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Orlando Pirates will be eager to pick themselves up from a false start to their 2021/22 Premier Soccer League campaign when they face Marumo Gallants at Peter Mokaba Stadium on Tuesday.

After being held to a 2-2 draw by Stellenbosch at home in their league opening match, Pirates’ title credentials were placed under scrutiny.

Those two points dropped in their own backyard came seven days after being eliminated from the MTN8 by Soweto rivals Swallows FC.

That led to the departure of coach Josef Zinnbauer, which plunged the club into a difficult situation just at the start of the season.

Now, they will want to bury a turbulent two weeks by claiming maximum points at Gallants.

TV Channel, Live Score & How To Watch

Squads & Team News

Coach Sebastien Migne’s Gallants squad has no suspended players going into this big match for them.

But the availability of veteran defender Lehlohonolo Nonyane is uncertain after he lasted just 38 minutes against Baroka FC last Saturday, when he was replaced by Mpho Mvelase.

Pirates go into battle without defender Ntsikelelo Nyauza who is suspended.

Nyauza was shown a straight red card in the first half against Stellenbosch and will miss this match as well as their home clash against Swallows.

He was playing as a right-back when he was sent off but Pirates interim co-coaches Mandla Ncikazi and Fadlu Davids might not be too worried as Wayde Jooste is available to play in that position. 

The Buccaneers’ other key players Thembinkosi Lorch, Ben Motshwari and Innocent Maela have been struggling with fitness issues.

Striker Tshegofatso Mabasa is back from injury in which increases the coach’s options in their problematic frontline. 

The availability of another forward Zakhele Lepasa is, however, not certain.

Match Preview

It is not long ago when Pirates last met Gallants in a league game.

When the two sides last clashed in the final game of the 2020/21 season, Marumo Gallants were still referred to as Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila and the Buccaneers were held 0-0 at Orlando Stadium.

It was a result which almost derailed Pirates’ bid to finish in the top-three.

The first-ever meeting between Gallants and Pirates saw the Soweto giants winning 3-0 at Thohoyandou Stadium in June. 

Both sides go into Tuesday's match on the backdrop of failing to win their respective opening matches of the season.

The same day when Pirates were restricted to a 2-2 draw by Stellenbosch, Gallants were beaten 2-0 by Baroka FC in a Limpopo derby.

Ghanaian striker Kwame Preprah turned down offers from home giants Asante Kotoko and Hearts of Oak to sign for South African giants Orlando Pirates, Goal can reveal.

The 20-year-old has sealed a three-year deal with the Buccaneers after emerging in the recently-ended Ghana Premier League, where he raked up 12 goals and 10 assists to finish as the second top scorer.

The transfer is, however, yet to be officially announced as the player has had to return to Ghana to complete paperwork.

“Kotoko, Hearts and Dreams made official interest [but] I can confirm that our striker Kwame Peprah has joined Orlando Pirates on a three-year deal,” Faisal head of communications Awal Mohammed confirmed to Goal.

“A couple of weeks ago, he travelled with our sporting director to Johannesburg and had his medical with Orlando Pirates. After that, he signed his three-year contract.

“He then came to Ghana with the sporting director. He had to come and complete his paperwork, he has to come and get his clearance before he could go back to South Africa. So from last week, he has been putting things together, with the help of the club.

“For now, he has secured his clearance. His visa is ready now as we are talking. So he’s just putting one or two things together. Hopefully, by the end of this weekend, he will fly from Ghana to South Africa. That is what is happening for now with Kwame Peprah, with regards to his move to Orlando Pirates.”

News about Preprah’s move to the Premier Soccer League side emerged last month when he reportedly left for South Africa at the end of the Ghana league season.

Then-Buccaneers head coach Josef Zinnbauer later confirmed the reports at a press conference, saying, “Yes, I want to see him [Peprah]. He has his medical check now. I can’t say more, he is not at the training session now.”

Peprah took the Ghana Premier League by storm last season, emerging as Faisal’s main man in their battle to survive relegation.

His exploits earned the attention of Ghana’s U23 team officials, who invited him for the friendlies against Japan and South Korea, but the striker was forced to withdraw from the squad.

Premier Soccer League defending champions Mamelodi Sundowns will be out to maintain their unbeaten start to the 2021/22 campaign when they clash with Chippa United at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on Tuesday.

After edging AmaZulu 1-0 at home last Friday, it was a positive start for Masandawana in their title defence.

But they face a team that also started the season on a promising note when Chippa beat Sekhukhune United 1-0 away in Tembisa in their season opener. 

The Chilli Boys have an opportunity to take an early lead on the PSL standings and stay atop overnight if they win, while Sundowns can also go at the summit with victory.

TV Channel, Live Score & How To Watch

Squads & Team News

This would probably be the biggest test yet for Gavin Hunt as Chippa coach but he could be happy that none of his players are suspended when they host Sundowns.

The experience of the likes of veteran midfielder Kurt Lentjies, Mogakolodi Ngele and Roscoe Pietersen is what Hunts need against a star-studded Masandawana.

Sundowns defender Mosa Lebusa was substituted against AmaZulu last weekend as a precautionary measure following a minor knock but he is expected to feature against the Chilli Boys.

But Masandawana goalkeeper coach Wendell Robinson will not be allowed to sit on the bench while serving his last match suspended after he was red-carded in the MTN8 quarter-final battle against Kaizer Chiefs. 

He missed Sundowns’ season opener against AmaZulu in what was his first match of the suspension. 

Match Preview

Sundowns go into this match with a record of having gone for nine PSL matches without tasting defeat.

They last lost a league match last season in April when they were edged 2-1 by Kaizer Chiefs at Loftus Versfeld.

This is against Chippa’s record of just three unbeaten league games, including two draws which saved them from automatic relegation from the PSL.

But the Chilli Boys regard themselves as having started on a clean slate following Hunt's arrival.

Their win over Sekhukhune last Saturday could be an indication of their intentions to bury their troubled past marked by the constant changing of coaches.

It will, however, not be an easy task for Chippa against the PSL defending champions, a team they have never beaten in a league match. 

Last season, Masandawana completed a double over Chippa United, winning 2-0 away, before again beating the Eastern Cape side 2-1 at Loftus Versfeld.

That was the same case in the 2015/16 and 2018/19 seasons when the Brazilians sealed back-to-back league victories over Chippa.

The Chief Minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee, has called upon a meeting with East Bengal officials and their investor Shree Cement on Wednesday at the West Bengal state secretariat building to mediate and solve the ongoing deadlock between the two parties.

On Monday, Shree Cement had sent a letter to the Chief Minister and mentioned that they are unwilling to continue their association with the club as their investor and are reportedly ready to give back the sporting rights to the club.

In turn, addressing the issue, Mamata Banerjee slammed Shree Cement and expressed her displeasure over this sudden turn of events. She has volunteered to mediate between the two parties to find an amicable solution whereby the final agreement is signed which will ensure the Red and Golds continue to participate in the Indian Super League (ISL).

What is the issue between East Bengal and Shree Cement? 

After Quess Corp parted ways with East Bengal in June 2020 after being the club's investor for two seasons, Shree Cement came on board as their new investor which facilitated the club's move to the Indian Super League (ISL). They then proceeded to establish a joint venture named Shree Cement East Bengal Foundation, in which the cement giants held 76 per cent stakes while the club had 24.

After Shree Cement's arrival, a term sheet was signed by both parties in September 2020 in the presence of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee who had played an important role in bringing the company on board as the club's new investor.

Based on the term sheet, the club’s sporting rights as well all its assets and properties (including intellectual) were reportedly transferred to the newly formed joint venture between the two parties. Even though the term sheet was signed, the final binding agreement of the deal is yet to be signed by the officials despite multiple reminders.

Shree Cement had already sent a revised version of the final agreement to the club as well as to the West Bengal Chief Minister on August 16 but the officials did not agree to sign.  After multiple reminders, the investors informed the state Chief Minister about their inclination to end the deal on August 23.

Although the company has informed the Chief Minister about their decision, they are yet to send an official letter to the club. Now with Mamata Banerjee deciding to step in and mediate between the two parties, there is a possibility that the issue might be resolved in the coming days.

Further reading

AIFF hand transfer ban to East Bengal

How can East Bengal remove their transfer ban

West Bengal CMdispleased after SC decides to end association with EB

Paul Pogba is off to a flying start in the ongoing season of the Premier League as the Frenchman has already recorded five assists in the first two games of the 2021/22 season.

In Manchester United's season opener against Leeds United which the Red Devils had won 5-1, Pogba had assisted four out of the five goals. He was once again the architect behind Mason Greenwood's equaliser against Southampton on Sunday which helped the Red Devils clinch a point from the tie.

Interestingly, the French midfielder had provided just three assists in 26 games last season, a tally which he surpassed in the very first match of the 2021/22 season. Pogba still has 36 matches to go and need to provide 15 more assists to match the record of the most number of assists in a single Premier League season.

In the 2002/03 season, Arsenal's Thierry had recorded 20 assists in 35 games and became the highest assist provider in a single season. After 17 years, Henry's tally was equalled by Manchester City star Kevin De Bruyne who also provided 20 assists during the 2019/20 season. Other than the 2019/20 season, the Belgian midfielder had also provided 18 assists during the 2016/17 season. 

German midfielder Mesut Ozil had come very close to touch his predecessor at Arsenal Thierry Henry's assists tally but he missed it by a whisker as he provided 19 assists in 35 matches during the 2015/16 season.

Former Arsenal and Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fabregas too came close to beat Henry's record as he provided 18 assists in 34 matches during the 2014/15 season while playing for the Blues. Fabregas is also the second-highest assist provider of all-time in Premier League's history with 111 assists in 350 appearances. He is 51 short of Ryan Giggs' 162 assists.

Since Henry set the record of providing the most assists in a season, several players have come close to touch or break the record but no one has been able to overtake the Frenchman. With five assists in two matches, Pogba has a good chance of breaking his compatriot's record.

Here, we take a look at the top five players who have provided the most assists in a single Premier League season.

Javier 'Chicharito' Hernandez and Carlos Vela are among the high-profile players MLS has ruled out of Wednesday's All-Star clash with Liga MX.

LA Galaxy's Hernandez is dealing with a calf injury, while LAFC's Vela is out with a quad problem.

They had been chosen to lead the 28-man MLS roster into the exhibition but the league must now lean on other stars to carry the torch.

What has been said?

"Carlos' quad has bothered him throughout this season," said MLS head coach Bob Bradley to reporters on Monday. "We were very cautious. It's just a lingering injury that has hampered him throughout the season."

Hernandez, meanwhile, has not played in a match since June 26.

Who else will miss out?

New England Revolution stars Carles Gil and Tajon Buchanan have also pulled out; Gil leads the league in assists and Buchanan is coming off a Gold Cup performance that earned him Young Player of the Tournament honors.

Who will replace the MLS All-Star absentees?

So far, Rodolfo Pizarro and George Bello have been added to replace Gil and Buchanan, with the fill-ins for Hernandez and Vela still to be determined.

The initial rosters were determined by a mixture of fan, media and league voting, but Bradley will be responsible for determining replacements for those who have been ruled out to injury.

Further reading

Christian Luyindama scored his first Super Lig goal as Galatasaray secured a 2-1 comeback victory over Hatayspor on Monday night, in the process ending a two-year wait to find the back of the net in the Turkish elite division.

Fatih Terim’s men commenced their 2021-22 campaign on a bright note by defeating Giresunspor 2-0 at the Cotanak Stadium.

Buoyed by that result, they squared up against the Star of the South full of confidence. Nevertheless, they were stunned as the visitors took a third-minute lead through Saba Lobzhanidze.

The Georgian forward met Kamil Ahmet's pass in the penalty area to slot the ball past goalkeeper Fernando Muslera who was left stranded.

Gala’s first clear chance came in the 16th minute but Kerem Akturkoglu’s shot was intercepted by Fatih Kurucuk. Minutes later, Mbaye Diagne was presented with another but it yielded no result.

Their menacing attacking moves paid off on the half-hour mark as Sofiane Feghouli brought them on level terms. The Algeria international beat goalkeeper Munir Mohamedi from close range after Alexandru Cicaldau’s shot bounced off the goalpost.

Terim’s side dominated possession in the second half, albeit, they were unable to get the important second goal as Omer Erdogan's men put up a solid defensive display.

With the game looking destined to end in a 1-1 draw, Luyindama had the final say with his 88th strike.

Left unmarked, the 27-year-old directed Omer Bayram’s free-kick past goalkeeper Mohamedi. Incidentally, that was his first league goal in Turkey since joining from Belgian side Standard Liege in 2019.

Alongside Diagne, Luyindama was on parade from start to finish. After an impressive shift, Feghouli was subbed off for Baris Yilmaz in the 87th minute.

Egypt international Mostafa Mohamed was introduced for Muhammed Akturkoglu in the 77th minute whereas Nigeria’s Jesse Sekidika was not dressed for action.

On the other side, Ghana's duo of Joseph Akomadi and Isaac Sackey plus Gabon's Aaron Boupendza were not available for action for Hatayspor.

This result is a morale booster for Galatasaray who take on Randers in Thursday’s Europa League second leg play-off encounter.

The 22-time Super Lig champions settled for a 1-1 draw in the first leg played at the Randers Stadium on August 19. 

Burnley boss Sean Dyche has responded angrily to Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp's allegations of reckless behaviour in a 2-0 defeat at Anfield on Saturday.

Klopp called the Clarets' defensive style 'wrestling' and named duo Ashley Barnes and Chris Wood as instigators.

Dyche thought the comments were "inappropriate" as he took offence to the words of a counterpart he has at times clashed with.

What did Klopp say about Burnley?

"I like decisions that favour the offensive team, that's fine," Klopp told BT Sport. "But we have to stick to protecting the players. We cannot deny that. If you like that sort of thing, watch wrestling.

"You saw these challenges with [Ashley] Barnes and [Chris] Wood and Virgil [van Dijk] and Joel [Matip].

"I'm not 100 per cent sure if [officials] are going in the right direction with these decisions. It's like we're going 10 to 15 years backwards. The rules are like they are, but you cannot defend these situations. That's how it makes the game really tricky."

How has Dyche responded?

"My disappointment is he's name-checking players," Dyche said. 'There's absolutely no need to do that. We've got professional players who have worked very hard to get to where they have got.

"The implications of what he said about challenges are wrong. I think it's inappropriate and it's not something I would do myself. 

"My worry is he's questioned that teams shouldn't do everything within the rules to win the game, which we clearly did because there wasn't a single card given out.

Last season's half-time bust-up

There was an animated argument between Dyche and Klopp in their previous meeting - a Burnley victory that ended Liverpool’s 68-game Premier League unbeaten run at Anfield.

Further reading

Arsenal are in discussions with Corinthians over a potential free transfer for Willian.

The former Chelsea winger swapped west London for the north part of the capital last summer after a seven-season stay at Stamford Bridge, but has struggled to have the desired effect for Mikel Arteta's side, scoring just one goal in 37 appearances.

He has yet to feature this season and the Gunners are willing to let him leave before next week's transfer deadline, with Brazilian giants Corinthians keen on landing the 33-year-old.

What's the latest?

Talks are ongoing between Arsenal, Corinthians and Willian over a potential free transfer this month.

A deal has not been agreed, however, with Willian's wages - which are over £150,000 a week - well above anything Corinthians can offer.

Any move could depend on Arsenal agreeing to continue paying a percentage of Willian's wages following his departure from Emirates Stadium.

The experienced attacker is keen to seal a move away this summer, although sources in Brazil suggest his preference is to remain in Europe if possible.

Talks will now continue as all parties look to find a resolution before next Tuesday's transfer deadline.

Why would Arsenal let Willian go?

Willian's move from Chelsea last summer has been a disaster.

Billed as a no risk signing due to his experience in the Premier League, the Brazil international has never settled at Arsenal and failed to make any sort of impact.

With the Gunners having spent £130 million ($178m) on incomings this summer, they are looking to move several players on to reduce the numbers in what is a bloated squad.

Willian is one of the highest earners at Arsenal and his opportunities would be limited this season, with Emile Smith Rowe, Nicolas Pepe, Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and new signing Martin Odegaard all ahead of him in the pecking order.

So the Gunners are keen to get him off the books, even if it means potentially having to cover part of his wages to push a deal through.

Further reading

Said Benrahma improved on his notable English Premier League form in West Ham United’s 4-1 defeat of Leicester City on Monday night.

The former Nice and Brentford man got a goal plus an assist as David Moyes’ men saw off the Foxes at the London Stadium.

With that, the 26-year-old has now racked up seven-goal involvement for the Hammers in his last seven English elite division appearances (three goals and four assists) after registering no goals and four assists in his previous 25 games in the competition.

The Algeria ace lined up in the midfield alongside Pablo Fornals and Harrod Bowen to halt the aspirations of Brendan Rodgers’ side towards picking up all three points in London.

As it proved a rewarding evening for Moyes’ team, they took the lead in the 26th minute courtesy of Fornals.

Benrahma intercepted a Leicester pass, broke forward immediately and sent a first-time cross from the left and the Spaniard jabbed the ball into the bottom right corner of Kasper Schmeichel’s post.

For Fornals, that was his eighth strike in the EPL since he moved from Villarreal in the 2019-20 campaign.

The visitors’ hopes of recording a comeback suffered a major blow in the 40th minute as Ayoze Perez was giving the marching orders for a foul on Fornals.

Profitting from the visitors’ numerical drawback, the hosts doubled their advantage in the 56th courtesy of Benrahma who was set up by Michail Antonio.

Caglar Soyuncu misjudged Kasper Schmeichel's positioning for a pass back and handed the ball straight to Antonio.

The angle was too tight for the Englishman to shoot, instead, he found the African star who rolled the ball into an empty net.

In the 69th minute, the King Power Stadium giants pulled a goal back through Youri Tielemans.

Nevertheless, West Ham garnered all points with Antonio’s goals in the 80th and 84th minute respectively.

After putting up an impressive showing, Benrahma was eventually subbed off for Mark Noble with two minutes left on the clock.

Moyes’ men host Crystal Palace next, while Leicester City would be eyeing an away win versus Norwich City.

Nigeria striker Anthony Nwakaeme and Ghana's Isaac Cofie were on target as Trabzonspor defeated Sivasspor 2-1 in a Super Lig match on Monday.

Cofie came off the bench to score the visitors' only goal in Trabzon but it was not enough to help them grab their first league win of the season.

Anastasios Bakasetas opened the scoring for Trabzonspor from the penalty spot in the 15th minute and later in the second half, Nwakaeme doubled their lead with his second league goal of the campaign.

A week ago, the Super Eagles forward was among the goals as the Black Sea Storm cruised to a 5-1 victory over Yeni Malatyaspor in their Super Lig opener.

Sivasspor’s chance for an equaliser arrived after Nigeria’s Olanrewaju Kayode earned a penalty in the 70th minute.

Ivory Coast international Max Gradel stepped forward to take the penalty but he failed to convert, leaving Cofie to slot home the rebound.

The Ghana midfielder was introduced for Nigeria's Azubuike Okechukwu in the 54th minute and they also had two other Nigerians on parade, Kayode and Leke James.

Mali duo Mustapha Yatabare and Samba Camara were the other Africans in action for Sivasspor while Guinea's Fode Koita and Ivory Coast forward Gervinho were in action for Trabzonspor.

Monday's result powered Trabzonspor to the second spot in the Super Lig table having secured two wins in their first two matches of the season.

Abdullah Avci's side will aim to extend their league form to the Uefa Europa Conference League play-offs when they visit Roma on Thursday. They are hoping to fight-back from a 2-1 loss and progress to the group stage.

After the European outing, Trabzonspor are scheduled to play Giresunspor for their next Super Lig fixture on Sunday.

Sivasspor are also in the Conference League play-offs and they are looking to overturn a 2-1 loss to FC Kobenhavn when they travel to the capital city of Denmark for their return fixture on Thursday.

They are currently without a point after two games and their next league match is at home against Goztepe on Sunday.

Zambia football legend Kalusha Bwalya is adamant Ayoze Perez should not have been shown a red card for his challenge on Pablo Fornals during Leicester City’s 4-1 defeat by West Ham United on Monday.

Seven minutes before the half-time break, the former Spain youth international launched a late challenge on his compatriot, and as a result, he was given the marching orders by referee Michael Oliver after a VAR review.

With the Foxes reduced to 10 men, they struggled to impress and returned home with heads bowed low.

Unhappy with Oliver’s decision, the 1988 African Player of the Year went on social media to question former Fifa referee Jerome Damon on the validation for sending off the 28-year-old.

“No, how can that be a red card? Jerome Damon, he didn’t even know where to put his feet. Very harsh,” the former Cercle Brugge and PSV Eindhoven star queried on Twitter.

In his response, Damon educated the Zambian great on what Fifa’s Laws of the Game demands as it concerns Perez’s dismissal.

“Just saw it fleetingly now…full weight on to the ankle of an opponent. Ankle goes over, with no attempt to lessen the contact. Red card justified. Law 12: endangers of an opponent,” the South African replied.

On his 274th appearance in English football, Perez has now been shown a red card for the first time since he began his professional career in 2011 at Spanish outfit Tenerife.

Benefitting from the visitors’ numerical disadvantage, Moyes’ side doubled their advantage in the 56th courtesy of Algeria international Said Benrahma who was teed up by Michail Antonio.

Caglar Soyuncu misjudged Kasper Schmeichel's positioning for a pass back and hands the ball straight to Antonio.

The angle was too tight for the Englishman to shoot, instead, he found the African star who rolled the ball into an empty net.

Not willing to go down without a fight, the reigning English FA Cup kings pulled one goal back through Youri Tielemans in the 69th minute.

Lifted by that, West Ham sealed victory courtesy of goals a late brace by Antonio.

Leicester would be hoping to bounce back from this defeat when they travel to Norwich City on August 28.

Premier Soccer League matches continue this week on matchday 2, and  Goal  have all the details about how you can watch the PSL fixtures.

After the season kicked off last weekend, a full schedule is on the cards with two matches taking place on Tuesday while six games are slated for Wednesday.

The traditional giants will be in action, and Orlando Pirates are on the road as they visit Marumoi Gallants for Tuesday’s match in Polokwane.

The Buccaneers are looking to pick themselves up and collect three points after being held 2-2 by Stellenbosch last Saturday.

On the same evening, Mamelodi Sundowns will be at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium for a clash against Chippa United.

On Wednesday, Kaizer Chiefs host Baroka FC at the FNB Stadium.

How to watch PSL midweek matches

SuperSport TV has so far confirmed five matches they will broadcast live on two channels.

Live broadcast schedules for the other three games are yet to be updated on SuperSport’s TV guide. 

Matches will also be live streamed on the Dstv app.

PSL Matchday 2 fixtures & TV shedule

Key PSL matches to look forward to

There are four games that could attract a massive interest.

Kaizer Chiefs vs Baroka FC

Chiefs’ hosting of Baroka FC will have all the attention on Amakhosi to see how they will respond after dropping points in their league opener.

The Soweto giants drew 0-0 against TS Galaxy on Sunday and they would be keen to recover by bagging maximum points.

They face a Baroka side who started the league campaign on a positive note with a 2-0 victory over Marumo Gallants.

Marumo Gallants vs Orlando Pirates

The Buccaneers are in a similar situation as Chiefs as they try to bury the disappointment of failing to win in their first match of the season.

Pirates interim co-coaches Mandla Ncikazi and Fadlu Davids will also be under spotlight to see if they are capable of leading the Soweto giants.

Chippa United vs Mamelodi Sundowns

The Brazilians won their opening match against last season’s runners-up AmaZulu which was a test they passed.

They will be at Chippa United to prove that the win over Usuthu was not a fluke and they are strong enough to defend the PSL title.

Their hosts, the Chilli Boys, began the Gavin Hunt era on an encouraging note with a 1-0 away victory over Sekhukhune United.

Chippa United vs Mamelodi Sundowns

This one is a potentially stormy affair between wounded Usuthu and Swallows who have impressed by knowing Pirates out of the MTN8 and the 1-0 win over Royal AM last Sunday.

They have so far shown potential that they could challenge for the league title, and now face AmaZulu who are keen to dust themselves up from the defeat by Sundowns.

Manchester United have been urged to bid for Harry Kane this summer by former stalwart Gary Neville, who believes that the arrival of both Jadon Sancho and Raphael Varane will not be enough to win the Red Devils the Premier League title this season.

England star Sancho and World Cup winner Varane are the headline arrivals at Old Trafford this term as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer looks to end a four-year-plus barren spell at the Theatre of Dreams.

But with the arrival of Jack Grealish at Manchester City and Romelu Lukaku at Chelsea, Neville does not feel that United have done enough to topple the two in the title race this term, instead insisting that they need the Tottenham forward to bolster their hopes.

What has been said?

"I still think they'll be short," the ex-defender stated on Sky Sports, ahead of Leicester and West Ham's Premier League encounter on Monday. "Chelsea have strengthened with Lukaku, Man City [have gone] in for Grealish and if they get Kane, there's a massive problem for Man Utd. 

"I don't know why Man Utd aren't going that extra step this transfer window.  They've always gone after the best English player in the Premier League historically. Why aren't they going in for Harry Kane? 

"If Harry Kane entered Man Utd you get to 94, 95 points, [and] they still have to replace Cavani and Martial. Why not get the man now? I don't know if they can win the league with Sancho and Varane."

Neville mulls Solskjaer crunch time

The ex-defender also gave backing to his former team-mate currently in charge at the Theatre of Dreams, but admitted that beyond the next year-and-a-half, a failure to win silverware should likely spell the end of his tenure.

"There's a massive expectation to be winning trophies, to be number one. They have to challenge for the title. The manager has to improve things quickly.

"The Europa League final was a bad one, that is going to hang a little bit if something doesn't go right this season. Ole deserves another 12 to 18 months,

"They've taken it back to their roots, but Man Utd need a centre-forward in the next 12 months. Kane coming in would be the differentiator."

The bigger picture

Having delivered a freewheeling 5-1 rout of Leeds United in their opening game to set pulses pounding, United lacked the cutting edge in their second outing to secure back-to-back wins.

A 1-1 draw with Southampton extended their unbeaten league streak on the road, but further underlined the issues facing Solskjaer as he looks to pick up the first trophy of his tenure.

United will next face Wolves, in their final game before the September international break, as they look to head into a short hiatus on a high note.

Further reading

Spezia played a 2-2 draw with Cagliari in Monday’s Serie A encounter, with Ghana international Emmanuel Gyasi finding the net.

The 27-year-old gave his team a dream start before Simone Bastoni doubled their advantage. Even at that, the Little Eagles left Stadio Alberto Picco with just one point.

Unbeaten in their last three outings in all competitions, Spezia travelled to Sardinia with the mission of getting a positive result against their hosts who silenced Pisa 3-1 before the commencement of the 2021-22 campaign.

They lived up to their hopes after taking a seventh-minute lead through Gyasi. Assisted by Daniele Verde, the African star stunned the home crowd with a superb strike from outside the box that sailed past goalkeeper Alesio Cragno.

In the 28th minute, Cagliari were gifted an opportunity to restore parity, but Sebastian Walukiewicz blazed his effort over the crossbar from close range after he was found by Jeroen Zoet.

Despite numerous attacking forays, the hosts were unable to level matters as they went into the half-time break with a one-goal deficit.

The second 45 minutes got off to a blistering note, but it was Spezia who netted their second goal as Simone Bastoni latched onto a fine pass from Kelvin Amian.

In the 62nd minute, Joao Pedro reduced the deficit for the Cagliari after rifling past the goalkeeper thanks to a pass from Razvan Marin.

Four minutes later, the comeback was complete as Pedro completed his brace from the penalty mark following a foul on Leonardo Pavoletti by Zoet in the box.

Towards the end of the game, substitute Samuel Mraz put his team ahead – sadly - his effort was chalked off for offside.

The game ended on a no winner, no vanquished note with no goals coming in the remaining minutes of the fixture.

Gyasi was in action from start to finish for Thiago Motta’s men, as was Gambia international Ebrima Colley

Spezia travel to Stadio Olimpico on August 28 for their next Italian elite division clash versus against Maurizio Sarri’s Lazio.

The White and Sky Blues got off to a winning start with a 3-1 away victory over Empoli over the weekend. For Cagliari, they are guests of AC Milan on Sunday.

Ghana attacker Yaw Yeboah has become a major topic of discussion on social media after scoring a magnificent solo goal for Wisla Krawkow against Gornik Leczna in the Polish Ekstraklasa.

In the matchweek five fixture on Saturday, the Ghana U23 captain and former Manchester City man received a ball just at the edge of the ball with his back to goal, danced his way past four markers in the box before shooting past the goalkeeper from close range. 

A footage of the goal, also highlighted by Fifa, has gone viral on social media, generating a lot of excitement, as well as links to the prestigious Puskas Award reserved for the best goal of the calendar year. 

Below are some of the best reactions: