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Maurizio Sarri has declared Miralem Pjanic "will be happy" to seal a move to Barcelona, while backing the midfielder to remain focused during his remaining time at Juventus.

Barca confirmed on Monday that Arthur will join Juve in a deal potentially worth €72 million (£66m/$81m) at the end of the season, and Pjanic is expected to go the other way.

Sarri had expressed a desire to see Pjanic remain with the Bianconeri beyond the end of the season.

However, when speaking to the media shortly before the Arthur deal was confirmed, he emphasised savouring the Bosnia-Herzegovina international's talents while he is still with his club.

"If the transfer becomes official, [Pjanic] will be happy because he will end his career in a great team," Sarri told reporters.

"The boy can be happy with this solution, I am peaceful because he is serious and intelligent. The possibility that he doesn't give us 101 per cent, I don't see it.

"It's good for both that they focus on what they have to do now. The opening of the market is two months away, they still have to play some important games.

"Talking about the market doesn't give me pleasure. Some of the staff will certainly study Arthur thoroughly to get the clearest ideas, for now let's enjoy Pjanic in this season finale."

Barcelona manager Quique Setien has meanwhile included Arthur in his squad to face Atletico Madrid on Tuesday as he backed him to put his looming transfer to one side. 

"I have no doubt about his greatest commitment until the last day he is here," the head coach told the media.

"He is a player until the last game of the season. He has committed himself to being one more [member of the squad].

"He will dedicate himself fully to achieving the objectives. I have no doubts about him. He has said that he will be in the best conditions. I'll decide if he plays more or less."

Both Barcelona and Juventus are looking to end their respective seasons with a league title. While Sarri's side boast a four-point lead in Serie A, Setien's men now trail Real Madrid by two points in La Liga. 

The clubs are also both still alive in the Champions League with the second leg of their respective Round of 16 ties expected to be played in early August. 

Chancel Mbemba found the back of the net with FC Porto seeing off Pacos de Ferreira at the Estadio Capital do Movel on Monday night.

Sergio Conceicao’s men resumed the league on a bad note with a 2-1 defeat at Famalicao but bounced back with 1-0 and 4-0 victories against Maritimo and Boavista respectively in between a goalless draw with Desportivo Aves.

The Dragons wasted no time in getting the job done on Monday with Mbemba blasting home a loose ball that fell to his path from a corner kick in just the seventh minute of the match.

The DR Congo defender played the entire 90 minutes for the ninth game in a row, making three clearances and winning six of his 10 total duels. He also had 43 touches on the ball and made 28 accurate passes at 82%.

Mbemba did receive a yellow card for a foul in the 55th minute of the tie likewise another African in Moussa Marega in the 73rd minute.

The Mali Striker has eight Primeira Liga goals and six assists this season, scoring a brace and providing an assist in the recent triumph over Boavista.

Mbemba has now scored two goals this season having netted in a 1-1 draw with Rio Ave on March 7 before the league went on suspension.

The 25-year old has played 22 times in the top-flight this season and 36 in all competitions, amassing a total of 2,761 minutes.

Mbemba’s career began in Belgium with Anderlecht where he played between 2013 and 2015, making 77 competitive appearances before moving to Newcastle United, playing 59 times that included relegation to the Championship in his maiden season and getting immediate promotion back to the Premier League.

At international level, Mbema has been capped 45 times by DR Congo, scoring three goals. He was an unused substitute during the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations but did feature at the 2015, 2017 and 2019 tournaments in Equatorial Guinea, Gabon and Egypt respectively.

Porto’s victory means they are now seven points clear of reigning champions Benfica who lost 2-0 at Maritmo in Monday night’s other match. The 28-time Portuguese champions will next host Belenenses at the Estadio do Dragao on July 5.

Valencia have sacked head coach Albert Celades with immediate effect following a poor run of results.

Assistant coach Voro will take charge of the first team on an interim basis until the end of the 2019-20 La Liga season. It will be his sixth spell at the helm.

Voro, who represented the club as a player for nine years, has previously won 18 of his 36 games while working as a caretaker. 

Valencia have won just one of their five games since the league returned from its coronavirus-enforced stoppage, and they have been victorious twice in their past 13 outings in all competitions.

Celades, who took over from Marcelino in September, leaves the club eighth in La Liga, eight points adrift of the Champions League places.

A Valencia statement read: "Valencia have communicated to Albert Celades his removal from his position as first-team coach, with immediate effect.

"The club wish to thank him publicly for his work and dedication during his time at the club - a period in which we achieved qualification for the knockout stages of the Champions League and important victories at grounds where we had previously not won.

"The club also value his help and contribution since he took over as coach of the first team in a moment of difficulty, and wish him every success in his future endeavours."

Valencia, who face Athletic Club next in La Liga, confirmed soon after that sporting director Cesar Sanchez has resigned.

Media reports suggest Sanchez quit his post after he had told the squad earlier in the day that Celades was to keep his job, only for club owner Peter Lim to make the decision himself.

Valencia have had 11 different managers since Unai Emery left the club following a four-year stint in 2012. Former Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde, current Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo and ex-Manchester United defender Gary Neville are just some of the names Valencia have turned to in the past decade. 

Since 2004 when the club won La Liga and the UEFA Super Cup, Valencia have picked up just one trophy, which was their recent Copa del Rey triumph in 2019. 

Former England and Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart has pleaded for a club to believe in him after parting ways with Burnley. 

The veteran shot-stopper made just three appearances for the Clarets this season and has struggled for regular game time  since leaving the Etihad in 2016 following the arrival of Pep Guardiola. 

Since departing City, Hart played briefly for Torino and West Ham before moving to Burnley, but failed to cement his place in goal at all three.

Now a free agent, the 33-year-old is determined to prove his worth and admits he needs a club put some faith in him after a tough spell. 

"The fact I have had to sit on the bench for 18 months in the Premier League is not going to define or crush me," Hart told BBC Sport. 

"I remember who I am. I remember playing for my local Sunday league team and trying to get into the Shrewsbury Town first team. I learned early - you need to keep things in perspective.

"You can have great things said about you in football, but you have to be strong on self-criticism, analyse what you are doing and be comfortable with it.

"Maybe from the outside, people are thinking it is a time for panic, but from the inside it is a time to look forward and see all the opportunities.

"I am young when it comes to goalkeeping. I am even younger when it comes to the mental age of a guy who just wants to go in goal and have people whack balls at him.

"I am under no illusions that Real Madrid are going to knock my door down, get [Thibaut] Courtois out and bring me in. But there is plenty more to come from me.

"I just need someone to believe in me and I will repay that faith."

While now arguably at a low point in his career, Hart has managed to keep a positive mindset and has recently promoted the importance of mental health alongside Prince William in a BBC documentary. 

Hart believes fans and future footballers get too caught up on mistakes and need to focus more on the positives.

"If I meet a bunch of Under-12s, I would be asking me about when I saved a Messi penalty or what it's like playing for England," Hart said.

"All they care about now is how do you deal with a mistake? How do deal with someone taunting you from behind the goal?

"That is not what your mindset should be as a kid. That's why I got involved in it and that is why I talked about it." 

Maurizio Sarri believes Cristiano Ronaldo and Paulo Dybala can start against Genoa, but the Juventus coach is keen to avoid a "problem" going forward.

Juventus' busy run of fixtures continues against Genoa on Tuesday, before they host Torino four days later.

Ronaldo has played every minute of their four games since the coronavirus-enforced break, while Dybala has started each match.

Sarri said the pair were likely ready to start again, but he knows the star duo will need a rest at some stage.

"It's likely that they can start again [against Genoa]," he told a news conference.

"It's clear that if they play every game, in two or three matches we may have a problem, but I don't think there is any risk for them to suffer some sort of fatigue right now.

"In the long run though we need to have [Gonzalo] Higuain fit and able to play a large part of the game, this will become essential at some point."

With 10 games remaining in the Serie A season, Juventus hold a four-point lead atop the table with Lazio their nearest rivals. 

After Juve's recent 4-0 win over Lecce, Sarri admitted Ronaldo was improving and would continue to do so the more he played. 

"Cristiano now can play with a good fit. He needs to improve after the break and he is doing so match after match," Sarri said.

"He needs to play a lot. In the future we will find the way to preserve him across matches or for some matches.

"He is great in listening to himself and he will realise when he will need to stop and rest. But now I think he fits quite well."

Juventus secured the signing of Barcelona midfielder Arthur on Monday with Miralem Pjanic set to go the other way next season. 

Both Arthur and Pjanic will see out the rest of the campaign with their current clubs, with the former included in Quique Setien's side to play Atletico Madrid in La Liga on Tuesday night. 

Sarri, meanwhile, has previously backed Pjanic to remain focused at Juventus until the end of the season. 

Brendan Rodgers defended Jamie Vardy's form and said his focus was on Leicester City as a whole amid their goalscoring struggles.

Since returning to action earlier this month, Leicester have scored just one goal in three games, having bowed out in the FA Cup quarter-finals with a 1-0 loss to Chelsea on Sunday.

Vardy is without a goal in those three games, but has scored 19 times in 33 matches this season, to go with six assists.

Asked about the forward's form, Rodgers backed Vardy and said he wanted more from his entire attack, not just the Englishman.

"There's lots of focus on Jamie, but this is not just about Jamie, this is the responsibility of the team and it's my responsibility to find ways in which we can find ways to increase our goalscoring," he told a news conference.

"It's the responsibility of everyone. I think if you look at his record in terms of his goals and what he has done up until this point, he hasn't needed a lot of action, he's a true finisher.

"He is not one of those players who is involved in the link-up, in the game. That's not his strength. His strength is in the box and running from deep in behind.

"Of course we want to get him more service, but we are looking at ways to develop and get our wingers back to being involved and scoring and creating goals, and of course our midfield players.

"A lot of spotlight [is] on Jamie, but it is not just the striker, it's the team's contribution. So that's something we need to improve."

Leicester City, who are third in the table, are away to Everton in the Premier League on Wednesday with fourth-place Chelsea one point behind the Foxes, while Wolves are also lurking three points back in fifth. 

Despite the battle for a top-four spot heating up, star defender Caglar Soyuncu has stressed Leicester aren't worried about possibly dropping down the ladder.

"We are not that concerned about that at all [dropping out of top four]," he told Sky Sports. "We only played two games, we drew two. Yeah, it would have been better if we'd won them both but we are where we are.

"We are going to do our best to play better and I believe we will do. We are a good enough team, we are motivated and we will be going forwards with these positive ideas."

The Premier League has revealed one individual has tested positive for the coronavirus after the latest round of testing.

Throughout the week beginning June 22, 2250 players and club staff were tested for Covid-19.

It was the 11th round of mass testing since the measure was introduced, and the second since the Premier League season resumed on June 17.

No details as to the individual’s identity have been released, and as of yet, no club has confirmed that the positive test came from one of their players or staff.

Premier League clubs carry out tests twice a week, with the results aggregated and announced each Monday.

In total, 14307 tests have now been carried out in the Premier League, with only 19 people found to be positive since mass testing begin in May.

Testing will continue for the remainder of the season, with teams now heading into their final six or seven games of the campaign.

Liverpool wrapped up the league title in midweek but the European places and relegation zone are still to be decided before the season ends on July 25.

One hurdle was cleared last week as clubs announced which out-of-contract players had agreed short-term deals in order to finish the season with their current clubs.

In the race for Europe, Manchester City look secure in second but third-placed Leicester’s troubling form means they are in danger of losing their Champions League spot.

Chelsea and Wolves are both within three points of the Foxes, though Nuno Espirito Santo’s side have played a game more.

Manchester United and Tottenham are further back but will be hopeful of capitalising on any slip-ups.

At the bottom, Norwich are six points adrift of safety in 20th with three teams level on points ahead of them.

West Ham are out of the bottom three on goal difference alone, tied with Bournemouth and Aston Villa on 27 points. Watford have 28 points, with Brighton a further five points ahead.

The highlight of this week’s fixtures sees Liverpool travelling to Manchester City in their first match since winning the title.

Pep Guardiola has confirmed City will give the champions the customary guard of honour before the game.

Former Cameroon striker Roger Milla has disclosed that his record as the oldest goalscorer at the Fifa World Cup will be very difficult to beat but it is not impossible to achieve.

Milla etched his name in the record books on June 28, 1994, after scoring his country's only goal in their 6-1 loss to Russia in their final group fixture in USA '94.

With Cameroon trailing by 3-0 at Stanford Stadium, 42-year-old Milla replaced Louis Mfede just before the start of the second half, and he found the back of the net a minute later.

Although the strike was not enough to save the Central African country from defeat, it was a memorable goal in football history that is still remembered 26 years later.

Milla enjoyed a successful international career with Cameroon, playing in three World Cup tournaments and winning two Africa Cup of Nations titles, and he rates the Indomitable Lions' quarter-final berth at the 1990 World Cup in Italy as one of his most satisfying feats.

"Very, very pleased, as you could see in my celebration, even though we ended up losing the match. I’m still very proud of it today," Milla told Fifa website.

"To my mind, that goal and that record showed the people who doubted me that I still had it in me, despite my age.

"Physically, I wasn’t 100 per cent, but I still had my technique. It’s a lovely record.

"It’s a fine individual achievement but nothing gave me more satisfaction than helping Cameroon reach the quarter-finals of the World Cup in 1990.

"That was historic for our country and our continent."

Sunday marked the 26th anniversary of the historic strike in California and the 62-year-old has revealed why it might be difficult for players to match his individual record.

"Nothing’s impossible but it’ll be very difficult to beat," he continued.

"Football’s a very different sport today and it’s really hard to see anyone other than a keeper getting capped at the age of 42.

"And, as we all know, keepers don’t score very often. I think my record has got a few good years left in it yet."

The 6-1 thrashing at the hands of Russia and the historic goal turned out to be a bittersweet moment for Milla on his last competitive game for Cameroon.

"It was a mix of emotions because we got knocked out and we were so disappointed we hadn’t lived up to the expectations people had of us," he said.

"I also knew that I’d played my last match at the World Cup and that I was saying goodbye to the competition.

"So I just tried to put it into perspective and make the most of every moment. At the time, I didn’t think a lot about the record because the goal had little impact on the game.

"But as the years have gone by it’s taken on its full meaning and I’m very proud of it."

Linkopings coach Olof Unogard has revealed that there was no premeditation in his signings of Nigeria internationals Ebere Orji, Uchenna Kanu and Chinaza Uchendu for the 2019-20 season.

Orji joined Linkopings from Umea in February after she played a key role in their Elitettan triumph and promotion to the Damallsvenskan in the 2019 season, in which she scored 11 goals in 26 games.

Kanu and Uchendu joined their compatriot Orji at the Swedish club after breaking ties with Spanish Primera Iberdrola outfit Sevilla and Portuguese side Sporting Braga, respectively, earlier this month.

The Damallsenskan outfit have won the last three matches since acquiring the Nigerians and the Swedish manager admitted the trio were their best options during the transfer window.

"No, I wouldn’t say it was premeditated. Ebere did well in Swedish club Umeå and was recruited in February,"  Unogard told Goal.  

"This window, we started off with a wide search and Chinaza and Uchenna were two alternatives amongst several others but we always felt that those two were good options for us."

Linkopings opened the 2019-20 Damallsvenskan campaign with a 3-0 triumph over Vaxjo and Kanu played the final nine minutes of the match while Chinaza Uchendu was an unused substitute. 

The 31-year-old tactician explained his decision to offer a cameo debut to the former Sevilla woman despite her arriving a week ago, ahead of the ex-Braga star, who joined two weeks earlier. 

"It’s a bit early to say. Both Chinaza and Uchenna haven’t been in team training for two to five months so we need to be patient," he continued.

"Uchenna has a great physique so we wanted to give her the first couple of minutes to get a feel for the league and pace. Chinaza got a couple of minutes in our last friendly against Orebro."

In Saturday's triumph over Vaxjo, Orji scored the opener and third goal and created the penalty for the third.

And Unogard, who is excited over his side's fine start to the season, hailed the impact of the Nigerian star while opening up on his team's ambition for the season.

"Ebere had a part in all three goals, scoring the first and third and getting us the penalty for the second one. Player of the match for sure," he enthused. 

"Fantastic to start off with a win and a comfortable one as well.

"The first half was really good and in the second half the extreme heat took its toll on the two teams, so it was important to get those early goals.

"Hopefully we can compete with every team and fight for top-three, making it to the Champions League spots."

Stephen Eze has undergone arthroscopic surgery on his shoulder labrum which will take him several weeks to heal, the FC Tobol defender has confirmed.

The Nigeria international suffered the injury in March during the club’s pre-season campaign in March.

That procedure has now been carried out, although no timescale has been put on his recovery as the Kazakhstan Premier League resumes in July.

Eze went on social media to give an update on his injury while appreciating the medics and fans for their unrivaled support and prayers.

“Thank you to all my well-wishers who have been sending messages the last few days. As some of you are aware, I have recently undergone a successful minor arthroscopy to fix a labral tear on my left shoulder,” he wrote on Instagram.

“Although the tear did not affect my overall football significantly, the procedure was recommended as a preventive measure to avoid any damage to important muscles and shoulder dislocation in the future.

“By God’s Grace everything went well. My sincere thanks to the support staff and my surgeon, prof. Dr. Çetin Isik at the Istanbul Memorial Atasehir Hospital. You are a brilliant team, and you have made my surgery complete experience relaxing and stress-free.

“I would also like to thank everyone at FC Tobol and my fans and well-wishers, your support has been immensely invaluable! I am now undergoing post-op rehabilitation at the clinic.

“With some hard-work, the support of the medical team, and with all your prayers, I am hoping to be back to old-self in no time! Thank you again for everything.”

The former Kano Pillars, Lobi Stars and Sunshine Stars man left Bulgarian top-flight side Lokomotiv Plovdiv as a free agent after they opted not to renew his contract.

During his time in Bulgaria, Eze won the Bulgarian Cup title and claimed a runners-up medal in the Super Cup.

On the international scene, the towering defender featured in Sunday Oliseh’s failed Super Eagles expedition at the 2016 African Nations Championship, where he featured in all the group games.

Gernot Rohr named him in Nigeria’s preliminary 30-man squad for the 2018 World Cup Russia, although he did not make the final cut.

Championship club Blackburn Rovers have confirmed the extension of Tosin Adarabioyo’s loan from Manchester City.

Adarabioyo joined Rovers on a season-long loan last summer and the deal was set to expire on June 30, but with the league season still ongoing, he will remain at the club until the end of the 2019-20 campaign.

The 22-year-old defender has been a key player in Tony Mowbray’s team since his arrival from the Etihad Stadium, making 29 Championship appearances with three goals to his name so far.

Aside from his brilliant defensive contributions, Adarabioyo's goals have been crucial in helping Blackburn's charge for the play-off spots.

He scored a fine goal which inspired Rovers to a 3-1 victory against Bristol City when they returned to action from the coronavirus hiatus on June 20.

“Rovers have reached an agreement with Manchester City to extend Tosin Adarabioyo’s loan deal until the end of the season,” the club announced.

“The defender’s deal was due to expire on June 30th, however, the 22-year-old will now remain at Rovers until the end of the current campaign and will be eligible to feature in the play-offs should Tony Mowbray’s side finish in the top six.”

Blackburn Rovers are eighth on the Championship table with 56 points from 39 matches, four points adrift of the play-off zone.

They will be aiming to bounce back from Saturday’s 2-0 defeat to Wigan Athletic when they visit Barnsley for their next league fixture on Tuesday.

Adarabioyo, meanwhile, is in line to make his 60th appearance in Championship if he is summoned by manager Tony Mowbray.

He previously played for West Bromwich Albion in the second division where he played 30 league matches during the 2018-19 campaign.

The Anglo-Nigerian is in his second loan spell away from Manchester after finding it difficult to break into Pep Guardiola's team.

Although he is yet to play in the Premier League, Adarabioyo has made four appearances in the Uefa Champions League and he was part of the City team that won the 2017-18 Premier League title despite his non-appearance. 

He also won two League Cups with City in the 2015-16 and 2017-18 seasons.

The centre-back has been at Manchester City from the age of five and rose through their youth ranks.

Bengali-Fode Koita and Dieumerci Ndongala were the heroes for Kasimpasa they scored to earn them a 1-0 win away to Genclerbirligi in the Turkish Super Lig on Monday night.

The Apaches have been in good form of late with a five-game unbeaten run (four wins, one draw) stretching back to February.

Koita was a star in some of those games, scoring and assisting in a 5-1 bashing of Kayserispor and netting a brace in a 2-0 win at home to Goztepe before the league was suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Ndongala also scored in the epic Kayserispor win.

Koita got things going on Monday night in the 17th minute, firing in a left-footed shot after receiving a nice pass from Senegal forward Mane Thiam.

Thiam was taken off in the 74th minute and in came Ndongala who wrapped it up in the 90th minute with a brilliant effort that was buried into the bottom left corner of the net, the assist coming from Tarkan Serbest.

Serbest was the man to come on for Koita in the 83rd minute, the Guinean producing five total shots (three on target, two off-target) and missed two big chances to add to his tally. He also made three key passes,16 accurate passes at 72% and 34 touches.

Koita was evidently strong in the air, winning four of five aerial duels. He has now scored eight goals and provided four assists in 21 Super Lig outings, missing eight matches this season due to injury.

Ndongala meanwhile also had a productive 16 minutes on the field, producing 17 touches, seven accurate passes, and a 100% success in his dribbles (two in two) and ground duels (three in three).

The Congolese player is on loan from Belgian club Genk and has played 15 times for Kasimpasa since arriving in January.

The Apaches move above Denizlispor to 11th place in the standings and are now seven points clear of the relegation zone. They have also now recorded two wins on the bounce since league resumption after a 2-0 victory against giants Fenerbahce last week, and five in a row since beating Kayserispor.

Former Borussia Dortmund and Egypt forward Mohamed Zidan has sought to clarify comments he made about Jurgen Klopp and Mohamed Salah.

In an interview earlier this year, Zidan suggested Klopp had told him he was a better player than Salah but didn’t share his professionalism.

Zidan played for Dortmund between 2008 and 2012, and Salah didn’t move to Europe with Basel until 2012.

Now, Zidan says his comments had been misunderstood – but he still looks at his own career with a sense of unfulfilled potential.

Speaking on Egyptian TV channel AlNahar, Zidan said: “I did not say that I am better than Salah.

“I said that Klopp told me that if I had the same commitment as he has, that I would have been better than what I was.

“I would have achieved a lot more. Maybe more than what Salah has achieved, if I had the same commitment and concentration on and off the pitch.

“I had lots of surgeries on my knees and my back, and that affected me a lot.”

Zidan nevertheless remains a huge fan of Salah’s, and will no doubt have been delighted to see him become the first Egyptian to win the Premier League this season.

Back in November 2018, he told Goal: “He’s representing Egyptians very well in England and Liverpool. He’s doing very well and we all support him always.

“We all have his back and we always pray for him and always follow him because he is representing us as Egyptians and as Arabs.

“He’s a good example, as we were before – me and other Egyptian colleagues who played in Europe, like Mido, Ahmed Hassan and many other players who played in top leagues.

“Now Mo Salah is continuing the legacy of Egyptian players in Europe to make the Egyptian kids keep dreaming, because he’s one of us.

“Today is Mo Salah time, it is going very well, he is giving hope to all Egyptians and then in the future it will be other kids from Egypt that will play in Europe.”

Zidan won back-to-back Bundesliga titles with Dortmund in 2011 and 2012, and won two Africa Cup of Nations titles with Egypt.

Jurgen Klopp has revealed the moment he started to believe it could be Liverpool’s year in the race for the Premier League title.

And the Reds boss insists his team will not “get lazy” as they seek to build on their first league championship since 1990.

Liverpool’s coronation as champions was confirmed last Thursday following Manchester City’s defeat at Chelsea, with Klopp and his players watching events at Stamford Bridge unfold together at the team's hotel, before partying long into the night.

With seven games remaining, it is the most comprehensive success in top-flight history. Klopp’s side, with 28 wins and two draws from 31 league fixtures, have laid waste to the opposition. They need 15 points from the last 21 available to set a new all-time points total for a single top-flight season, and are still on course to become the first top-division side to win every home game in a campaign since 1892.

Klopp, unsurprisingly, beamed when asked to reflect on his team’s remarkable campaign.

And asked to pinpoint a specific moment when he knew he had a team capable of winning the league, he chose the weekend immediately before the country went into lockdown in March, when Liverpool beat Bournemouth 2-1 at Anfield and then watched as Manchester City lost 2-0 against Manchester United the following day.

He told reporters: “I never thought that we will win the league until pretty late in this season, but [the fact] that we can win the league, obviously I learned last year. 

“I knew as well that pretty much everything has to click with each other just because of the unbelievable strong opponent [Manchester City]. 

“Last year when we were seven, eight, nine points up, I knew we had a long way to go. Maybe I thought we could win the league at 60-70 minutes in the City-Leicester game [in May 2019] until [Vincent] Kompany finished my dreams! 

“This year I had a moment when we won against Bournemouth and City lost against Manchester United. It was a big gap. 

“I didn’t think we would win the league but it was a big gap and it felt quite good, but that is it pretty much.”

Liverpool had gone so close last season, earning 97 points and losing just one league game but finding themselves pipped at the post by a City side which won each of its last 14 matches.  

This season, though, there was to be no cat-and-mouse contest. Klopp’s team hit the front early and simply zoomed away from their rivals. They were eight points clear after eight games, 10 ahead at Christmas, and led the table by an incredible 25 when the Premier League was suspended in March due to the coronavirus crisis. 

They returned to action earlier this month, and needed only one game to get back into a familiar rhythm. An uninspiring draw away to Everton was followed by a 4-0 demolition of Crystal Palace in Anfield’s first behind-closed-doors fixture – a result which all-but-ensured they would be league champions.

“The Palace game sums it up, sums us up,” Klopp said. “What these boys did, they did for the club, for the people and for what we stand for. 

“Nobody was there. But we were still together. And it really sums us up. Because it is like they wear the Liverpool shirt in this moment and they go with all they have. Whenever, wherever, whichever time, whatever necessary, they go. And I love that. 

“That is what made us a team, what brought us into the position we are in, it is all in this game; 86th minute, losing the ball, chasing it down, winning it back and shooting on the goal of Palace like you have never scored before. That desire, such desire.

“So that was exceptional, and it summed us up. That was the moment when I thought ‘yes, we will be champions. We are not yet but we will be. It was the perfect moment.”

Klopp smiled when discussing Liverpool’s next challenge; to keep going, to try to retain their crown, to get even better, even more dominant.

He said: “About defending the title - that is really a funny thing. I have heard people say it is only a real thing if we win twice in a row - that is really funny! That is obviously an English thing. 

“What I can say is this team will not stop wanting it. That doesn’t mean we get it, but everyone will see that we want to be successful again. That is how we did it all the time.” 

Klopp added: “People will be afraid that these boys will get lazy. These boys, like they showed at Crystal Palace, they cannot get lazy. It is just not in their nature. 

“I am still here, I will still have a little word with them and convince them before and after we play. We will not stop.

“I felt relief, of course, when we won it. But it’s not like you are relieved you have reached the pinnacle and that’s it now – there is nothing to come. I think there is a lot to come. We have to fight for it and we will try.”

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has not ruled out signing another striker to bring in competition for Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial and Mason Greenwood to help them improve.

United decided against signing a forward when Romelu Lukaku, the club’s leading goalscorer last season, left for Inter in the summer. 

Martial and Rashford have both stepped up since the Belgian’s departure, having had their best goal-scoring seasons with 19 goals each in all competitions. And with Greenwood contributing 12 himself, the team haven’t been struggling to find the net.

However, their good form has not deterred Solskjaer from wanting to add another striker to his squad.

“You need competition for places at Manchester United,” Solskjaer warned. “If you think you've got a divine right to be playing every game and are doing so well that we're not going to look for players to replace you, you're in the wrong place.

“I've been here myself for so many years as a striker and Teddy Sheringham comes in, Dwight Yorke comes in, Ruud van Nistelrooy comes in, Wayne Rooney comes in.

“We've always got to look at improving, and if they don't improve, we might have to look somewhere else to get better because we have to be better. We're too far away from where we need to be and want to be.”

Despite Solskjaer’s determination to strengthen his attack, he praised his current crop.

“I've always had faith in the forwards we have at the club - Mason, Marcus and Anthony,” Solskjaer said. 

“I think they're boys who improve on trust, I think they're good boys to talk to, discuss and sit with and they know that I trust them, they know I want the best for them, but they also know I've got to make decisions for the team and the club. 

“They've all taken responsibility at different parts of the season and I'm delighted with all of them. I think all three have had a good development this season but they can be so much better. 

“All three, I'm still waiting to see them blossom because there are parts of their game that they still need to improve on.”

United’s next game is a trip to relegation-threatened Brighton on Tuesday night, with Solskjaer’s side on a 14-game unbeaten run and the manager is hopeful they can remain unbeaten until the end of the season.

“Any Manchester United team should go into any game against any opposition believing they can win that game. The short answer is yes,” the Norwegian said on whether he believed the Red Devils can keep the streak going. “But the long answer is that there's more to it than that.

“Different things can play a part in this run but we hope to extend it and want it as long as possible.”

Former Liverpool and current Derby County defender Andre Wisdom is recovering in hospital after being stabbed during a robbery attempt.

Wisdom was attacked in Toxeth while visiting family, having featured for Derby on Saturday in a 2-1 win over Reading.

The defender is currently recovering in hospital, with Derby confirming that Wisdom sustained injuries during the attack.

"Andre Wisdom has been the victim of an unprovoked assault and robbery," the club said in a statement.

"He sustained injuries which resulted in him being admitted to hospital."

Wisdom originally joined Liverpool in 2008 at age 14, having previously come up through the Bradford City youth system.

The defender made his Liverpool debut in 2012, going on to appear 19 times while scoring one goal under Brendan Rodgers in his first senior campaign.

That goal came on his debut, a 5-3 Europa League win over Young Boys, with Wisdom earning further first-team appearances in the weeks following, including an appearance in the Merseyside derby against Everton in October 2012.

His second season saw him make just three appearances to start the campaign before being loaned out to Derby County, starting a string of loans away from Anfield.

It was during that time that Wisdom featured for West Brom, Norwich and RB Salzburg before joining Derby on a permanent deal in 2017.

Since making that move, Wisdom has made 58 appearances across all competitions for the Championship side, scoring one goal.

Derby currently sit eighth in the Championship following Saturday's victory over Reading, with Wayne Rooney scoring the game-winning goal last time out.

The Rams are three points shy of a playoff spot while also being level on points with seventh-place Preston North End.

Derby will face Preston at Deepdale on Wednesday before returning home to take on fourth-place Nottingham Forest over the weekend.

Football enthusiasts on social media think Jordan Ayew was lucky to escape a VAR review for a possible red card in Crystal Palace's 1-0 defeat to Burnley.

Ayew was caught to have jabbed Josh Brownhill's face in the second half of Monday's encounter but he was cleared by the Video Assistant Referee after a lengthy review of his action.

A 62nd-minute header from Ben Mee sealed a crucial away win for Burnley in south London but the Ghana international's action has got fans talking on Twitter.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has singled out Bruno Fernandes and Paul Pogba for Manchester United's strong form in the final third, stating that they "can create something out of nothing". 

Since returning to action following the coronavirus-enforced suspension, the Red Devils have scored six goals across three games and have now gone 11 matches since last failing to find the back of the net.

Prior to the break, the arrival of Fernandes gave Solskjaer's attack a much-needed spark, while Pogba has now returned to the pitch after a few months out with injury. 

The duo started together for the first time in a recent 3-0 win over Sheffield United, with Anthony Martial ultimately benefitting most as he struck his first senior hat-trick. 

Solskjaer has praised both players for their creativity in the middle of the pitch, stressng it makes a huge difference for those playing in the final third. 

"The forward players know they have players behind them who can create something out of nothing," Solskjaer told Sky Sports. 

"Bruno can create chances where there's no space - a little flick around the corner; he's been very good with his back to play.

"Paul creates too; they're both creative players who can pick a pass, players with individual qualities. To be a centre-forward in front of these two is a joy. I've felt that myself playing with Paul Scholes, Juan Sebastian Veron, David Beckham, Ryan Giggs... it's a nice position to be in.

"I think we can play in many different ways. Bruno has played in central midfield, to the right, to the left, as a No.8, a No.10, in a diamond. It's the same with Paul. And I have Scott McTominay, Fred, Nemanja Matic giving me a headache when I have to leave them out. It's a good position to be in.

"If we keep playing well, keep developing, get into the top positions...I know we can attract good players and everyone knows that Manchester United at some point will start winning trophies again." 

Martial is enjoying his best season in front of goal since moving to Old Trafford, with 19 goals and six assists to his name this season across 37 appearances in all competitions. 

Solskjaer believes the Frenchman is enjoying his football again and has benefitted from the arrival of Odion Ighalo. 

Manchester United next face Brighton on Tuesday with the Red Devils currently sixth and five points shy of fourth-place Chelsea. 

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer says Anthony Martial is learning from Odion Ighalo as he continues his development as a central striker.

The Frenchman has often been played out wide in the early years of his career, but has now become United’s No.9.

The 31-year-old Ighalo has played as a striker in Nigeria, Norway, Italy, Spain, England and China, and Solskjaer says he has been putting his experience to good use.

"Odion is a seasoned No.9,” Solskjaer told Sky Sports.

“He's played that position his whole career whereas Anthony has played more out on the wing.

“Odion is helping on the training pitch, in terms of his movement, hold-up play and just being himself. Anthony's learning off an experienced centre-forward."

Though Martial’s form hasn’t always been consistent, he has had a reasonably productive season so far and his next goal will be his 20th in all competitions.

Solskjaer hasn’t ruled out the possibility of signing a new striker, but for now he is pushing Martial to rise to the challenge.

"It's the first season that he's really playing as a No.9; he's had to have that burden of the shirt and be that central focus through the middle,” he added.

"Sometimes that's not easy when you play for Manchester United but he knows that we trust him and I think he knows that we want him to keep developing.

"We'll keep challenging him. There are always players in and around the team - and outside the club - who would want to be No.9 for Manchester United. There's always pressure on a centre-forward but so far, he's performed really well.”

Solskjaer also believes Martial isn’t just tackling the challenge of being No.9, but is enjoying it as well.

"He's playing with a smile on his face,” he said.

"Anthony has had a really good season, he's been really important for us. We felt it during the couple of months he was out injured; we struggled.

"But he knows that we trust him. He knows that we'll have patience with him and that we'll keep working with him."