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Pep Guardiola has offered his congratulations to Liverpool as Jurgen Klopp’s side prepare to confirm their status as Premier League champions.

With Liverpool holding a massive lead at the top of the table, they will win the title if Manchester City fail to win away at Chelsea on Thursday evening.

That could mean a guard of honour for Liverpool at the Etihad Stadium next Thursday – if coronavirus restrictions allow – but Guardiola isn’t entertaining any thoughts of a dramatic collapse.

City will switch their attention to the FA Cup, as they travel to face Newcastle in the quarter-final on June 28.

"I have other options. We have a few players injured,” Guardiola told BT Sport.

“Listen, we cannot win titles. But we cannot deny this tough week.

“Congratulations to Liverpool, they have won it.

“Champions League qualification, we are in a good position so the FA Cup becomes important. We have three or four academy players on the bench.

"I think all the managers didn't know how the teams would be after these exceptional situations. We got a good result [against Burnley] and that was the important thing.”

Phil Foden starred with two goals in City’s 5-0 thrashing of Burnley on Monday, but he was missing from their squad at Stamford Bridge.

"He picked up a little injury after Burnley,” Guardiola confirmed.

“The day after he could not train. We have Newcastle so we need him, and for Liverpool too.”

Chelsea manager Frank Lampard also admitted some amusement at the thought of Liverpool fans cheering for the Blues against City – but also that he knew the title race had been over for some time.

"That is an unusual combination! I think Liverpool won the league months ago, but not taking anything away from them if they were to win it tonight,” Lampard told BT Sport.

“They have been outstanding. They should celebrate for their brilliant performances. That's for them to celebrate whenever and we will just focus on our performance tonight.

"You want to deliver against Man City. Tonight won't be pivotal [in the top-four race] but we want a result.

“We have one of the best teams in the country or the world coming to the Bridge - it's going to be a tough match.”

Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah was thrilled his gamble to close down Southampton goalkeeper Alex McCarthy resulted in the opening goal of his side’s 2-0 win, with the young forward claiming he could “smell the uncertainty” from the Saints No.1.

Midway through the first half, McCarthy fielded a routine back pass but under pressure from Nketiah gifted possession to the Arsenal man, who had a simple job of putting the ball in the net thereafter.

It proved a key moment in a tight fixture, with the Gunners not kicking clear until the closing stages, when Joe Willock pounced on a McCarthy fumble to put the result beyond doubt.

Nketiah’s goal, though, was inevitably the game’s big talking point and the 21-year-old was pleased that his industry was rewarded.

“I could smell a bit of uncertainty from the goalkeeper – I followed it in, I’ve done that a hundred times so it’s nice one of those leads to a goal,” he told Sky Sports .

“We work a lot on our high press and I think we did it well today, and for me personally I try and give it all to the team.”

Although Saints made it tough for Mikel Arteta’s side, victory was critical to get back on track after successive defeats to Manchester City and Brighton.

“It was a very important three points,” Nketiah said. “I think we’ve been unfortunate in the first game and the last game, the results didn’t go our way.

“We knew we had to roll our sleeves up and really fight for the three points and hopefully we can build on this and keep pushing forwards.

““It was difficult, they came out really strong in the second half, and I thought all the boys fought and worked hard. It’s really hard in the heat to keep going but i think we did that.”

“Luckily at the end we were able to wrap it up and add a bit of gloss to the scoreline.”

Victory lifts the Gunners to ninth in the standings on 43 points with seven matches of the season remaining.

They will move up at least one place if they overcome eighth-placed Sheffield United away from home on Sunday.

Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson has confirmed Wilfried Zaha is suffering from a calf injury and will undergo a scan to determine the extent of the damage.

The 27-year-old only played for 14 minutes in his side’s 4-0 defeat to Premier League leaders Liverpool on Wednesday before making way for Max Meyer.

The loss ended the Selhurst Park outfit’s impressive four-game winning streak and ensured they dropped to ninth on the league table with 42 points from 31 games.

Hodgson revealed the nature of Zaha’s injury and hopes the forward along with Christian Benteke will be ready for their clash against Burnley on June 29.

"It's a calf muscle strain. There were some discussions as to whether he [Zaha] should attempt to play but he was adamant it was something he could try to get away with,” Hodgson told the media.

“It became obvious he couldn't and we don't want him to be out for a long period.

“We’re in tomorrow morning and they [Zaha and Christian Benteke] will be assessed further, and I imagine both will be assessed up until Sunday – the day before Burnley.

“Benteke definitely has a strain that has been scanned and diagnosed, so I think he will be battling to get ready for that one.

“With Wilf we don’t know the extent of damage – so until we get that scan on him, we’re on a wing of prayer, and hoping we won’t be without the pair of them again.”

Zaha, who has endured various injuries since his promotion to Palace’s first team in 2010 has been playing a prominent role for the side.

Last season, the winger scored 10 goals in 34 league appearances and won a number of penalties for his side with his dazzling displays to help the Eagles maintain their Premier League status.

The forward was heavily linked with Arsenal and Everton last summer but remained at Selhurst Park as the clubs failed in their bids to secure his signature.

Zaha has scored three goals and provided five assists in 31 Premier League appearances in this campaign and Hodgson will hope the forward will be available for their clash against Leicester City on July 4, should he miss the Burnley game.

Qatar are all set to host a a pan-Arab tournament in 2021 as a preparatory event before the 2022 World Cup, the Qatar Football Association (QFA) and FIFA announced on Thursday.

The proposal by Qatar's Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy (SC) was ratified by the FIFA Council which met on Thursday.

It is expected that the tournament will allow the SC to use and test the facilities developed for the 2022 World Cup and assess its operational readiness.

The invitational tournament is expected to feature 22 Arab nations from Africa and Asia. It will be held in Qatar from 1-18 December 2021 and will be played outside the international match calendar.

It is interesting to note that the tournament will take place during the exact period when the 2022 World Cup is scheduled for in Qatar which will give an idea on what to expect during the World Cup. The final of the pan-Arab competition will be played exactly one year before the 2022 World Cup final.

All the matches will be played at the stadiums developed for the 2022 World Cup.

President of the QFA, H.E. Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Bin Ahmad Al Thani, said, "This is an exciting moment for Qatar and football fans across the region and around the world. This new pan-Arab tournament will see teams from across the region go head-to-head in state-of-the-art FIFA World Cup venues and allow teams and fans to experience Qatar as a tournament host country.

"This tournament marks an important footballing milestone for the country and the region, and everyone involved in delivering it will gain more essential experience ahead of the Qatar World Cup.”

H.E. Hassan Al Thawadi, Secretary General of the SC, said, "This exciting tournament will act as a perfect preparatory event for Qatar ahead of the first FIFA World Cup in the Middle East and Arab world.

“Qatar has hosted many events since it was awarded the World Cup hosting rights back in 2010, but this will be our biggest yet and it will prove essential in utilising facilities and services ahead of 2022. The tournament is also being held at exactly the same time as the World Cup, meaning fans, players and officials will get a taste of what’s to come in 2022."

CONCACAF's World Cup qualifying campaign will look different this time around after FIFA confirmed that the September international window has been cancelled.

FIFA confirmed on Thursday that the September window would not go ahead for federations outside of Europe and South America.

The start of World Cup qualifying was set for that window, with the Hexagonal set to kickoff during that period with the top six teams per the FIFA rankings.

With the coronavirus continuing to hit hard across parts of North America, CONCACAF will now be forced to alter plans in the run up to the 2022 World Cup.

"CONCACAF welcomes the decisions made by FIFA regarding the men’s and women’s international match calendars," the federation said in a statement. "Many of our Member Associations and their communities continue to face significant challenges due to COVID-19 and our thoughts are with them at this difficult time.

"The rescheduling of competitions, and agreements on new international match dates, provide some encouragement across the football world and enable Concacaf to progress our planning to resume men’s and women’s international football when it is safe to do so."

The federation had been preparing for this to happen for some time, with CONCACAF discussing the uncertainty surrounding World Cup qualifying since the outbreak of the coronavirus.

CONCACAF still intends to hold the finals for the federation's inaugural Nations League as well, adding another complication to scheduling going forward.

Without an international break since February due to the cancellations of the March and June windows, the next opportunity to take the field would be in October if all goes to plan.

FIFA has helped matters a bit by pushing back the start of the from March 2022 to June 2022 while lengthening the June 2021 window by one week,

"The challenges presented by postponements to the football calendar, and the incomplete FIFA rankings cycle in our confederation, means our current World Cup Qualifying process has been compromised and will be changed. We will now work with the new framework provided and liaise with FIFA to finalize a new World Cup Qualification format for the CONCACAF region

"We will also work with our stakeholders to reorganize the CONCACAF Road to Gold Cup Qualifiers (originally scheduled for March and June 2020), the Concacaf Nations League Finals (originally scheduled for June 2020) and a range of other suspended competitions.

"A further update on World Cup Qualifying and other CONCACAF men’s international competitions will be provided in the coming weeks. We will also continue to work with FIFA and the other Confederations on the international match calendar process for women’s football to ensure we are well placed to support the return of the international women’s game as soon as possible."

The Premier League clubs have revealed which players they are set to retain and which they are set to release at the end of the month, with Arsenal’s Tobi Omole one of several young African talents set to be seeking new employers.

Late June can always be a difficult time for young Premier League players looking to make their name in the sport, as clubs take decisions on which out-of-contract players will be offered new deals, and who will be cut loose.

Anglo-Nigerian winger Jordon Ibe is one of the most high-profile African players set to be released at the season’s end, with his departure being confirmed by Bournemouth and the Premier League.

The Cherries recruited the wideman from Liverpool for a whopping club-record £15 million when he joined in 2016, but has done little to repay that fee over the subsequent four years.

While players coming to the end of their deals are allowed to be offered extensions to their current deals—in light of the exceptional circumstances this season—to play until the end of the extended campaign, Sky Sports reported that Ibe would become a free agent on July 1.

Senegal’s Oumar Niasse, another player who’s endured a testing time in the Premier League following his arrival from Lokomotiv Moscow, will also be leaving Everton after failing to make his mark on Merseyside.

Despite attempts by Marco Silva to revitalise his Everton career, the forward has been deemed surplus to requirements by Carlo Ancelotti.

Omole departs Arsenal despite having featured in the Premier League 2 following his arrival at the club’s academy in 2014.

Having been a dynamic box-to-box operator earlier in his career, his versatility allowed him to impose himself as a centre-back, while he’s also featured as a left-back during his time with the North London heavyweights.

Other Nigerians set to be out of work are Colin Odutayo of Aston Villa, Tunde Bayode of Burnley and Korede Adedoyin of Everton.

At Watford, Nigerian youngster Jamal Balogun and Ghanaian youngster Michael Folivi will both be seeking new employers, as will other Ghanaians Phil Ofosu-Ayeh (West Ham United) and Jacob Kwabena Mensah (Crystal Palace).

Mikel Arteta got a response from Arsenal as they bounced back from successive Premier League defeats with a somewhat improved performance and 2-0 win at Southampton on Thursday.

The Gunners suffered back-to-back losses to Manchester City and Brighton and Hove Albion following the season's resumption, but they resembled a more focused and resilient unit as they scrapped to a win, unspectacular though it was.

Matteo Guendouzi, fortunate to avoid a retrospective sanction for grabbing Neal Maupay by the throat last Saturday, was the most significant casualty of the Brighton defeat as he was dropped from the squad, but the Frenchman's absence seemed to have no negative impact on Arsenal.

A promising first half saw Eddie Nketiah pounce on an Alex McCarthy error to give Arsenal the lead, and they managed to hold firm under pressure in the second period.

Jack Stephens' late red card helped their cause, with Joe Willock netting his first Premier League goal soon afterwards to wrap up the three points and boost their Europa League qualification hopes.

For all the doom and gloom surrounding Arsenal in recent weeks, they enjoyed a bright start at St. Mary's. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang tested McCarthy and also hit the crossbar either side of Nketiah having a goal disallowed for offside during the early exchanges.

But Nketiah did score legally in the 20th minute, closing down McCarthy and blocking his attempted pass before tapping into an empty net.

Saints began the second half on the front foot but almost found themselves 2-0 down in the 54th minute. Aubameyang raced on to Emiliano Martinez's drop-kick and attempted to square across goal for Nketiah, only for Jan Bednarek to divert it just past the post.

Shane Long was denied by Martinez before Arsenal eventually made sure of the victory late on.

Stephens tripped Aubameyang as the last man to earn a straight red, and from the resulting free-kick Willock turned in from close range after Alexandre Lacazette's effort fell kindly for him.

What does it mean? Gunners see things out to boost European hopes

Prior to this game, Arsenal had lost 10 points from winning positions in their 12 Premier League matches under Arteta, more than under Unai Emery and Freddie Ljungberg combined. Given the pattern of much of the second half, few would have backed them to buck that trend.

Against a better side they may well have come unstuck, but they did manage to see the win out, moving them back to within two points of Tottenham, who are currently in the final Europa League qualification spot.

Martinez dependable between the posts

With Bernd Leno out injured, Martinez finally has his chance in the Arsenal side and he certainly did not look out of place here. While he was by no means incredible, he made a couple of smart saves and his distribution was good, particularly when releasing Aubameyang early in the second half.

McCarthy does little to help Saints

Clear-cut chances were not exactly frequent for the Gunners – even their opener essentially came out of nothing. McCarthy was too casual when closed down by Nketiah, who capitalised and opened the scoring. He seemed to tempt fate again soon after but got away with it on that occasion.

Key Opta Facts

- Arsenal registered only their third away Premier League win of the season (W3 D8 L5) with all three wins coming under different coaches (Unai Emery, Freddie Ljungberg and Mikel Arteta).
- Arteta has won as many as games in 18 matches as Arsenal boss in all competitions (W9 D5 L4) as Emery and Ljungberg managed in 26 games combined this season (W9 D11 L6).
- Eddie Nketiah has scored six goals in 11 starts in all competitions this season for Arsenal (4) and Leeds United (2).
- No team has made more errors leading to opposition goals in the Premier League this season than Southampton (10).
- Joe Willock scored his first Premier League goal for Arsenal in his 26th appearance in the competition and with his 13th shot.

What's next?

Arsenal go to Sheffield United in the FA Cup quarter-finals on Sunday before returning to Premier League action at home to Norwich City the following Wednesday. Saints face Watford at Vicarage Road in the league in three days' time.

Mikel Arteta got a response from Arsenal as they bounced back from successive Premier League defeats with a somewhat improved performance and 2-0 win at Southampton on Thursday.

The Gunners suffered back-to-back losses to Manchester City and Brighton and Hove Albion following the season's resumption, but they resembled a more focused and resilient unit as they scrapped to a win, unspectacular though it was.

Matteo Guendouzi, fortunate to avoid a retrospective sanction for grabbing Neal Maupay by the throat last Saturday, was the most significant casualty of the Brighton defeat as he was dropped from the squad, but the Frenchman's absence seemed to have no negative impact on Arsenal.

A promising first half saw Eddie Nketiah pounce on an Alex McCarthy error to give Arsenal the lead, and they managed to hold firm under pressure in the second period.

Jack Stephens' late red card helped their cause, with Joe Willock netting his first Premier League goal soon afterwards to wrap up the three points and boost their Europa League qualification hopes.

For all the doom and gloom surrounding Arsenal in recent weeks, they enjoyed a bright start at St. Mary's. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang tested McCarthy and also hit the crossbar either side of Nketiah having a goal disallowed for offside during the early exchanges.

But Nketiah did score legally in the 20th minute, closing down McCarthy and blocking his attempted pass before tapping into an empty net.

Saints began the second half on the front foot but almost found themselves 2-0 down in the 54th minute. Aubameyang raced on to Emiliano Martinez's drop-kick and attempted to square across goal for Nketiah, only for Jan Bednarek to divert it just past the post.

Shane Long was denied by Martinez before Arsenal eventually made sure of the victory late on.

Stephens tripped Aubameyang as the last man to earn a straight red, and from the resulting free-kick Willock turned in from close range after Alexandre Lacazette's effort fell kindly for him.

What does it mean? Gunners see things out to boost European hopes

Prior to this game, Arsenal had lost 10 points from winning positions in their 12 Premier League matches under Arteta, more than under Unai Emery and Freddie Ljungberg combined. Given the pattern of much of the second half, few would have backed them to buck that trend.

Against a better side they may well have come unstuck, but they did manage to see the win out, moving them back to within two points of Tottenham, who are currently in the final Europa League qualification spot.

Martinez dependable between the posts

With Bernd Leno out injured, Martinez finally has his chance in the Arsenal side and he certainly did not look out of place here. While he was by no means incredible, he made a couple of smart saves and his distribution was good, particularly when releasing Aubameyang early in the second half.

McCarthy does little to help Saints

Clear-cut chances were not exactly frequent for the Gunners – even their opener essentially came out of nothing. McCarthy was too casual when closed down by Nketiah, who capitalised and opened the scoring. He seemed to tempt fate again soon after but got away with it on that occasion.

Key Opta Facts

- Arsenal registered only their third away Premier League win of the season (W3 D8 L5) with all three wins coming under different coaches (Unai Emery, Freddie Ljungberg and Mikel Arteta).
- Arteta has won as many as games in 18 matches as Arsenal boss in all competitions (W9 D5 L4) as Emery and Ljungberg managed in 26 games combined this season (W9 D11 L6).
- Eddie Nketiah has scored six goals in 11 starts in all competitions this season for Arsenal (4) and Leeds United (2).
- No team has made more errors leading to opposition goals in the Premier League this season than Southampton (10).
- Joe Willock scored his first Premier League goal for Arsenal in his 26th appearance in the competition and with his 13th shot.

What's next?

Arsenal go to Sheffield United in the FA Cup quarter-finals on Sunday before returning to Premier League action at home to Norwich City the following Wednesday. Saints face Watford at Vicarage Road in the league in three days' time.

One of Italy’s young rising stars has had a loan spell cut short because his parent club weren’t impressed at his use of TikTok.

Roma forward Mirko Antonucci has returned to Italy from Portuguese side Vitoria de Setubal after scoring once in six appearances since joining in January.

The 21-year-old, who has represented Italy at five youth international levels, posted a video on TikTok shortly after Vitoria’s 3-1 defeat to Boavista last Saturday which showed him dancing and smiling.

Antonucci issued a public apology and vow to quit social media, but that wasn’t enough to save his time at the club.

"This message is to say that I'm fully aware of the mistakes I made,” Antonucci said on Instagram.

“I would like to apologise to those that felt offended: fans, club, coach and teammates. I'm going to quit social media and from now on, you are only going to see me sweat with the Vitoria Setubal jersey until the last drop. Go Vitoria!"

Vitoria manager Julio Velazquez addressed the situation ahead of his side’s home fixture with Rio Ave in midweek, which they lost 2-1.

"It was communicated to his parent club, Roma, that the loan ends now and that we no longer count on the player, above all out of respect for the fans and the history of the club and for all those who work on a daily basis to represent this team with the greatest responsibility and dignity," Velazquez said.

"For what this badge represents, for the history of the club and out of respect for the fans, a Vitoria player must be one 24 hours a day.

“The situation is very simple; the club, the management, technical team and staff understood that the behaviour of a player who was on loan was not what we wanted of a Vitoria player, nor what the fans deserve, on and off the pitch."

Antonucci joined Roma as a youngster and signed his first professional contract in 2017. He made his professional debut the following January, assisting Edin Dzeko for Roma’s equaliser in a 1-1 Serie A draw with Sampdoria.

He later featured in Roma’s Champions League semi-final clash with Liverpool, and spent the 2018-19 season on loan at Pescara.

Goalkeeper Saidi Keni has committed his immediate future with Ugandan Premier League (UPL) side SC Villa after extending his stay by one and a half years.

The youngster joined the 16-time champions in 2019 from Proline FC and has proven his worth at the club.

"I am happy to commit my future to this great club because as a young boy growing up, I dreamed of playing for one of the great clubs in Uganda and they do not come any greater than SC Villa," Keni said as quoted by the club's media team.

"At this point and time, there is no better place for me to further my career than at this great club.

"It is a relief to finally get the paperwork out of the way so I can focus on doing what I love the most – which is football." 

Football was suspended in Mid-March before the Federation of Uganda Football Associations (Fufa) eventually cancelled it and crowned Vipers SC. The 20-year-old has revealed how the situation is on his side.

"It is somewhat unfortunate that there is not much football going on at the moment but I am working hard to ensure that as soon as the league returns, I am in top shape."

In the concluded 2019/20 season, the youngster played 23 matches for the Jogoo and kept eight clean sheets. 

In the process, he conceded 19 goals.

Villa were third with 46 points when the Federation of Uganda Football Associations (Fufa) cancelled the UPL and declared Vipers SC winners.

The Jogoo worked hard and finished third with four fewer points compared to second-placed KCCA FC, despite facing numerous challenges.
  
The UPL title chase had been between the Venoms and KCCA FC who were on 54 and 50 points respectively. 

KCCA won it in the 2012/13 season, defended it in the following campaign before the Venoms captured it in the 2014/15 season. In the 2015/16 and the subsequent seasons, Kassasiro Boys won it again before Vipers wrestled it from them in the 2017/18 campaign.

Mike Mutebi's side earned their 13th league title after they were crowned champions for the 2018/19 season.

Maroons FC, Uganda Cup defending Champions Proline FC and Tooro United, were relegated.

In the Fufa Big League promotion tussle, Myda FC and UPDF earned slots in the top-tier while Kiboga, Kataka, Kitara and Ndejje will face off in the play-offs to produce the third team that will grace the top-tier in the 2020/21 season.

New Wakiso Giants coach Douglas Bamweyana has revealed his desire to be the best coach in Africa.

Bamweyana was appointed to lead Wakiso Giants on a three-year deal and he believes the side offers him the best chance to hit his personal targets as well as establishing the club as a force to reckon with.

“My career objective is to be the best football coach on the African continent,” Bamweyana told the club's website.

“And this project presents a wonderful opportunity to take huge strides in the right direction, and to win stuff en route to establishing the Purple Sharks not only as a fans favourite but also the bull in the kraal.”

The former Express FC coach believes the chance to take charge of the Purple Sharks will give him an opportunity to show the world how good he is.

“To be honest; I partly feel a sense of excitement at having a good coaching environment alongside a much better squad to work with, and gratitude for a wonderful opportunity to fully show how great I am as a coach - hence a keen determination to win stuff in the shortest time possible,” added the former SC Villa tactician.

Bamweyana also spoke about the strengths of the current squad and whether he would bring more players in the upcoming transfer window.

“It's generally a very good squad - but could do with better competition between the sticks, in defence and in attack - assuming we keep all our options in the middle,” he revealed.

The former Maroons coach brought Richard Wasswa as his assistant and stated the reasons that informed his choice.

“We share a lot as humans and as coaches too - in values, beliefs and philosophy. We've also been very good pals for a number of years, have deliberated the possibility of working together for quite a while and this presented the perfect timing,” said the Caf 'A' license holder.

The 1981-born Bamweyana also spoke about the fans' roles as well as his hopes to establish a developed Wakiso Giants during his tenure.

“We're going to need the fans behind us and the lads - and in return; we promise to make them the proudest set of fans in the shortest time possible,” he concluded.

“Our most ardent target is to help our players develop into the best version of themselves individually and as a group to help foster the club's objectives.”

James Rodriguez wanted to join Atletico Madrid but was denied the opportunity to by Real Madrid, the Colombia international’s stepfather has said.

The No.10 has rarely featured for Zinedine Zidane’s side this season, having had a stop-start campaign on loan at Bayern Munich on loan previously.

He spoke up about the club's refusal to grant him a move to his favoured destination last summer but remained coy as to the identities of the clubs who were after him.

Juan Carlos Restrepo has lifted the lid on the potential deals, stating that the player favoured a switch across town to Los Blancos’ rivals – a desire that was snubbed by his employers.

“James would have preferred to go to Atlético Madrid in case of a transfer. This does not mean that there were no attempts and appreciations from other clubs as well. He feels comfortable in Spain, on a personal level, and was not convinced to change countries,” Restrepo told Radio Marte . 

“It may be that the friendly summer game played a role. But in the end, Real, who wants to dominate in Spain and the world, still considers the player to be important to his team and decided not to sell him. This was the official position.”

He also spoke of a potential move to Napoli, which the player turned down but could be open to in the future.

“I don't think James has closed the negotiations with Napoli, an important club with great prospects,” he said. “In my opinion, as James' adoptive father, I think the point was that in order for someone like him to be transferred, you have to agree in many places and in many ways.

“Whatever the club of his future, we hope the pieces of the puzzle will come together as they did not last year. If it’s a big club like Napoli, great. There must be a solution that satisfies everything on a human level, and on a technical project, and obviously on the economic issue.”

James, who will turn 29 next month, has only featured 14 times across all competitions for Madrid this term, scoring one goal and setting up two more. 

His only league appearance since October came against Real Sociedad on Sunday, in which he started on the right wing before being replaced with 12 minutes remaining.

Eddie Nketiah opened the scoring in Arsenal’s Premier League match against Southampton on Thursday, extending his impressive scoring record this season.

The Anglo-Ghanaian forward pounced on an error from Saints stopper Alex McCarthy to poke home from close range, having chased down an attempted clearance by the keeper.

It was a miserable moment for McCarthy, but was a moment to further highlight Nketiah’s burgeoning talent, as he demonstrated genuine hunger and tenacity to chase down a lost cause and put pressure on the keeper.

It also extended his fine goalscoring run this season, with the forward demonstrating an admirable consistency in front of goal.

This was only his eleventh start of the season in all competitions, but he’s netted six goals across those appearances, with four of those goals coming for Arsenal, and two coming for Leeds United.

The young attacker was on loan at Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds during the first half of the campaign but was recalled by Mikel Arteta having caught the eye on several occasions in the Championship.

Nonetheless, he was rarely used as a starter by Bielsa, with 15 of Nketiah’s 17 appearances in the second tier coming from the bench.

The 21-year-old started for the Gunners against Manchester City in their first match back following the restart, looking sharp despite the one-sided contest and 3-0 victory for Pep Guardiola’s side.

At the weekend, he was introduced from the bench as Arsenal were defeated by Brighton & Hove Albion, and was preferred to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in the midweek trip to St Mary’s Stadium.

Nketiah’s goal against Southampton was his third of the calendar year, with some Gunners supporters cheekily noting he’s scored more than Harry Kane and Tammy Abraham combined since the start of 2020.

The youngster has also scored away from home against Bournemouth, Portsmouth and Southampton for Arsenal this term, a return which eclipses Alexandre Lacazette’s goal tally away from the Emirates Stadium.

Despite being at the club all season, the France international has only scored twice away from home since the start of the campaign.

Lewisham-born Nketiah has represented England from U18 to U21 level, but is eligible to represent Ghana’s Black Stars through his ancestry.

Wilfred Ndidi has revealed Leicester City manager Brendan Rodgers has helped him to grow since his arrival at the Premier League club.

The Nigeria international has developed into one of the best defensive midfielders in the English top-flight since joining the Foxes from Belgian side Genk in 2017.

The 23-year-old has had a number of managers since his arrival at the King Power Stadium, including Claudio Ranieri, Craig Shakespeare and Claude Puel.

The Super Eagles star, however, feels he experienced more growth and understanding of the game under the Northern Irish tactician.

“When Brendan came, I saw myself growing and understanding where I can actually grow to,” Ndidi told LCFCQ, as per the club website.

“It’s hard to explain. For me, I could see a path, I could see things differently. Growing in Leicester, I’m trying to understand the game, and now, I can understand it in different directions.

“He’s given me a wider view of where this is supposed to go to make me even better. The statistics are okay, but I can be better than that – that’s the way I can explain it.”

Ndidi has featured 31 times for the King Power Stadium outfit in this campaign across all competitions under the tutelage of the former Liverpool manager.

The midfielder currently ranks third in Premier League top tacklers with 96 tackles behind teammate Ricardo Pereira and Manchester United’s Aaron Wan-Bissaka.

His solid defensive performances ensured the Foxes’ third place on the Premier League table, behind leaders Liverpool and Manchester City.

Leicester are winless in their last two games after recording draws with Watford and Brighton & Hove Albion.

Ndidi, who has made 113 league appearances since joining the Foxes, will hope to help his side bounce back to winning ways when they take on Chelsea on Sunday.

Juventus head coach Maurizio Sarri says he has no concerns about Miralem Pjanic's suitability to his plans despite talk of an imminent deal which would see the midfielder head to Barcelona.

Arthur has agreed to join Juventus from Barcelona, setting up a deal that will see Pjanic move in the opposite direction.

The two deals are disconnected, with Arthur set to switch to Juve for €70 million (£63m/$79m) and Pjanic poised to move in the other direction for €60m (£55m/$67m).

Rumours of these deals have persisted for many weeks, with both clubs said to see the arrangement as a useful way of balancing the books amid the financial uncertainty brought on by the coronavirus pandemic, but Arthur was reportedly not interested in a move until a change of heart in the past few days.

Speaking ahead of Juve's Serie A clash with Lecce on Friday, which could stretch their lead over Lazio at the top of the table to seven points, Sarri insisted he has not been told by the club that Pjanic is bound for the exit.

He also made it clear he is not pushing for the midfielder to leave despite suggestions Pjanic is not wholly compatible with Sarri's preferred system.

"If he is sold, it'll be for other reasons. He is not under discussion from a technical point of view," he said on Thursday. "But the club haven't given me any signals in that sense, so I don't take it into consideration.

"The discussions between him and me are on technical and mental aspects. He mustn't worry if he misses a game, but he has to react quickly.

"I'm happy with Miralem and I'm sure, in that role, he can improve further."

When asked specifically about Arthur, Sarri replied: "Arthur is a Barcelona player and I don't want to talk about him."

Sarri had appeared irked by the fact Barca counterpart Quique Setien spoke about the rumours this week, claiming Arthur was affected by the speculation.

"Given how things are, we need all of our players and we'll try and isolate ourselves from this situation and the media who are reporting on and talking about these rumours," Setien said. "We need him to be focused. It's true it is a difficult situation but we have to overcome it somehow."

Polokwane City manager Clinton Larsen says the ministry of Sport and Health is not responsible for running football in South Africa but the Premier Soccer League (PSL) is.

He also discussed his hopes and fears for the restart of the PSL. The Rise and Shine boss shared his sentiments after an announcement by the Sports minister Nathi Mthethwa who gave the clubs under the PSL banner, the go-ahead as to returning to training on the field of play on Monday.

Larsen also explains how the coronavirus pandemic has affected his players and technical team, saying nobody in football has ever experienced such a long time with no active football.

“Well, basically the teams rely on the PSL for correspondence and we are waiting for the PSL to send us an email as they do to all the clubs, [to say] listen you have the green light,” Larsen told Goal.

“I understand teams are testing and stuff like that but the PSL is the one and not the ministry of health or the ministry of sport. These two ministries do not run football in South Africa but the PSL and Safa [South African Football Association].

“These are the only bodies that can notify the clubs to say you can return to training now and which protocols must be put in place.

“Yes, there was a document sent to all the clubs from the PSL clearly stating that testing must be done two to seven days prior to beginning training. So, if you look, some teams tested outside of that window which means they’ll have to test again.

“So, I think it also comes down to interpretation, some teams have been interpreting it [the contents] differently but I’m sure the league will clear that up shortly.

“Yes, there is a glimmer of hope but remember training and playing are two different things and a lot can happen between us starting to train and play you know.

"So, like I said it’s up to all 32 teams to follow the protocols put in place religiously, and that is left to be seen if the teams comply. So, we’ll just have to wait and see.

“Hopefully everybody does and we take back to training and playing again. So, it’s up to the clubs now to follow these strict measures put in place so that we can get on with football.”

Speaking about the state of mind of his players and his technical team where they have to train from the comfort of their homes, the former Bafana Bafana midfielder says it’s a challenging time for everyone.

“I don’t think anybody in football has seen this before. Three months without football is unheard of. Yes, four weeks in the past in the case of the off-season and you come back for pre-season,” he added.

“Three months is the longest any player had to be out. So, it’s difficult for coaches and players. We won’t be surprised by a lot of injuries on a return like it has happened across Europe.

“I hope we will get the necessary time for the players to get up to speed but I do believe there will be injuries across all clubs. I just hope the powers that be will give the necessary time to go back to prepare for the matches.”

Sami Khedira has revealed the stark warning Germany received at half-time during their 7-1 demolition of Brazil at the 2014 World Cup.

The eventual world champions were 5-0 up at the break on a historic evening at the Estadio Mineirao after Thomas Muller, Miroslav Klose, Toni Kroos and Sami Khedira had all netted inside the first 30 minutes.

Khedira recalled how manager Joachim Low told his side in no uncertain terms that showboating in the second half wouldn’t be tolerated.

"Jogi said to us: 'Great! But the game is not over yet. If I see anybody messing around, I'll take him off immediately’,” Khedira told Sport Bild. “He took the euphoria completely out of the question, and said: ‘We are starting again at 0-0 and I want us to win the second half as well’. It was a perfect message from him.

“We were all in each other’s arms. Even those who didn’t have access to the dressing room at half-time. Everyone was together, and the message came from the top: ‘Enjoy it, but keep your feet on the ground’.”

Germany did win the second half as well. Andre Schurrle netted a brace, with Oscar’s 90th-minute strike providing scant consolation for a distraught home crowd.

Even approaching six years from the game, the result remains close to unbelievable.

Despite losing star man Neymar to injury, Brazil remained contenders for the World Cup on home soil and were expected to compete with Germany in the semi-final in Belo Horizonte.

Khedira says friends and family were blowing up his phone after the game, such was the global reaction to the scoreline.

"I got messages from all over the world,” he said. “It wasn’t even like a birthday. I just couldn’t read everything.

“Everybody was writing to me, ‘Unbelievable!’, ‘Mad!’, ‘What’s going on?’. Tunisians, Germans, people that I didn’t even know to be football fans.”

The reaction to the defeat shaped Brazilian football in the years that followed, a national disaster on par with the infamous ‘Maracanazo’ defeat to Uruguay at the 1950 World Cup.

The two sides have only met once at full international level since, with Brazil able to take some amount of revenge with a 1-0 friendly win in Berlin in 2018. Brazil's side also prevailed over Germany on penalties in the final of the 2016 Olympic tournament.

The combined bid of Australia and New Zealand has been awarded hosting duties for the 2023 Women's World Cup, beating Colombia in the bidding process.

Australia and New Zealand were awarded the tournament on Thursday, winning the vote 22-13 to earn the right to host what will be the first Women's World Cup to feature 32 teams.

The combined bid was initially tagged as the favourite after earning a superior score from FIFA's technical evaluation of the bids, with the Australia/New Zealand bid receiving a score of 4.1 out of five, with it "appearing to present the most commercially favourable proposition", according to FIFA.

Colombia, meanwhile, was given a score of 2.8, with FIFA determining that there would need to be "a significant amount of investment and support from both local stakeholders and FIFA".

The Colombian women’s program has come under fire in recent years, with national team speaking out about a lack of financial support, few camps and poor conditions from the federation.

However, a late swing from UEFA changed the bidding landscape, with voting members determining that the Women's World Cup is a “development tournament”, the Guardian reported, while encouraging its representatives to back Colombia.

The 2019 Women's World Cup was held in France, with the U.S. women's national team beating the Netherlands in the finale to win the country's fourth title.

With Thursday's announcement, New Zealand and Australia will become the first Oceanic countries to host the tournament as well as the first two-country bid to be selected.

The first iteration, held in 1991, was held by China, with Sweden hosting four years later before two consecutive tournaments in the U.S.

In 2007, the competition returned to China before being hosted by Germany and Canada in the run-up to France's 2019 tournament.

New Zealand had been among those to register interest for 2019 hosting duties, joining England, South Korea, South Africa and France, but pulled out relatively early in the bidding process.

South Korea and South Africa were also among those to register early interest in hosting this time around, with Brazil, Japan, Belgium and Bolivia also pursuing hosting duties at various points.

The 2023 Women's World Cup will be held in July and August of that year, while the qualifying process will begin in 2021 and end in 2022.

Former France international Christophe Dugarry has stated it would be a “great sign” if Eduardo Camavinga stayed back at Rennes amid the ongoing rumours of interest from Real Madrid.

The teenager was a key cog in the Red and Blacks midfield last season, clocking 2,783 minutes of competitive football.

In Ligue 1, Camavinga made 24 starts on the 26 occasions when he was named in the matchday squad, with Rennes finishing a strong third and thus progressing into the Champions League where they will participate from the third qualifying round.

Camavinga scored one goal and provided two assists in the French top-flight and also averaged 33.4 accurate passes per game at 88%, 4.2 tackles per game, 1.4 interceptions and also averaged 8.6 total duels per game (58%).

“It would be a great sign sent to French football. We can say no. It would be a beautiful message. We would see that it is possible if Rennes keeps him,” Dugarry told RMC Sport as per FootMercato.

“If it stays like that, I would be happy. You don't have to succumb to the call of earnings and money. It's a crack! It would be a purely sporting choice; it would resemble what I want to see in football. You have to know how to keep your best players.”

Rennes president Nicolas Holveck recently revealed that no offers have been made for Camavinga neither have they attached a price tag on him, citing that there might not be any big offers this summer owing to the financial difficulties caused by the coronavirus pandemic which initially halted football activities.

"We are coming out of an incredible crisis. When you listen to the big clubs, I'm not sure there will be big moves this summer," Holveck told the media when Rennes returned to training on Monday.

"We have not set a price but we have determined that he will stay with us this season because we are ambitious.

"He is a very thoughtful boy, he knows where his sporting interest is. We didn't receive any offers."

Real Madrid – the rumoured interested party in Camavinga, currently lead La Liga tied on points with Barcelona but with a superior head-to-head record.