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Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA FC) head coach Mike Mutebi has explained why Sports Club Villa will be more confident in the Tuesday Ugandan Premier League encounter.

Mutebi states the run the Jogoos have had in the last three games suggests they are a stronger side and thus would offer a tough game.

SC Villa have won a game against Mbarara City, drew 2-2 against BUL FC before they were defeated 3-1 by URA FC. On the other hand, KCCA have not dropped a point from their last three games against Bright Stars, Onduparaka and Mbarara City.

“They have had a good run, have picked some points and that means they are going to be very confident,” Mutebi told KCCA’s Online TV.

“This is going to be a very tough match as far as we are concerned especially that we are going to play away.

“These are two traditional and most successful clubs in Uganda. It is going to be a tough match as the rivalry will always be there between these two clubs and this will be seen on the pitch.”

Mutebi also gave an injury update on players who remain sidelined.

“We do not have Gift Ali, Poloto Julius, Juma Balinya and Moses Aliro. The fixture comes early for Sadat Anaku and Ali but we will see what happens against URA FC.”

KCCA won the last meeting against the Jogoos at the Phillip Omondi Stadium by a scoreline of 4-1.

It is the second away game for Kassasiro Boys in the season as they started with one against Bright Stars where they picked a 2-1 win.

KCCA have dominated this fixture as in the last 19 games they have picked wins on nine occasions compared to SC Villa’s two while eight games have ended in draws.

In the 19 games, KCCA have scored 27 goals while the record champions have netted 15.

In those games, KCCA have managed to collect 35 points while the Jogoos have harvested 14. The game is an opportunity for KCCA’s Denis Iguma to face his former club after he has played three league ties for the 13-time champions.

Police FC have confirmed midfielder Tonny Mawejje will not be involved when they take on Busoga United in a Ugandan Premier League (UPL) match on Tuesday.

The law enforcers will host Busoga at Lugogo Stadium in Kampala seeking to continue with their fine start to the 2020-21 campaign.

Police have kick-started their season strongly with two emphatic victories and a draw in the three games played thus far. In their last league outing, Police hammered Airtel Kitara 5-0.

Ahead of their clash with Busoga, the club has confirmed they will miss the services of their captain Mawejje, who is yet to recover from an injury.

“The team is still without captain Tony Mawejje who is nursing an ankle sprain,” the club revealed on their official website.

“Frank Tumwesigye, Musa Matovu, Dancun Ssseninde, and Johnson Odongo are also still out due to injuries.”

Police coach Abdallah Mubiru has admitted they are coming up against a very strong opponent and must be ready to take up the challenge they will throw at them.

“We are well prepared for the opponents, they are tough and they have always challenged us,” Mubiru told the club’s official website. “It’s not going to be easy but I hope and pray we get the result we want.”

Denis Rukundo, Mawejje’s deputy is also wary of Busoga but remained hopeful of victory.

“Against Busoga, you don’t expect an easy side, but after the two wins on the road, we are hopeful that we keep our touch on. The lads are really prepared for the game.”

The Cops have met Busoga United seven times and have come out victors in three of those meetings with Busoga managing four wins.

During their last meeting, Police scored two late goals courtesy of Ashraf Mugume and Johnson Odong to win 3-2.

Against Airtel Kitara at Kavumba Recreation Ground, Wakiso, Ben Ocen opened the scoring in the 40th minute from a penalty spot after foul play on Kiwalazi Tonny before adding the second three minutes to the end of the first half.

Defender Mahmood Hassan Aka “Mood” grabbed the third in the 62nd minute from a free-kick before talisman Ocen completed his hat-trick in the 71st minute and midfielder Sozi Yousuf, came off the bench to seal a fine day for Police with a 76th-minute goal.

AmaZulu president Sandile Zungu says newly appointed coach Benni McCarthy's winning mentality is one of the main reasons he was hired by the ambitious Durban club.

The former Cape Town City head coach is Bafana Bafana's leading goalscorer and enjoyed a hugely successful career as a player, winning the Champions League with Porto in 2004.

He also won the Portuguese league, while playing under Jose Mourinho, and also has league title winners' medals from his time with Dutch giants Ajax as well as with Orlando Pirates.

It's McCarthy's high profile, and the potential he has to inspire up-and-coming players, which is what made him the obvious choice for Zungu, who is in the process of revolutionising AmaZulu after taking over the club earlier this year.
 
“We want young players to associate themselves with playing in Europe and being part of this brand called Bafana Bafana, which Benni has done so much for, we want players to see it is possible to reach these goals by being coached by Benni,” Zungu said at McCarthy's unveiling on Monday.

Usuthu are hopeful that McCarthy's personality will fit in with their new ambitions and the Cape Town-born coach is expected to propel the KwaZulu-Natal side into the top echelons of South African football by the time the season ends in five months time.

“Benni is a terrible loser and we want to win and be the top brand in soccer going forward," Zungu said.

"There are great brands and we want to be among them. We are aiming for a top-four finish this season, we have the players to achieve this."

McCarthy meanwhile spoke of his desire to "have the same history as Chiefs and Pirates" and added that his 'goals stretch far beyond the top four.'

That also includes helping to develop young players, as he explained:

"The President and the club did not have to sell me this vision. The fact that they want to not only impact the current squad of players but also the younger players who are still building their careers, because I was once a young player myself. And it’s important that we support those players. I’m highly optimistic that we will achieve the goals we have set for ourselves."

McCarthy's first challenge is on Wednesday in a KwaZulu-Natal derby against Golden Arrows at the Kings Park Stadium.

SC Villa coach Edward Kaziba is aware of his opponent's threat and has urged his team to produce a quick response and beat Kampala City Council Authority (KCCA FC) when the two sides clash in a Ugandan Premier League (UPL) derby on Tuesday.

The Jogoos suffered a 2-1 defeat against Uganda Revenue Authority (URA FC) in matchday three while KCCA are still unbeaten, having won all their three matches since the 2020-21 season kicked-off.

It is the reason Kaziba has called on his players to forget about the defeat against the Taxmen and give him a quick response with a win against the Kasasiro boys at Bombo Military Barracks Grounds in their first derby fixture of the season.

“The team has reflected on the shortcomings of our loss in the previous fixtures [against URA] and we have learned a lot from it,” Kaziba said as quoted by the club’s official website.

“We hope not to repeat similar mistakes and we come into this fixture searching for a win.

“We are well aware of the attacking threat tomorrow’s opponents pose to us but we are well prepared to neutralize them. My players recovered very well both physically and mentally from matchday three.”

Kaziba continued, “My technical team is also aware of their compact defence but have also taken note of their vulnerabilities to which we will capitalize in order to come out of this derby on top.”

The Jogoos have been boosted with the return of winger Benson Muhindo, who has been serving a suspension due to a red card he received on matchday one.

“It will be a good game for him to come and help the team avoid another slip in a space of four days,” Kabiza continued.

Meanwhile, Villa have confirmed 200 club fans will be allowed to watch the derby on Tuesday.

This is after the Federation of Uganda Football Association (Fufa) issued a circular asking clubs in the top-flight to allow at least 200 fans to return to the stadium but with strict adherence to the Covid-19 restrictions put up by the Ministry of Health.

“Due to the strict Covid-19 pandemic standard operating procedures, only 200 of the registered club members will be allowed into stadiums on the basis of first come first serve as communicated by the club henceforth,” the club confirmed in a statement.

“For all those not making it to the stadium tomorrow [Tuesday]: follow live updates of this game by following the hashtag #SCVKCC on our official social media platforms on Twitter and Facebook.”

The last league fixture between the two sides at Omondi Stadium, Lugogo in Kampala, last season ended 4-1 in favour of KCCA on November 29, 2020.

Jamshedpur's 2020-21 Indian Super League (ISL) fixture against Mumbai City on Monday at the GMC Stadium was supposed to be a tactical battle involving players who are technically adept on the field. 

And it was, for the first 30 minutes. It wasn't the cagey type of tactical battle though as both teams went all-guns-blazing in search for an opening goal. 

Both defences and goalkeepers were tested very early on and it looked like Mumbai City, the more dominant side strictly based on possession stats, would take the lead. However, Nerijus Valskis had other ideas. 

Bartholomew Ogbeche, who started his third game of the season, alongside Adam Le Fondre upfront, gifted the ball to his opponent and set the stage for the opener. Jackichand Singh intercepted the forward's poor backpass and fed Valskis inside the box who slotted home with aplomb to score his sixth goal in six matches. 

Ogbeche made amends in no time as he slotted in the equaliser minutes later. Bipin Singh received Le Fondre's pass from the right and laid it off for Ogbeche who struck a well-placed first-time effort into the bottom right corner of the net. 

For a brief period in the game, Ogbeche seemed to be the hero who had been waiting for his chance on the bench. And it looked like the two-striker system could finally work for Sergio Lobera. But everything went downhill slowly but steadily as the match wore on. 

Jamshedpur's defence put on a solid show in their own half to keep Mumbai City under check. Peter Hartley was the standout performer with his experience and leadership at the back in setting up an organized display with the team suffering from a numerical disadvantage. 

But Mumbai City still ended up creating enough chances for Ogbeche to score a hat-trick but he failed to deliver. It was a rusty show in the final third by the Nigerian striker who will need regular gametime to get back to his rhythm.

He failed to find the target despite being presented with numerous clear-cut chances and in the end, the Islanders suffered. With each passing game, it is looking unlikely that Le Fondre and Ogbeche can play together in the starting lineup. 

Mumbai's creativity was one-dimensional with the overwhelming usage of both flanks. Down the middle, the absence of the creativity and vision of Hugo Boumous was clearly felt and star man, who was unavailable for selection, could have helped the team unlock the resilient defence of Jamshedpur. 

The game which was expected to be cagey started out as an end-to-end-affair and ended us a contest in which the spirit and fight of a 10-man team stood out. 

Juventus superstar Cristiano Ronaldo said he prefers to watch boxing or UFC rather than a football match.

Ronaldo is one of football's all-time greats following his exploits for Real Madrid, Manchester United, Juve and Portugal.

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner is Madrid's record goalscorer, while his honours include five Champions League titles, three Premier League trophies, Euro 2016 glory, two Serie A crowns and as many La Liga triumphs to go with numerous other silverware.

But when it comes to watching television, Ronaldo revealed his love for combat sports.

"Playing football is my passion, but I prefer watching other sports on TV," Ronaldo told boxing star Gennady Golovkin in a DAZN documentary titled 'Parallel Worlds'.

"Between watching a football match or a boxing or UFC fight, I choose boxing or UFC."

Ronaldo, who has met UFC star Conor McGregor previously, added: "When I was at Manchester United, a coach boxed with me.

"I think practicing boxing is useful for football because it sharpens your senses and you learn to move."

Aged 35, Ronaldo has showed no signs of slowing down in 2020.

Ronaldo celebrated his 100th Juventus appearance with a brace in Sunday's 3-1 Serie A win over Genoa.

Not only was Ronaldo making his 100th Juve appearance, he also became the first player to reach 400 wins across Europe's top five leagues this century.

Additionally, Ronaldo – who has netted 77 times since joining Juve in 2018 – reached 31 goals for the calendar year, making him the third Bianconeri player to reach this milestone in the top flight, and the first since Omar Sivori in 1961.

"Last summer, I had a chat with [heavyweight champion] Anthony Joshua," Ronaldo, who has 10 Serie A goals in seven appearances this term and 14 across all competitions, said.

"At 33 you start to think your legs are going. I want to stay in sport, in football. People will look at me and say: 'Cristiano was an incredible player but now he's slow'. I don't want that.

"You can change a lot about your body, but the problem isn't that. It's depends on your mindset, your motivation and your experience, which I think is the most complex thing.

"In sport, you can gain maturity. Look at [Roger] Federer in tennis; he's 37 or 38 years old and he's still at his peak, and there are some in boxing too."

Under-fire Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta has been given full backing of the club's technical director Edu but relief won't be felt in the form of big-money signings during the January transfer window.

After the Spanish tactician oversaw a promising start to his reign last season that saw the Gunners lift the FA Cup, the North London club have struggled to 15th position in the league after 12 matches - only scoring 10 goals in those games.

Edu suggested patience would be shown in first-time coach Arteta, particularly because of the impact of Covid-19 on the usual structure of seasons.

"If we're not talking about patience with Mikel it would be very unfair to him. Because what a year we have faced," Edu said.

"Pre-season challenges, three months without any football matches, a lot of things changing in the club. He started, and stopped, and when he started to get an understanding of all the squad he stopped again.

"He didn't get a sequence to know everyone properly. It would be really unfair to Mikel to say something about that because the year was so challenging for everyone but even more for Mikel, who'd just arrived at the club.

"Because if you have a manager who was at the club for two, three, five years, it makes that situation easier. That's why Mikel needs always, from my side, good words."

Arsenal fans angrily booed the team at the final whistle of Sunday's 1-0 loss to Burnley in the first match supporters were able to attend Emirates Stadium since the recent pandemic started.

However Edu wouldn't tell the fans to relax but instead reassured them that the club was heading in the right direction with Arteta at the helm.

"Relaxing is too much," he said.

"Just believe. Internally here, listen, we are doing well.

"My main message is that we are not talking about only one person, it is unfair to talk about Mikel, or Aubameyang because he is not scoring goals, or (goalkeeper, Bernd) Leno because he has to stop the goals.

"It is unfair to talk about one person, we are a football team, we have to talk about ourselves, talk about "we" and not "him" so that for me is the main message.

"The way I see things is very simple. It's normal and easy to be driven by the results. But for me, the main point is when I see something in which I can see the future, see where we go, the way we're building things, starting to see it on a daily basis.

"So the way we work, the way we train, the way we behave internally, if you see the quality of the work, if you see the quality of the people, if you see properly what's happening here on a daily basis, it's nothing to compare with the results."

With many of Arsenal's stars currently mis-firing, there is suggestion the club will need to dip significantly into the transfer market in January to try to save their season.

Edu wouldn't speak about the type of players Arsenal would target during the next player movement period, but suggested the club wouldn't be making a lot of squad changes.

"We don't talk about [player transfers] external," he said.

"We are here to solve the problem. We have the team, we have the squad, we have the manager, we have the staff, everyone in the right place to change it.

"Why (do) people have to expect a magician to go 'boom! Come here, Messi! Boom!'? No. It depends on us.

"People might start to ask: 'what are you going to do in the winter window?' Of course we will try to do something but we have the responsibility to change it. Don't wait for someone outside to come inside and be a magician because that's not going to happen.

"Or if you can sign 20 players - which we're not going to do - but that's not going to work anyway. So the main problem, the main thing for me, is that we, as a club, have to understand our problem. Here. That's it. Believe, because we believe. I believe."

The Gunners face a tough run of fixtures in the next 12 days with league matches against Southampton (home), Everton (away) and Chelsea (home) - while also hosting Man City in the Carabao Cup quarter final.

Whisper it, but are errors starting to creep into Edouard Mendy’s game?

It’s a situation Chelsea supporters will dread, and for good reason. The Blues were besieged with several challenges with Kepa Arrizabalaga last term but the acquisition from Rennes looked to have spread calm across a backline that had lost every shred of assurance in the Spain international.

The 28-year-old Senegal keeper gave a prelude to his impressive shot-stopping on his League Cup debut at Tottenham Hotspur, before proving with performances vs Sevilla and, especially, Manchester United away that he could be relied upon between the sticks.

Indeed, the presence of Mendy in goal and Thiago Silva in central defence had given Frank Lampard a foundation to finally build upon, but both were jointly culpable for the 1-0 defeat by Everton on Saturday night, a result that ended Chelsea’s 14-game unbeaten (17 if you include that Carabao Cup game at Spurs) run.

However, while observers have tried to paint the Brazil centre-back as equally blameworthy in the concession of the penalty, a closer inspection clearly puts the fault at Mendy’s door.

Admittedly, the South American was beaten in the preceding aerial duel by Dominic Calvert-Lewin from Jordan Pickford’s long ball upfield; still, he had the situation largely under control and looked to be easing the England forward away from goal.

Blues left-back Ben Chilwell was also close to his international teammate, meaning Mendy’s error of judgement could have arguably been avoided.

The mistake at Goodison Park followed the West African’s early error against Leeds United in the previous gameweek, an encounter the five-time Premier League champions roared back to win 3-1.

On that night at Stamford Bridge, the misunderstanding between the goalie and Kurt Zouma saw old boy Patrick Bamford take the ball beyond the onrushing Mendy to slot into an empty net. The pair seemed to leave the responsibility of dealing with Kalvin Phillips’ brilliant through-ball to each other, and that momentary period of indecision saw Marcelo Bielsa’s side edge in front.

The goalkeeper’s fault vs the newly-promoted side wasn’t costly, but Saturday’s was, which undoubtedly amplifies the consequences of Mendy clattering the in-form Everton striker.

As is usually the case with Lampard, the Chelsea boss didn’t single out the towering shot-stopper for the loss, instead choosing to express discontent at his team’s general attitude on Merseyside.

“He’s been fantastic since he’s been here. I don’t think it was clearly just his mistake either. The mentality of the team to deal with second balls in the early parts of the game wasn’t so good,” the club legend remarked post-game. “This is a team who are well organised, who wanted to stop us playing.

"When you give them that head start it’s very difficult. We didn’t quite do enough but I don’t think we necessarily deserved to lose the game.

“We are a work in progress and nights like tonight may happen. I don’t like them, but that’s the challenge for us. We need to bounce back very strong. Let’s see on Tuesday.”

Choosing to be ever-diplomatic was understandable; after all his team had been impressive for the majority of their unbeaten run, showing they could be expressive as they were vs Leeds and could shut up shop if need be, as seen at United.

The immediate goal will be avoiding a repeat of the Goodison showing at Wolverhampton Wanderers on Tuesday, where they were second-best for intensity, as well as prevent a slump reminiscent to last year in which the Blues faltered significantly in the winter after an impressive unbeaten run in the autumn.

As for Mendy, the sky certainly isn’t falling as he remains a formidable goalkeeper, even though reservations will now start to grow over his sweeping adeptness and overall decision-making when he has to rush out from his goal-line.

The two mistakes were striking due to the Senegal star’s choice to commit to winning the ball when a more-measured approach will have given his defenders more time to stop the opposition’s attack — Everton — or made the forward’s job a bit more difficult than easily going past him to slot into an empty net — Leeds.

Knowledgeable observers will quickly point out that it’s par for the course to have the goalkeeper off his line when the backline generally maintains a high line. While this is true, it means the Senegal goalkeeper has to improve that side of his game going forward as he’ll be put in those situations intermittently for the rest of the season and his career at the club.

Despite the mistake, though, an encouraging sign for Lampard was how Mendy seemed unflappable for the remainder of the encounter and made a few saves to thwart Richarlison from adding to Everton’s advantage. Had the Blues been a bit more free-flowing in the final third and equalized, the headlines may have focused on the ex-Rennes man keeping his below-par teammates in the game in which they eventually forced a draw.

However, Chelsea were left to rue an early gaffe by their shot-stopper whose impact in West London has been immense. Wolves will present another challenge for Mendy, who will want to avoid any sticky moments at Molineux.

It is, frankly, the last thing Lampard and supporters can afford, especially after the headache endured in 2019/20 with Kepa who lost the confidence of the men in front of him and led them to the assured Senegal colossus.

Chelsea manager Frank Lampard believes clubs in Tier 3 coronavirus restrictions should be trusted to manage the attendance of fans at games.

The Blues welcomed 2,000 fans back to Stamford Bridge for games with Leeds United and Krasnodar following the conclusion of the second national lockdown, but there will be no spectators at the ground for the Premier League clash with West Ham on Monday after London was put up a level to Tier 3 restrictions, beginning on Wednesday.

Under those restrictions, supporters are not allowed to attend games - whereas those in Tier 1 and Tier 2 can welcome a maximum of 4,000 and 2,000 respectively.

The new restrictions for London mean only Everton, Liverpool, Brighton and Southampton from the 20 Premier League clubs will be allowed supporters in attendance - unless restrictions are loosened in other areas of the country such as Manchester in the coming days.

Lampard feels those teams who are allowed supporters in grounds hold an unfair advantage over those who cannot, and believes clubs should be trusted to manage the situation and limit risk.

“If some clubs can have them and some can't, we've seen I think already, I felt it on the pitch, the backing they give you and what it does to the game,” he said ahead of his side's game at Wolves on Tuesday. “I think that should be pretty level.

“I also think - I'm not telling the government what to do but - we can control 2,000 fans coming into the stadium, if they are coming from within their tier or however you want to do that to keep things moving along. So it is unfortunate to say the least.”

Questioning the government’s policy, Lampard added: “Let's get it right: we are making it up as we go along. That's not to sound critical, that's just a fact because we've never been in this position before. 

“I think when you are talking about if clubs can control that situation, I think they've shown it so far that they can.

“So, I would like to think there could be something done to make it exempt where we can get that 2,000 number in. But that goes above my station, I'm just saying what I think.”

Erling Haaland has described agent Mino Raiola as "the best in the world", with the Borussia Dortmund star stating that he hopes to continue with the Italian for the foreseeable future.

The 20-year-old was named this year's Golden Boy award winner on Monday, succeeding Joao Felix as the holder of the honour for 2020 after a remarkable 12 months.

Haaland was not the only one to pick up a gong at the ceremony however, with Raiola also awarded an award for the best agent in Europe over the past year.

The attacker was quick to share the limelight and praise with the 53-year-old afterwards, speaking warmly on the pair's relationship and hailing him for his assistance.

“He is the best agent in the world," he stated. "He’s been helping me so much, I want to continue to work with him."

Haaland's success this week is at odds with Dortmund's own domestic struggles, with a 5-1 humiliation against Stuttgart this weekend confirming that they are off the pace of their 2019-20 efforts.

Head coach Lucien Favre paid the price on Sunday with his dismissal, with assistant Edin Terzic handed responsibility in the top job until the end of the season.

But despite a rocky campaign to date, Haaland has reaffirmed his commitment to the club too, stating that he has ambitions of personal and collective silverware while he remains.

"My future?" the Leeds-born starlet responded when asked. "I'm happy at Borussia Dortmund. I've spent a great year with Favre and I want to thank him [for that].

"The Ballon d'Or is my dream here, as is the Champions League - but I'm happy with the Golden Boy."

Haaland also took the chance to hail fellow Norway international Jens Petter Hauge, with the winger having followed in his countryman's footsteps as the latest major talent to make the leap from his home country to the major European leagues with Milan.

"Hauge is my friend," he added. "Keep an eye on him. They have taken in a real talent and he's playing at a beautiful club in Milan. They're in an excellent league and they can do great things."

Pep Guardiola believes Mikel Arteta is the right man to lead Arsenal despite their awful start to the 2020-21 Premier League season.

Arsenal lost 1-0 to Burnley at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday, their fourth straight home league defeat, which represents their worst such run since 1959.

The Gunners are 15th in the table, 10 points off the top four and only five points clear of the relegation zone.

The decline under Arteta, Guardiola's former Manchester City assistant, has been swift as Arsenal ended the previous campaign on a high with FA Cup success.

Pressure is building on the manager, who has failed to get the best out of his key men - most notably, captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

The striker, who signed a lucrative new contract ahead of the campaign, has netted just twice in the league this term, while his first career club own goal unfortunately proved decisive against Burnley.

As Aubameyang has struggled, Arsenal have scored just 10 league goals through 12 games, their lowest figure at this stage of a top-flight season in 39 years.

Only Newcastle United, Burnley, Sheffield United and West Brom have had fewer shots (124) and shots on target (40) than Arsenal, but Guardiola would continue to back Arteta.

"Arsenal doesn't have a manager to lead this club in the next years better than him," the City boss told reporters.

"I don't have to give my support, because he has it and knows that he has it.

"He is one of the best managers I ever worked with, of course, and seen directly - for his personality, his commitment, his love for his club. Without his love for his club, he still would be here.

"I'm pretty sure he will turn it over and do it like everyone expects.

"Sometimes when a club comes from not a good period, it needs time. I know in this world, [people think] it doesn't need time.

"If I was part of the board at Arsenal, I would not have any doubts about his quality and capacity to put Arsenal in the place that Arsenal deserves to be."

City have had their own problems this season, sitting ninth after an underwhelming goalless draw at rivals Manchester United on Saturday.

With Tottenham and Liverpool also drawing and Chelsea beaten, none of the perceived "top six" won - evidence of the strength of the Premier League, according to Guardiola.

"Always I had that feeling - even the years we won and won and won a lot of games - how difficult it is," he said.

"That makes me think that it doesn't matter what happens, if you beat Fulham or draw against Man United or draw against Leeds, it is always difficult.

"Sometimes I want to give credit to what we have done. We know we have to make a step forward but I am pretty sure we will do."

The nature of the stalemate at Old Trafford drew criticism, with City mustering just nine shots - two on target - and failing to score in a second consecutive away league game for the first time since January 2017.

"Apparently I have a completely different opinion about the approach that we wanted to do, that we want to do all the time," Guardiola said.

"But I know the standards that this club and this team has from the last years. I know handling this is more difficult, but we accept it.

"We are just in early December and have many months ahead and know exactly what we have to do to get better."

Frank Lampard admits that Thiago Silva needs to play a key leadership role in Chelsea's Champions League run after seeing his side draw Atletico Madrid in the last-16.

Silva arrived from PSG on a free transfer in August after captaining his former side's 1-0 Champions League final defeat against Bayern Munich.

Now the 36-year-old wears the captain's armband for Lampard's side, with regular skipper Cesar Azpilicueta increasingly finding himself on the bench.

In being one of the few experienced players signed by Chelsea in recent times, Lampard admits that he will lean on his Brazil international to lead the group through any potential run in the competition.

“He’ll be very important and he’s not the only one,” Lampard told reporters ahead of a trip to Wolves on Tuesday. “Other players have got Champions League experience in what's without a doubt the top club competition in world football.

“It requires concentration and focus as well as talent levels because it is so intense. Players that have been there and done it - Thiago was the captain in a final not long ago - will be able to pass on experience and be very aware of those levels over two legs against a team as experienced as Atletico.”

The draw with Atleti was described as the toughest one possible by Lampard, as they occupy second position in La Liga with two games in hand over table-toppers Real Sociedad.

Chelsea faced Diego Simeone's outfit in the group stage in 2017 and were knocked out by his side in the semi-final in 2014. Having fought so hard to qualify for the competition last season, Lampard is excited to pit himself against one of the world's most respected managers.

“I like a team which is the image of their manager and I think he’s certainly proven that over the years he’s been there with the discipline of the team, how they are very strong with their game plan,” he added.

“When you watch them, you understand the way they play. You could watch them on TV, turn the colour off and you would still understand that Atletico Madrid are playing. They are very sure in the way that they play.

“They have quality players around that as well and the manager has driven that club for a lot of years, so they are a very confident and experienced European outfit.”

Chelsea's appearance in the latter stages of the Champions League comes in a season where a £220 million ($275m) summer spend on new signings has seen the club grow in stature.

A recent defeat to Everton ended a 17-game unbeaten run in all competitions, but Lampard's side have been tipped to compete for honours across the board. 

Lampard himself, meanwhile, has continued to play down his side's chances, particularly in the Premier League, but he admits that the points total to win the title will likely be lower this season.

“That’s just where we’re at this season, you’ve seen the results,” he said. “We felt it first-hand at the weekend at Everton. They’ve got good players; they invested in the squad, are well organised and made it difficult for us.

“Watching the games yesterday, you saw that all over the place. The league is getting tighter for whatever reason. Teams are strengthening, they’re well organised. I felt that our preparations ahead of the season were slightly different, so we see ourselves as a bit of a work in progress.

“We feel that we’ve already lost some points that we maybe shouldn’t have. Everyone will feel that in their own mind and I think the level of points will be less. I think we have to try and make sure we maintain our levels to keep improving.”

Raheem Sterling says the Premier League title race is wide open but insists that if Manchester City can start taking their chances, they are capable of winning a third crown in four years.

City currently sit ninth in the table but have a game in hand, which if they were to win, would move them to within three points of leaders Tottenham.

But with just 17 goals from 11 games after Saturday's 0-0 draw with Manchester United, exactly half the number they had at the same point last season, Sterling believes City need to be more clinical.

“There are so many teams that are in [the title race],” he said ahead of Tuesday's clash with West Brom. “Everyone is playing really well, and in some games teams are losing points - like the other day when we lost points and the other big teams lost points.

“It's open and there for the taking. We need to be more consistent, which I think we have been doing, in terms of not losing games. Now it's time to score a lot more goals and finish our chances.”

Sterling is City's top scorer this season with seven goals in all competitions, but has only three in the Premier League.

After scoring more than 20 goals in his last three seasons, including a career-high 31 in the last campaign, the England international is disappointed with his own return.

“I put emphasis on [goalscoring] but at the same time I haven’t scored as many goals as I would have liked,” Sterling added.

“It has been a tough start to the season for different reasons but we are still in a good position and that is the most important thing for me.

“We could be further down the table but that is not the case and we are still getting the results and grinding results out.

“There will be a period where the penny drops for everyone in the team and we've just got to stick at it and that's the exact same for me as well.”

With City legends such as Vincent Kompany and David Silva leaving the club in recent years and an injury sidelining Sergio Aguero, Sterling is now one of the senior players at the Etihad Stadium.

And the winger, who turned 26 last week, says his experience has altered his role in the squad.

“It's pretty much the same in terms of my position on the pitch,” he said. “I'm a player that likes to score and assist goals for my team, but of course growing up you do gain experience.

“You get told that when you're younger but you start to see it for yourself and start to identify situations that in the past you probably wouldn’t have.

“I can definitely say that my role within the team has changed.”

Juventus will need to put Leonardo Bonucci on the naughty step again after drawing Porto in the Champions League knockout stages, joked president Andrea Agnelli.

The Bianconeri will face off with the Portuguese outfit next February in the first match of a two-legged tie, following today's last-16 draw.

The game will mark the pair's first encounter since they met at the very same stage four years ago, when Juve ran out 3-0 winners on aggregate across the combined fixtures.

Italy vice-captain Bonucci sat out the initial 2-0 win at Estadio do Dragao however following a bust-up with then-head coach Massimiliano Allegri, though he did return for the reverse encounter.

The 33-year-old made headlines however when cameras captured him sat awkwardly on a bar stool near club officials, watching forlornly as Juve ran out comfortable winners.

Reflecting in the wake of the two sides' scheduled rematch nearly half-a-decade down the line, Agnelli quipped that current boss Andrea Pirlo might have to put Bonucci back on his perch for luck.

"We're a little bit superstitious," the 45-year-old said at Monday's Golden Boy awards, where he was named Best European President. "We joked we need to find a stool for Bonucci immediately."

Agnelli stressed that Juve would not be taking any fixture lightly however, adding: "[But] we must never lower our guard. We have been eliminated from this competition too often despite the odds.

"We need to face Porto with seriousness. They have a great European tradition."

Agnelli further paid tribute to Pirlo's managerial style, after the ex-Bianconeri player succeeded Maurizio Sarri earlier this year, as well as offering praise for the evergreen Cristiano Ronaldo.

“We are fascinated by Pirlo’s ideas," he added. "It was nice to see how he formed his staff; there is attention, modernity and humanity.

"Ronaldo’s sense of humour is what no one would expect and we appreciate it every day."

Juve next face Atalanta on Wednesday as they look to keep their unbeaten Serie A record intact this season and keep the pressure up on early pacesetters Milan.

Their visitors will likely prove no pushover however, having also secured their own Champions League last-16 berth this week, with a tie against Real Madrid to come in the new year.

Nigeria youth international and Hapoel Ra’anana attacking sensation Peter Olawale has fired his agent Emeka Ezeala for shying away from his responsibilities.

The 18-year-old was part of the Flying Eagles squad to the ongoing Wafu U20 Zone B campaign in Benin Republic where Ladan Bosso’s boys failed to qualify for the 2021 U20 Africa Cup of Nations billed for Mauritania.

According to reports, Olawale lost patience with Germany-based Ezeala and all efforts to reconcile both parties proved futile.

Confirming this development to Goal, the Israel based striker claims he took the decision after consulting with family members.

“It is true that I have parted ways with my agent Mr. Ezeala and I strongly believe that the decision is a good one for my career,” Olawale told Goal.

“Before he became my agent, we discussed at length on what were expected from him, but four months gone, my family and I reviewed his performance and he fell short of expectations.

“Since I moved to Israel, I have not set my eyes on him and he doesn’t know what I’m going through and he doesn’t even care to know.

“There are more to this, but I feel it’s time for me to move on with my career. Before the start of 2021 hopefully, I will reveal the identity of my new representative.”

The Tripple 44 Academy product was highly sought-after thanks to his fine performance at the 2019 Fifa U17 World Cup Brazil.

Having been handed a starting berth for Nigeria's third group game versus Australia, the forward beat goalkeeper Adam Pavlesic with a terrific, curling, left-footed shot midway through the first half.

Although Manu Garba’s Golden Eaglets crashed out of the Round of 16, Olawale attracted interest from a host of European teams like Borussia Dortmund, Lille, Galatasaray and Anderlecht but he settled for Liga Leumit side Hapoel Ra'anana for an undisclosed fee.

The 18-year-old made a dream start to life at the Karnei Oren Memorial Field – scoring for the club on his debut as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Hapoel Rishon Lezion Yehuda in an Israeli Youth League fixture.

Paris Saint-Germain star Neymar has credited divine intervention for saving him from a more serious injury after the Ligue 1 club revealed his ankle problem wasn't as bad as first thought.

The Brazilian attacker was stretchered from the field in tears in stoppage time of PSG's 1-0 league defeat to Lyon after a mis-timed challenge from Thiago Mendes, who was shown a red card after a VAR review.

Despite Neymar looking in significant pain as he was taken from the field, the French champions revealed that scans on his ankle injury have revealed a sprain rather than a fracture.

The 28-year-old credited his faith for helping alleviate his injury situation and vowed to return from the issue as quickly as possible.

"It could have been worse, but once again God saved me from something serious. My cry was of pain, despair, fear, anguish, surgery, crutches and other horrible memories," Neymar posted on Instagram.

"I hope to recover and return as quickly as possible."

Neymar has had to battle several serious injury issues throughout his career at PSG, including separate metatarsal fractures in 2017-18 and 2018-19 that kept him absent for more than 30 matches combined.

The player's father, Neymar Sr., believes his son doesn't get enough protection from referees on the pitch and that too often the victim is the player that is injured.

"Damn… how much longer? We have spoken about this so much, we have so underlined the excess of violence," Neymar Sr. wrote on Instagram.

"Why not stop it at the beginning, with the first foul, why wait until the seventh, eighth, ninth foul? 

"We are not taking the necessary measures throughout the whole game, where Neymar suffered the usual rotation of fouls, and always violent ones. 

"This encourages these types of players and attitudes. If this sort of thing is allowed to continue, football will really lose a lot.

"FOR HOW MUCH LONGER WILL THE VICTIM BE THE ONE AT FAULT?"

PSG have slipped to third in the Ligue 1 standings behind Lille and Lyon, and will face the former away on Sunday after a match at home against Lorient on Wednesday.

Neymar will be hoping to recover from his injury in time to face his former club Barcelona in the Champions League knockout stages in February.

Former Senegal international Ousmane N'Doye has claimed he has brokered peace between Demba Ba and Sebastian Coltescu.

Coltescu and Ba were two of the leading figures in the controversial Champions League match between Paris Saint-Germain and Istanbul Basaksehir earlier this month that saw the game halted for 24 hours after the two sides side walked off the pitch due to an alleged racist incident.

Basaksehir assistant coach Pierre Webo was sent off for his reaction to what he perceived as racial abuse from Coltescu, the game’s fourth official.

Ba, who was on the bench for Basaksehir at the controversial moment, had an exchange of words with the official over what he heard.

N'Doye witnessed the incident and on account of his background playing in Coltescu's native Romania and being a former Senegal national alongside Ba, he felt he was well placed to act as an intermediary.

The 42-year-old contacted Coltescu and Ba and put them in touch for a conversation which lasted over half an hour and ended on a positive footing.

“When I was in Romania, I met a lot of people there, I know how Romania works,” N'Doye told Sport.ro. “If something happens to someone you know about, you have to say something. I saw Sebi's character at matches – my favourite referees know each other.

“I found out Coltescu's number and I told him I was with him. I know he's not racist at all. It was a misunderstanding. I talked to Demba Ba, he's my very good friend. I provided the assist for his first goal with the national team.

“I explained to him and he understood very well. I gave Sebi his number and I told him to call him to talk.”

N'Doye was not party to the conversation, but says both Coltescu and Ba called him back to say the conversation was positive and amicable.

“They talked and they got along very well,” N'Doye said. “They both called me back and told me they were very happy. Demba told me that Sebi is a very good man, as did Coltescu about Demba. The two got along.”

N’Doye claims he does not want any recognition for what he did, merely putting the two in touch and finding common ground was reward enough.

“I don't want a prize unless it's polenta! I'm tired because I've been called by journalists everywhere and with newspapers from Senegal,” he said.

“I've never seen racism in Romania – people were shocked when they found out what I said about Romania. It's my country!

“I explained that to Demba. He said that he had not heard anything bad from Coltescu but believed that the word 'black' should not be used in the stadium. He did not say it was racism, he said that you can't use that word in the stadium and Sebi understood that.”