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Red Bull Salzburg boss Jesse Marsch is unwilling to entertain thoughts of a future with Borussia Dortmund, insisting he is focused only on his own side amid speculation linking him to the vacant managerial hot-seat.

The Bundesliga heavyweights parted ways with Lucien Favre on Sunday following a 5-1 humiliation against newly-promoted Stuttgart, leaving them six points adrift of the summit after 11 games.

It brought to an end a two-and-a-half year spell for the former Nice boss, who guided them to DFL-Supercup glory against Bayern Munich last year, but has failed to prise the league crown away from the Bavarian outfit.

Assistant coach Edin Terzic has been handed the reins at least until the end of the 2020-21 campaign, with Dortmund still in Champions League knockout contention and a whisker away from the domestic top four.

Speculation, however, has already turned to potential full-time candidates to take the helm next year, with former New York Red Bulls boss Marsch and Borussia Monchengladbach coach Marco Rose two early frontrunners.

Marsch however - who led Salzburg to a domestic double in his first season in charge last term - is not open to idle consideration, and states that the Austrian outfit remain his number-one priority.

"We already talked about this topic last year," the Wisconsin-born coach told Sky Sports, referring to previous links. "Then maybe again in the summer. Now my work is here in Salzburg.

"I don't have time to think about what will happen to other clubs."

One potential mark against Marsch may be back-to-back third-place finishes in the Champions League group stages, having failed to reach the knockout rounds once more this term.

Conversely, Rose - who is contracted at Gladbach until 2022 - sealed progression to the last-16 in Group B this week, setting up a tie with Manchester City next February.

Dortmund themselves meanwhile have been handed a tie with Sevilla after topping Group F, while Salzburg will face off with Villarreal in the Europa League round of 32.

The former will look to get back to winning ways in the Bundesliga on Tuesday against mid-table Werder Bremen, while the latter face Rapid Wien in an Austrian Cup clash.

A 10-man Jamshedpur held Mumbai City to a 1-1 draw in the 2020-21 Indian Super League (ISL) match at the GMC Stadium on Monday.

Nerijus Valskis (9') and Bartholomew Ogbeche (15') scored in the first half before Aitor Monroy's red card in the 28th minute. Despite playing with 11 men against 10, Mumbai struggled to get behind an organized Jamshedpur defence. 

Sergio Lobera made four changes to the Mumbai City lineup which defeated Chennaiyin in their last match. Mohammed Rakip, Mehtab Singh, Cy Goddard and Bartholomew Ogbeche replaced Amey Ranawade, Hernan Santana, Raynier Fernandes and Hugo Boumous.

Owen Coyle, on the other hand, made two changes to Jamshedpur's starting eleven. Karan Amin came in place of suspended Laldinliana Renthlei and Jackichand Singh replaced Aniket Jadhav.

Mumbai City started the game well but it was Jamshedpur who drew first blood against the run of play thanks to a Nerijus Valskis strike in the ninth minute. Jackichand Singh intercepted Ogbeche’s back pass and entered the box from the right side before finding the Lithuanian forward with a square pass. The 2019-20 ISL Golden Boot winner slotted the ball home to put his team into a lead. 

Ogbeche, though, made amends for his mistake very quickly as he equalised in the 15th minute from Bipin Singh’s pass. Adam Le Fondre built the move as he found Bipin inside the box from the left flank. The Indian winger, in turn, switched the ball to Ogbeche who comfortably found the back of the net with a first-time, well-placed effort. 

Jamshedpur were dealt another blow in the 28th minute when Aitor Monroy was sent off after he picked up a second booking for a poor challenge on Rowllin Borges.

Mumbai City, as expected, dominated proceedings in the second half while Jamshedpur were happy to sit back and defend. The Islanders came close on quite a few occasions to take the lead but some resolute defending by Hartley and Eze denied them from scoring.

Ogbeche had a disappointing outing despite scoring the only goal for his team. The Nigerian had multiple opportunities to score a second goal but he failed to keep his attempts on target.

In the end, it was a morale victory for the Men of Steel who managed to take home a point after playing the majority of the match with 10 men and ending Mumbai's winning streak. The Islanders remain at the top of the table while Jamshedpur moved up to the sixth position.

Paul Pogba should avoid biting back at criticism from the likes of Roy Keane and Gary Neville, says fellow Frenchman Frank Leboeuf, with the Manchester United midfielder told he still has questions to answer at Old Trafford.

A World Cup winner has continued to star for his country during a second spell in English football, but those heroics are not being replicated at club level.

That has led to constant criticism being aimed in the 27-year-old’s direction, while speculation regarding a possible move elsewhere is seemingly never far away.

The rumour mill has ticked back into gear of late, with Pogba’s agent, Mino Raiola, claiming that the France international’s time in the Premier League is “over”.

Those comments were delivered in the build-up to a crucial Champions League clash with RB Leipzig which ultimately cost United their place in elite European competition, and the timing of that outburst has been queried by many – including a number of former United stars.

Pogba has hit back at those lining up to knock him down, pointing out on Instagram that he remains “1000%” committed to the Red Devils cause and that “when you don’t know what’s going on inside, don’t talk”.

That response could have been aimed in any number of different directions, with Leboeuf hoping that a divisive character is not looking to enter into a war of words with club icons in Manchester.

The 1998 World Cup winner told ESPN FC of his fellow Frenchman: “I don’t know who that tweet is addressed to.

“If it is addressed to Bild, maybe Pogba can be right to respond to that. If it is addressed to Keane or Neville, legends of Manchester United who know what they are talking about and want to defend their club, then you cannot say that.

“I could have said something and Pogba could have said ‘Frank Leboeuf be quiet, you didn’t play for Manchester United so why do you talk?’ But Keane and Neville want to defend Manchester United when they see what they don’t want to see.

“I sent a post to Bixente Lizarazu during the French national team games where I said that maybe we don’t have a clear understanding of what is going on with Pogba in England compared to what we see with the national team.

“Paul Pogba runs and plays well when he plays for the national team, which is not the case at United.

“In the derby [a 0-0 draw with City on Saturday] he wasn’t the worst, he was pretty good, but there is something very different in the behaviour of Paul Pogba with Manchester United and with the national team. He is the only one who has an answer for that.”

When it was put to him that Pogba has a right to respond to former United stars when they take aim at him and not their ex-colleague Ole Gunnar Solskjaer – who has struggled to deliver consistency as Red Devils boss – Leboeuf added: “I guess Keane and Neville are not blind enough to say ‘Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is doing great and we are going to defend him’. They have to say the truth. They cannot say BS.

“What they see is not enough from Paul Pogba. You can’t defend a former team-mate all the time if he makes mistakes.”

Pogba has taken in 15 appearances for United across all competitions this season, with only two goals and as many assists contributed to the collective cause through those outings.

Orlando Pirates coach Josef Zinnbauer says the doubts people had about him after joining the Soweto giants with an unimpressive CV gave him a “sting”, but it is what motivated him for success.

After parting ways with Swiss side FC St Gallen in May 2017, he was unemployed until landing the Buccaneers job on December 10, 2019.

Questions were raised about Pirates appointing a coach who had no employment for two years and without a track record of winning any titles.

But the German quickly warmed the hearts of Pirates fans after taking an eighth-placed side to finish third on the Premier Soccer League standings last season.

To further endear himself to the hearts of Bucs fans, Zinnbauer guided the Buccaneers to a 2-1 MTN8 final victory over Bloemfontein Celtic last Saturday, and earned the club their first major trophy since 2014.

“Well, one doesn’t have a crystal ball which shows the future however, any coach who joins a big club, a club with a history and pedigree such as Orlando Pirates, should know what he is getting himself into and what is expected of him,” Zinnbauer told the Pirates website.

“However, having said that I joined during a difficult period at the club. It was not easy taking over a team in mid-season and a group of players who had already experienced two different coaches in that year.

“It was not an ideal scenario but management has been supportive from day one, we worked hard and thankfully we started to turn things around. It hasn’t been perfect, but I think under the circumstances we did well to steer the Pirates ship back in the right direction.

“As for expecting to win the cup? It’s an amazing feeling of course to win but like I said earlier, a team like Pirates expects success and this means that we don’t stop now .

"For me this is very special. I remember in the first two weeks in the club I was bombarded with the same questions about not winning any title and how I expected to end the club’s barren spell without having won anything.

“Obviously, such comments do sting but I am someone who is motivated by such things and I’m obviously thankful at the end of it all that I’ve been able to lead the team to this MTN8 win.”

The Pirates job is Zinnbauer's first-ever job on the African continent.

In clinching the MTN8 trophy, the 50-year-old admitted that he gambled by fielding match-hero Thembinkosi Lorch, who initially been scheduled to be on the sidelines, recovering from a knee surgery.

“I’ll be honest, this was not a one-man decision [playing Lorch]. When we had the injury to [Thabang] Monare, we had to decide quickly who to bring on,” said Zinnbauer.

“I had a discussion with my assistant Fadlu [Davids] and we agreed to bring on Lorch. But because he was coming back from an injury, we knew that we could only play him for 60-70 minutes. We took the risk and it paid off. Lorch did an amazing job and capped off that performance with a match winning goal.”

Steven McManaman has assessed Liverpool's chances of winning a Premier League and Champions League double, claiming "it's possible" if they avoid further injuries.

Liverpool have re-emerged as an elite force under Jurgen Klopp's stewardship in recent years, with European Cup success in 2018-2019 followed up by a first top-flight triumph in 30 years last season.

The Reds have started their latest campaign in strong fashion too, rising to second in the Premier League standings while also booking their place in the Champions League knockout stages once again.

Klopp's men will return to the domestic summit if they beat current leaders Tottenham at Anfield on Wednesday, with only goal difference separating the two teams after 12 fixtures.

Liverpool can also now look forward to a round-of-16 tie against RB Leipzig in Europe's elite competition in February, and McManaman is optimistic about his old club's chances of increasing their silverware haul.

The former Reds midfielder told BT Sport: “Can Liverpool retain the title in England this year? Yes they can. Can they also win the Champions League and do the double?

"It’s possible, but we all know it’s so difficult to do that.

“When you are playing for the big clubs, your remit is to win the Premier League or the Champions League.

“Liverpool have done that over the last couple of years. But the biggest clubs and the best teams kick on from success like that and do it again and again."

The ex-England international did, however, admit that much will depend on whether or not Liverpool can avoid losing any more key personnel amid an injury crisis which has seen the likes of Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Diogo Jota sidelined until the new year.

“A lot of what happens next to Liverpool depends on whether they get any more injuries,” McManaman added.

“However well they have done to plug the holes that have been exposed in their team this season, they can’t take on board too many more injuries.

“To have lost some key players and because they are that good, they have managed to find a way to win matches. That’s even without Alisson, Van Dijk, Henderson, Thiago, Sadio Mane and Mo Salah on different occasions.

“Can they keep winning matches if they are without some of those players and a few more injuries are added on top? Possibly not because there is a point where a cumulation of injuries is too much for any team.

“There is no doubt that Liverpool are there to be shot at this year. They are not winning games every week and they have shown some signs of vulnerability, which we didn’t see last season.”

Jordan Henderson has vowed to remain “switched on” if he is required to continue filling in at centre-half, with an untimely injury suffered by Joel Matip forcing the Liverpool captain into an unexpected positional shift.

Jurgen Klopp was forced to get creative with his tactics once again on Sunday during a clash with Fulham.

The reigning Premier League champions found the going tough at Craven Cottage, with a second-half penalty from Mohamed Salah salvaging a point in a 1-1 draw.

Little went in the Reds’ favour during their visit to west London, with the need to replace Matip at half-time compounding their misery.

Henderson was asked to fill in for another defensive injury victim – with Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez already stuck on the sidelines – and he believes he is up to the task.

The Reds skipper told the club’s official website when asked whether better ball retention from Klopp’s side in the second 45 against Fulham made his life easier: “We had a lot of the ball, which helps, so, yes, that did help a little bit.

“But there were still times where I had to defend – set-pieces or counterattacks and things like that. So I've got to make sure that I'm switched on all the time, especially playing in a new position.

“But overall, we could have come away with the three points in the end but we got punished for our start to the game. That was unlike us, so hopefully it doesn't happen again.”

Henderson added on a lacklustre showing that prevented Liverpool from returning to top spot in the table: “It wasn't like us. It was all over [the field] really.

“I felt we were a little bit late to second balls, we weren't winning headers and when you lose them individual battles it's difficult.

“I don't know what the reasoning behind that is but we've got to take that and make sure that doesn't happen again going forward, learn from it and keep doing what we did after that.

“I thought there was some really good stuff and we dominated the game for large parts, created one or two, not loads of chances, but one or two – enough to win the game.

“So, there were still good things but still things for us to improve on.”

Liverpool will get an immediate opportunity to play their way back into form on Wednesday, with Klopp’s side readying themselves for a meeting with leaders Tottenham.

“Another big game comes quick around the corner,” said England international Henderson. “A big game for us and we need to recover well, get ready and prepare for that one.

“The Premier League is competitive and no matter what position you are in on any given day, it is always a tough game. We knew Fulham would make it difficult and they did that.

“We've just got to keep going. There's a lot of games over a short space of time but it's the same for everyone – demanding, injuries and stuff like that, but that makes us stronger as a squad.”

Leon Goretzka has confirmed that he received an offer from Liverpool two years ago, but says he was "100 per cent sure" that Bayern Munich were the right club for him.

Goretzka began his professional career at Bochum in 2012, where he spent one year in the senior team before being snapped up by Schalke.

The Royal Blues were able to bring in the midfielder for just €3 million, which ultimately proved to be a bargain price for a player who quickly became a fixture in their starting XI.

The Germany international spent five seasons with Schalke, scoring 19 goals in 147 appearances, but was ultimately unable to help the club pick up any major silverware.

Goretzka announced his decision to leave Veltins-Arena in January 2018, and he joined Bayern on a free transfer six months later.

The 25-year-old has since reached new heights at Allianz Arena, helping the German champions win eight trophies in total, including two Bundesliga titles and the Champions League.

The former Schalke star played a vital role in Bayern's run to the treble last term, and he is now revered as one of the best box-to-box players in European football.

Goretzka could have opted for a different path when leaving Gelsenkirchen, though, as he has now revealed that Jurgen Klopp attempted to lure him to Anfield before he moved to Bavaria.

Quizzed on Liverpool's interest in him, the Bayern star told The Athletic : "They were a consideration, of course.

“They’re a great club, and their development since Klopp came has been amazing. We’re all a little proud of him winning the title.

"But I took a long time making my decision, and I was 100 per cent sure that Bayern was the right move for me.”

Goretzka surprised many when he returned from lockdown in May with a few extra kilos of muscle on his frame, which he put to good use as Bayern went on to win an eighth successive Bundesliga crown, a sixth European Cup and a 20th DFB Pokal.

The playmaker says an enforced period of self-isolation gave him the chance to work on himself both physically and mentally, as he added: “Nobody knew what was happening and we had a lot of time to think.

"I asked myself: what can I do to develop further as a human being?

"It was an opportunity to take stock, listen to the voice inside of you and redefine your goals.

“The extra muscle is only the most visible part of that.

"Not playing gave me a chance to do work on the body in a way you can’t do under normal circumstances, as you’d need two or three days to recover.”

Donny van de Beek has been warned that he may have made a mistake in joining Manchester United, with Johnny Heitinga claiming that a fellow Dutchman is in danger of seeing his “development” stall at Old Trafford.

Eyebrows were raised when the Red Devils dipped back into the transfer market for another creative midfielder over the summer.

With the likes of Paul Pogba, Bruno Fernandes and Juan Mata already on their books, there was a sense that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer should have been prioritising recruitment in other areas.

United, though, opted to move quickly once it became apparent that Van de Beek was available, with the Premier League heavyweights moving to ensure that the 23-year-old did not end up at a domestic or continental rival.

The Netherlands international was considered to boast all of the tools required to be a success in England, but he has been restricted to just 222 minutes of Premier League football so far – making only two starts in top-flight competition.

He saw no game time at all in United’s last outing, as they played out a 0-0 derby draw with Manchester City, and Heitinga fears his compatriot made the wrong career call when leaving Ajax.

The former Oranje star, who spent time with Everton and Fulham in his playing days, told Stadium Astro of Van de Beek: “He has had an impact when coming on.

“I have doubts that he made the right decision in going to Manchester United because they have top quality midfielders – Pogba, Bruno Fernandes.

“He has to get used to the speed of play, the fitness. It’s tough, it’s intense in the Premier League, the Dutch league can’t be compared.

“Frenkie de Jong is playing at Barcelona, Matthijs de Ligt is at Juventus, Hakim Ziyech is playing for Chelsea, so Donny was part of a team and now he has to do it by himself.

“It’s not easy when you see the midfielders at Manchester United to play them out of the team.

“I’m in doubt if he made the right decision to make that move. I’m a little bit worried about his development because he isn’t playing many games. At his age, he needs to play games. This is not good for his development.”

Another former Netherlands international, ex-Chelsea defender Mario Melchiot, agrees that Van de Beek is going to have to learn quickly at Old Trafford in order to make the desired impact.

A man who left Ajax for Stamford Bridge in 1999 said: “I like Donny, he’s a nice kid. When players come broad, they have to understand that when you play in your home country you get, I don’t want to say protection, but you get a certain treatment – certainly coming through Ajax. When you get to England, it’s a whole different ball game.

“At Ajax you learn a lot but my aim was to come to England and not stay in Holland. Now that he is there, he has to work really hard on himself – harder than he can imagine.

“Sitting on the bench, I hated it the most and I’m sure he will have the same feeling. He has to work it out quickly.”

The Red Devils, with Van de Beek looking for minutes, will be back in action on Thursday when they take in a trip to Sheffield United.

Neymar has received positive scan results after picking up an ankle injury, with the issue not as bad as first feared by Paris Saint-Germain's medical staff.

The forward was stretchered off the pitch towards the end of PSG's 1-0 defeat against Lyon at Parc des Princes on Sunday.

The Brazilian went down after a strong tackle from Thiago Mendes, who was subsequently sent off after a VAR review.

The 28-year-old was left in tears after the challenge, and reports suggesting he had suffered a broken ankle were widespread after the final whistle.

Thomas Tuchel was unable to confirm the full extent of the issue in his post-match interview as he told reporters: "He's with the doctors and we have to wait for the exams tomorrow."

PSG have now confirmed that Neymar has avoided a serious fracture, with the final results of a scan on Monday showing that he has only sustained an ankle sprain.

The French champions had less positive news about Abou Diallo, though, with the defender set to be out of action until the new year after picking up a hamstring injury during the loss to Lyon.

An official statement on PSG's website reads: "The medical examinations carried out on Neymar Jr are reassuring following his twisted ankle in Sunday's game against Lyon. Further examinations will be carried out in 48 hours.

"Abou Diallo suffered a hamstring lesion in Sunday's game and will return to competition in early January."

Neymar will likely be unavailable for selection when Tuchel's side play host to Lorient on Wednesday, but supporters will hope that a talismanic figure can return to full fitness in time for a top-of-the-table clash with Lille four days later.

The reigning Ligue 1 champions have slipped to third in the standings, but Lille and Lyon are only one point clear at the summit after 14 fixtures.

Neymar had been enjoying a strong start to the campaign, with three goals and three assists recorded through seven domestic appearances.

He also hit a stunning hat-trick in PSG's 5-1 Champions League win against Istanbul Basaksehir last Wednesday, which sealed their place in the round of 16, but was far less effective against Lyon at the weekend.

Ian Wright admits Arsenal have reached “crisis point”, with Mikel Arteta urged to consider tweaking his plans after being “let down” by the likes of Granit Xhaka, Willian and Alexandre Lacazette.

The Gunners saw their worst start to a Premier League season hit a new low on Sunday as they slipped to a 1-0 defeat at home to Burnley.

Xhaka was sent off in that contest after suffering an all too familiar rush of blood, with the hosts unable to hang on with 10 men – with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang putting through his own net to settle the contest.

After appearing to take positive steps forward with FA Cup and Community Shield triumphs, Arsenal are in danger of becoming stuck in reverse once more.

Wright admits as much, with too many senior stars failing to live up to expectations.

Arteta is now being urged to consider dropping those who are doing his cause few favours, with it now time to try “something different” as the Gunners seek to shake themselves out of a serious rut.

Club legend Wright told Premier League Productions of the goings-on in north London: “The manager has stuck with him [Xhaka] for a while.

“He has shown a lot of faith in him. I think he has done the same with Willian. He has done the same with Lacazette.

“There are players now that should be getting a blast at it now. Throw in Eddie Nketiah, Emile Smith-Rowe coming back on-loan and doing well at Huddersfield last season. Joe Willock. Ainsley Maitland-Niles.

“You need to do something different because if it carries on like this and he continues to have faith in these players, and they are not delivering, then I don’t know what’s going to happen next.

“It’s a time when you need experienced players the most.

“I feel like at this particular moment, he has had a lot of faith in them and they have kind of let him down up to this point.

“I think Arsenal are at a real crisis point in terms of confidence. It’s going to be even lower now and it’s going to take something to build them up. This is why it needs some freshness. Just blood some fresh impetus.”

Arsenal - who have tumbled into 15th spot in the Premier League table, five points above the relegation zone - will be back in action on Wednesday when they play host to high flying Southampton.

Express FC forward Frank Kalanda has set a target of scoring double figures in the 2020-21 Ugandan Premier League (UPL) season.

The burly star has already hit the ground running after notching in two straight games - the 1-1 draw away in Arua against Onduparaka FC on matchday one and the 2-1 win at home to Soltilo Bright Stars – which was also coach Wasswa Bbosa’s first home victory.

Kalanda has now said he is very happy to have found the back of the net in the two matches and confirmed his target for the season is to score double figures and also win the Golden Boot.

“I want to thank God for the opportunity of being able to score in two straight games, am focusing and am working hard towards being the top scorer this season,” Kalanda said as quoted by the club’s official website.

"The competition we have amongst ourselves as players is very healthy, everyone knows the target at and, win silverware and have consistency and we shall overcome.”

Last season, Kalanda managed 11 goals across all competitions for the Red Eagles and with a support system of Mustafa Kiragga and Eric Kambaale it’s evident the Uganda Cranes marksman can go past last season’s feat.

Against Bright Stars, Kalanda and Eric Kambale scored two quick goals just four minutes apart in the first half to seal a first home win for coach Bbosa. Kalanda pounced on a poor clearance just after three minutes in the 18-yard area to slot home.

The Red Eagles kept the pressure on and just four minutes later, Kambale connected well with Charles Musiige’s cross on the left neatly placing the ball right in the middle of the goal.

With a comfortable 2-0 lead, it seemed like the Red Eagles had everything in control but Bright Stars midfielder Kacancu Gaddafi Augustine had other ideas taking advantage of poor defending to make it 2-1 in the 11th minute.

Kalanda could have made it 3-1 but his header in the 32nd minute off a Godfrey Lwesibawa cross on the right flank hit the crossbar.

Express will now travel to Mbarara to face the Ankole Lions on Wednesday, December 16, 2020, before a home game against archrivals SC Villa on December 19.

Chelsea cannot be considered Premier League title favourites, regardless of what Jurgen Klopp might think, says Mario Melchiot, with the Blues lacking the “ingredients” of Liverpool and Manchester City.

Frank Lampard has sought to address that issue by investing heavily in fresh faces at Stamford Bridge.

Value in big-money deals has been found, but a new-look outfit are still looking for the kind of consistency that has allowed domestic rivals to become so dominant over recent years.

Lampard has been eager to point out that his rebuilding project will take time and that Chelsea are looking to enjoy long-term success, rather than reap immediate rewards.

Liverpool boss Klopp has entered into mind games there, with the reigning champions claiming to view foes from west London as the most obvious threat to their crown.

Melchiot is not buying that, with the Reds still very much the team to beat in 2020-21, with Chelsea still a work in progress when it comes to challenging for the most prestigious of prizes.

The former Blues defender told Stadium Astro when asked if Lampard’s side are favourites this season: “I don’t think so. I would love to say it. But if you look at Liverpool, they have the ingredients to win it again. I see them being up there to win it again, along with Manchester City.

“Do Chelsea want to be up there? Of course, but these [a 1-0 defeat at Everton] are the kind of games they have to win if they are going to compete.

“Do I expect them to be in top four? Yes, that’s normal – especially with the investment they have made and bringing so many talented players into the squad. But the important part is to take a bit of pressure off your team by saying others are great, so that’s clever from Klopp.”

Lampard reiterated after a narrow defeat at Everton for his side that he considers title talk around his team to be “ridiculous”.

Melchiot can see where the Blues boss is coming from, with it clear that the west London giants still need to learn a number of important lessons when it comes to competing with the very best.

The Dutchman added: “He [Lampard] said what exactly what I thought.

“You know there is a test, it comes down to the battle. That mentality is in Everton’s side. You have to be real men. It does not always come down to the tactical side, it is down to fighting spirit.

“That is what Lampard called the test, and they didn’t live up to it. He said they will be better, so he is talking about the future. They will get tested more – their next game is against Wolves away. They will get another one again.

“Chelsea have the players and the quality but it comes down now to the fact the players have to perform every time. There are a lot of new players that might not know the league, but the games are coming fast.

“The league is won in December and January. If you don’t do well in those two months, or if you starting dropping points, that is when it becomes tricky.”

Manchester United have been handed a tie against Real Sociedad in the Europa League round of 32, while Arsenal have landed Benfica and Tottenham will face Wolfsberger.

United will travel to the Anoeta to face current La Liga leaders Real Sociedad after dropping into Europe's second-tier competition following their Champions League exit.

The Red Devils made it through to the semi-finals last season only to be beaten by eventual winners Sevilla, and are among the favourites to win the trophy again come May, but Sociedad will likely provide a stern test of their credentials.

Arsenal have also been handed a tough draw against Portuguese giants Benfica, who are currently sitting second in the Primeira Liga. The Gunners will be protecting a 100 per cent record when they take on Jorge Jesus's side, having won all six of their matches in Group B.

Meanwhile, two-time Europa League winner Jose Mourinho's bid to deliver long-awaited silverware at Tottenham will continue at Wolfsberger, who have been one of the surprise packages of the tournament so far.

Europa League Round of 32 draw in full:

Wolfsburg vs Tottenham

Dynamo Kiev vs Club Brugge

Real Sociedad vs Manchester United

Benfica vs Arsenal

Crvena Zvezda vs AC Milan

Salzburg vs Villarreal

Braga vs Roma

Krasnodar vs Dinamo Zagreb 

Young Boys vs Leverkusen

Molde vs Hoffenheim

Granada vs Napoli 

Shakhtar Donetsk vs Maccabi Tel Aviv

Lille vs Ajax

Olympiacos vs PSV

The first legs of the round of 32 ties will be played on February 18, 2021, while the second legs are scheduled to take place seven days later.

Kieran Tierney says Arsenal’s players are letting Mikel Arteta down and must take the blame for the club’s ‘terrible’ form.

The Gunners were beaten 1-0 by Burnley on Sunday evening and sit just five points above the relegation zone in the Premier League.

They have now lost four successive home games in the league for the first time since 1959, a run of form which has led to many questioning whether Arteta remains the right man for the job.

But Tierney is adamant that the Spaniard is a ‘great manager’ who still has the full backing of his squad and says it’s the players who must take the blame for the crisis that is now engulfing Emirates Stadium.

“It’s not good enough,” said the left-back. “There is no way to disguise it. It’s terrible, to be honest. It’s not what we are, not where we are as a club.

“It’s not what the fans deserve, it’s not what the manager deserves, it’s not what the board deserve. It’s us players that need to take responsibility for this.

“We have got a great manager and we believe in him 100 per cent. The blame is on us, nobody else.”

Tierney added: “Everything is going wrong. We are working on the right things, we are doing the right things in training, we are working as hard as we can, but just things that can go wrong are going wrong.

“That happens in football. It is the lowest we have probably all felt in our careers and nobody is going to help us except ourselves.

“So we just need to keep believing, keep positive. I know it is hard. I know the fans deserve much better and all I can do is apologise to every single one of the supporters through these tough times.

“We just need to work hard. It is easy enough to say we want to do better, but we need to actually show we want to do better.”

Arsenal were well on top against Burnley on Sunday night and had been looking likely to break the deadlock before Granit Xhaka was sent off just before the hour mark.

The Switzerland international was dismissed for grabbing Ashley Westwood round the throat, an act Arteta later labelled as unacceptable.

Tierney admits going down to 10 men made things difficult, but the Scotland international says that should not be used as an excuse for the defeat.

“Red cards change games for and against you,” he said. “When you are a man down it is always going to be tougher, especially against a team like Burnley. They’re physical, they’re good at it, they play to their strengths and they did that tonight.

“But even if we do go down to 10 men we should be winning the game at that point. We should be taking chances. We are not scoring enough goals. 

“Confidence is massive in football with everyone. When everyone is out to get you of course confidence is going to be low, but we can’t let that affect us. We can’t use that as an excuse.

“We are Arsenal. We need to be better than this and we are not performing up to standard. We need to be better throughout the full game. We need to take chances, we need to score goals.

“It’s Arsenal. It’s just not good enough.”

East Bengal will hope to end their winless streak in the ongoing Indian Super League (ISL) season when they take on Hyderabad in their fifth match on Tuesday.

The Red and Golds registered their first point of the season in their last game against Jamshedpur despite going down to 10 men within the first 25 minutes of the match.

Coach Robbie Fowler hailed the fighting spirit of his team as they managed to salvage a point with a man down against the Men of Steel.

“The fight that our boys have shown in the last game is what we are known for all along. We are a team who have a great work ethic. The togetherness of this team is brilliant. When we went down to 10 men we needed to show this to everyone. Thankfully people now know that we have a team spirit and we are a team full of fighters,” said the East Bengal head coach.

The former England international forward promised the fans of the club that they will witness an improved East Bengal side going forward in the season.

“Our spirits are high anyway. The four games we have played, we have actually played okay. We have been outdone by unluckiness at times. Various things have happened on the football pitch like players getting sent off, players going off injured. The players are fitter now and we will start seeing a better East Bengal team,” said Fowler.

Goalkeeper Sankar Roy, who made his debut for the Red and Golds in the last match, had to leave the pitch in the second half with an injury and Fowler suggested that the custodian along with the other injured players are being monitored on a regular basis and will be back in action when they are fully fit.

“Like all injuries, we have assessed him and we will wait. It’s no good in me saying he is going to be back then. This includes all of them, Aaron Holloway, Danny Fox and Sankar Roy. Players will come back when they are ready. We are not keeping them away. If players are injured we have to consider what the physios say. When they are ready they will be ready.”

Even though East Bengal’s defence looked solid against Jamshedpur, their strikers are yet to fire as they are the only club in the league to not have scored in the ongoing season.

Coach Fowler though suggested that the team is always looking to find the goal as winning is their only aim in every game.

“In our second game against Mumbai, we lost one of our main players, our captain (Danny Fox) on the pitch and we had to adjust accordingly. Then again against Jamshedpur, we had a man sent off. But we still have to play to get points. It is important that we never lost. It needed us to be a little more defensive.

“We go into every game wanting to win, we don’t go into a game defensive because want to win the game. That is the attitude I am trying to instil in the players. We never go in there and not want to win. It was not a case of us being ultra defensive it was a case of us fighting together and let’s not get beat,” said the Liverpool legend.

The former Brisbane Roar manager considers the Hyderabad match as a challenge but he is banking on the unpredictability of the league this year and is hoping to change the club’s fortunes.

“Hyderabad have had a few good results, few gritty performances. But this is a new game for us. Our players are getting fitter. It is a huge challenge but Hyderabad manager will also say the same thing. They have got a challenge in their hands as well. What we have seen in this league is teams can beat each other. We saw a few unorthodox results which may have been different from last year and now it is up to us to get some results.”

Alejandro Gomez has promised to reveal the "truth" about his alleged bust-up with coach Gian Piero Gasperini to Atalanta fans amid reports of a potential January exit.

Gomez has not played for Atalanta since being hauled off at half-time during a 1-1 draw with FC Midtjylland in the Champions League on December 1.

After seeing his side fall 1-0 down in the first half, Gasperini asked the 32-year-old to move from his number 10 role onto the right-hand side of midfield, but he refused.

The Atalanta boss responded by replacing Gomez with Josip Ilicic, and the Argentine was subsequently left out of the team's final Group D win away at Ajax last week.

Gomez returned to Gasperini's squad for a Serie A clash against Fiorentina on Sunday, but ended up being an unused substitute as Atalanta ran out 3-0 winners.

With the experienced frontman's relationship with his manager now reported to be beyond repair, Atalanta have been tipped to sell the experienced frontman when the transfer window reopens.

Gomez claims he will 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.”

However, Gasperini played down any suggestion of a rift with Gomez after Atalanta's win over Fiorentina, insisting he has been tinkering with his team in order to keep everyone fresh heading into a congested festive period.

“We had played nine Serie A games and six in the Champions League, I think Gomez was the only one to play in all of them. We’ve been more solid recently with this new system and so we are trying other alternatives,” he told reporters.

“I consider it essential to keep changing and evolving. I have always been at clubs for quite a long time, at least usually. Around five years for a coach is a long time, so it’s essential to seek other alternatives."

Asked if Atalanta will sanction Gomez's departure in January, Gasperini responded: “That is not the case. I think the club has to make strong choices on how to set targets for the team and coach in future.

"That’s not necessarily results, but how to behave and approach games. We have to look to the future, because when you stop and get stuck in your ways, it ends up being like going backwards.

“If the coach is not in sync with his club, then it becomes a problem, but we always exchange ideas, there’s no issue.”

The Italian added: “I think Gomez has been our most important player over these five years, I said it many times, he was hardly ever out of the team. There are some situations…

“For example, after two years, Papu’s role was difficult in some games for the team to handle, because the opponents can change and adapt to neutralise you.

“At the basis of everything, we need trust and being open to listening. I don’t know how the situation will be resolved. It’s disappointing for Josip Ilicic, as he got dragged into this whole situation in the media and had nothing to do with it.”