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Mikel Arteta slammed Arsenal for an "unacceptable" 2-1 Premier League defeat to Brighton on Saturday.

The Gunners went ahead at Amex Stadium through a sublime Nicolas Pepe strike but were stunned by goals from Lewis Dunk and Neal Maupay.

Dunk scrambled the ball over the line after a quick Brighton corner before a 95th-minute winner from Maupay, who was involved in an earlier collision that saw Gunners goalkeeper Bernd Leno taken off on a stretcher.

It was Arsenal's second defeat in a week following their 3-0 loss to Manchester City on Wednesday and Arteta was far from happy with the way they failed to hold onto their earlier advantage.

"I am very frustrated," he told BBC Sport after the final whistle. "It is unacceptable the way we lost the game.

"We like competing and I know we have a young squad but still, we threw the game away. We had to put it to bed earlier."

The Gunners have suffered back-to-back defeats since the top flight resumed following the three-month interruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic, a run that has caused significant harm to their hopes of making the Champions League in 2020-1. 

But while Arteta was less than happy with what he saw against Brighton, he is already thinking of how to mend spirits ahead of Arsenal's next outing.

"A very difficult one to take. It is unacceptable in the way we lost the game. The fact we missed so many chances, the fact we gave them a goal and we did not compete for the second goal," he added to BT Sport. 

"Where do Arsenal go from here? We have to try to lift the players. There's a lot of things they have done really well but we don't compete. At this level you cannot give those sort of goals away.

"This is the challenge we all have at the football club, to rebuild to something that is worth the club we are representing."

Arsenal languish in 10th place following Saturday's reverse, six points shy of Manchester United in what will be the final Champions League qualification spot should Manchester City's appeal against their ban fail.

Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Braut Haaland has made his feelings about Bayern Munich’s title win pretty clear, saying it was “sh*t” that the Bavarian giants had become champions once again.

Hansi Flick’s side sealed an eighth successive Bundesliga title with victory at Werder Bremen in midweek. 

Dortmund have now finished runners-up in five of those eight seasons, with Saturday’s 2-0 win at third-placed RB Leipzig ensuring they secured second place once more.

Haaland continued his fine form in a Dortmund shirt with both goals to take his tally to 16 goals in 17 appearances since his January move from RB Salzburg. That proved little consolation to the Norwegian, though, who was not satisfied with finishing second.

“First of all it is of course sh*t that Bayern won,” he told BT Sport after the final whistle. “But that is how it is now and we have to do our best out of it. And now we have secured second place, but we tried to get as close as we can on them.”

Saturday’s game was also notable as it featured a first Bundesliga start for Giovanni Reyna. The 17-year-old, son of former United States international Claudio Reyna, spent his youth career at New York City FC before joining Dortmund’s academy in 2019 and has gone on to make a big impact at Signal Iduna Park.

The midfielder became the youngest American to feature in Bundesliga when he made his debut against Augsburg in January at the age of 17 years and 66 days, breaking the record previously held by Christian Pulisic.

He has since gone on to make 17 appearances for the club in all competitions. He certainly looked at home in the German top flight on his first start, displaying great vision to set up Haaland for his opening goal and earn the praise of his team-mate after the game.

“I have called him the American dream before and it's true,” added Haaland. “He is 17-years-old and what he is doing on the pitch is amazing. He has a huge future in front of him.”

Dortmund complete their 2019-20 Bundesliga season at home to Hoffenheim next Saturday. 

Atletico Madrid had substitute Vitolo to thank as they boosted their prospects of Champions League football next season with a 1-0 win over Real Valladolid at the Wanda Metropolitano.

A clutch of chances had been spurned by the time Vitolo came off the bench to replace Marcos Llorente with 17 minutes remaining, with Joao Felix and Alvaro Morata going close.

When the breakthrough came in the 81st minute it was dramatic, Vitolo heading at goal after a corner from the left reached him at the far post.

Valladolid defender Kiko Olivas felt he had nodded it off the line after diving spectacularly to reach the ball, but replays showed it was six inches over and Atletico moved back up to third.

Waldo Rubio almost gave Valladolid a phenomenal start, driving into space and lashing a 25-yard strike that Jan Oblak had to throw himself to his right to palm over the crossbar.

At the other end, Morata headed wastefully off target from Hector Herrera's excellent cross before an off-balance Joao Felix sliced high and wide.

Joao Felix went close again, this time with the ball fully under his control, as he darted forwards and sent a shot just wide of the left post.

Valladolid's Matheus Fernandes went similarly close on the half-hour mark, as Atletico's threat briefly flatlined.

Morata made way for Diego Costa in the 64th minute and the new arrival quickly had the ball in the net, but he had strayed offside.

Thomas Partey almost broke the deadlock with a 35-yard howitzer that Jose Antonio Caro did well to turn away for a corner in the 80th minute.

From that set-piece Atletico had their moment through Vitolo. Olivas was confident he had reached the ball in time, but a VAR check told a different story.

What does it mean? Simeone's side scrape through

This was by no means a classic Atletico performance, but they never gave up the pursuit of a winning goal. Thomas' thumping shot almost provided a match-winner to cherish, but it helped to bring about the outcome Diego Simeone's men were seeking. Valladolid, in lower mid-table but surely just about safe, gave a decent account of themselves.

Vitolo makes his mark

Vitolo was in the right place at the right time, keeping his composure as the ball came through a thicket of players. With Caro stranded, it seemed he just had to hit the target, but his heart would have been in his mouth as Olivas spotted the danger and almost pulled off the spectacular.

Caro was barely clinging on

The longer this match went on, the more likely it seemed that Caro's good fortune would run out. He was left embarrassed by the goal, coming off his line and failing to punch away the corner from which the winner arrived.

What's next?

Atletico go to Levante on Tuesday, when Valladolid have home advantage against high-flying Getafe.

Leon Balogun’s Wigan have moved clear of the English Championship relegation zone following Saturday’s 2-0 triumph at Huddersfield Town.

A goal in each half by Jamal Lowe and Anthony Pilkington were all the Latics needed to secure maximum points at stake in West Yorkshire.

Balogun – who is on loan from Premier League outfit Brighton and Hove Albion was not listed for the clash but that did no harm to Paul Cook’s side.

Wigan started the game on a bright note and they carved out the encounter’s first opportunity when Nathan Byrne’s cross for Kieffer Moore fell to on-loan Everton midfielder Kieran Dowell who could not pull the trigger.

The visitors’ persistence at goal paid off in the 26th minute with Moore’s cross slotted past the goal line by Lowe – his fourth of the season.

Huddersfield seldom threatened however, their first chance in the 33rd minute through Juninho Bacuna’s free-kick drew an impressive save from goalkeeper David Marshall.

Three minutes into the second half, Pilkington doubled the lead after profiting from Lowe’s assist. And for the remaining part of the game, no goal was recorded as Cook’s men who have now won their last three games.

DR Congo forward Elias Kachunga replaced Lewis O'Brien on the hour mark for Huddersfield Town. The game was the 28-year-old’s 31st of the season with two goals to his credit.

Benin Republic international Steve Mounie and Uganda's Herbert Bockhorn were not listed for the encounter at the Kirklees Stadium.

Captain Sam Morsy was on parade from start to finish for the Latics, with Cote d'Ivoire's Cedric Kipre not available for the match as well as Nigeria’s Balogun.

The Super Eagles defender struggled for game time since teaming up with the Seagulls in 2018 from German Bundesliga club Mainz 05, featuring in only 12 games across all competitions.

In his quest to enjoy more action and reignite his career, he completed a loan switch to the Championship side on Transfer Deadline Day.

He went on social media to commend his team for their well-deserved win: "Well done lads, started right where we left off," he tweeted.

Wigan are now 17th in the Championship log having accrued 44 points from 38 games – they host Blackburn Rovers in their next outing on Saturday, while 20th placed Huddersfield Town square up against promotion-chasing Nottingham Forest on Sunday.

Bukayo Saka and Nicolas Pepe provided rare encouragement for Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta on a day when his Gunners side were defeated 2-1 by struggling Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League.

It was already shaping up to be a difficult week for the Londoners following their midweek thumping by a rampant Manchester City side, a game which also saw injuries to Granit Xhaka and Pablo Mari.

That contest also included a miserable 41-minute cameo by David Luiz, who contributed an error leading to a goal and then brought down Riyad Mahrez in the box, giving away a penalty and seeing a red card.

Already, the Premier League return was only 49 minutes old and the early promise of Arteta’s reign was in danger of being undermined.

On Saturday, things went from bad to worse, as the Gunners collapsed against Brighton, who came from behind to win 2-1.

An injury to Bernd Leno will also give Arteta cause for concern, as will the nature of the Londoners’ collapse, as they conceded twice in the final 15 minutes following Pepe’s opener, including a 94th-minute winner by Neal Maupay.

The fact that it had been Maupay who had caused Leno’s earlier injury—via a collision with the stopper—only added salt to the wounds.

Again, Arsenal’s defenders—with the possible exception of Shkodran Mustafi—were found wanting, while Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s efforts in front of goal proved wasteful.

Aubameyang took seven shots during the match—three of which were on target—but failed to net with any of his attempts; for context, that’s the most strikes he’s taken in a single game without scoring.

However, while there is much for Arteta to work on—with Franco-Moroccan midfielder Matteo Guendouzi another area of concern—he will be encouraged by the work of widemen Pepe and Saka.

For the latter, the return to action of left-backs Kieran Tierney and Sead Kolasinac has not limited his game time as first feared.

While Saka had been deputising at full-back during the pair’s absence due to injury earlier in the campaign, he’s simply been shunted forward upon their return.

Tierney started at full-back against City, with Kolasinac stepping in against Brighton, but Saka has retained his spot on the right in midweek, and on the left against the Seagulls.

He was one of Arsenal’s brightest lights, hitting the woodwork early on and also providing the assist for Pepe’s opener.

Credit will go to the Ivorian, of course, for the innovation and execution of his goal, but Saka was arguably the most impressive of Arsenal’s midfield three, impressing with his awareness, endeavour and movement in a more central role.

His assist was his eleventh of the season—four of which have come in the top flight—and he’s set up three more goals than any other Arsenal player.

It’s an eye-catching statistic, which truly underpins the impact the Nigerian wonderkid has had in his maiden Premiership season.

Similarly encouraging, of course, was Pepe, who appeared on course to be Arsenal’s match-winner before Lewis Dunk’s bundled equaliser on 75 minutes.

The Ivorian wideman has struggled to repay his £72 million transfer fee since arriving from LOSC Lille, with Arsenal fans only witnessing his outrageous talent in glimpses.

Here is a player, however, who had a direct hand in a whopping 33 goals in Ligue 1 last season—a remarkable return—and he’s clearly enjoying life more under Arteta than under former manager Unai Emery.

Pepe’s goal against Brighton was his fifth of the season and, notably, his first away from London out of the seven he’s scored in all competitions for the Gunners.

He’s someone who had appeared well placed to benefit from the delay in competition—a chance to settle better in England and enjoy more focused coaching with Arteta—and the more clinical, sanitised atmosphere of empty stadiums may also help a player of whom much is expected.

Another bad day for Arsenal, but at least Saka and Pepe give Arteta cause for encouragement.

SuperSport United head coach Kaitano Tembo has explained why he feels former Orlando Pirates attacker Thabo Qalinge did not succeed at the club. 

Qalinge is facing the exit from the club after making a mere three appearances for Matsatsantsa this season. 

This was after he joined the Tshwane giants on a free transfer following his departure from the Buccaneers. 

And Tembo feels Qalinge arrived at the time when the likes of Aubrey Modiba, Bradley Grobler and Evans Rusike were doing well for the team, and therefore making it difficult for him to play. 

The Zimbabwean mentor admits Qalinge never got many opportunities to prove his worth at the club.   

"He came in where he had to play second fiddle to players like Aubrey Modiba and there is Bradley Grobler and Evans Rusike and they were all doing well. He never really got many opportunities to play due to the other players who were doing well in that position," Tembo told Phakaaathi.

Tembo feels Qalinge is still a very good player, and he hopes the good competition he got from his teammates at SuperSport United will help him grow as a player going forward. 

"He is still a very good player and I know that players do get better because of competition and I think he has been giving good competition by the players who have been playing because he has been pushing and wanting to play," he said. 

Qalinge's career has been on a downward spiral since his days with the Buccaneers where he struggled for form and injuries. 

The 28-year-old arrived at Mayfair as a highly rated winger from the now-defunct Mpumalanga Black Aces and made an instant impact in his first few months. 

However, he fell down the pecking order just months before his release at the end of the 2018/19 season. 

Matsatsantsa gave him a chance to revive his career soon after the start of the suspended campaign but he struggled to break into Tembo's starting line-up. 

Qalinge would hope to find a new home just before the start of next season in order to try and return to his best. 

Renowned Ghanaian coach Bashir Hayford wants the Ghana Football Association (GFA) to focus on securing a headline sponsor for the Premier League during the football downtime instead of ambitions to bring back the suspended championship.

All domestic competitions have been on hold since a national ban on public gatherings, including sporting and religious events came into effect as part of measures to curb the spread of the deadly disease on March 15.

The Premier League league's last headline sponsor was Xylofon Media who saw their partnership scuppered by a 2018 GFA corruption scandal.

“I will use this opportunity to [remind] my colleagues, the FA and the stakeholders in Ghana football that we started the league with no sponsorship," former Somalia head coach Hayford, an applicant for the vacant Ghana technical director job, told Aben FM.

“I will advise the FA to cancel the league and use this time to seek for good sponsorship so they can package next season well.

“When we resume the league we the coaches are going to suffer a lot because we are not like Europeans.

“We don’t have good facilities for training and facilities for examining us.

“All that I want to say is that the GFA should cancel the league and plan well for next season."

The Premier League went without a headline sponsor between 2015 and 2018 after First Capital Plus Bank, now Capital Bank, prematurely ended a partnership over restructuring purposes.

Xylofon took over the mantle in 2018 but a turbulent corruption scandal crashed the partnership in less than a year. The league has since been without a lead sponsor.

Ghana's ban on all contact sports, including football, meanwhile, remains in effect until at least July 31.

The GFA has set a June 30 deadline to make a final decision on the future of the 2019-20 Ghana football season in the wake of disruptions.

Recently, football's governing body, through the Ghana Ministry of Youth and Sports (MoYS), made a proposal to the national government for a possible prompt return of football under conditions such as the playing of matches behind closed doors.

The request was, however, turned down.

The championship was at the matchweek 15 stage - with Aduana Stars leading the table - when the competition was brought to a halt.

Oghenekaro Etebo opened his La Liga goal account in Getafe's 1-1 draw against Eibar on Saturday.

The 24-year-old who was making his ninth appearance in the Spanish top-flight, broke the deadlock at the Estadio Coliseum Alfonso Perez on the half-hour mark to put the hosts ahead.

It was Etebo’s first goal in Spain after 23 league games which include 14 appearances during his loan stint at Las Palmas in the second half of the 2017-18 season.

His opener was short-lived as Charles drew Eibar level on the stroke of half-time.

The Nigeria international was on parade for 69 minutes before he was replaced due to injury as Getafe settled for their second straight draw in the league after a goalless draw against Espanyol on Tuesday.

Togolese centre-back Djene Dakonam played for the full 90 minutes while Cameroon's Allan Nyom came on as a 80th-minute substitute.

Etebo joined the Deep Blues in January on a short-term deal in January after struggling for playing time at Championship club Stoke City.

The Super Eagles midfielder has made himself a vital cog in Jose Bordalas’ system with his ball-winning skills and midfield contributions.

The shared point leaves Getafe unmoved in the fifth spot in La Liga table with 48 points after 30 games, a point behind the Uefa Champions League qualification zone and fourth-placed Atletico Madrid.

Next up for Getafe is a league trip to 15th-placed Real Valladolid on Tuesday, and they will be hoping to have Etebo back in time.

Swansea City manager Steve Cooper has praised Ghana international Andre Ayew and attacking partners Rhian Brewster and Aldo Kalulu after their fine performances in a big win over Middlesbrough in the Championship on Saturday.

On the return of football after a coronavirus suspension, Ayew found the back of the net and provided an assist while Brewster scored twice as the Jack Army registered a 3-0 away triumph at Riverside.

The three points have sent Swansea to eighth on the league table, boosting their bid for Premier League promotion.

“To win 3-0 away from home is a fantastic result at any time of the season, never mind having not played for as many months as we have and having little preparation to get ready for the game,” Cooper said after the game, as reported by his club's official website.

“Rhian looked a real threat, got his two goals and he's disappointed he didn't have three,” said the Swans boss. He's a really good player, but we are a team that likes to play as a team.

“I thought Aldo was equally a threat down the right-hand side in the first half, and Andre was doing what he does week in and week out.

“I thought Conor Gallagher did brilliantly – winning the penalty getting in the box - and the midfield players were also getting high up the pitch.

“Rhian obviously will get some headlines because he got a brace but it's as a consequence of the team playing the way we want to play.”

Ayew has now taken his league tally to 12 goals in 35 appearances.

The 30-year-old will hope to continue his fine form when the Jack Army host Luton Town in their next game on Saturday.

He returned to Liberty Stadium after a loan stint with Turkish outfit Fenerbahce last campaign.

Ayew's future at Swansea though remains in doubt, having been heavily linked to a transfer away in his desire for top-flight action.

The attacker rejoined the Jacks for a second spell in January 2018 after a frustrating move to West Ham United.

He first moved to France in 2015 from French side Olympique Marseille.

He once played for Lorient on loan. 

Manchester United defender Luke Shaw was thrilled to see Paul Pogba back in the team against Tottenham - and credited the midfielder with making the difference in Friday's draw. 

The Red Devils had enjoyed a fine run of form prior to the coronavirus lockdown, but struggled to pick up where they left off in their first Premier League match back in action. 

David de Gea was at fault as Steven Bergwijn fired past the goalkeeper at his near post to put Jose Mourinho's men ahead against his former employers after 27 minutes. 

United rallied after half-time, with Pogba's entrance from the bench galvanising his team-mates, and salvaged a 1-1 draw thanks to Bruno Fernandes' penalty. 

And Shaw believes that the France midfielder, who played for the first time since Boxing Day, will be a huge asset for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's charges in the bid for Champions League qualification. 

“I told him afterwards how much of a difference he made,” he told United's official website. 

“He didn’t play for that long but obviously it’s great to have him and Rashy [Marcus Rashford] back in the side.

“They are very important players and maybe we can see Paul from the start on Wednesday.”

While United failed to mark their return to action with three points, Shaw was nevertheless happy with what he saw after more than three months of inactivity. 

“We never give up and we kept going,” he added.

“We felt fit, we felt stronger than them and we felt like they were struggling at times. We kept going and got the penalty.

“I feel great. The break came at a difficult time as we were flying, but everyone’s worked really hard and kept in great shape over the period we had off. We've come back flying.

“We need to push on from here. The [unbeaten] run keeps going but we need to take away the draws and get the wins instead because that’s the most important thing.”

Friday's draw means that United remain in fifth place in the Premier League, a spot that will assure them qualification for the Champions League should Manchester City fail in their bid to overturn suspension from the competition for next season. 

They are back in action on Wednesday with a home clash against Sheffield United, who could move ahead of the Red Devils with victory over Newcastle United on Sunday.

Cameroon international Nicolas NKoulou was on the scoresheet while Nigeria’s Ola Aina was on parade as Torino secured a 1-1 draw with Gervinho’s Parma in Saturday’s Serie A game.

Moreno Longo’s men have not been impressive since the beginning of the year, having lost their previous seven games including last weekend’s loss to Napoli.

The Bull last recorded a victory against Bologna in January and the African stars were on hand to help halt the spate of poor results.

NKoulou started the encounter partnering Gleison Bremer and Armando Izzo in Torino’s defence while Super Eagles star Aina made a second-half appearance.

With only 15 minutes into the encounter, Cameroon international NKoulou opened the scoring after he was set up by Alex Berenguer.

Ivory Coast international Gervinho, who was handed his 20th league appearance in the encounter, then found Juraj Kucka with a timely pass, who then levelled proceedings.

Torino had a glorious chance to claim all three points in the 48th minute after they were awarded a penalty but goalkeeper Luigi Sepe made a fine safe from Andrea Belotti’s effort from the spot.

Nigeria international Aina was introduced into the game in the 68th minute, replacing Berenguer and did his part but his effort was not enough to ensure his side claim victory in the encounter.

NKoulou lasted for the entirety of the game while Gervinho made way for Gianluca Caprari in the 73rd minute.

The result ensured Torino’s 15th place on the league table after gathering 28 points from 26 matches, three places above the relegation zone.

Parma, meanwhile, are eighth on the table with 36 points from the same number of matches, two places below Europa League spot.

NKoulou has featured in 27 games across all competitions for the Bull in this campaign while Aina has played 25 matches since he joined the side permanently last summer from Premier League club Chelsea.

Aina and NKoulou will hope to help Torino end their miserable form when they face William Troost-Ekong’s Udinese on Tuesday.

Gervinho, who has five league goals this season, will hope to get on the scoresheet and inspire his side to victory when they face Genoa at Stadio Comunale Luigi Ferraris.

Ajara Nchout has looked back at one of her unforgettable moments at the 2019 Women's World Cup campaign with Cameroon.

The Indomitable Lionesses were destined for elimination from the international showpiece after Aurelle Awona’s own goal gifted the Football Ferns the lead in the 80th minute.

However, Nchout started the Central Africans come back when she found the back on the net five minutes from stoppage time before grabbing the winner with a stunning last kick of the encounter.

Her brace handed Cameroon their only win and also saw them reach the Round of 16 as one of the best third-placed teams - which ensured their second appearance in a row in the Last 16 round.

Saturday marks the one-year anniversary of that game and the 27-year-old took to social media to define what that game meant to her.

"The best memories are those you live with your loved ones," Nchout wrote on Instagram.

"The best memories are the ones you will never forget. I will never forget this day when, together, we went to seek this victory.

"That day, I understood, even more than yesterday, that you will always be by our side. We will always walk together."

In France, Cameroon knew only a win against New Zealand could boost their slim knockout stage hopes, having bowed to eventual group winners the Netherlands and runners-up Canada.

The Cameroon international whose late winner was voted the second-best goal of the tournament and also nominated for the 2019 Puskas award, shared some untold stories leading to the tie.

“Most people probably don’t know this but I shouldn’t have played against New Zealand," she told Fifa.com.

"I took a blow to the knee in the opening game against Canada and had to go off. I came on in the second half against the Netherlands, but when the team was announced for the New Zealand game I wasn’t in it. 

"I went to see the coach to tell him I wanted to play. He said I wasn’t 100 percent because of my injury and that he didn’t want to risk it. I said to him, ‘I didn't come to ask you to do that but you have to trust me. 

"I’m going to play this game as if nothing’s happened. Forget about my injury.’ He just said: ‘Are you sure, my girl?’ And he changed the side. Everyone in the team was surprised.

“It was on my mind during the warm-up but as soon as we kicked off that was it. When the game starts and your pulse is racing, you forget about the pain.”

Despite conceding 10 minutes from time, the former Sandviken striker defended teammate Awona over her accidental own goal.

“People make mistakes. It can happen to anyone," she continued: "I said to myself that we absolutely had to put it out of our minds and move on because I knew that if we lost, she’d feel so low. 

"She had her whole family in the stands and her mum thanked me after the match. Aurelle was crying on my shoulder after the match and she thanked me for what I did. She thought we were going out because of her goal."

On her brilliant late brace beginning five minutes from time, she recalled how she inspired the incredible comeback and the eventual career-changing impact of those goals.

"The cross came in from our left-back, Yvonne Leuko. I controlled the ball with my chest in the penalty box," she enthused. 

"The ball bounced up and I took a touch with my left foot before placing the ball past the keeper. That goal gave us a real boost because we knew our fans were expecting us to deliver.

“That goal was out of this world. I keep telling myself that my best goal and my best match are still ahead of me, but that game was one of my best ever. 

"When my captain, Gabrielle Onguene, headed the ball on to me I knew I could go it alone. It’s the kind of situation I work on in training a lot. We were in added time and I was determined to make the difference.

“That match really put me in the spotlight and showed everyone what I can do, even though I’ve been in the national team for 10 years. People still talk to me about it, both in Cameroon and elsewhere. 

"I was nominated for the Puskás Award, which is pretty amazing for an African player. On an emotional level, it’s one of the greatest goals in the history of Cameroonian football, both men’s and women’s, and it’s an honour for me to have made our supporters happy and proud.”

Despite missing out on the Africa Women's Player of the Year prize, 2019 was a year to remember for Nchout as her form earned Valerenga a maiden Champions League qualification.

Monaco winger Keita Balde has praised ‘amazing’ Sadio Mane for his impressive performances for Liverpool this season and he thinks the 2019 African Footballer of the Year will soon become a Reds legend.

Mane has proven to be a key player in Jurgen Klopp’s team with his attacking contributions that have seen him return 18 goals across all competitions this term.

He played a crucial role in the Reds’ victorious European campaign in 2018-19 where they won the Uefa Champions League and the Uefa Super Cup.

With Liverpool nearing to end the wait for their first top-flight title in 30 years this campaign, Balde believes has Mane already written his name in the club’s history books.

“It's a big achievement for a Senegal player but we cannot forget he is already a Champions League winner and the best African player of 2019. He is an amazing guy,” he told Sky Sports.

“We are close friends and I'm very proud of him. He is in the history of Liverpool so it's not difficult for him to become a legend.”

After an initial suspension and unlike the French Ligue 1 which was cancelled in May due to coronavirus pandemic, other European leagues including the Premier League, Serie A have resumed and Balde reacted to the development.

“It was a bit strange to see everyone coming back to play. In France we are going to start a new pre-season next week so there's not much time to think about that,” he continued.

“The only thing I can say now is I'm very happy football is coming back because it means that life is coming back too.

“I will be focused on my team and approaching the new season with a good mentality and reaching my best level.

“I'm 25, I'm a father now and I've matured as a man and as a player. It's time to step up and make the difference again.”

The Senegal international played in Italy with Inter Milan and Lazio before switching to Monaco where he scored four goals in 21 Ligue 1 appearances before the 2019-20 season was cancelled.

The Catalonia-born striker disclosed that the Premier League and La Liga are the competitions he dreams of playing in the future.

“I was born in Spain and grew up in Barcelona but I have never played in La Liga,” he said.

“I became a football player and a man in Serie A with Lazio and then I moved to Monaco and played in Ligue 1. I like experiencing new places and facing new challenges.

“Of course, the Premier League and La Liga are great challenges for every ambitious player. Now I want to enjoy next season with Monaco and improve myself.”

Everton's Brazil international Richarlison has claimed he received offers from two of the world's biggest clubs - Barcelona and Manchester United - in January that were each turned down by the Merseysiders. 

Richarlison, 23, joined Everton at the start of the 2018-19 season from Watford and has gone on to be a key part of the Toffees squad, netting 13 goals in his first Premier League season and 10 to date in 2019-20 prior to the interruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic. 

The forward also lined up for Brazil in their successful 2019 Copa America campaign, and his fine performances for both club and country caught the eye in both England and Spain. 

"There were lots of offers during the season, from Barcelona, from Manchester (United)," he revealed to Los Desimpedidos. 

"But the club opted to keep me in the group and I didn't want to leave in the middle of the season. It's bad to leave team-mates like this."

Everton reportedly turned down a €100 million (£85m/$105m) offer from the Catalans to sign Richarlison in January, and he admits that he was flattered by the interest from Camp Nou.

"Of course you feel impacted, Barcelona is one of the greatest clubs in the world, but I think happiness plays its part as well," he added. 

The Toffees restart their Premier League campaign with a daunting Merseyside derby at home to table-topping neighbours Liverpool on Sunday. 

Manchester City's midweek victory over Arsenal means that the Reds cannot clinch their first title in 30 years against their rivals, but they will nevertheless be looking for a win that would leave them one step closer to the crown. 

Everton, then, will need strong performances from the likes of Richarlison to get a result; and his team-mate Bernard believes he is up to the task. 

“Richi is capable of adapting to any scenario during a match,” Bernard told EvertonTV.

“He's the type of player who's really aggressive in the box. He's fearless and not scared of putting himself about or taking a whack.

“Whatever is happening, the important thing for him is putting the ball in the back of the net. This makes him who he is, a player with a massive presence in the box.”

Harry Maguire has warned his Manchester United team-mates they must improve on their Bramall Lane performance if they are to beat Sheffield United at Old Trafford.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side host the Blades on Wednesday in what is likely to be a critical fixture in the battle to secure Champions League qualification.

Chris Wilder's side currently sit two points behind fifth-placed United, but victory over Newcastle on Sunday would see them head to Old Trafford sitting above the Red Devils in the table.

The last time the two sides met it was a dramatic 3-3 encounter when United came back from two goals down only for Oli McBurnie to score a 90th minute equaliser.

“It was a crazy game," Maguire told The United Review. "We were really poor in the first half. No doubt about it, it was one of our poorest first halves of the season. We managed to find ourselves two goals down but then got in a great position and looked like we were going to win.

"They didn’t really create any chances in the last 20 or 30 minutes of the game and then, obviously with the last kick, they found space and it was a good finish from Oli McBurnie.

"In the end, it was a tough result to take but I don’t think we deserved any more on the day than a point. We weren’t good enough and know we have to perform better in this game.”

The match will be the first at Old Trafford behind closed doors and, while the club have done their best to ensure it looks as good as possible and fans are represented at the ground, it will be a strange experience for the players.

“It’s disappointing not to play in front of your fans but, one day, they’ll be back," said Maguire. "And, when they’re back, I am sure the atmosphere is going to be even better and louder than it normally is at Old Trafford – if you can beat that.

“We’re going to miss the fans. Home and away, they follow in great numbers and the support is incredible. But we know they’re going to be in front of their TV screens, watching us, shouting us along, and the main thing is we want to put smiles back on their faces.”

Despite the lack of support, Maguire is not concerned that United will lose their home advantage and is confident the team can produce a good performance.

“Maybe it does take away the home fans making the atmosphere uncomfortable for the away team, but it’s still about the 11 players who turn up on the day,” he added.

“There is enough talent in our squad to go and beat anyone. We’re fully focused on ourselves and are not looking at it being home or away. We’re just seeing every game as a chance to try to get the three points and perform at our best.”

Frank Lampard has been impressed with the backing he has received from Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich after securing the £47.5 million ($59m) signing of Timo Werner on the back of a £37m ($46m) deal for Hakim Ziyech.

Chelsea are looking to close the gap on Liverpool and Manchester City by making full use of the transfer market after making no signings during Lampard's first season at the helm.

The Blues were under a transfer ban last summer and also lost their star player Eden Hazard to Real Madrid in an £88m ($109m) deal, while they struggled to sign anyone in a difficult January market despite Lampard asking for a striker.

After being unable to secure either Napoli's Dries Mertens or Paris Saint-Germain's Edinson Cavani on short-term deals, Chelsea announced in February that Ziyech would be joining from Ajax and this week completed a deal for RB Leipzig striker Werner.

Chelsea are still interested in signing more players, including Leicester City's Ben Chilwell and Bayer Leverkusen's Kai Havertz.

After such high-profile early transfer market moves, Lampard spoke highly of the communication from the figures at the top level of the club, including Abramovich, director Marina Granovskaia and the technical and performance advisor Petr Cech.

"I haven't spoken to him [Abramovich] recently," Lampard told reporters as he explained the dynamic at the heart of transfer decision making at Stamford Bridge. "I speak to Marina a lot and with Petr. We are very joined up and we talk a lot and communication is key in that.

"When you say that I know the owner very well, in the workplace, to a degree, I do. But I also understand what he wants for this club. I played under it, I felt it as a player when he first came here so I get that with my conversations with Marina that's always relayed.

"I want the same [as him]. In terms of his commitment, I think he has shown his commitment regularly to our football club. We have done some business now that will hopefully improve us for next season and we want to keep moving forward.

"One thing I really realised coming into this job, I was here a long time as a player, but as manager people will consistently ask you about your relationship with the board and the owner et cetera.

"I hope that this shows how we've worked together, all of us, with how we work, with recruitment, scouting and all playing our roles, in trying to bring the right players and being joined up.

"So I think we have to be very positive. This is Chelsea Football Club and we want to close the gap and signings like Timo and Ziyech both are nice statements. There are other areas we might want to improve as we go along.

"But there has to be players available in the market that we can get, and we feel confident and comfortable that we can get them at the right price and to fill the right holes and improve us.

"At the moment we're positive with that but now the games have started it's really important for myself, that the players and I focus on trying to finish the season well and then hopefully we can have the excitement of some new players that we know now are coming in to help us next year."

Although expectations have been tempered from their usual levels in Lampard's first season due to the transfer ban, he is under no illusions that Abramovich will expect a return on his investment.

Werner's 26 goals and eight assists in 32 Bundesliga games show his ability to make an impact, while Ziyech has six goals and 12 assists from 21 Eredivisie games this season. The Blues manager was asked whether the pressure will increase from the two new signings coming in.

"Yeah, it probably does, and I get that," he continued. "There's pressure in the Chelsea job whatever. There's expectations to whatever degree; we're a well-supported club, well-followed club and scrutiny is big as we know.

"That's why we love the Premier League and why we're trying to do our best. So I don't mind the idea, I get it. We're trying to improve here. I'm under no illusions. I want us to improve first and foremost. So I don't mind that pressure.

"I will have more pressure on myself. I know this year from within some of the obstacles or the things that we're sometimes working against or with trying to do as well as we can. Of course, bringing in players that we feel are improvements, you have to go and then show that.

"So that will be up to the individuals themselves, and it will be my job as well. So if the pressure ramps up that will be fair enough. We do know that there is a big gap going upwards when you look at the performance of Liverpool and City in the last couple of years.

"So we need to really work to try and close that gap and we have to be ready to give the players that come in, the two we're talking about, time for adaptation to the league. We hope it's not that much, we really believe in their qualities, but we want to be working towards closing that gap above us."

Despite having had time to look forward and activate the release clause of two key transfer targets, Lampard is keen not to look too far ahead with nine games remaining this season, beginning at Villa Park with Aston Villa on Sunday.

Having been in the top four since the 1-0 win over Newcastle in October, Lampard is aware that there is an expectation that his side complete the job.

"It is going to be tough and it is hard to make predictions on how many points," he concluded. "You want every point that's on the table and that would get us to the position we want to be in but there's a lot of tough games in that run-in.

"Any run-in would be tough in the Premier League so it is just a battle and we will have to take the games as they come, remain focused on ourselves and not try and look around too much because if we can focus on ourselves and get the right results, then it can look after ourselves.

"It is going to be a tough battle because you have got teams behind us and around us that are pushing for the same reasons that we are pushing. They have a lot of quality. We are aware of that but we will try and do our best.

"In terms of next season, yes, a club like Chelsea and how we are, we want to be in the Champions League. The players will always want to be in the Champions League so it is something we want to try and do.

"If not, we have to be realistic because of the competition. Then next season, we will try to improve as well as we can in whatever competitions we are in."

The South African Football Association National Executive Committee (Safa NEC) has resolved to remove both Ria Ledwaba and Gay Mokoena as Danny Jordaan's vice-presidents. 

The country's FA held its NEC meeting on Saturday where the pair were dismissed for various reasons. 

According to Safa's communications manager Dominic Chimhavi, the NEC was well within its rights to remove the pair as they were not elected by the national congress. 

Chimhavi said the decision came after the NEC unanimously declared both Ledwaba and Mokoena's contracts as self-serving. 

"Don't forget the VPs are appointed by the NEC. They are not elected by the congress," Chimhavi confirmed to SowetanLIVE. 

"And as a result, the decision that was taken by the NEC was unanimous to say their contract is not serving football. It's self-serving.

"And as a result, it was resolved, unanimously, that they should be removed from their positions," he said. 

The publication reports that Ledwaba was unhappy with the response Safa gave in light of a report sent to the NEC by Mokoena and she subsequently wrote to Minister of Sports Nathi Mthethwa seeking his intervention, and that got her fired from her position, Chimhavi confirmed.  

Ledwaba reported raised her dissatisfaction in a Zoom meeting where both Jordaan and Mthethwa were present. 

"Ja, but you know, football matters are resolved within football. You can't ask for political interference. And if you do that, you are breaching one of the fundamental laws of the game," he confirmed.  

In April, Mokoena made allegations against Jordaan, saying the Safa president is actually the one who requested him to vacate his position as acting CEO despite not having the powers to do so. 

Mokoena claimed Jordaan "ignored the legal procedure to rationalise staff‚ in other words he gave the acting CEO an illegal instruction. The president dismissed the staff without the approval of the NEC". 

Chimhavi denied that Mokoena's report to the NEC soon after being asked to step aside was 'damning', saying the NEC found that it was not factual and therefore leading to his dismissal. 

"Not a damning report - it's a report which was found to be not factual and it was dismissed as well."

Atletico Madrid had substitute Vitolo to thank as they boosted their prospects of Champions League football next season with a 1-0 win over Real Valladolid at the Wanda Metropolitano.

A clutch of chances had been spurned by the time Vitolo came off the bench to replace Marcos Llorente with 17 minutes remaining, with Joao Felix and Alvaro Morata going close.

When the breakthrough came in the 81st minute it was dramatic, Vitolo heading at goal after a corner from the left reached him at the far post.

Valladolid defender Kiko Olivas felt he had nodded it off the line after diving spectacularly to reach the ball, but replays showed it was six inches over and Atletico moved back up to third.

Waldo Rubio almost gave Valladolid a phenomenal start, driving into space and lashing a 25-yard strike that Jan Oblak had to throw himself to his right to palm over the crossbar.

At the other end, Morata headed wastefully off target from Hector Herrera's excellent cross before an off-balance Joao Felix sliced high and wide.

Joao Felix went close again, this time with the ball fully under his control, as he darted forwards and sent a shot just wide of the left post.

Valladolid's Matheus Fernandes went similarly close on the half-hour mark, as Atletico's threat briefly flatlined.

Morata made way for Diego Costa in the 64th minute and the new arrival quickly had the ball in the net, but he had strayed offside.

Thomas Partey almost broke the deadlock with a 35-yard howitzer that Jose Antonio Caro did well to turn away for a corner in the 80th minute.

From that set-piece Atletico had their moment through Vitolo. Olivas was confident he had reached the ball in time, but a VAR check told a different story.

What does it mean? Simeone's side scrape through

This was by no means a classic Atletico performance, but they never gave up the pursuit of a winning goal. Thomas' thumping shot almost provided a match-winner to cherish, but it helped to bring about the outcome Diego Simeone's men were seeking. Valladolid, in lower mid-table but surely just about safe, gave a decent account of themselves.

Vitolo makes his mark

Vitolo was in the right place at the right time, keeping his composure as the ball came through a thicket of players. With Caro stranded, it seemed he just had to hit the target, but his heart would have been in his mouth as Olivas spotted the danger and almost pulled off the spectacular.

Caro was barely clinging on

The longer this match went on, the more likely it seemed that Caro's good fortune would run out. He was left embarrassed by the goal, coming off his line and failing to punch away the corner from which the winner arrived.

What's next?

Atletico go to Levante on Tuesday, when Valladolid have home advantage against high-flying Getafe.

Greek Super League club AEK Athens have announced the signing of Bright Enobakhare on a free transfer.

The Nigerian striker departed Championship side Wolverhampton Wanderers last month by mutual agreement, having been with the side since 2014.

The forward, who rose through the ranks at Wolves, broke into the first team in 2015 and made 41 league appearances for the side during his stay.

Enobakhare also had loan spells with Scottish club Kilmarnock, Coventry City and Wigan Athletic before permanently leaving Wolves.

On Saturday, AEK heralded the arrival of the former Northfield Town centre-forward after signing a three-year deal with the Greek club.

The striker is delighted to team up with the Athens Olympic Stadium and explained he has been observing their style of play.  

"It is a great move [the transfer to AEK] and I am happy to be here. To be honest, I searched the internet, like YouTube, for how the team plays and trains, and I think it will fit my gameplay,” Enobakhare told the club website.  

“So I'm happy to be here. I don't want to talk about myself so much, I think the stadium will 'talk' about me.”

Enobakhare was part of Wolves’ team that gained promotion to the Premier League after winning the 2019-20 Championship title.

12-time league champions AEK are currently third in the league table with 56 points from 29 games and will hope the addition of the forward will boost their chances of qualifying to play European football next season.

Enobakhare, who had two appearances for the Nigerian U23 team will look to impress with the Greek side to boost his Super Eagles chances.

The forward could make his debut for his new club when they take on Aris in a Cup tie on Wednesday.

Virgil van Dijk believes winning the Premier League could take some Liverpool players to the next level as he warned the club are desperate to carry good momentum into next season. 

The Reds return to action on Sunday against Everton and need just two more wins to wrap up the league title after an almost perfect campaign. 

Jurgen Klopp's side have dropped just four points in the league this season and boast the best defence in the competition. 

While Liverpool did win the Champions League last year, Van Dijk believes lifting the Premier League title is exactly what some players need to get even better.

"We have not won the title yet. We have not won anything yet. But the aim is to start next season in the same fashion," Van Dijk was quoted as saying by the Daily Mail. 

"We can be a team that can keep progressing. We have players who can progress and make big steps in their development. Winning the league would be a big experience that could take them to the next level.

"We can achieve that first and foremost this season and then we will see what can happen next season. If we win the title this season, we will try to retain it. That’s what we are aiming for but everyone knows how difficult it is to retain the title, especially in England and we are not there this season yet. We tried to retain our Champions League title and it wasn’t possible. It’s very difficult.

"We will try to focus on the nine games we have left but we hope to set the pace for the rest of next season with the title behind our name and defend the title as well."

The Reds looming triumph will be bitter sweet to some extent with no fans allowed to attend matches, but Van Dijk stressed they must accept the situation as he admitted he was unsure at one point whether the season would be completed. 

"I know how long our fans have been waiting for this. But unfortunately it’s something we all have to deal with that they won’t be able to be there if it happens," he said.

"We’ve seen clubs winning cups already in other countries and everybody is getting on with it. For me, winning the Premier League and lifting that trophy would be a dream come true. We were very close last year and we are very close this year, much closer than we were last year. We have nine games to go and we will try to win all of them. That’s our goal.

"The most important thing in life is health and we all had to deal with the suspension of the season and everyone had the feeling there would be a time when we finished the season.

"It was strange to stop so abruptly and being in the unknown. Not knowing when we will start again. Sometimes people were putting things in the media saying the league should be cancelled. You read these things because you have plenty of time to read when there is suddenly no football being played.

"I wasn’t worried but being left in the dark, not knowing what was going to happen, personally I hate that. You ask questions to certain people who know what is happening behind the scenes and it was pretty clear there was no option at all to cancel the league. So you try to make sure you stay fit, do all the right things and make sure you are even more ready than before when the league resumes."