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Luis Suarez reached a special milestone on Sunday as the Atletico Madrid star scored the 500th goal of his illustrious career.

Suarez netted the only goal in the 54th minute of Atletico Madrid's clash with Alaves as he headed home a cross from Kieran Trippier to give La Liga's leaders the lead.

The goal was Suarez's 19th league goal of the season, with only Lionel Messi having more in La Liga this season, with 21.

The road to 500

With his 500th goal on Sunday, Suarez became the first Uruguayan player to ever reach the landmark.

The bulk of Suarez's goals came with Barcelona, where he provided 198 finishes while claiming four league titles and a Champions League crown.

Surprisingly, Suarez scored more goals for Ajax than he did during his famous spell at Liverpool. The Uruguayan star netted 111 goals during his time in the Netherlands, while he found the back of the net 82 times during his stay at Anfield.

Internationally, Suarez has fired 63 goals for his country, while he has also scored 15 for Groningen and 12 for Nacional.

Suarez's place in history

Suarez is only the fifth active player to reach the 500-goal mark, where he has joined his former team-mate Messi, who sits second on the all-time leaderboard with 759 finishes.

Cristiano Ronaldo currently leads all active scorers with 788 goals, while Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Robert Lewandowski have also reached the 500-goal mark with 570 and 541 goals, respectively.

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Watford manager Xisco Munoz has showered praise on Isaac Success for his impressive performance on his full return from a long injury layoff.

The forward was handed his first start of the season and helped the Hornets secure a 3-0 win over Birmingham City in Saturday’s Championship game.

The centre-forward featured for 57 minutes before he was replaced by Joseph Hungbo and had a hand in the first goal of the game.

Munoz has hailed the contribution of the Nigeria international against Birmingham and delighted in the efforts of his players to give their best at all times.

“I don’t only say this today, I say this always: I have 24 players and it doesn’t matter who plays," Munoz told the club website. “Isaac came back and he gave a big force for the team because it’s the first time he’s played in a long time. Then we played [Andre] Gray and he’s come on and scored another goal.

“It’s very good when you feel the players are all 100 percent focused for our challenge. It’s very good for me, for the club, for all the staff.

“It’s amazing when you work every day in the training ground and you see everyone trying to give 100 percent for their team.”

Success made his first appearance of the season against Nottingham Forest on March 6 and played for only two minutes in the encounter.

The Nigeria international has now made four Championship appearances for the Vicarage Road outfit in the 2020-21 campaign.

Watford are currently enjoying a run of impressive results, having won their last five games. The impressive performances ensured the Hornets are now second on the Championship table with 75 points from 38 games.

Before Success’ return from his hamstring injury problems, the forward last played a competitive game against Newcastle United in January 2019.

The attacker has been with Watford since the summer of 2016 when he teamed up with the club from Granada but he has been inconsistent for the side since his arrival.

He recently revealed he will make amends for lost ground and deliver more impactful performances for the club.

Chelsea star Hakim Ziyech continued his goalscoring revival under Thomas Tuchel with his late strike in the Blues' 2-0 victory over Sheffield United in an FA Cup quarter-final clash on Sunday.

The 28-year-old, who started on the bench at Stamford Bridge, replaced Billy Gilmour in the 72nd minute and later sealed their passage into the semi-finals with his stoppage-time goal after Oliver Norwood's own goal put the Blues ahead in the 24th minute.

Ziyech’s effort means he has now scored the same number of goals (two) under nine appearances with Tuchel as he did in 17 fixtures under the German's predecessor, Frank Lampard.

Four days ago, the Morocco international ended his 19-game goal drought in all competitions with the opening goal in Chelsea’s 2-0 defeat of Atletico Madrid in the return fixture of their Uefa Champions League outing.

Under Lampard, Ziyech's goals also came in back-to-back games as the Blues defeated Krasnodar in a Champions League group game on October 28 and he followed it up with another goal in their 3-0 Premier League win over Burnley, three days later.

Aside his contribution of four goals across all competitions this campaign, the former Ajax playmaker has provided three Premier League assists so far for the Blues.

At the end of Sunday's encounter, Tuchel confirmed Ziyech’s readiness to join Vahid Halilhodzic's Morocco selection for their Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers but Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy will be unavailable to join Aliou Cisse’s set-up because of a tooth surgery.

The German manager said: “Hakim Ziyech will be going away on international duty. Edouard Mendy will be staying because he's got a tooth operation.”

Ziyech already has three goals for Morocco in the qualifying series and they all came in a double-header fixture against the Central African Republic in November 2020.

The Atlas Lions comfortably sit at the top of Group E with 10 points from four games and they are scheduled to play Mauritania on March 26 and they host Burundi four days later on their home soil.

Next up for Ziyech and his Chelsea teammates after international duty is a Premier League match against West Bromwich Albion on April 3.

Christian Pulisic has admitted that he could have been more clinical in Chelsea’s 2-0 FA Cup win over Sheffield United.

An own goal from Olivier Norwood gave Thomas Tuchel’s side a first-half lead in that encounter, but the Blues spurned chance after chance before Hakim Ziyech made the game safe with his second in as many matches.

By that stage, Pulisic had been replaced, having had four shots without finding the net.

What was said?

Pulisic admitted that he was disappointed not to find the target with the opportunities he had, telling BBC Sport: “They are a good defensive side as well. I had a few chances myself that I could have done better with but in the end we got the two goals.

“It was a good result. We have a confident bunch of guys and when you go on a streak like this you feel good, you feel like we can beat anyone, so it is a good feeling.

“They didn't make it easy on us. We knew they had quality and we had to suffer a bit in the second half but it was another clean sheet and a good performance.

“We knew it was going to be uncomfortable with a bit of pressure but we had to be strong and defend so in the end I was happy.”

The bigger picture

Pulisic has been linked with a possible move away from Chelsea as he has struggled to impose himself under Thomas Tuchel. He has yet to find the net after his former Borussia Dortmund coach took over.

The season as a whole has been disappointing for the American, who has only two goals and two assists to his credit.

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Thomas Tuchel said that Chelsea showed a "lack of concentration" as the German manager believes his side lost control of the game in the second half of Sunday's FA Cup win over Sheffield United.

The Blues were able to seal a 2-0 win on Sunday, with Oliver Norwood's first-half own goal and Hakim Ziyech's 92nd minute finish proving enough to seal a spot in the semi-final round.

Tuchel, however, wasn't pleased with the Blues' performance, as he was left disappointed by what turned out to be a disjointed second half.

What was said?

"It was a good first half but in the second half, we lost control," he told BBC Sport. "We were clearly tired after 14 games consecutively, I could feel us tired with a bit of a lack of concentration.

"There were many little faults with a strong opponent in the second half. We were lucky in the second half to keep the clean sheet. I think it is the first time in the 14 matches where we were lucky. It can happen and, in the cup, it is important to go through and this was the target. We reached it.

He added: "Of course, we let them come back because we had full control in the first half. In the second half, we had a big chance with Christian [Pulisic] to finish the game early. After that, we had too many easy mistakes, lost duels and lost concentration and momentum.

"Honestly, I could feel in training in the last days that we were a bit tired with a lack of concentration and things were not too easy. It is normal that it can happen in a game where it is difficult to keep the level up. I was happy to help the guys from the bench with the guys who came in. In the end, we have a win and we will take it."

Tuchel matches Mourinho record

The German may have been less than impressed with his side's overall efforts, but he cannot doubt their defensive credibility now, with today's result taking them to seven games on the trot without conceding a goal.

That run of clean sheets equals their best run since December 2005, when Jose Mourinho was at the helm at Stamford Bridge - and trails only one such streak overall, when they notched nine games without conceding between November and December 1905.

What's next for Chelsea?

The Blues will now head into the international break on a high, having sealed their semi-final spot in the FA Cup.

Awaiting them in the semi-finals are Manchester City, Southampton and either Leicester or Manchester United, with those matches set to be played on  April 17

Chelsea currently sit fourth in the Premier League and will face West Brom upon their return from the international break.

But that's not all for Tuchel's team, though, as a Champions League quarter-final clash with Porto also looms, with the first leg set for April 7 in Portugal.

Further reading

Nigeria international Leon Balogun has sent Benin and Lesotho a strong warning ahead of this month’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers with his assist as Rangers came back to take a 1-1 draw with eternal rivals Celtic on Sunday afternoon.

With the newly crowned Scottish Premiership kings trailing by a goal following a 23rd minute strike from Norway international of Moroccan descent Mohamed Elyounoussi, the defender helped the Gers level matters in the 38th minute in the derby.

Borna Barisic’s corner was met by Balogun at first, and then squeezed the ball at the back post, with Alfredo Morelos getting the ball over the line in the Old Firm fixture as the first-half ended one-goal apiece.

However, the game ended with a point a piece as no side were able to find a winner. Although the game was a dead-rubber encounter for Steven Gerrard’s team, the result saw them extend their unbeaten league run to 34 matches.

The former Wigan, Brighton & Hove Albion and Mainz star was in action for 56 minutes before he was substituted for Nathan Patterson, while his compatriot played for 77 minutes before coming off for Scott Wright.

Elsewhere, South African star Bongani Zungu – who is on loan from French side Amiens –  was an unused substitute in the low-scoring affair.

Celtic interim boss John Kennedy spoke in discontent concerning what was a dominant performance from his players.

“I’m disappointed with the result, mainly because I thought we should have won it,” he told Celtic TV. “The level of performance was good, we created a lot of good chances and scored a great goal.

“Rangers, other than the set play, they had one or two little moment where they caused a bit of problems in our box, just by putting the ball in there.”

The 32-year-old and Aribo are expected to join the rest of the Super Eagles squad on Monday as the three-time African champions tackle the Squirrels and Crocodiles next week for a place in Cameroon 2022.

Gernot Rohr’s men currently lead Group L with eight points from four games. The West African side need at least a win to guarantee their place in the biennial African football showpiece.

Steve Gerrard says that a potential unbeaten top-flight season is merely a "sideshow" for Rangers, and is focused on ensuring they use their squad to the fullest extent during the run-in of the 2020-21 campaign.

The Gers ended a decade-long wait for another Scottish Premiership title earlier this month after they deposed rivals Celtic to take the crown, with the pair playing out a 1-1 Old Firm derby encounter on Sunday.

While they exited the Europa League in midweek to Slavia Prague - amid a racism storm focused on Glen Kamara - they have not lost a single league match this term, a run that Gerrard says he would like to continue, but not at the expense of freezing players out of his side.

What did Gerrard say?

"It's a sideshow," the ex-England midfielder said in his post-match press duties. "The important thing for us to be ready for every game and try win as many as we can.

"The Scottish Cup is the priority because it's a chance to win another trophy. We'll give it all we've got in the remaining games to try stay unbeaten.

"It's not a priority because I need to use my squad. People are desperate for minutes and games."

Gerrard on Old Firm performance

The former Liverpool captain admitted that he had hoped to take the local bragging rights, but he felt happy with his side's result on the whole.

"Celtic had good opportunities, so did we," he added. "The game was set for someone to go and win it, but we were away from home, we're the champions, we've taken seven points from nine in Old Firm games and we're 20 points clear. This is a more positive result for us than them.

"We've had a real journey in the last two or three weeks. Celtic had a lot of preparation time for us. We came here to win but we're pleased with the point."

Further reading

Germany captain Alexandra Popp has called for an explanation from the court of the West German soccer association (WDFV) after Borussia Monchengladbach's Under-23 coach Heiko Vogel was ordered to take charge of six training sessions with a women's or girls' team.

The order was issued by the court after Vogel was found guilty of making inappropriate comments towards officials Vanessa Arlt and Nadine Westerhoff on January 30.

Vogel was hit with a fine of €1,500, a two-game ban and told to complete six female training sessions before June 30.

What was said?

Players from the top two divisions in Germany, including Popp, voiced their concerns via Instagram, stating: “The question arises as to how the training of a women's or girls' team can be defined as punishment.

“There is no value in offering to compensate for such unsporting behaviour by offering to train a women's team for a few hours.”

The statement added that the judgement “discriminates against all women in sport and especially in football.”

Decision to be reviewed

The WDFV has since responded to the players, with vice president Gundolf Walaschewski stating that the court has been asked to review the decision.

“There is no room for discrimination either in football or in society,” Walaschewski said. “The WDFV and the football family in North Rhine-Westphalia are expressly committed to this. That means no tolerance for sexist discrimination and no tolerance for discrimination in general.”

DFB also weighed in

The German football federation (DFB) vice president, Hannelore Ratzeburg, also expressed disbelief at the ruling.

“It's incomprehensible to me that training a women's team is seen as a punishment,” he said. “I can therefore understand the players' anger and why they have made themselves heard in public. We have been in talks with the WDFV for several days.

“The fact that the executive committee of the WDFV has ordered a review of the judgement is a correct and necessary sign.”

Further Reading

Uganda international Khalid Aucho has apologised after he was suspended from the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers squad for the Burkina Faso and Malawi games.

The Federation of Uganda Football Associations cited matters of indiscipline as reasons for the dismissal of the former Gor Mahia midfielder who has now expressed remorse for the development.

"I am remorseful and I take full responsibility for the actions that led to my suspension from the national team camp for the forthcoming Afcon qualifiers against Burkina Faso and Malawi," Aucho said in a statement obtained by Goal.

"I regret my actions and I am ready to put this chapter behind me as it is a dream to represent my country. To Fufa, fellow players, fans, and friends; I can only say I am sorry.

"I also accept the fact that many of you will not believe my apology or anything that I say at this point but this is my only official statement and it is from the bottom of my heart. 

"I wish the Uganda Cranes success in the two encounters and I hope for the best. See you soon." 

Although Aucho has accepted to shoulder the blame, he has received sympathy such as that from, Allan Kateregga who came out to encourage his midfield teammate.

"To you, my brother Khalid Aucho, the greatest glory in living lies not in falling, but in rising every time we fall," the former AFC Leopards star said. "This shall pass and you shall be back stronger and better."

Uganda are in camp for the March 24 encounter against Burkina Faso before an away tie against The Flames on March 29. The training sessions have majorly involved stars from the local league as the foreign-based ones are largely expected to arrive from Monday.

Celtic skipper Scott Brown has backed Rangers' Glen Kamara amid his racism storm, citing the alleged "disgusting" abuse directed at the Finland international during the Europa League clash with Slavia Prague as something that "should never be part of the game".

The Hoops captain exchanged an embrace with the Gers midfielder during pre-match warmups before the spoils were shared in the Old Firm derby following a 1-1 draw, a fortnight on from Rangers dethroning their rivals as Scottish Premiership champions.

Kamara was the reported victim of raciallly charged comments from Slavia's Ondrej Kudela during Thursday's European exit and Brown stressed that no matter the target, such conduct should be not tolerated in any form.

What did Brown say?

"I think it’s disgusting what happened, to be perfectly honest," the former Scotland international said.

"It doesn’t matter whether it’s a Rangers player or Celtic player, whoever it is. It should never be part of the game.

"It just shows that we’re with him, we stand with him on racism. It’s just that little bit of respect as well, knowing it’s a fellow professional.”

Brown on penalty call

The hosts took an early lead through Mohamed Elyounoussi at Celtic Park, before Alfredo Morelos netted an equaliser ahead of half-time - but in-between, Odsonne Edouard saw a penalty call turned down.

Brown admitted that he was frustrated with the decision from referee William Collum to hand a yellow card to the attacker, viewing the claim as a sure thing.

"I think, for us, the first half, we were exceptional. We could have had three or four," he added. We had a penalty denied as well, it's a stonewall. There's no need for Odsonne to go down; there's contact, we saw at half-time. It's one of those, you go in 2-0 up and it changes the whole game.

Further reading

Cristiano Ronaldo was presented with a commemorative ‘G.O.A.T 770’ shirt by Juventus chairman Andrea Agnelli to celebrate his 770th career goal.

Ronaldo scored a hat-trick in last weekend’s 3-1 win at Cagliari to move clear of Pele’s disputed record of 767 career goals.

The murky world of historical football statistics means the game's greatest goalscorer remains disputed - Josef Bican is recorded to have scored 805 goals between the 1930s and 1950s, while some sources count Pele's tally at over 1200 - but surpassing the Brazilian's widely recognised count of 767 was an achievement worth marking.

Ronaldo’s 770 goals by club

The majority of Ronaldo's goals came for Real Madrid, as he became their all-time leading goalscorer with 450 for the club.

He had previously scored 118 for Manchester United and had 95 to his name for Juventus prior to their game with Benevento on Sunday.

Ronaldo has also scored 102 goals for Portugal, and is closing in on the Iranian Ali Daei's record of 109 - the most ever in men's international football.

Pele and Ronaldo's mutual respect

Ronaldo made clear his admiration for Pele in a post on Instagram: “The last few weeks were filled with news and stats considering me the world’s top scorer in football history, overcoming Pele’s 757 official goals,” he wrote.

"Although I’m thankful for that recognition, now it’s time for me to explain why I didn’t acknowledge that record until this moment.

“My everlasting and unconditional admiration [for Pele] led me to take into account his 767 score, assuming his nine goals for Sao Paulo State Team, as well as his single goal for the Brazilian Military Team, as official goals.

“The world has changed since then and football has changed as well, but this doesn’t mean that we can just erase history.”

Pele responded with an Instagram post of his own: “Congratulations on breaking my record of goals in official matches.

“I admire you a lot, I love watching you play and this is no secret to anyone.

“My only regret is not being able to give you a hug today.”

Further reading

Mikel Arteta is a football genius, according to Kieran Tierney, who says the Arsenal manager has changed the way he looks at football.

Arteta is leading a revival after a disastrous start to the season at Emirates Stadium, with the 10th-placed Gunners hoping to secure Champions League qualification through the Europa League.

The Spaniard is implementing his own vision at Arsenal after working under Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, and Tierney has no doubt that he is the right man for the job.

What has Tierney said?

Tierney told Sky Sports: “We know what he wants to do, and we’re getting – well, we hope we’re getting better every week and hopefully the results show that.

“It wasn’t going to be something that would just going to happen straight away because it’s a process.

“The manager is a genius. A football genius. You can see we are all loving working under him and me especially, I love it.

"Every day I’m learning, he has shown me a new light onto football. I’m seeing it a different way now and I’m watching other teams and looking at tactics and that’s just because of the way he has made me think about it.”

‘Arsenal couldn’t let Aubameyang incident affect us’

Arsenal’s plans for last weekend’s North London Derby were in danger of being derailed at the last moment when captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was dropped due to a disciplinary issue.

Arteta has since said the issue has been fully resolved though Aubameyang will have to earn his way back into the team.

Arsenal came back from 1-0 down to beat Spurs 2-1 with goals from Alexandre Lacazette and Martin Odegaard.

“That’s football, isn’t it? Things happen,” Tierney said.

“Especially with a game like the derby, you can’t let anything get in the way, no matter what happens. Inside or outside of football, if something happens in your life you can’t let it affect you. The players did that well; we got the win and that’s what matters.”

Further reading