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Jurgen Klopp claims to have no transfer "itch" in need of scratching at Liverpool, with the Reds boss hinting at a quiet end to the summer window.

Ibrahima Konate has been the only arrival at Anfield with another market open for business, with the French centre-half snapped up from RB Leipzig early on for £36 million ($50m).

There has been plenty of talk regarding further additions, with Klopp urged by many to bring in another forward, but the German tactician claims to be happy with his current squad.

What has been said?

Quizzed on his plans, Klopp - who has seen his side claim back-to-back wins at the start of the 2021-22 Premier League campaign - has said: "There is so much focus and transfers and recruitment in football and particularly in the Premier League.

"It might not always seem so when I speak to the media, but I do understand it.

"I'm a football fan as well and guilty of being attracted to a story about which team might sign which player.

"The difference is I don't have that 'itch' when it comes to us.

"I don't for one second criticise anyone - be it fan, pundit, journalist or players and coaches - for getting drawn into the allure of transfers."

He added: "But as the manager of this team and leader of this football club, I must always view these things with the proper perspective.

"We have exceptional players and we have long-term commitments for the majority of them.

"We have recruited smartly both in this season and last. We have an elite environment and a home ground with an atmosphere that is the envy of most.

"We have so much to be optimistic about. To be joyful about. Does that guarantee success? Of course not!

"This is football and specifically the Premier League - the most competitive in the world.

"Other teams are strong but they always have been.

"Winning in England is so hard but it always has been. It's why our club's history is so special."

When does the summer window close?

While there are no imminent deals being lined up on the arrivals front, with there seemingly more movement out of Anfield than in, Klopp and Co will continue to monitor potential additions.

The summer window will remain open until August 31, meaning that there is still time for Liverpool to make late bids for reinforcements.

Untimely injuries, such as those suffered on a regular basis last season, could influence those plans, but the Reds have few concerns at present - with Andy Robertson in line to return against Chelsea on Saturday - and they may decide to make do.

Further reading

Bengaluru FC are yet to score a goal in the 2021 AFC Cup group stage when they take on Maziya Sports & Recreation Club (Maziya S&RC) at the Maldives National Football Stadium, on Tuesday.

After losing their opening fixture 0-2 against fellow Indian Super League (ISL) side ATK Mohun Bagan, Marco Pezzaiuoli’s men crashed out of the AFC Cup 2021 group stage after managing a goalless draw in their second game of the group against Bangladesh's Bashundhara Kings.

The Maldivian side too faced defeats against the Kings (2-0) and ATKMB (1-3) can at best avoid finishing bottom of the table. 

Here's how to watch Maziya S&RC vs Bengaluru FC in India.

Contents

What time does the 2021 AFC Cup game between Maziya S&RC vs Bengaluru FC start?

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How to watch Maziya S&RC vs Bengaluru FC on TV & live stream in India?

In India, the 2021 AFC Cup group stage will be broadcast on the Star Sports network. Online streaming will be available on the Disney+ Hotstar, JioTV and BFC TV - Bengaluru FC's official YouTube channel.

Commentary will also be available in vernacular languages across India.

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Maziya S&RC vs Bengaluru FC: Team news & key stats

Bengaluru managed to pick just one point from two games. This means that even if the Blues win their third match, they can reach four points maximum. The 2016 AFC Cup finalists are now third in Group D, while Maziya S&RC are currently bottom and yet to earn their first point in the group stage.

The Blues' struggled against ATK Mohun Bagan despite holding a lion's share of ball possession but improved immensely in the goalless draw against Bashundhara Kings where skipper Sunil Chhetri was involved in the game much more than the previous encounter and the defense marshalled by Alan Costa and Yrondu Musavu-King looked solid. Pezzaiuoli has also afforded precious minutes to some of the club's developmental players.

Key stats:

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Romelu Lukaku "bullies everyone he comes up against", according to Reece James, who hailed the "powerful" Chelsea frontman after his stunning debut against Arsenal.

Lukaku made his first appearance for Chelsea since rejoining the club from Inter in a £98 million ($138m) deal at Emirates Stadium on Sunday, and marked the occasion by scoring the opening goal in a 2-0 victory.

The 28-year-old was also involved in the build-up to the Blues' second, scored by James, who was hugely impressed by his new team-mate's contribution in the final third of the pitch.

What's been said?

Asked to assess Lukaku's display in the London derby clash, the England international told Premier League Productions: "What an addition to our team to have such a vocal striker like that.

"Everyone’s seen today how powerful he is and when he gets a chance, he finishes. I think he’s shown how he bullies players today.

"I can’t really think of any other players like him in the world. How strong he is and how powerful, everyone he just comes up against he bullies."

Lukaku's 'emotional' day

Lukaku has scored 260 goals across his 12-year career, including 64 in 95 outings at his last club Inter, but he ranks his first strike in a Chelsea shirt above all the others.

The former Everton and Manchester United forward told beIN Sports after the win over Arsenal: "You guys know how emotional it was today. This one is the best of the lot. Obviously, it was only a tap-in but the build up was nice so for me, this one was the best.

"It took five minutes or so to understand the movements of my team-mates but I asked a lot of questions. To be honest, this group is very, very talented and hungry.

"It was easy for me to fit in because I played this way with the Belgian national team. The coach prepared us well and we came in with confidence and got a good result."

What's next?

Lukaku and James will both be in line to feature once again when Chelsea travel to Anfield to take on Liverpool this Saturday.

Thomas Tuchel's side will then take in a rest over the international break before returning to action with a home fixture against Aston Villa on September 11.

Further reading

Donny van de Beek has been offered hope that he does have a part to play in Manchester United's plans this season, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer claiming that the Dutchman remains "important" to the collective cause.

There has not been too much evidence of that since the Netherlands international midfielder completed a £35 million ($48m) move from Ajax in the summer of 2020.

The 24-year-old was restricted to just four Premier League starts in his debut campaign, while he is yet to see a single minute of competitive action in 2021-22.

What has been said?

Solskjaer once again favoured other options in a 1-1 draw at Southampton, but told reporters afterwards when it comes to opportunities for those that have seen more bench duty than they would have liked: "Whenever you don't win a game you look at it but I always look at it as much when you win as well.

"What could we have done differently?

"I thought Nemanja [Matic] was excellent, Antho [Martial] was close to scoring a goal but Jadon [Sancho] and Donny will be important for us."

Who is keeping Van de Beek out?

Nemanja Matic, Fred, Paul Pogba and Bruno Fernandes were all handed started berths against Southampton, while Scott McTominay and Jadon Sancho were introduced off the bench.

Van de Beek was an unused substitute, alongside Juan Mata and Daniel James.

He faces fierce competition for places when it comes to earning minutes for United, with his last outing coming in a final Premier League fixture against Wolves in 2020-21.

Van de Beek did not play any part in a Europa League final defeat to Villarreal, before finding himself left out of the Netherlands' Euro 2020 on the back of an untimely injury.

Exit talk was sparked early on this summer, especially as Solskjaer appears to still be in the hunt for another holding midfielder, but he remains at Old Trafford for now and is tied to a contract through to 2025.

Further reading

ATK Mohun Bagan have their target set on making it to the next round of the 2021 AFC Cup when they face Bashundhara Kings at the Maldives national football stadium in Male, on Tuesday.

As only one team from Group D can progress to the next round where they will face the winner of the Central Asia Zonal final, Antonio Habas' men only need to avoid a defeat against the Oscar Bruzon-coached side in the final group game in order to the Inter-zone play-off semi-finals.

If Bagan lose against the Kings, then the Bangladeshi club will go through.

Here's how to watch ATK Mohun Bagan vs Bashundhara Kings in India.

Contents

What time does the 2021 AFC Cup game between ATK Mohun Bagan vs Bashundhara Kings start?

Return to top
 

How to watch ATK Mohun Bagan vs Bashundhara Kings on TV & live stream in India?

In India, the 2021 AFC Cup group stage will be broadcast on the Star Sports network. Online streaming will be available on the Disney+ Hotstar and JioTV.

Commentary will also be available in vernacular languages across India.

Return to top
 

ATK Mohun Bagan vs Bashundhara Kings: Team news & key stats

ATK Mohun Bagan registered a brilliant comeback to beat Maziya S&RC 3-1 in matchday 2 in Group D on Saturday. Liston Colaco led the second half comeback after the Mariners were trailiing by a goal at half-time. Both Ashutosh Mehta and Hugo Boumous made significant impacts coming off the bench while Roy Krishna bagged his second goal in as many games and Manvir Singh also registered his name on the scoresheet.

As a result of the win over Maziya S&RC, and having defeated Bengaluru FC 2-0 in the previous game, the Mariners reclaimed the top spot in the group as they now have six points from two games. Bashundhara Kings are second with four points, after the Bangladesh Premier League champions followed up a 2-0 win over Maziya with a goalless draw against Bengaluru FC on Saturday.

Key stats:

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Liverpool are refusing to release Mohamed Salah for 2022 World Cup qualification duty, the Egyptian Football Federation has revealed, with the Reds superstar set to sit out upcoming meetings with Angola and Gabon.

The Pharaohs are due to be in first and second round qualifying action in September, but their talismanic figure will not form part of their plans.

That is because Premier League heavyweights are following advice regarding the spread of coronavirus, while also being reluctant to see Salah forced into quarantine once he returns to Britain from international duty.

What has been said?

A statement released by the Egyptian FA reads: "The Egyptian Football Association continues its continuous contacts regarding the task of international players joining their national teams to participate in the World Cup qualifiers, which requires exempting them from travel restrictions imposed on them in the countries in which they play due to the coronavirus pandemic.

"The Egyptian Football Association has received a letter from Liverpool FC apologising for the unavailability of its player, Mohamed Salah, to join the national team in its next camp, which includes facing Angola in Cairo and Gabon in Franceville during the first and second rounds of the African continent's qualifiers for the World Cup.

"The English club’s letter referred to the precautionary measures applied in England to confront the outbreak of the coronavirus in the world, which puts returnees from some countries in compulsory health isolation for a period of ten days upon their return to England.

"In this letter, the English club also expressed its hope that the Egyptian Federation would understand that it was forced to do so, in the face of the player being subjected to a quarantine for this period and being affected by this physically, as well as the uncertainty of the conditions determined by English authorities.

"It is noteworthy that Liverpool FC took the same position with a number of its foreign players."

Have Liverpool blocked Salah before?

This is not the first time that Liverpool have prevented Salah from linking up with his country, with the Egyptian FA left disappointed by a decision from Anfield not to release the 29-year-old for Olympic duty.

The Reds were however eager to ensure they had a star man fully rested and recharged ahead of the 2021-22 Premier League season, which they have opened with back-to-back wins.

They also saw Salah contract Covid-19 during a previous visit to his homeland in November 2020, when he attended his brother's wedding.

For now, Liverpool's priority when it comes to Salah is getting him tied to a new deal, while they are also hoping to see him reach 100 Premier League goals - he currently sits on 98.

What is Liverpool's stance?

Liverpool are eager to point out that they would be willing to let Salah play Gabon on September 5, as that will take place in a country that is not on Britain's red list.

The Reds are however making it clear to all of their international stars that they will not release anyone who would be forced to quarantine once returning to England. If isolation rules were to be relaxed or removed altogether, then players would be freed to link up with their respective nations.

Alisson, Fabinho and Roberto Firmino would also fall into this issue, as Brazil is another red list country and they have World Cup qualifiers there. 

This is not viewed by those on Merseyside as a club vs country row, but as more of a difficult diplomatic situation that impacts both parties.

Liverpool would like a solution to be found, as they have no desire to prevent players from adding to their cap hauls, but government rules need to be revised as a starting point.

Further reading

Granit Xhaka has slammed Arsenal's critics for trying "to kill the players" after their London derby defeat to Chelsea, while also confirming that he has signed a contract extension at Emirates Stadium.

Arsenal followed up their 2-0 defeat at Brentford on the opening weekend of the new season by losing by the same scoreline at home to the Blues on Sunday afternoon.

Mikel Arteta's side are now 19th in the Premier League and it has been suggested that the Spaniard will be axed if they continue on their current trajectory, with a number of first-team stars being accused of not performing for their under-fire manager.

What's been said?

Gunners captain Xhaka is among those to have seen his contribution questioned, but he thinks it is still far too early for any harsh judgements to be made.

Pressed on whether Arsenal can use the outside negativity as a motivational tool, the Swiss midfielder told the club's official website: “Of course. The other way is by staying together.

“A lot of people try to speak and to kill a little bit the players and the team but the strongest thing to do at the moment is to be together, and only together will we be stronger and give the results on the pitch after.

"We want to achieve something big, of course. After two games a lot of people are speaking about this team and about this club but I will say no season finishes after two or three games. We still have games still in front of us, we know we have to improve a lot of things and I'm sure we will do that.

“I don't think the season is over after two games. We know we lost the two games and we are very disappointed, but we have still many, many, many games to go.

“A season never ends after two, three or four games. We know we have to do better things, but this will come soon, and as I say, we have to believe in each other so we can come out from this."

Xhaka confirms new contract

Xhaka was heavily linked with a move away from the Emirates earlier this summer amid reported interest from Roma but Arteta has insisted that he will be staying put.

The 28-year-old has now put an end to any speculation over his future once and for all by revealing that he has already extended his contract at Arsenal, with an official announcement now imminent.

"I'm very happy, I'm still here," said Xhaka. "I've signed a new contract of course and I want to give back, first of all to our staff, and then after to our fans, and they know I will give everything - in every game and every training session. So yeah, I think we have to show that as a team soon."

What's next?

Xhaka will be back in contention for a place in the Gunners' starting XI when they meet West Brom in the second round of the EFL Cup in midweek, with that outing coming just three days before a crucial Premier League showdown against reigning champions Manchester City at Etihad Stadium.

Further reading

Tottenham new boy Cristian Romero claims Lionel Messi wanted to put a deal in place that would have taken him to Barcelona before the summer transfer window shifted significantly.

The six-time Ballon d'Or winner was expected to sign a new contract at Camp Nou, allowing him to remain in La Liga alongside a number of fresh faces such as Sergio Aguero, Memphis Depay and Eric Garcia.

Messi however walked away as a free agent and signed with Paris Saint-Germain, while Romero - who tasted Copa America glory alongside his illustrious team-mate - is now in north London following a €50 million (£42m/$59m) move from Atalanta.

What has been said?

Romero claims he could have headed in a different direction if Messi had got his way, telling Radio AM 550: "The fact that Messi would want me in his team, and that he wanted me to come to Barcelona is amazing.

"The team that PSG have built is crazy. I'm a bit sad about how Leo left Barcelona, I thought he would have stayed there forever. I wish him all the best, he's a great person and hopefully he can win everything alongside the other Argentinians there."

Romero's experience with Messi

Romero has made impressive progress over recent years having been forced to leave Juventus in search of regular game time.

He made a senior international debut for Argentina in June and is now a continental champion, with Messi and co welcoming him into a star-studded fold.

The 23-year-old added: "I'm thankful to Messi and for everything that I shared with him and the rest of the national team. From the first day the group made me feel like I'd been there for years. That's just the kind of group it is there."

Further reading

Kaizer Chiefs coach Stuart Baxter has explained why goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune was missing from the squad against TS Galaxy in their Premier Soccer League opener on Sunday.

The Soweto giants opened their 2021-22 campaign with a 0-0 draw against Galaxy at Mbombela Stadium and conspicuously missing from the team’s squad was long-serving player Khune.

What did Baxter say?

"Itu, there is nothing wrong with him, nothing he did against Mamelodi Sundowns [was wrong]," Baxter told the media after the match when quizzed about Khune's absence.

“We just thought that this would be a longer game from their side as it turned out it was.

“It was going to be a more mobile, out of your penalty area sort of goalkeeper’s role and we thought Bruce was the best one of our four suited to that.”

Khune’s absence comes just two days after the 68-year-old British tactician confirmed he will captain the Glamour Boys this season.

Though the 34-year-old custodian was Chiefs’ captain in the 2020-21 campaign, he did not play regularly owing to injury and loss of form, a decision that forced the armband to rotate between Ramahlwe Mphahlele, Samir Nurkovic, and Bernard Parker.

Khune named overall captain

“We had a discussion around this the other day and the club captain will be Itu,” Baxter said ahead of the Galaxy game.

 “Club captain, meaning whenever he plays he’s captain, whenever he doesn’t play, he’s still club captain. It doesn’t change that he is the voice of the squad and he is the go-to man, now that will not change.”

Baxter continued: “Apart from that, we wanted a captain for the team; we want all players to take responsibility. We want all players to have a voice, we want all players to be confident enough to help their teammates.

“Now, we’re talking about a senior player or a player that has been outstanding or a player that has clearly shown leadership qualities.

“Now that one, we might see against Mamelodi Sundowns but we want to be a captain-full team with people that are there to take the pressure, are there to take responsibility, there to have a voice and dare to express themselves.

“I think if you get lots of players good enough, the armband can almost go to anybody.”

Khune will now hope to make the squad when Chiefs face Baroka Swallows in their second top-flight match of the season at FNB Stadium on Wednesday.

Further PSL reading 

Harvey Elliott is "a special player", according to Jordan Henderson, who has praised the Liverpool starlet for his "outstanding" performance on his full Premier League debut.

Elliott, who returned to Anfield this summer following a loan spell at Blackburn Rovers, played the full 90 minutes of Liverpool's 2-0 victory over Burnley on Saturday after being handed his first top-flight start for Jurgen Klopp's side.

The 18-year-old was deployed in a three-man midfield alongside Naby Keita and Henderson, with the Reds captain hugely impressed by his energy and vision in the final third of the pitch.

What's been said?

Henderson has told Liverpool's official website of Elliott's performance: “Harvey’s a special player. He’s been fantastic last season when he was on loan at Blackburn and then he’s come back in great shape for pre-season and done really well, so he deserved his start today and I thought he took it. 

“I thought he was outstanding, his work rate, but also obviously the stuff he can do on the ball, the final passes. Overall I thought he was outstanding.”

Klopp's assessment of Elliott

Elliott's outing against Burnley at Anfield was only his 11th senior appearance for Liverpool since joining the club from Fulham in 2019, but Klopp insisted that he "was not surprised" by the maturity he displayed after a strong pre-season campaign.

“Harvey was part of this performance. Everybody wants to speak to me about Harvey and I understand absolutely when an 18-year-old plays such a mature game why everybody is asking, but I was not surprised he played like this," the Reds boss said post-match. “That’s exactly how he trained in the six or seven weeks he has been back with us from loan. It was good.”

What's next?

Elliott will be back in contention for a place in Klopp's line-up when Liverpool take on European champions Chelsea at Anfield on Saturday.

The international break comes thereafter, with the Reds not due back in action again until September 12 away at Leeds United.

Further reading

Napoli manager Luciano Spalletti has warned striker Victor Osimhen to watch his reactions in future assignments after getting sent off in the 2-0 win over Venexia on Sunday.

In the Serie A match played at Diego Armando Maradona Stadium, the Nigeria international was punished for violent conduct on Daan Heymans during a corner-kick situation in the 23rd minute. 

Despite the numerical disadvantage, Spalletti's men held their nerve and prevented their opponents from scoring before half-time, when they made some tactical changes.

After the restart, Napoli cruised to victory with Lorenzo Insigne and Eljif Elmas finding the back of the net, in the 62nd and 72nd minutes, respectively.

But the tactician has warned the West African over the incident, at the same time lauding Insigne for his influence.

"The expulsion of Osimhen? He has to be careful of his emotional reactions," Spalletti said as quoted by Ilnapolista.

"He is a strong attacker and all defenders will help each other. He will always have his hands on the defenders. He must be careful. The referee was corrected when I went to talk to him and he explained what he saw.

"Insigne confirmed that he was a true leader because he came out in a difficult moment. He had the misfortune to miss a penalty and showed up to take the second. He made the public participate and when the fans entered the field, the ball traveled more. 

"In the second half, even when outnumbered, we figured out what to do and I liked it a lot."

As a result of the straight red card, Osimhen will be expected to miss Napoli's next two Serie A matches against Genoa and Juventus, on August 29 and September 11.

The 24-year-old would also have to wait for his maiden goal of the season after he scored 10 goals in 24 Serie A matches last campaign.

Two years ago at the Reale Arena, Osimhen was sent off for the first time in his professional career during a Uefa Europa League clash against Real Sociedad. 

Prior to their Serie A opener, the Super Eagles striker was in impressive form during pre-season with a brace in their 3-0 win over Bayern Munich and he scored Napoli’s only goal in a 1-0 victory over Serie C club Pro Vercelli.

Carlo Ancelotti cannot guarantee Eden Hazard and Gareth Bale regular game time at Real Madrid this season, with Los Blancos prepared to rotate in the final third until a winning formula is found.

The Belgium international is yet to produce his best in Spain and the Welsh forward, who spent last season on loan at Tottenham, are among the options pushing for starting berths at Santiago Bernabeu.

Bale has looked bright in his early outings in 2021-22 - registering his first goal for Real in nearly two years during their 3-3 draw with Levante - but Karim Benzema, Luka Jovic, Rodrygo and Vinicius Junior are also eager to nail down spots in Ancelotti's plans.

What has been said?

Quizzed on his attacking options and what his favoured unit may look like, Ancelotti has told reporters: "I can’t tell you how many minutes they’re going to play. There’s a lot of competition up front.

"We’ve got some quality forwards like Bale, Vini Jr., Hazard, Benzema and Jovic, who did well [against Levante]. I have to enjoy that quality on the pitch by handing those who deserve to be out there the game time."

Who has impressed so far?

Real have taken four points from their opening two games this season, with Brazilian star Vinicius grabbing three of their seven goals.

Ancelotti said of the 21-year-old, who has faced criticism at times over his lack of end product: "Vinicius Jr. has the quality and is very quick. Is he a great goalscorer? I don’t know about that, because he enjoys playing out wide. 

"He needs to score goals like the first one he got, by taking players on, because he’s quicker than his opponents. It’s tougher for him when in the box, but given his quality, he’s capable of scoring goals from range and in one-on-one situations. He’ll be an important for us. 

"He may start next week’s game, we’ll have to see. It’s more important that you’re on the pitch at the end of the game rather than at the start and he did that today thanks to his freshness and ability.

"Vinicius Jr. has scored three goals in two matches and that’s the sign of a really important player. 

"I don’t give too much importance to who starts because I’ve got such a good squad. We’ve scored a lot of goals in these first two games. The problem isn’t whether Vinicius Jr starts or not, the concern is if he isn’t scoring but he got two goals today."

What do Real need to work on?

While goals have been flowing for Real, they are waiting on a first clean sheet of 2021-22 and required an 85th-minute leveller from Vinicius to take a point from their trip to Levante.

Ancelotti admits there is plenty for his side - who have lost Sergio Ramos and Raphael Varane this summer - to work on at the back, adding: "Where we have gone wrong and dropped points is not in attack but in defence. 

"The third goal was unlucky. For the first, our defensive line wasn’t right and we were out of position. For the second, it was three against two and that can’t happen. It should at least be three against three when the cross came over."

Further reading

Chelsea have kept in touch with Sevilla's Jules Kounde as they continue to weigh up a move amid a possible Kurt Zouma sale.

West Ham have a verbal agreement in place with Chelsea over a £26 million ($35m) move but have struggled to convince Zouma to move to London Stadium.

Even though Chelsea haven't recently contacted Sevilla directly about Kounde, they have remained in contact with his agents over a possible summer move.

Will Chelsea sign Kounde?

Chelsea have the wealth to complete the Kounde move, especially after raising nearly £100m ($136m) through player sales in the current transfer window.

They will, however, have to come close to the La Liga club's £68m ($93m) release clause to sign the France international.

This comes after the Blues tried to offer players like Zouma, Kenedy and Emerson Palmieri in part exchange for Kounde.

The Blues have weighed up the addition of a central midfielder with West Ham's Declan Rice, Monaco's Aurelien Tchouameni and Rennes's Eduardo Camavinga all being considered.

However, Thomas Tuchel is happy with his three main midfielders of Mateo Kovacic, N'Golo Kante and Jorginho, making it unlikely that one will come in as a fourth option.

Chelsea could use either Ethan Ampadu or Ruben Loftus-Cheek as cover and have chosen not to loan them out with just eight days left in the transfer window.

Tuchel has also discussed using Trevoh Chalobah in the midfield after telling him that he is no longer allowed to leave the club on loan. The 22-year-old will also soon be offered a new five-year contract.

Will Chelsea sell or loan even more players?

The Blues are close to the sale of Ike Ugbo, with Genk having rescheduled a medical for the striker to complete a £4m ($6m) move. Marseille came in strong last week to derail his move back to Belgian football where he excelled on loan, but have yet to complete a deal.

Chelsea are also in talks to sell Davide Zappacosta to Atalanta and Tiemoue Bakayoko to AC Milan. Meanwhile, they are weighing up their options over a loan move for Dujon Sterling who impressed Tuchel in pre-season.

It remains unclear what will happen to the remaining fringe players including Malang Sarr, Ross Barkley, Danny Drinkwater and Baba Rahman.

Further reading

Arsenal legend Ian Wright lauded Nicolas Pepe despite his team losing 2-0 to Chelsea in the Premier League match played at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.

Romelu Lukaku outmuscled Pablo Mari to tap in a Reece James cross after 15 minutes for the opening goal. The provider then turned scorer 20 minutes later, converting a Mason mount pass to ensure the Blues went home with maximum points.

"What I saw [on Sunday], apart from [Albert Sambi] Lokonga, I thought he was very good today, [Nicolas] Pepe did a bit in places, I thought we looked really bereft of anything that we were doing," the now 57-year-old Wright said as quoted by DailyPost.

It was the second game for the Gunners in the new Premier League campaign. They started their match with a 2-0 loss away to promoted side Brentford who scored their goals through Sergi Canos and Christian Norgaard.

Meanwhile, Mikel Arteta has delivered updates on the fitness and availability of Kieran Tierney, Ben White, and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang as under-strength Arsenal start to ready themselves for a meeting with defending champions Manchester City.

Against Chelsea, Gabriel Martinelli was also substituted and the youthful tactician has commented on the player as well.

"They had to limp off," Arteta told reporters, "KT had an issue with his quad and Gabi was cramping. He and Bukayo [Saka] haven’t played 90 minutes for a long time. We’re asking them to do that right now when they’re not fully prepared. 

"They tried really hard, the boys."

Club captain Aubameyang was introduced later on after recovering from Covid-19. Arteta has explained whether he will be available to start against the Citizens.

"I don’t know. Auba made a real effort to be able to be on the bench [against Chelsea]. He only trained one day," Arteta continued.

"He really struggled with illness - he was in bed for a long time but he wanted to be in the squad, he wanted to try to help the team and I thought he did help the team when he came on."

After starting their campaign with a 1-0 loss away to Tottenham Hotspur, the champions bounced back with a 5-0 win over Norwich City last weekend. 

Paul Pogba has helped Manchester United to a record-setting start to the 2021-22 campaign, but the Red Devils remain a work in progress and the Frenchman admits tangible success is most important.

The most decorated side in English football last claimed a major trophy back in 2017, with a barren run at Old Trafford set to hit the five-year mark this season.

Pogba could have a pivotal role to play to bring that run to a close, with the World Cup winner contributing five assists in two games while United have extended their unbeaten away record to 27 games.

What has been said?

Pogba told MUTV: "It’s always great, but I prefer to win the league and not have the record.

"It’s good, it’s positive, next time what we want to have a record of is winning away – that would be the best and not draw when we know we can win these games, the same [with a] clean sheet. We learn from that, stay positive and we go again."

Will Pogba remain at Man Utd?

Pogba has entered the final 12 months of his current contract and continues to see a move elsewhere mooted, with Paris Saint-Germain among those said to be keen on doing a deal.

He is, however, feeling happy in his current surroundings and offering no indication he will be pushing for a move.

The France international said: "I think I’m good, I’m good. The team, we all good. Training well, we came back very focused as always and like I said I always give my best on the pitch and give my heart to help my team-mates. 

"So we need to keep it up, we keep improving and I wanted to win today – that’s why I’m disappointed with the result.”

Further reading

Nigeria international Joe Aribo has spoken of how he scored a similar goal as his effort against Rose County in the 4-2 Scottish Premiership win on Sunday.

The 25-year-old scored a wonder goal at Global Energy Stadium in the 15th minute after receiving a pass from Alfredo Morelos in the right corner of the box: he shifted the ball onto his left side, before unleashing an inch-perfect effort into the far corner past Rose County goalkeeper Ross Laidlaw.

The goal set the road to victory for Steven Gerrard's side as Connor Goldson added the second in the 19th minute but Harry Clarke pulled a goal back for the home team in the 40th minute.

In the second half, Alfredo Morelos scored the third for Rangers in the 56th minute but Rose Country reduced the deficit courtesy of Jordan White, who converted from the penalty spot in the 77th minute but Scott Arfield struck the fourth for the winners in the 84th minute.

“The boys are buzzing. We knew what we had to do today and put in a strong performance. We are definitely happy that we were able to do that,” Aribo told Rangers TV as quoted by Rangers Review.

“I have [scored a goal like that before]. I did it last season at home; it was a similar position and similar finish.

“I think when we come to places like this, we need to start fast and be on top. We just needed that breakthrough and that goal so it was massive. We needed it to get into our stride.

“We wanted to score more goals and keep a clean sheet, of course, but it was good to see the rhythm, the passes, there was a lot of interchange today [Sunday] between the midfield and strikers. That is what we need in the upcoming games.”

Aribo continued: “It is massive [to have that desire]. When you have subs coming off the bench and giving their all, it is good to see. It is a squad game, not just the starting eleven. Everyone has to play their part and it is massive. It is amazing to see.

“We need to do everything we can to be the best that we can be. We can’t make any excuses for what is to come so we need to make sure we are ready to go.”

Speaking to Rangers TV, Gerrard praised the Super Eagle for the brilliant striker by stating: "Yeah, I think that has been coming. Joe [Aribo] was a little bit frustrated through the week but that is what Joe Aribo is all about. Driving up to people, being aggressive, breaking the rules.

"It was a fantastic finish and we want him to keep doing that, we want him to keep scoring goals and has got the license in the midfield three when we name that three that he can go forward and be a bit more ambitious."

Massimiliano Allegri has explained his decision to bench Cristiano Ronaldo against Udinese as transfer talk continues to rage around the Juventus star.

More than a few eyebrows were raised when Ronaldo was left out of Allegri's starting XI for Juve's first Serie A fixture of the 2021-22 campaign on Sunday.

The Bianconeri ended up blowing a two-goal lead and drawing 2-2 at Stadio Friuli, while Ronaldo saw a last gasp winner ruled out for offside after coming on for a second-half cameo.

What's been said?

It has been reported that Ronaldo is seeking a move away from Allianz Stadium before the summer transfer window closes, but Allegri gave little away when quizzed on why he decided to name the five-time Ballon d'Or winner on the substitutes bench.

“Ronaldo is feeling well. I had talked to him before the game, telling him he would start on the bench," the Juve boss told DAZN after the game. "He made himself available, he did well when he entered the pitch, he also scored a goal, but it was disallowed."

Will Ronaldo stay at Juve?

Ronaldo's former clubs Real Madrid and Manchester United have both been tipped to try and re-sign the 36-year-old, while a link-up with long-time rival Lionel Messi at Paris Saint-Germain has also been mooted as a possibility.

The Portugal international only has 11 months left to run on his contract at Juve, but Allegri has insisted that a prized asset has no plans to walk away from the club.

"I just read the gossip in the papers. He never told us he wanted to leave," the Italian tactician said last week. "Ronaldo told me that he is staying at Juventus."

Allegri on Udinese 'lesson'

Allegri also gave an honest assessment of his side's performance against Udinese, admitting that a lack of match fitness led to defensive mistakes in the latter stages of the game.

“We played a good game. Unfortunately, that’s what football is about," he said. "We should have done better in the second half, we were unable to manage unexpected events. This must serve us as a lesson.

“We lost too many balls in the middle of the park in the second half. Perhaps we were a little tired. Still, you can’t concede these kinds of goals. We defended well, we hadn’t conceded a shot on target.”

Goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny was at fault for Gerard Deulofeu's 82nd-minute equaliser, with Allegri left lamenting the Polish goalkeeper's failure to clear his lines at a crucial stage of the game.

“Szczesny is a great goalkeeper, he didn’t make a technical mistake," he added. "But we should have understood the moment and don’t be ashamed of throwing the ball in the stands."

Further reading