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Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu has admitted Xavi will become the club's manager "sooner or later" but revealed the club is ready to back Quique Setien for next season. 

The Catalans have struggled to impress under Setien and are currently second in La Liga with Real Madrid in pole position to claim the league title. 

That situation, combined with Barcelona's lacklustre displays, has led to speculation Setien could be replaced at season's end with Xavi himself preparing for a return to Camp Nou as a manager. 

But while Bartomeu has confirmed Xavi is a future Barcelona coach, the club president has thrown his immediate support behind Setien, with the pair already discussing plans for next season. 

"Xavi will be Barca's coach, sooner or later. But right now we are not looking for a coach, we are with Quique," Bartomeu told TV3. 

“Quique Setien will coach the team in the Champions League and these last two Liga games that are left.

"We have had a very atypical season, we will play in August and he will be the coach. If we overcome Napoli, we will be in Lisbon.

"Our will is to fulfil contracts and Setien has one. We went to Setien's house to speak about the future, the plans for next season. He will probably be there and I am very interested to hear what he thinks.

"He has a lot of time for Riqui Puig and Ansu [Fati]. We have seen Pedri and [Francisco] Trincao in form, there is hope.”

While Setien may be safe for now, Xavi is readying himself for the chance takeover at Barca when the right opportunity presents itself.

"The biggest hope I have now is to be Barca coach and get Barca back to winning ways," Xavi told Sport in June.

"Not me but these players and Barca triumphing. And as a consequence, our technical staff, who are preparing for it a lot and it makes us really excited.

"I'm a club man. I would like to return at the right moment to start a project from zero. I've said it a lot of times but I want to take footballing decisions at Barcelona.

"It's clear that after the elections the stage would be set, of course. I'm not ruling anything out.

"They came for me in January, we were speaking. I told them the circumstances and timing weren't right."

Jurgen Klopp has told his Liverpool youngsters they could have "beautiful" futures if they continue improving.

The likes of Curtis Jones, 19, and Neco Williams, 19, have been given chances in recent matches for the champions, who were held to a 1-1 draw by Burnley on Saturday, while 17-year-old Harvey Elliott has made two Premier League appearances this season.

Liverpool need three wins from their final three games to break Manchester City's record of 100 points in a single Premier League season.

Klopp, whose team are away to Arsenal on Wednesday, said the club's youngsters had plenty of time to grow.

"I'm not sure it's about how high the stakes are, it's about how ready are the boys?" the Liverpool manager told UK media, via the Mirror.

"There are no old and young players, there are only good and not so good players and I hope we have only good players, exceptional players.

"The problem, not just for young players, but all players not now in the first line-up – this team is really good. It is difficult to play 40 games in a row.

"But young players have so much time on their hands that they really can improve and don't have the pressure, especially not from us. If they use the time, then the future is beautiful for them."

After visiting Arsenal, Liverpool will host Chelsea before a trip to Newcastle United.

Former Liverpool player Steve McManaman recently said that he is delighted that he is not seeing much of the club’s academy players because it is evidence that they are thriving in the first-team.

“When I see some of the players who are excelling at the Academy, there's nothing better than not seeing them again,” he told LFCTV’s ‘The Academy’ show.

“I mean that in the nicest way because they move up to Melwood, and I love it when I don't see them again because it means they're at Melwood and they're excelling at Melwood. 

“There's nothing better for these younger players with talent to play with better players, to play with players who are at the top of the game. 

“I love the fact that Leighton and Jake are there, Neco Williams is there and Curtis Jones has, of course, been there a while, like a number of the older ones. But whenever they disappear to Melwood and hold their own, that means they're improving, that means they're getting better.”  

Paris Saint-Germain head coach Thomas Tuchel expects a tough Champions League clash against Atalanta, but his focus is elsewhere for now.

Around 5,000 fans were in attendance as PSG thrashed Le Havre 9-0 in a friendly on Sunday.

PSG have been drawn to face Atalanta in the Champions League quarter-finals, but have a Coupe de France final against Saint-Etienne and Coupe de la Ligue decider against Lyon prior to that.

Tuchel said he knew PSG would be tested by Atalanta in Lisbon in August, but he is focused on domestic matters.

"It will be difficult but it's not a surprise because we will play a quarter-final. There are eight teams that want to win this competition. Every team can win their three games," the PSG coach said.

"It will be a very difficult game [against Atalanta], it will be very tough. They have many qualities. We have seen that when they played against Juventus [on Saturday]. It is a balanced and offensive team. It is a very physical team. But now, we can't think about that.

"Our challenge is to arrive in Lisbon with two titles. Now we are going to prepare our game against Saint-Etienne. It's the only game that is in my head right now. Then, we will think about Lyon. Then I think we will have 12 days to get ready for our game against Atalanta. We have to go step by step. The first step will be our game against Saint-Etienne."

PSG will be without Edinson Cavani (free agent), Thomas Meunier (Borussia Dortmund) and Tanguy Kouassi (Bayern Munich) for the remainder of the Champions League after the trio departed.

Tuchel said it made life harder for PSG, but he urged his players to push on.

"I am sad that we have lost three key players for this competition – Tanguy, Edi and Thomas Meunier," he said.

"That makes things harder for us. PSG need qualities and a great squad. But all the players did good [against Le Havre] and we have to keep going.

"We all have good relationships. We are ready to continue. Today was a good start."

Neymar, Mauro Icardi and Pablo Sarabia scored braces against Le Havre, while Kylian Mbappe, Idrissa Gueye and Arnaud Muinga were also on the scoresheet.

Franck Kessie's penalty earned Milan a 2-2 Serie A draw against Napoli, but they had to ride out a tense finale with 10 men at the San Paolo on Sunday. 

Milan claimed a stunning victory over Juventus last time out and took the lead through Theo Hernandez in the first half, but goals either side of the interval from Giovanni Di Lorenzo and Dries Mertens put Napoli in control. 

After Gianluigi Donnarumma let the second goal slip through his legs, Kessie spared his blushes by converting from the spot in the 73rd minute after Nikola Maksimovic felled substitute Giacomo Bonaventura. 

Napoli pushed for a winner after Alexis Saelemaekers picked up two bookings in as many minutes, but Milan avoided a blow to their hopes of European qualification and the difference between the sides remains at two points. 

Stefano Pioli's side owed a debt to Donnarumma for stopping them from falling behind in the early exchanges, as he thwarted Mertens before diving on Jose Callejon's scuffed effort from six yards in the 19th minute. 

Milan took full advantage by going straight up the other end and taking the lead, Hernandez volleying home at the back post after Ante Rebic showed great awareness to pick him out. 

However, Napoli got back on level terms when Donnarumma failed to deal with a whipped free-kick from Lorenzo Insigne and Di Lorenzo stuck the loose ball into the open goal. 

Milan started the second half positively but fell behind when Callejon cut the ball back to Mertens, his low drive finding a way through Donnarumma as it squirmed over the line. 

Pioli responded by sending on Bonaventura and he won the spot-kick that Kessie coolly converted into the bottom-left corner. 

Substitute Saelemaekers chopped down Di Lorenzo and Eljif Elmas in quick succession to leave Milan a man light for the final three minutes of normal time, though the visitors stood firm. 

What does it mean? Gattuso held by former club 

Gennaro Gattuso won the Scudetto and the Champions League twice each with Milan during his playing career, but his tenure as coach was far less successful. 

He already has a Coppa Italia trophy to his name during his time in the dugout at Napoli and, in his first match against his old team, he almost claimed a victory over the Rossoneri. 

While he will be disappointed to have been denied all three points, he at least extended Napoli's unbeaten league run against Milan to 11 games. 

Magical Mertens not enough 

After being denied by Donnarumma following a lovely dribble in the first half, Mertens got the better of the goalkeeper on the hour mark. He linked the play well and also created two chances for his team-mates.

Saelemaekers sees red 

Saelemaekers replaced the disappointing Lucas Paqueta at half-time but added little for Milan before leaving them under unnecessary late pressure with a pair of needless rash challenges. 

What's next? 

Milan host Parma at San Siro on Wednesday, while Napoli are away to Bologna on the same day. 

Former Asante Kotoko coach Steven Polack has expressed frustration by the club's supposed inappropriate behaviour towards him and other victims of a 2017 motor accident.

A team official lost his life while several others were injured when the Porcupine Warriors bus crashed into a stationary truck on their return to Kumasi from a Ghana Premier League match in Accra.

Former goalkeeper Isaac Amoako and striker Sadick Adams, both victims, have earlier called out the club over the lack of action as the side marked three years after the fatal incident on Sunday.

“Basically it’s a human thing that you do that - you come to your employee’s aid when there has been some kind of problem to your employee," current Gor Mahia coach Polack, who coached Kotoko between 2017 and 2018, told Wontumi FM.

“You are an employee and you are working for an employer, you expect them [employer] to take care of you in whatever happens to you during your contract or the length you’ve been working there, so we are expecting them [Kotoko] to do that [compensate us].

“Let’s be honest, they [Kotoko management] are adults, they should know these things. If the tables turn around and it happens to them, how will they feel?

"Three years later and we still haven’t been compensated. What if it were them in the accident? Don’t you think they would have already got their compensation?

“So always you need to put yourself in other people’s shoes and feel it too. Kotoko needs to compensate us [accident victims].”

Kotoko had visited Accra to take on Inter Allies at El-Wak Stadium.

On their way back to Kumasi after a 1-0 reversal, the bus, carrying 15 players, seven technical officials and two journalists, slammed into a truck on the Nkawkaw road.

Deputy equipment officer Thomas Obeng Asare, unfortunately, could not make it out of the wreckage alive.

Several others, including players Baba Mahama, Michael Akuffo, Amoako and Owusu Sefa sustained various degrees of injuries, resulting in the hospitalisation of some of the victims.

Kotoko are arguably the biggest club in Ghana, having won a record 23 league titles and command the biggest fanbase.

Polack has also coached Ghanaian clubs King Faisal and Berekum Chelsea and is currently in charge of Kenyan champions Gor Mahia.

Mikel Arteta could not hide his frustration after seeing Arsenal throw away a winning position to fall further behind in the race for a spot in Europe next season. 

A win for the Gunners in Sunday's north London derby would have restored them to within a point of seventh-placed Sheffield United, who thrashed Chelsea 3-0 the previous day to strengthen their claim on the final Europa League spot. 

But despite going ahead via Alexandre Lacazette's brilliant long-ranged strike, the visitors could only watch as Tottenham grabbed an instant equaliser through Son Heung-Min before Toby Alderweireld secured victory with a late header. 

That defeat means that Arsenal now languish in eight place in the Premier League standings, leaving Arteta to rue a missed opportunity to make up ground on their rivals.

"I am disappointed and frustrated and really sorry for the boys first, because the way they played today and the personality they showed today, to come into this ground and show who we are, to nullify the opponents and press them high, forcing them to kick the ball long and defend in a low block," the manager told reporters after the game.

"That's exactly what we wanted to do. But obviously, if you give the two goals away that we have given against these players, it is very difficult to win a derby.

"Points wise it's a massive blow because we know the results this weekend. But we will keep trying while we have any hope. This is who we are at the moment and we will fight in two different ways - one is the league and the other is the FA Cup - to do our best to finish as strongly as possible."

Son's equaliser was product of a horrendous mistake at the back between Sead Kolasinac and David Luiz, while Arsenal's marking at the corner which gave Spurs all three points was also far from flawless. 

Arteta recognised that his charges had to cut down on the blunders if they wished to fight at the top, while praising their efforts to win throughout.

"If we minimise the mistakes that we do and we keep playing like that, we're going to win many, many, many football games. Because we're going to make it really difficult for the opponent. I'm sure of that," he added.

"But these two aspects, one has to be maintained and the other one has to be avoided and it's on us. They believe in what we're doing.

"You can see how they are trying and how they are going. It's a shame because if you are able to win that well in such a big ground, on such a big stage as with today, it gives you big belief. I am gutted as well for them because they really tried."

Arsenal are back in action on Wednesday, when they host Premier League champions Liverpool at the Emirates Stadium.

Former Hull City defender Alex Bruce has advised Everton midfielder Alex Iwobi to be consistent with good performances if he hopes to secure a starting spot in Carlo Ancelotti’s team.

Since his £35 million move from Arsenal last summer, the 24-year-old has been struggling for form on Merseyside and has scored just a single goal in 24 league appearances this season.

On Sunday, Iwobi played 34 minutes of football after replacing Anthony Gordon as Everton were hammered 3-0 by Wolverhampton Wanderers in a Premier League outing.

Following his introduction, the Nigeria international did not register any shots, but he managed to make a key pass and a successful dribble.

Bruce, in his assessment of the former Arsenal star, described his Everton career has ‘stop-start’ and urged him to turn his form around if intends to be in Ancelotti’s plans.

“Arsenal let him go for probably similar reasons as you’ve said. It’s not often you’d let a lad with his attributes and age leave to go to a rival club in Everton,” Bruce told Football Insider.

“You would have hoped he would have kicked on but unfortunately it’s been a little bit stop-start for him and if he’s going to cement a place in someone like Carlo Ancelotti’s team, he’ll need to start performing on a regular basis.

“He needs to start turning in good performances on a regular basis if he wants to be in Ancelotti’s plans.”

Iwobi matched his uncle Jay-Jay Okocha’s 124th Premier League appearance with his outing at the Molineux Stadium on Sunday.

He made his debut in the English top-flight at Arsenal in October 2015 and he played 100 league matches before his exit in 2019.

Iwobi will be aiming for an improved performance when 11th-placed Everton host Aston Villa at Goodison Park for their next league fixture on Thursday.

Liverpool are ready to sell Dejan Lovren this summer – with Zenit St Petersburg among the clubs interested in signing the Croatian international.

Lovren has been with the Reds since 2014 but is ready to move in search of regular first-team football. 

The 31-year-old is behind both Joe Gomez and Joel Matip in the Anfield pecking order, and has made only 15 appearances in all competitions this season. His last start came at Watford in February, when Jurgen Klopp’s side were beaten for the first time in the Premier League. 

Liverpool are aware of interest from a number of clubs, with Zenit’s believed to be particularly strong. 

Reports in Russia have even suggested Lovren may be available as a free transfer, despite having a year left to run on his Reds contract. Goal, though, understands that will not be the case, and that Liverpool will look to secure a fee for the former Southampton man.

Roma are another club to have been linked, having tried to sign him on loan last year, while there have also been enquiries from at least two Premier League clubs during the last six months.

Speaking to Sky Sports in June, Lovren admitted he has struggled to accept being fourth-choice under Klopp.

"It has been a test for me," he said. “But in these moments, I think you should stick with the team even more, to show your quality even if you are not on the pitch with the first XI. The next day in training, you should give everything, just to respect your team-mates.

"Of course, it's not the happiest moment when I see myself on the bench, but it's the decision of the manager. I respect it and I am always the guy who will work 200 per cent behind closed doors.

"It's just part of football. If 20 players could play, it would be nice, but there are only 11 places. Whoever is in the best shape will play and that's fair enough.”

Should Lovren depart, it will leave Liverpool light on centre-back options. Matip and Gomez have shared duties alongside Virgil van Dijk this season, but both have a history of injury problems – Matip is ruled out for the rest of this campaign with a foot problem, for example.

The Reds signed two promising Dutch teenagers, Ki-Jana Hoever and Sepp van den Berg, in 2018 and 2019 respectively, but neither has featured yet in the Premier League, although both impressed in the FA Cup against Shrewsbury back in February. There are also high hopes at the Academy for 17-year-old Frenchman Billy Koumetio, who was on the bench for the Carabao Cup game with Arsenal last October. 

Nat Phillips will return from a loan spell with Stuttgart, but has made only one senior appearance, as an emergency deputy against Everton in January.

Tottenham Hotspur forward Son Heung-min matched Emmanuel Adebayor’s record with his impressive display against Arsenal on Sunday.

The 28-year-old inspired Jose Mourinho’s men to a comeback 2-1 victory against the Emirates Stadium outfit with his contribution.

The South Korea international cancelled out Alexandre Lacazette opener with a brilliant strike in the 19th minute of the encounter.

The forward then set up Toby Alderweireld to score the all-important winning goal and thus, helped the Lilywhites bounce back to winning ways after they played out a goalless draw against Bournemouth last time out.

Son, thus, became the first Tottenham player to score and assist in a Premier League game against Arsenal since 2012 when Emmanuel Adebayor achieved the feat.

Son has now scored nine goals and provided 10 assists in 26 Premier League games this season and has 16 strikes across all competitions.

Adebayor arrived in England in 2006, joining Arsenal from French side Monaco, and scored 46 Premier League goals for the Gunners before his departure.

The Togo international then teamed up with Manchester City in 2009 before joining Spurs on loan in 2011 and following his eye-catching performances he was signed permanently in 2012.

Adebayor went on to spend three years with Tottenham and scored 18 league goals in 59 appearances amid other dazzling displays before leaving for Crystal Palace in 2016.

After leaving England, the 36-year-old forward played for Turkish Super Lig sides Istanbul Basaksehir and Kayserispor.

Adebayor is currently a free agent after departing Paraguayan Primera Division side Olimpia in July, following the termination of his contract by mutual agreement.

Paris Saint-Germain crushed Le Havre 9-0 in a friendly as France allowed supporters back into football stadiums for the first time since lockdown. 

The occasion was described as "a victory for French football" by sports minister Roxana Maracineanu, who was among the crowd of close to 5,000 at Le Havre's Stade Oceane. 

France suspended football in March due to the coronavirus pandemic and called an early halt to league competitions in April, declaring PSG champions of Ligue 1 as final positions were calculated on a points-per-game basis. 

PSG have a pair of domestic cup finals still to play, however, and remain in the Champions League, which resumes in August. 

They have been eager for the opportunity to get back into action, and it was all too easy against Le Havre, with Neymar, Mauro Icardi and Pablo Sarabia each scoring twice and Kylian Mbappe, Arnaud Kalimuendo and Idrissa Gueye also netting. 

The scoring was complete by the hour mark, with both sides having made wholesale changes for the second half as they made full use of their squads.

France has taken a structured and gradual step to reach the stage where supporters have been allowed back, and the limit of 5,000 fans at games could continue for some time to come. Competitive football in Germany, England, Spain and Italy has all been played behind closed doors since resuming. 

The government's position may mean PSG's Coupe de France final against Saint-Etienne on July 24 and the Coupe de la Ligue final against Lyon seven days later are watched by only small crowds inside the cavernous Stade de France. 

Restrictions could yet be eased before those games given the 81,000 capacity of the national stadium would allow more to be present and socially distancing, although Maracineanu has expressed caution for now. 

Maracineanu, a former Olympic swimmer, said of the return of spectators: "It is a victory for French football, for sport in France to be able to resume today in mid-July with the public." 

She added, quoted on the L'Equipe website: "Today, we can finally start to have teams meeting again to prepare for big deadlines. I am delighted that sport in France, that football in France, can resume in France in a popular way. We are the only country in Europe that can do this." 

In a separate tweet, Maracineanu wrote: "What a pleasure to see football back with supporters at Le Havre. 5000 people max for the moment but it's a progressive return to normal life for players and supporters."

Andre Ayew’s Swansea bowed 1-0 to Leeds United in Sunday’s Championship encounter.

Substitute Pablo Hernandez decided the game thanks to his 89th-minute effort to silence the Swans at the Liberty Stadium.

Fuelled by back-to-back wins against Sheffield Wednesday and Birmingham City, Steve Cooper’s men created the first chance of the evening as Rhian Brewster’s shot from 20 yards was saved by Illan Meslier.

A minute later, Ayew played Conor Gallagher forward, but he saw his strike deflect wide for a corner.

The visitors’ first clear-cut chance came in the 32nd minute after Patrick Bamford latched onto a through ball but could only fire into goalkeeper Freddie Woodman’s hands.

With five minutes left in the first-half,  Helder Costa drove down the right-wing before firing an attempt at goal from an acute angle, but Woodman made a brave save.

Goalkeeper Meslier prevented Swansea from taking the lead six minutes into the second half after catching Gallagher’s shot.

Another chance beckoned for Leeds in the 64th minute as Bamford fluffed a pass from Jack Harrison.

Four minutes later Luke Ayling tried his luck from long-range, but he was unable to keep his effort down.

With the game looking set for a draw, Hernandez got the winner.

Ayling reached the byline and cut the ball back, with the Spaniard taking a touch to control before firing low.  The ball somehow squeezed between Swansea goalkeeper Woodman and the post, hitting the upright, before rolling over the line.

Even with eight minutes added, the Swans could not level matters as the visitors moved further ahead at the top of the Championship log.

The 30-year-old Ghana captain Ayew was in action from start to finish but his presence could not give his team the desired result.

Cooper’s men are in seventh place having accrued 63 points from 43 outings so far. They would be hoping to revive their promotion bid when they travel to the City Ground on Wednesday for their clash with Nottingham Forest.

Forest were held to a 1-1 away at Preston North End on Saturday.

Chidozie Awaziem produced a solid defensive performance as Leganes grabbed a crucial 1-0 win against Valencia on Sunday.

The triumph put them three points away from relegation safety even though they are placed 18th on La Liga table with seven wins so far from 36 matches.

Ruben Perez's strike from the penalty spot in the 18th minute separated the teams at the Estadio Municipal de Butarque as Leganes stretched their unbeaten run to three games, with two wins in their last three outings.

Awaziem was in action for the duration of encounter, his 26th outing in the Spanish top-flight this campaign, while his compatriot Kenneth Omeruo did not make the matchday squad as he continues his recovery from a hamstring injury.

During the game, the 23-year-old defender, who is on a season-long loan from Porto, made the five clearances - the second-highest in Javier Aguirre's team and he completed one tackle.

He was shown a yellow card in stoppage time, which was his 10th booking in La Liga this term.

Ivory Coast forward Roger Assale, who joined Leganes on loan from Swiss outfit Young Boys in January, was an unused substitute.

Earlier this week, Awaziem shared his optimism about Leganes’ chances of beating the drop after edging bottom-placed Espanyol 1-0 last Sunday.

“I believe in the team 100%. The spirit the guys are putting in the team is massive and I believe we are going to achieve our aim and beat the drop,” the Enugu-born defender said.

“We are trying our best game by game and we showed huge character today so hopefully we can maintain this and turn it around in our remaining games.”

They will be aiming to stretch their three-game unbeaten streak when they visit seventh-placed Athletic Club on Thursday.

Next Sunday, Leganes will end their 2019-20 La Liga campaign with a home fixture against league leaders Real Madrid.

Rachel Sebati and Letago Madiba made history with ALG Spor as their side won the Turkish Kadinlar Ligi title for the first time.

The South African duo joined the Turkish giants in 2019 following their brief but successful season spell with Belarusian side Minsk, where they won two titles and debuted in the Champions League.

Having ended the 2018-19 season as runners-up, Mehmet Karayılan's ladies surpassed that feat, gaining 43 points from 15 games to stay on top before the coronavirus suspension in March.

They were followed by last season's winners Besiktas in second with 42 points and Konak Belediyespor in third with 37 points.

With the league's cancellation, ALG Spor were confirmed champions of the Turkish women's top-flight due to the Covid-19 outbreak.

The development also means ALG will be the sole representative of Turkey in the Uefa Women's Champions League for the 2020-21 season.

During the 2019-20 campaign, the TUT ladies products were huge bargains for ALG as they became regular features in Karayılan's team.

Sebati was an outstanding figure as she made three assists in 11 matches for ALG, and was included in the Team of the Week twice.

For Madiba, she put up a fine showing, scoring 12 goals and provided seven assists in 14 outings, including being named Player of the Week thrice and was on the Team of the Week six times.

The title feat sees the Banyana Banyana stars celebrate their second domestic title in Europe after their successes with Minsk in 2019.

If they stay put at ALG, Sebati and Madiba will hope to excel in their second campaign in the European competition after 2019 outing.

Musa Barrow was in action as Bologna played out a 2-2 draw with Gervinho’s Parma in Sunday’s Serie A game.

The 21-year-old was handed his 19th league appearance, spearheading the Red and Blues’ attack and gave a good account of himself with his performance.

The forward has kept his place in the starting lineup since his fine performance against Inter Milan, where he delivered an impressive goalscoring display along with his compatriot Musa Juwara.

Bologna hit the ground running with Danilo opening the scoring only three minutes into the contest after he was set up by Riccardo Orsolini.

Roberto Soriano then doubled the Red and Blues’ lead with a fine finish in the 16th minute following a timely pass from Takehiro Tomiyasu

Jasmin Kurtic brought Parma back into contention with a powerful header, leaving Bologna goalkeeper Lukasz Skorupski with no chance.  

Roberto Inglese then completed the comeback for the Crusaders, tapping home from close range from Riccardo Gaglio cross.

Barrow who, featured for the duration of the game, had a 76% successful pass rate, struck two shots, completed one dribble and won three aerial contests.

The forward has scored seven goals and provided three assists in 19 league games in this campaign, amid other dazzling displays.

His compatriot Juwara was an unused substitute in the encounter along with Ivory Coast international and former Arsenal forward Gervinho.

Senegal international Ibrahima Mbaye made a second-half appearance, replacing injured Mattia Bani in the 44th minute of the encounter.

With the result, Bologna are 10th on the league table with 42 points from 32 games while Parma are 12th with 40 points from the same number of matches.

Barrow will hope to make more impact and help his side return to winning ways when they face Kalidou Koulibaly‘s Napoli on Wednesday.

Peter Schmeichel has advised David de Gea on changing his role as he backs the Spaniard to stay at Manchester United for another 10 years.

De Gea eclipsed Schmeichel’s record recently, becoming the oversees player with the most appearances for Man Utd when he featured in his 399th game for the club against Aston Villa.

The Spaniard is also expected to add to his tally at Old Trafford on Monday night when Man Utd play host to Southampton.

While there has been plenty of debate in recent weeks as to whether or not De Gea is the right option for the long-term Schmeichel believes the Spain international will continue to evolve and thinks he could be at the club for the next decade.

“This team is evolving under Ole and that means that David’s role is changing too. If you’re a goalkeeper that has been busy for years, and now you’re not busy, you have to change your game a little bit,” Schmeichel told United Review.

“You need to find new ways of keeping your concentration, of staying with the game. We want to challenge for titles and you win them with clean sheets and goals.

"If you make saves and keep a clean sheet, that guarantees you one point, that’s it. But if you score goals then you’ve got a better chance of winning three points, and going forward we look incredibly exciting.

“Nine years at Manchester United is a long time and reaching 400 appearances for the club is a huge landmark which very few players have managed to do, but David’s got a long way still to go. He’s a young lad. He could play on here for another 10 years.

"It’s been great to watch his development here and it’ll be very exciting to see him use those experiences to play a big part in United’s future.”

De Gea is set to make his 400th appearance for United in their Premier League clash against Southampton and ahead of the fixture Schmeichel picked his favourite saves from the Spaniard over the years.

"There’s no debate about it: he’s been fantastic since he came to the club. He’s been Player of the Year in almost half the seasons he’s been at the club, and some of the saves he has made have been absolutely phenomenal,” Schmeichel said.

“There are too many to list, but obviously the free-kick from Juan Mata [at Stamford Bridge in 2012] stands out in my mind for being a turning point in his United career. From that point on, I was looking at David and thinking: ‘This guy… he’s something special.’

"Then there was the save at Anfield from Joel Matip [in 2017], the one he made with his foot. His reactions are just unbelievable at times.” 

Cesar Azpilicueta says Chelsea want to take responsibility for their own destiny by finishing in the top four despite the possibility of a Manchester City ban leading to the fifth-place team also qualifying for next season's competition.

Man City's appeal will either be considered or rejected by Court Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on Monday with the announcement of the club's fate.

This will come after Chelsea's humbling 3-0 away defeat to Sheffield United in the Premier League, which has thrown their bid to finish in the top four in doubt having previously sat in third place.

Chelsea captain Azpilicueta has issued a rallying cry about standards after his side's poor display at Brammall Lane and denies wanting favours from the upcoming ruling.

"Listen, our job is to be as high as possible in the table," the 30-year-old said on Saturday. "We got into third place and our aim is to finish as high as possible. When you lose that chance to have it in your hands and finish third, it is a big disappointment.

"And it is now out of our hands and we are very disappointed about this and this result. But we know that in 72 hours we have a massive game. We have to play from here to the end of the season like it is a final and get the maximum points as possible.

"When you are a player of Chelsea you have to give everything in every training session. Always Chelsea have had very good players, world-class players and new signings. We know that we have to fight for our place.

"The standards are high and you have to aim for the maximum. This ambition has to remain and we know that the squad we have at the moment is the one that can achieve the targets for this season.

"And when the next season comes, we will take it as it comes but I think the focus is 100 per cent on doing the best job we can in these weeks and get the targets we aim for."

Although Chelsea do play Norwich next at home, a game that they are widely expected to win with their opponents already relegated to the Championship, their other fixtures look difficult.

After that, they have an FA Cup semi-final with in-form Manchester United before facing their final two league games against Liverpool and Wolves.

Azpilicueta addressed the level of challenge to ensure a positive finish for Frank Lampard's side.

"No, at this stage of the season even though we won two games we know we were not at our best," he added. "We have conceded a lot of goals and in every game, there have been difficulties. Now it is about to speak together and fight together.

"We have three games in the Premier League remaining in the next 15 days and you know there is a semi-final against Manchester United. Today is a very tough one to take. We didn’t play our game, we were slow, we couldn’t find spaces and we concede three goals again so it's a difficult one.

"We had it in our hands to be in the top four this season and obviously after today’s game we now have to wait for other results. But there are three games remaining the Premier League and we will do the most we can to finish in the top four by getting points."

Frank Lampard insists that the signings of RB Leipzig striker Timo Werner and Ajax playmaker Hakim Ziyech shouldn't unsettle Chelsea's current group after seeing his side suffer another setback away at Sheffield United.

The Blues lost 3-0 at Bramall Lane on the same day that Ziyech was pictured in Chelsea's training kit at Cobham Training Centre as excitement grows over the west London club's transfer activity.

Along with the two signings already completed the Blues look set to do further business, with £90m-rated ($114m) Bayer Leverkusen star Kai Havertz and Leicester City Ben Chilwell in their sights.

Still, Lampard is clear that his current squad has work to do as their latest defeat leaves their Champions League qualification fate in doubt, with Manchester United and Leicester City piling on the pressure.

"If you want to be a Chelsea player and be in the Chelsea team and squad and fight for the Premier League, to fight in Europe and to fight for trophies you have to focus on yourself," Lampard said in his post-match Zoom chat with journalists.

"At the moment, going into this season were 30-odd points off the top two last season. If you want that gap to close, you have to focus on yourself. If players come in, that should be the nature of the beast playing for Chelsea. It shouldn’t be a problem for anyone.

"I feel today a huge inquest is not needed because of where we are at. The games are coming thick and fast, we’re nearly at the end of the season. I will analyse the game myself certainly but for the players, the biggest thing is that they have to be positive and look to the next one.

"I know the feeling as a player. It was a horrible game for the players and none of the players played well. When you do that at a place like Sheffield United when they are playing well, it is a very difficult place to get anything out of it. I won’t dwell on it this time and I will concentrate on the games ahead and the players will too."

Chelsea's defeat on Saturday meant that they have now conceded more goals than anyone in the top 10 with 49, while the reverse was the club's second-worst defeat of the league season after their opening day 4-0 loss to Manchester United.

While attention has turned to the Blues' exciting new attacking signings, it is the defence that has come under scrutiny in recent weeks, and Lampard admits he keeps changing personnel due to individual mistakes being made during matches.

"It was certainly one of our worst days of the season in terms of performance and you get what you deserve on that front," Lampard added. "Defensively, we have to absolutely focused on the games ahead.

"I would love to have consistency in the back four, or back two or three or whatever you want to call it. That is what you strive for. Unfortunately this season we have made mistakes and individual errors where you end up striving for it.

"That is the position we are in. The only way out of it is hard work with the individuals involved to get through this season as we’re still in a good position considering the expectations at the start of the season, then we’ll look forward.

"Amongst other things. You don’t want to concede that amount of goals. There are many reasons for those goals when we look through the season. Sometimes I bemoan the fact we don’t score enough, that gives you the feeling of comfort in games and nervousness can create problems that lead to goals.

"We know we have made too many errors in terms of giving goals away and it is something that we have to address."

In trying to get to grip with Chris Wilder's unique system which sees his centre-backs overlapping his full-backs while also providing plenty of bodies behind the ball when they lose it, Lampard switched formation three times on Saturday evening.

The manager has rarely opted to play with two strikers this season but opted to bring on Olivier Giroud for Tammy Abraham to create a 4-2-4 formation in the final minutes. Chelsea created a few late chances and the system is well suited to new signing Werner, but Lampard was reluctant to say that he would use it again in future.

"I am not sure. We felt the game needed something slightly different from us; we were struggling to play through because we were too slow," he concluded. "So we decided to go a bit more direct at times. I felt the game called for it. It made us more dangerous but not enough. We’ll see going forward."

Chelsea will look to get back to winning ways on Tuesday against bottom of the table Norwich City, who were relegated back to the Championship this weekend following a 4-0 thrashing at the hands of West Ham.

Franck Kessie's penalty earned Milan a 2-2 Serie A draw against Napoli, but they had to ride out a tense finale with 10 men at the San Paolo on Sunday. 

Milan claimed a stunning victory over Juventus last time out and took the lead through Theo Hernandez in the first half, but goals either side of the interval from Giovanni Di Lorenzo and Dries Mertens put Napoli in control. 

After Gianluigi Donnarumma let the second goal slip through his legs, Kessie spared his blushes by converting from the spot in the 73rd minute after Nikola Maksimovic felled substitute Giacomo Bonaventura. 

Napoli pushed for a winner after Alexis Saelemaekers picked up two bookings in as many minutes, but Milan avoided a blow to their hopes of European qualification and the difference between the sides remains at two points. 

Stefano Pioli's side owed a debt to Donnarumma for stopping them from falling behind in the early exchanges, as he thwarted Mertens before diving on Jose Callejon's scuffed effort from six yards in the 19th minute. 

Milan took full advantage by going straight up the other end and taking the lead, Hernandez volleying home at the back post after Ante Rebic showed great awareness to pick him out. 

However, Napoli got back on level terms when Donnarumma failed to deal with a whipped free-kick from Lorenzo Insigne and Di Lorenzo stuck the loose ball into the open goal. 

Milan started the second half positively but fell behind when Callejon cut the ball back to Mertens, his low drive finding a way through Donnarumma as it squirmed over the line. 

Pioli responded by sending on Bonaventura and he won the spot-kick that Kessie coolly converted into the bottom-left corner. 

Substitute Saelemaekers chopped down Di Lorenzo and Eljif Elmas in quick succession to leave Milan a man light for the final three minutes of normal time, though the visitors stood firm. 

What does it mean? Gattuso held by former club 

Gennaro Gattuso won the Scudetto and the Champions League twice each with Milan during his playing career, but his tenure as coach was far less successful. 

He already has a Coppa Italia trophy to his name during his time in the dugout at Napoli and, in his first match against his old team, he almost claimed a victory over the Rossoneri. 

While he will be disappointed to have been denied all three points, he at least extended Napoli's unbeaten league run against Milan to 11 games. 

Magical Mertens not enough 

After being denied by Donnarumma following a lovely dribble in the first half, Mertens got the better of the goalkeeper on the hour mark. He linked the play well and also created two chances for his team-mates.

Saelemaekers sees red 

Saelemaekers replaced the disappointing Lucas Paqueta at half-time but added little for Milan before leaving them under unnecessary late pressure with a pair of needless rash challenges. 

What's next? 

Milan host Parma at San Siro on Wednesday, while Napoli are away to Bologna on the same day. 

Pep Guardiola is feeling "confident" as Manchester City prepare to learn their fate when the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) rules on the club's appeal against a two-year UEFA competition ban. 

European football's governing body announced the sanction in February, along with a €30million (£26.8m) fine, after finding City had committed "serious breaches" of Financial Fair Play regulations.

City swiftly announced their intention to appeal to CAS and their case was heard in June via video conference.

Pep Guardiola's team have already secured a top-four place in the Premier League this season, while they could add the FA Cup and the Champions League to the already retained Carabao Cup.

Monday's verdict is likely to have far-reaching ramifications for the club's short and medium-term future, but Guardiola is optimistic over the outcome.

When asked if he would be able to sleep ahead of the ruling, Guardiola told reporters: "I'm going to sleep because I can't do anything [about the verdict]. I would love to do something but I can't.

"I'm confident in the club, I know the defence and their argument. We have to wait, I know there are many clubs in the Premier League waiting too, but we are going to wait.

"It was issued a long time ago, maybe 90 per cent of the people on the pitch and backroom staff were not there [at the club], but we will see and respect the decisions.

"I feel fully confident in what the club has done and allowed us to play in the Champions League next season." 

Those Premier League clubs chasing European places will take a great interest in the announcement too, as an extra spot will open up if the ban is either upheld or reduced to cover just the 2020-21 season.  

But Guardiola had nothing to say to those teams, instead focusing again on City and his belief they will be proven to have committed no offences.  

"We wait until Monday and after Monday, what UEFA says, the club will make a statement, and in my press conference I will give my answers, but now I cannot say anything else," he said.  

"We have been second [in the Premier League] again, for six or seven years in a row we are in the Champions League, it's a joy to watch our team, I love my guys, and we are ready for the rest of this season to do our best and I'm confident.  

"I don't know anything about this [the decision of CAS], just a feeling, I'm confident because I know what the club has done and will allow us to play the Champions League next season, and not just the Champions League, but to be recognised by everyone that nothing wrong happened."  

Similarly, Guardiola seemed unconcerned about what it would mean for him personally if City's appeal proved unsuccessful.  

"We wait until Monday, I think [City] will clarify everything in the next month in terms of the short-term future of the club and that's all," he added. "I have the feeling the club support me and that's the most important thing.  

"I have friends being above me in the hierarchy in higher positions than me, and we are incredibly honest. If we can do it, we can do it, if we can't, we can't.  

"I know they try to do the best for the club and that's why we can maintain the standards we achieved in the past, being in the Champions League again, and that's a great news for us."