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Mamelodi Sundowns coach Manqoba Mngqithi has played down the significance of Themba Zwane potentially winning the Lesley Manyathela Golden Boot award this season.

Specifically, he feels it would be putting undue pressure on the player known as 'Mshishi' to place such high expectations upon his shoulders.

Zwane has drawn attention to himself after some scintillating goalscoring form of late, for both club and country.

For Bafana Bafana, he netted a brace in the second of two Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Sao Tome and Principe, in a recent match in Port Elizabeth.

He followed that up with a stunning quickfire hat-trick in a 4-3 league win over AmaZulu and then scored again in Sundowns' most recent encounter, a 3-0 win over Stellenbosch FC. In addition, he scored a penalty against Kaizer Chiefs in the first league match of the season.

He now has five league goals to his credit this term and has scored seven goals in his last six matches in all competitions.

But Mngqithi has warned about getting too carried away, even if he has also been impressed by Zwane.

“One is impressed with how Mshishi has done but it will be unfair to say now I am expecting him to be the top goalscorer.

"I just want to enjoy this movie and maybe we must all sit back and see where this thing is taking us," the coach said, as quoted by the Citizen.

Mngqithi is also aware that Zwane could come in for some additional man-marking in matches ahead.

“Let’s wait and see, maybe people will come up with strategies to try and stop them but we will keep working a little bit hard to make sure that it is difficult for people to pick up what we are trying to do in attack," he said.

Last season's Premier Soccer League top scorers were Gabadinho Mhango and Peter Shalulile, who each netted 16. Zwane got 11 league goals last term. Shalulile made an off-season move from Highlands Park to Sundowns.

The Brazilians are top of the league standings, with four wins and a draw from their opening five games. They next play Maritzburg United, away on Saturday evening.

Liverpool star Andrew Robertson has criticised VAR for its continued inconsistency, while insisting "people aren't enjoying football as much as they did".

Robertson was at the centre of another video technology storm when Liverpool took in a trip to Brighton in the Premier League on Saturday.

The Seagulls were awarded a late spot-kick after the Scottish full-back was penalised for fouling Danny Welbeck in the box, but only after a long delay which saw referee Stuart Attwell consult his pitchside monitor.

Pascal Gross stepped up to score from 12 yards to cancel out Diogo Jota's opening goal, with Liverpool ultimately missing the chance to move two points clear at the top of the table after the 1-1 draw.

Jurgen Klopp voiced his frustrations with the match officials post-match, while Reds captain Jordan Henderson admitted he "would rather play without" VAR.

Liverpool midfielder James Milner took to social media to voice his opinion, writing on Twitter: "It’s “clear and obvious” we need a serious discussion about VAR.

"Sure I’m not alone in feeling like they are falling out of love with the game in its current state."

Robertson thinks Milner tapped into the collective mindset of all players and supporters, with it his belief that unnecessary VAR disruptions are taking away the joy of the game.

"I used to love going to football games and being in that moment to celebrate a goal," the 26-year-old said ahead of Liverpool's Champions League clash with Ajax on Tuesday night.

"That's just taken out of the game. Now you're waiting sometimes two to three minutes to see if there is an offside. If it's that tight for me then leave it to whatever decision they have made.

"Millie echoed not just what players but also a lot of football fans are feeling. A lot of people I speak to aren't enjoying watching football as much as they did before."

Robertson added on the latest spate of controversial incidents in the Premier League: "When VAR came in we believed there would be no grey areas, it would all be black and white, and I don't think we are quite getting that just now.

"There are a lot of improvements to be made, we knew we had to be patient with VAR and it wouldn't just be perfect overnight but we are now 18 months down the line and still the same mistakes are being made.

"On Saturday... If the rules and the referee deem that to be a penalty, then I have no problem with it.

"But I was also watching the games [on Sunday] and I saw two very similar [challenges] on Marcus Rashford and Adama Traore that went unpunished and looked very similar to what I did to Danny Welbeck and both of them weren't a penalty and mine was.

"For me, either all three have to be a penalty or all three aren't. It is frustrating for teams to see certain decisions in different games go against them and they think it is very similar.

"We are just looking for consistency. We believed we would get that with VAR and maybe we aren't getting it just now. Hopefully, that can come in time because I think the game is crying out for it."

Indian Arrows will no more be just restricted to men's football any more as the All India Football Federation (AIFF) president Praful Patel announced that an Arrows team will participate in the upcoming edition of the Indian Women's League (IWL). 

The AIFF organised a virtual interaction session on Tuesday where the members of the India U17 World Cup team interacted with Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Kiren Rijiju and Patel.

The Indian FA had first started the Arrows project back in 2010 before being disbanded in 2013. Following the success of the men's Under-17 World Cup qhich was held in India, the AIFF decided to keep the squad together to further hone the skills of the players and provide them with game-time. 

The Under-17 Women's World Cup which was to be held in India this year has been cancelled however, the next edition in 2022 will be hosted in India. Some of the girls from the current Under-17 World Cup batch would still be eligible while the others will continue to develop their skills under the Arrows project.

“The All India Football Federation had formed a developmental side Indian Arrows for the boys which take part in the I-League. So for the current set of girls who were a part of the U17 World Cup squad, we will form a women’s team of the Indian Arrows who will participate in the Indian Women’s League (IWL). This will help in the progress of the girls’ careers,” said the AIFF president.

Patel further stated that the AIFF will continue to conduct camps in India for the women’s team and will assure that the girls will continue to get international exposure which will help them improve further.

“AIFF, along with the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS), will continue to host long term domestic camps interspersed with regular participation in competition with top international teams. This team will continue to progress and we will make sure they regularly compete in international matches and friendlies so that they can grow further,' said Patel.

Hyderabad FC head coach Manuel Marquez is looking for a better performance his attack when they take on Jamshedpur FC at the Tilak Maidan stadium in Vasco on Wednesday.

Having opened their 2020-21 Indian Super League (ISL) campaign with a 1-0 win over Odisha, they held Bengaluru to a goalless draw in their second match.

"We need to improve not only in defence but also the final part of the opponent box. We have to create more clear chances. In two games we have only one point and one goal from a penalty. But I would be worried if my team didn't create many chances," said Marquez on Hyderabad not being able to convert their chances having taken a total of 31 shots in two matches.

He was quick to point that Nerijus Valskis will be a threat for his defenders to deal as the striker already has three goals to his name this season. He also spoke on how the Lithuanian forward has scored three different types of goals.

"For me, they (Jamshedpur) are a very good team. Against Chennaiyin (1-2 loss), maybe it was a different game because they conceded in the first half and they lost their centre-back (Peter Hartley) and his substitute (Narender Gahlot) was also injured in the second half. But the other day (the 2-2 draw against Odisha), it was the opposite. They started strongly with a very good high pressing game. They have very good players in all the lines but they could not score in all the moments of the game."

"He (Valskis) has scored three goals in two games and three different types of goals. First with a header, second was a penalty and third with his boot. He doesn't only play in the box. He goes to the wing and he's very difficult to mark. We have to be very focused on the game but there are other players like Jackichand (Singh) and the other players who are also dangerous in the second line."

Asked about Adil Khan's availability given that the India international hasn't had a role to play in the two games so far, the coach explained, "The problem was that he had an injury and he couldn't start the championship and the centre-backs who are playing now are doing very good. So now he has to wait for his moment but to have a player like Adil is very good and he will play soon."

It's been observed that teams playing a possession-based game this season are yet to find their feet while those who voluntarily do not look for play the pass-and-move style of game have accumulated more points.

Marquez opined, "We have to respect how the other teams play. Sometimes they play in another way but for me, the style that our team plays is very difficult because we have very good technical players. Of course, with ATK (Mohun Bagan) with this (pragmatic) style last season, they have a lot of continuity. For me, continuity is very important. The work of Gerard (Nus) at NorthEast is fantastic. It shows that the team is very organised and I'm sure that they would like to play in another way. But if they play counter-attack or not depends on the opponent."

Fulham forward Ademola Lookman has paid tribute to former Portsmouth star Papa Bouba Diop after scoring in their 2-1 victory over Leicester City in Monday’s Premier League game.

The 23-year-old opened the scoring in the encounter after a fine combination with Cameroon international Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa.

The Nigerian forward then ran to the bench and took a Senegal shirt with Diop’s number on the back and held it up in celebration of his goal.

The former Senegal international passed away on Sunday after a long illness at the age of 42 and tributes have continued to pour in for the former Fulham star.

Diop played a key role as Senegal reached the quarter-final of the 2002 World Cup for the first time in their history.

The midfielder had 63 caps and 11 goals for the Teranaga Lions before his retirement from international duty.

Lookman has also expressed his delight with the performances of his side against Fulham, which saw them move off the bottom three after gathering seven points from 10 games.

The forward has now shifted his attention to their next Premier League game against Manchester City on Saturday and will hope to continue his impressive displays.

“Fantastic performance from the boys and massive three points, we go again on Saturday now,” Lookman tweeted. 

Lookman has now scored two goals and provided one assist in seven appearances since teaming up with the Craven Cottage outfit in the summer on loan from RB Leipzig.

The forward will hope to help Fulham maintain their Premier League status at the end of the 2020-21 season.

Edinson Cavani is “what Manchester United need”, says Paul Ince, with the experienced Uruguayan considered to be a “world class” alternative to Anthony Martial.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has continued to favour a 24-year-old Frenchman as his starter in a No.9 berth.

He does, however, boast a prolific South American on his books, with Cavani having been snapped up as a free agent over the summer.

At 33 years of age, questions have been asked of whether the former Napoli and Paris Saint-Germain star was the right option for United.

His impact off the bench through eight appearances so far is silencing those doubters, with three goals recorded – including a match-winning brace last time out against Southampton.

Ince believes Cavani will have an important role to play for the Red Devils across the rest of the 2020-21 campaign.

The former United midfielder claims “Martial is not a centre-forward”, making it imperative that Solskjaer does have someone who knows how to lead the line on his books.

“Listen, he's world class,” Ince told Premier League Productions of Cavani.

“He's not one of those that's going to run channels or work the centre-halves but what he does is... if you put the balls in the right position, he will score you goals.

“He's probably what Man United need, a proper centre-forward. Martial is not a centre-forward.

“He can play along the lines but he's not an out-and-out centre-forward.

“They tried it with [Odion] Ighalo, it didn't really work. This kid is world class.

“He knows the areas to go into, he can sense goals, he sniffs out goals and I think he will score a lot more goals for United this year.”

While backing Cavani to thrive at Old Trafford, and asking further questions of Martial’s ability to be a leading frontman, Ince believes a 33-year-old forward will continue to be used in a super-sub role.

He added: “Listen, I'm sure Cavani's done enough to warrant a start, but it depends how [Solskjaer] sees it.

“Cavani's in his 30s, he can't start every game, but what he can do is come on and make an impact like we saw [at Southampton].

“Whether he can start from the beginning, I'm not too sure. I think he might want to, but he's got options now.

“When Ighalo came over from China, he was coming on for the last 10-15 minutes because he wasn't too sure about him.

“Now he knows he can throw someone like Cavani on, 45 minutes, and he will get goals. It's good to have those problems, that's for sure.”

Uganda head coach Morley Byekwaso has now targeted the Council for East and Central Africa Football Associations (Cecafa) U20 Championship after reaching the final.

The Hippos started their campaign with a goalless draw against South Sudan before defeating Burundi 6-1 in Group C to qualify for the semi-finals against Kenya. They went on to register a 3-1 win over the Rising Stars on Monday to seal their place in the final.

"First of all, I want to thank the Almighty God for blessing us in this way because we have won the game successfully," Byekwaso said after the victory over the Stanley Okumbi-led charges.  

"I also want to thank the boys for the effort that they have shown and I pray to God that he blesses us in the finals. We want to win the trophy because for whoever reaches the final, the focus is always on winning the trophy."

The tactician's sentiments were echoed by his captain Gavin Kizito Mugweri who has promised hard work from his teammates.

"We are going to work hard and take the trophy back to Uganda," the skipper said.

"We have played the semi-finals and God has helped us to secure a win today which makes me sure that we shall win the tournament. As I said before, we did not come here to participate in the tournament, rather we are here to compete and win the tournament."

Forward Ismail Mugulusi was happy to qualify for the finals and all he wants from his colleagues is focus ahead of Wednesday's game.

"I am happy because we have made it to the finals," the striker expressed his feelings.

"I encourage all my teammates to stay focused so that we can go on and win the title. I thank God for enabling us to reach this level, I also thank all the fans for the massive support towards us"   

By defeating the Rising Stars, the Hippos qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations U20 competition for the first time in their history.

They will play against hosts Tanzania on Wednesday. The Ngorongoro Heroes qualified after defeating South Sudan by a solitary goal.

Football Kenya Federation (FKF) has confirmed no fans will be allowed to attend the Caf Champions League match between Gor Mahia and APR.

The two Kenya and Rwanda sides will clash in the return leg of the competition at Nyayo Stadium on Saturday with K’Ogalo seeking to overturn a 2-1 defeat suffered in the first leg played in Kigali last Saturday.

The Kenyan champions managed to secure an away goal after they lost 2-1 in the first leg played at Nyamirambo Stadium in Kigali, Rwanda on Saturday.

Olivier Niyonzima had given the hosts an early lead in the ninth minute before Kenneth Muguna cancelled it out with a perfectly taken free kick in the 28th minute, only for defender Andrew Juma to score in his own net.

FKF CEO Barry Otieno has now confirmed to Goal due to the Covid-19 restrictions, fans will not be allowed to watch the match.

“We will have no fans attending the match between Gor Mahia and APR, and it is all because we are adhering to the strict regulations put in place by the Ministry of Health to combat the spread of Covid-19,” Otieno told Goal on Tuesday.

Despite losing 2-1, Gor Mahia stand-in coach Sammy ‘Pamzo' Omollo is confident they will reverse the result and qualify to the next stage of the competition come Saturday.

“Despite the loss, the boys played well in that game, and they stuck to our game plan," Omollo told Goal on Monday. “A 2-1 [loss] is not a bad result for us; the important thing is that we scored the important away goal.

“The one goal we scored will be very crucial for us in the return leg because now we just need one goal, or even two if possible, to advance.”

On his part, APR coach Adil Errade Mohamed has cautioned his players not to underrate Gor Mahia as they did in the first leg contest.

“I am told that local media reported extensively about the financial difficulties that our opponents are going through and how it had affected their morale because some players had threatened not to play,” Mohamed is quoted by New Times.

“This might have made our players become a little bit complacent but I don’t want to see that attitude in the return leg, we must be very cautious against them and make sure we don’t crack.”

Gor Mahia have been in the competition in the last four seasons but have always found it hard to advance further and their last attempt, in 2019, was ended by Algeria’s USM Alger.

The Algerian outfit picked up two victories against K’Ogalo and the two defeats came at a time Gor Mahia were strained financially as they operated without a sponsor.

It is the same case with APR - they have dominated their game in Rwanda but it has not been the same case at continental level. They have never made it to the group stage of the Champions League either. 

A man in Kenya lost his life at Kinamba Centre along the Naivasha-Kirima Road, after allegedly mocking Arsenal fans after their 2-1 loss at home to Wolverhampton Wanderers FC last weekend.

In the absence of their top scorer Raul Jimenez who was injured earlier on, Wolves scored through Pedro Neto and, although Gabriel briefly headed Arsenal level, the visitors claimed a deserved three points through Daniel Podence's superbly taken 42nd-minute winner.

It was a third straight loss at home for the 13-time English champions.

"The middle-aged man was hit on the head with a stone when he started mocking supporters of [Arsenal after the loss]," The Standard Newspaper reported.

"The group was watching the live match that was being aired on television when the incident occurred on Sunday night. 

"The deceased was left bleeding from his head outside a petrol station located a few meters from the bar that the friends were drinking."

A witness who has been identified as Peter, went on to explain what transpired between those involved before the unfortunate incident.

"[The argument] degenerated into name-calling and the deceased was chased out of the bar and later attacked and left unconscious," he revealed.

Police have now launched a manhunt for those involved in the incident. The result moves Wolves up to sixth in the table, with Arsenal languishing in 14th.

Following the long delay and amid a fog of deep concern over Jimenez's wellbeing, Wolves took a 27th-minute lead.

Adama Traore got the better of Kieran Tierney down the Arsenal left and Neto was on hand to convert when Leander Dendoncker's header came back off the crossbar.

The visitors' advantage did not last long, with Gabriel powering home Willian's cross from a well-worked short corner.

Opportunism and poor Arsenal defending were again evident when Wolves made it 2-1 - Podence deftly lifting a bouncing ball over Gabriel and finding the finish after Bernd Leno saved Neto's deflected strike with his legs.

Exactly a year on from Unai Emery being relieved of his duties at Emirates Stadium, Arsenal seem no closer to once again being a Premier League force. 

The congested nature of the early-season table means their lowly position should not cause huge concern, but they have now won one and lost four of their past six league matches, scoring just twice in that period.

Bandari FC coach Ken Odhiambo has set his eyes on winning their back to back Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Premier League matches against Tusker FC and Nairobi City Stars respectively.

On Sunday, the Dockers will be playing the 11-time champions before playing the newly promoted Nairobi City Stars six days later. The Mombasa-based side opened their campaign with a 1-0 win over Sofapaka FC while the Brewers fell 2-1 to 13-time champions AFC Leopards.

Simba wa Nairobi started their campaign with a 2-0 win over Nzoia Sugar at the Ole Ntimama Stadium in Narok.

"We want to continue from where we left on Saturday," Odhiambo told Goal regarding the forthcoming assignments.

"The back to back games against Tusker and Nairobi City Stars will be tough but if we play as we did against Sofapaka, then I am confident we will get a win. But as of now, we are focusing on the game against Tusker since it is scheduled for this weekend."

Odhiambo, who took over from the fired Bernard Mwalala has also pointed out what helped his players to get a win against a tough Sofapaka side. 

"We had some new players who were determined to help the team win and they gave their best," Odhiambo continued.

"It was not easy to play against an experienced side like Sofapaka, but the boys played a wonderful game despite being their first in the top-tier."

Youngsters Swaleh Chacha, Dennis Magige and Hamid Mohammed were given their debuts for the Coastal-based side. Hassan Iddi, Benjamin Mosha, William Wadri, and Johanna Mwita are some of the players who are out injured.

"The preparations for the league have not been as expected owing to obvious reasons.

"We usually have about six pre-season weeks but this time around we had just three. We could not play friendly matches as we would have wanted and with the injuries we had, I thought we would not score.

"Despite our short pre-season, we managed to get a win which is a massive boost for us."

Harambee Stars international Abdallah Hassan scored the only goal of the match at Mbaraki Stadium.

Kariobangi Sharks striker Erick Kapaito is praying for an injury-free season so that he can entertain club fans with goals in the FKF Premier League.

The 2018 Golden Boot winner was the chief destroyer as Sharks under William Muluya thrashed Wazito FC 4-0 in a one-sided league match played at Kasarani Stadium on Sunday.

Daniel Sakari and Julius Masaba scored the other goals, to hand Sharks a good start in the 2020-21 campaign and Kapaito has now said he will only pray for an injury-free season to continue doing what he loves doing best, scoring the goals.

“Last season was a nightmare for me because I picked a long term injury but now I am working alongside our club physio and I am also trying to manage myself well and I want to pray to God that I have an injury-free season so I can entertain my fans with goals,” Kapaito told Goal.

On the 4-0 win against Wazito, who are touted as among the title contenders, Kapaito said: “It was a good start because we picked maximum points against a very tough side and also scored more goals, so it is a good start.

“For me, it is a good start, I have managed to score two goals, I don’t want to say I will win the Golden Boot again, but what I am happy about is we have started strongly as a team, something everyone was looking for before the match.

“The team always comes first, my target to win the Golden Boot always comes second, so I have to help the team first to win matches and then the team can help me to achieve my target for the season [winning the Golden Boot], but I am sure I will do something good this time around.”

On whether Sharks are ready for the season after the resounding win, Kapaito said: “It is the reason we won the match, we are all looking at having a better season than last time out, if you look at the team, everyone wants to win, we are pushing ourselves to win.

“And the start speaks volumes [winning 4-0], we are also trying to press as a team and keep the ball as much as we can and I know if we continue like this, then I can see a very good season ahead of us, I want the fans to pray for me and I will push myself beyond the limit to make them happy.”

Kariobangi Sharks will next face Nzoia Sugar, who lost their opening match 2-0 against promoted side Nairobi City Stars, on December 5, 2020.

Orlando Pirates coach Josef Zinnbauer feels that forward Tshegofatso Mabasa has done enough to edge closer to earning a starting berth in the squad.

Mabasa came on as a substitute in Pirates’ last two Premier Soccer League games and scored crucial goals.

In his first match of the season after recovering from injury, the former Bloemfontein Celtic man rose from the bench to grab the winning goal three minutes from time in the 2-1 victory over SuperSport United.

His latest exploits was last Saturday’s injury-time equaliser to save the Buccaneers in the 1-1 draw against Baroka FC as Zinnbauer’s charges appeared set for their first league defeat of the season.

“I am very happy we have him. Maybe he needs a little bit of time [to play] for 90 minutes,” Zinnbauer told the media.

“His condition is very good, he is coming closer to the 90 minutes but at the moment we are very happy we are bringing him in and he is always in the right position and he scored.

“We are happy about this and I hope he continues like this in the next games and maybe he can play 90 minutes. At the moment I am very happy about him. Last week he was coming from a bad time, from a long time [on the sidelines].

“That’s what we do this season, we have good players and they need more minutes and they help us. It was the same against Baroka and Mabasa came in and he scored.”

Being in the line-up for more games in this campaign would be an improvement for Mabasa who managed to start just eight league games in 22 games last season which was his debut for Pirates.

Mabasa’s two goals have come from the 38 minutes he has managed to be on the pitch so far this season.

It is yet to be seen if Zinnbauer would hand him a full game when they visit Cape Town City for Saturday’s league showdown.

With Frank Mhango back from injury and Zakhele Lepasa also in good form, Zinnbauer could be facing a possible headache on who to start upfront.

If DR Congo striker Jean-Marc Makusu obtains his work permit, it would further provide a selection puzzle for the German.

When Mhango and Mabasa were injured, Lepasa was being deployed as a lone striker and never showed any signs of struggling.

NorthEast United are running as the dark horses in the ongoing season of the Indian Super League (ISL). The Highlanders have started their campaign on a positive note as they registered one win and two draws from their three outings. 

But team depth could cost them heavy and FC Goa at the Fatorda stadium on Monday was a testament to that. Gerard Nus took drastic decisions as he made five unforced changes to his starting line-up, given that the team was playing their third match in 10 days.

And the Highlanders ended up dropping two potential points against the Gaurs, settling for a 1-1 draw. 

The changes saw Provat Lakra, Lalrempuia Fanai, Idrissa Sylla, Luis Machado and Britto PM replace Ashutosh Mehta, Federico Gallego, Kwesi Appiah, Ninthoinganba Meetei and Rakesh Pradhan.

As much as some of his decisions looked tactically correct, some were questionable. Sylla replacing Appiah could be justified as the former has the pace and ability to run behind the defender quicker than the latter. Besides he had also scored the equaliser for NorthEast against Kerala Blasters last time out and was in form. 

But the decision to bench in-form Mehta, who was a star player for Mohun Bagan in the I-League last year, for Lakra did not go well for the Highlanders. The equaliser for FC Goa in the 43rd-minute came after Brandon Fernandes beat Lakra on the left flank to whip in a brilliant low cross to Igor Angulo who made no mistake to finish the ball at the back of the net. 

Luis Machado started as one of the front three for the Highlanders and was involved in the game more often than not but to little effect. Machado took four free-kicks for the Higlanders in 66 minutes of play but his side could hardly benefit from it. His passing was sloppy on multiple occasions. As a result, he completed only nine passes from the intended 23, recording a dismal accuracy of 39 per cent. Other changes made by Nus - Fanai and Britto - justified their place with their decent displays.

Nus is the ninth manager for NorthEast United in the ISL. The Highlanders last managed to enter the ISL playoffs in its 2018-19 season. The Spanish coach has brought a positive impact on the side, with five points from three matches. They have scored in all their games so far and have shown considerable mental resolve at times, especially against Kerala Blasters where they clawed back a 2-0 deficit. 

But, the Spaniard will hope to utilise his squad more effectively. 

Though Nus, in the post-match interview, did not regret the decision to risk bringing in Lakra in place of Mehta, it will be interesting to see if how he rotates the team in the upcoming fixtures against East Bengal and Bengaluru FC respectively. 

Are you a supporter of a club that tries to play a style that is heavily reliant on possession of the ball? If you are, then chances are that you also aren't happy about the team's start to the seventh season of the Indian Super League (ISL).

The line above may seem generic but there is a pattern present in the results from the first two and a half rounds of ISL 2020-21. 

The teams who are religiously focused on playing possession-based football are yet to find their feet this time around.

Mumbai City, Goa, Kerala Blasters, Odisha and East Bengal are teams who either have employed a head coach who is hell-bent on not deviating from his football philosophy with his team or have created an identity with the type of football they play. And all these teams are yet to showcase their best so far. 

If there is one thing Sergio Lobera doesn't like, it is going to a plan B. He loves his plan A and will attempt to stick to it no matter what - that much is clear from his three-year stint with Goa. Mumbai City, even with all the high-profile footballers in their squad, are yet to gel as a team and play the kind of football that their coach wants them to play. It is a system that takes time to learn and adapt to.

Kibu Vicuna perfected his Mohun Bagan team by playing in around 30 matches before the I-League season kicked off. As a result, his team enjoyed a title-winning season by going on a long unbeaten run after initially losing their first game. Vicuna also was famous in Kolkata for sticking to his philosophy and refusing to move away from his vision - and this is already evident at Kerala Blasters who have had loads of the ball without penetration in the final third which will only be achieved by playing more matches together. 

Lobera may have left Goa but the team's vision more or less remains unchanged under new head coach Juan Ferrando. They registered a 1-1 draw against a defensive NorthEast United side which registered only 24.9 per cent possession - lowest by any team this season so far. Goa, like Bengaluru, Blasters, Odisha and East Bengal, are winless and like Blasters, they also have played three matches.

On the other hand, teams like ATK Mohun Bagan and NorthEast United are off to a good start. They spend less time working with the ball and are happy to sit back and counter-attack. Their focus is on keeping things tight at the back, which they have managed to pull off. Chennaiyin also aren't all about possession - they look very direct under Csaba Laszlo this season, and that has benefitted the team. 

Hyderabad has been the only exception to this case study - while they haven't been excellent, Manuel Marquez' team has showcased an attractive blueprint of the football that they intend to play this season and has shown glimpses of their approach. Hyderabad have had possession but injuries to key foreign players has put them in a spot of bother. Interestingly, Hyderabad have scored just one goal in two games, a penalty. 

They will look to make better use of their possession.

At least in the first few rounds, teams are bound to counter-attack their way to the top of the table due to short pre-season and the time coaches require to implement their more elaborate systems on their teams.

East Bengal did not have as a good a start to their Indian Super League (ISL) as they would have hoped for after they went down 0-2 against arch-rivals ATK Mohun Bagan in the league’s first-ever Kolkata derby.

Robbie Fowler’s East Bengal were good in patches and showed promise despite the defeat. It has to be said that with lesser preparation time than other ISL clubs and limited resources in hand, the English coach looks to have put together a competitive unit.

There are a lot of positives to take from the derby - they showed brilliance in patches. Also, Four out of the five overseas recruits who took the field were impressive, with former Norwich City winger Anthony Pilkington showing his credentials. The Irish attacker was versatile and was a threat to the ATK Mohun Bagan defence throughout. 

The Red and Golds now need to shrug off their derby blues and focus on the season, starting with an encounter against Mumbai City on Tuesday. Fowler wants his players to buck up and change the mood of the camp with three points in their next outing.

“Any time you play football, whenever you get beaten, you can't wait for the next game to try and rectify that. I hope the result isn't behind the players (players' minds). What can happen now is you can turn that disappointment (of the derby defeat) into joy by producing a better result,” said the Liverpool great.

One of the concerns in this East Bengal squad is their Indian contingent. There is a dearth of in-form domestic players in their roster and their attack looks lightweight.

But the East Bengal manager trusts his players and will hope they find some form as the matches start rolling in.

Sergio Lobera’s Mumbai City looked rusty in their first two outings and have not been as dominating as fans expected them to be. The squad is yet to settle down and this could be the right time for Kolkata giants to pounce and get a result.

Three points against the Islanders will do a world of good to the team’s confidence and will help them settle quickly.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola hit back at Sergio Conceicao after the Porto coach's claims he pressured referees.

Conceicao accused Guardiola of pressuring referees during Porto's 3-1 Champions League loss to City in October.

Ahead of the return Group C meeting on Tuesday, Guardiola denied the claims.

"I'm not in agreement. He can say, maybe it's his opinion, but I'm not agreeing that we pressure the referees," Guardiola told a news conference.

"It's not the way that we in the history speak for ourselves. We are not the type of team to do this, honestly. I would admit it. So one thing is an action that you don't agree [with], you can make any comment, one specific action. But it's not a part of who we are, honestly.

"In the five years we are here together and the people in Germany and Spain know completely that it speaks for itself, our behaviour.

"I'm not agreeing. It's not true."

City have already secured their place in the last 16, while Porto sit second on nine points, three behind and six clear of Olympiacos.

Guardiola expects a difficult encounter, although City have won their previous three meetings with Porto by an aggregate score of 9-2.

However, City are playing an away game at Porto in European competition for just the second time and first since February 2012, when they recorded a 2-1 win in the Europa League.

"It will be tough, we know it. It’s the Champions League away. Top teams in Portugal have to win every weekend," Guardiola said.

"When you have that mentality in all departments in the club, not just the players, it makes them so dangerous. That’s why we expect a difficult a game.

"We did when they came here and it was. Tomorrow will be too."

Manchester City have had an inconsistent start to their Premier League campaign and are currently sitting 11th on the standings, six points behind leaders Tottenham but with a game in hand.

The Citizens have suffered defeats in the league to Leicester City and Tottenham, while failing to get wins against Liverpool, West Ham and Leeds United.

Jack Grealish believes the VAR is "ruining the game" after Aston Villa were denied a late equaliser against West Ham.

Having earlier missed a penalty on Monday, Ollie Watkins thought he had made it 2-2 in additional time, only for his strike to be ruled out by the VAR following a tight offside call.

Jarrod Bowen's 46th-minute goal proved to be the winner after Grealish had cancelled out Angelo Ogbonna's opener.

But after further VAR controversy in the Premier League, Grealish said the system was hurting the game.

"As for VAR, I've shared my views before and it's now just getting borderline embarrassing with some off [sic] the decisions," the England international wrote on Twitter.

"Ruining the game."

Aston Villa head coach Dean Smith rued the decision, with Watkins seemingly getting fouled by Ogbonna before tucking away Matt Targett's cross.

"We've had a penalty we've missed, and a goal disallowed for a part of his body which can't put the ball in the net anyway," he told Sky Sports.

"The goal Ollie scores at the end, they've given it as offside for his arm, but the only reason his arm's out there is because he's getting fouled. He either scores or it's a penalty. I still don't understand that.

"I'm okay if it's a red line and it says he's offside. That's the rule. But if his arm's up there because he's getting fouled, that's a penalty.

"I won't go home and think about VAR. It frustrates everybody, but there's no point in getting worked up about it. It's happened, I can't do anything about it now."

It came just days after Brighton and Hove Albion were awarded a controversial late penalty to draw against Liverpool.

There are growing calls for change and former England and Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher said it was needed, pointing to David Marshall's heroics for Scotland against Serbia in a Euro 2020 play-off that saw the goalkeeper initially not celebrate a penalty save.

"I was a massive fan of VAR. They were bringing it in to help the game and I was defending it at the start as there were teething problems, but now we're at the stage where the majority of people in this country haven't bought into it," he told Sky Sports.

"I don't think people are enjoying football as much. The moment that sums it up for me is David Marshall saving the penalty for Scotland, a massive moment in his career and he couldn't celebrate as he was waiting for the referee. If I could go back, I would use VAR in a different way."

Harry Kane and Heung-min Son are the best partnership in world football right now, according to former Tottenham forward Jermain Defoe.

The England and South Korea captains have helped fire Jose Mourinho’s Spurs to the top of the table, and are well on their way to becoming the most prolific duo in Premier League history.

Despite drawing a blank in the goalless draw with Chelsea last time out, Kane and Son have assisted each other to score 29 goals in the Premier League. Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba hold the all-time record after combining 36 times for Chelsea.

Kane has registered an incredible 13 goals and 11 assists in 16 games in all competitions this season, while only Everton’s Dominic Calvert-Lewin has scored more than Son’s nine goals in the Premier League.

Defoe scored almost 150 goals in 11 seasons at Tottenham and he thinks Mourinho deserves immense credit for helping the pair flourish together.

"With Kane and Son, what Mourinho has done has been incredible,' Defoe said on the Mennie Talks Podcast.

"Those two are the best partnership in world football at the minute. The hardest thing that you can do at the top level is to be consistent, so for those two to show that consistency, for me is unbelievable.

“Son is dynamic, so he runs in behind. He gets the ball and he is direct, he beats people.”

Tottenham were 14th in the Premier League when Mourinho took over late in 2019, and the turnaround he has orchestrated has surprised many.

After some mixed years at Chelsea and Manchester United, plenty dismissed the veteran Portuguese as past his best when he was appointed as Mauricio Pochettino’s surprise successor.

Now Spurs are flying high – though Mourinho insists they aren’t in the title race – and Defoe thinks fans should appreciate the coach’s enduring greatness.

"I think it is understanding the players that he has got. Credit to Mourinho because there were a lot of people before he took the job that were thinking ‘no’.

“I believe that you should always appreciate greatness because he is a great manager. He is unbelievable."