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Gareth Bale "still loves" Real Madrid with a return to Santiago Bernabeu no issue for the Welshman, according to his agent - but Zinedine Zidane may have other ideas about the striker's future.

The veteran forward also has a "good relationship" with Tottenham manager Jose Mourinho despite more limited opportunities than anticipated since his return to the Premier League club, claims Jonathan Barnett.

Bale is halfway through a season-long loan from La Liga having returned to Spurs after being sidelined by Zidane, but has so far struggled to make an impact.

What's been said?

Barnett, who sealed Bale's move to Real Madrid from Tottenham nearly a decade ago, believes that the playmaker would have no problem with heading back to the Spanish capital.

"He still loves Madrid," the 71-year-old told Goal. "He hasn’t problems with the club, it’s a wonderful club. It wouldn’t be a problem [for him to return]. They just have to decide if they need him back, if he can play for Madrid and all these things. I guess you have to ask Mr. Zidane if he wants him, I don’t think so."

Barnett also rubbished reports that Bale and Spurs supremo Mourinho have a poor relationship, while conceding that he expected the attacker to get more chances to impress in north London.

Bale has played just 16 games this season for Tottenham, having been hampered by both injury and his manager's selection policies.

"They have a good relationship, there is no problem," Barnett said. "It’s journalists who create the problem, but there is no problem. We expected him to play more; things haven't gone that well, but the team haven’t gone [as] good as well."

The bigger picture

Bale's move to Tottenham was seen as a win for both Madrid and Tottenham, allowing the former to rid themselves of an out-of-favour player on a hefty contract and the latter to reunite with one of their true modern superstars.

Come the end of the season, it seems unlikely that Spurs will be willing to take the seasoned forward back on a full-time basis, particularly as they will then face the onus of paying his wage packet in its entireity.

Zidane has shown little interest in returning the aging, injury-prone Bale to his side either, which leaves the Welshman's future hanging in the balance.

Further reading

Heung-min Son has shrugged off “rumours” suggesting Jose Mourinho has lost the dressing room at Tottenham, with the South Korean claiming the mood in the Spurs camp is “fantastic”.

Five defeats in the club’s last six outings in all competitions have seen questions asked of those on and off the field in north London.

There have been claims of Mourinho losing control with his authority being undermined as he struggles to deliver the desired results, but Son has refuted those rumours.

What has been said?

“The rumours are just rumours. Our changing room has been fantastic,” Son told reporters ahead of the Europa League last-32 first-leg clash with Wolfsberger on Thursday.

“Obviously it depends on the results. I'm very sad if we lose and happy when we win. It's like everyone else. The mood went down when we had a couple of bad results but the dressing room hasn't changed. Everyone is happy and having a laugh and focused on every game. It is a bad rumour.”

Spurs’ recent form

Spurs’ struggles started at home to Liverpool, when they lost 3-1, and have since seen them come unstuck in Premier League and FA Cup competition against Brighton, Chelsea, Everton and Manchester City.

Sandwiched between the two legs of the continental clash with Austrian side Wolsfberger, Tottenham will have a derby with London rivals West Ham.

Son, with 17 goals to his name this season, will be hoping to figure prominently in a run of crunch clashes.

Will Son be sticking around at Spurs?

The 28-year-old forward has become a key man for Tottenham with a string of consistent showings.

Spurs have him tied to a contract to 2023 so have no immediate concerns regarding his future, but fresh terms have been mooted.

Son is eager to steer clear of extension talks for now, with his focus on another season that has been massively impacted by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

He said: “It's a bit unfair to talk about a new contract at the moment, I am focused on the games and my team and that is the most important thing at the moment. I'm happy to be here and I'm working hard as a player and the team. It's a bit unfair to talk about a new contract.”

Further reading

Kaizer Chiefs coach Gavin Hunt feels the outcome of Wednesday evening's league match against AmaZulu at the FNB Stadium could have been different had Darrel Matsheke not been sent off.

AmaZulu had scored first through Augustine Mulenga in the 45th minute before Leonardo Castro equalised from the penalty spot for Amakhosi in the 67th minute.

Matsheke then picked up a second booking for a reckless challenge and was sent for an early shower in the 72nd minute.

The winner then came in the 85th minute, through former Chiefs striker Lehlohonolo Majoro.

Hunt feels that Matsheke's dismissal was pivotal.

"The red card does [change the game]," he said in his post-match interview with SuperSport TV.

"Because we've just got the ascendancy, we've got the goal, and then we get a red card, and then...you know, we're not blessed with situations...so it does make it a bit harder, certainly much harder," the former Bidvest Wits, SuperSport United and Moroka Swallows coach added.

While Hunt believes Matsheke's sending off affected the balance of the game, he was also disappointed at the nature of the goal his side conceded five minutes from time - it was another mistake by goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune as he failed to get any distance with an attempted punch from a corner kick, allowing Majoro to skillfully flick the ball into an empty net.

"But you can't concede the second goal, there was no danger," Hunt lamented. "They [AmaZulu] could have put seven strikers up and they would never have scored. But I mean, that's pretty much, a big mistake again."

The defeat in Johannesburg leaves Amakhosi in ninth spot on the standings, with 18 points from 16 matches.

It was their third successive loss, after going down to Richards Bay in the Nedbank Cup and to Orlando Pirates in the league, and they have also gone five games without a win.

And things don't get any easier for Hunt and his men as they face SuperSport United on Saturday, with Matsatsantsa currently flying high in second position on the PSL standings.

Posta Rangers have completed the signing of midfielder Bernard Ondiek from Football Kenya Federation Premier League reigning champions Gor Mahia.

The veteran player has found it hard to break into the K'Ogalo first team and opted to try his fortune elsewhere. The Mailmen have now jumped on the opportunity and brought him on board.

"Welcome to Posta Rangers FC Bernard Ondiek," read a short statement posted on Posta Rangers' social media outlet.

"We are the Mailmen."

The midfielder becomes the fourth signing at the club after the arrivals of Evans Makari Maliachi from [National Super League] side Talanta FC, Joshua Otieno Nyatini from Wazito FC, and Ambrose Awio [Ayoyi] from [Tanzania Mainland League side] Biashara Mara United.

Rangers have struggled to win in the top-tier and it is something they are aiming at solving. It is for that reason the club has confirmed the arrival of new players.

The Nairobi-based charges are also contemplating who to drop to create space for new players. The management is strict on the number of players in the team owing to tough economic times. 

The Mailmen have collected just one win from the 11 matches they have played in the FKF-Premier League, drawn seven and lost three. They have also scored seven goals and conceded 11 which puts them at a negative four in goal difference. 

The management felt Sammy Omollo, who is commonly referred to as Pamzo, had not done enough and decided to part ways with him.  

Omollo returned to Posta Rangers when he took over from John Kamau, on August 23, who was shown the door after struggles in the 2018/19 season, where the team finished in the relegation zone but managed to stay in the top-tier after overcoming Nairobi Stima in the play-offs.  

Former Harambee Stars head coach Stanley Okumbi was appointed to replace him. The youthful coach came alongside Collins 'Korea' Omondi and they went on to sign a three-year contract.

Okumbi's first league game in charge will be on Thursday against 11-time champions Tusker FC at the Kasarani Annex from 15.00 hours (EAT).

The tactician will be hoping to get a positive outcome from the Ruaraka-based charges who have been doing well this season and are currently top of the table.

Xavi acknowledges that “everyone sees me as a Barcelona coach”, and the Camp Nou legend admits that returning to his roots in Catalunya remains part of a long-term plan.

Speculation regarding further change in the dugout at the Liga giant has intensified on the back of a humbling 4-1 defeat to Kylian Mbappe-inspired Paris Saint-Germain in the last-16 of the Champions League.

Ronald Koeman is seeing questions asked of his ongoing presence, with presidential elections also about to be held, and Xavi remains at the centre of many coaching rumours.

What has been said?

World Cup winner Xavi, who spent 17 years as part of the first-team fold at Barca in his playing days, has told FIFA’s official website: “Right now, I’m at Al Sadd and I’m doing well here. I’m at a big club in Asia, in Qatar. It’s the best team in Qatar.

“We’ll see what happens in the future. Everyone sees me as a Barcelona coach, and I really respect Barcelona and Koeman, the current head coach.

“I don’t want to hide the truth - of course I would like to be Barcelona’s head coach. I’ve said it many times.

“But I will always respect the presiding coach and the club. I wish them the best of course. I’ve been a Barcelona fan as long as I can remember. 

“There’s an upcoming presidential election, so let’s see which candidate wins in roughly a month’s time.”

Xavi’s record at Barcelona

The classy midfielder made his competitive debut for the Blaugrana in 1998 and would go on to take in 767 appearances across all competitions – scoring 85 goals along the way.

He helped to capture eight La Liga titles, three Copas del Rey, four Champions League crowns and two Club World Cups.

A man who also enjoyed success at two European Championships and the 2010 World Cup with Spain, departed Camp Nou in 2015 as he took on a new challenge in Qatar.

The 41-year-old has fared admirably as a coach, winning four trophies in the Middle East, and has never shied away from the fact that he sees himself returning to Barcelona at some stage.

When could Xavi take over at Barcelona?

Koeman penned a two-year contract when taking the reins at Barca during the summer of 2020.

He has his side in the hunt for major honours this season, but recent outings have seen setbacks suffered in domestic and continental competition.

It could be that Xavi is offered a chance to step into the Dutchman’s shoes in the near future, with presidential candidate Victor Font stating on a regular basis that he will look to bring a club legend home if elected to take control of the Blaugrana boardroom on March 7.

Further reading

Gor Mahia have finally endorsed the Football Kenya Federation and StarTimes broadcast deal.

K'Ogalo were the only team yet to sign the document since the Chinese-based TV channel took over the broadcast rights of the top-flight league. However, the FKF Premier League reigning champions have now agreed to endorse the deal.

"[Gor Mahia] chairman Ambrose Rachier has finally signed the FKF-StartTimes endorsement deal," a senior source from FKF told Goal on Thursday.

"But, the petition filed against the federation at the SDT will have to be withdrawn. In addition to that, the FKF will also not pursue the disciplinary case against the Gor Mahia chairman. 

"It is a win-win situation here and all that is for the good of football in the country."

As a result, K'Ogalo will now receive their grants just like the other 16 teams in the FKF Premier League.

Despite Gor Mahia endorsing the broadcast deal between FKF and StarTimes through a letter signed by club secretary Sam Ochola, Rachier had maintained the club had not signed the same.

Rachier then went further to write a letter to withdraw the earlier one sent by the secretary-general and further suspended the official for allegedly submitting the letter without the clearance of the club’s office.

In a previous interview, Rachier maintained the club will not support a broadcast deal they had not seen and further revealed the reason to suspend Ocholla - a move that was eventually reversed after the two leaders solved their differences.

It is for that reason the National Executive Committee (NEC) which met at the federation’s offices situated at the Goal Project, decided to investigate the K’Ogalo boss for allegedly bringing the game of football in the country into disrepute.

The Gor Mahia chair was accused of writing a letter to sponsors StarTimes to withdraw the endorsement of the broadcast deal, a move they say endangered the sponsorship secured by FKF.

The latest move means all teams have now agreed to the federation's arrangement to ensure clubs are sponsored and marketed through broadcasting games.

Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah has been shortlisted for the Champions League Player of the Week.

The Egyptian put up a man-of-the-match display after finding the net in the second half as the Reds secured a 2-0 away triumph over RB Leipzig in the Round of 16 first-leg clash at the Red Bull Arena.

With the encounter still goalless, Marcel Sabitzer played a loose backpass towards Angelino and the former AS Roma star intercepted and surged through on goal before firing past goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi in the 53rd minute.

He will compete with Paris Saint-Germain’s Kylian Mbappe, Borussia Dortmund’s Erling Haaland and FC Porto’s Sergio Oliveira for the individual accolade.

Frenchman Mbappe found the net on three occasions as the Parisians silenced Lionel Messi’s Barcelona 4-1 at Camp Nou. Thanks to his hat-trick, the 22-year-old became only the third player to score a Champions League hat-trick against the Blaugrana, after Faustino Asprilla did so for Newcastle and Andriy Shevchenko for Dynamo Kyiv (both in 1997).

On the other hand, Haaland was on target twice as his Bundesliga side earned a 3-2 triumph over Sevilla on Wednesday night. With his double, the 20-year-old Norwegian striker became the first player in the tournament’s history to score at least 17 goals in his first 13 appearances.

For Portugal international midfielder Oliveira, 28, he was inspirational as his Primeira Liga side subdued Juventus 2-1 at Estadio do Dragao on Wednesday night.

The player with the highest number of votes will be crowned as the Champions League Player of the Week.

Salah – who accounts for 17 league goals so far - would be hoping to lead Jurgen Klopp’s men to victory when they take on Alex Iwobi’s Everton in the Merseyside derby at Anfield on Saturday.

With 40 points from 24 games in the 2020-21 English top-flight campaign, Liverpool occupy sixth position in the log - 16 points adrift of leaders Manchester City.

Uganda Revenue Authority head coach Sam Ssimbwa has criticised his players' performance despite a 3-2 Premier League win over Malaba Youth Sports Association on Wednesday.

Ssimbwa said his players were slightly average and took issue especially with how they conceded the two goals to the debutants at the King George Park.

“Our performance was a bit above average, we did not play so well as I wanted because the way we conceded goals to me I refer them as gifts to our opponents,” Ssimbwa said after the match according to Football256.

“Those were two gifts to the opponent, yes we scored three goals but conceding two goals, no those were gifts to them and we must go back to the drawing board and rectify the above.”

Ssimbwa's Tax Collectors will face unbeaten Wakiso Giants on February 20 and the coach is confident they will overcome the challenge despite the injury concerns.

“Our next game is against Wakiso and we are going to do our best to silence them. I know we are a little bit tired and with some injuries but I think by the time we play Wakiso, they will have recovered,” the former Sofapaka head coach added.

Cromwell Rwothomio - who was the hero for the Tax Collectors scored in the 17th, 22nd and in the 80th minutes and eventually became the man of the match - urged his teammates to fight for more wins as they chase their season targets.

“I feel so grateful and I give thanks to the coaches for trusting me because it has been a while since I last played and I am happy that I have started scoring straight away," the forward said.

“We need to keep winning more games because we are targeting the title this season, so expect us to win our next game against Wakiso as we continue pushing to the top and I believe I will be on the scoresheet yet again."

Ssimbwa praised Rwothomio for his performance against MYDA even though he had not played the previous games as he was self-isolating due to coronavirus infection.  

“As a coach, I am so happy for him," Ssimbwa said.

“I trusted him going into the game despite training for two days and he has pre-paid the faith.”

After the hard-fought win, URA are now third with 16 points two fewer than Police FC who went to the Premier League summit after their 2-0 respective league win over BUL FC.

Mathare United coach Salim Ali is delighted with the signing of midfielder David Simiyu who he believes will add quality to the 2008 league champions.

The Slum Boys have struggled to get positive results consistently in the Football Kenya Federation Premier League and are in 16th position after collecting just eight points from as many matches. The tactician has explained why the team went for the former Sofapaka player.

"Bringing Simiyu on board was a no-brainer," Ali stated as quoted by the club's official social media outlets.

"He ticks most of the boxes we look for in a player as a club and we are delighted he has chosen to be one of us.  

"He is technically gifted and can play a variety of positions in midfield and also as a striker if need be. It is a good trait to have and it made it easy for us to decide on him. If he works hard then he will easily slot in."

The versatile player came in, signing an initial six-month contract with the option of an extension.

The midfielder arrived at the Eastland club, who had started the season with much on and off pitch difficulties, but a recent 1-0 win over Nzoia Sugar looked to have satisfied head coach Salim Ali.  

"I am satisfied with the fighting spirit and if I could, I would award every single one of them with the game’s [Most Valuable Player] award," the tactician stated earlier.

"It has been a tough start. Everything that went on before the season started has impacted the team hugely. Trying to balance the team while playing competitively has been our undoing but I feel we are now slowly finding our footing.  

"We will improve as long as the fighting spirit, as we saw against Nzoia, continues." 

Mathare United, who were brought back to the FKF Premier League fold by a local tribunal, are in position 16 on the 18-team table with eight points from eight matches. 

Next for them is a game against promoted side Bidco United on February 19.

Thereafter, they will play Wazito FC, Nairobi City Stars, Kakamega Homeboyz and Posta Rangers before taking on AFC Leopards.  

Does Samuel Kuffour truly get the credit he deserves?

There have been few African centre-backs who have featured for genuine European giants, let alone achieved the success that the Ghanaian has.

While the likes of Eric Bailly and Medhi Benatia have starred in the heart of the defence for European giants, neither achieved anything like the success that Kuffour did.

The former defender, now 44, joined Bayern from Torino in 1993, and after truly establishing himself in the team in 1996-97—following time on loan at Nurnberg—he embarked on a decade of major success with the German giants.

In total, he won six Bundesliga titles, four German Cups, the Intercontinental Cup (now the Club World Cup) in 2001, and twice won the German League Cup.

Kuffour—memorably—was a defeated finalist in the Champions League final in 1999, as Bayern were eclipsed by Manchester United’s late comeback.

However, he made amends two years later when he won the European crown with Bayern after defeating Valencia in the final.

At the time, he was only the second Ghanaian—after Abedi Pele—to conquer the continent, with Sulley Muntari and Michael Essien subsequently following in his footsteps.

Neither Benatia nor Bailly have ever won the UCL, and to date, Liverpool’s Joel Matip is the only other African central defender to get his hand on Old Big Ears.

Despite his achievements, Kuffour rarely gets mentioned in the same breath as Africa’s other big name legends.

In 2007, for Caf’s 50-year celebrations, he made the continent’s greatest 30 players list—but only in 27th—and while he made the field for Goal’s inaugural Africa Legends Cup of Nations, he was eliminated by Mohamed Salah in the Round of 16 after initially dispatching Noureddine Naybet in the First Round.

Admittedly, Kuffour didn’t have the international career of some of Africa’s other greats, although while he never even reached an Africa Cup of Nations final, he did reach the tournament with Ghana on five occasions.

Similarly, he was part of the Black Stars squad that qualified for the 2006 World Cup—the West African giants’ first appearance at the tournament—and took to the field as they reached the Last 16.

A legend, for sure, but Kuffour certainly deserves more credit, not only for being a pioneer among African defenders, but also for setting a bar that no other player in his position has yet matched.

Moussa Marega’s second-half strike in FC Porto’s 2-1 defeat of Juventus has seen him leapfrog Frederic Kanoute to become the highest-scoring Malian in Champions League history.

With Mehdi Taremi handing the Portuguese top-flight side, they had a slim 1-0 lead at half time, the 29-year-old doubled the Dragons’ advantage a minute into the second half after profiting from a Wilson Manafa assist.

Getting between Matthijs de Ligt and Merih Demiral, Marega latched onto the Portuguese defender’s pass before taking a touch and slotting a left-footed finish past goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny.

That effort was his second in the competition this season as well eighth ever – which saw him surpass Kanoute’s seven – a feat achieved during his seven-year spell at La Liga outfit Sevilla.

Also, Marega has had a hand in more Champions League goals than any other Porto player since the commencement of the 2018-19 season with eight goals and three assists.

Despite the Primeira Liga team racing to a two-goal lead, the Italian elite division side pulled one back through Federico Chiesa with eight minutes to the end of the game.

"We entered well, but that was no accident. Our highest pressure on the opponent was something worked on, but it is already known that it is always easier when the ball is still, as in a goal kick, for example,” Sergio Conceicao told the Porto website.

“The players interpreted perfectly what we wanted at this point in the game. We made it 1-0 and we always continued very organised, whether with a lower or higher block.

“The players played a fantastic game and interpreted in the best way what was planned. The players were the great workers of this victory.”

While Marega was replaced by Marko Grujic in the 66th minute, Nigeria international Zaidu Sanusi and DR Congo’s Chancel Mbemba were in action from start to finish.

Elsewhere, Senegalese midfielder Mamadou Loum and Bissau-Guinean defender Eulanio Chipela Gomes 'Nanu' were unused substitutes by manager Conceicao.

Andrea Pirlo’s side would be hoping to overturn their deficit in the return leg billed for the Juventus Stadium. Before then, they host Simeao Nwankwo’s Crotone as they look to improve on their fourth-placed Serie A position.

For Porto, they travel to Estadio do Maritimo for their league showdown against Maritimo as they look to reduce Sporting Lisbon's 10-point advantage at the top of the Primeira Liga log.

'Bangalir Boro Match' translates to Bengalis' big match or Kolkata derby is not just a game but an emotion in West Bengal. It is a battle of pride which divides the entire state into two halves.

For 100 glorious years, the rivalry has been going strong between the two Kolkata giants East Bengal and Mohun Bagan and several players from various corners of the country as well as from outside India have graced the two clubs with distinction.

While players from outside West Bengal have always been welcomed and cheered by both sets of fans over the years but none can deny that Bengali players form the essence of Bengali's biggest football carnival.

Anywhere across the world, that extra bit of affection from the fans is always reserved for sons of the soil. Be it the great Chuni Goswami, or the magnificent Krishanu Dey, Bengali players have always been cherished dearly by fans on both sides. Though, that does not take anything away from what the likes of 'Pancha Pandavas', Tulsidas Balaram, Jarnail Singh or Bhaichung Bhutia have achieved while representing the two giants.

Till the 2000s, Kolkata maidan was a breeding ground for a number of talented Bengali players who would be intrinsic parts of the two Kolkata clubs. At the turn of the millennium though, that changed quite a bit and the number of Bengalis in Mohun Bagan and East Bengal squads kept on decreasing.

As the two century-old clubs started a new journey in the Indian Super League (ISL) this season, the quantity along with the quality of Bengali players have increased.

This year both East Bengal and Mohun Bagan boast of a total of nine Bengali players in each of their rosters. While the Red and Golds have Subrata Paul, Debjit Majumder, Suvam Sen, Ankit Mukherjee, Rana Gharami, Sarthak Golui, Narayan Das, Sourav Das and Mohammed Rafique in their ranks, the Mariners boast of top players like Arindam Bhattacharya, Avilash Paul, Surajit Pramanik, Pritam Kotal, Prabir Das, Subhasish Bose, Pronay Halder, SK. Sahil and Mohammed Fardin Ali Molla.

The importance of Bengali players has once again assumed significance in both camps as they form the core of their starting lineups. Out of six Indian players, of late, five Bengali players start at East Bengal while at least three and at times four are starting at ATK Mohun Bagan.

After a long time, it is indeed a 'Joy' for the local fans of the two clubs to see Bengali players coming at the forefront and enhancing the essence of the 'Boro match'.

FC Goa got back to winning ways after six matches with a facile 3-1 win over Odisha FC in an Indian Super League (ISL) clash on Wednesday.

With play-offs contenders Hyderabad FC and NorthEast United winning their respective last matches, it was important for Juan Ferrando's side to get a win in this match. Unlike their last few matches where they had to stage dramatic comebacks to avoid defeat, against Odisha the Gaurs went for the kill right from off and looked ferocious in their approach.

With two quick goals in the first half, the Gaurs looked comfortable but Diego Mauricio's opportunistic strike just before the break raised some concerns. Thereafter Odisha matched them toe-to-toe and could have restored parity in the game but the Goa defenders and Dheeraj Singh made sure the scoreline remained unchanged.

Both Ivan Gonzalez and Alberto Noguera had a terrific outing against the Kalinga Warriors. Along with some solid defending in the backline, Gonzalez was also instrumental in two out of Goa's three goals. Noguera's first goal had come from the central defender's cross while Gonzalez himself scored the third goal to seal the fate of the game. In fact, the Spanish defender could have had a brace to his name if his header had not hit the crossbar in the 82nd minute.

Noguera was very influential in the midfield. Beside posing constant threats in the opposition's penalty box, the Spaniard was dictating the game from midfield and was seen creating chances for the other attackers. Thanks to Noguera's performance, skipper Edu Bedia's absence was not felt by the Gaurs.

Goa need to maintain this momentum and approach their remaining matches with the same gusto as they exhibited against Odisha if they want to make it to the play-offs at the end of the season.

Odisha's miseries seem to be never-ending and they would hope that the ongoing season ends as soon as possible. The only thing they can now try and avoid is to finish the league with single-digit points.

Manchester City head coach Pep Guardiola has offered a positive injury update on Ilkay Gundogan, saying the midfielder should be ready to face Arsenal on Sunday. 

Gundogan missed Wednesday's 3-1 victory over Everton with a slight groin muscle injury, as City made it 17 straight wins in all competitions.

But the Germany international, who suffered the injury against Tottenham last weekend, appears set to make a quick return.

What Guardiola said about Gundogan

“He is much, much better,” Guardiola said after the match at Goodison Park.

“It is not a big issue, but to avoid risk today, we have given him a few more days to recover.

“But for Arsenal and Borussia Monchengladbach he should be ready.

"Of course Gundo is exceptional. We spoke about that. If you want to win titles and finals we need the whole squad.”

Gundogan's red-hot form

The 30-year-old has put himself in contention for year-end awards with his play recently, having scored 11 goals in his last 12 Premier League games.

That tally has already surpassed his previous career high for league goals, set in 2018-19 when he netted six times for City.

City continue incredible run

With their win at Goodison Park, City have now won their first 10 Premier League matches of 2021. They are now the first English top-flight side to win their first 10 games of a calendar year.

Guardiola's side also stretched their lead to 10 points atop the table, as they look to regain the Premier League title they lost to Liverpool last season.

What's next for City

After Sunday's match against the Gunners, City will face Borussia Monchengladbach in the Champions League last-16 first leg on Wednesday.

Further reading

Borussia Dortmund sensation Erling Haaland says his match-winning performance against Sevilla on Wednesday was inspired by Paris Saint-Germain star Kylian Mbappe's hat-trick against Barcelona the previous night.

Dortmund came from behind to beat the hosts 3-2 in the first leg of the last-16 tie. After Sevilla forward Suso opened the scoring early in the game, Mahmoud Dahoud equalised for the visitors and Haaland followed up with a double before half-time.

Haaland now has eight goals from five matches in the Champions League this season, and 25 from 24 appearances in all competitions.

What has been said?

The 20-year-old made history with his stunning performance against the Spanish side and admitted that fellow young superstar Mbappe gave him the motivation to fire his team to victory.

He told CBS Sports : "I saw Mbappe yesterday and he scored some nice goals and I got a free boost from him! So yeah, it was nice."

Champions League form at odds with domestic struggles

While Dortmund are looking strong in the Champions League, they are going through a rough patch in the Bundesliga. They have won just one of their last six matches and are in danger of missing out on a top-four finish.

Haaland does not know why his side have been more convincing in European competition than in Germany, but hopes they can seal a victory against rivals Schalke when they meet on Saturday.

"I felt like, I don’t know if you can say it’s down to motivation or passion or whatever, but we were more online today. It was good," he told DAZN .

"It was not good to let in two goals, but it is good to score three away goals and take them with us.

"We had a good plan. Edin [Terzic] has been good and I’ve been talking a lot with him. He said today would be my game and that I would get my chances and I did, so it was an important win.

"We have to recover quickly now. We’ve got a big game ahead this weekend. We have to take this positive mindset into that game because we have to win that one as well, but it was really nice to win tonight in Spain."

Further reading

Kenneth Omeruo has encouraged Leganes to continue their impressive run of form in order to brighten their chances of returning to La Liga at the end of the 2020-21 campaign.

The Cucumber Growers dropped to the Segunda Division last season following a spate of poor results which saw them end the season on the 18th spot. 

Omeruo has been playing a key role for the Estadio Municipal de Butarque outfit this season to ensure their current fourth spot on the league table.

The Nigeria international has featured 20 times in the Spanish second tier and on Wednesday night, he scored his first goal of the season against Almeria.

His performance helped the Cucumber Growers extend their winning run to four games, having last tasted defeat against Las Palmas on January 24.

Omeruo has urged his side not to relent on their fine performances and hailed them for their impressive showings against Almeria.

“I am very happy with this game because it’s a very important game for us, we have to keep improving to get close to the teams at the top and right now we have a good rhythm and it is important that we continue,” Omeruo said after the game.

“We did not have enough time to prepare for this game but the coach did a lot of work for us to understand how to get close to them before the ball.

“Even when we had the goal, we had to keep going and it shows we worked hard that is why we got this result today.”

Omeruo has been with the Cucumber Growers since 2018, initially on loan before he was permanently signed from Premier League giants Chelsea.

The centre-back made spirited effort to try and help his side maintain their La Liga status last season but his contribution was not enough to save the Estadio Municipal de Butarque outfit from relegation.

Omeruo will hope to continue his impressive performances for Leganes when they take on Tenerife in their next league game on February 21. 

The centre-back will be expected to replicate his fine club displays in Nigeria’s 2022 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers in March.