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Real Madrid will likely have to deal with Gareth Bale's agent Jonathan Barnett again should they wish to sign Eduardo Camavinga, with the Rennes star seemingly having linked up with ICM Stellar Sports.

Barnett's agency is most well-known for its representation of Wales international Bale, who quit the Spanish champions in the summer after falling out of favour at the Bernabeu under Zinedine Zidane.

Indeed, after it was confirmed that Bale would be heading to Tottenham, Barnett cited a lack of support for the winger in Madrid despite his incredible success during his seven years in Spain.

He told talkSPORT back in September: "It (the reason for Bale's exit) was a build-up of a clash of personalities, a build-up of not being supported, it was many different things.

"For somebody who has done as well as he has for Real Madrid, he didn’t get the respect he deserved and that was a big problem.

"For seven years everybody’s been saying Gareth Bale doesn’t speak Spanish – Gareth Bale speaks Spanish! Everybody’s been saying Gareth Bale doesn’t care about football – Gareth Bale loves football, he’s never fallen out with football.

"He may have fallen out with other things, but not playing football, and I hope back at Tottenham people will realise and stop talking complete and utter rubbish."

Bale proved to be one of Madrid's blockbuster signings of the last decade, with reports having linked the Liga giants with Rennes youngster Camavinga, who is being tipped to develop into one of Europe's top players.

Indeed, the 18-year-old has already represented France at full international level and is also reportedly being lined up by the likes of Manchester United and Tottenham.

AS reported in November that Camavinga had parted ways with his agent Moussa Sissoko, and Barnett has revealed to L'Equipe that he is now representing the highly-rated midfielder.

He said: "We are the official representatives of Eduardo Camavinga. I thank the family for their trust in me and in our agency, and I look forward to working with them to ensure the best for Eduardo."

Camavinga has played 13 games in all competitions for Rennes thus far this season, scoring one goal, and has insisted that he remains open to signing a new contract despite the links with some of Europe's top clubs.

Bordeaux manager Jean-Louis Gasset said Samuel Kalu has suffered another injury setback in training on Friday.

The Super Eagles forward joined his teammates in preparing for Sunday's Ligue 1 outing against Brest, after he recovered from a thigh muscle strain.

Unfortunately, the training session did not end well for Kalu as he picked up an injury around the quadriceps of his right thigh which might delay his return to action further.

The 23-year-old's last appearance for the Girondins was at Rennes on November 20 where he played for an hour before he was replaced.

"Samuel Kalu resumed this morning with the group but he has a little setback on the quadriceps of the right thigh," Gasset was quoted as saying by Girondins 33.

"He is worried because he has the fear of the injury and this morning he was afraid. It is not in the same place as his last injury. We'll see tomorrow. "

So far this season, Kalu has a contribution of two goals and an assist after seven games in Ligue 1.

Kalu's compatriot, Josh Maja, is another exciting talent at Bordeaux and he has played in all but one of their matches this season.

The 21-year-old has scored two goals so far in the French top-flight and Gasset is optimistic about the abilities of the former Sunderland attacker.

"Josh is improving, he's only 21. He's an important player," the French boss added. "We're going to have a busy schedule and we will need everyone.

"Josh Maja is one of the players in front of whom we have to unlock in some situations. The future will tell us what his limits are and what he can endure.

"We try to give him all the ingredients to become a great player and a great goalscorer.

"He needs to be in the right place a little more often in the 16 meters area. He supports the play when he has someone behind his back. He is passing a course."

A Sunil Chhetri spot-kick in the second half was enough for Bengaluru to pick up their first win of the season in the 2020-21 Indian Super League (ISL) match against Chennaiyin at the GMC Stadium on Friday. 

In a match that was evenly-contested for most parts, it was the defending form both teams that took centre-stage.

In a first half that was devoid of much goalmouth action, Chennaiyin's biggest blow was an injury to Anirudh Thapa. The India international midfielder had to be taken off in the 16th minute, with Edwin Vanspaul replacing him. 

Two minutes later, Rafael Crivellaro registered his team's only shot on target in the first half when he fired a straightforward, first-time effort straight at Gurpreet Singh Sandhu. 

The game turned into an extremely cagey affair and the midfielder witnessed an intense battle with Vanspaul and Deepak Tangri working hard to keep the likes of Dimas Delgado and Suresh Wangjam in check. 

Suresh won a throw-in which Rahul Bheke delivered into the box to cause a bit of concern for the Machans' defence after the 30-minute mark. Cleiton Silva received the throw-in and chipped it into the box for Juanan whose header was on target but not powerful enough to beat Vishal Kaith. 

The teams started the second half with much more energy. Deepak Tangri went close minutes after the restart from a Crivellaro free-kick. The youngster sent a looping header towards goal from the centre of the box but Gurpreet's height allowed him to grab onto the ball. 

The deadlock was finally broken by the Blues in the 56th minute. Edwin Vanspaul brought down Silva inside the box and the referee pointed to the spot. Sunil Chhetri coolly slotted the ball past Kaith to give his team the lead. 

Csaba Laszlo responded by immediately bringing on Fathullo in place of Isma Goncalves to switch gears in the attack. The Marina Machans pushed forward in search of an equaliser but their finishing left a lot to be desired and the Blues defence was able to deal with the threat. 

Crystal Palace midfielder Eberechi Eze, Fulham defender Ola Aina and Manchester City's Riyad Mahrez have been nominated for the Premier League Goal of the Month award.

Eze scored his first goal in the English top-flight in grand style against Leeds United with a free-kick from 20 yards on November 7.

The 22-year-old's strike was Crystal Palace's second goal in the game as they romped to a 4-1 home win over Marcelo Bielsa's men.

Aina, on his part, fired in a rocket from outside the penalty area at Craven Cottage to help Scott Parker's men grab their first league win of the season with a 2-0 victory against West Bromwich Albion on November 2.

The Nigeria international doubled the hosts' lead with his left-footed strike, four minutes after Bobby Reid opened the scoring in the 26th minute.

After scoring a hat-trick against Burnley last Saturday, Mahrez's opening goal at the Etihad Stadium earned a spot in the top eight goals for November.

The Algeria captain finished off a brilliant team move to put Manchester City ahead in the sixth minute, in an encounter which eventually ended 5-0 in their favour.

Other players in contention for the award are Southampton duo Danny Ings and James Ward-Prowse, Brighton and Hove Albion's Solly March, Leicester City's Jamie Vardy and Leeds United's Raphinha.

Riyad Mahrez was at the centre of a heated debate between Ed Dove and Malek Shafei on this week’s African Football HQ this week, with the pair disagreeing on whether the Manchester City stars deserves to be considered as world class or not.

Shafei was purring after the North African’s showing against Burnley last weekend, and indeed, it was a faultless display.

City have struggled to eviscerate teams with quite the same regularity as they have done in the past, and heading into the Clarets game, they were reeling after a defeat by Tottenham Hotspur and the narrow victory over Olympiakos.

They’d also been held by Liverpool and West Ham United, and only narrowly beaten Sheffield United in late October.

However, against Burnley, even without injured Sergio Aguero and departed David Silva, City were at their scintillating best.

Admittedly, Burnley are struggling this term, but Mahrez was unplayable—scoring a hat-trick—while Kevin DeBruyne, with two assists was also exceptional.

Ferran Torres and substitute Phil Foden played strong supporting roles in a confident display, but Mahrez—playing on the right—was simply outstanding.

For Shafei, it’s this kind of performance that proves Mahrez is world class; he created six goalscoring opportunities, hit the target with three of his five attempted shots, and proved a constant menace for the Burnley backline.

However, for Dove, one sensational display is not enough for the 29-year-old to be declared ‘world class’.

Coming into this performance against Burnley, he had scored just once and contributed one assist in his previous 11 appearances across the Premier League, the Champions League and the League Cup.

Indeed, City fans have grown increasingly frustrated with Mahrez’s individuality and certainly, the North African has struggled to influence some of City’s biggest matches over the last year.

The FA Cup semi-final against Arsenal was one such example, while the former Leicester City man subsequently lost his place in Pep Guardiola’s plans for the Champions League showdown with Olympique Lyonnais.

If Mahrez can obliterate sides as he did against Burnley on a regular basis, Dove he believes he deserves to be considered world class, but until then, the frustrations will remain.

Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson has confirmed Wilfried Zaha's recovery from coronavirus ahead of their Premier League fixture against West Bromwich Albion on Saturday.

Zaha tested positive for the virus a fortnight ago after missing Ivory Coast's Africa Cup of Nations qualifying fixtures against Madagascar due to family responsibilities in England.

After the period of self-isolation, the 28-year-old returned a negative test result and he boosted Roy Hodgson's team with his presence in training this week.

During his absence, Crystal Palace struggled to win a league match with back-to-back defeats to Burnley and Newcastle United.

They visit West Brom at the Hawthorns on Saturday and Hodgson stated Zaha, who is leading top scorer for the Eagles with five goals after eight league games, is in contention to return to action.

"We've enjoyed his presence in training this week and he's preparing to play," the 73-year-old said in a press conference.

Luka Milivojevic is another player who is set to return to the team after recovering from coronavirus and Hodgson is excited by options available as they chase their first win since November 7.

"He's another one unfortunately when he went away with Serbia he contracted the virus," the former Liverpool and England coach added.

"He's been over that for a good period of time... He's now back and knocking quite loudly on the door for a place in the team. We're in a good position at the moment for players who are able to play and wanting to play."

Crystal Palace are 15th in the Premier League table with 13 points after 10 matches.

Frank Lampard insists that the Spygate scandal which shook English football is in the past ahead of his first game against Marcelo Bielsa and Leeds United as the Chelsea manager.

In his previous job at Derby County, one of Bielsa's scouts was caught watching one of Lampard's training sessions ahead of their match in the Championship.

The EFL hit Leeds with a £200,000 fine, which Bielsa paid himself, after ruling that they had breached Article 3.4, which relates to treating other clubs and the league itself "with the utmost good faith".

Lampard has played down the incident from 2019. however, and insists that there isn't any lingering resentment. "It’s long gone," he said ahead of the match at Stamford Bridge.

"I respect him, I respect Leeds. I’m only concerned about us being right tomorrow and trying to win the match.

"I’m certainly not going to dwell on it going into this game. I’d rather dwell on the respect I have for him as a coach. It was a great news story – it had a lot to it and it’s gone. I just look at him and how well he’s done at Leeds. He brought Leeds up the year after.

"They were one of the strongest teams, probably the strongest team in the Championship the year that we played against them at Derby. It was a very proud moment for myself to actually go against him and win that game. But it’s a game long gone now. I’d rather think of a team in great form and I just see the football side of it now."

Reflecting on the rivalry between Chelsea and Leeds, Lampard added: "I’m aware of the rivalry myself being a Chelsea player so long.

"I know how fans feel about it. That’s good. That’s football and why we are in the Premier League - two huge clubs having a feeling and having a history.

"It’s hard me to talk to Timo Werner and Kai Havertz and certain players - they don’t know the history. So they look at Leeds at face value and see a very good team, a very well managed team that plays with incredible energy and speed in their game.

"So I don’t know if the rivalry will come into the game or not, but I know it will be a competitive match because. That’s how Leeds approach games these days."

William Saliba’s situation at Arsenal “is a strange one”, admits Nigel Winterburn, with the Gunners urged to send the French defender out on loan to a Championship club before he starts questioning his decision to move to England.

The highly-rated 19-year-old arrived at Emirates Stadium over the summer amid much fanfare.

A deal with Ligue 1 side Saint-Etienne had been struck 12 months earlier, with the talented defender allowed to spend one more season on loan in his homeland.

Saliba was tipped by many to slot straight into the Arsenal side and become a commanding presence for a Premier League heavyweight.

He is, however, still waiting on a competitive debut, with the youngster among those that Mikel Arteta has frozen out.

There remains plenty of potential in his game but, with another transfer window fast approaching, it is expected that further experience will be picked up outside of north London.

Winterburn believes Arsenal should be looking to keep the teenager in English football, with there a need to “toughen him up” before any breakthrough at the Emirates can be made.

The former Gunners full-back told FreeSuperTips: “The whole William Saliba situation at Arsenal is a strange one. When we signed him, fans were thinking he was going to be a sensational signing for many years to come, but it’s not happened to be like that as of yet. 

“We aren’t fully aware of the issues he has faced since coming to London, but it’s clear to see that he is struggling to settle in his new surroundings.

“Maybe Mikel Arteta felt that Saliba wasn’t ready for the Premier League, but with all the issues surrounding Arsenal at the moment, it is hard to keep up with it.

“If he isn’t going to be put back into the squad in January, then he will need to go out on loan and play for another team to get minutes. 

“I would prefer for his loan to be in England as he could go to a team in the Championship and it will toughen him up, whereas if he went on loan abroad, it might make him realise that he’s made the wrong decision coming to Arsenal.”

While Saliba is yet to see a minute of action in 2020-21, other summer arrivals have been thrown straight into the Arsenal side.

Experienced Brazilian winger Willian is another of those who was backed to thrive for the Gunners, but the ex-Chelsea man has found the going tough after swapping west London for the north.

“When Willian signed for Arsenal, I was quite happy as we all thought we would get the same Willian that played for Chelsea and that we were getting a very good player,” added Winterburn.

“But it's hard to make that judgement yet, particularly when we are struggling to be anywhere near the level that we thought we would be. 

“I didn’t envisage Willian playing as many games as he had so far, which has been a surprise.   

“His struggles could be down to a combination of things, but a lot of people have been saying bringing him in limits the game time of Nicolas Pepe, and this is certainly true.

“You can play Willian as a number 10, but more often than not, he plays on the right-hand side so you can only play one of them. Then you also have Reiss Nelson as another option.

“However, it looks as though Mikel Arteta thinks that Pepe and Nelson won’t be regular starters within the first team and be more of a back-up to Willian.”

Arteta will have more big selection calls to make on Sunday when his inconsistent Arsenal side take in a trip to arch-rivals Tottenham.

Thomas Tuchel is pleased with Kylian Mbappe's recent form, but says he will consider leaving the forward out of Paris Saint-Germain's squad for Saturday's trip to Montpellier.

The France international wasted a good chance in Wednesday's 3-1 win over Manchester United as his scoreless streak in the Champions League stretched to a ninth game. 

He is also without a goal in his past three appearances for PSG, failing to score from any of his nine shots in those games and hitting the target only twice.

PSG face a huge clash with Istanbul Basaksehir next Tuesday, knowing that they are guaranteed a place in the last 16 should they avoid defeat. With that contest in mind, Tuchel will consider leaving out Mbappe for this weekend's Ligue 1 meeting against Montpellier.

"We will have to decide on that today," Tuchel said at Friday's pre-match news conference. "In my head there are several different possibilities.

"We have to make decisions for Tuesday as well. We may have some changes to make, but for Kylian personally, I am calm.

"For me he had a good game [against United], a better game than in matches he has scored in. He put in a lot of effort both in an attacking and defensive sense. He had a bit of bad luck with his chance, but it will come for him. He should stay calm because I am also very calm."

Neymar scored twice at Old Trafford in a result that may effectively keep under-fire Tuchel in a job, the French giants now firm favourites to advance through to the knockouts.

Comments made by Neymar after the game proved a bigger talking point than Tuchel's future as he talked of his desire to be reunited with Lionel Messi next year.

That has only intensified speculation that Neymar's ex-Barcelona team-mate Messi could be on his way to the French capital, but Tuchel was unwilling to discuss the rumours.

He said: "That is not something I can talk about. I haven't discussed it with Neymar yet, either. I have a lot of respect for Barcelona and for Messi so I will not comment."

PSG make the trip to Montpellier on a two-game winless streak in the league, following up a 3-2 away defeat to Monaco with a 2-2 draw at home to Bordeaux last weekend.

The reigning champions have not lost two successive away games in the top flight since December 2016, with one of those defeats coming at Stade de la Mosson.

Indeed, Montpellier have won two of their last four home Ligue 1 games against PSG, but Tuchel suggested the visit of Basaksehir next week takes priority for his side.

"We will look to respond but we have to accept that we also have a very important game on Tuesday," he said. "I need to find a solution to my team selection.

"It's always tough for us against Montpellier. That is something we need to change, while accepting we have another game on Tuesday. We have to accept that for this match there will be decisions made with Basaksehir in mind."

PSG, who announced on Friday that teenage defender Timothee Pembele has signed a new deal until 2024, will definitely be without Pablo Sarabia, Mauro Icardi and Juan Bernat this weekend, while Julian Draxler will be assessed.

Trent Alexander-Arnold is set to hand Liverpool a timely fitness boost ahead of their home date with Wolves, although Jurgen Klopp is yet to decide whether the right-back is ready to start a game.

The England international has formed part of a lengthy injury list at Anfield over recent weeks.

Alexander-Arnold has been sidelined since picking up a knock in a 1-1 draw at Manchester City on November 8.

Liverpool have taken in four outings since then, across Premier League and Champions League competition, and remain in the hunt for domestic and continental honours.

Their cause is now about to be aided by the return of Alexander-Arnold, who will be looking to take his starting berth back from Neco Williams.

Klopp remains wary of asking too much from a player who has been nursing a hamstring complaint, but he will come back into contention against Wolves alongside midfielder Naby Keita.

Quizzed at his pre-match conference on whether any of his walking wounded are ready to return, Reds boss Klopp said: “I don’t know yet, we will see.

“Trent and Naby will do the first steps in team training today [Friday]; whatever we can do with that depends on how it looks.

“There are some niggles after the game against Ajax and we have to see how they respond.

“So far, they didn’t do a lot apart from treatment and stuff like this. We have to see how that develops [but] I don’t know in the moment.

“There is a chance Naby and Trent can be in the squad, I would say.

“If they can play, I don’t know. If they are in the squad then they can play, but if they can start or play 90 minutes, I don’t know. I think there’s a chance they are in the squad, yes.

“Apart from Naby and Trent, nobody is coming back, no.”

Alisson, Joe Gomez, Virgil van Dijk, James Milner and Thiago Alcantara remain among those still stuck on the sidelines, while Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has been another long-term absentee.

He has been missing since suffering a knee injury in pre-season, but the 27-year-old midfielder is edging his way back towards full fitness.

Klopp added on the England international: “Ox looks really promising, he is doing a lot of stuff.

“He is warming up with the team now, some ball work, a lot of stuff, but we will develop that now over the next few days.

“Then we will see from which moment on it makes sense to throw him in. He is not too far away.”

Wazito FC picked a Football Kenya Federation FKF Premier League morale-boosting 3-1 win over Vihiga United to hand Francis Kimanzi first three points as new head coach at Utalii Ground on Friday.

Boniface Omondi, Dennis Ng’ang’a and Whyvonne Isuza scored Wazito’s goals before they were denied a clean sheet by Norman Werunga.

Joe Waithera would have given Wazito the lead in the sixth minute but he missed the target narrowly after he picked Isuza’s cross.

Omondi scored his competitive debut goal for the Nairobi-based club in the 14th minute to give his side a first-half lead. Initially, Waithera’s shot was saved by Vihiga United’s goalkeeper Joe Bataro but Omondi was at the right position to head home the rebound.

Brian Musa got a good chance to double the lead in the 21st minute but his effort, after receiving Dennis Sikhayi’s pass, went high and above.

Peter Odhiambo saved Wazito from conceding in the 26th minute as Vihiga attacked and crowded at the penalty box of the host. The former Gor Maia star’s huge save kept the score at 1-0 for Wazito who were, however, the dominant side.

Ng’ang’a scored the second for the 2019 National Super League champions with a superbly taken free-kick from 30-yards away in the 28th minute.

Vihiga were reduced to 10 men after the half-time whistle when Sabiri Sindani argued with the officials and was sent off. The red card proved costly for them as they looked outmuscled in all the departments thereafter.

Wazito took the advantage of reduced rivals to add the third goal in the 54th minute. Isuza tapped the ball into the net after Kevin Kimani set up a good cross for him with a fine delivery.

Just after three minutes past the hour mark, the visitors scored to deny Wazito a home clean sheet. Werunga’s goal was as a result of another well-taken free-kick.

Coach Kimanzi made two changes in quick succession as he introduced Musa Masika for Brian Musa in the 67th minute before Vincent Oburu came on for Omondi two minutes later.

The former Harambee Stars coach waited until the 87th minute to take out Isuza for Joshua Nyatini in order to reinforce the midfield.

As the game grew into a more physical contest, Waithira and Sikhayi were booked in the 85th and 90th minutes respectively.

Wazito managed to deal with all the attacks launched by the visitors to pick a first win in the season as Vihiga United went down for the second time in a row.

East Bengal head coach Robbie Fowler has clarified his comment on Indian players after his team's 0-3 defeat to Mumbai City in the second game of the 2020-21 Indian Super League (ISL). 

Ahead of his team's third game against NorthEast United, Fowler said, "This (Fowler's comments) has been put out of context a lot. My comments were directed to my team. My philosophy is to coach a team to the best of my knowledge and abilities.

"We have an intricate way of playing. We have an identity and a philosophy. My players haven't been coached like this here before. We are implementing our ways and trying to get the best out of them which means lots and lots of hours on the training pitch."

He further added, "I understand from where did the people get the wrong context. My intention was not to disrespect anyone. I would never ever do that. There are lots and lots of good players in India. Some not great by all means. There are technically gifted players here but sometimes they need a better understanding of the game. That's being a realist and trying to better the system. Communicating better on the pitch, knowing when and when not to tackle, when to run and standstill. The understanding of the game can be better.

"We know that. Our job is to make the players as good as he can be and make them play for the national team. When the national team is successful that means everyone is enjoying the football. The ISL and I-League are good leagues. The development cannot happen overnight. It has to start from the grassroots. Future generations will find it easier to play the game better and understand it better."

After the game, Fowler had criticised the performance of his team and seemed to suggest that a few players in his team lacked the required level of coaching. He had said, "We will coach the players because in all fairness few of them have probably never been coached before and that is what we are doing. We will try and make our Indian players better and that takes good coaching and I don't think they had that in the years gone by."

East Bengal are winless after two games and have lost both the games. They fell to a 0-2 loss against arch-rivals ATK Mohun Bagan in ISL's first Kolkata derby in their opening game and then succumbed to a 0-3 defeat to Sergio Lobera's Mumbai City. 

"Whenever you get a team together it is important to get the chance to gel on the pitch.  All teams have remained in isolation, but we probably have struggled more than other teams due to the lateness of getting together as a team. The lateness of getting the squad together. We travel a long way to training each day. But we want to get lots and lots of hours in the training pitch. When you have to travel distances to get to games and training, the player's welfare is massively important. We need to look after that," Fowler explained the difficult start. 

He added, "We can't really do as many hours as we want to do in the training pitch. But saying that when we do put in the shifts in the training pitch the lads have been fantastic. They enjoy the training sessions and the camaraderie that we have. We are not looking for excuses. It is about what we do as a team. We will get it right. We know that. We are in work in progress. We are getting there."

East Bengal are also linked to foreign players in the market as they have not filled their available quota of seven foreigners. Fowler hopes to make a sensible decision regarding the seventh foreign recruit. 

"We have a lot of players (that we are looking at). I think we have got to be sensible. We have an idea of who we can and can't bring in. We have to be realistic. We have to look at players who would want to come here. Then spend two weeks in quarantine. It is a tall ask. We have made some phone calls. Not just a striker... lots and lots of things we can discuss. We have to try to be the very best that we can and that means to bring in someone who can be the best for the club."

The signature of a foreign striker became a bigger talking point after the team's difficult start. The Red and Golds have not been able to convert their chances with the available striking options in the team. 

"I know we haven't scored. I don't want to talk about individual players. We play as a team. The scorelines suggest that we have battered. But we were in the game. We are not a million miles away from where we need to be. Just because you bring in a foreign striker that doesn't mean you will win games. This country is bound by rules what we can and cannot do. We can bring in a foreign striker and then maybe weaken other areas. My job as a manager is to establish what is best for us and of course we need a number 9. But if it means weakening other position then we need to work it out with my team here. 

Injury update

"Aaron Amadi-Holloway probably shouldn't be very far away. We have to see with Loken (Meitei) and Danny (Fox). We will find it out after the scans within a day or two. Loken was one of our better players in the first game. Losing Danny in the second game disturbed the way we wanted to play. They are big players but maybe this is an opportunity for others to show what they have got," Fowler concluded. 

Harry Kane and Heung-min Son have been shining for Spurs, but Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg has been Tottenham’s “revelation” this season, says Glenn Hoddle.

Jose Mourinho appears to have pieced together a squad in north London that is capable of challenging for the Premier League title.

He has been backed in the transfer market when it comes to finding players that fit his mould.

Danish midfielder Hojbjerg ticks that box, with the 25-year-old being snapped up for £15 million ($20m) from Southampton.

That deal looks like being money well spent, with another destructive influence added to Spurs’ engine room.

Hojbjerg may not make as many headlines as exciting frontmen Kane and Son, but he has shown that he can mix graft with guile and be a key component in Mourinho’s well-oiled machine.

Hoddle admits as much, with the former Tottenham player and coach telling the Racing Post of the brightest stars in north London: “Harry Kane is playing exceedingly well, not only scoring goals but also assisting – him and Heung-Min Son have been wonderful at times.

“But the real revelation for me has been Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.

“I wasn't sure when he first came but his use of the ball has been much better than I thought he was capable of, and he's a leader and that's what Jose wanted. He has been a real bonus for Tottenham Hotspur.”

Hoddle believes that Spurs, who have hit top spot in the Premier League, can sustain a challenge for domestic supremacy in 2020-21.

He expects Mourinho’s methods to play an integral role in that quest, with the Portuguese boasting a proven formula when it comes to the art of trophy collecting.

“He's definitely changed their mentality,” Hoddle said of Mourinho, who has passed his one-year anniversary in the Tottenham hot seat.

“They won't play as expansive football but as he's done with all the other clubs he's managed, it's performances that matter and tactical little tweaks that are going to get the wins.

“The mentality has been to put winning first and after that, if the performance is good as well that's a bonus.

“For Tottenham, and many teams over the years, it would be the other way round but with Jose, yes he wants them to play well and wants to play good football, but there are certain games where they come off they won't have enjoyed the game but they have won the match.

“And he's done that at every club he's managed and to be honest the record is there for everyone to see. He's won trophies everywhere he's gone.

“And you can see that building. He's got a squad that goes deep and players are buying into that mentality.”

Casey Stoney continues to speak about the importance of a widespread visibility of the LGBT+ community within football, six years after coming out as gay. 

The Manchester United manager took great pride in coming out when she was captaining England and Arsenal, having been seen as the most 'high-profile' gay footballer in England at the time.

Stoney couldn’t continue to "hide herself" to the external world; if an established player was unable to speak about themselves, what would that say to others?

To many alike, sport saved Stoney when she was struggling with her sexuality and continues to support campaigns like Rainbow Laces that normalises and creates a safe space to escape and simply enjoy sport without conflict. 

"It's about visibility and awareness isn't it," Stoney told Sky Sports.

"Living online now is probably even more difficult as a gay person because of the amount people can say to you and the things you can read.

"So actually, being able to come away from technology and play sport to just be yourself in a changing room and be valued for what you do in your job and not have a concern about what you do away from your job, I think is key."

Stoney is a role model to many in the LGBT+ community, a successful gay woman who is happy with who she is and is determined to demonstrate how ‘normal’ her life is. She is simply a wife, a mother of three and a woman who is thriving in her career. 

"I don't hide away from the fact that it massively impacts on my life and has done for many years,” said Stoney.

"There have been moments in my life where sport has actually saved my life because you can struggle with sexuality.

"I hate the word acceptance, because it shouldn't be about acceptance. It should be about normalising love is love and it shouldn't be anything other than that. Campaigns like this they raise visibility, they raise awareness and it's important.”

Rainbow Laces campaign was launched in 2013 with the aim to make sport more inclusive. The laces will feature in the FA Women’s Super League, Premier League and EFL Championship between December 4-13.

The Qatar Football Association (QFA) submitted the third part of its bid to host the AFC Asian Cup 2027. This section of the file includes the delivery of a government guarantee that is compatible with the AFC’s (Asian Football Confederation) requirements for a successful bid.

The government guarantees pledged by the State of Qatar is a commitment to meeting all regulatory conditions for hosting the tournament. The pledge fulfills the approved schedule laid out by the Asian Football Confederation, the game's governing body on the continent.

This commitment is in line with Qatar's National Vision 2030, which promotes the advancement of the country's capabilities in all fields, with the help of massive investment in the coming years – already evident from the mega-projects currently underway in Qatar.

QFA General Secretary Mansoor Al Ansari is the CEO of Qatar's 2027 Asian Cup bidding committee. 

The guarantees confirm the QFA’s desire to fulfill all the hosting requirements – drawing on its accumulated experience and organizational expertise, acquired from staging many major sporting events over more than two decades.

Qatar, set to host the 2022 World Cup, is fast turning into a premier footbaling destination in Asia. The country will be one of the front-runners to win the hosting rights for the event which will see the participation of 24 teams, who will play a total of 51 matches.

The Asian Cup will require the preparation of 8 to 10 stadiums to international specifications.

The QFA submitted the first part of its bid file on 26th August 2020, followed by delivery of the second part, including the legal requirements on 29th October. The file incorporates all aspects of hosting the tournament and emphasises Qatar’s proven ability to stage top sporting events.

The country has hosted the Asian Cup twice before, in 1988 and 2011.

Mesut Ozil will not be welcomed back into the fold at Arsenal despite people “constantly” calling for the German playmaker to be offered a reprieve, says Alan Smith.

A World Cup winner finds himself frozen out at Emirates Stadium under Mikel Arteta.

Despite being a proven performer at the very highest level, while also being tied to a lucrative contract, the 32-year-old midfielder has been left out of Europa League and Premier League squads.

It would appear that Arsenal have seen the last of a player they snapped up from Real Madrid in 2013, with Ozil due to hit free agency in the summer of 2021.

Smith is among those who feel that too many bridges have been burned for a slate to be wiped clean, with Arteta feeling let down by a man that he once played alongside.

Former Gunners striker Smith told Sky Sports of a long-running and potentially distracting saga at Emirates Stadium: “It's about getting the ball to Aubameyang quickly, and people who can see the pass early. That's why people go on about Ozil constantly, as he is the type who could do that.

“Arsenal were after a creative player in the window - Houssem Aouar - and they couldn't quite manage to get him along with Thomas Partey.

“But there is a lack of creativity, even before this bad run began, you could see that in the wins over Sheffield United and West Ham.

“Do I see Ozil returning to the team? No, I can't see it. Too much has gone on behind the scenes for Arteta to be able to trust him again. I think he feels he's been let down by Ozil at times, where the player has not been available when he thought he would be.

“If you don't trust a player, it's a big problem. It was a big thing to do not to put him in the squad, a huge statement, and I just can't see him coming back into the frame.”

Arteta is taking a considerable risk in omitting Ozil, with his absence an obvious topic of debate during an inconsistent run from Arsenal, but Smith believes a Spanish tactician will become a better coach for having made big decisions and experienced a testing run of form.

He added, with a north London derby date with arch-rivals Tottenham next up for the Gunners: “It's a big test for Arteta.

“He's a young manager who hasn't had to deal with these type of problems before, where he's got the last word and responsibility on his shoulders. It's totally different being a sidekick to somebody like Pep Guardiola, no matter how much work you do on the training ground.

“He's bound to make mistakes along the way, as good a coach as I think he is. It's a real test for him at the moment, and he must be scratching his head to think of a way of getting out of this run.”

Harry Maguire insists records act as no added motivation for Manchester United as they look to extend their winning run on the road this season to five Premier League games.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side have been fluffing their lines at Old Trafford, with home form proving hard to come by, but a faultless sequence of results has been collected on their travels.

United have not made life easy for themselves, having fallen behind in each of their top-flight away games so far, but 12 points have been picked up from four fixtures.

Brighton, Newcastle, Everton and Southampton have all been seen off, with West Ham next up for Solskjaer’s side on Saturday.

Victory at the London Stadium would see United’s class of 2020-21 emulate the efforts of Ron Atkinson’s side from 1985-86 that opened up their season with five successive away wins.

Maguire is adamant that opportunities to make history hold no extra weight for the Red Devils, with full focus and commitment given to each passing contest – regardless of where it is being staged.

The United captain told the club’s official website: “Every game we play, we have a great incentive to go and win. I don’t really look into the stats and figures.

“I don’t want to jinx anything, I just want to get the three points and that’ll be the focus come Saturday.

“Like I said, the home form hasn’t been great and we need to improve on that but now it’s another game where we try and get three points and that’s what we’ll look at it as.”

United’s form away from Old Trafford has been helping to make them competitive in the Premier League this season, while easing some of the pressure on Solskjaer, and Maguire is eager to see the Red Devils kick on from this point at home and abroad.

He added, with a 3-1 Champions League defeat to Paris Saint-Germain suffered last time out: “It’s an amazing away run we’ve been on. Our home form hasn’t been good enough, like I’ve said, but our away form has been really good. We’ve shown great spirit.

“We’ve been losing in all four away matches [we have won this season], which is an incredible stat. It shows the spirit and the character in the group. We never give in and always fight to the end and we’ve scored some late winners.

“Our confidence is high, even after a defeat [to PSG], where we felt like the performance was there but the game was decided on fine margins.

“We’re confident, we know it’s going to be a tough game [at West Ham] but we go there trying to get the three points.”