his talent when he is on the pitch.”

PSG currently sit third in Ligue 1, behind both Lyon and Lille, ahead of this week's clash with Saint-Etienne, a match that will serve as Pochettino's debut.

The club can also look ahead towards the Champions League knockout rounds, where they will face Barcelona in the round of 16 after falling to Bayern Munich in the finale last season.

“The Champions League is a goal for us, it's the biggest competition,” Pochettino said. “The first knockout matches are in a month, today we are under construction and, with the return of unavailable players, we will have an incredible squad and we will be ready for the match against Barcelona.”

He added: “We are going to play a lot of matches in the next few weeks. We can rely on all sectors of the club to optimise the potential of all our players. I am particularly happy with the medical team and we will face this busy schedule.”

Former Italy international Antonio Cassano has slammed Juventus striker Paulo Dybala, saying that he is not worth the money he is demanding to sign a new deal and that he "sh*ts himself" when put under pressure.

Dybala is currently contracted through 2022 with the Serie A champions and has yet to agree terms on an extension, which has sparked rumours of an imminent departure from Turin.

Juve head coach Andrea Pirlo has attempted to play down talk of the Argentine's exit, saying last month that "champions like him are always fundamental in strong teams."

The 27-year-old has reportedly demanded €10 million (£9m/$12m) per season in a new contract, which hasn't gone down well with Cassano. 

"All his coaches at Juventus did not consider him necessary, so I wonder if he is a champion or a great player," Cassano said in a discussion on the official Twitch channel of former Italy forward Christian Vieri.

"For me he is not a champion, he does not make the difference. He has [scored] good goals, like I saw [Antonio] Di Natale and [Lorenzo] Insigne do. But if you want to take Juventus' No.10 [shirt], you have to be at a higher level.

"I have the feeling that, when they put pressure on him, he sh*ts himself!

"And then he asks for €10m per season? Oh, please!"

Dybala found the back of the net as Juventus defeated Udinese 4-1 on Sunday, with Pirlo quick to stress the striker's importance after the match. 

“We need Dybala, he needs us," Pirlo said. "He worked very well during the week in training, we could tell during the match that he was in better physical condition and we kept him on to the end because we hoped he would score that goal.”

Dybala could be set to play a major part on Wednesday, with Alvaro Morata ruled out of Juve's crunch Serie A clash with AC Milan on account of injury.

Milan currently top the Serie A table, sitting 10 points ahead of defending champions Juventus, who have a game in hand over the Rossoneri. 

The LA Galaxy announced on Tuesday that the club has hired former Toronto FC head coach Greg Vanney.

Vanney replaces Guillermo Barros Schelotto, who was dismissed by the Galaxy at the end of the season, as he takes charge of the club he played for from 1996-2002 and then again in 2008.

The former Toronto FC coach lifted his side to a treble in 2017, winning the MLS Cup, MLS Supporters’ Shield, and Canadian Championship during that season.

During his six-year stint in charge of TFC, Vanney set the club record for total wins (112) and games coached (250) while guiding the team to three MLS Cup finals and a CONCACAF Champions League final.

He stepped down from his role with TFC after the 2020 season, but will now rejoin his former club as he looks to lead the Galaxy back towards the top of MLS

“I am extremely excited about the opportunity to coach the LA Galaxy,” said Vanney. “The LA Galaxy are an iconic club with a rich history in Los Angeles, MLS and North American soccer over the last 25 years.

“I want to thank Dennis te Kloese, Chris Klein, Dan Beckerman and Mr. Anschutz for the opportunity to coach this team and represent a club so close to my heart. I am committed to working tirelessly for this club, our fans and Los Angeles to win a championship. I look forward to this new challenge in my career and am eager to get started.”

Galaxy general manager Dennis te Kloese added: “Greg is a part of the history of the LA Galaxy and we are confident that he is the right person to lead our team moving forward.

“He has deep knowledge of this club and Major League Soccer as a player and a coach, and has proven to be a consistent winner with a championship pedigree. His accolades as Toronto FC’s manager are evidence of his ability to create and sustain success in our league. We look forward to working with Greg to continue to build a team that will compete for trophies.”

Vanney made 193 total appearances for the Galaxy as a player, tied with for the seventh-most appearances of any player in LA Galaxy history.

The former defender was a two-time Best XI defender, as he helped guide the club to a Supporters’ Shield (1998), CONCACAF Champions’ Cup (2000) and U.S. Open Cup (2001).

After his playing career ended, Vanney was an Academy Director for Real Salt Lake from 2008 to 2011 before joining Chivas USA as an assistant.

He was hired by Toronto FC in 2014,  becoming the ninth head coach in the team's history, and is the only coach in the club's history to lead the Canadian side to the playoffs.

Vanney will now inherit a Galaxy team that finished 10th in the Western Conference, having limped through most of the MLS season.

“We are thrilled that Greg is returning to the LA Galaxy as our Head Coach,” said LA Galaxy President Chris Klein.

“Greg is focused on building a culture that will serve as the foundation of this club. He is detail-oriented, a fierce competitor and has a deep understanding of our league and what it takes to succeed on and off the field. He will be an outstanding ambassador for the LA Galaxy, our supporters and Los Angeles.”

New Paris Saint-Germain boss Mauricio Pochettino said that he is "looking at all the possibilities" when asked about a potential reunion with Christian Eriksen in Ligue 1

Pochettino recently took over at PSG, replacing Thomas Tuchel as the club's manager, having been out of work since leaving Tottenham in 2019.

In his first press conference on Tuesday, Pochettino fielded a series of questions regarding player transfers, including a potential move for Lionel Messi, who is free to leave Barcelona this summer. 

Another player Pochettino was questioned on is Christian Eriksen, who played for the new PSG boss for five full seasons with Spurs.

The Danish midfielder became a star in north London, scoring 69 goals in 305 appearances for the club.

However, shortly after Pochettino's departure, Eriksen sealed a move to Inter as his contract winded down, moving to Italy on a four-and-a-half-year deal.

His time in Serie A has not gone to plan, though, as Eriksen has fallen out of the picture under Antonio Conte.

The midfielder has made just 11 appearances this year, scoring zero goals, after scoring four times in 26 outings last season.

Inter are already looking to get rid of the former Spurs star, with club CEO Giuseppe Marotta confirming last month that the playmaker will be transfer listed in January.

"He has struggled to settle into the squad, he is not functional to the squad. That’s just an objective fact," Marotta told Sky Italy.

When asked about the possibility of bringing Eriksen to Paris though, Pochettino would not confirm or deny his club's interest.

“This is not the time to comment on rumours, we just arrived a few days ago," he said in a press conference.

"We are monitoring the recovery of our injured players, we are talking with Leonardo and it is true that a club like PSG is looking at all the possibilities it has, all the more so with this complicated period linked to the health crisis."

PSG currently sit third in Ligue 1, one point behind both league-leaders Lyon and second-placed Lille.

Pochettino's first game in charge will come on Wednesday as PSG visit Saint-Etienne before returning home to face Brest over the weekend. 
 

Sadio Mane is a “package deal” for Liverpool and little should be read into his recent struggle for goals, says John Barnes.

The Senegal international has been a prolific presence for the Reds throughout a memorable spell on Merseyside.

A healthy return of 88 goals has been recorded through 193 appearances, with those efforts helping to deliver Champions League, UEFA Super Cup, FIFA Club World Cup and Premier League crowns.

Mane has, however, found the target on just two occasions through his last 13 games, and three times in 18 outings.

He is not the first to endure such a drought, with Roberto Firmino seeing his value called into question when going through a barren run, but Barnes sees no cause for alarm at Anfield.

The Reds legend told BonusCodeBets on Mane’s contribution: “This is very much the same thing we talked about last year with Firmino; where we won the league by 20 points yet people were complaining that he wasn't scoring enough goals. Yet, he was playing every game and contributing to the team’s overall performance.

“Firstly, it’s important to remember that Mane has been one of the most important players in the team and his form is excellent. Perhaps not excellent in terms of number of goals scored, but excellent in terms of what he does for the team. I’d even say that Mane has a lot to do with why we’re at the top of the league; and that’s done both on and off the ball.

“His goalscoring, his creativity - it’s a package deal. So I don't see why it's all doom and gloom for a team that's top of the league.

“And yes, the last two games haven't gone our way, but that could easily be turned around and I expect them to do so.

“So I don’t think it’s fair on anyone in that team to start complaining and saying that the players are under-performing, when this is exactly what happens in football. You win some and you lose some - simple as that.

“But Liverpool is a fantastic team and the way they play shouldn’t be criticised nor scrutinised. Like any team, you’ll have good days and not so great days - but it all comes down to consistency; and that is something that this team has proven to be.” 

Mane drew his latest blank in a 1-0 defeat against former club Southampton, with the defending Premier League champions now winless in three and offering hope to the chasing pack that they could be knocked from the loftiest of perches.

Manchester City manager ​Pep Guardiola has admitted his side "don't have many players" available to face Manchester United in the Carabao Cup due to a Covid-19 outbreak.

City saw their match against Everton postponed last week after a number of players and staff tested positive for coronavirus, but they were able to face Chelsea on Sunday in a match they won 3-1.

The club has seen six players test positive recently, with Gabriel Jesus, Kyle Walker and Eric Garcia those confirmed to have the virus along with three unnamed players.

Ahead of Wednesday's Carabao Cup semi-final against their fierce local rivals, Guardiola has admitted that the virus has taken its toll on his squad.

"We don't have many players," Guardiola told Sky Sports. "To play one, two games is okay but if sustained for a long time - and you can use just 14 or 15 players - it will be more difficult.

"But like everyone in the world, we have to adjust in our lives and our profession as much as possible. We don't have an alternative.

"The important thing is the guys who have Covid recover well and the others try to avoid it as much as possible."

Not every City player has been diligent about avoiding risk, however. The club released a statement on Sunday condemning the actions of Benjamin Mendy, who flouted Covid-19 rules to host a New Year's Eve party.

"While it is understood that elements of this incident have been misinterpreted in the reports, and that the player has publicly apologised for his error, the club is disappointed to learn of the transgression and will be conducting an internal investigation," the statement read. 

The breach came during a period in which 40 players across the Premier League tested positive for the virus, a new weekly high. As Covid-19 surges across England, Guardiola knows that City are far from the only side affected.

"There are other clubs, like Newcastle, for example; every club is fighting about the dangers with Covid," he said. "This situation is completely new. It looks like we are an island inside the society. It's like everything is locked down except ourselves.

"When the people say football players are special, maybe it's the truth. We didn't believe it before; I always thought the doctors, teachers, architects, every person is the same. But it looks like everything is closed but our business.

"They have to be careful what they do. Social distance, be careful and be lucky because even doing as best as possible, there are risks."