Looking for Soccer News?

Fernando Santiago Varela feels a new sense of challenge at Churchill Brothers ahead of the 2020-21 I-League season. After a stint with Gokulam Kerala before taking up Churchill's challenge, Valera will be hopeful of better things to come. 

"It's a new season for me. I'm very happy to be at this historic club and it's a new challenge for me. I have to show that I can help Indian football to grow," said the Argentine-born Spanish coach who previously led Gokulam Kerala to the 2017-18 Kerala Premier League and 2019 Durand Cup titles in his two years with the southern side.

"I think each year, I-League and (Indian) Super League is improving. Step by step, Indian football is growing and I think we are doing a good job at Churchill Brothers. We are ready to fight in every match to bring the trophy to Goa," he added.

The Red Machines began their pre-season in Goa from the second week of November and are set to play their season opener on January 10th against Indian Arrows, a team Varela classified as one of the competitive sides he has faced.

Having arrived Kolkata just a few days ago to undergo quarantine, he said, "I think it's not the best option to be ready in one week. It could have been better to be in Kolkata earlier but the conditions are the same for all teams. We cannot make excuses. We have to be ready and show our mentality to play in these conditions.

"I remember when I was at Gokulam last year, one of our more competitive matches were against Indian Arrows. Now we will start against them and even after changing their players I'm sure that the players want to show that they are ready to play in the league or for the national team. We have to be focused to play with a good mentality."

Varela expressed his satisfaction with the 30-member squad at his disposal. He also turned down the option to loan players from the Indian Super League (ISL) in the January transfer window.

"I am very happy with the squad. We have a mix of experienced players like Shilton and young players who are ready to play their first I-League. We don't think we will loan any player from the Indian Super League. The club's objective is very clear - to help Goan players. So I am focusing on them and I will do everything to help them grow, like I showed last year (with Gokulam Kerala)," he said.

However, despite the absence of heavyweights Mohun Bagan and East Bengal who have joined the ISL from this season, the 47-year-old is not willing to take any team lightly.

"There are other teams. The challenge is for all teams," he opined. "You cannot say that just because East Bengal and Mohun Bagan are not there, we can get the title. We have to respect all the teams and we have to show first in our training that we are ready to get the title."

"You have to be competitive and maybe we can take points from what I did wrong last year and I have to improve myself to show the players that I am not like last year and can be better. If I don't try to improve my version, I cannot help my team. To have a winning mentality, we have to always improve and I have to start (improving) with myself," he mentioned.

With regard to the new format of the league wherein all teams will play a single leg against each other before being split into two groups to play for the championship and relegation respectively, he continued, "I told the players that an opportunity will come for everyone but they have to fight for their place and I will choose the players who are ready. The focus will only be to win the next game."

Churchill Brothers goalkeeper Shilton Paul has already experienced being part of a bio secure bubble when he turned up on-loan for Bhawanipore in this year's I-League qualifiers.

"It was quite good the way the IFA (Indian Football Association, West Bengal's football governing body) organised the second division. Before I came here, I told the players how it was in the bio bubble and we are doing well. Hopefully, it will remain the same till the end of the season. It will be difficult because we are away from our families and without spectators at the stadium. We have to be very focused and motivated," he explained.

For one who has spent the last 14 years of his professional playing career contracted with Mohun Bagan, the 32-year-old hopes to win Churchill Brothers their third I-League title and one for the Mohun Bagan supporters who follow him.

"I'm glad to join Churchill Brothers which is one of the biggest teams in India. I will use my 14-year experience (at Mohun Bagan). We had a good pre-season with practice sessions twice a day. We are ready for the matches. So hopefully we can win the I-League.

"There are some good teams like Round Glass Punjab, Real Kashmir and others also, but we are quite confident to win the league. I think it's going to be a good leg.

"When I joined Churchill Brothers, a lot of Mohun Bagan supporters told me that they will support us (Churchill Brothers) because of me. So for sure, we will try to win this trophy for them," he concluded.

Before heading into Monday's 2020-21 Indian Super League (ISL) fixture, Bengaluru and Jamshedpur were the two most disciplined teams in the league this season. 

During the game though, they committed a combined total of 24 fouls and recorded 38 interceptions. The intensity on display by both the teams was so high that it had become too difficult to pick a winner until Stephen Eze headed in the only goal of the game in the 79th minute. 

Both Bengaluru and Jamshedpur had plenty of chances that were wasted. There were nine shots on target in a 1-0 result. 

The teams were evenly matched in all areas of the pitch. Cleiton Silva and Sunil Chhetri created chances to score at one end and Nerijus Valskis and Aniket Jadhav worked hard at the other end. Dimas Delgado tried to take control of the midfield but Aitor Monroy wanted the ball just as much.

The impressive Suresh covered the entire field throughout the game for the Blues but Alex Lima also did the same for the Men of Steel. The game had a goalless draw written all over it despite the number of transitions and chances that both teams had. The goalkeepers also played their part to perfection - Gurpreet Singh Sandhu and TP Rehenesh did their job very well to keep the game goalless for 79 minutes. 

The teams needed a brilliant piece of play to make a difference and it came from Aniket Jadhav who continued his impressive form as a winger. From the right flank, Aniket delivered an excellent cross into the box for Eze who beat his marker and headed in his third goal of the season on a night where Valskis went missing in front of goal. 

Jamshedpur is slowly turning into an Owen Coyle team full of fight and desire to win games. Last season's Chennaiyin had that fire in the belly that champions require and the close games are the ones that decide the table. 

With three points in the bag, Jamshedpur leapfrogged Bengaluru into the third spot on the table but the Blues have a game in hand. The Men of Steel, if they can find goals without Valskis, are a dangerous team to go up against. 

It was not for the first time that Bengaluru lacked a cutting edge in an ISL game this season. They kept missing the final delivery or the finish with their moves and it cost them once again. Just like how Eze scored a late winner, it would have been Sunil Chhetri or Miku netting at the other end in a similar setting a few years ago but their forwards are yet to show that killer instinct week in week out.

Young Indian midfielder Suresh Wangjam, Erik Paartalu and goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu have been their best performers. It must be also concerning for Carles Cuadrat how Jamshedpur targeted the make-shift left-back Rahul Bheke in the absence of Ashique Kuruniyan who is out with an injury. The match-winning goal also came from that flank. New signing and former Chennai City player Ajith Kumar can play at left-back and he made his first appearance of the season as a substitute on Monday. 

As it stands, Jamshedpur look ready for top four and Bengaluru have not at the expected level yet. 

Quique Setien insisted he would be prepared to return to Barcelona after an "extraordinary" experience at the helm of the La Liga giants.

Setien took charge of Barca in January until the end of a miserable 2019-20 season, which the club finished without a trophy and were humiliated 8-2 by Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-finals.

The 62-year-old, who sued the club, talked up his experience at Camp Nou and said he would be willing to return to the Blaugrana in the future.

"The experience was extraordinary," Setien said, via Marca.

"It is true that we did not enjoy what we would have liked and with that illusion I went from the beginning.

"Of course I would return to Barcelona and I would never regret having gone, not at all."

Setien has been without a job since being sacked by Barcelona in August.

The former Real Betis and Las Palmas coach said he needed time after his sacking.

"I have already overcome the mourning that I had to go through for what happened in Barcelona," Setien said.

"But this is an accident, one more that you take as part of your job."

Setien has been replaced as Barcelona coach by Dutch veteran Ronald Koeman, but the team's fortunes haven't improved.

Barcelona are currently fifth on the La Liga standings - eight points adrift from competition leaders Atletico Madrid - who also have a game in hand.

The Blaugrana will attempt to claw their way up the table with a home match against Eibar on Tuesday, before a period featuring five away games in a row against Huesca, Athletic Bilbao, Granada, Real Sociedad (Supercopa semi-final) and Elche.

Barca enjoyed a little more success in their Champions League group, qualifying for the knockout stage in second position with 15 points - only behind Juventus on head-to-head.

Koeman's side have been drawn into a blockbuster round-of-16 clash against Paris Saint-Germain which will see Neymar return to Camp Nou with the Ligue 1 champions.

The first leg will be played in Barcelona on February 16 before the return clash is held at the Parc des Princes on March 10.

American-Malaysian midfielder Wan Kuzain Wan Kamal has confirmed his departure from Major League Soccer (MLS) club Sporting Kansas City, in a brief Twitter post.

It had been reported last week that Sporting have opted against extending the 22-year old's contract, which ends at the end of 2020.

On Monday morning Malaysian time, Kuzain posted a statement on his Twitter page.

"To Sporting KC II, SKC Academy and Sporting KC, thank you for giving a then-17 year old kid looking for a chance in professional soccer an opportunity he will never forget.

"To the staff, fans and everyone I've met during my time in KC, thank you for the endless support and love. And to my teammates, who I can call some of my best friends, thank you for making my first couple professional seasons ones I'll never forget."

The American midfielder, who was born to Malaysian parents, had joined the Sporting from Saint Louis FC in 2017. The following year, he made his MLS debut in their match against Minnesota United, and even scored in the 4-1 win.

Wan Kuzain's MLS debut goal

Despite the promising debut and a total of six MLS appearances in the season, three as a starter, those would be his only top-tier appearances to date. He would play mostly for their feeder team Swope Park Rangers (later Sporting KC II) in the USL Championship, and even second-tier minutes would dry up for him in 2020. This year, he only played for a total of 19 minutes in the USL, in one appearance, while appearing on the bench 12 times for the first team in the MLS.

In late 2019 he trained with Malaysia U-23 with the purpose of competing with them in the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games, but was left out at the eleventh hour due to passport issues. His younger brother, Wan Kuzri is at another USL club Saint Louis FC, while his elder brother, Wan Fayhsal is a deputy minister at Malaysia's Youth and Sports Ministry.

READ: Wan Kuzri, Wan Kuzain's minister brother Wan Fayhsal: 'I was more of a rugby player'

READ: Taking risks and being competitive spur Wan Kuzain on

Mikel Arteta says he has adapted to life as Arsenal coach quicker than he expected.

The former midfielder took charge of the Gunners in December last year after a three-year spell as assistant coach to Pep Guardiola at Manchester City.

While the 38-year-old guided the north London team to FA Cup success last season, the 2020-21 campaign has proved difficult, with his side sitting 15th in the Premier League after picking up just five wins from 15 matches.

The Spaniard admits he has had to adjust to his new surroundings quickly and hopes to make things easier for his squad.

"I question myself every day, but since I arrived here, first of all I had to analyse really well what is happening, what we can and what we cannot do," he told reporters.

"And I have adapted much more than probably what I thought I would when I took the team, because there are certain things that I think are much better for the qualities of the players that we have, and other things that probably we are not prepared to do yet.

"Obviously we have to adapt because at the end of the day we have to make life as simple, as clear and as efficient as possible for our players when they go on to that pitch."

Arsenal went on a run of seven games without a win in the Premier League before they claimed a 3-1 victory over London rivals Chelsea on Saturday, with 19-year-old Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe, 20, combining to score their final goal. 

Meanwhile, 21-year-old Joseph Willock and 19-year-old Gabriel Martinelli also played a role in the win and the coach hopes the squad's younger players can continue to play a key role this season. 

"I think there's a message within the squad that everybody's important here, everybody's here to contribute, and everybody's useful.

"It doesn't matter if you are young or a senior player, everybody's here to contribute.

"And I think it's a great message for everybody that when we have to rely on them, we know that we can rely on them and we don't have any doubts about them."

Arteta's men will look to build on the victory over Chelsea on Tuesday when they take on Brighton in their last match of 2020, with their first of the new year to follow on Friday against West Brom.

New West Bromwich coach Sam Allardyce says he is yet to understand why Leeds boss Marcelo Bielsa is 'so crazy', but praised the Argentine for how he sets out his team.

Bielsa's Leeds have earned a reputation as the Premier League's entertainers - having conceded the equal-most goals in the division with 30, but scoring 25 of their own.

Speaking after the Baggies snared a point against Liverpool in only his second game in charge, Allardyce revealed his thoughts on Leeds' unique style of play, praising Bielsa's eccentric game plan as being fitting of the club he leads.

"I've got to work out why he's so crazy," Allardyce told reporters as he prepares for West Brom's clash with Leeds at the Hawthorns on December 29.

"It's not 'crazy', it's more his intelligence and his unique style, and I think that it serves the players and serves the club in good stead."

Allardyce said he planned to closely examine Leeds' 1-0 win over Burnley on Sunday - revealing he thought the Clarets were unlucky to suffer a defeat.

The English tactician revealed he will focus on exploiting Leeds' tendency to push many numbers forward by hitting them on the counter-attack, but also to remain solid in defence themselves.

"It will be an interesting thought from myself tomorrow, when we get in and look at how they play," Allardyce said.

"We've got an idea. I watched them a little bit on the telly [on Sunday] against Burnley, I thought Burnley were robbed of a goal.

"We have to find a way of finding out how we can score against them, which sometimes seems pretty easy, but it's never going to be as easy as that.

"In the opposite sense, they try and go out and score as many goals as they possibly can, so we've got to cancel that out.

"When you're going to play against Leeds you know that we are trying to stop them being as adventurous as they are, but also, can we expose the weaknesses and the gaps and spaces that they leave when they do go all-out attack?"

West Brom currently sit in the relegation zone with eight points from 15 matches and are five adrift of Burnley, who occupy the last position of safety.

Mark Noble says that he hopes Declan Rice will remain with West Ham for the foreseeable future, although the veteran midfielder admitted "you never know" what can happen as big clubs swirl.

Rice has been the subject of interest from the likes of Chelsea and Manchester United since breaking through with West Ham's first team in 2017.

The 21-year-old midfielder, who has earned 13 senior caps since opting to represent England rather than Ireland at international level, has featured 16 times for the Hammers this season.

As rumours continue linking Rice to some of England's biggest clubs, Noble says he remains hopeful that he may be able to call Rice a team-mate for the foreseeable future, but he does understand how difficult it will be for that to be a reality.

“He’s still learning his trade, he’ll get much better with experience. I’m hoping it’s here [at West Ham] but in this game you never know,” Noble told TalkSPORT.

“I’m sure he’ll be a top, top player and an even better player in years to come.”

Noble, who has been with West Ham since joining as a youth player in 2000, added that he believes Rice can someday captain England if he continues his development into one of the Premier League's top midfielders.

“With Dec I don’t have to say too much. He’s such a great kid, got a great family, he’s a top, top player.

“There are two or three things that I’ve been on him about in the last two seasons to change in what he does.

“I do believe that if he progresses then he’ll captain England one day. That’s the sort of player he is.

“He’s such a level-headed kid. You’ve got to remember he’s still only 21.”

West Ham currently sit 10th in the Premier League, having most recently earned a 2-2 draw with Brighton on Sunday.

Rice, Noble and the Hammers are set to visit Southampton on Tuesday before continuing their busy festive schedule with a visit to Everton on New Years' Day.

Leicester City manager Brendan Rodgers believes that Kelechi Iheanacho was the right choice to take the Foxes' penalty against Crystal Palace, even though the Nigeria international fluffed his lines. 

The King Power Stadium outfit were awarded a penalty after James Tomkins brought down Luke Thomas in the box during their 1-1 draw against the Eagles in Monday’s Premier League game.

Iheanacho was handed the opportunity to take the spot-kick, but his effort was saved by goalkeeper Vicente Guaita. 

Wilfried Zaha later opened the scoring in the encounter for Crystal Palace before Harvey Barnes scored an important equalizer to help the Foxes avoid defeat.

Rodgers confirmed the Super Eagles forward has proven his suitability to take the Foxes' penalty in training, and encouraged the attacker to put the disappointment behind him.

"I said at half time, it was one you have to let go of. He practised yesterday and hit five out of five, so he was confident, but it is just one of those things," Rodgers told Amazon Prime.

Despite the draw, Leicester maintain the second spot on the Premier League table after gathering 29 points from 16 games.

Iheanacho is gradually establishing himself at the King Power Stadium, having struggled for consistency since his arrival at the club.

The centre-forward teamed up with the Foxes in the summer of 2017 from Manchester City and has now made 78 Premier League appearances, scoring 28 goals.

In the current campaign, the 24-year-old has scored three goals and provided four assists in 15 appearances across all competitions.

The forward will hope to deliver a better performance when Leicester square off against Newcastle United in the next Premier League game on January 3.

Iheanacho's recent form earned him a return to the Nigeria national team after missing their Africa Cup of Nations campaign in Egypt, where the Super Eagles finished third.

The attacker featured prominently for the three-time African champions in their recent friendlies and Afcon qualifiers.

Everton have requested full disclosure of all the information submitted by Manchester City to the Premier League after Monday's match was postponed.

The Premier League confirmed four hours ahead of the scheduled kick-off at Goodison Park that the game would not go ahead due to a coronavirus outbreak in City's camp.

Gabriel Jesus, Kyle Walker and another two members of staff had previously tested positive for Covid-19, but City's Boxing Day clash with Newcastle United still went ahead.

However, City lodged a request to rearrange the match with Everton 48 hours later following an increase in positive Covid-19 test results received earlier on Monday.

The Premier League Board agreed to reschedule the game as a precaution, saying the health of players and staff takes priority.

But the Premier League told clubs before the start of the season that requests to postpone matches would be rejected unless at least 14 players were ruled out.

Everton, one of only two clubs along with Merseyside rivals Liverpool able to welcome fans to their ground, are seeking further explanation as to why the game was called off.

A club statement read: "Everton Football Club regret the postponement of tonight's match against Manchester City - not only for the 2,000 fans who would have been attending, but for supporters on Merseyside and across the world.

"Our players were prepared for the game, as were both the team staff and everyone at Goodison. Matchday is the most important date in our calendar. And this was a big one.

"Whilst Everton will always have public safety uppermost, we will be requesting full disclosure of all the information that Manchester City provided to the Premier League so the club can be clear on why this decision was taken."

Monday's match is the second Premier League fixture to be postponed due to a coronavirus outbreak, with Newcastle United's game against Aston Villa this month also delayed.

Carlo Ancelotti's team are three points behind leaders Liverpool after 15 games, while City are a further three adrift having played one game fewer.

Frank Lampard admits Chelsea are missing Hakim Ziyech amid their recent slump in results.

The Blues were held to a 1-1 draw by Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge on Monday, seeing Olivier Giroud's opening goal cancelled out by an Anwar El Ghazi strike in the second half.

Chelsea have won just one of their last five matches in the Premier League, having recently been beaten by Everton, Wolves and Arsenal. The London side had previously gone nine games unbeaten in the English top-flight.

Their decline coincides with the loss of summer signing Ziyech, who scored one goal and assisted three more in the league before he suffered an injury in early-December.

Lampard says his side must find a new source of creativity when the former Ajax star is out of action and is eager to welcome the 27-year-old back into the team.

"Not a coincidence. We can't rely completely on him. He was very effective of us in terms of creation and goals," the coach said when asked the significance of the Morocco international's absence.

"It helped, we were very fluid until he got injured. We want him back. There's a possiblity he could be fit for [Sunday's game against] Manchester City if it goes ahead. He's close."

Despite his team's disappointing result on Monday, Lampard was happy with his side's performance and singled out Callum Hudson-Odoi for special praise.

"I liked his performance and his range of passing in the first half. Some of his movement and touches were great but we want to see end product and for him to go one-on-one like at Arsenal," he said.

"That's the level of top wingers in the Premier League. He has the capabilities, that will be the next stage for him."

He continued: "It's a draw against a good team. Our performance was good and we deserved to win. We've come through a difficult patch. We saw the attitude of the team today. The table is still tight and we remain close. Today I saw some good signs I like."

Chelsea face City at home on January 3 and then take on Morecambe in the FA Cup the following week.

Frank Lampard says that Chelsea "didn't get the rub of the green" in Monday's draw with Aston Villa after previously saying he was unhappy with his players' effort in a recent loss to Arsenal.

Chelsea were forced to settle for a 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge as Olivier Giroud's first-half goal was canceled out by a second-half finish from Anwar El Ghazi.

With the draw, Chelsea have dropped points in four of their last five matches, with the lone win being a 3-0 battering of West Ham.

Lampard's Chelsea have lost to Everton, Wolves and, most recently, Arsenal, after which Lampard called out his players for not working hard enough.

On Monday, though, he believes he saw a positive reaction, even if Chelsea were unable to seal the three points.

"Definitely, in terms of performance. We started really well, Villa had their moments but we dealt with them and came through the first half really strong. We got a goal we deserved," he told Amazon Prime after the match.

"Second half, we conceded with a man on the floor, that's the way it is for us at the moment. We pushed but couldn't break the deadlock. Attitude-wise, effort-wise, some of the play was very good against a really good team.

"Late on we got some chances and nearly scored, when you're in a tough moment sometimes things don't quite go for you. A month ago we win that. We have to fight through it.

"I can't ask for more from the players today. No one let me down, everyone worked hard, we didn't get the rub of the green."

Chelsea currently sit sixth in the Premier League, level on points with fifth-place Villa and seventh-place Tottenham, who have a game in hand.

The club's recent dip in form have seen them fall behind in the title race, but Lampard says he isn't getting too caught up in Monday's result thanks to what he saw as a solid performance.

“They're a tough opponent, but we had really good chances," he told Match of the Day.

“I think there was a handball before the goal right next to the linesman. When you’re having a tough moment like we are, sometimes that goes against you. That last bit wasn’t quite there today because we haven’t got the rub of the green at the minute.

“The response was exactly right other than the win. We had a couple of little chances. It felt like the pressure was coming from us. This is our tough period at the moment. We have to fight for it and we’ll be stronger for it.

“You want to get results at this point of the year. I could feel the players' disappointment at the end because they want to win.

“A few weeks ago people were talking about us as title challengers, now it's a difficult period. The new players are going to get better as they come along.”

Zambia women's team were welcomed back home on Monday following after being locked down in Chile for over a month due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Zambian delegation left for Santiago to battle Jose Letelier's ladies in double-header friendlies on November 24 as part of their build-up to their maiden Olympic campaign in Tokyo next year.

Two days later, Barbra Banda and Racheal Nachula's second-half efforts helped the Copper Queens silence the South Americans 2-1 at Estadio San Carlos de Apoquindo.
 
However, hours before the kickoff of the second meeting between the two teams on December 1, the encounter was called off after some member of the Zambian delegation tested positive for Covid-19.

With up to 10 players affected, the whole team were immediately forced into isolation for 14 days by local health authorities.

On December 16, a number of squad members were released after their tests returned negative, including Zaragoza duo of Hellen Mubanga and Nachula, leaving behind six.

The remaining six Zambians, which consisted of three officials and three players - Banda, Grace Chanda and Maylan Mulenga - were eventually freed to depart Santiago on Saturday.

The six reunited with the families on arriving at the Kenneth Kaunda International Airport, Lusaka on Monday. 

Despite the month-long lockdown experience, Bruce Mwape's team will take solace in their triumph over La Roja on their first meeting.

The victory, plus a third-place Cosafa Cup finish, also saw the Copper Queens move up five places to 95th position in the world and are now ranked the 11th in Africa in the December rankings.

Crystal Palace forward Wilfried Zaha scored his eighth Premier League goal of the season against Leicester City on Monday, already surpassing his tally for the entirety of the 2019-20 season.

The 28-year-old was afforded his 14th league appearance this campaign and 200th start since teaming up with the Eagles.

The fleet-footed forward made a significant contribution for Roy Hodgson’s men to help them avoid a defeat at Selhurst Park.

The Ivory Coast international gave his side the lead after Nigeria international Kelechi Iheanacho missed a glorious chance to open the scoring for Leicester from the penalty spot.

Zaha volleyed the ball into the back of the net past hapless goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel after receiving a fine assist from Andros Townsend.

The forward, thus, surpassed his last season’s performances for the Eagles, where he managed four goals in 38 Premier League appearances.

Zaha remains an influential figure for Crystal Palace and has helped the club avoid relegation on a number of times with his eye-catching displays.

The forward’s consistent form for Palace has seen him linked to a number of Premier League clubs but the Eagles have managed to hold on to him.

The draw moved Crystal Palace to the 13th spot on the Premier League table with 19 points from 16 games.

Zaha will hope to continue his impressive performances and help Palace end their winless run when they take on Sheffield United on January 2.

The forward is also a key member of Ivory Coast and has made 18 appearances for the West African country since his debut in 2017.

He has been playing a significant role in his side’s quest to qualify for the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon.

Mamelodi Sundowns returned to training ahead of Saturday’s Premier Soccer League clash against Orlando Pirates, but attacker Gaston Sirino reportedly snubbed Monday’s workout.

This comes on a day when Downs announced that they are “terminating discussions” with African champions Al Ahly who are understood to be bidding for the 29-year-old’s signature.

Negotiations between Sundowns and the Cairo giants have been stalled by disagreements on the players’ transfer price.

Sirino has publicly made a transfer request, in the process angering the Brazilians, who threatened disciplinary action against him.

After the player missed training on Monday, the club insist that his absence was not a protest to push for a move.

“There are no issues, he is not the only player missing today. He is part of the group,” an unnamed Sundowns official was quoted as saying by KickOff.

Earlier this month, Sundowns general manager Yogesh Singh said they wanted R92 million from Ahly, who reportedly upped their R18 million offer to R46 million, which was rejected.

Had the Cairo giants agreed to Sundowns’ asking fee, it would have been the record transfer figure Masandawana have ever received for a player.

As Downs now prepare to host Pirates for their ninth PSL match this season, Sirino is yet to make a league appearance after getting injured in the MTN8 quarter-final match against Bloemfontein Celtic in October.

After expressing his desire to move to Egypt, speculation has been heightened that the forward has since recovered and is refusing to play in order to push for the transfer.

The Tshwane giants, however, denied those rumours.

Sirino arrived at Chloorkop in January 2018 from Bolivian side Bolivar, and he has already completed two full seasons in the PSL.

In June 2020, he extended his Sundowns contract by a further five years amid already reported interest from Al Ahly, which is said to have now been fuelled by Pitso Mosimane taking charge of the Egyptian giants.

Since his arrival, the Uruguayan has featured in 100 Sundowns matches across all competitions, scoring 24 goals and providing 29 assists.

Arsenal defender Gabriel has tested positive for coronavirus and is now isolating after previously missing out on a clash with Chelsea over the weekend.

The club confirmed that Gabriel had been in close contact with someone who tested positive for Covid-19 and will isolate as a precaution.

His quarantine kept him out of the Gunners' 3-1 win over Chelsea, as he began a period of isolation that will keep him out of games with Brighton on December 29 and West Brom on January 2.

"Gabriel has tested positive for Covid-19 and is isolating according to UK Government and Premier League protocols," the club said in a statement. "We will continue to monitor and support Gabriel, and we are hoping he will be available again after our next two matches."

The Brazilian defender isn't the only Gunners star set to miss out on Arsenal's visit to Brighton on Tuesday as David Luiz and Willian will also be absent for the Gunners' final match of 2020.

Arsenal confirmed that David Luiz and Willian are still "feeling unwell" after missing out on the victory over Chelsea due to illness.

The club has previously confirmed that David Luiz and Willian recently tested negative for coronavirus and their situations will be closely monitored.

The Brazilian trio are joined on the absentee list by Thomas Partey, who remains out with a left thigh issue.

"Thomas has progressed well since the injury on 6 December," a club statement read. "He has started to train outside and will continue with his daily assessments and monitoring."

Gabriel joined Arsenal in September and has emerged as a regular under manager Mikel Arteta.

The defender has featured in 15 total matches across Premier League and Europa League action, scoring two goals in domestic play.

David Luiz has featured 14 times this season for the Gunners, while Willian, a summer signing from Chelsea, has yet to score in 16 total appearances for Arsenal this term.

The Gunners currently sit 15th in the Premier League table, just six points ahead of the bottom three.

Arsenal are also facing a 10-point gap between themselves and the top four.

Chelsea dropped points for the fourth time in five Premier League games as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Aston Villa in their final match of 2020. 

Frank Lampard will have been hoping for a response to their woeful 3-1 defeat to Arsenal and dropped big-money signing Timo Werner amid a goal drought, but the Blues were no more fluent against Dean Smith's side. 

Villa's hopes of keeping five consecutive top-flight clean sheets for the first time since September 1998 were ended 34 minutes in as Olivier Giroud struck, making it seven successive goalscoring appearances against the Villans in the Premier League for the Frenchman. 

But Anwar El Ghazi levelled with his fifth goal in as many games in the 50th minute and that proved decisive, while Chelsea were fortunate to not concede again when John McGinn hit the crossbar.

An entertaining start saw both sides threaten, Jack Grealish having a curling 18-yard effort turned wide by Edouard Mendy before Christian Pulisic lashed into the side-netting at the other end. 

Another opportunity was spurned by Pulisic just past the half-hour, though two minutes later Chelsea had the lead – Giroud sending a thumping header in from Ben Chilwell's inviting delivery. 

Villa levelled early in the second half when Matty Cash's cross found El Ghazi at the back post, and he steered home through the legs of Mendy, who probably should have done better. 

Chelsea's reaction was hardly emphatic and Villa went agonisingly close to a spectacular second, the ball breaking kindly for McGinn 30 yards from goal and his fierce effort cannoned off the bar. 

Lampard introduced the much-maligned Werner and Kai Havertz towards the end, though neither inspired an improvement in Chelsea's fortunes against a shrewd Villa backline.

What does it mean? Chelsea's slide set to continue 

Lampard's hopes of mounting a credible title challenge are seemingly diminishing by the day – they could be nine points adrift of the summit by the time they next play. 

To make matters worse, they have played more games than most teams around them and are showing few signs of improvement, with those big-money additions of Werner and Havertz still nowhere near the expected level. 

At this rate, Chelsea will struggle to even finish in the top four, whereas Villa continue to upset the odds as they are now five unbeaten in the league. 

Cash is on the money 

Grealish understandably gets a lot of the plaudits in this Villa team, and he was once again impressive, but right-back Cash arguably played an even more important role. Not only did he get forward to good effect, with the visitors' goal coming from one of his four crosses, he was also dependable at the back – his three tackles and two interceptions were team highs, while his total of five clearances was bettered only by Kortney Hause. 

Pulisic fails to inspire 

He was lively enough on the left flank and worked hard, his 10.8 kilometres covered second only to N'Golo Kante, but Pulisic just was not effective enough during proceedings. He should have done better with his early chances and he otherwise failed to produce a single key pass.  

Key Opta facts

- Chelsea have lost just one of their last 14 Premier League home games (W10 D3), with that lone defeat coming against Liverpool earlier this season.
- Since losing at Liverpool in July, Villa have only suffered one defeat in their last nine away games in the Premier League (W5 D3).
- Chilwell equalled his Premier League season-best tally of four assists, with the Chelsea defender already having as many goal involvements in this campaign as in 2019-20 (6 - 2 goals, 4 assists).
- Since his Premier League debut in August 2012, Giroud has scored more headed goals than any other player in the competition (32).
- Villa have shipped 51 Premier League goals away at Chelsea – only against Manchester City and Manchester United (both 53) have they conceded more on the road in the competition.

What's next? 

Chelsea have a fairly substantial break now until they return to action at home to Manchester City in a potentially thrilling encounter on Sunday, assuming it is not postponed due to the COVID-19 outbreak in Pep Guardiola's ranks. Villa, on the other hand, have another tough task on New Year's Day, as they go to Manchester United.