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Zinedine Zidane took full responsibility for a dreadful defeat to Valencia on Sunday as Real Madrid conceded four goals in a La Liga match for the first time under their title-winning coach.

Valencia ran out 4-1 winners at Mestalla after Carlos Soler became the first player to score a hat-trick of penalties in a single La Liga game in the 21st century.

Soler's treble – the first from a Valencia player in the top flight since September 2017 – was added to by an own goal from Raphael Varane, who deflected Maxi Gomez's cross beyond Thibaut Courtois. Madrid's goalkeeper had initially saved Valencia's first penalty, which was retaken due to an infringement from Yunus Musah.

Madrid started brightly and led through Karim Benzema's brilliant opener but conceded four goals in a league match for the first time since a 5-1 defeat to Barcelona in October 2018 – the result which cost Julen Lopetegui his job.

Zidane, who Lopetegui replaced, accepted the blame for this Madrid display, acknowledging they must solve their defensive problems having conceded 14 goals in seven games in all competitions since returning from October's international break.

"Three penalties, an own goal, it's too much," said Zidane, whose side are fourth, four points behind leaders Real Sociedad.

"The fault is mine because I am the coach and I have to find the solution. I can't justify what happened. It's a bad day, there are no excuses. We must improve defensively.

"I don't think Valencia have been tactically better than us. The only thing is that we started well and everything changed after the goal. 

"This is difficult to understand. But yes, the maximum responsibility is mine. We must find solutions after the goal they scored."

While Madrid's defence endured a collective nightmare, with Varane scoring his second own goal in the space of five appearances in all competitions, playmaker Isco was equally disappointing at the other end.

Starting for the first time in La Liga since October 17 – when Madrid lost 1-0 to Cadiz – the 28-year-old had just one shot and created only a single chance before he was taken off in the 83rd minute. Isco has played a meagre two key passes all season.

Zidane defended the player, however, saying: "Isco has tried, he has done well like everyone else. In the end, everyone loses, there is not just one guilty party."

Madrid were without holding midfielder Casemiro who, like Eden Hazard, is isolating after testing positive for coronavirus.

The champions have won just one of the six La Liga fixtures in which Casemiro has not started since the start of last season, but Zidane insisted the Brazilian's absence was no excuse.

"We can look for a thousand things – you don't have to look for excuses," he said. "They are all Madrid players."

Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey is set to have a scan on a suspected thigh injury suffered during Sunday’s defeat against Aston Villa, head coach Mikel Arteta has confirmed.

The Ghana international lasted just 45 minutes at Emirates Stadium before being forced off during the break and replaced by Dani Ceballos.

News of Partey’s injury capped a miserable evening for the Gunners, who slipped to a 3-0 defeat thanks to two goals from Ollie Watkins and an own goal from Buyako Saka.

When asked about the severity of Partey’s injury after the game, Arteta said: “I don't know. As I said, the doctor will have to have a look at him and probably scan him. Then we will decide what to do with him.”

The Spaniard would not be drawn on whether Partey's injury would be enough to see him withdraw from the Ghana squad for next week’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

“We don't know [whether he will withdraw],” he added. “We have to scan him tomorrow or the day after and see what he felt straight away. Let's wait and see what the magnitude of the injury is.”

Arteta was at a loss to explain his side’s performance, which came just a week after claiming an impressive 1-0 victory against Manchester United at Old Trafford.

They hit the target just twice from 13 efforts at goal and their tally of nine goals from eight Premier League games is the fewest they have scored to start the season for 22 years.

“It is very tough to find the reasons,” added Arteta. “I cannot say I have seen a change or this week that we have trained a different way. I would be lying if I said that. But obviously there was something there today that [Villa] wanted much more than us, and they showed it.

“At the end of the day, if you are late in every decision you make, if you don't win enough duels, if every second ball isn't for us, you don't show the quality with the ball, you cannot defend your box, and when you get chances you don't even hit the target, it is a really complicated way to win football matches.”

Zlatan Ibrahimovic has taken himself off AC Milan penalty duty after missing his third spot-kick of the season on Sunday.

However, the veteran striker did redeem himself by popping up in injury time to secure a 2-2 draw with Hellas Verona for the Serie A leaders.

The Swedish veteran's 66th-minute miss didn't defeat Milan, who recovered from an early two-goal deficit to snatch a point, with Ibrahimovic rising highest to nod home in the dying stages of the Serie A match at the San Siro.

Ibrahimovic has now failed to convert four of his last six penalties, with the 39-year-old admitting that he would give the next spot-kick to team-mate Franck Kessie.

"I am angry, obviously, because a draw today is not good enough," Ibrahimovic told Sky Sport Italia.

"We had so many chances, I missed a penalty and I think I’m leaving the next one to Kessie! That would be better.

"We conceded two goals, got two back, we go forward and the important thing is not to lose our confidence. Considering the way the table is now, we want to win every game."

Despite the result, unbeaten Milan remain top of Serie A, heading into the international break with a two-point lead over surprise package Sassuolo.

With their next league fixture coming on November 22 away at Napoli, Ibrahimovic admitted he was looking forward to the upcoming break to rejuvenate his body.

"There are many games now and when you get tired, you are not always at 100 per cent," he said. 

"Fortunately, the break for international duty is here, because I need rest. I didn’t have the sharpness and usual determination I have in front of goal. I just felt like I wasn’t all there.

"We have to play for objectives, we can’t just go out there and be happy to play. At least I can’t, it’s not my philosophy."

Milan's hot start to the season has been a surprise, with likely contenders Juventus, Napoli and Inter all having inconsistent campaigns so far, and Ibrahimovic feels the Italian top flight is currently an even competition.

"I see more teams now that are fighting for higher up the table and it wasn’t sides like Atalanta in the past," Ibrahimovic said. "I’ve played in many countries and I can confirm Italy is the toughest for strikers.

"There are many teams challenging for the top, there are some that haven’t reached their peak yet. It’s a packed agenda, so the side in the best shape will eventually win the Scudetto."

Arsenal’s failure to hit the back of the net in Sunday's defeat against Aston Villa means they have now scored their fewest amount of goals at this stage of the season for 22 years.

A double from Ollie Watkins and a Buyako Saka own goal earned all three points for Villa at Emirates Stadium, with the Gunners failing to score for the third time in four Premier League matches.

It means Mikel Arteta’s side have now scored just nine goals in eight Premier League games this season; their fewest at this stage of a league campaign since 1998-99. It was also their worst home league defeat since a 3-0 loss against Manchester City in December 2019.

Their struggles against Villa were perhaps symbolised by the performance of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who played 90 minutes in a Premier League home game without attempting a shot for the first time as a member of Arsenal.

Speaking after the game Arteta took full responsibility for his side’s “unacceptable” performance against the Villans.

"Well first congratulations to Aston Villa for the victory and the way they played, I thought they were strong and obviously from our side I take total responsibility because it's not acceptable the performance we put in from the beginning,” he told BBC Radio 5 Live.

"I'll keep what I said to my players in the dressing room private, my role is to get the team performing at the highest level every three days and today we haven't done that and since I got appointed it's the first time I haven't seen that team on the pitch.

"This is football and when you are not at the races and not at your best teams destroy you in the Premier League. It's a really bad combination if you don't win the duels, you are late and they are more focused, they are more determined for every ball. If you don't defend your box well enough and you have chances but you don't put them away.

"No we are not creating enough chances but the ones we did create were clear enough to score at least one goal but if you look at the numbers from [the] last few games it's not enough.”

A miserable evening for Arsenal was compounded by an injury to Thomas Partey, who was forced off at half-time with a suspected thigh injury.

He is the latest player to suffer a muscle injury in recent weeks, with the hectic domestic and European schedule taking its toll.

That has revived the debate about the use of five substitutes, which was allowed during the summer restart but was rescinded following a vote by Premier League clubs at the start of the season.

Arteta reiterated his support for the five substitutes rule, but accepts it is out of his hands.

"Thomas Partey is injured,” added the Spaniard. “I support the five substitutes rule but I'm also for the possibility of having 20 players in the squad, but that's another story that we can not control.”

Chelsea manager Frank Lampard has played down comparisons to Liverpool and Manchester City with his side increasingly being tipped to push for the Premier League title. 

Chelsea defeated Sheffield United 4-1 on Saturday, their fourth win in a row. The Blues have now gone eight games unbeaten and have lost just once in the league this season – a 2-0 reverse against Liverpool in September.

Liverpool faced their rivals Man City on Sunday and played out a 1-1 draw to go two points clear of fifth-place Chelsea, with Leicester City one point ahead of the Reds in first place.

Lampard admits he is happy with the recent run of form but added that his side must remain humble when attempting to match the consistency of their rivals.

"We have to prove ourselves as the gap has been too big now for the level of consistency with two of the best teams in both world football and in the modern era in the Premier League," Lampard told reporters on Zoom.

"So, we have to understand where we are at and be humble about that. We are in a nice moment this weekend. It is nice for [Sheffield manager] Chris [Wilder] to say we have played well today, so that’s fresh in all our minds.

"Now it is whether we can produce it regularly. That’s the next question of us. I won’t get too carried away."

A title challenge might come sooner than many expected from the Blues, who spent £220 million ($275m) in the summer transfer window but faced bedding in six new players without a pre-season.

Lampard feels that his new players have started to build an understanding with the coaching staff that is seeing results improve.

"I never had a schedule, we lacked a pre-season, we had some injuries and I never set a target of the first one, two or three international breaks," he added.

"I just want to work and get to a good level as soon as I can where I feel I understand what I want, what the staff want and what the players want, to understand each other. That’s never an easy one when you start the process, so I think we are in a good place.

"We may have dropped some points because we are working in real-time in games. That’s by-the-by, a lot of teams will say that this season with the way it has panned out."

Chelsea scored another two goals from set-pieces against Wilder's side on Saturday as Hakim Ziyech's deliveries were met by new defenders Ben Chilwell and Thiago Silva.

Silva became the 14th different player to score for Chelsea this season and it was the sixth goal from attacking set-pieces for the club this season. Lampard said that the skill sets of the new signings has led to increased threat from dead-ball situations.

"Yes, it is something that we worked on last year," he continued. "We weren’t happy that we conceded too many goals from set-pieces in games.

"They are a crucial part of the modern game and they probably always have been but seemingly [more] so now as teams have blocks or plans to stop you [from] scoring. We looked at it over the course of last season.

"The personnel certainly has helped, we are bigger and more aggressive naturally through the personnel in the team earlier in the season. The lads have shown focus through the work we have done earlier on the pitch with them.

"We have spent time on that and there’s a nice mentality about them to be as good as we can be with them. They make the game comfortable even though we played well. It might not have been a comfortable game, so I am very happy with the set-piece goals."

Carlos Soler scored a hat-trick of penalties as Valencia ended a four-match winless run in LaLiga with a 4-1 rout of Real Madrid at Mestalla.

Soler's penalties – the first of which had to be re-taken due to an infringement by Yunus Musah – were added to by Raphael Varane's own goal as Valencia came from behind in a frantic encounter.

Karim Benzema, who has now scored more LaLiga goals than any other player since the resumption in June, opened the scoring with a thunderous strike – his fifth goal in his last four top-flight meetings with Valencia.

But Benzema's brilliance was not enough to inspire Zinedine Zidane's defensively suspect side, whose misery was compounded when Sergio Ramos handled to concede a third spot-kick, which Soler duly converted to condemn Madrid to a second LaLiga defeat of 2020-21.

Madrid struck first – Benzema catching out Jaume Domenech with a thumping 23rd-minute strike – but Lucas Vazquez's handball handed Valencia an opportunity to equalise.

Yet the hosts did so the hard way. After Soler saw his penalty saved and hit the post on the rebound, Musah slammed home, only for it to be disallowed after VAR spotted the 17-year-old had encroached into the area.

Referee Jesus Gil Manzano ordered the penalty to be re-taken and, although Thibaut Courtois again guessed the right way, Soler beat Madrid's goalkeeper at the second time of asking.

More drama followed as Valencia took the lead before half-time – Varane inadvertently looping Maxi Gomez's cross over Courtois, who failed to stop the ball from crossing the line.

However, it was only given after a long VAR check, which also deemed Denis Cheryshev not to have fouled Marco Asensio in the build-up.

Courtois made a fantastic save straight after the restart, tipping Lee Kang-In's strike onto the upright, but he was soon picking the ball out of his net again.

Marcelo scythed down Gomez, and Soler stepped up to convert into the bottom-right corner.

A remarkable hat-trick, and a brilliant Valencia victory, was rounded off in the 63rd minute – Soler picking out the same corner after Ramos had hit the ball away from Musah.

What does it mean? Gracia ends Madrid hoodoo

At the seventh attempt, Valencia coach Javi Gracia has managed his first LaLiga win over Madrid, and the triumph takes Valencia up to ninth, level on 11 points with Barcelona.

They are five behind Madrid, who sit fourth, four points off pacesetters Real Sociedad heading into the international break. Zidane also lost Benzema to what appeared to be a groin problem late on.

Soler into LaLiga's record books

Soler's first attempt from 12 yards was poor, but the following three were all dispatched with supreme confidence. In scoring a hat-trick of spot-kicks, the 23-year-old became the first player to score three penalties in a single LaLiga match in the 21st century, and he has been directly involved in five goals in his last three meetings with Madrid at Mestalla.

Varane's bad luck strikes again

While Madrid's entire defence must shoulder the blame, one man in particular stands out. Varane's attempted clearance from Gomez's cross, which resulted in Valencia's second goal, was a dreadful one, and the France international has now scored two own goals in his last five games for Madrid in all competitions, as many as he had in his previous 324 matches.

Key Opta facts

- Valencia have scored four goals in a LaLiga game against Real Madrid for the first time since October 1995 (4-3 at Mestalla).
- The last time Madrid conceded four or more goals in a single LaLiga game was in October 2018 against Barcelona at Camp Nou (5-1), Julen Lopetegui's final match in charge.
- Benzema's goal was just his second from outside the box in an away LaLiga game. The first one was in November 2013 against Almeria.
- Soler's hat-trick was the first by a Valencia player in LaLiga since Simone Zaza in September 2017 against Malaga.
- Madrid have conceded four goals in a single LaLiga game for the first time under Zidane.

What's next?

Madrid travel to Villarreal in their first fixture back after the international break, while Valencia take on Deportivo Alaves a day later.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has taken full responsibility for his side's 3-0 defeat to Aston Villa in the Premier League, admitting "we were not a team". 

On the back of three straight wins in all competitions, the Gunners found themselves behind after just 25 minutes against Villa as Bukayo Saka conceded an own goal. 

An injury to Thomas Partey then saw Arsenal's summer recruit forced off at half-time and Dean Smith's men went on to dominate the second 45 minutes as Ollie Watkins scored a clinical brace.

Arteta's side have now scored just once across their past four Premier League matches and the Spaniard believes their latest performance marked a new low. 

"First of all congratulations to Aston Villa for the way they played and the victory," Arteta told Sky Sports post-match.

"After that, we performed below our standards and I have to say it's the first time I've seen us play and we weren't a team.

"I take full responsibility. We didn't start well enough, we got away with VAR for an offside situation but we lost all the races, the duels and we were sloppy on the ball. When we created chances we didn't hit the target. It's a really bad combination. We left spaces and on the counter we looked really vulnerable.

"I take full responsibility. I am responsible to make the team perform on the pitch and today we were not a team and it is my job. It is why I am standing here.

"It is a frustration. It takes a lot to build momentum, to build a way of being, living and performing and when something like that comes up it's a hard one to take but in a hard moment you learn more than in a positive moment and I want to see how we react."

Speaking to BBC Sport, Arteta added that the international break comes at a poor time for his side: "I would rather play tomorrow. I know how hurting they are. My job is to lift them up. I would like to do that tomorrow morning but everyone is on international duty.

"Everyone has to reflect when they're away and come back and not let it happen again."

Arsenal currently sit 11th in the Premier League after eight matches and next face Leeds United at Elland Road on November 22. 

Bayern Munich star Joshua Kimmich will be sidelined until 2021 after successfully completing surgery on his knee.

The 25-year-old needed to have an operation on his right lateral meniscus after being substituted in the 36th minute of the Bundesliga champions' 3-2 win over Dortmund on Saturday.

On Sunday evening, Bayern released a statement on their club website informing that Kimmich would not return from his injury until at least January.

Kimmich suffered the injury after losing possession on the halfway line and desperately lunging to get the ball back off Erling Haaland.

The German international fell awkwardly and after receiving an extended period of treatment, hobbled from the field with the assistance of Bayern's medical staff.

Bayern's sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic promised the club would get behind their star midfielder during his recovery.

"We are glad that Joshua will probably be available to us again in a few weeks," Salihamidzic said.

"We will give him the best possible support during his rehab."

Prior to Kimmich's injury diagnosis, Bayern coach Hansi Flick explained how vital the former Leipzig player is to his squad.

"He's an important player for us in this position," Flick said. 

"In addition to his mentality, he also has outstanding quality. [His absence] will be difficult, but we made it today against a good Dortmund team."

Bayern went joint-top with Dortmund at the start of the month after a 2-0 win against Arminia Bielefeld, and their Der Klassiker win saw the title holders move two points clear of RB Leipzig with Dortmund a further point behind.

Flick's side are not in action again until November 21 when they entertain Werder Bremen in the Bundesliga, the start of a run of fixtures that includes hosting league challengers Leipzig, while also having Champions League matches against Red Bull Salzburg and Atletico Madrid.

The Bavarians have scored an incredible 27 goals in seven Bundesliga games to date, which is 12 more than any other club in the division.

Bayern are currently proceeding through a golden era with the giants currently holding the Champions League trophy, while also winning the last eight Bundesliga titles consecutively.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic recovered from another missed penalty to score in stoppage time and salvage a 2-2 draw for Milan against Hellas Verona on Sunday. 

Antonin Barak and Mattia Zaccagni put Ivan Juric's visitors 2-0 up inside 20 minutes before an own goal from Giangiacomo Magnani gave the hosts hope.

Ibrahimovic then failed from 12 yards for the third time this season - his fourth miss in six attempts going back to last term - and Davide Calabria saw an effort ruled out in the first minute of second-half stoppage time after the Swede had handled in the build-up.

Milan's talisman had the final say, however, heading home Brahim Diaz's cross two minutes later to snatch a draw that moves Stefano Pioli's side two points clear of second-placed Sassuolo at the Serie A summit.

Gianluigi Donnarumma denied Nikola Kalinic from close range after five minutes, but the Milan goalkeeper was powerless to prevent Verona taking the lead from the resulting corner. 

Federico Ceccherini's header crashed back off the crossbar and Barak reacted quickest to prod over the line from inside the six-yard box.

The visitors doubled their advantage in the 19th minute as Zaccagni's volley from the edge of the penalty area found the back of the net courtesy of Calabria's sliced attempted clearance. 

But Milan - beaten by Lille in the Europa League in midweek - pulled a goal back eight minutes later when Franck Kessie's flick from an Alexis Saelemaekers cross was deflected past Marco Silvestri by Magnani.

Moments after Silvestri's superb 64th-minute stop from Theo Hernandez, the Rossoneri were handed the opportunity to pull level as Matteo Lovato fouled Kessie inside the area. As against Inter and Sparta Prague earlier this season, though, Ibrahimovic failed to convert from 12 yards. 

The striker then thundered a powerful header against the post before Calabria's late effort was ruled out as his team-mate was deemed to have controlled with his arm. 

Yet Ibrahimovic had the last laugh, climbing highest to nod in his eighth league goal of the campaign just as it appeared it would not be his day, with Diaz crossing after the 39-year-old had seen a shot on the turn well saved.
 

What does it mean? Dominant Milan have to settle for a point

Pioli said his side "must be ready to step it back up again" against Verona following their 3-0 defeat to Lille on Thursday. He did not get the result he was after, but there was no shortage of effort from his players. They had a whopping 34 shots – although only eight were on target – and enjoyed 66 per cent possession in what was a largely dominant performance despite the scoreline.

Calhanoglu pulls the strings

How Hakan Calhanoglu did not end up with an assist will remain a mystery for some time. The Turkey international created 11 chances - eight more than any other player - and delivered 17 crosses, eight of which found a team-mate.

Mixed fortunes for Ibrahimovic

The veteran striker was in the thick of the action throughout and cancelled out his missed penalty with a dramatic late leveller. He would have expected to score earlier, though, given he had 14 shots on goal. His problem? Only three were on target. 

Key Opta Facts

- Milan conceded twice within the first 20 minutes of a Serie A match for the first time since January 2017 - at home to Napoli.
- This was the first time Milan had trailed in a game this season, having taken the lead in each of their previous six league matches this term.
- Ibrahimovic became the first Milan player to score in seven consecutive Serie A appearances since the change to three points for a win (1994-95).
- But Ibrahimovic has also now missed more penalties in all competitions this season than any other player in Europe's 'top five' leagues.

What's next?

Milan visit Napoli - led by former boss Gennaro Gattuso - following the international break, while Verona host in-form Sassuolo.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang failed to register a single shot in Sunday's Premier League match as Arsenal suffered a 3-0 defeat against Aston Villa.

It was the first time the 31-year-old striker failed to make an attempt on goal in a league match at the Emirates Stadium since he joined the Gunners from Borussia Dortmund in 2018.

Aubameyang did not make an impact in Arsenal's attack as they registered only two shots on target in 90 minutes.

Bukayo Saka opened the scoring for Aston Villa in the 25th minute after turning the ball into the back of his own net and a quick-fire brace from Ollie Watkins in the second-half sealed an emphatic win for Dean Smith's side.

It was a disappointing outing for Aubameyang who ended his Premier League goal drought last Sunday with the match-winning strike that helped the Gunners grab a rare win at Old Trafford.

The Gabon captain has made a slow start to the 2020-21 league campaign with a return of two goals after eight outings so far.

Ghana midfielder Thomas Partey started the encounter - his fourth appearance in the English top-fight, but he was replaced at the break by Dani Ceballos.

Egypt’s Mohammed Elneny, meanwhile, reached a century of appearances for Arsenal in the game and he played for the entire duration.

Mikel Arteta's side dropped to 12th in the Premier League table after the loss with 12 points after eight matches while Aston Villa climbed to sixth having gathered 15 points, with a game at hand.

Aubameyang is expected to join Gabon national team for their 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against the Gambia this week.

After his international assignment, the 2015 African Football Footballer of the Year will aim to fire Arsenal back to winning ways when they visit Leeds United on November 22.

Ollie Watkins took his tally to six Premier League goals for the season as Aston Villa claimed a shock 3-0 victory at Arsenal in the Premier League on Sunday.

Villa had taken lead when Arsenal defender Bukayo Saka accidentally slid the ball into his own net, before Watkins made the result certain in the second half.

The striker finished off a fine team move when he headed in from close range, and then fired an angled shot through the legs of Arsenal goalkeeper Bernd Leno a few minutes later.

It was Arsenal's second consecutive home league defeat of the season following a 1-0 loss to Leicester at the Emirates last month.

Villa had the ball in the net inside the first minute when John McGinn fired home, only for referee Martin Atkinson to decide via a VAR review at pitchside that Ross Barkley had obscured the view of Arsenal goalkeeper Bernd Leno from an offside position.

A weak pass from McGinn at the other end almost let in Thomas Partey shortly afterwards, but Emiliano Martinez reacted quickly to clear the danger.

Villa were the more positive side, however, and took the lead just before the half-hour mark when Barkley's pass pierced the Arsenal defence and Matt Targett's cross – intended for Trezeguet – was misdirected into the net by Saka.

Alexandre Lacazette went close to equalising late in the half when he got on the end of a superb cross from Kieran Tierney but could only head over.

Arsenal had only won one of their six games under Mikel Arteta when trailing at half time (D2 L4) before this encounter, and some clinical finishing from Watkins stifled any hopes of a fightback.

The striker, who netted a hat-trick against champions Liverpool earlier in the season, got his head on the end of a volleyed cross from Barkley, leaving Leno with no hope.

Villa added another shortly afterwards when Jack Grealish burst forward, as Arsenal were caught on the counterattack, and fed the ball to Watkins who finished confidently.

What does it mean? One step forward, two steps back for Arteta

Last weekend's victory over Manchester United seemed to be a significant moment for Arteta, but this home defeat is a setback.

It is still early days, but the Gunners missed the chance to keep the pressure on their rivals for a place in the top four. Worryingly for Arteta, they have also failed to keep a clean sheet in any of their last seven home league games, since beating Norwich 4-0 in July.

Villa, meanwhile, seem watertight at the back and Dean Smith's team are the third side in Premier League history to win each of their first three away games in a season without conceding a goal, after Chelsea in 2005-06 and Manchester City in 2015-16.

Watkins in wonderland

Watkins has now scored six goals in seven games for Villa in the Premier League this season - only Dean Saunders (seven) and Dion Dublin (nine) have ever netted more in their first seven appearances for Villa in the competition.

His finishing – scoring twice from a total of three shots – was clinical at the Emirates as he helped Villa's fine start to the season continue.

Saka well below his best

At 19 years and 64 days old, Saka became the fourth-youngest player to score an own goal in the Premier League, and youngest since Southampton's Martin Cranie in May 2004 (17 years 218 days v Chelsea).

The mistake capped a miserable evening for the promising young defender as he failed to get to grips with the threat posed by Villa's attacking players - winning just one tackle.

What's next?

Both teams are back in Premier League action after the international break. Arsenal face Leeds United at Elland Road on Sunday, November 22 while Villa host Brighton And Hove Albion a day earlier.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has once again bemoaned the decision not to allow five substitutions in the Premier League this season, claiming Premier League CEO Richard Masters sold it "completely wrong". 

Trent Alexander-Arnold had to be substituted during the second half of Liverpool's 1-1 draw with Manchester City on Sunday, having suffered an apparent calf injury.

The full-back was due to be part of Gareth Southgate's England squad for games against the Republic of Ireland, Belgium and Iceland during the November international break.

However, Klopp has said Alexander-Arnold will not be available for those upcoming fixtures during a hectic schedule in a 2020-21 season that will climax with the delayed Euro 2020 tournament.

Premier League clubs voted down the use of five subs for this term, a rule that was utilised when the previous campaign resumed after the coronavirus-enforced break. Klopp has express his disbelief at that decision.

"It's a lack of leadership," Klopp said in his post-match media conference. "Richard Masters sold it completely wrong.

"It's not an advantage [to be able to use five substitutes], it's a necessity. It happens in other countries, it was sold completely wrong and now you have this situation.

"Trent will be out for England, [he] will not be the last or only one Gareth will have to deal with either."

City counterpart Pep Guardiola echoed Klopp's views on the decision to revert back to three changes per team in the top tier, which was taken at a shareholders meeting in September.

Asked about what he had discussed with the Liverpool manager at full-time, Guardiola – who used just one change during Sunday's clash – told Sky Sports: "We did not speak about the result. We spoke about how we have to fight again about five substitutions.

"Look, an international England player – Trent Alexander-Arnold – is injured. All around the world, five substitutions. Here, we believe we are more special and have only three.

"We don't protect the players. That's why it is a disaster. I will demand that we come back with five substitutions to help the players, the managers everywhere. If not, it is difficult to sustain it." 

Klopp also backed up Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's criticism of the schedule, the Manchester United boss having hit out at his side being made to feature in the early kick-off on Saturday just over 48 hours after returning from a Champions League fixture in Istanbul.

"We have to find solutions, it’s so tough and we need to play football but Wednesday night and 12:30pm [Saturday] must not be allowed," Klopp said.

"If the Tuesday teams are in contention for Saturday that's okay, but the Wednesday [teams] should not be in contention for those games.

"Tonight we lost Trent and I'm pretty sure Gareth is not fine. If we play the Euros, we will see who is involved in that."

Daniel Amokachi has hailed Victor Osimhen as “quality” player and claims he is a striker any team would “love” to sign.

The Nigerian forward was Napoli’s hero in Sunday’s Italian elite division fixture against Bologna, as Gennaro Gattuso’s Blues recorded a 1-0 triumph.

Thanks to an assist from Hirving Lozano, Osimhen headed the Mexican forward’s cross past goalkeeper Lukasz Skorupski in the 23rd minute – and that proved to be the only goal at Stadio Renato Dall'Ara.

Nevertheless, he was replaced in the 82nd minute for Andrea Petagna after a fine shift.

With that, the 21-year-old now boasts of two goals in six Italian top-flight games for the Stadio San Paolo giants in the ongoing 2020-21 campaign.

Amokachi, a key member of the revered 1994 class of Super Eagles, is a keen admirer of the striker and believes he would be a fine addition to any team in the world, while foreseeing a bright future for him barring any major injuries.

“We all know he is a quality player no doubt about that. He is a No. 9 any club would love to have in their team,” Amokachi told Goal.

“The future is in his hands and injury-free, he will keep flying.”

Victory for Gattuso’s men take them to third on the Serie A log with 14 points from seven games played so far.

The 2015 Fifa U17 World Cup Golden Boot winner, who scored 18 goals in 38 appearances for Lille in the 2019-20 season, moved to Naples in a deal reported to be worth €50 million (£45m/$59m).

He had been linked with several top European clubs following his impressive goalscoring run for the Ligue 1 outfit.

The 10 times-capped Nigerian forward first moved to Europe in 2017 with Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga, before moving to Charleroi in Belgium, initially on loan and then in a permanent transfer.

He was hugely impressive in Belgium as he managed 36 goals in 37 appearances, earning him a €14m (£13m/$17m) move to the Mastiffs.

Osimhen, who boasts of four international goals, is expected to lead Gernot Rohr’s attacking setup when they take on Sierra Leone in a double-header 2022 Africa Cup of Nations qualification.

South African Football Association (Safa) has revealed that six players have been withdrawn from the latest Bafana Bafana squad. 

Bafana head coach Molefi Ntseki recently named a 26-man squad for the upcoming 2022 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Sao Tome and Principe.

Safa have now announced that the team will be without the services of Thibang Phete, Thulani Serero, Andile Jali, Reeve Frosler, Thamsanqa Mkhize and Abubakar Mobara through the official Bafana Bafana Twitter account:

The sextet will miss Bafana's two back-to-back matches against Sao Tome and Principe later this month due to medical reasons.

"Thibang Phete, Thulani Serero, Andile Jali, Reeve Frosler, Thami Mkhize and Abubakar Mobara are all out of the team to play Sao Tome on Friday and Monday due to medical reasons," a statement read on Sunday evening.

This comes after Cape Town City announced that their two players Mkhize and Mobara are self-isolating after testing positive for the coronavirus on Sunday afternoon.

"Thamsanqa Mkhize and Abbubaker Mobara have been in isolation following a positive Covid-19 test," a club statement read. 

"They will miss international duty and we wish them both a speedy recovery."

While Frosler has been withdrawn from the Bafana squad after picking up an injury during the MTN8 clash between Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates on Sunday afternoon.

The 22-year-old right-back was substituted just before the half-hour mark and his team, Chiefs, went on to succumb to a 2-0 defeat to Pirates in the semi-final second-leg match at FNB Stadium.

Meanwhile, Jali, who is on the books of PSL champions Mamelodi Sundowns, has also been withdrawn from the squad due to an injury. 

The 30-year-old midfield maestro picked up a hamstring injury during Sundowns' 2-0 victory over Cape Town City in a league match at Cape Town Stadium on Wednesday night.

His Bafana teammate Serero was substituted at half-time during his club, Al Jazira's 1-0 defeat to Sharjah in the Arabian Gulf League match on Saturday and it is unclear whether the midfielder was injured or not.

Lastly, Phete played 86 minutes for Belenenses as they drew 0-0 with Rio Ave in a Portuguese Primeira Liga match on Friday and the club has not provided an update on the defender's fitness. 

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola says he and Liverpool coach Jurgen Klopp talked about the need to allow five substitutions in Premier League matches after Sunday's 1-1 draw.

While other leagues in Europe have allowed teams to make five changes during matches to help deal with congested fixture lists, clubs in the English top-flight voted against the idea and returned to a maximum of three substitutions.

Guardiola and Klopp have been vocal about their belief that more substitutions are needed to protect players, and seeing Trent Alexander-Arnold go down with a calf injury in the match at the Etihad Stadium brought the issue back up. 

When asked by BBC Sport's Match of the Day what he and his Liverpool counterpart discussed after the final whistle, Guardiola replied: "We talked about five substitutions. If people want to give microphones so we can give our opinions... English player, right-back is injured. 

"There are many guys with many, many cases. Around the world five subs are key, but here it's totally the opposite. We've talked about this many times."

He added to Sky Sports: "Trent Alexander-Arnold, international English player, now injured. 

"Here we believe we are more special, we don't protect the players, so that is why it is a disaster.

"This calendar came from a year before and I will demand for players to come back otherwise it will be difficult to maintain it."

Liverpool took the lead 13 minutes into the game when Mohamed Salah converted a penalty, with Gabriel Jesus firing in the equaliser later in the half.

City had a chance to go ahead shortly before the break when they were awarded a spot-kick, but Kevin De Bruyne missed the target.

"It was a tight game. We struggled in the first minutes because they had four players up front," Guardiola said. "[Sadio] Mane and Salah were playing between the lines then we adjusted after and had more control.

"The way they played and the way we behaved in response was incredible. I'm so proud of my players.

"The difference today was they got a penalty and we missed a penalty."

He added: "It is not easy to defend against Liverpool, normally they have three in attack and now four, they ran in behind and you cannot stay there and they play in between the players.

"It is not easy to play, but we adjusted a bit and had more courage to stay high. We made a good goal and unfortunately we missed a penalty. In games or opponents like Liverpool, if you miss a penalty is it more difficult."

Victor Osimhen scored the only goal which gave Napoli a 1-0 victory over Bologna in Sunday's Serie A encounter.

Osimhen connected with Hirving Lozano's cross to separate the two teams with his 23rd-minute header.

It was his second goal in the Italian top-flight since he completed a big-money move from Ligue 1 club Lille in the summer.

Shortly after the restart for the second half, Senegal centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly pounced on a rebound after Osimhen attempted an overhead kick, but his strike was ruled out by the VAR because the ball struck the Nigerian striker's hand.

Despite a late challenge from the hosts, Napoli held onto their first-half lead and returned to winning ways after last Sunday's defeat to Sassuolo.

The result stretched the Blues' impressive unbeaten record on the road to three wins this season, excluding the 3-0 forfeit for not honouring their league outing against Juventus last month.

Osimhen was in action for 83 minutes before he was replaced by Andrea Petagna while Koulibaly played the duration but Algeria’s Faouzi Ghoulam did not make the matchday squad.

For Bologna, Gambia striker Musa Barrow featured for the 90 minutes and Nigeria's Kingsley Michael watched on as an unused substitute.

The victory fired Napoli to third on the Serie A table with 14 points after seven games. They have a date with Franck Kessie’s high-flying AC Milan after the international break on November 22.

Osimhen and Koulibaly have been invited to the Nigeria and Senegal squads for their 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers this week.

Nigeria battle Sierra Leone while the Teranga Lions are scheduled to face Guinea-Bissau.

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp says Trent Alexander-Arnold will withdraw from the England squad after suffering a calf injury during Sunday's 1-1 draw at Manchester City.

The 22-year-old went down holding his calf shortly after the hour mark of the game at Etihad Stadium and was subsequently replaced by James Milner, who made his 750th competitive appearance and his 550th in the Premier League.

The showdown between the last two Premier League title winners would end 1-1, as Mohamed Salah's early spot-kick was cancelled out by a great strike from Gabriel Jesus.

Speaking after the game Reds boss Klopp said Alexander-Arnold will have a scan on Monday to determine the severity of the injury, though revealed it is serious enough for him to pull out of England duty.

“Trent will be out for England, that’s is clear," said the German.

“What he has, we don’t know, but he cannot play for England. He will not be the last and not the only one who Gareth [Southgate] will miss for this international break.

“He will have a scan tomorrow and then we will see.”

Alexander-Arnold is the latest member of the Reds' back line to pick up an injury, with centre-back Virgil van Dijk already ruled out for several months with knee ligament damage. Meanwhile, stand-in defender Fabinho is also missing with a hamstring problem he picked up in his side's Champions League win against Midtjylland.

Klopp had been left with inexperienced defenders Rhys Williams and Nathaniel Phillips to fill the gaps until he welcomed Joel Matip back into the heart of the defence for Sunday's game against Pep Guardiola's team, partnering Joe Gomez.

Liverpool headed into the game looking to return to the top of the table with a win but must be content with a third-place spot, one point behind leaders Leicester. Meanwhile, last year's runners-up City are in 11th place.

The hosts have had an inconsistent start to the campaign, having collected 12 points from their first seven matches, leaving them six points adrift of Leicester, who climbed to the top with a 1-0 win against Wolves earlier on Sunday.

News of Alexander-Arnold's injury will be a blow to England manager Gareth Southgate, who named the Liverpool academy graduate in his squad for the friendly with Republic of Ireland next Thursday and UEFA Nations League matches against Belgium and Iceland.

However, the clash at home to Iceland is now in doubt after the UK government issued a travel ban on visitors coming from Denmark following an outbreak of Covid-19 at mink farms which have spread to local communities in the Scandinavian country.

Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson criticised the “harsh” penalty given against his side during Sunday’s 1-1 draw against Manchester City.

City were awarded a spot-kick when Reds defender Joe Gomez was penalised for handball as he attempted to block Kevin De Bruyne’s right-wing cross.

The penalty was not initially given by referee Craig Pawson, but the official decided to point to the spot after he was advised by the video assistant referee to watch a replay of the incident.

A similar incident occurred during Leicester's game against Wolves earlier on Sunday, with Wanderers defender Max Kilman penalised for handball on that occasion.

Henderson admits the two incidents mean the officials are at least consistent in their decisions, but feels the rules are unfair on defenders.

"People will say I am biased because it is against us but I saw one similar in the Leicester game. Joe is running back to his own goal, where is he going to put his arms? I think it is so difficult for defenders,” he told Sky Sports.

“I felt it was harsh but they have been pretty consistent. In the Leicester game they gave it and they gave it today but for us as players I think it is harsh.”

When asked whether the handball rule, which was tweaked at the start of the season, is clear, Henderson told BBC Sport: ”I don't think so, to be fair to the referees, the game before [Leicester vs Wolves] they have been consistent with it. They are going to the letter of the law.

“For players it is harsh, I feel for defenders running back with the pace of that Kevin De Bruyne cross, it is hard for him to get out of the way.

“Everyone is finding it difficult to know where to put their arms. Hopefully the refs can look at it and it shouldn't be given in both games."

The incident did not prove costly to Liverpool because De Bruyne sent his penalty wide of the post.

The game was tied at 1-1 at that stage after Gabriel Jesus had cancelled out Mohamed’s Salah early opener for Liverpool , with neither side able to find a winner after the break.

Henderson was happy with the Reds’ performance, but admits he is not completely satisfied with a point.

"Coming here we knew it would be difficult, City are fantastic and it was an intense game, overall we have to take the point and move on," he added. 

"It is always a difficult place to come, I would have liked a winner.

"We started really well, a lot of the time we do but especially today. The work rate and intensity was really good in the game, defensively solid and so many positives in the game.

“We limited the problems they cause and hopefully after the international break we are back for another set of intense fixtures.

"Tactically we changed a little bit but not the intensity, that did not change. The front four were brilliant not only defensively but offensively they worked really hard too.

"That is why defensively we were so solid. We were waiting for the moment to win the ball back and find the winner but unfortunately did not get the chance to do that.”