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Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has aired his frustration at the lack of input from VAR during Arsenal’s clash with Liverpool, with Bukayo Saka caught by a shin-high tackle from Trent Alexander-Arnold.

The Gunners youngster clashed with a Reds rival early on in the second-half at Emirates Stadium on Wednesday.

It was clear at the time of the incident that he had been on the receiving end of a late challenge. Both men were looking to play the ball, but only one got a boot to it as the other came in over the top.

Saka was left in a crumpled heap on the turf, with Alexander-Arnold seeing a yellow card flashed in his direction.

That was considered to be the end of the matter, with those in charge of technological assistance opting against calling match referee Paul Tierney to a pitch-side monitor.

Slow motion replays showed that Alexander-Arnold had, despite not being at full speed and force, connected high up on Saka’s leg.

A similar incident during Arsenal’s Premier League meeting with Leicester on July 7 saw Eddie Nketiah dismissed shortly after his introduction off the bench for a high challenge on Justin James . He had also initially been shown a yellow card, only to see his punishment increased on review.

Aubameyang is baffled as to why the same approach was not taken with Alexander-Arnold, with the Gunners captain taking to Twitter to vent his anger. He posted in response to an image of the incident in question: “WTF didn’t even get the VAR on this one.”

Arsenal fans had been quick to express their frustration at the time, with many asking further questions of the role technology has played in Premier League football this season.

Gunners legend Ian Wright was as perplexed as any, with the former frontman, speaking as a pundit on Match of the Day , saying: “There’ll probably be some long-winded reason why that’s not a sending off but Eddie Nketiah’s is. Something like that.”

Mikel Arteta could have been forgiven for joining the debate, having been the receiving end of two debatable calls in the space of three matches, but he was happy to reflect on a 2-1 win over the newly-crowned English champions .

He said of the incident: “It was in front of me and it's part of the game. I think they both went for the ball and that is part of the game.”

The Spaniard had said in the wake of Nketiah’s dismissal: “In the last year I have never seen a referee check any images. I do not understand the rules, but I can do nothing now.”

Arteta is trying to keep focus locked on a bid for European qualification , in Premier League and FA Cup competition, while also waiting on a decision from Aubameyang regarding a possible extension to his contract, which is only due to run until the summer of 2021.

Schalke forward Rabbi Matondo has apologised after a photo posted online showed him wearing a Borussia Dortmund shirt, emblazoned with Jadon Sancho's name and number, while taking part in a gym workout.

Dortmund and Schalke are arch-rivals in Germany's Bundesliga, and fans of the Gelsenkirchen club were unhappy to see one of their players wearing the kit of one of Borussia's star players.

Matondo apologised on Instagram, with the 19-year-old Wales international stating that he had not wanted to cause anyone "grief or trouble".

He wrote: "I am very sad and disappointed in myself that I have let down anyone who feels connected to Schalke. I was naive and put the jersey on for a private training session. The jersey was from my close friend Jadon Sancho. I only wore it because of Jadon, it had nothing to do with Dortmund.

"I did not think about the consequences and that it would annoy many people. There is no excuse for this immature behaviour. I can promise every Schalke player that I have identified with Schalke 100 percent since day one."

The picture was posted online by a gym in Cardiff where Matondo was training although it was later deleted following the angry reaction online from Schalke fans.

Matondo has been a prominent first-team player for Schalke ever since he moved to Germany from Manchester City in January 2019 in an £8 million deal, following the path trodden by his friend Sancho from the Premier League club’s academy to the Bundesliga in search of more first-team opportunities.

In 2019-20 he featured 20 times for Schalke in the Bundesliga, scoring twice, as David Wagner’s side endured a poor season which saw them finish 12th, just eight points above the relegation play-off place.

They failed to win a single league match after January 17, putting in a series of poor performances in the second half of the season, particularly after Bundesliga resumed following the hiatus in the campaign enforced by the coronavirus pandemic.

The nadir came when they were thrashed 4-0 by rivals Dortmund, which has served to deepen the resentment of Schalke fans and cause an even stronger reaction to Matondo’s error of judgement.

Securing a place in the Champions League or Europa League brings considerable financial rewards to teams thanks to the associated participation money and sponsorship boosts.

The Premier League is one of the continent's top divisions, with its clubs regularly competing at the latter stages of both of UEFA's flagship club tournaments, so the league's coefficient is strong.

As a result, the number of UEFA competition places reserved for English clubs is the highest available - seven.

So, which Premier League clubs will compete in the 2020-21 Champions League and Europa League?

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Premier League Champions League places

The top four teams in the Premier League qualify automatically for the group stage of the following season's Champions League.

A place in the group stage of the Champions League has been reserved for the Premier League top four since the 2018-19 tournament. Prior to that point, the top three went directly into the group stage, with the team that finished fourth having to navigate a play-off round.

It should be noted that a Premier League club will qualify for the Champions League should they win that competition or the Europa League, regardless of where they finish in the domestic standings.

Premier League Europa League places

The fifth-placed team qualifies directly to the group stage of the Europa League.

There are two more Europa League qualification spots reserved for English clubs, but they may not necessarily go to Premier League representatives.

The winners of the FA Cup qualify for the Europa League group stage, while the winners of the Carabao Cup (EFL Cup) qualify for the Europa League second qualifying round.

In the event that the winners of the FA Cup or EFL Cup have already qualified for UEFA competition by virtue of their league finish, the Europa League place goes to the next highest team in the league that has not already qualified.

Which Premier League teams will qualify for the Champions League & Europa League?

Liverpool became the first Premier League team to confirm their place in the 2020-21 Champions League and Jurgen Klopp's men have also been crowned champions of the division.

The Reds will be joined in next season's Champions League by Manchester City, who have secured second place in the Premier League table.

City had actually been slapped with a two-year ban from UEFA competition in February, but the club contested the ban at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

In July, the CAS ruled in City's favour and the ban was lifted, meaning they are able to take their place in the 2020-21 Champions League.

As of games played on July 15
*Europa League secured at minimum, can still qualify for Champions League

Chelsea are on course to qualify for the Champions League too, barring any major mishaps in their remaining games.

The final Champions League place is very much up for grabs, with Leicester City, Manchester United, Wolves and Tottenham in the mix. 

As it stands, the Europa League place that goes to the fifth-placed team could be taken by one of seven clubs.

Manchester United currently occupy fifth, but Wolves, Tottenham and Sheffield United are not far behind.

Since Man City won the Carabao Cup, sixth place will also bring the reward of Europa League football (entering at the second qualifying round).

Arsenal's chances of clinching a European finish look increasingly slim, but the Gunners could potentially reach the Europa League group stage should they win the FA Cup.

However, if Man City, Man United or Chelsea win the FA Cup, it will probably mean the total number of Europa League places allocated via the league will increase to three - fifth, sixth and seventh.

Yasser Larouci is set to leave Liverpool this summer, with Leeds United and Brentford among the clubs interested in signing the young full-back. 

The 19-year-old made his Reds debut back in January, and has been part of Jurgen Klopp’s senior training group at Melwood over the past 12 months.

But following lengthy discussions between club and player, it has been decided that Larouci will need to move on in order to secure regular first-team football.

Goal has learned that Liverpool have already held preliminary discussions with a host of clubs, with Championship promotion-chasers Leeds and Brentford currently at the head of the queue to sign the Algerian-born France youth international.

Larouci joined the Reds from Le Havre in 2017, but has now entered the final year of his contract and Liverpool have accepted that a transfer is in everyone’s best interests. 

The situation is similar to that of Rafa Camacho, who left Anfield last summer after rejecting the Reds’ offer of a new deal.

Concerned about a lack of playing time on Merseyside, he instead joined Sporting CP for an initial fee of £5 million and has since made 17 senior appearances for the Portuguese giants.

Liverpool accept Larouci’s stance, and are now committed to finding a suitable buyer. They will expect to secure a competitive transfer fee, and are likely to include buy-back and sell-on clauses in any deal, as well as other performance-related add-ons. 

Having been an unused substitute in the Carabao Cup against Arsenal last October, Larouci’s senior bow came in the FA Cup against Everton in January. He replaced James Milner early on at Anfield that day, playing his part in a memorable 1-0 win. 

He then started at Shrewsbury in a 2-2 draw in the same competition later that month, but was ruled out of the replay due to injury. 

His departure will further diminish Klopp’s options at left-back, which already look thin. James Milner has deputised for Andy Robertson, while Neco Williams filled in there against Brighton recently despite being a right-back by trade. 

Adam Lewis signed a new deal earlier this month, but the 20-year-old is likely to go out on loan next season in order to gain senior experience.

Liverpool, in an ideal world, would have looked to add cover in that position this summer, but it remains to be seen whether they are still willing to enter the market amid the financial issues associated with the Covid-19 pandemic.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has spent just 18 months in charge of Manchester United, but he is thoroughly enjoying coaching at the very highest level and hopes to emulate Roy Hodgson by working into his 70s.

The former England and Liverpool boss is still going strong on the Premier League stage at 72 years of age.

Hodgson has helped to consolidate Crystal Palace within English football’s elite again this season, with there no sign of him slowing down.

His next challenge is set to be presented by United, with the top four-chasing Red Devils due at Selhurst Park on Thursday.

Solskjaer is looking forward to pitting his wits against Hodgson and the 47-year-old admits he would welcome the opportunity to spend as long in the dugout as his domestic rival – particularly if that allows him to him to enjoy a lengthy reign at Old Trafford.

“Let’s hope so, you never know!” Solskjaer told United’s official website when asked if he can see himself still working at 72.

“The thing is if you work that long then you know you’ve done something right and you must have enjoyed it.

“As long as you enjoy working in football then you can pass your knowledge on which is fantastic. I’m very pleased for him. I know I love football and I know I enjoy this so who knows!”

Solskjaer has been earning plenty of plaudits over recent weeks, with his United side unbeaten through their last 18 games in all competitions.

The games are coming thick and fast, though, with a trip to Palace set to be followed by an FA Cup semi-final clash with Chelsea on Sunday.

The Red Devils may need to tinker with their selections at times, with Solskjaer looking to make the most of the squad depth that he possesses.

He added: “There were a couple of question marks before the Southampton game. We went with the same team.

“Everyone [in the squad] knows that they’re valuable and important for us from the players who came on and those who came off… the team spirit is great.

“You could hear the players who came off shouting onto the lads on the pitch and even the ones who didn’t come on were like coaches, like we were! It’s a great feeling amongst the squad.”

United saw two points slip through their grasp when being held to a dramatic 2-2 draw by Southampton, but they could move into the Champions League spots if results go their way on Thursday.

Dwight Yorke has revealed he asked legendary Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson for a year off after helping the club to their historic treble triumph in 1999.

The Trinidad and Tobago international forward was a key figure as United won the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League in the 1998-99 campaign, a trio of trophies which has never since been matched by an English club in the same season.

Yorke scored 29 goals in 52 appearances in all competitions that season - and clearly felt his efforts warranted a significant rest, revealing he made the bold move of going into Ferguson's office and asking for a year off to celebrate and recuperate.

He told the UTD Podcast: "Yeah (he asked Sir Alex for a year off), with pay. I mean what else is there to do in football after winning the treble?

"I was on such a high. It was ridiculous. Concorde was flying back then and I remember we went to New York. Back in the days they used to put you up with the pilot. I got to New York and I thought 'what else is there to achieve after this?' because everything else will be a failure or deemed as a failure.

"I went into the gaffer's office and said 'what are we doing? After winning the treble there's nothing to do. Can I have a year off from football with pay? Then I'll come back the next year and rejoin the team'.

"I honestly don't know what made me think that. What more could we possibly do as a team? Yeah we could repeat it but if you don't then the team is a failure. If there was a time you were going to ask the gaffer for anything, that was it. I didn't have anything to lose. 

"He could only tell me to f*** off, which he did. He said 'f*** off and get lost'. It was jokingly but if he had said to take a year off then I would have done. But I knew that wasn't going to happen so I thought it was worth a try."

United won the Premier League by a single point from Arsenal in the 1998-99 season, before defeating Newcastle United 2-0 in the FA Cup final.

The treble was completed in dramatic style in the Champions League final at Barcelona's Camp Nou, with injury-time strikes from Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer earning a 2-1 victory over Bayern Munich.

Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson insists that beating Manchester City’s 100-point record was never a “goal” for the Reds, with Jurgen Klopp’s side still revelling in a first title triumph for 30 years.

In an ideal world, their lofty standards, which have sent a number of other records tumbling in 2019-20, would have been maintained through to the end of an elongated campaign.

With a Premier League crown wrapped up, though, focus has started to waver at Anfield. Defeats have been suffered against City and Arsenal, while a previously faultless home record was tarnished in a 1-1 draw with Burnley.

Uncharacteristic errors have crept into Liverpool’s game, with 99 points now the best that they can achieve, but Alisson says nobody in Klopp’s squad was looking beyond ending a long wait for title glory.

The Brazilian goalkeeper told beIN Sports on missing out on another piece of history: “This [the points record] wasn’t a goal for us to be honest, but you start to think ‘we can break a record’ and it’s a good thing but if you don’t break it, it’s ok.

“The most important thing is our goal, we play to be champions, and this is our main goal and we achieved this. Nothing that we are doing now, the small details in a bad way, can take off the shine that we have for being champions.”

Alisson was among those to make a costly mistake in Liverpool’s 2-1 defeat to Arsenal, with Virgil van Dijk also aiding the Gunners’ cause, but Klopp’s side will not be reading too much into their faults and will instead look to remain positive and learn from the rare setbacks they suffer.

“We are human beings. We did amazing things on a football pitch for this club over the past two years,” Alisson added. “We are still human beings. We have the same feelings and emotions as normal people, we are normal people.

“We are ordinary people but we practice sport of a high level and when you are not 100% involved on this and you play against good opponents and they play on their highest level, you are punished for that.

“We have to make the best of this. We have to learn from our mistakes and just keep going, keep playing and giving our best.

“We need to find again our way to play. We started this night in a good way but we didn’t finish in a good way.

“After we scored a goal we dropped a little bit and stopped making the runs we need to do to defend.

“We made mistakes that usually we are there to cover but we weren’t there and we got punished. We suffered with the loss but we are still the champions and still have a good feeling inside.”

It is “impossible” for a move to the Premier League to be ruled out for James Rodriguez, admits the Real Madrid outcast’s stepfather, with Atletico Madrid and Serie A other options that will be explored.

The Colombia international is expected to make his way through the exits at Santiago Bernabeu in the next transfer window.

That is because a frustrating spell has been endured in the Spanish capital since returning from a two-year loan at German giants Bayern Munich.

James was expected to be drafted back into the fold by the Blancos, but Zinedine Zidane has continued to overlook him on a regular basis and the 29-year-old is currently being frozen out completely.

Various options are being mooted for the South American playmaker as he mulls over his next move.

A switch to England has been speculated on for some time, with the likes of Manchester United, Arsenal and Everton credited with interest.

A crossing of the Madrid divide to Atletico has also been talked up of late, while a fresh start in Italy would hold obvious appeal to a man with the creative qualities to thrive on such a stage.

James’ stepfather, Juan Carlos Restrepo, admits no doors are being closed, telling Super Combo del Deporte en Cali: “I just want to see him happy and playing first-team football on a regular basis.

“There are plenty of top-class clubs interested in his services.

“I'm a big fan of Spanish football and he's been linked with Atletico Madrid, which I would love as they have wonderful fans and an excellent new stadium. 

“We'll have to wait and see what transpires with it being impossible to rule out a move to the Premier League or Serie A too.”

James could be forgiven for having aired his frustration at how things have played out at Real, but he is considered to have acted maturely and will now carefully weigh up his options in order to ensure that his next challenge is the best one for this stage of his career.

Restrepo added: “My view is that James is a professional and he has behaved in this manner in recent times, working hard and showing his ability in every training session.

“James will listen to the advice offered to him by his agent (Jorge Mendes) and then make a coherent and responsible decision.”

Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema harbours a deep desire to return to Lyon, according to the player's former agent Karim Djaziri, although the representative admitted that OL may have to wait some time to be reunited with the 32-year-old.

Despite entering the twilight years of his career at the top of the game, Benzema has been a stand-out performer for Los Blancos this season, playing a pivotal role in pushing the club to the brink of La Liga success in the wake of Cristiano Ronaldo having left for Juventus.

Indeed, having plundered 19 goals across 35 Liga appearances this term, the Frenchman continues to outshine Luka Jovic, with the Serbian failing to live up to his €60 million (£55m/$68m) price tag.

As such, Benzema could well be offered an extension at the Santiago Bernabeu, with his current deal set to run out in the summer of 2022. If not, however, it could be homeward bound for the centre-forward.

“Today, with the situation that he is in at Real Madrid, he has reached the peak of what every footballer wants,” Djaziri said in an interview with OLTV. “Playing in Madrid, being very close with his coach, adored by the public... it is not possible that he'll back a comeback today.

“But, since he left Lyon, Karim has had only one desire and that is to return to Lyon. Will it be as a player? It remains a regret for Karim not to have gone further in the Champions League. When he left, Lyon made the semi-finals.”

Benzema's time at Madrid has not always been plain sailing, however, having fallen out of favour under former boss Jose Mourinho. And Djaziri credits himself with making sure the striker stayed in the Spanish capital to fight for his place.

“When things went wrong with Mourinho, he would say to me, 'I want to go back to Lyon'. But I said to him, 'No, you're going to stick it out and you're going to make it'. And he made it,” Djaziri added.

“It's in the back of his mind and I think [a return to Lyon] is possible. If he has the legs and he thinks it's time to go and do something good, he'll come back. If he doesn't return as a player, I see him returning to Lyon in another role perhaps. I know that he really wants it.”

Genk manager Hannes Wolf has confirmed Paul Onuachu will resume training on Friday after recovering from the coronavirus.

Last week, the lanky forward tested positive to Covid-19 on his return from Nigeria to the Luminus Arena ahead of their friendly game against Eendracht Termien, which was subsequently cancelled.

The Super Eagles striker has since been in quarantine but has not fully recovered from the virus and tested negative after another round of test.

The 26-year-old forward also missed the Blue and White’s victory over Royal Union Saint-Gilloise in Wednesday’s friendly.

Wolf has confirmed the forward can now rejoin the rest of his squad ahead of their clash against Dutch side Excelsior. 

"But Friday he [Onuachu] will just train with the group. Paul can also compete against Excelsior on Friday in the exhibition match,” Wolf told Het Nieuws Blad.

Onuachu scored 10 goals and provided two assists in 29 appearances across all competitions to help Genk finish seventh on the Belgian First Division A table last season.

The forward teamed up with the Luminus Arena outfit last summer from Danish side Midtjylland where he spent seven years and bagged 52 goals in 135 league games.

His fine form in front of goal caught the attention of Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr, who handed him a call-up in March 2019.

The 26-year-old striker made his debut for Nigeria against Egypt in a friendly and has now featured six times for the West Africans.

Onuachu started his career with Ebedei in Nigeria before moving to Europe in 2012 to join Midtjylland youth setup on a scholarship.

The forward will hope to play a prominent role for Genk in their build-up pre-season games to the 2020-21 campaign.

Manchester United legend Peter Schmeichel is happy to have been proved wrong by David de Gea, with the former Red Devils goalkeeper admitting that he wanted Manuel Neuer to be snapped up as Edwin van der Sar’s successor.

For the vast majority of Sir Alex Ferguson’s reign at Old Trafford, a reliable option was found to fill an important role between the sticks.

Schmeichel, Fabian Barthez and Van der Sar were all proven performers at the very highest level and left Manchester with Premier League titles to their name.

A challenge presented itself, though, in the summer of 2011 when Ferguson dipped back into the market for a long-term option to fill a No.1 berth.

He opted to raid Atletico Madrid for a 20-year-old Spaniard with plenty of potential, but saw De Gea endure early struggles in England.

Schmeichel feared a mistake had been made in not moving for Neuer, who left Schalke for Bayern Munich in the same year, but he has been forced to eat his words by a keeper who now has 400 appearances for United under his belt and four Player of the Year awards.

Schmeichel told United’s ‘Unscripted’ series: “They knew it was so important to get it right (Van der Sar’s replacement) and not spend years chasing the situation.

“At the time, I actually thought there was an obvious answer. You had to look at how we play and ask: right, where’s the guy that’s going to slot in? To me, we’d very recently seen the answer. I thought Manuel Neuer was a perfect fit for us.

“He’d just been up against United with Schalke in the Champions League and, even though Schalke lost the tie, he’d shown us precisely what he could do. He was a very aggressive goalkeeper. He played like I played. I played to my strengths. I knew where my weaknesses were and I tried desperately not to end up in situations where they might be exposed.

“I was always trying to get my defenders to protect me from that. I really liked the way Neuer played – it might be because I played like that myself – and to me, it felt like a natural move. He suited us well and we wouldn’t have had to change how we played.

“Of course, I knew about David de Gea because he was a young player already playing for Atletico Madrid’s first team, so you just knew he obviously had something special, but I didn’t think we’d be going for him.

“So when we did move for him, I honestly couldn’t understand why we’d gone down that route. I thought the experience of what had happened between me and Edwin would have been used, so it looked unusual to me.”

Schmeichel added on De Gea’s rise to prominence, with the most testing of starts overcome: “He was so bad, according to the media. A huge mistake. But then he became so good, and I can tell you the moment that everything changed for David.

“It was at Stamford Bridge in his first season. We’d gone 3-0 down and fought back to 3-3, and then, right at the end of the game, he clawed away a free-kick from Juan Mata, right in the top corner, and saved a point for us right at the end.

“From that point on, I was looking at David and thinking, ‘this guy… he’s something special. This guy’s mentality is incredible. You can’t break him’. That’s how you need to be when you’re in goal for Manchester United. You have to be as strong as anything.

“Any little mistake is a headline tomorrow. If you can’t deal with that, then it’ll break you. David? He went to a really tough school and came out the other side, in no time at all really.

Former Borussia Dortmund player Mustafa Amini has revealed the tough training methods of his former coach David Wagner, including 4am starts and running up and down hills for 90 minutes.

Australia international Amini was on the books of Dortmund from 2011 to 2015, although he never made a first team appearance, instead playing for the second team under the management of Wagner, now head coach at Schalke.

Amini, who now plays for Danish club Aarhus GF, said he initially struggled to adapt to Wagner's high-intensity training methods, but they ultimately made him a better footballer.

Speaking exclusively to Goal and SPOX, Amini said: “He was very strict and made sure he got what he wanted. I still remember how we lost a friendly game against a fourth or fifth division team. The next morning we had to be at the training ground at 4 am.

“We were running uphill with medicine balls for an hour and a half. This shows the ruthlessness of German football.

“In one of my first matches for the second team against Munster I came in, made a mistake, we lost the game at the end and Wagner was screaming at me on the pitch. 

“The next day he said that it might be hard for me because I am Australian and not used to the German culture. But I stayed and asserted myself in the third year.”

While Amini never played for the Dortmund first team after joining from A-League club Central Coast Mariners in 2011, he did come into contact with former manager Jurgen Klopp, now in charge of Premier League champions Liverpool.

The central midfielder is full of praise for Klopp's man-management abilities, which he said were more personal than any other coaching methods he has come across.

Amini said: “The first time I met him was in the changing room. I remember how he shook Dede’s hand as if they were best friends. I have never seen a coach doing this. Usually they are serious and distant. He always used to give hugs to the players.

“One day he asked me to come into his office. We sat there for more than an hour and talked about football and life in general. For a coach of his standard that was unusual, but it shows what type of person he actually is.”

Comparing Klopp and Wagner, Amini said there was plenty to admire in both men, and they both brought out the best in their players.

He said: “With both coaches the players give their absolute maximum. They are nice, but they are not easy. If they do not get what they want, you will know about it for sure. They are always honest with you, while some coaches lack that honesty.”

Harry Maguire may be the most expensive defender in world football, but Paul Parker says the £80 million ($101m) asset cannot play the role being asked of him at Manchester United and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer needs to dip back into the market for a left-sided centre-half.

The Red Devils sought to address issues at the heart of their back four when putting a record-breaking deal in place with Leicester during the summer of 2019.

England international Maguire was taken onto their books, with the uncompromising 27-year-old quickly proving himself to be captain material. He has become a leader in Solskjaer’s pack, but is also having to cover the deficiencies of others by filling a role that is not his best.

Parker hopes to see that issue addressed in the next transfer window, with a potentially costly 2-2 draw with Southampton last time out proving that United remain a work in progress despite going unbeaten in their last 18 games.

The former Red Devils full-back told Eurosport: “Anything but top four will be seen as failure for Manchester United, unless they win the Europa League and get into the Champions League from the side.

“Everyone would be content with that, but because they gave themselves a chance of top four and had the opportunity to get there and failed, if they don't get there now everyone will look at the Saints game and throw it at Manchester United.

“One of the reasons why everyone is upset is because everything's gone so well. It's gone well pre-lockdown, post lockdown, but you have to say the previous two performances against Bournemouth and Aston Villa weren't as assured as the Brighton game where they were very, very clinical.

"There were too many passes in the final third against Bournemouth and maybe the same can be said for the game against Southampton.

“When you look at Saints' form, they're decent, it's going to be their most difficult game maybe left, and it proved to be that way. The first goal United gave away was awful, you can question Paul Pogba in possession but also the weaker part of defence is on the left-hand side of defence, Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw were found wanting.

"At this moment in time, the weak spot in United is the defence.

“I think the back four needs organisation and leadership and at this time there's no one holding it together. They need another centre-half, and he needs to be left-sided because Maguire can't play on the left side.

"Brandon WIlliams needs to come in at left-back too. I thought he deserved an opportunity pre lockdown and now he should start playing regularly, it's important he gets more game time.

“You also have to look at what happened to United when their best two midfielders came off the pitch [Pogba and Bruno Fernandes], they just had nothing going forward and everything was backs to the wall, they just sat so deep and went defensive. It's a shame they couldn't get three points, but a draw was a fair result.”

Before the transfer window opens on July 27, United still have time in which to wrap up Champions League qualification and help themselves to major silverware, with Crystal Palace set to present the next hurdle for them to overcome at Selhurst Park on Thursday.

England have announced a friendly against Wales at Wembley on October 8.

Gareth Southgate's side will take on their cross-border rivals behind closed doors in their first home game of 2020, with the game kicking off at 8pm local time.

The last meeting between the two countries was in a group match at Euro 2016, when England secured a 2-1 victory courtesy of Daniel Sturridge's last-gasp goal, after Jamie Vardy had earlier equalised following a Gareth Bale free-kick.

It will also be the first meeting at Wembley between the 2018 World Cup semi-finalists and Wales since September 2011, when Ashley Young scored the winner in a Euro 2012 qualifier.

England will use the Wales fixture to stage a tribute to former internationals who have died in the past 12 months, including 1966 World Cup winners Jack Charlton, Martin Peters, Norman Hunter and Peter Bonetti.

Both sides were expecting a much busier 2020, with England and Wales having qualified for the European Championships which were scheduled to take place this summer.

However, the tournament has been postponed until the summer of 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic, meaning the match will also form part of extended preparations for that competition.

The match will be played behind closed doors, as a result of the ongoing social distancing measures enforced because of the pandemic.

The friendly will be the first of three games in six days in a packed October schedule for England - after taking on Ryan Giggs' side, they face Belgium on the 11th and Denmark on the 14th, with both of those games also at Wembley.

The Belgium and Denmark fixtures form part of the UEFA Nations League campaign, with England also in a group with Iceland.

Wales meanwhile will also have two competitive fixtures in short order after their visit to Wembley, with games away to Republic of Ireland and Bulgaria, as part of their own Nations League group which also features Finland.

This will be the 103rd meeting between England and Wales, with the English winning 67 previous clashes to just 14 for the Welsh, with 21 draws ever since their first footballing encounter in 1879.

Dan Mule is the latest to announce his interest in the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) top seat.

The successful businessman joins the growing list of presidential aspirants in the forthcoming elections. The immediate former AFC Leopards chairman has exuded confidence in changing the reputation of the game in the country in a bid to develop it.

"I will vie for the FKF presidential seat in the forthcoming election," Mule told Goal on Thursday.

"Football is not doing well in the country owing to regular fights, and it is something I want to change. I want to sanitize the game and make peace with everyone for players and the country at large to benefit."

The administrator has also stated he wants to streamline the top-tier whose quality has been deteriorating with players opting to join other well-paying leagues in the continent. 

"Look at the Zambian top-tier, Tanzania and Uganda as well, they are improving day in, day out," Mule added.

"Our players are not enjoying playing in the Kenyan Premier League (KPL) because of financial problems. In the 2019/20 season, we saw several walk-overs given out by several teams, it is something we want to amend.

"The Ugandan Premier League has grown in that it is now also producing players regularly to Europe, it is something I also want to ensure happens in the KPL, I want to streamline it."

Sponsors have been shying from giving football a helping hand, but the aspirant believes he can convince them to invest in the game.

"You have to create a favourable environment to have corporates coming in to sponsor the game," Mule continued.

"We have to work together with the government and all stakeholders, and this will convince many sponsors to come on board. 

The incumbent Nick Mwendwa, former president Sam Nyamweya, Nicholas Musonye, Omondi Aduda, Twaha Mbarak, Herbert Mwachiro and Sammy Sholei are other individuals in the race.

"I have no problem with them, everyone has his plans, so we will present the same to delegates and whoever brings the best should be considered, and I believe my vision will convince them to vote for me," he concluded.

Kepa Arrizabalaga has become a “massive issue” for Chelsea, claims Chris Sutton, with the former Blues striker saying “more business” is required from Frank Lampard in the next transfer window.

Roman Abramovich has already freed up funds that have allowed deals for Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner to be put in place.

They are considered to be exciting additions to a promising young squad at Stamford Bridge, but more arrivals are expected.

Frank Lampard is looking to wrap up a top-four finish that will make it easier for him to add, with Champions League football holding obvious appeal to ambitious performers.

Sutton hopes more money will be made available in west London, with Chelsea still having a number of issues to address – starting between the sticks and the most expensive goalkeeper in world football.

The ex-Blues frontman told Stadium Astro: "What's been the positives for Chelsea this season?

"The likes of [Mason] Mount coming to the fore, Tammy Abraham coming to the fore, they've now done some good business with Ziyech and Werner, so things are looking up.

"But they need to do some more business as well.

"I think the goalkeeper is a massive issue and defensively they've conceded too many goals.

"Frank will know that but there's no point worrying about that at this moment in time.

"Get over the line, get a Champions League spot, you know the riches which come from the Champions League and the finance which comes with that, and then he can address all these issues once the season finishes."

Sutton is not the only former Chelsea star to have pointed out that Lampard still has much work to do in order to turn the Blues into serious contenders for the very biggest prizes available.

Ex-midfielder Craig Burley has also called for more work to be done on the recruitment front over the coming weeks.

He has told ESPN FC: "What they've done is they've gone out and bought attacking players so far.

"But I think we can see the centre-half position and certainly the left-back position needs addressing.

"Although [Marcos] Alonso does some good things going forward, he has generally operated better as a wing-back.

"So I think there are some huge concerns there in that position, as well as the goalkeeper who clearly was untested [in a 1-0 win over Norwich] but there has been animosity between the goalkeeper and the coaching staff, we know that from the last six months or so."

Former Orlando Pirates left-back Phetso Maphanga has conceded that he “got overwhelmed” by the stiff competition at the club which led to his short-lived stint, but still believes that he can sign for another giant again.

The unsuccessful stint at Pirates, marked by very limited playing minutes, appears to unfaze Maphanga who says he sees himself turning out for a “bigger team again in future.”

Signed by Milutin Sredojevic midway through the 2017/2018 season from Chippa United, Maphanga featured in just four matches across all competitions for the rest of that campaign.

The following season, he only managed one league appearance, lasting just the first half of the term and was sent back to Chippa on loan before the move was switched to a permanent signing in July 2019.

“I failed, I failed. I won't say I was not ready or blame coaches,” Maphanga told Sowetan Live.

“I arrived in January that's in the middle of the season and the coach [Milutin Sredojevic] was using many players, but I couldn't impress.

“I think I failed because of pressure and maybe it was not meant to be at that time. Pirates have a lot of quality players and the competition is so stiff, each and every game you must play to win, so maybe at that time I got overwhelmed by all that.”

The defender says his stint at Pirates offered him valuable lessons and he has not yet lost hope of signing for a bigger club.

"Obviously, I see myself playing for a bigger team again in future. I have the potential. I learnt from what happened at Pirates. Everything would work well now,” said Maphanga.

“When I am injury-free, I know what I can offer on the pitch. But at this moment my focus is on Chippa. I want to continue giving my all to this beautiful club that I love.”

Injuries have been a major setback for Maphanga at Chippa where he has also been enduring limited game time.

During the second half of last season where he arrived on loan from Pirates, the left-back played just four games in all competitions.

This campaign has also seen him battling to just five games and it is yet to be seen if he could pick himself up in the event that football resumes in South Africa.

Bafana Bafana and Amiens SC midfielder Bongani Zungu continues to attract interest from European clubs as his agent Alexis Ramalingam confirms he is talking to a French club and others in Europe.

The former Mamelodi Sundowns anchorman is reportedly on the radar of Scottish giants Rangers FC but his handler has refused to name the clubs that are keen to land the South African's signature.

Meanwhile, reports in Scotland suggests the recently-relegated Amiens are willing to let ‘Ben10’ leave for around €4million (approximately £3.8million) after he entered into the last year of his contract in the north of France.

“There’s a big possibility that he leaves France this summer but we can’t comment about any clubs for now in order to respect the clubs we are in talks with,” Ramalingam told Scotsman.

“There’s interest in Ligue 1 and in other parts of Europe but I just can’t reveal where for now.”

Just after his club was relegated to Ligue 2 following a decision to call the 2019/20 Ligue1 campaign was forcefully completed because of the coronavirus pandemic, Zungu expressed his desire to further his career elsewhere in Europe.

The publication indicates that a long-term deal is on the table waiting for Zungu should the two teams eventually come to an agreement, with the Bafana international eager to make the switch to Scotland and play Uefa Europa League football under Steven Gerrard next season.

In addition, the Scottish outlet has it that the team managed by former Liverpool midfielder and skipper is prepared to pay the money wanted by Amiens.

The former University of Pretoria midfielder parted ways with the reigning Premier Soccer League (PSL) champions and joined Vitoria de Guimaraes in Portugal in 2016, before finding his way to Amiens in Ligue 1 the following year.

Zungu came close to completing his switch to Real Mallorca in the Spanish La Liga in the January transfer window, but the French club opted to retain his services at the last hour but that has not affected the 27-year-old’s interest of going to play in the Spanish top-flight.

Taking a look at his contribution this past term, the Duduza-born midfielder featured in 24 games across all competitions and netted a single goal and one assist.