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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Liverpool should be bracing themselves for interest to be shown in Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane, says Reds legend Robbie Fowler, while Jurgen Klopp has been urged to snap up another left-back.

Those at Anfield are currently preparing for a Premier League title-winning celebration.

Domestic glory is being secured on the back of previous successes in the Champions League, UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup.

A star-studded squad on Merseyside has hit all of the targets it set out to achieve, which could lead to some seeking new challenges elsewhere.

Reports of interest in the likes of Salah and Mane are never far away, with Spanish giants Barcelona and Real Madrid said to be leading the chase, and Fowler concedes that Liverpool may have to fend off unwelcome advances.

The Reds legend told Premier League Productions: "There's going to be a little bit of talk about Mo Salah again and Sadio Mane.

"Good players ultimately get linked with top European clubs."

Regardless of whether or not there are any outgoings at Anfield in the next transfer window, Klopp is expected to dip back into the market for further reinforcements.

Fowler admits that finding suitable additions is not going to be easy, given the strength of Liverpool’s starting XI, but feels there are gaps to be filled when it comes to squad depth.

The former frontman added: "For a player to come into this team, it's going to be hard to make them any better because they are a really good side.

"Where I'd like to see them build is - think of the game against Everton where they probably struggled on the left-hand side.

"James Milner will never, ever let you down. Him coming into that left-back position, but if Andy Robertson does get injured again or does have a dip in form, I think we just need someone to cover Robertson just to strengthen the squad."

Liverpool are now just one win away from confirming their coronation as kings of English football, while the title could be handed to them if Manchester City fail to overcome Chelsea on Thursday, but Fowler believes Klopp will continue to play a strong hand for the remainder of the season.

He said: “I’m sure when the title is won, I think Jurgen will probably go for records.

“He’ll want to get over 100 points, he’ll want to remain unbeaten for the remaining games.

“Having seen the performance [against Crystal Palace] I’ve got a little sneaky feeling that it will be hard for any team to stop them.

Maritzburg United coach Eric Tinkler says a lack of football for three months is unprecedented but he hopes the Premier Soccer League (PSL) will share an update on when to return to training.

With the league’s governing body yet to communicate to the clubs, the country's minister of sport Nathi Mthethwa gave the clubs the go-ahead as to the return to training on the field of play on Monday.

On the other hand, PSL clubs have already started testing players for the coronavirus pandemic and the Bafana Bafana legend says they are raring to go back to the field.

“Well, we haven’t got back to training, obviously we are waiting for the PSL to give us the go-ahead, to allow us to go back or not go back to training,” Tinkler told Goal .

“The PSL has to give the go-ahead basically. Yeah [the pronouncement by the minister gives us hope]. Obviously everybody wants to get back to the field to play and get going again.

“But obviously we have to abide by all the rules. Especially now we have seen the cases have increased. So, you know we’ve got to be careful. It’s a concern to see some players getting infected but you saw it’s happening all over the world.

“It’s happening in Germany and in England. What is important is finding the cases early and isolate them as soon as possible.”

As they continue to train from home, the 2019/20 Telkom Knockout Cup losing finalist added it’s very important to know what will happen with the current season.

“So far, we are continuing what we’ve been doing for the past three months and I think everybody wants to know what will happen going forward - that’s what we all want,” he added.

“We want to see closure to the season and obviously want to see how and when can we start the new season. That’s what is on everybody’s mind and that’s not only in football, many industries are affected by this pandemic.

“Everybody is raring to go, to be in this situation we find ourselves in it’s not a good thing. Young people like to be out there and express themselves, to be locked up and quarantined for three months is a long, long time.”

Last week, South African Football Association (Safa) confirmed the government has green-lit PSL teams to return to training pitches, but the 16 PSL and 16 National First Division (NFD) clubs have to do and submit Covid-19 tests as one of the key regulations that have to be met. 

Meanwhile, Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal are reportedly the provinces that have been earmarked by the PSL to host the national camp when the season resumes.

James Rodriguez’s current situation at Real Madrid is a result of “bad decisions”, says fellow Colombian Faustino Asprilla, with the talented playmaker told he should have stayed at Bayern Munich.

The 2019-20 campaign has been another frustrating one for James at Santiago Bernabeu.

He has been restricted to just 14 appearances across all competitions, with Zinedine Zidane opting to favour other creative options.

More was expected from James when he returned to Spain in the summer of 2019, with a spark in his game having been rekindled during a productive two-year loan spell at Bayern.

Asprilla believes his compatriot should have been pushing to make that move permanent.

For the former Parma and Newcastle star, happiness can only be found when playing regularly.

James is being denied those opportunities at present, despite starting a 2-1 victory over Real Sociedad, and has been advised to give greater thought to big decisions on his future.

Asprilla told Blu Radio: "It seemed very strange to me that James decided not to stay at Bayern Munich.

"These are the consequences of bad decisions. What is one's happiness?

"The happiness of a footballer is playing. They valued him more there.

"Cities have lots to do with families and players' decisions because, for example, lots of players would like to play for Manchester City, but the city is not what they expect and they get bored.

"I went to Newcastle. Where could be stranger? Impossible.

"I didn't get bored because I was happy where I was playing football.

"I've been in great cities, like Newcastle, where the sun didn't shine, where it snowed, then rained... a very strange thing."

James’ contract with Real is set to run for another 12 months, but interest in his services is expected to be shown in the next transfer window.

A move to the Premier League has been mooted on a regular basis in the past, with Asprilla having previously stated that he feels a fellow countryman should be exploring options in England.

He has said: Manchester United would be a good place for James. It’s been a while since they have been winning trophies and they are thinking about strengthening the team for next season.

“They’ve got good players – like Juan Mata, who plays in a similar style to James, although he’s a little more dynamic and attacking but I think James could easily fit into that side.”

Barcelona's squad are in "perfect condition" for the end-of-season run-in and to pip Real Madrid to La Liga glory, according to Arturo Vidal.

Spain's top-flight resumed this month with defending champions Barca two points clear of Madrid, but that advantage was wiped out by the Blaugrana's stalemate with Sevilla last Friday.

Zinedine Zidane's side have won four out of four since the restart and are now top due to their superior head-to-head record against Barca, who are bidding to win a third title in a row.

Quique Setien's men won their last outing at home to Athletic club to put pressure on Madrid, but the Blancos maintained their advantage by beating Mallorca 2-0 Wednesday.

However, Vidal is optimistic Barca can handle the rigours of a hectic schedule that will see them play seven league games in the space of three weeks, with a view to picking up a third successive domestic crown.

"As the games are closer together we need to use the time as best we can to ensure we go into the next game in the best possible shape," he told FOX Sports.

"But I think we are in perfect condition to be champions.

"The great atmosphere among the team is an important factor. We have all become close friends and that helps on the field. It's very important because it really shows. I'm happy."

Barca's season will not end when their La Liga campaign concludes at Deportivo Alaves on the weekend of July 18-19.

Setien's side are still in the Champions League and have the second leg of their last-16 tie with Napoli to play in August, having drawn 1-1 in Italy back in February.

The quarter-finals and semi-finals are now one-legged games that will take place in Lisbon, the City which will also host the final, and Vidal is excited about the way the Champions League will finish.

"I like the format," he added.

"If we can beat Napoli it's going to be very odd because of how and where it's happening, in August and over single legs.

"But all-or-nothing games are the ones I like the best. I want to be important in those games."

Asaph Mwebaze has explained why most of the current Ugandan coaches are not the best compared to the previous ones.

Mwebaze, who has been in charge of Maroons FC, Onduaparaka FC and Nyamityobora FC before, says in the recent past, coaches were led by passion something which is not the case with modern tacticians. 

“The best coaches in Uganda are those that actually got that education first before the advent of Caf courses,” Mwebaze said as was quoted by Sports Nation .

“It was first a calling and then passion took over. Lately, there are so many overly educated football coaches but have failed to master the art of the game.

“To understand football, you must be an enthusiast and a fanatic at the same time.

“Most of our peers talk a good game especially on social media and in the press but it is difficult to see when you watch the games.”

Mwebaze pointed out exactly what he thinks is wrong with the current crop of coaches who are in charge of most league clubs in the country.

“We all cannot play like Barcelona but can play like Atletico Madrid, Chelsea, Stoke City or even Bright Stars under coach Kajoba Fred,” added the tactician.

“Many coaches don’t understand football as a structural building but as a makeshift tent! Every team must be built with a foundation to do specifically something in order to attain the end goal.

“But this is not what we see nowadays, we see a lot of copy and paste which may not be relevant to the topics of each football team.”

Mwebaze feels the best place for any aspiring coach is to get the necessary experience from lower league sides.

“Every coach wants to start their careers in the top-flight league because they have the qualifications as per association rules. The experience that is needed in the Premier League can only be gotten in the lower divisions and the challenges in there,” he concluded.

“There in the lower leagues, you can experiment and control the outcome easily with less pressure if the aim of coaching was to get better and achieve more.

“But unfortunately, most coaches’ CVs read like the cream of the Uganda football league but without any tangible results to show.

“The fundamentals of coaching can be learned in district leagues, regional leagues and maybe to a very small extent in the [Fufa] Big League.

“So, any coach that hasn’t coached in those leagues will, by and large, fail the ultimate test in the Premier League.”

During the 2019/20 season, a number of top-tier clubs, including eventual champions Vipers SC, sacked and hired new coaches for what they termed poor results.

The Premier League is broadcast to supporters worldwide and Amazon Prime has joined the list of platforms showing matches in the United Kingdom.

The live-streaming service, which has already dipped its toe into the drama of English football with documentaries about Manchester City and Steven Gerrard, secured a three-year UK broadcast deal until 2022.

Goal brings you everything you need to know about Amazon Prime's Premier League offering.

Contents

Which 2019-20 Premier League matches will be on Amazon Prime?

Amazon Prime was initially set to broadcast a total of 20 Premier League matches a season for the next three seasons.

However, the streaming service's offering was increased slightly following the coronavirus pandemic of 2020, with a four games made available to watch for free.

Those free games will also be made available to watch on Twitch, according to a report in Deadline.

You can see the full list of 2019-20 Premier League games on Amazon Prime below.

Tuesday December 3, 2019

Wednesday December 4, 2019

Thursday December 5, 2019

Thursday December 26, 2019 (Boxing Day)

Friday December 27, 2019

Monday July June 29, 2020

Thursday July 9, 2020

Saturday July 11, 2020

*Available to watch for free

As well as the above selection of live matches, Amazon Prime also offers users the chance to see game highlights each week.

You can also stay up to date on the latest games being broadcast live in the UK on our dedicated page.

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How much does it cost to watch Premier League on Amazon Prime?

A yearly subscription to Amazon Prime costs £79 a year or £7.99 a month, similar to other streaming services such as Netflix. There is a 30-day free trial on offer for new members too.

Once you subscribe, the aforementioned Premier League matches can be watched on any smart TV, mobile device or via an Amazon Fire Stick.

Of course, a subscription will not only grant access to live games and highlights, but the full range of Amazon Prime programmes, including the aforementioned documentaries and others including 'Take the Ball, Pass the Ball', which focuses on the Guardiola-era Barcelona team, and the Zlatan Ibrahimovic study, 'Becoming Zlatan'.

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Liverpool fans would welcome Philippe Coutinho back to the club with open arms, says Emile Heskey, with the Brazilian playmaker still considered to be a “wizard” despite his struggles at Barcelona.

A 2018 transfer to Camp Nou has not played out as hoped for the South American schemer.

Coutinho chased the dream when leaving Merseyside for Catalunya, but a spell with La Liga giants has quickly become a nightmare – with a season-long loan at Bayern Munich failing to wake him from his slumber.

Another switch is now being mooted for the 28-year-old, with the Premier League considered his most likely destination. Plenty of teams in England are being linked with moves to land a player who starred during a productive five-year stint at Anfield.

Liverpool are yet to show their hand, with many suggesting that the Reds have moved on and have no need to build bridges with a player who forced his way through the exit.

Heskey, though, feels that Coutinho could still offer plenty to a side that has lacked a creative No.10 in his absence, with fond memories still held of his 54 goals and 45 assists for the Reds.

"What he did when he was with the Reds was phenomenal," former Liverpool striker Heskey told Sky Sports. "He's a phenomenal player and everything good Liverpool did at that time went through him

"So I think he would be welcomed back with open arms at Liverpool and the fans would absolutely love to have him back - but are you getting that same player back?

"Generally you don't but ask any Liverpool fan, they would love to have Coutinho back and that wizard playing in the midfield there."

Heskey added: "When you look at Philippe Coutinho, a lot of the good stuff went through him. He was the main player at Liverpool and he felt that way.

"When he went to Barcelona where you have Lionel Messi in the side and then you become a secondary or sometimes third or fourth in line then it can dent your confidence a bit, especially when you've come from a team where the focus is all on you.

"You've got to adapt your game and sometimes players can't adapt that and then going to Bayern, it could possibly be the same. They've got players in there that are established and know what they want to do and he's got to fit into that and sometimes that's hard."

The Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC), the organisation responsible for delivering the infrastructure for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar has confirmed the first death due to Covid-19 among its workforce engaged in various World Cup-related projects.

The victim was a 51-year-old specialist engineer who was employed by one of SC's contractors who had been working in the projects since 2019.

"Sadly, on June 11, 2020, a 51-year-old specialist engineer employed by the contractor Conspel, tragically died after contracting COVID-19," a statement from SC read.

"He had worked on Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy projects since October 2019 and had no underlying health issues. We send our deepest condolences to his family and friends."

The Coronavirus pandemic has wreaked havoc throughout the world and SC confirmed the first cases of the infection among its workforce back in April. Along with the announcement, the SC had also laid down the list of preventive measures they had taken to ensure the spread is contained.

Various mitigation measures had been adopted by the SC including distribution of masks and sanitisers across all the World Cup project sites. The SC established quarantine and isolation facilities in all the sites. A process to check and monitor the body temperature of workers twice a day was implemented.

This is in addition to various awareness classes and campaigns run to ensure the workers are well abreast of the issue and know how to safeguard themselves.

SC also initiated a risk assessment review of their existing caterers' kitchen facilities and suggested upgrades to a few and identified those that needed replacement to maintain hygiene in order to mitigate the crisis.

The organisers have also mentioned that the work at the World Cup sites had slowed down due to the pandemic and the preventive measures it had undertaken. But since 80 per cent of the work had alerady been completed they don't expect any slowdown in terms of completing the projects. The work is on time.

Just two weeks back, SC had unveiled the Education Cuty stadium after a digital launch.

Manchester United will win the title again if they sign Harry Kane, according to Jamie O'Hara, who says Old Trafford is the ideal destination for the Tottenham star to fulfil his trophy ambitions.

Kane has proved himself as one of the top strikers in European football since bursting onto the scene at Tottenham in 2014. The 26-year-old has hit a staggering 182 goals in 280 appearances for Spurs, with his latest effort coming in a 2-0 win over West Ham on Tuesday.

The England international has missed a large portion of the 2019-20 season through injury, and his second-half strike against the Hammers was his first of 2020.

Despite his struggles for fitness, Kane has been Tottenham's top scorer once again, netting 18 in all competitions, but he is still waiting to pick up the first major piece of silverware of his career.

The prolific centre-forward admitted in March that he would not hesitate to leave Spurs if he feels as though no progress is being made on the elite stage, and United are reportedly among those keeping a close eye on his situation.

The Red Devils have yet to bring in a natural replacement for Romelu Lukaku up front, with Anthony Martial currently filling that role impressively, and O'Hara thinks Kane could be the man to help bring back the glory days at Old Trafford.

“Listen, I would love to see him stay at Spurs,” the former Tottenham midfielder told Talksport. “But they have to match his ambition.

“He wants to win trophies and Man United, for me, are still the biggest club in the world. Even though they are not where they were, they are still the biggest club in the world, and I think the missing piece in that United team, even though Martial is a fantastic player, if they did sign someone like Harry Kane then you are talking about a team that wins the title again.”

Martial hit a superb hat-trick during United's 3-0 win against Sheffield United on Wednesday, taking his tally for the season to 19 in the process.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was effusive in his praise of a prized asset post-match, but O'Hara is not certain the Frenchman can be a permanent number nine for the Red Devils.

“I think Ole Gunnar Solskjaer hit the nail on the head really when he said he is capable of doing that, and he is," O'Hara added. “I mean, he can be a world-class player, he showed yesterday how good he was with his finishing in and around the box.

“For me, the jury is still out on him in terms of whether he can be the number nine at Man United who is going to go on and be a legend and win them trophies.

“Personally, I don’t think that is him, I don’t think he is quite at that level. When you talk of the players they have had over the years; Rooney, Tevez, Van Nistelrooy, Van Persie, I just don’t know if Martial does it enough on a weekly basis to win them a title.”

PSG have agreed a deal for another young academy talent to sign his first professional contract with the club, after Thierno Balde signed a three-year deal, Goal understands.

The 18-year-old defender follows team-mate Kenny Nagera in signing with the Ligue 1 champions, with the deal set to be officially confirmed by the club in the coming days.

Discussions between PSG and Balde have lasted several weeks, with the French side determined not to let another young talent slip through their fingers.

Central defender Balde has impressed senior staff in his journey through the academy levels at PSG, and this season appeared four times in the UEFA Youth League - the junior level equivalent of the Champions League - although they went out at the group stage after finishing behind Real Madrid and Club Brugge.

He also helped them to the quarter-finals of the Coupe Gambardella - the cup competition for French Under-19 club teams - before the competition was curtailed by the coronavirus pandemic. In addition, he helped the side to third place in the Championnat National U19 League, behind Le Havre and Amiens.

Balde joins 18-year-old striker Nagera in signing his first professional terms with PSG, as the Parisians attempt to protect their best young assets from transfer interest domestically and from around Europe.

Their decisions to remain at PSG are a major boost for the club, who have recently lost defender Tanguy Kouassi on a free transfer to Bayern Munich, while midfielder Adil Aouchiche also looks likely to depart this summer.

With Ligue 1 curtailed and the club handed the domestic title once more, Thomas Tuchel's side only have their currently unscheduled Coupe de France and Coupe de la Ligue finals to complete on the domestic front, while they await confirmation of who they will face in the Champions League quarter-finals in Lisbon during a condensed mini-tournament style finale.

The decision to cancel the rest of the French top-flight campaign - one of only a few European nations to do so because of Covid-19 - ensured that PSG retained their crown and a place in the Champions League once again next term.

Tuchel's men were 12 points clear of second-place Marseille with a game in hand when the action was stopped, and were subsequently named champions for a third successive season on a points-per-game basis.

After delivering two assists to the Chelsea cause in their battling 2-1 victory over Aston Villa, Blues legend Pat Nevin has joked that the Spaniard is having “difficulty in remembering where a right full-back is supposed to play”.

Frank Lampard’s top-four hopefuls required inspiration from somewhere after falling behind against relegation-threatened opponents at Villa Park.

The unlikely source of Azpilicueta was to help turn the tide in their favour, with the club’s long-serving captain stepping up to lead by example.

It was the direct result of his efforts that led to Christian Pulisic and Olivier Giroud completing a come-from-behind triumph for Chelsea in the west Midlands.

Azpilicueta – who is affectionately known as ‘Dave’ by those at Stamford Bridge - has always been a reliable option for the Blues across his eight years in English football, but is better known for his defensive steel than attacking flair.

The versatile 30-year-old has, however, shown that he is capable of making important contributions at both ends of the field, with some more creative options being overshadowed on a Premier League stage.

“Cesar Azpilicueta has great difficulty in remembering where a right full-back is supposed to play! And I mean that in the most positive way possible,” Nevin told Chelsea’s official website when reflecting on a welcome win over Villa that has kept the Blues in a Champions League hunt.

“Dave was brilliant throughout, with a whole bunch of quality crosses, and he spent more time positioned as a right winger than he did as a right full-back.

“My thinking before the game was that he would have his hands and head full keeping Jack Grealish quiet, but he decided he would be even more creative than one of the Premier League’s most exciting and creative players.

“If you are playing number 10 and you get two assists, one from the right wing and one from the left wing in open play, you would be very happy, but doing that from right-back was amazing.

“I did some analysis just before the shutdown saying I thought he was becoming one of our most dangerous attackers and it got a few raised eyebrows in response. It doesn’t seem in the slightest bit weird now. He even had a near-post header at Villa Park that was unlucky to miss.”

Chelsea will be hoping that Azpilicueta can put in another talismanic performance in their next outing, with the Blues preparing to play host to Manchester City on Thursday.

Liverpool's trip to Manchester City next week will take place at the Etihad Stadium after council officials decided there was no need to move the game.

The July 2 fixture had been earmarked as one that was being considered for being moved to a neutral venue, as Liverpool close in on the Premier League title.

Concerns that Liverpool fans could gather in large numbers, at a time when the coronavirus pandemic remains a threat to public health, had led to suggestions some games could be moved.

Greater Manchester Police has been carrying out risk assessments of Premier League games in the area, and the visit of Liverpool has now been cleared by Manchester City Council.

Councillor Luthfur Rahman, an executive member for skills, culture and leisure, said: “The council's safety advisory group [SAG] for the Etihad Stadium met this morning to review the upcoming fixture between Manchester City FC and Liverpool FC.

"Following the most recent round of Premier League fixtures, which have all taken place behind closed doors, the SAG has signalled it has no objections to the above fixture taking place at the Etihad Stadium as planned at 8.15pm, Thursday July 2.

"As with all other Premier League matches this fixture will take place behind closed doors, with no fans present."

Liverpool have moved to the brink of becoming English champions for the first time since 1990 after a 4-0 home win over Crystal Palace on Wednesday left them needing a maximum of two points from their remaining seven games.

There is a possibility of the title being secured before Liverpool head to Manchester, with City needing to win at Chelsea this Thursday to delay celebrations on Merseyside.

Jurgen Klopp's side would make certain of the title with a draw at City, given Pep Guardiola's team are the only side that can mathematically catch Liverpool.

After making the best-ever start to a season by a club in Europe’s top five leagues in 2019-20, Liverpool were on a relentless march towards the Premier League title, but Jurgen Klopp's side were struck a cruel blow by the coronavirus pandemic in early 2020, with real concerns that the Premier League could be cancelled early.

Luckily for the Reds and their supporters, who are hoping to end decades of disappointment, the Premier League restarted in June after three months of no games, meaning the fight continues for silverware.

Bidvest Wits goalkeeper Brandon Peterson says he is not ready to relocate to Limpopo following the sale of the Braamfontein outfit to Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila.

The former Ajax Cape Town goalkeeper has been strongly linked with Orlando Pirates, who are reportedly interested in a number of Wits players including captain Thulani Hlatshwayo.

Although he has cited family reasons for his unpreparedness to move out of Gauteng, that stance appears to be fuelling the Bucs rumours.

With most Wits players on the move in the next transfer window, Peterson has however said that he has not been in talks with any club.

“As things stand, I am still a Wits player. I haven't had any discussions with any club. My agent [Lance Davids] is still busy binding things for me. I am from Cape Town and it was already difficult to come to Gauteng,” said Peterson as per Sowetan Live.

“My wife is pregnant and she's due in August... she's already relocated from Cape Town to here [Gauteng]. It's my second child now. I don't think it'd be a nice thing for us to move to Venda.

“My focus is still on Wits. I am happy we'll be returning soon. We will keep on fighting to make sure we have good memories of the club's last season.”

Peterson arrived at Wits from Ajax at the start of the current season and has managed five clean sheets in 11 appearances and conceded eight goals.

Pirates’ rumoured interest in the goalkeeper comes as they have been in the hunt for a gloveman for next season and have been linked with Peterson’s Wits teammate Ricardo Goss who has however chosen Mamelodi Sundowns.

Maritzburg United goalkeeper Richard Ofori has for the better part of the season been talked to be a target of Pirates.

The arrival of a new goalkeeper at the Buccaneers is likely to see the departure of one between Sandilands, Frenchman Joris Delle and Siyabonga Mpontshane who form the Pirates goalkeeping department.

Declan Rice has been told he needs to “sort his life out” when it comes to an important decision on his future, with West Ham legend Frank McAvennie conceding that the Manchester United and Chelsea-linked star could form part of a “big money” transfer in the next window.

Speculation is building again when it comes to a possible move away from east London for the versatile England international.

A switch to Old Trafford for the talented 21-year-old has been mooted for some time, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer putting performers who tick home-grown boxes at the top of his wish list.

Stamford Bridge has, however, been billed as an alternative landing spot for Rice – who spent several years within Chelsea’s academy system before being forced to chase a professional dream elsewhere.

Those at West Ham are understandably reluctant to part with a prized asset, but their hand may be forced if a tempting offer is tabled.

McAvennie expects interest to be shown when the market re-opens, with Rice’s potential for further development clear for all to see.

The Hammers hero is, however, eager to see a definitive call made as quickly as possible, so that everyone knows where they stand, with player and club having previous when it comes to causing confusion.

McAvennie told Football Insider: “I hope Declan Rice sorts his life out. There are a lot of rumours about him going and I am not sure if he will stay this summer.

“Look what he did to Ireland. He could not make up his mind.

“I do not think he will be a stalwart for England over the next few years because they have got a lot of players coming through.

“Yes, Declan is playing every week but he might think that he has to go to a big club and shine to cement his place in the England side, but if he goes they will be getting big money for him.”

It has been suggested that a bid of over £50 million ($62m) from one of his many suitors will be required in order to prise Rice from West Ham’s clutches, with some reports suggesting that his asking price may rise as far as £100m ($124m).

Dwight Yorke thinks, although rumoured Manchester United target Harry Kane is a "complete player", current first-choice forward Anthony Martial is capable of serving as the club's permanent No.9.

United are reportedly weighing up a big-money move for Tottenham talisman Kane in the summer window. The England captain has left the door open for a potential transfer in order to fulfil his silverware ambitions, and Old Trafford has been mooted as his most likely next destination.

The Red Devils decided against signing a replacement for Romelu Lukaku when he joined Inter last year, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer instead placing his trust in Martial to lead the line.

The Frenchman has not yet proven he can deliver the goods on a consistent basis, but a superb hat-trick in a 3-0 win over Sheffield United on Wednesday served as a stark reminder of his potential through the middle.

Yorke has suggested his old club will have no need for Kane if Martial builds on his latest performance to nail down a coveted spot in Solskjaer's line up.

The ex-United marksman told Talksport: “Martial’s hat-trick last night and the way he scored the three goals shows he’s an accomplished finisher.

“The fact is: when you play for United you’re scrutinised if you’re inconsistent and singled out for criticism if you don’t perform. We’ve got to remember these are young players and are very new into the Man United way of life.

“United are always linked with quality players and Harry Kane is at the top of the tree in terms of a No.9, he’s a complete player - but what we’ve seen is that United have invested a lot in young players and the No.9 position is a tricky position to play, it’s a specialist position, Ally [McCoist] will vouch for that.

“So if someone like Harry Kane wants to join our football club that can only be a huge plus, but for now we have a lot of talent in the young squad and they just need game time."

Yorke continued: “To be a No.9 you need to play there week-in, week-out; not one week on the left, then on the right and then you come back into the centre.

“The best goalscorers in the history of the Premier League, Alan Shearer for instance, he only played in one position and he wasn’t interested in anywhere else.

“The likes of Robbie Fowler, Andy Cole, Sergio Aguero, they only played in one position and that’s why they were the best, and Harry Kane is in that bracket too.

“Martial has been at the club for a few years now and his preferred position is playing as a centre-forward, and he got his opportunity and he really made it count. So I think he’s ready to go.”

Adama Traore and Raul Jimenez combined for the 10th time in the Premier League this season as Wolverhampton Wanderers eased to a 1-0 win over Bournemouth at the Molineux on Wednesday.

Wolves have been in superb form this season largely thanks to this duo whose chemistry keeps going stronger each passing game.

Nuno Espirito Santo’s men had claimed a 2-0 win at West Ham United in the resumption of Premier League fixtures last weekend. It was not an easy one though as they had to wait until the 73rd to get their first goal courtesy of Jimenez from a Traore assist followed by Pedro Neto netting the second from a Matt Doherty assist.

Traore started in attack this time alongside Jimenez and Diogo Jota and they had to wait until the 60th minute for the goal to come, Traore’s well-drilled cross on the right flank finding Jimenez who fired a powerful header home.

The involvement between Traore and Jimenez made it the 10th time this season both combined for a goal, which is the highest in the Premier League, ahead of Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero and Kevin De Bruyne (six), Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino (five) and Norwich City’s Teemu Pukki and Todd Cantwell (five).

Traore has now been involved in 19 goals this term in all competitions (six goals, 12 assists) while Jimenez has almost double that tally as the club’s leading marksman with 34 (24 goals, 10 assists).

The Mexican forward and Catalonia-born winger of Malian descent have also been heavily involved in fixtures with a joint 91 apperances in a campaign that sees Wolves still involved in the Europa League with a 1-1 first leg result at Olympiacos in the round of 16.

Traore has also had the reputation being fouled a lot by the opposition which has led to 21 cards been dished out, three more ahead of Crystal Palace and Ivory Coast forward Wilfried Zaha with 18.

Wolves are neck on neck with fifth-placed Manchester United in the standings on 49 points, just two points shy of fourth-placed Chelsea who later play Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on Thursday night.