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Jan Oblak has paid tribute to "amazing" Lionel Messi after his surpassing of Pele, claiming the Barcelona superstar is "the best" because he "sees everything" on the pitch.

Brazil legend Pele's long-standing one-club scoring record was finally broken on Tuesday night as Messi took his tally of goals for Barca to 644 in 749 games during a 3-0 away win over Real Valladolid.

The Argentina international's cool finish to round off the scoring at Jose Zorrilla Stadium was typical of a man who has made finding the back of the net look like an art form since beginning his senior career at Camp Nou way back in 2004.

Messi is regarded by many as the greatest player of the modern era, having inspired Barca to 10 La Liga titles and four Champions League crowns over the past 16 years, winning six Ballon d'Or awards along the way.

The Blaugrana captain is still going strong despite having reached the ripe old age of 33, with Oblak of the opinion that a long-time rival's longevity at the highest level stems from the way he picks his moments to explode into life during matches.

The Atletico Madrid goalkeeper has heaped praise upon Messi following his latest milestone, while opening up on the battles he's faced against the Argentine on both a personal and team level.

"He watches my legs," Oblak told Sky Sports. "If I make one step, he will see it and shoot to the other side. This is why he is the best. This is why he is so difficult. He does not show it but he is always looking. He is always watching you. His eyes are on the ball but he sees you.

"He sees everything, I think. It is strange. Sometimes you think you are controlling them, you are controlling him. But in a second, he changes the game, he scores a goal, and Barcelona win.

"Sometimes you do not see him. Maybe you are thinking it is not dangerous. And then he scores. This happened to us last season. You need to be 100 per cent concentrated.

"He is still the best player in the world." 

The Slovenian shot-stopper added: "He has scored many goals against me. Too many! But he is a great player, an amazing player, the best player. There are many times that he scores a goal and you have this feeling that you cannot understand how he has scored so easily.

"You are not even close. Sometimes it feels like he has just passed the ball into the goal, it is not even a shot."

Asked how Atletico usually set their stall out to try and stop Messi, Oblak responded: "Normally, goalkeepers, we are shouting all the time to help the defenders but I know it is difficult when Messi is on the other side. The defenders do their best but it is difficult to do anything tactically to stop Messi because you never know what he is going to do.

"All you can do is play hard and when you see him don't leave him. Try to steal the ball but don't give a foul close to the goal because he is great at free-kicks. He is great at everything.

"If you are too close he will go past you. If you are too far he will shoot. It is not easy to decide how you will defend against him because of his unpredictability. It is impossible."

The 27-year-old concluded by talking up the significance of Messi's latest achievement and predicting that the Barca talisman will continue to break new boundaries until the time eventually comes for him to hang up his boots.

"I am sure that he is going to score many more than just 644, even though it is already a lot," he adds. "It is a really special achievement. I can only say the best words about him because he is the best.

"He has shown it for so many years and I can only congratulate him, wish him all the best, and hope that he scores many more goals.

"Just not against me."

Express FC goalkeeper trainer Daniel Kiwanuka is happy to see his players step up in the Ugandan Premier League (UPL).

The Red Eagles have enjoyed a good start to the 2020-21 campaign with the team having produced two draws and wins apiece, conceding thrice from the four matches played so far.

It is a start that has left coach Kiwanuka praising his keepers for a good start insisting the work is still in progress.

“First of all my goalkeepers have improved greatly from pre-season,” Kiwanuka said as quoted by the club’s official website. “We started with many new players so they needed to get but I am happy the goalkeepers have stepped up, yes we’ve conceded thrice but we’ve improved in each game.”

On how he manages to rotate the keepers for every game, Kiwanuka said: “Experience is key which explains Mathias Muwanga starting but the other goalkeepers in Sadat Mugenyi, Denis Otim, and Chrispus Kusiima know that they have to be ready because they can be called upon anytime.”

With the league taking a break until next February, Kiwanuka now says he will use the chance to sharpen the keepers as they strive to avoid conceding 38 goals like it was the case last season.

Meanwhile, the team’s physical conditioning coach Helen Buteme has said a good pre-season helped the boys to be ready for the bumper schedule that has seen the team play four games in two weeks.

“I’ve had to use ice bath sessions and self fascial release protocols on the players for recovery especially after long trips [Arua and Mbarara], with two games a week, it hasn’t been easy for the players to have sufficient recovery and at the same time prepare for the next game but we’re fortunate we had a good pre-season so they are in great shape,” explained Buteme, the women's national rugby team skipper."

On how the players have adjusted to the schedule, Buteme said: “I have been pleased by the fitness and strength exhibited by the players in the four games that we’ve played so far, that said it hasn’t been perfect though.

“I am going to make use of this break to work on the conditioning weaknesses that I have identified in each player and to build strength in the players who picked up injuries so that by the time the league resumes next year, we have a fully fit team.”

Express are placed sixth on the 16-team log on eight points after four games played and the league is scheduled to return in February 2021 due to the African Nations Championship (Chan) tournament set to take place in Cameroon.

Azam FC are on the verge of signing striker Mpiana Mozizi from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

The Chamazi-giants have confirmed the arrival of the much-sought striker, who was turning out for FC Lupopo and will take over the mantle left by Cameroonian striker Thierry Akono, who was sold to Negeri Sembilan of Malaysia.

Azam have confirmed on their social media pages the arrival of Mozizi by stating: “We confirm to receive striker Mpiana Mozizi from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

“The star who was playing for Lupopo has arrived in the country on Tuesday, ready to complete the procedures to join Azam, and this is if he qualifies for health tests to be conducted on Wednesday.

“The striker, when he passes the medical tests, he will sign a one-year contract to serve Azam and close the position of Thierry Akono, who was sold to Negeri Sembilan of Malaysia.”

Three days ago, Azam confirmed they had reached an agreement to sell their striker Akono to Negeri Sembilan of Malaysia.

The Cameroonian arrived at the Chamazi-based giants on August 24 from AS Fortuna du Mfou but the club confirmed his exit by stating: "Akono joined Azam early this season as he came from Cameroon's Fortuna club for a two-year contract and becomes the third player to be sold by Azam this season.

“The club has sold Novatus Dismas who emerged in Israel, followed Shaaban Chilunda who was sold in Morocco. We are so thankful for his service in our club and we wish him all the best in his new journey wherever he goes.”

The club’s media officer Zakaria Thabit is confident Mozizi will be a perfect replacement for Akono if he passes his medical and signs for the team.

“We have brought Mozizi to Dar es Salaam from DRC and we hope he passes his medical because we know what kind of a player he is and what he can offer the team,” Thabit told reporters on Tuesday.

“If he passes the medical, then he will sign a one-year deal to help us, we want to get the best in the transfer market and we are still shopping around.”

After drawing 2-2 against Ruvu Shooting in their last Mainland Premier League match, Azam are now third on the 18-team table with 28 points while Yanga SC are top with 37 points from 16 matches and champions Simba SC, are second with 32 points from 14 matches.

Simba SC coach Sven Vandenbroeck has assured fans they are ready to fight against FC Platinum in the Caf Champions League.

The Wekundu wa Msimbazi will take on the Platinum Miners in their first-ever meeting at National Sports Stadium in Harare in the second round first leg fixture on Wednesday.

The Belgian tactician has now said the mood in the camp is very positive and they will do everything possible to get a positive result ahead of the return leg scheduled for Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on January 6, 2021.

“We are ready to fight and get good results,” Vandenbroeck said as quoted by the team’s social media pages. “The players are happy to be here and we believe the fans are with us.

“We believe every fan at home will support us and we’ll put in the good work and all the efforts from our past training sessions here in Harare and come home with good results.”

His sentiments have been echoed by defender Erasto Nyoni, who said they will come home victorious if they play according to the coach’s plans.

“We have to treat the game with a lot of caution because we respect our opponents very much,” Nyoni told the club’s social media pages. “They are a good team, they qualified to this stage after winning home and away and that shows you they are not an easy team.

“But we are prepared and ready to tackle them, we know what we want from the match, we don’t want to let Simba fans and Tanzanians back home down, we will fight to get a win, and I know if we all follow the instructions from the coach, we have a good chance of returning home with the advantage.”

Ahead of the match, Vandenbroeck confirmed they will miss the services of keeper Aishi Manula and striker John Bocco for the fixture.

“We have a few hours before the game, but it comes with bad news because we've tried everything to get Aishi [Manula] and John [Bocco] ready for the game but it’s going to be hard to be ready,” confirmed Vandenbroeck.

“[Bocco] is still in bed he's not feeling okay, [Manula] was hurt during our last league game against KMC FC and will take a week or more to be okay. So far there is a 50 percent possibility of being in the game.”

Simba travelled to Zimbabwe with a contingent of 24 players and Vandenbroeck is confident he will get replacements for the players during the first leg of their second preliminary round fixture.

“At this point, I will have to use the available players, it is the reason we have a squad of 24 players here, and I know those who will come in, will step up well and do the job that we want,” Vandenbroeck continued.

In the absence of Manula, the Belgian coach will start Ben Kakolanya between the posts while Rwanda striker Meddie Kagere will step in for Bocco.

Kagere, who scored the only goal against KMC from the penalty spot before the team left for Harare, has often been used as a substitute and he will have the chance to show what he can offer against Platinum with a starting berth.

Kampala City Council Authority (KCCA FC) assistant coach Morley Byekwaso is confident they will get a decent result when they take on AS Kigali in the Caf Confederation Cup on Wednesday.

The Ugandan giants will take on AS of Rwanda in the second round first leg match at Kigali Stadium, Nyamirambo on Wednesday.

The Kasasiro Boys suffered a huge blow heading into the match as their head coach Mike Mutebi and 12 first-team players tested positive for coronavirus and thus did not travel to Kigali.

Mutebi, as well as his 12 players, were informed of the tests after they had faced Uganda Revenue Authority (URA FC) in a Premier League match which they lost 2-1 last Friday.

The players who were left behind because of returning positive tests include goalkeeper Charles Lukwago, Denis Iguma, Kezironi Kizito, Brian Aheebwa, Stefano Mazengo, Samson Kigozi, Hassan Musana, and Hassan Matovu.

Assistant coach Badru Kabuye, goalkeeping coach Moses Oloya and first-team coach Jackson Magera were among the members of the technical bench who are also infected by Covid-19.

Despite the absence of the key players, Byekwaso, who will handle the team in the absence of Mutebi, he has now said they are ready to get a positive result to take back to Kampala for the return leg and will work with the players in the squad.

“We are prepared to take on AS Kigali. We want to pick a decent result in Rwanda,” Byekwaso told the club’s official website. “We have a team that can help us compete and get us the result we want.

“We will not have a number of our players because of Covid-19 but we have to work with what we have. We are here to play and defend the badge.”

Defender John Revita is also confident they will do their best to win the match despite the challenges they are facing.

“We want to pick a decent result against AS Kigali. We are ready for the game despite the challenges we had in the team. We are going to do our best to pick a good result.”

On a positive note for KCCA, youngsters Bright Anukani, Sadat Anaku, and Steven Sserwadda travelled with the squad and are available for selection.

Defender Fillbert Obenchan could earn a starting place in the team after his impressive display as a substitute against SC Villa last week.

Meanwhile, Academy graduate Moses Aliro passed his fitness test and is ready to play after missing the last two league games against Villa and URA due to injury.

Elsewhere, the match officials have been confirmed from Sudan, with the centre referee Mohammed Mohammed Eltreefe, Ahmed Nagel Subahi – (1st Assistant Referee) – Sudan, Omar Hamid Ahmed – (2nd Assistant Referee) – Sudan, Mohammed Hussein – (4th Official) – Sudan, Mustapha Samugabo – (Commissioner) – Burundi and Mwanza Jose Nyamusore – (Covid-19 Officer) Rwanda.

The last Confederation Cup game for KCCA was on November 3, 2019, against Paradou AC away in Algeria and this year, they received a bye from the previous round.

The All India Football Federation’s (AIFF) developmental side Indian Arrows will begin their journey in the 2020-21 I-League season on January 10 against Churchill Brothers in Kolkata.

This season the Arrows will see a host of new faces in their ranks as most of their players from last season have secured lucrative contracts with Indian Super League (ISL) clubs.

Arrows, under the tutelage of head coach Shanmugam Venkatesh, underwent a pre-season camp in Bhubaneswar before heading to Kolkata where they took part in the 2020 edition of the IFA Shield. The Arrows were ousted from the group stage after they had managed to secure just a point in their two games. They drew 1-1 against Southern Samity and lost 0-2 against eventual runners-up of the competition, George Telegraph.

The Arrows coach mentioned that taking part in the IFA Shield was an enriching experience for the rookie players in his squad and the exposure will help them to improve ahead of the new I-League season.

“I thank the AIFF for giving us the opportunity to play in the IFA Shield,” said Venkatesh. The boys played after a long time and first time they played against senior players and foreigners. It was a great experience before the I-League start. Of course, the result was not in favour of us, but it was good experience for the boys and it will help for the upcoming I-League.

“Most of the players were inexperienced. Most of the players never played for a senior side. Of course, we have to improve in certain areas, and I am sure the boys will improve further.”

Indian Arrows were at the bottom of the I-League table last year before the season had to be abruptly ended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They had nine points from 16 matches and had managed to win two games which came against giants East Bengal and Churchill Brothers.

Drawing positives from the last season, Venkatesh suggested that the youngsters had fought valiantly against the big clubs and that the experience they gained was more important than the results.

“Last year was a different story. If you see all the matches, we were very close and also the scoreline, most of them we lost 1-0. This is a development team, yes, of course, the results are important but at the same time, we have to see if the players are getting the right platform and opportunity.

“This year it is a new challenge. We have a new batch of players and most of the players are 2003 born and are 17 years old. It is a great opportunity to play in the I-League. The idea is the same for us, to prepare these players for senior India. This is a big challenge and I am confident that the boys will definitely do better.”

The AIFF revived the Indian Arrows project in 2017 with the vision to nurture young Indian talents and ensure they don't find the jump from youth to professional football too high.

Reiterating the Indian FA’s vision, Venkatesh suggested that his only goal is to prepare the young players well so that in the coming years, the players can represent the senior Indian team and play for top clubs in the country.

“The vision is to prepare for U19 AFC Championship qualifying round in 2022. I-League, IFA Shield and whichever tournament we play now is preparation. Of course, I-League is a great opportunity for them. The U17 boys getting a chance in the I-League is a big thing for them. After I-League this season, they will gain more experience and at the end of the day I want to see more players from this team play for senior India and top clubs. This is our target,” said the former India international midfielder.

Scottish manager David Robertson took charge of Real Kashmir FC in January 2017, just six months after the club was formed and has done a commendable job so far.

Robertson guided the club to promotion to the I-League in just their second year of existence and created history as Real Kashmir became the first club from the valley to play in the country’s top division league.

The Scottish coach will be in charge of the club for a fourth consecutive season this year and he suggested that he feels a deep sense of loyalty to the club, their fans and most importantly with the region of Kashmir.

“I have been part of the club since they started and I have been lucky to be a part of such a successful club,” said the Real Kashmir coach while explaining why he continued to remain associated with the club.

“I feel loyal to the people of Kashmir and I also feel loyal to the ownership. Sandeep (Chattoo) has been fantastic to me and my family. To be honest, I find it difficult to not come back here. Even in these tough times, thousands of miles away from home and family, I dint want to let the club and Kashmir down. Obviously, it will at some point come to an end either my decision of the club’s decision as it happens in football. But I just love every minute when I am here.”

Robertson is known for his pragmatic approach which has worked for the club in the past two seasons in I-League. They finished third in their debut I-League season and was on the fourth position on the league table last season before the league had to be abruptly stopped due to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic.

In their first season in the top tier, the Scot used to constantly mention that his only target was to stay afloat in the league, even at a time when the club was unbeaten in 13 matches and were one of the title contenders. The reason he said for saying so was the lack of experience of his players at the top level.

But now his players are experienced and Robertson acknowledged that they would aim to fight for the league title.

“I would like to think that we could be there (winning title). Obviously, in the first few games, no one knows where they are but I think we have assembled a good squad capable of pushing the challenge. Two years under the belt now we know what it is all about. Obviously, there is no East Bengal or Mohun Bagan this year which makes a little bit easier for the other teams. The giants are no longer there and now there will be a new favourite to win the league.

“The two years I’ve had in the I-League has certainly opened my eyes and each year I am here, I am more prepared. Our squad is a lot stronger this year with a lot more experience. We would like to be pushing for the title, come the end of the season.”

The upcoming I-League season will witness a change in its format as the 11 teams will play each other just once in the stage before they will be split into two groups. While the top five teams will compete for the title by playing against each other in a round-robin format, the bottom six teams will play each other to save relegation.

Robertson acknowledged that a shorter season will be a difficult challenge for them and the team who would have the better start will have a better shot at the title.

“It is all about how we start. This year the problem is it is a very short season. 10 games, one against each team in the league stage then it gets split. It is very difficult. It is not like a long season where you get time to build. You’ve got to make sure you start well to have a serious chance of lifting the title or even challenging,” said the Real Kashmir boss.

Real Kashmir were recently crowned champions in the IFA Shield which concluded on December 19 in Kolkata. Robertson’s side got the better of George Telegraph in the final to lift their first major trophy since winning the Second Division I-League in 2018.

The former Rangers player suggested that competing in and winning the prestigious IFA Shield will help boost the confidence of the team ahead of the all-important upcoming I-League season.

“It was great to win the IFA Shield. We hardly trained unlike a lot of other teams. We had an almost new squad and the players did not play for seven-to-eight games. I believe there must be something magical about the yellow jersey because any hurdles that are thrown at us, we overcome that. It shows that we are a good side again this year and it gives us a lot of confidence going into the first league game.”

There is a common notion that Real Kashmir get a lot of advantage while playing at their home at Srinagar as most teams in the I-League struggle to adjust to the extreme weather conditions in the city. While Robertson agreed, he also highlighted the other side of the coin.

“Obviously we would have liked to play at our home. There is obviously the altitude and then there were the harsh winters, tight conditions with a full house stadium. But you have to look at this as well that we travelled from cold temperatures to warm places like Goa, Kolkata. We had to adapt with that plus we had two days of travel. What people don’t know is that we had to travel from Srinagar to New Delhi and then an overnight stay and then a second flight.

“This season will be completely different. Firstly, no travelling and climate will be the same for everyone else. It works both ways.”

Odisha and NorthEast United came into Tuesday's 2020-21 Indian Super League (ISL) fixture needed three points. 

Both teams had to treat the fixture as a must-win contest but to varying degrees. NorthEast had a decent start to the season and were sitting fourth on the table but had suffered a defeat in the previous game. Gerard Nus needed three points to return to winning ways and climb up the table. But it didn't happen. 

Stuart Baxter, on the other hand, was chasing his first win of the season. They were without a win in their first six matches so there was no real excuse to turn up and get off to a slow start as they had done in their previous games. 

Odisha had scored only three goals from six matches and all of them had come in the second half. Moreover, seven out of the nine goals they conceded were in the first half. This meant that the first half against NorthEast United had to be a good one for the Juggernauts. 

The match was evenly contested for most parts and both teams lacked a cutting edge that would have helped them to put the game to bed. Diego Mauricio. whose consistency in front of goal has been questioned, produced a powerful low strike to break the deadlock in the first half - a goal that broke the first-half voodoo for Odisha. 

That was the start Odisha wanted badly but they could not capitalise on it. As has happened multiple times this season, they relinquished the lead very easily. Credit must also go to NorthEast here showing intent to equalise. And as they have shown plenty of times this season, they clawed their way back into the game with a deserved equaliser. 

And it was no surprise that Ashutosh Mehta's cross produced the equaliser. The right-back has been one of the better performers for the team and he had a standout game on Tuesday. 

The even fight continued into the second half. NorthEast edged the possession stats but they couldn't convert that into clear-cut chances. But they were rewarded for their push when Kwesi Appiah was brought down inside the box by the keeper after the hour-mark, allowing the striker to score his third goal of the season. 

The NorthEast defence switched off soon after they took the lead and a neat passing move at the edge of their box helped Odisha equalise. Cole Alexander received the ball at the end of the move and curled a beautiful effort into the bottom right corner of the net from the left side of the box to make it 2-2. 

After witnessing two goals in as many minutes, the game then went into a slumber and neither team wanted to lose the game from that point. As a result, the spoils had to be shared. 

One could say that Odisha were let down by their defence which struggled to contain and deal with the balls into the box. Before Lambot’s goal, there was a period of sustained pressure from NorthEast United where they bombarded the Odisha rearguard with several crosses.
 
Apart from the experienced Steven Taylor, none of the Odisha defenders could deal with the aerial balls. The fact that Baxter hasn’t changed his personnel in defence despite repeated mistakes only goes to show the lack of depth in the squad or rather, the absence of quality players.

NorthEast United, on the other hand, while possessing plenty of spirit, must start converting results or their good start to the season will be useless. 
 

Everton boss Carlo Ancelotti has admitted he rejected the chance to manage Manchester United because he was about to take the head coach role at Real Madrid.

Ahead of the Wednesday's Carabao Cup quarter-final against the Red Devils at Goodison Park, the Toffees manager revealed he was offered the job at Old Trafford by Sir Alex Ferguson prior to the Scottish legend's retirement.

But Ancelotti was on the verge of accepting the lead role with Los Blancos and was forced to decline the offer, with no other chance to join the Red Devils eventuating since.

“You want to know from me [about coaching at Man Utd]?!“ Ancelotti said.

"I can say that I still keep a fantastic relationship with Sir Alex, and we met when he decided to stop (retire).

"But I was close to Real Madrid, and so I appreciate the fact that at that time he talked to me. And that’s it, no other opportunity [to manage United]."

Everton are flying high in the Premier League so far with this season, with the Merseyside club sitting in fourth position after 14 matches played.

The Toffees have met Man Utd once this season - in the league in November - with Ancelott's team going 1-0 ahead in the opening stages before the Red Devils struck back twice through Bruno Fernandes to eventually win 3-1.

Ancelotti explained the regard he holds for the Red Devils institution, indicating he placed them alongside some of the biggest clubs in world football.

"Yes of course Manchester United is a fantastic club, a fantastic team I battled against them a lot of times when Sir Alex was there, when I was at Chelsea," he said.

"I have a lot of respect for this team, for this club, it is a historical club in the world of football like Milan, like Real Madrid, a lot of respect."

Everton face a busy Christmas-New Year period of fixtures that starts with a clash on the road against strugglers Sheffield United on Boxing Day.

The Toffees will then return to Goodison Park for matches against Manchester City and West Ham on either side of the turn of the year.

Ronald Koeman believes Lionel Messi is happy at Barcelona after another record-breaking performance by the six-time Ballon d'Or winner.

Messi scored the third goal in a 3-0 La Liga win over Real Valladolid on Tuesday – the superstar captain's 644th strike for Barca as he surpassed Pele for the all-time record amount of goals for a single club .

First-half goals from Clement Lenglet and Martin Braithwaite gave Barca a cushion at Estadio Jose Zorrilla before Messi overtook the record set by Pele during 18 years at Brazilian club Santos.

Although Messi expressed his desire to leave La Liga giants Barca after 19 years during the off-season, Koeman believes his talisman is now happy.

"I've said it a lot," Barca head coach Koeman said. "I see Leo happy here.

"He's very important for us with his creativity.

"You can see that when there are good players alongside him."

Koeman switched to a three-man back line for the trip to Valladolid after Barca's defence were left exposed in the 2-2 draw against Valencia on Saturday.

Barca kept the hosts subdued until goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen made a double save in the 71st minute when the Catalans were holding a comfortable three-goal lead.

"We changed to improve the defence and the wings," Dutchman Koeman added.

"We've seen a very serious performance with good concentration and good chances created."

Pedri provided the delivery for Lenglet's opener and claimed his second assist with return pass to Messi, as Koeman reserved praise for both the 18-year-old and his midfield partner Miralem Pjanic.

"Pedri is a very good player when he plays in the middle," said Koeman. "Pjanic had to wait for his chance but he played a great game. He was good with the ball, but also defensively."

Fifth-placed Barca are eight points adrift of La Liga leaders Atletico Madrid, with Koeman's side scheduled to host struggling Eibar on December 29.

The Catalans will begin the New Year on the road versus Huesca on January 3, before staying away from home to take on Athletic Club (Jan 6) and Granada (Jan 9).

Andrea Pirlo refused to blame Juan Cuadrado's dismissal for Juventus' heavy home loss to Fiorentina and instead questioned the attitude of his players heading into the match.

Juve suffered their first Serie A defeat under Pirlo in his 13th league match in charge, going down 3-0 in what was also their heaviest loss since moving to the Allianz Stadium in 2011.

Cuadrado caught Gaetano Castrovilli on the shin and was issued a red card on his 200th appearance for the Turin giants – upgraded from a yellow following a VAR check – with only 18 minutes on the clock.

Dusan Vlahovic had given Fiorentina an early lead by that point and Juve could not respond, conceding again through Alex Sandro's own goal and Martin Caceres' tap-in.

Juve had a couple of penalty appeals turned down in Tuesday's match, their last of 2020, but Pirlo conceded his team simply failed to turn up.

"What happened with the red card cannot be used as an alibi," he told Sky Sport Italia. "The result was not down to Fiorentina's attitude but the lack of ours.

"When this is the case you face bad situations like this. In games before Christmas it can happen then you have your mind on the holidays. We were unfocused and could not recover.

"The images for the sending off seem clear to me. There could have been some decisions in our favour, but that's not something I want to comment on – you can see for yourself.

Juve had more possession than Fiorentina (54 per cent) and more shots (13 to 10) yet ultimately saw a 13-game unbeaten run come to a shuddering halt. 

Leonardo Bonucci in particular struggled – the experienced defender arguably at fault for all three of the opposition goals.

He lost possession six times in all and won only half of his 10 duels, but Pirlo stood by his skipper at full-time.

"Bad evenings like these happen to everyone," he said. "Up until this point he has made some great performances.

"It happens to everyone. He is our captain and we still have great faith in him."

Juve suffered a double title blow of sorts on Tuesday, the defeat to Fiorentina coming hours after Napoli won their appeal against October's abandoned fixture between the sides.

The Bianconeri had been awarded a 3-0 forfeit win after Napoli failed to turn up due to a travel ban put in place by local authorities after Piotr Zielinski, Eljif Elmas and a member of staff had tested positive for Covid-19.

But the Italian National Olympic Committee's Collegio di Garanzia dello Sport – the highest sports authority in the country – ruled in Napoli's favour, meaning the game must be replayed in early 2021.

Juve are therefore three points worse off, now seven adrift of leaders Milan, and Pirlo questioned the fairness of the decision.

"We don't mind playing the game again. I'm more disappointed for the other teams that have travelled and played without far more players who had Covid," he said. "They showed great fairness by playing anyway.

"I won't say if the ruling was correct or not, but it didn't seem fair to the other teams who carried on and played in more difficult situations."

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola insists Arsenal will be making a "big mistake" if they sack his former assistant coach Mikel Arteta.

Pressure is growing on Arsenal head coach Arteta after Guardiola's City thumped the Gunners 4-1 in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday.

Arsenal are languishing in 15th place in the Premier League table after 14 matches, with seven defeats in their last 10 league games.

Despite the Gunners horror run of form, Guardiola says the club should stick with Arteta and they would be making a mistake to part ways with the Spanish tactician.

"They will do a huge, big mistake if they [sack Arteta]. I’m pretty sure they are going to trust him," Guardiola told BBC Radio 5 Live after Tuesday's game.

"I understand that the analysts analyse the results. But I was with him many years and I know his incredible quality as a human being and especially as a manager, how he is involved in everything. It’s just a question of time and he will do well.

"I’m not on the board. For me they will do a big mistake if they are thinking [to sack him].

"They give him the confidence, they won two titles when for a long time ago it didn’t happen at this club. In this pandemic situation, with injury problems they have and the games they played they always played good.

"But unfortunately these games are our job and it depends on the results. But football changes in one week so quick.

"I can speak about my experience alongside him, one of the most incredible successful teams in English history we had and he was part of this success and it would not be possible without him, and to create something like this you need time like I had in my first season."

The fixture list doesn't get any easier for Arsenal, with the Londoners to host Chelsea in the Premier League on Boxing Day before back-to-back away trips to Brighton and West Brom either side of the New Year.

Manchester City welcome Newcastle United to the Etihad on December 26 before they also hit the road twice for matches against Everton and Chelsea.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta admitted his side are in "big trouble" if they don't turn things around quickly, after their dismal run continued with a loss to Manchester City 

The Gunners went into half-time of Tuesday's Carabao Cup quarter-final level at one goal apiece, but City scored three in the second half to cruise to a comfortable 4-1 victory. 

Defeat to City continues a miserable run for the Gunners, who have been particularly woeful in the league, where they sit in 15th place.

With 14 points from 14 games this season, Arsenal have their worst record at this stage of a league season since the 1974-75 campaign.

The Gunners' downturn in form has seen Arteta's job status questioned, despite only recently reaching his one-year anniversary in charge of the club. 

Speaking to Sky Sports after the game, Arteta admitted that things could go from bad to worse if his side can't get out of the rut they are in.

"It’s a hard one to take considering how the game went," Arteta said of the match. "This level of opponent, when you give the goals away it makes the game impossible. A lot of strange things are happening in every game and that makes things really difficult.

"We have to turn it around – there is no question. If we don't we're in big trouble. This is the moment that's going to decide our season.

"On the basis of what we have shown tonight against difficult opponents, I have fighters in my team. Yes, I have fighters."

Arsenal's evening took a turn for the worse nine minutes after half-time, when Riyad Mahrez's free-kick went straight through Runar Alex Runarsson's hands for City's go-ahead goal.

Arteta jumped to the defence of his goalkeeper, while also defending his own decision to start the Iceland international despite starting Bernd Leno in the last round of the Carabao Cup against Liverpool.

"He hasn't played a lot of games for us, he's just adapting to the league and that's it," Arteta said of Runarsson. "We all make mistakes and we have to support him.

"We know Bernd has played a lot of minutes and he needed some rest as well, and we want to give opportunities to other players. Alex has done well in other games and these things happen in football."

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has reiterated he is not concerned by Paul Pogba's attitude, although he accepts the "ambitious" Manchester United midfielder wants to play for a team that wins trophies.

Since returning to Old Trafford from Juventus in a then world-record transfer in 2016, Pogba has been repeatedly linked with a second move away from United .

Juve and Real Madrid have often been mooted as potential landing spots, while the World Cup winner has struggled to consistently perform at his best level.

Pogba's most productive Premier League campaign saw 13 goals and nine assists in 35 matches in 2018-19, yet he scored only once last term and created three more across 16 appearances.

A single strike in 10 games this season – of which seven have been starts – represents another underwhelming return as transfer speculation has persisted.

Although agent Mino Raiola has declared Pogba's time at the club is coming to an end , Solskjaer has opted against criticising the player, who has failed to add to the Carabao Cup and Europa League titles won in his first year back in Manchester.

Asked again about the France superstar on Tuesday, the manager suggested it was up to United to deliver silverware in order to keep their key men happy and maintain a talented squad.

"It's always a demand here at Manchester United to win trophies," Solskjaer told ESPN.

"And the more we win trophies, the more players will want to play for us - then the higher standard you've got to set yourself.

"It's a demand for the players, a challenge for the players that we want them to improve and get better and better.

"Paul has been here now for a while and, of course, he wants to win more trophies. He's got a very, very good attitude to training and playing football.

"He loves football, he's ambitious, he wants to have success - like most of the others that are in the squad. We're not all the same.

"I would say that this squad has impressed me with their attitude and spirit lately and the way that they go about their work.

"Of course, it's down to us to win trophies and then we'll see who will be part of the team going forward."

United's next opportunity to secure silverware comes in the Carabao Cup, with the Red Devils in quarter-final action against Everton, who they beat in the Premier League in November, on Wednesday.

"We were disappointed that we didn't get to a final or lift a trophy [last season], but that's the next step for these players now," Solskjaer added.

"I think everyone felt how close we were and the mood, the spirit and the culture has improved since then. And the belief. Definitely the belief has grown."

Lionel Messi surpassed Pele's one-club goals record as he helped Barcelona end their winless streak on the road in LaLiga with a convincing 3-0 victory over struggling Real Valladolid.

After drawing level with Pele's haul of 643 goals for Santos with a header in a 2-2 draw with Valencia on Saturday, Messi made it 644 in Barca colours across all competitions on Tuesday.

Having created Clement Lenglet's opener before playing a key part in Martin Braithwaite making it 2-0 before the interval, Messi swept home from Pedri's clever flick in the 65th minute.

It rounded off a fine performance from Ronald Koeman's side, who ended their winless run in LaLiga away games at the fifth time of asking.

Messi was inches from opening the scoring in the seventh minute, bending an effort just wide of the left-hand upright from 25 yards out.

Barca's captain went closer when he forced Jordi Masip into a fine save in the 21st minute, but he crafted the opener a moment later.

Lenglet latched onto Messi's inch-perfect cross to head home into the top corner – the former Sevilla defender paying tribute to Barca youngster Moussa Wague, who is facing a lengthy lay off after sustaining a serious knee injury while in action for PAOK, where he is out on loan, last week.

Messi was integral to Barca's second 14 minutes later, threading a superb pass into Sergino Dest, who squared for Braithwaite to finish.

Having missed two presentable chances towards the end of the first half, Messi was agonisingly close to getting on the end of Miralem Pjanic's fantastic pass shortly after the restart.

Pablo Hervias' free-kick from a tight angle nearly found the top-right corner as Valladolid looked to haul themselves back into the contest, though Masip had to deny Messi at the other end.

But Messi had his record-surpassing goal soon after, the 33-year-old capping off the win with a typically composed finish after combining brilliantly with Pedri.
 
As Barca cruised into fifth place, Messi almost added further gloss in stoppage time, but his close-range shot was kept out by the post, with the woodwork also denying Philippe Coutinho.

What does it mean? Rijkaard record remains intact

Barca had last gone five away league games without a win in a single LaLiga season in 2008, when they drew two and lost four under Frank Rijkaard.

Fortunately for Koeman, he has avoided the same fate as his compatriot, and Barca are now just one point shy of the Champions League places, though they are eight adrift of pacesetters Atletico Madrid, having played a game more.

Mercurial Messi clinches another record

After failing to score and assist in his five LaLiga appearances in October, Messi has scored six times in his last eight league games, while he has also registered eight direct goal involvements in his last four top-flight meetings with Valladolid (four goals and four assists).

His record-setting goal saw him surpass Brazil great Pele, who had netted 643 times for Santos between 1956 and 1974, for goals at one club, while only Real Betis veteran Joaquin Sanchez (17) has provided at least one assist in more LaLiga seasons than Messi (16).

Barca's defence never under threat

Marc-Andre ter Stegen did ultimately end up having to work, with the German making five saves and Valladolid mustering 12 total attempts.

However, they were almost all from distance, with the hosts managing just 12 touches inside Barca's area in total and the majority coming in the closing stages.

What's next?

Both teams have a week off over Christmas, with Barca's final game of 2020 seeing them host Eibar, while Valladolid travel to Cadiz. Both games take place on December 29.

Riyad Mahrez was on the scoresheet as Manchester City defeated Arsenal 4-1 in Tuesday’s League Cup tie.

The Algeria international was handed his 18th appearance across all competitions this season and seized the opportunity to add to his tally.

The 29-year-old started the encounter playing directly behind the Citizens’ frontman Gabriel Jesus along with Phil Foden and Bernardo Silva.

Jesus opened the glut of goals as early as the third minute of the encounter after he was set up by Oleksandr Zinchenko.

The Gunners attempted to fight back when Alexandre Lacazette levelled proceedings moments after the half-hour mark.

Mahrez then gave his side the lead in the 55th minute, curling home a free-kick which beat goalkeeper Runar Alex Runarsson.

Foden increased the lead of Manchester City four minutes later after receiving a timely assist from Fernandinho before Aymeric Laporte sealed the victory.

The result sealed City’s place in the semi-finals of the competition as Egypt international Mohamed Elneny, Ivory Coast’s Nicolas Pepe and Nigerian wonderkid Folarin Balogun’s efforts for the Gunners were not enough to see them through to the next round of the tournament.

Mahrez has now scored five goals and provided one assist across all competitions this season for Manchester City.

The winger has been with City since the summer of 2018 when he teamed up with the side from Leicester City, where he made a name for himself with his impressive performances.

Mahrez has made more than 170 appearances for the Citizens since joining the side, helping them to win a number of accolades.

The forward was part of the side that secured the Premier League, FA Cup, League Cup and Community Shield titles in the 2018-19 season.

The fleet-footed star will be expected to continue his fine displays when Manchester City take on Newcastle United in a Premier League outing on Boxing Day.

Mahrez is currently the captain of the Algeria national team and has 61 caps for the North African country.

The forward played a key role as the Desert Foxes clinched their second Africa Cup of Nations title in Egypt.

Lionel Messi has broken Pele's all-time record for goals scored with a single club by netting his 644th career goal for Barcelona. 

The Brazilian icon netted 643 times for Santos in his career, a mark that seemed to be nearly unbreakable - but Messi has now set the record by scoring in the 65th minute of Barca's La Liga match against Valladolid on Tuesday. 

With Barca already up by two goals, Pedri sent Messi in behind the defence with a backheel pass and the 33-year-old slotted home past Jordi Masip to make it 3-0 on the night.

Messi had tied Pele's record at the weekend when he scored in Barcelona's 2-2 draw against Valencia.

After Tuesday's game, which ended 3-0, Messi took to Instagram to express his gratitude to those who helped him reach Pele's record. 

"When I started playing football I never thought I'd break any record, especially not the one I achieved today that Pele held," Messi wrote. 

"I can only give my thanks to everyone who helped me during these years, my team-mates, my family, my friends, and everyone who supports me every day."

It is yet another record for Messi, who has established himself as one of the greatest footballers of all-time since he joined Barcelona at age 13 and made his competitive debut at 17 in 2004.

Messi has gone on to win La Liga on 10 occasions with the Blaugrana, as well as six Copa del Rey titles and four Champions League trophies. 

On an individual level, Messi has won the Ballon d'Or six times, most recently in 2019, the most any player has ever won the award. 

Recently, though, Messi's time at Barcelona has soured as he attempted to engineer a move away from the club earlier this year. 

In an interview with Goal in September, Messi revealed that he would not attempt to activate his release clause in order to avoid any legal dispute with Barca, but with his contract set to expire at the end of the current season, there is a very real possibility that Messi could be entering his final months at Camp Nou.

Though there have been rumours of interest from the likes of Manchester City and PSG, Goal has reported that the Argentine superstar has yet to be contacted by any other club.

Messi will be free to speak with interested parties from outside of Spain in January.