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Wednesday's opponents Jamshedpur and FC Goa have a contrasting recent form ahead of their 2020-21 Indian Super League (ISL) encounter at the Tilak Maidan in Vasco, Goa.

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Jamshedpur FC Possible XI:   

Injured - Joyner Lourenco, Narender Gahlot, David Grande, William Lalnunfela, Nick Fitzgerald 
Doubtful - None
Suspended - None

Key Players - Nerijus Valskis, Jackichand Singh

FC Goa Possible XI: 

Injured - None  
Doubtful - None    
Suspended - None  

Key Players - Igor Angulo, Jorge Ortiz      

Manchester City booked an EFL Cup semi-final spot and piled more pressure on Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta with a resounding 4-1 win at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday. 

Arteta, who was Pep Guardiola's assistant at City before taking charge of the Gunners a year ago, has faced questions over his future after a dismal start to the season has left his side languishing in 15th in the Premier League. 

He did not find any respite against his former club, with City – who have won the competition in each of the last three seasons – easing through to the last four after second-half goals from Riyad Mahrez, Phil Foden and Aymeric Laporte. 

Alexandre Lacazette had earlier given the hosts hope of ending a run of three straight home defeats to City when he cancelled out Gabriel Jesus' early opener, but that proved to be a rare moment of joy in yet another turgid defeat for the beleaguered north London club.

The visitors started in ruthless fashion, taking the lead after just 125 seconds when Jesus headed Oleksandr Zinchenko's left-wing cross past Runar Alex Runarsson inside the six-yard box, ending a goal drought of 609 minutes for the Brazilian.

Laporte headed wide from a corner before the Gunners pulled level with their first effort on target in the 31st minute, Lacazette heading home Gabriel Martinelli's cross from six yards out.

City should have restored their lead before the interval, but Runarsson raced off his line to deny Jesus after a smart move on the edge of the penalty area involving Foden.

The Arsenal goalkeeper was entirely at fault for City's second nine minutes after the interval, though, allowing Mahrez's free-kick from the edge of the area to squirm through his tepid grasp.

City added a third five minutes later when Foden latched onto Fernandinho's pass and lofted a delightful finish over Runarsson, although the goal would have been disallowed if VAR had been in use with replays clearly showing the midfielder was offside. 

The holders added gloss to an 18th straight victory in the competition in the 73rd minute, Laporte stealing in at the back post to head home Foden's inviting cross. 

What does it mean? Arsenal's fighters missing in action

Arteta said this week he wanted the "fighters" in his Arsenal squad to come to the fore as they bid to turnaround a dreadful start to the campaign. His rallying cry fell on deaf ears, though, as City swatted aside the accommodating hosts with the minimum of fuss.

Lacazette's goal was one of only two shots on target as Arsenal conceded four times at home in an EFL Cup game for the first time since November 1998, when they lost 5-0 to Chelsea.

Foden sparkles for City

Foden was in dazzling form, scoring a fine third goal and then creating Laporte's strike with a superb cross. The England international completed 28 of his 32 passes and won all three of his duels in a wonderful all-round display.

Maitland-Niles the worst of a bad bunch

No Arsenal player covered themselves in glory, but Ainsley Maitland-Niles was particularly poor. He lost possession 20 times – more than any other player on the pitch – won just two of his nine duels and failed to play a single key pass.

Key Opta facts

- Arsenal (14) have been eliminated at the quarter-final stage of this competition more times than any other side.
- City are the first team to win four consecutive away games against Arsenal in all competitions since Chelsea between 1960 and 1965 (six in a row).
- Foden has had a hand in nine goals in his last 12 EFL Cup appearances (four goals, five assists).
- As many as 72 per cent of Lacazette's goals in all competitions for Arsenal have been scored at home (38 of 53).

What's next?

Arsenal will be looking to end a seven-game winless streak in the Premier League when they host Chelsea on Saturday, while City entertain Newcastle United on the same day.

Ten-man Juventus' unbeaten start to the Serie A season was ended by Fiorentina as they suffered a humbling 3-0 loss at the Allianz Stadium.

The champions had gone 12 games without a loss in the top flight under Andrea Pirlo prior to Tuesday's setback, coming on the day they discovered their 3-0 forfeit win over Napoli in October has been revoked following their opponents' successful appeal.

Dusan Vlahovic scored early on for Fiorentina and Juve then lost Juan Cuadrado with 18 minutes played, the referee upgrading the yellow card he initially showed to a red following a VAR check.

Juve were unable to hit back and conceded twice more in the final 14 minutes, with Alex Sandro putting into his net and their former player Martin Caceres tapping in to inflict a further Scudetto blow on Pirlo's men.
 

Fiorentina failed to score in their previous four away league matches but were ahead inside 148 seconds in Turin - Vlahovic dinking the ball over an onrushing Wojciech Szczesny after being played in by Franck Ribery's throughball.

Juve had plenty of time to respond but their task was made all the more difficult when Cuadrado was sent off for catching Gaetano Castrovilli on the shin with a studs-up challenge

A poor pass from Leonardo Bonucci eight minutes later had the visitors in again, only for Szczesny to bail out his captain by making a fine save down to his right to deny Castrovilli a second.

The relatively quiet Cristiano Ronaldo had a shot repelled by Bartlomiej Dragowski at the end of the first half and was further frustrated with just under an hour played as his diving header was rightly chalked off for offside.

But Juve, who had previously found the net in a record 34 successive home Serie A matches against Fiorentina, were unable to hit back and were caught out at the back as they piled bodies forward.

Cristiano Biraghi whipped in a cross from the left and the ball deflected in off Alex Sandro, the defender unable to properly adjust his body in front of goal.

Caceres then added a third for Fiorentina in the 81st minute after Ribery had stolen the ball from Bonucci.

The Fiorentina defender converted a simple finish having been played in by Biraghi, rounding off a day to forget for Juve skipper Bonucci and his side.
 

What does it mean? Juve suffer double title blow

Juve started the day four points behind leaders Milan in third and end it seven points adrift of top spot down in fourth, without the pacesetters even kicking a ball.

That is down to Napoli's successful appeal, with that fixture having to be replayed in early 2021, but of more concern to Pirlo will be the manner of this defeat to Fiorentina.

The visitors were previously winless in eight league games yet they inflicted a first ever three-goal defeat on Juve at the Allianz Stadium, doing so with only 46 per cent of the ball.

Ribery torments Bonucci

Bonucci would not have had many worse games in football than this, as the experienced Juventus defender was arguably at fault for all three Fiorentina goals.

That is largely down to the incredible display of Ribery, who claimed an assist for the first goal and played a big part in the third. Not only that, his six tackles were the most of any player on the pitch, two more than next-highest Federico Chiesa.

Juve's disciplinary problems

The referee had little choice but to reach into his back pocket following Cuadrado's tackle on Castrovilli - the fifth red card Juve have been issued in Serie A this season, which is the joint-most of any side in Europe's top five leagues.

Juve have won only one of those five games and will now have to make do without Cuadrado, one of their key attacking talents down the right-hand side, for a period early in the new year.

Key Opta Stats:

- This is only the second away win for Fiorentina against Juventus in Serie A for 30 years (the other was in March 2008 under Cesare Prandelli).
- It was also the second highest away win for Fiorentina in Serie A history against Juventus (after a 4-0 victory in 1955).
- With Cuadrado sent off in his 200th Juve match, his side received their first red card in the opening 20 minutes in Serie A since February 2011, when Gianluigi Buffon got his marching orders against Lecce.
- Prior to Vlahovic, the last player to score in three consecutive Serie A appearances with Fiorentina before turning 22 was Giampaolo Pazzini in April 2005.
- Alex Sandro's was the first league own goal scored by Juventus since Emre Can in January 2019 against Lazio.

What's next?

Juventus will have the festive period to reflect on this defeat before they host Udinese on their return to Serie A action on January 3, the same day that Fiorentina welcome Bologna to Artemio Franchi Stadium.

Sofiane Feghouli scored his first goal of the season in Galatasaray’s 3-1 victory over Goztepe in Tuesday’s Turkish Super Lig game.

The forward was handed his 10th league start of the season and made a key contribution for his side to ensure they bounced back to winning ways, following last week’s defeat to Fatih Karagumruk.

The 30-year-old starred in the midfield for the Yellow and Reds along with Morocco international Younes Belhanda, Emre Kılınc and Arda Turan.

Kilinc opened the scoring for Galatasaray in the fourth minute before Turan doubled the lead in the 12th minute after he was set up by Ryan Donk.

Soner Aydogdu reduced the deficit for Goztepe before Feghouli sealed the victory after benefitting from Taylan Antalyali’s assist.

Besides his goal, Feghouli has also provided three assists in 14 appearances across all competitions for Galatasaray.

The forward featured for 83 minutes before he was replaced by Omer Bayram, while Belhanda made way for Bartug Elmaz in the 90th minute.

Senegal international Mbaye Diagne played for 67 minutes before he was brought out for Ogulcan Caglayan while Nigeria midfielder Oghenekaro Etebo was not listed for the encounter.

With the victory, Galatasaray moved to the second spot on the Super Lig table after gathering 26 points from 13 games.

Feghouli has been with the Turk Telekom Stadium outfit since 2017 when he joined the side from West Ham United.

The forward has featured in more than 90 games across all competitions for Galatasaray since his arrival and has helped them to win a number of accolades.

Feghouli was part of the Yellow and Reds’ team that clinched the 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 league titles as well as Cup diadem.

The Algeria international will hope to continue his performances when Galatasaray take on Trabzonspor in their next league game on Boxing Day.

Arsenal striker Gabriel Martinelli was removed from Tuesday's Carabao Cup match against Manchester City with an ankle problem, a bitter blow for a player who only just returned from a long-term knee injury. 

The 19-year-old assisted Alexandre Lacazette's equaliser in the first half but just before the break, he was involved in a collision with City goalkeeper Zack Steffen that left him writhing in pain on the ground. 

Joe Willock picked out Martinelli with a through ball but Steffen came far off his line to make a sliding clearance, catching the Brazilian's ankle in the process.

Martinelli eventually returned to the match but was clearly in some pain as the half-time whistle sounded. 

The striker started the second half but was quickly back on the ground, signalling he was unable to continue and was replaced by Nicolas Pepe. 

The Gunners will now face a nervous wait on Martinelli, who was making his first start for the club since March after only just returning from a knee injury.

Martinelli made his mark in 2019-20, his debut campaign with Arsenal, scoring 10 goals in all competitions after joining the Gunners from Ituano in his native Brazil.

The teenager's debut season came to an end in March, though, after he suffered a serious knee injury in training.

Martinelli was still rewarded in the summer when he signed a new long-term contract at the Emirates Stadium, which will reportedly keep him at the club until 2024.

After making his return for the club's youth team, Martinelli made his season debut for Arsenal at the weekend when he played 19 minutes off the bench in his side's 2-1 defeat at Everton.

Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta admitted that his struggling side have missed Martinelli this season.

“Gabi is pure enthusiasm, energy, belief, charisma and goals. And this is him," Arteta said ahead of Arsenal's match against Everton.

“He's around the training ground and he's around our training sessions and the energy is different because he goes 100 miles per hour.

“He's got this passion in his way of playing and he is a threat. He's a player that we've been missing because he brings something special to the team."

Serie B side Chievo have claimed that Joel Obi was racially abused at the hands of a Pisa player, who allegedly made an offensive "slave" comment to the ex-Inter man. 

The Verona side drew 2-2 in Tuesday's league clash, a result that leaves them in ninth place in the second-tier standings. 

But the game was overshadowed when, after full-time, Chievo accused Michele Marconi of directing abuse at Obi while on the pitch. 

"Following the racist phrase 'the slave revolt' said by the Pisa player Michele Marconi to the midfielder Joel Obi during the first half of the Pisa - Chievo Verona match, the club expresses the utmost solidarity towards its player, the subject of a slanderous and bleak phrase, which has nothing to do with the most elementary and basic values ​​of sport, ethics and respect," the club wrote on its official website following the match. 

"AC Chievo Verona strongly condemns and stigmatizes the racist behavior suffered by Joel Obi, and regrets that a phrase heard by most on the field was not followed by any disciplinary measures: neither by the referee, nor by the assistant and fourth official, nor the federal prosecutor. 

"AC Chievo Verona, always a staunch supporter of the values ​​of ethics, respect and fair play - will continue to remain at the forefront of the fight against any form of racism or violence, on and off any playing field."

No action was taken on the field against Marconi, who played 77 minutes of the clash before being withdrawn for Alessandro De Vitis. 

As of yet neither Pisa nor Marconi have commented on the incident. 

Racism, both from opposing players and in fans' chants, has been a recurring problem for Italian football, with stars like Kalidou Koulibaly, Mario Balotelli and Romelu Lukaku singled out in recent years. 

In January 2019, the FIGC announced new measures to counter the issue in Serie B, albeit primarily focused on abuse from the stands rather than from fellow professionals. 

Under the guidelines, only two rather than three alleged instances of racism would suffice to bring the game to a halt. 

After the first, players and officials have been instructed to gather in the centre-circle and stop play, while a second instance is grounds to return to the dressing room.

Zenatha Coleman was in superb form for Sevilla as she contributed an assist in her side's 2-1 win over Tenerife in a Spanish Primera Iberdrola encounter on Tuesday.

The Namibia international made her 13th appearance of the season in the encounter and her ninth start of the campaign, and she had an impactful role in Sevilla's win over their visitors at Estadio Jesus Navas.

The hosts went into the contest on the heels of a fourth defeat of the season in 6-0 loss at Barcelona, as Tenerife eyed a return to winning ways following a 1-1 draw with Sporting Huelva last week. 

On Tuesday, Coleman helped Cristian Toro's team to a bright start as she aided Claudia Pina to break the deadlock after just 10 minutes in the game.

Having ended the first half one goal down, Tenerife resumed the tie on a high and were rewarded with a breakthrough as Pisco's pass gave Natalia Ramos the chance to level in the 67th minute.

The hosts, however, mounted pressure to claim three points in the 71st minute when Pina set up Ana Franco to net the matchwinner.

Coleman featured for 76th minute in Sevilla's win and has now scored two goals and provided one assist in 13 appearances, while Nigerian-born striker Toni Payne played for 87 minutes of the tie.

On the other hand, Cote'd Ivoire's Ange N'Guessan was involved for 61 minutes but could not rescue her side from defeat, while Cameroon's Raissa Feudjio was an unused substitute. 

The result lifts Sevilla to eighth position on the log with 19 points from 13 games, while Tenerife dropped to fourth with 27 points.

Atletico Madrid once again showed they will take some stopping in LaLiga's title race as they claimed a commendable 2-0 win at high-flying Real Sociedad to go three points clear at the summit despite being without the injured Joao Felix.

Diego Simeone's side were unable to dominate a Real Sociedad team full of attacking talent, but Atletico's defence was as reliable as ever and even set them on their way with the first goal through centre-back Mario Hermoso.

The defender had arguably gone closer than anyone else to the opening goal in a first half that was intriguing, if not exhilarating.

But in the 49th minute, Atletico – so often a threat at set-pieces once upon a time – edged in front thanks to Hermoso's well-timed header at a free-kick.

Marcos Llorente doubled the lead towards the end, meaning early-season leaders La Real are now in danger of slipping out of the top four after their winless LaLiga run was extended to six games.

A well contested first half brought plenty of neat football but few clear-cut chances, with the two defences extremely well organised.

The hosts looked as though they had carved Atletico open in the 20th minute, with David Silva going on a mazy run up the right flank, but his cutback was crucially intercepted before Willian Jose could pounce.

Soon after at the other end, Hermoso had a header from a corner blocked by Andoni Gorosabel right in front of goal – though it may have been going just off target.

That was a warning La Real failed to heed as Hermoso broke the stalemate just after the restart, heading emphatically past Alex Remiro from Yannick Carrasco's free-kick delivery.

La Real's response was underwhelming, Atletico's backline remaining unruffled, and the visitors sealed the points 16 minutes from time.

Carrasco nudged Luis Suarez's pass on to Llorente, and the midfielder's left-footed strike from the edge of the box left Remiro helpless.

What does it mean? A statement victory for Simeone

Even with La Real's recent struggles, this was always like to be a tight affair and potential banana skin for Atletico – the Basque side's array of attacking talent is impressive.

But Atletico out-scrapped them and their more direct approach bore fruit, as La Real only mustered six shots and just one was on target. Their more clinical visitors had eight, with three on target.

Granted, Atletico’s critics will still point to the chastening Madrid derby defeat as a cause for concern, but against the rest they have been largely flawless. They will not have many potentially trickier trips than this and will still have two games in hand on Zinedine Zidane's men after they face Granada on Wednesday.

Carrasco provides creativity in the absence of Joao Felix

Losing Joao Felix was a big blow given his importance to Atletico this season, but credit to Carrasco – the Belgian was a force on the left flank. He drove his team forward with real purpose and saw more of the ball more than any of this team-mates (66 touches). His 14 contested duels was second only Koke and Mikel Merino (15 each), though his four key passes was a match high and he set up both goals. Near perfect from the winger.

Portu fails to impose himself

In an otherwise impressive season, this was a day to forget for Portu. He tried to operate in the channel between Carrasco and Hermoso, but got little change from the centre-back. All he had to show for his efforts was a single shot, with no key passes, before he was withdrawn in the 74th minute. He had just 16 touches – the fewest of any of the players who started the game.

What's next?

Atletico return to action after Christmas on December 30 as they host nearby Getafe at the Wanda Metropolitano. La Real have an extra day to prepare for their Basque derby away to Athletic Bilbao on New Year's Eve.

Former Bafana Bafana international Brilliant Khuzwayo is reportedly hoping to make a dramatic comeback to professional football. 

The retired goalkeeper was forced into early retirement due to an ankle injury in July 2019 at the age of 28 while on the books of Orlando Pirates.

Khuzwayo was told that he would never kick a ball again in his life due to a severe ankle injury.

However, recent reports have indicated that the 30-year-old player is working hard behind the scenes to revitalise his football career. 

When speaking to Daily Sun, his representatives from QT Sports indicated that they are in the dark regarding Khuzwayo's possible return. 

“I’d rather not comment,” QT Sports executive manager Basia Michaels said.

“I know Brilliant is seeing a physician to reduce the scar tissue around his ankle just for the basic day-[to-day] living. 

“It is just for his health sake, that is what it is.”

Khuzwayo sustained the injury during pre-season with Pirates as few weeks after joining the Buccaneers from their arch-rivals Kaizer Chiefs prior to the start of the 2018/19 season.

The former Pirates academy player rejoined Bucs from Chiefs, where he had played second fiddle to Itumeleng Khune.

Khuzwayo was hoping to establish himself at Pirates, but unfortunately, he picked up a career-ending Injury.

The Umlazi-born player never made his official debut for the club's first team, but he did play for Pirates in the Multichoice Diski Challenge (MDC).

Khuzwayo started his professional career at AmaZulu FC in his home province, KwaZulu-Natal.

Nicknamed Casillas, Khuzwayo was loaned out to then-National First National (NFD) side Thanda Royal Zulu by AmaZulu in the 2011/12 season.

Casillas returned to AmaZulu at the end of the loan deal, but he was purchased by Chiefs in July 2012.

The former youth international was part of the South Africa squad which participated at the 2011 Caf Under-23 Africa Cup of Nations finals in Morocco.

Khuzwayo also got an opportunity to play for the senior national team, Bafana Bafana.

He was part of the Bafana squad at the 2015 Afcon finals in Equatorial Guinea where he started against Ghana's Black Stars as Bafana suffered a 1-0 defeat.

Thembi Kgatlana provided two assists as Eibar crashed to a 4-2 defeat against Valencia in Tuesday's Spanish Primera Iberdrola game at Estadio Antonio Puchades.

The South Africa international was handed a start to increase her goal tally in the ongoing season but her double of assists could not help Iker Dorronsoro's team escape defeat against their hosts.

On the heels of a 2-0 triumph over Santa Teresa, Eibar were aiming for back-to-back wins as Kgatlana assisted Arola Aparicio to open the scoring after just 12 minutes in the encounter.

Valencia, however, mounted a fightback in the contest when Iina Salmi levelled the scoreline with a fine strike in the 26th minute.

Nine minutes from the half-time break, Kgatlana again helped her side recover their lead when she set up Kuki for Eibar's second.

Eight minutes after the break, Candela Andujar led the hosts back into the mix when she teed up Asun Martinez for the equaliser. 

Valencia increasingly dominated the contest and in the 78th minute, Elle Jansen played Candela Andujar through to seal the comeback.

On the brink of full-time, Sandra Hernandez provided Jansen with the assist to ensure the hosts guaranteed their victory over Eibar.

With the defeat at Valencia, Eibar ended the year on a disappointing note in 11th position with 14 points from 13 matches.

Despite the loss, Kgatlana featured for the duration of the game and has five goals and four assists in 10 matches this season.

Besides Kgatlana, Equatorial Guinea's Ruth Alvarez also lasted the duration, while Nigeria's Charity Adule was an 89th-minute substitute. South Africa's Noko Matlou did not take the field.

In their first match of 2021, Eibar will welcome Logrono, who boasts of African quintuple of Equatorial Guniea's Jade Boho, Ghana's Grace Asantewaa, South Africa's Nothando Vilakazi, Cote d'Ivoire duo Rebecca Elloh and Ida Guehai on January 6.

Asante Kotoko-linked Eleven Wonders boss Ignatius Osei Fosu believes the Porcupine Warriors did not take the best decision in relieving Maxwell Konadu from the post as head coach of the club.

The former assistant coach was given the boot last week after Kotoko suffered a 1-0 home loss to Great Olympics in the Ghana Premier League (GPL).

Osei Fosu is among the leading contenders to replace Kotoko, according to media reports, mentioned alongside former Ghana U23 coach Ibrahim Tanko.

"From a football perspective, sacking Maxwell Konadu was an unfair decision by the management," the Eleven Wonders boss told Pure FM.

“Maxwell was a slow starter even when Kotoko won the league. He nearly won at Berekum only for that last-minute free-kick, a ground that they don’t win.

“The team also looks new compared to that of last season.”

The loss to Olympics was Kotoko's first defeat of the season.

"The problem with the Kotoko team has to do with midfield. We should get time for coaches so they can build their teams. Team-building takes time and club administrators must be patient," former Kotoko defender Frimpong Manso, who later coached the club after his playing career, earlier said on Konadu's sacking. 

“Sixteen players arrived this season at Kotoko and it takes time for the players to play together as a unit. Look at where some of the players came from to join the team. 

"The Brazilian and some of them from Europe also needed time to get fitness because they were not playing. Some old players at the team last season also left after their contract expiration. The factors are too many.

"If they were patient it could have been better. Now the problem will linger on because the new coach will now have to adapt to the players [and] also bring in his players."

Kotoko assistant coach Johnson Smith has been asked to take charge of the club in the interim amid the search for a substantive boss.

The Porcupine Warriors are set to host Al Hilal of Sudan in a Caf Champions League first round, first-leg fixture on Wednesday. 

Atalanta star Alejandro "Papu" Gomez has once again been left out of his team's matchday squad as a January sale appears to draw closer. 

Manager Gian Piero Gasperini left the Argentine out of his squad for Wednesday's league match against Bologna, the second consecutive game in which Gomez was not even on the bench for his team. 

Gomez also missed out on Sunday's win over Roma, as a damaged relationship between player and manager appears no closer to being repaired.

Sources have confirmed to Goal that Gomez is likely to be sold in the January transfer window, with the 32-year-old requesting a move to AC Milan or Inter.

After seeing his side go down a goal in the first half against FC Midtjylland in the Champions League on December 1, Gasperini asked Gomez to move from his usual No.10 role to a spot on the right-hand side of midfield.

But Gomez refused to change positions and was instead subbed out of the match by a furious Gasperini.

After the bust-up with his manager, Gomez said he would divulge the true nature of recent events if he does indeed end up leaving, as he told his followers on Instagram: “Dear fans, I’m writing to you here because I have no other means to defend myself or talk to you.

“I just want to tell you that, when I leave, you will know the truth about everything.

“You know me well; you know who I am. I love you, your captain.”

Gomez has become one of the top playmakers in Serie A since joining Atalanta from Ukranian outfit Metalist Kharkiv in 2014, having led the league in assists twice in recent seasons.

The Argentine helped Atalanta make a surprise run to the Champions League quarter-final last season, where the Italians were stunned by two late PSG goals in a dramatic defeat.

PSG have been one of the sides linked with a move for Gomez in recent weeks, along with AC Milan, Inter and Lazio.

Gomez, who has scored five goals and added four assists in all competitions this season, has a contract with Atalanta through the 2021-22 season. 

Asisat Oshoala scored twice as Barcelona secured a 6-1 victory over Deportivo La Coruna in Tuesday’s Spanish Primera Iberdrola game.

Before the encounter, the Nigeria international scored her sixth goal in five consecutive matches in a 6-0 win at Sevilla last Sunday.

On Tuesday, the 26-year-old was handed her sixth start of the season and made a vital contribution to help Lluis Cortes' team end 2020 on a high, with the 10th consecutive win this season.

Jenni Hermoso opened the scoring with her eighth goal of the season for Barcelona in the 20th minute thanks to an assist from Melanie Serrano.

The visitors continued the scoring when Mariona Caldentey set up Hermoso to bag her brace of the match five minutes later.

In the 27th minute, Lieke Martens raced down the left flank before sending through a perfect cross for Oshoala to head in a third.

Eight minutes later, Martens bagged her second assist of the game as she teed up Aitana Bonmati for a fourth of the contest for Barcelona.

After the half-time break, Oshoala hit her brace and Barca's fifth of the tie following an assist from Caldentey five minutes into the second half.

Deportivo, however, pulled one back when Rosalia Muino played Alba Merino through to reduce the deficit in the 64th minute.

Some 12 minutes from full-time, Marta Torrejon wrapped up the incredible year for the champions when she netted a sixth of the match.

The win ensured Barcelona opened a two-point lead at the top of the Spanish Iberdrola table after gathering 30 points from 10 games.

Oshoala was in action for the duration of the encounter and has now scored nine goals in 10 league games this season for Barcelona.

Her latest brace saw her finish 2020 on a high, scoring 29 goals in 27 competitive matches for Barcelona during the outgoing year.

On return from the Christmas break, the Catalans will begin the new year at home against Espanyol on January 6, and Oshoala will hope to continue from where she left off in 2020.

Ten-man Juventus' unbeaten start to the Serie A season was ended by Fiorentina as they suffered a humbling 3-0 loss at the Allianz Stadium.

The champions had gone 12 games without a loss in the top flight under Andrea Pirlo prior to Tuesday's setback, coming on the day they discovered their 3-0 forfeit win over Napoli in October has been revoked following their opponents' successful appeal.

Dusan Vlahovic scored early on for Fiorentina and Juve then lost Juan Cuadrado with 18 minutes played, the referee upgrading the yellow card he initially showed to a red following a VAR check.

Juve were unable to hit back and conceded twice more in the final 14 minutes, with Alex Sandro putting into his net and their former player Martin Caceres tapping in to inflict a further Scudetto blow on Pirlo's men.
 

It's fair to say Lazarous Kambole has had something of a slow start to his Kaizer Chiefs career.

The striker signed from Zambian giants Zesco United prior to the start of the 2019/20 campaign, but Amakhosi are yet to see the best of him.

Kambole was given plenty of opportunities to impress in the Premier Soccer League (PSL) last season by then-Chiefs head coach Ernst Middendorp.

However, the Zambia international struggled to adapt to his new surroundings and the speed of the game in the PSL.

The man nicknamed Lazi made 17 appearances across all competitions and he netted once, in the 1-1 draw against Stellenbosch in August 2020.

Lazi breathed a sigh of relief after scoring his maiden goal in South African football and he started the following match against Mamelodi Sundowns as Chiefs pushed for the PSL title.

However, Kambole failed to grab the opportunity as he was substituted during the half-time break and Amakhosi went on to succumb to a 1-0 defeat to Sundowns.

Some Chiefs fans began doubting whether Kambole was still the same player who grabbed headlines across the African continent after breaking a Caf Champions League record in 2018. 

Lazi scored a hat-trick in five minutes in a Champions League match against Eswatini giants Mbabane Swallows at Mavuso Sports Centre in Manzini.

Caf later confirmed the former Kabundi Young Stars player's hat-trick as the fastest recorded in the history of Africa's most prestigious club tournament.

Kambole went on to finish second in the race for the Champions League Golden Boot award having hit the back of the net seven times in the competition.

Lazi was also very influential in helping Zesco reach the group stage and he is now back in the tournament with a different club, Chiefs. 

The Lusaka-born player has found game-time hard to come by under Chiefs coach Gavin Hunt thus far this season, having made three appearances across all competitions without scoring.

However, Hunt did show some faith in Kambole in the Champions League preliminary round first-leg match against Cameroonian side PWD Bamenda last month. 

The former Konkola Mine Police player helped the team secure a 1-0 win in Limbe and it remains Chiefs' last win across all competitions.

Amakhosi will now take on Angolan giants CD Primeiro de Agosto in the Champions League first-round, first-leg match at FNB on Wednesday.

Kambole is most likely to be given another chance by Hunt with Leonardo Castro under-performing, which sees the team winless in six PSL games. 

The Colombian centre-forward has failed to score in his last six competitive matches and Hunt could look to Kambole, who is a proven goalscorer on the continent. 

Kambole should see this as a golden opportunity to impress the veteran coach and cement his place in the starting line-up which would be the perfect platform for him to finally establish himself a key player at Chiefs. 

Ghana captain Andre Ayew believes he has a natural ability for leadership, having taken up a host of related positions over the course of his career.

Captain of Ghana as they won the Fifa U20 World Cup in Egypt in 2009, the attacker currently leads the West African nation's senior team, having been handed the armband in May last year.

At club level, the 31-year-old is the current assistant captain of Championship side Swansea City.

“I’ve always had pressure, expectancy to deliver and lead – ever since I was a kid,” Ayew said, as reported by his club's official website.

“My dad was one of the best African footballers to have ever played, so the attention was then placed on me when I was growing up. I’ve always carried that pressure with me. I’ve had it all my career, so I am happy to take that role on here because it takes the focus and pressure off the young players and lets them thrive.

“I captained Ghana at under-20 level, I wore the band at Marseille a few times, and obviously now for Ghana’s senior team so I have good experience to pass on to the young guys in the team. I really enjoy it here in Swansea – on and off the pitch. It is far less stressful here!

“When we put on that Black Stars shirt, you are not playing for yourself – you are playing for a whole nation because you have to give the younger generation something to dream about and inspire them. Maybe it’s a little difficult for people over here to understand, but Ghanaian and African players have a lot of responsibility to inspire kids in our countries.”

Ayew's leadership goes beyond just wearing the armband, to inspiring results on the pitch.

The former Olympique Marseille forward, who won Swansea's top scorer and most valuable player awards last season, is the club's current top scorer this term, having registered seven goals in 19 league appearances.

At international level, Ayew's presence has been equally felt as he has netted four goals in his last two outings for Ghana.

Alex Iwobi has explained how he tries to prove himself each time he gets the opportunity to feature for Everton and Nigeria.

The 24-year-old teamed up with the Goodison Park outfit in the summer of 2019 and had endured mixed fortunes since his arrival.

The forward is arguably having his best time with the Toffees since joining the side from Arsenal, having started the club’s last six games, helping Carlo Ancelotti’s men to four wins and one draw.

Iwobi has also played in a number of positions for the Toffees in the current campaign, including the wing-back role, where he shone.

The versatile forward is also a key member of the Nigeria national team and helped the West African side to finish third at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt.

Iwobi’s contribution also helped the Super Eagles to be in pole position to qualify for the 2022 Afcon in Cameroon.

The versatile forward explained he is always motivated to feature for both club and country because he does not want to disappoint his family members who have invested so much in him and his supporters.

“Every day I try to prove to myself I should be here, that I should be playing for Everton, that I should be in the starting XI, that I should be representing my country.,” Iwobi told Everton’s matchday programme.

“I always have that motivation, especially because of what my family went through for me to get where I am. It gives me that hunger to improve myself and I work every day to try to do that.

“I want to fight for not just me but the hundreds of thousands of Evertonians and the people who follow and support me. I feel I owe it to them to give 100 per cent every day."

Everton are currently fourth on the Premier League table following their recent impressive performances.

Iwobi, who spent more than a decade in Arsenal before joining the Toffees, believes the Goodison Park outfit under manager Ancelotti are as good as his former club.

“This Everton side is as good as the Arsenal teams I was in, absolutely. We have talented, international players, in the team and on the bench,” he continued.

“The chemistry in the dressing room is great. We see the quality in training every day… it needs to consistently come out on the pitch and all of us know we can improve and offer more.”

In support of a recent protest against police brutality in Nigeria, where a number of protesters were allegedly killed and injured, Iwobi has written ‘End Police Brutality’ in his black boot.

“It is awful to see what is happening in Nigeria. It is so sad. People are protesting for their rights and being killed,” he added.

“I am in a position where I am able to influence a lot of people and I will always use my voice to speak out about what is right.

“It is important we use our platforms to make people aware of what is happening. I also feel I have to let people know with my feet.

“I was able to get customised black boots, so people all over the world can see I am supporting the cause.”

Iwobi will be expected to feature when Everton take on Manchester United in a League Cup quarter-final tie on Wednesday.