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Even as the otherworldly greatness of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo begins to fade away, its effect can still be glimpsed in the manner in which footballing merit is discussed and evaluated.

Both players so completely obliterated pre-existing standards that, slowly, it altered the discourse around football, pushing it, more than at any other time in history, toward a cold numbers game.

Be that number of titles won or number of goals, or even goals scored in specific competitions being weighted differently than others; in time, their contribution to the zeitgeist became purely mathematical.

It is an effect that is unlikely to wear off quickly, by the looks of it.

It is difficult to argue against the merit of Robert Lewandowski, who claimed The Best Fifa Men’s Player of the Year award earlier this month in quite emphatic fashion, but even that was simply a perpetuation of the status quo – no one scored as freely, or as reliably, as the Pole in 2020, and he was pivotal in leading Bayern Munich to a treble.

The extra-terrestrials dutifully filled out second and third, but only as a matter of course.

In a choppy year where so little was certain, perhaps it made sense to Fifa to have them on the podium as a sort of emotional anchor. In reality, the second-best footballer on the planet over the past 12 months has been none other than Sadio Mane.

It stands to reason then that he is, by extension, African Footballer of the Year...or, at least, he would have been if Caf had not scrapped the award for 2020.

No matter, though; the Senegal international was the recipient of the bauble in 2019, and so retains it (in a way) by simple incumbency. It is only a shame that the record will not denote this explicitly.

If the former claim seems a little high-minded, the latter should be easy enough to parse. Mane might not do as much of the heavy lifting goals-wise as the likes of Messi and Ronaldo, or (within an African context) Mohamed Salah or Pierre Emerick Aubameyang do (in any case, he has managed 16 in all competitions during a stop-start year), but he is, in many ways, a call-back to a simpler time when football was not solely about its most decisive function.

And yet, for all that, Mane is very much the modern footballer, in that he answers the burning tactical questions of the day better than almost anyone else.

In a game increasingly obsessed with balance, structure and denying space, he both inhabits the system and perfectly negates it.

Few players are able to completely unbalance a game as well, whether by means of his agility, use of subtle feints, abrupt changes in direction or simply attracting opponents to himself to create space for others.

He knows system and was moulded by it, and yet is not bounded by it.

Mane’s importance within a wildly successful Liverpool side is unmistakable, and is attested to by an intriguing pattern: of the six matches he has not started for the Reds this season in all competitions, they have only won two.

Small sample, yes, and a bit of a crude measure. However, consider team mate Salah, by contrast: he has started all but three, and there seems no similar correlation, serendipitous or otherwise, between his absence and a downturn in outcome.

The rest of the field have even weaker claims.

Riyad Mahrez finished on the podium in 2019, but it would be very generous to place him that high this time around. While, like Mane, it takes a lot more than a cursory look at the numbers to appreciate his gifts, he cannot boast of the same level of consistency, or the same level of trust from his manager.

Aubameyang was transformative for Arsenal for much of the year, almost single-handedly leading the Gunners to FA Cup and Community Shield success. Sadly though, he has fallen victim to a wider malaise at the Emirates Stadium, and has looked a shadow of himself since inking a new deal with the club. As the Gabonese sharpshooter has entered his 30s, it is his smile, rather than his pace, that has been lost.

Nevertheless, he and Salah are a worthy three and two respectively, while Mane reigns supreme: more complete, more versatile, more powerful.

At once goalscorer and provider, executioner and investigator.

Bengaluru FC suffered their first defeat last week when they went down to ATK Mohun Bagan. The Blues are third on the Indian Super League (ISL) table with 12 points from seven matches.

Carles Cuadrat was asked to explain why Bengaluru haven’t looked at their fluent best this season. The Spaniard pointed that despite the criticism, only three coaches in the ISL, namely Sergio Lobera and Antonio Habas, have been helping their team qualify for the play-offs regularly.

“The other team also has a tactical plan. They will not allow you to play your best football. The three coaches, Antonio Habas, Sergio Lobera and Carles Cuadrat, that have more experience in the league have achieved around 80 points; the only three coaches to have achieved that. It means you have been working for a while, knowing the league and the Indian players. The teams that we have managed have been getting results, season after season. We were losing only four games last season and Goa maybe just three in the previous season,” reasoned Cuadrat.

He also highlighted that games between teams managed by Lobera, Habas and himself are decided by fine margins. Against ATK Mohun Bagan, Cleiton Silva had a gilt-edged chance but the Brazilian couldn’t convert which in the end made the difference as David Williams scored his first this season.

“Of course, we know coaches the league and we have been achieving play-offs season after season. It is a game of tactics. Normally the matches between us are decided by close details. In the semi-final, we won 1-0 and then they beat us in Calcutta. The three coaches know the league and little details are making the difference between us. Bagan were making a competitive game and if Cleiton scored then the discussion will be entirely different.  A moment of talent made the difference that day,” he elaborated.
He reiterated that Williams’ quality shone in the last game while his team couldn’t convert the chances that came their way.

“It was a tough game. We knew it could be a game of little margins. The plan was to defend well and move for the counter-attacks. Williams showed his quality with the goal and he was good enough to create the opportunity.  The two teams had little difference but three points went to ATK Mohun Bagan,” he said.

Silva has three goals to his name from seven games but the Thai league’s all-time topscorer hasn’t been able to set the ISL on fire. Cuadrat stated that a player isn’t judged just on putting the ball into the back of the net per say.

“(Roy) Krishna and Williams have been scoring the goals for ATK. And we have got three victories till now and Cleiton and Sunil (Chhetri) have been scoring for us in those matches. In football analytics, you have to understand the game. Cleiton has been doing a great job. Only if you put the ball in you are a great player and if out then you are not, that is not the case,” he defended his striker.

Up next are Jamshedpur for Cuadrat’s side and the Spanish coach believes that a combination of poor refereeing and late goals haven’t helped their cause.

“Jamshedpur are doing good work. They deserve to have more points. Bad refereeing and some last-minute goals have cost them the points. Their foreigners are getting better week after week. The young Indians are also doing well. It is going to be a difficult game for both teams. They are a tough team but we have our plan and we will try to get three points,” he stated.

Cuadrat mentioned that his team do play with a high line of defence and that Nerijus Valskis, who was the topscorer in the ISL last season with Chennaiyin FC, couldn’t breach the Bengaluru defence.

“We have a plan, a good structure and we have conceded the least goals in the previous season. We will miss Ashqiue (Kuruniyan) and so, we have to restructure. But we are a team with a plan and we have been working together for a long time. We have stopped brilliant strikers like Coro (Ferran Corominas), (Modou) Sougou or (Batholomew) Ogbeche.

“We maintain a high line and it is part of the plan. Valskis could not score against us last season and we will try to do the right things in the next game as well,” he pointed.

Ashique Kuruniyan suffered an injury against Odisha FC after getting operated upon, he is expected to move to his hometown in Kerala in order to recover.

“Ashique will be travelling to Kerala to be with family. We cannot tell for how many weeks he is out. He is positive and the treatment is going in the right way,” said Cuadrat.

It would be an understatement to say that Saturday night's 2-2 draw between Chennaiyin FC and SC East Bengal in the Indian Super League (ISL) was a treat for the neutrals. 

A whopping 28 attempts on goal, nine on target, and four goals made for an entertaining affair at the Tilak Maidan in Vasco, Goa. But for the two sides, it would have been anything but. Both sides were desperate for wins for entirely different reasons. 

Chennaiyin wanted one to get some consistency and close the gap on the league leaders. East Bengal, on the other hand, were on the lookout for their first-ever ISL win. At the end of ninety minutes, neither side got what they wanted but both teams would feel they could've got exactly what they wanted. It was that sort of a game. 

For the first 45 minutes, however, it seemed that the match was playing out according to the league standings. Chennaiyin were the better side, as they have been in most of their matches, and got a deserved goal through Lallianzuala Chhangte who set clear on goal by Jakub Sylvestr who had a curious performance on the night (more on that follows). 

Robbie Fowler, staring down the barrel yet again, decided to tweak his system. In came youngster Rohen Singh for Surchandra Singh (who had been scorched by Chhangte's pace) and midfielder Sehnaj Singh was hooked for former Chennaiyin striker Jeje Lalpekhlua. 

The move clicked for Fowler, who started to see his team get on the ball more and threaten the Chennaiyin defence. Jeje is an underrated striker when it comes to holding up play and bringing his teammates into the game. He had been struggling with injuries for the past one or two season but there were flickering signs of him coming back to life, at least with his clever hold-up play and movement.

What followed was a mad half, that saw Matti Steinmann equalised twice for East Bengal, sandwiching a Rahim Ali strike, and he should ideally have scored the winner as well. It also laid bare their deficiencies at the back where Chennaiyin should really have scored a bucket load of goals. 

It could be argued that East Bengal, so to say, have arrested their slide in the ISL. They are no more a side you could roll over and get easy three points against. In the last two games, they have shown some signs of fight. Against Kerala Blasters, at least in the first half, they were impressive going forward with the trio of Jacques Maghoma, Anthony Pilkington and Mohammed Rafique linking well.

On Saturday, against an attacking Chennaiyin, Fowler’s East Bengal finally began to look threatening from set-pieces. They were in the news in the summer for having appointed a set-piece specialist in Terrence McPhillips. However, till Saturday, they didn’t look comfortable either defending set-piece situations or even threaten the opposition citadel. That seems to be changing now. 
 
Matti Steinmann scored a couple of goals from corners and could have completed his hat-trick too. Although the goals came against a Chennaiyin FC side, who are known to be weak when it comes to defending set-piece situations, Fowler and co. will certainly take positives from their performance.

What continues to remain an area of concern for the English coach is the manner in which Chennaiyin could get behind their defence. It was thanks to the profligacy of the Chennaiyin forwards that East Bengal continued to be in the tie. Defensively, they still look shaky and this is something Fowler needs to address ahead of their tie against bottom-placed Odisha FC, which comes at a perfect time for the Red and Golds. 

For Chennaiyin, head coach Csaba Laszlo could not really do anything more apart from hoping for divine intervention, one feels. To his immense credit, the Hungarian's tactics have been spot on in every match apart from, possibly, the NorthEast United game which finished goalless. He has outwitted the likes of Juan Ferrando, Owen Coyle and even Sergio Lobera. But all he has to show for those are two wins and three draws from seven games. 

While their set-piece defending continues to be an issue, Chennaiyin's main problem is profligate finishing. Jakub Sylvestr, as mentioned earlier, has been brilliant when it comes to approach and build-up play in Laszlo's system. His movement has been great too and he gets into promising positions with ease. However, he just cannot score goals at this moment. He should ideally have scored a hat-trick against East Bengal and probably more in the previous matches as well. 

It seems to be a confidence issue. Not much you can do there apart from hope he gets a goal and his confidence back soon enough. And it is not just Sylvestr. Rafael Crivellaro, absolutely brilliant when it comes to playmaking, has wasted chances. Chhangte has been vilified for missing a glut of tap-ins recently. It was almost ironic that on a night when Chhangte found his scoring boots, Chennaiyin decided to screen the blockbuster - 'How not to score goals'!

It was nothing but a mad, mad game!

Since entering the Indian Super League (ISL) scene in 2017, Jamshedpur are yet to make an appearance in the playoffs. 

The Men of Steel have tried various combinations of coaches and players but things haven't really worked out for the Tata Group-owned club in the ISL so far. But they are on the right track this season to turn their fortunes around. 

Owen Coyle took over a distraught set of players at Chennaiyin last season and guided them to the final of the competition. it was a remarkable turnaround by the Machans and Owen Coyle caught the attention of many, including Jamshedpur, with his fantastic first season in Indian football. 

The former Bolton Wanderers manager left Chennaiyin at the end of the season to begin a new journey with Jamshedpur. It was supposed to be a move that started a new project but the speed of the new process has been slowed down due to various reasons including the pandemic.

After eight matches, Jamshedpur are sixth on the table with 10 points - two wins, two defeats and four draws. They are six points off the top of the table and only a point behind the fourth-placed team - the position that Owen Coyle will be targeting in his first season with the club. With ATK Mohun Bagan and Mumbai City looking good for the top two spots as it stands, there could be a close fight for the third and fourth spot. 

Injuries and poor refereeing decisions have cost Coyle's team in their first eight matches. Two of their seven foreign players - David Grande and Nick Fitzgerald are yet to spend a minute on the field. 

The absence of the two foreigners has affected the team. Last season's Golden Boot winner Nerijus Valskis has scored six goals so far - that's six out of a team total of nine goals. Centre-back Stephen Eze has scored twice and Aniket Jadhav one. Valskis' responsibility needs to be shared and if it's not done soon, it will be a case of 'No Nerijus, no party' very soon. 

Peter Hartley and Stephen Eze will continue to be Owen Coyle's first-choice centre-back partnership, especially with youngster Narender Gahlot injured. While the defence has let in nine goals, the underlying issue has been that of a lack of goalscorers apart from Valskis. 

The team also have been at the end of multiple costly errors from the referees. The latest example of such a setback was in Jamshedpur's 2-1 defeat to FC Goa where the Men of Steel had a goal disallowed before Igor Angulo scored twice in the second half. Coyle had blasted the refereeing in that game in his post-match press conference. 

Alex Lima's effort had gone in off the underside of the bar before bouncing out due to the spin. However, the referee did not spot it and the goal was not allowed to stand. 

Coyle expressed his frustration while speaking about the referee and the linesman after the match. He said, "It is disheartening because we've been robbed in a game. We scored a good goal at 1-1 when the ball came off the crossbar and was clearly over the line.

"With the level of this game, it is embarrassing that such a thing happened. ISL have fantastic teams, good players and terrific coaches and we are being let down every week by poor officiating. At this level that should not be allowed to happen. We need top officials to work in a top league."

Owen Coyle will hope he can work around these two factors that have hampered the progress of his project this season. Up next for his team are Bengaluru who are third on the table. A few wins on the trot could unlock the potential that this Jamshedpur team has. They are fun to watch but it's just a matter of attaining the level of consistency that a team needs to compete for the playoffs. If anyone can pull it off, it is Owen Coyle, based on his first season in ISL. 

Mikel Arteta described Granit Xhaka's conduct as "unacceptable" only two weeks ago, but it was a different story after the midfielder's goal helped Arsenal to a 3-1 win over Premier League rivals Chelsea on Saturday.

Returning from suspension, there was a moment of swift redemption from former Arsenal captain Xhaka when he struck home a thumping free-kick in the first half of the London derby at Emirates Stadium.

The Swiss star had been sent off for grabbing Ashley Westwood by the throat in a 1-0 home defeat to Burnley on December 13, and it triggered a three-game ban.

Xhaka had previously salvaged his Arsenal career when it looked on the rocks in October 2019, after he took off his shirt and responded to heckles from supporters when substituted during a game against Crystal Palace.

Arteta has been struck by Xhaka's positive attitude during his year-long reign at Arsenal, so he is treating the Burnley incident as an aberration.

Asked about the leadership qualities and determination that Xhaka showed in a young Arsenal midfield, Arteta said after the success against Chelsea: "Since I've been here he has always shown that. That's why I've been really supportive of him.

"He made a mistake, like we all do, but his commitment and his character and how much he wants to fight for this club and this team is unquestionable, and today I feel he showed that again."

It was a timely first goal of the season for Xhaka, who played more passes (44) than anyone else in Arsenal's team and matched left-back Kieran Tierney (55) for the most touches among Gunners players.

Xhaka also engaged in more duels for the ball – 13 – than anyone else in an Arsenal jersey, and his strike from outside the penalty area was far from his first long-range hit for the Gunners.

According to Opta, Xhaka has now scored seven of his nine Arsenal goals in the Premier League from beyond the 18-yard box, the highest ratio of all Gunners players to have netted at least five times in the competition.

Xhaka chipped in to the conversation after the game, writing on Instagram: "Sometimes actions speak louder than words. Proud of our team tonight."

Everton boss Carlo Ancelotti admitted that he did not expect his side to be second at this point in the season but, now that the Toffees are, he expects them to push on for a strong finish.

With Saturday's 1-0 win over Sheffield United, the Merseyside outfit moved up to second in the table for the time being, behind only local rivals Liverpool in the Premier League.

Everton have earned points from each of their last five matches, having only dropped points in a 1-1 draw with Burnley on December 5.

That run has seen them make a push up the table, although they have played one more match than Manchester United and Manchester City, the latter of whom they will face on Monday.

Since 2010-11, only half-a-dozen sides have managed to break the monopoly of the big six, including Everton's 2012-13 and 2013-14 under David Moyes and Roberto Martinez respectively.

And Ancelotti, in his first full season as Toffees manager, is hoping to make that breakthrough himself even if it may come sooner than he previously anticipated.

"We were patient," the Italian told his post-match press conference after taking down Sheffield United. "We were in the game and stayed in the game most times, we defended pretty well and we found the right opportunity to score a goal.

"Every game is really difficult, complicated. Sheffield United are a good team, we are really pleased to be second. We didn't expect that at the start of the season but we are there and we want to stay there.

"The squad we have is good. We have a lot of important players out. With these players back we can still have a really good season, we don't have to think about the transfer window in January.

"We are there, we are pleased to be there but we don't have a lot of time to think about it. We have another game in two days, we push."

Everton were lifted by a late goal from Gylfi Sigurdsson, who fired an 80th-minute winner to seal all three points for the visitors.

Deployed in a more defensive role, Sigurdsson admitted that he was surprised to get the goal, although he was thrilled with his contribution.

"The gaffer moved me to defensive midfielder so I'm not sure what I was doing in the box for the goal," Sigurdsson said.

"We needed to get three points, we knew it would be tough coming here. I think they have been quite unlucky this season, they have been in a lot of games where they have lost by the one goal so they are not a bad team.

"It is still early on, things change very quickly in this league. We had a fantastic start and then had a few games where we dropped off but we've picked back up now. Hopefully, we can continue through January now."

Pep Guardiola has professed his satisfaction after Manchester City came through as comfortable winners against Newcastle United - but acknolwedged that there is no plain sailing this term as he chases a top-four berth.

Goals from Ilkay Gundogan and Ferran Torres handed the Blues a relatively routine result against Steve Bruce's Magpies to deliver a late Boxing Day present of three points at the Etihad Stadium, in miserable conditions crafted by Storm Bella.

The result delivered back-to-back top-flight wins for only the second time this season for City, who - so used to starting their campaigns with an imperious run of results - have only just found their footing after a surprisingly difficult opening stretch.

Victory has now moved them up to fifth however, just a point off fourth-place Manchester United and three off Everton in second - with both Mancunian clubs also blessed with a game in hand to improve their standing.

Now restored to their familiar position of top-four favourites in the table however, Guardiola is refusing to get carried away, pointing to his side's hectic schedule, condensed further by their Carabao Cup and Champions League success, as keeping their focus on the immediate future.

"[It was ] a tough game, [with the weather conditions and [an] opponent who we have struggled to score against," the Spaniard told his post-match press conference.

"That is the tempo we need to play. Today our positional game was perfect, unfortunately we could not score more goals but it is a good result and three more points.

"We cannot think much, the schedule is a game every three days. The players are committed and focused.

"We are far away from the top, last week we were 10th in the table, all the season is up and down. There are weird results for everyone, this season you have to be calm in the good and the bad moments.

"We played really well, the tempo we have to play football is this tempo.  Today was the best game of the season for players being in the position they have to be in."

Guardiola also offered resigned criticism of the FA's festive fixture logjam amid the coronavirus pandemic, with City facing a 48-hour turnaround before they face Everton on December 28.

"Tomorrow the players have to regenerate and prepare in one day," he added. "This pandemic puts us in an extreme situation, but that's how England [and the FA] likes it so we accept it."

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has confirmed James Milner is the club's number one penalty taker with Mohamed Salah the back-up option. 

Milner, 34, has scored 19 times from the spot for the Reds and has only failed to convert on two occasions for the club with his last miss dating back to November 2017.

The veteran midfielder most recently struck from the spot for Liverpool on Boxing Day last year in a 4-0 win over Leicester City with Salah stepping up to the spot for Klopp's side in recent times.

Though not too fussed on who takes on the responsibility, Klopp has made it clear that he sees Milner as the club's go-to man when they are handed a penalty.

"James Milner is No.1 penalty taker, but when James is not playing then it’s Mo. When Millie is on the pitch then he can decide," Klopp said on Saturday. 

"How it is always, sometimes you don’t feel 1,000 per cent or you think, ‘He’s scored two already’ and this kind of stuff. That didn’t change, we didn’t speak about it for a long, long time.

"Most the time, probably Millie was not on the pitch but I think I remember at least once when Millie was on the pitch and gave it to Mo.

"For me, it is only important that the ball is in the back of the net after whichever player from my team shot the ball.

"Millie gave us a pretty impressive number of penalties he finished off and Mo as well. So, that’s for me both fine and that’s how it is in the moment, that’s how the decision is." 

Liverpool and Everton are currently the only two Premier League clubs that are allowed to have a limited number of fans in their stadiums as the coronavirus pandemic rages on in England. 

While Klopp is thankful to have some support at Anfield, he feels it's not a massive advantage ahead of Sunday's home game against West Brom. 

"As a club, we have nothing to do with it. It’s not that we have any hand in the decision. It says something nice about the Liverpool people, probably. We had early mass testing four or five weeks ago, maybe longer than that. I am not a specialist, so I don’t know exactly how influential that was," Klopp said. 

"How I said, I wish everybody could experience it. I don’t see it as a massive advantage, but it’s just nicer. I understand that everybody else wants to have in the best possible way and if we have 2,000 and nobody else has 100 or whatever then, yes, I can imagine people will talk about that.

"From my point of view, long may it continue that we can keep people in the stadium but with the new tier system, it doesn’t look very likely. There are still bigger problems out there and as long as the deciders allow us to bring people in, I think that’s a really good sign." 

Gor Mahia's chances of making it to the group stages of the Caf Champions League are as good as over after suffering a heavy 6-0 defeat against CR Belouizdad in the first leg of the second preliminary round game played at the Stade du 5 Juillet 1962 on Saturday night.

The Great Chabab scored their goals through Amir Sayoud, who scored a hat-trick, Hamza Bellahouel, Larbi Tabti, and Maecky Ngombo during a thoroughly one-sided display.

K'Ogalo came into the match without the services of their influential captain Kenneth Muguna, midfielder Bernard Ondiek and Nicholas Kipkirui. The first two were nursing injuries while the former Zoo FC man had family issues. 

It took the hosts just seven minutes to get the ball in the back of the net. Geoffrey Ochieng' conceded a free kick in a good area, giving the Algerians a chance to bring the ball into the danger zone.

Poor positioning by goalkeeper Gad Mathews allowed Sayoud to break the deadlock.

The hosts looked hungry and in search of more goals, while K'Ogalo looked like a lower division team playing against the best in the continent.

In the 12th minute, the Kenyan champions were beaten in a swift counter-attack. The ball was passed to Marcellin Koukpo who squared the ball to the advancing Bellahouel, who duly tapped the ball home beyond Mathews.

It was becoming worse for the East Africans, and in the 18th minute, Joachim Oluoch conceded a penalty after bringing down an opponent in the danger zone. Sayoud rose for the occasion, sending the goalkeeper the wrong way to complete his brace.

The North Africans exploited K'Ogalo's full-backs relentlessly, although while the likes of Philemon Otieno, Michael Apudo and Oluoch appeared out of their depth, Charles Momanyi put in a strong shift at the back, ensuring the visitors didn't lose by a greater margin.

Apudo was at fault for the fourth goal scored in the 43rd minute. He tried to be too clever with the ball in the danger zone as he attempted to dribble past the CR Belouizdad players.

He was eventually dispossessed and after a scramble in the danger zone, the ball eventually fell to Tabti who finished emphatically.

K'Ogalo must have celebrated in silence when the half-time whistle came to their rescue, and only managed their first shot on target in the 52nd minute when Jules Ulimwengu's header was claimed by the hosts' goalkeeper.

A minute later, the Great Chabab scored their fifth when K'Ogalo failed to track a great run by Sayoud, who initiated a move and went on to finish it after some fine interplay to complete his hat-trick.

The North Africans scored their sixth goal in the 67th minute; Ngombo tapped into an empty net after substitute Kelvin Wesonga had missed out to his opposite number and Belouizdad had capitalised on the error.

Manchester City eased to a 2-0 victory over Newcastle United thanks to goals from Ilkay Gundogan and Ferran Torres to move within five points of Premier League leaders Liverpool.

Gundogan gave City the lead in a low-key game on Saturday with a close-range finish following a well-worked move from Pep Guardiola's side.

Torres netted his seventh goal of the season 10 minutes after half-time after some error-strewn defensive play by Newcastle.

Newcastle's chances at the other end were fleeting as they succumbed to their 12th consecutive Etihad defeat.

City quickly found their rhythm and a slick move saw Joao Cancelo find Raheem Sterling with a superb pass, and he skilfully cut the ball back for Gundogan to fire home.

The goal was Gundogan's second in Premier League this season, which is as many as he got in 31 games last season.

Kevin De Bruyne had Newcastle goalkeeper Karl Darlow scrambling back to palm the ball away moments later when a mis-hit cross into the box looked to be dipping under the crossbar.

De Bruyne broke clear of the Newcastle defence just after the half hour but the alert Darlow rushed off his line to narrow the angle and saved well.

Newcastle rarely threatened at the other end and, despite finishing the first half positively, they still failed to register a single shot on target in the opening 45 minutes.

A Jacob Murphy angled shot just after the break forced Ederson to make his first meaningful save before City added a second.

Newcastle twice failed to clear their lines, with Miguel Almiron and Federico Fernandez both guilty of sloppy play, and the ball dropped for Torres to confidently strike it past Darlow.

The brilliant Darlow denied substitute Sergio Aguero the chance to put the gloss on the result with a fine save from close range late on after another sweeping City attacking move.

What does it mean? City stay in touch

City have won each of their last 12 Premier League home games against Newcastle, scoring 42 goals and conceding just seven in return.

It is their longest winning home run against an opponent in their top-flight history and the victory against such generous opposition helped them to stay in touch with the chasing pack behind table-topping Liverpool.

Newcastle remain in 12th spot in the table on 18 points - seven above the relegation zone.

Sterling only too willing to assist

With six assists Sterling has now registered more in 21 appearances in all competitions this season than he managed in 52 games last season (five) as his fine form continued against Newcastle.

He now has 150 goal involvements in all competitions under Guardiola, as he became the first player to reach that total for City since the former Barcelona boss took over (96 goals, 54 assists)

Joelinton fails to make an impact

As the rain pelted down in Manchester this was a night when the Brazilian was perhaps not quite the man for the gritty challenge of holding the ball up and bringing his team-mates into play as boss Steve Bruce might have wanted.

Joelinton's pass completion in the attacking half of the pitch was just 44.4 per cent and with only scraps to feed on he managed just two touches inside the City penalty area.

Key Opta Facts

- City have kept 13 clean sheets in all competitions this season, more than any other team in the top five European leagues.
- Newcastle have lost more Boxing Day games than any other side in Premier League history (15), and have now lost each of their last six league games in a row on this date.
- Gundogan has scored two goals in nine Premier League games this season, as many as he netted in 31 appearances in the competition last season.
- City have won all seven games in all competitions in which Torres has scored for them, with five of his seven strikes coming at the Etihad.

What's next?

City face Everton at Goodison Park in the Premier League next Monday while Newcastle host leaders Liverpool on Wednesday.

Mikel Arteta has issued a fresh update over the news that Gabriel is isolating due to the coronavirus, with the Arsenal manager confirming that the case has not spawned from the Gunners' Carabao Cup exit to Manchester City in midweek.

The north London outfit sealed a much-needed return to winning ways with a first domestic victory for almost two months against Chelsea in a Boxing Day derby victory without the near-ever-present Brazilian.

News broke shortly before kick-off that the 23-year-old had been in close contact with an individual who had tested positive for Covid-19 and that he would miss the club's next three games, including the immediate visit of the Blues.

Gabriel is also set to miss games with Brighton on December 29 and West Brom on January 2, though he will hopefully be able to return for their FA Cup clash with Newcastle on January 9.

Speaking after his side picked up a much-needed three points to ease concerns of a relegation battle however, Arteta was able to shed some further light on the matter, revealing that while there is no confirmation the player himself has tested positive, precautions must be followed.

"Well, we have to follow the guidelines and protocols," he stated. "The doctor is on top of that, for how long still it’s not 100 per cent.

"But he was in contact with somebody who has tested positive, so he needs to stay away for a few games."

The Spaniard however confirmed that the case did not spawn from the Gunners' game with Pep Guardiola's side on Tuesday, adding: "No, it wasn’t with another player in the Premier League. He was with someone in his bubble."

Victory against Frank Lampard's high-flying Blues - who missed the chance to go second in defeat against their rivals - represented a much-needed boost for the under-fire Arteta, who has seen his position at the Emirates Stadium become increasingly precarious in recent weeks.

Their upcoming games with the Seagulls and the Baggies - two other teams embroiled either on the edge or in the heart of a relegation battle like Arsenal themselves - will hand the club a golden chance to add six points to their haul and put some daylight between them and the bottom three.

Anglo-Nigerian forward Ademola Lookman and Cameroon midfielder Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa were in fine form as Fulham secured a goalless draw at home against Southampton on Boxing Day.

Lookman was a dominant force in the Cottagers' attack and he was involved in half of the 10 shots they registered at Craven Cottage.

The former Everton striker had two attempts at goal and he also created three more opportunities for his teammates but they could not find the back of the net.

He has returned two goals and two assists in 12 Premier League appearances since he returned to England on a season-long loan from RB Leipzig in September.

Zambo Anguissa was another African star who was outstanding in London, making both defensive and attacking contributions in the middle of the park.

The Indomitable Lions midfielder won the most tackles at Craven Cottage (10), completed the most dribbles (six) and he also had the joint-highest shots on target with Lookman (two).

The 25-year-old is currently ranked as the second-best tackler in the league this campaign with 47 completed tackles, four behind Southampton's Oriol Romeu.

Saturday's result meant back-to-back draws for Fulham at home and their fourth straight draw in the Premier League.

Zambo Anguissa was in action for the entire duration alongside Nigeria's Ola Aina and Tosin Adarabioyo, while Lookman was replaced on the stroke of full-time by DR Congo's Neeskens Kebano.

Southampton, on the other hand, had Mali's Moussa Djenepo in action but Ghana's Mohammed Salisu was an unused substitute as he continues to wait for his debut appearance since his summer signing from Real Valladolid.

Fulham remain 18th in the Premier League table with 11 points from 15 games while Southampton dropped to eighth with 25 points.

Next up for Scott Parker's side is a trip to Tottenham Hotspur on December 30 and they will be targeting their first Premier League win since they defeated Leicester City 2-1 a month ago. 

Chelsea manager Frank Lampard conceded Timo Werner didn't offer his side enough with or without the ball during a 3-1 loss against Arsenal on Saturday. 

Werner, who has now gone 10 games without a goal in all competitions for the Blues, was replaced at half-time by Callum Hudson-Odoi with Lampard's side trailing 2-0. 

The change would fail to turn the tide however with Bukayo Saka adding the Gunners' third in the 56th minute before Tammy Abraham bagged a consolation goal five minutes before full-time. 

Currently experiencing his longest goal drought at club level since 2016, Werner is seemingly struggling after an encouraging start to life at Stamford Bridge with Lampard desperate to get more out of the German international. 

"Certainly the goals not going in is always something an attacking player will get judged on," Lampard said when asked about Werner in his post-match press conference.

"The subs, I could have made more. But I felt I had to make the subs in those two areas to inject energy.

"For today, TImo wasn't giving us enough with or without the ball. Some of it we have to give him time. I keep saying the same thing because it's a different league but we also have to get there quickly.

"We'll see about the tiredness - I'll have a conversation with him. But I felt I had to make changes to change the course of the match." 

Something else Lampard will have to give some thought to over the coming days is who will take the Blues' spot-kicks moving forward with Jorginho having his injury-time effort saved at the Emirates. 

The Italian midfielder had netted his first eight penalties for Chelsea but has now failed to convert three of his past six with Werner and Abraham waiting in the wings to step up if called upon. 

"We'll see. I won't comment on that one at the minute. Jorginho's performance, he added a lot to the team in the second half so we'll deal with the penalties going forward," Lampard said. 

Chelsea have a short turnaround before facing high-flying Aston Villa at home on Monday with Dean Smith's side currently one place ahead of Lampard's men in sixth and with two games in hand. 

Football enthusiasts in Nigeria have taken to social media to celebrate Arsenal's 3-0 victory over Chelsea in a Premier League encounter on Saturday.

Goals from Alexandre Lacazette, Granit Xhaka and Bukayo Saka propelled the hosts to a comfortable win at the Emirates Stadium, which ended their seven-game winless streak in the English top flight.

Arsenal's triumph over Frank Lampard's men was their first league win since November 1 when they defeated Manchester United 1-0 at Old Trafford.

The result has generated considerable reaction among supporters in the Gunners-man West African country, with Nigerian fans describing the triumph as a 'good Boxing Day present' for Arsenal fans.

Despite the victory, the Gunners are still 14th in the Premier League table, sitting eight points behind sixth-placed Chelsea.

Campeonato Brasileirao Serie A is the top level of soccer in Brazil and has been the breeding ground for some of the world's greatest players including Pele and Neymar.

All games are live streamed on Fanatiz and you can sign up to watch free here.

As a result, football fans and scouts from all over the world watch the Brasileirao to see some of tomorrow's stars today, as well as some of the most exciting and entertaining games on television, filled with amazing technical ability and plenty of goals.

The 2020 Serie A season was due to begin on May 3 and end in December but, due to the coronavirus pandemic, the tournament calendar was paused before eventually starting in August. It will now continue until February 24, 2021, barring any further delays.

How to watch Fluminense vs Sao Paulo US TV

Sao Paulo are the overwhelming favourites for their first Serie A title since 2008 as they visit Fluminense in Rio de Janeiro on Saturday. 

The Tricolor suffered huge disappointment at continental level this year, bombing out of both the Libertadores and Sudamericana in quick succession. 

But those exits have allowed them to focus on the Brasileirao, and in recent weeks they have left the opposition trailing with five wins in their last six games.

Should they down Fluminense and both Flamengo and Atletico Mineiro lose, Sao Paulo will be sitting pretty eight points clear of their rivals with 11 games remaining of the season. 

But their hosts, who need points themselves to strengthen their bid to return to the Libertadores next year with a top-seven finish, will be no easy prospect.

Fluminense vs Sao Paulo is available to stream in the US on Fanatiz , where you can sign up for a 7-day free trial.

Brasileirao 2020 is exclusive to Fanatiz outside Brazil and the Balkans.

Live Stream: Fanatiz English ( stream now )

Fluminense vs Sao Paulo team news and preview

Marcao should be without injury or suspension worries for Fluminense in their clash against the current league leaders.

Having gambled on several young faces for Wednesday's Copa do Brasil clash with Gremio, Sao Paulo boss Fernando Diniz is likely to be at full-strength in Serie A as the Tricolor look to further bolster their title challenge.

Watch all this weekend's Brasileirao matches on Fanatiz in the US  with a 7-day free trial.

What other Brasileirao matches are available on Fanatiz?

Watch the Brasileirao live on Fanatiz.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta says that he hopes that the Gunners' Boxing Day win over Chelsea provides a lift to the club's supporters, who he admits have been "suffering" throughout the club's dismal Premier League run.

Entering a clash with their London rivals, Arsenal had been winless in seven Premier League matches, having also suffered Carabao Cup elimination at the hands of Manchester City earlier in the week.

But the Gunners ended that skid in impressive fashion on Saturday, cruising past Chelsea 3-1 following goals from Alexandre Lacazette, Granit Xhaka and Bukayo Saka.

The win was Arsenal's first Premier League triumph since November 1 and their first at the Emirates since a 2-1 win over Sheffield United back in October.

Having seen his job called into question in recent weeks, Arteta needed a big performance from his players, and he got it as the Gunners scored three consecutive goals to all but seal the victory before the 60th minute.

And Arteta is now hoping that the Gunners can use the win as a springboard in the league and with the fans as the club look to regain some goodwill after an extended disastrous run.

"The result is the main thing today, we really needed that win. We have been unlucky and frustrated with our results in the last eight weeks so this was a big day for us," he told BBC Sport.

"From the first whistle, you could see the team had the energy and willingness to come out and win the game.

"The spirit before the game was really positive, they really wanted it. I am pleased for the players and for the supporters. We have let them down for many weeks so it was a good day to give them something to cheer about.

"When we gave the penalty away I couldn't believe it - it's the magnificent game called football. It can always surprise you."

Arteta's Arsenal now sit 14th in the Premier League as they remain 10 points adrift of the top four.

But the Gunners boss is hopeful that this victory can be a "turning point" as the team have proven they can take down a rival and a top-four contender.

"It's a really big win for us. We were really disappointed with the results - not so much the performances. Our players were suffering, our fans were suffering," Arteta told Sky Sports.

"It doesn't get any better than winning a London derby against Chelsea on Boxing Day. Hopefully, this is a turning point. I know they can play at this level. We know how good Chelsea are but in big moments in the game we were the better team.

"The injuries, the Covid, playing 10 men...you start to think what do we need to win a match.

"It's nice to give something back to fans because I can imagine they have been really disappointed. We started well and we were dominant. That gives the team confidence.

"Let's carry on. We still have big things to improve on."