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Malaysia Premier League champions Pulau Pinang continued their fine form this season, after edging top tier side Felda United 3-1 in their round one Malaysia Cup encounter on Friday.

The Panthers have advanced to the quarter-finals thanks to goals from Casagrande (37'), Amer Azahar (62') and Lee Chang-hoon (76'), their best achievement so far in the competition since the 2006 edition. The solitary goal for the Fighters, who may have played their last ever match as a Malaysian league outfit, was netted by Nicolas Velez in the 49th minute.

Speaking in the post-match press conference, Pulau Pinang head coach Manzoor Azwira expressed his elation at his charges' achievement.

"Praise Allah for the win which has allowed us to reach the quarter-finals. The last time we reached that stage was back in 2006, so it's a good record for Pulau Pinang.

"I'm also happy that my team was able to maintain their momentum in the cup, despite the fact that our previous match was back on October 9.

The 43-year old trainer will now assess his players' readiness ahead of their next encounter next weekend.

"None of the players were suspended, but I have to see whether Casagrande and Endrick [dos Santos] were injured. I'm not sure yet how serious their injuries are."

Asked for his assessment of their potential opponents in the next stage, Manzoor responded that one of them can surprise, while the other is consistently dangerous.

"They both have their strengths; Kelantan play well as a unit and under [head coach] Yusri Che Lah could surprise you, while UiTM FC are an experienced and consistent Super League side."

Frank Lampard was "not surprised" by Jose Mourinho's accusation that Chelsea players have attempted to win cheap penalties.

Mourinho alleged that Chelsea, Manchester United, Manchester City and Liverpool have attempted to con officials into awarding a spot-kick in his defence of skipper Harry Kane.

The Portuguese was unhappy with the insinuation that Kane had deliberately backed into Adam Lallana to win a penalty in Tottenham's 2-1 win over Brighton and Hove Albion last weekend.

Speaking earlier this week, Mourinho said: "Kane? I think you are confused. 

"You could be speaking about some Manchester United players, some Man City players, some Liverpool players, some Chelsea players."

Chelsea have already had eight penalties this season but Lampard insists none of those were awarded for a player diving inside the box.

"I wasn't surprised by those comments," he said. "There have been no incidents of diving at Chelsea this season that I've seen. 

"But I wasn't surprised by it, no. I think it's very normal that managers in and around the clubs challenging sometimes mention others with those statements. It didn't affect me."

He added: "I'm not going to tell Jose or any other manager how to do a press conference. 

"I think we all know when we watch these penalty decisions, we know what ones are penalties, what ones are dives, ones that are cleverly bought. I don't want to dwell on it."

Timo Werner successfully converted two penalties for Chelsea in Wednesday's 4-0 win over Rennes in the Champions League, extending their unbeaten run to six matches.

The Blues have kept a clean sheet in five successive games for the first time since October 2010, with Thiago Silva and Kurt Zouma starting together in all but one of those.

Lampard has regularly praised the impact made by experienced defender Silva, who he believes is helping to get the most out of Zouma alongside him.

No player made more clearances than Zouma (4) in the win over Rennes and he also topped the charts for successful passes (84) and touches (99).

"I've been really impressed with Kurt, his form and what he's giving us, scoring and defending from set-pieces, which is a big part of our game," he said.

"I think Thiago can affect people around him. I think of his status in the game and the way he plays it. 

"We talk about partnerships in the team. We can all think of great centre-back partnerships. With Thiago's quality it rubs off not only on Kurt but any player he is paired with.

"I think he's helped Kurt and we now need to sustain that level of performance and keep the good run of clean sheets we're on going. He's certainly affecting the others."

Silva was brought in on a free transfer after his Paris Saint-Germain contract expired at the end of last season - one of seven first-team players signed during a busy close season.

Lampard is grateful to have been heavily backed by owner Roman Abramovich and hopes the signing of Silva in particular can lead to silverware being won.

"People think we did all our business in five minutes. The first year I spent here I couldn't bring players in so I had a long-term view of what players I could bring in," he said.

"It was all very joined up and I was certainly happy with the input I had. We worked hard and a lot of people deserve credit. The next step is to work with that. 

"We've seen good signs of late, players bedding in and getting fit - Thiago among them.

"In terms of the career he's had, he absolutely walks into the bracket of top centre-backs. Teams who achieve stuff have defenders who set those standards. 

"The players know the importance of defending well to win trophies and particularly Premier League titles. 

"But they also need support around them. When you look at Thiago and the early impact he has had, he can be a big deal for us."

Southampton defeated Newcastle United 2-0 on Friday to move to the top of the Premier League for the first time in their history.

Che Adams and Stuart Armstrong struck in each half at St Mary's to seal a straightforward victory for Ralph Hasenhuttl's men.

The win - Southampton's fifth in eight matches this term - takes them above Liverpool on goal difference to the summit of the English top flight.

It is the first time the Saints have been top of the pile at the end of a day since September 1988.

"It's amazing what my team is doing," Hasenhuttl told Sky Sports . "Congratulations to everybody around the pitch and the team. It's amazing. 

"Everybody was on the highest level. It is a little scary what we are doing at the moment to be honest but not surprising when I see what we are working on.

"I just told the guys in the dressing room that we invested so much in this together. We made so many big steps forward. We are now a strong side. That is not a coincidence."

Theo Walcott, who arrived back at his childhood club this summer from Everton, played a big part in Southampton's win by grabbing an assist on Adams' goal. 

Hasenhuttl was happy with Walcott's performance, which came just days after star forward Danny Ings was ruled out for six weeks with a knee injury.

"Theo gives us the runs and Che is brilliant in the box. It was important to show that also without Danny we have the quality to score," Hasenhuttl added.

"[Walcott's performance was] very good especially when he can turn in the red zone and go with the ball. His finish was not perfect but his workload that he invests for us is amazing."

Walcott, who left Saints in 2006 to join Arsenal, said that he feels rejuvenated by his return to St Mary's. 

"I've got some great memories here but I want to make some new ones," Walcott added. 

"I feel like a kid again. I just want to express myself. The manager has faith in me and the team. I think it showed on the field."

Jose Mourinho says he's not getting carried away with Tottenham's bright start to the 2020-21 season, insisting that winning a few games isn't going to put him "on the moon".

Tottenham have risen to fourth in the Premier League standings after their first seven fixtures of the new campaign, two points behind current leaders Southampton with a game in hand.

Spurs could move to the summit if they beat West Brom this weekend and reigning champions Liverpool and Leicester City each fail to win, with Mourinho now being tipped to bring the club's long wait for major silverware to an end.

The Portuguese won three Premier League titles over the course of two spells at Chelsea, and his winning mentality seems to be rubbing off on a squad which has been starved of success on the biggest stage.

The Lilywhites head into their clash with the Baggies on Sunday fresh from a 3-1 Europa League win over Ludogorets , and will be expected to pick up another comfortable three points against Slaven Bilic's struggling side.

Mourinho does not wish to look beyond Tottenham's latest Premier League fixture though, with the prospect of a potential title challenge not occupying his thoughts at this early stage of the season.

Asked if he feels Spurs are on the path towards top-flight glory, the 57-year-old told a press conference: "No no no. I have years of football experience and it is not a couple of victories that put me on the moon and it is not a couple of defeats that send me down to hell," he said.

"It’s all about balance, taking it match by match, looking for improvement and seeing what happens."

Mourinho went on to express dissatisfaction over the results which have gone against Tottenham, adding: "I expected a couple of more points in the Premier League.

"We lost points we shouldn’t have and also in the Europa League we have six points now when I expected to have nine."

The former Chelsea boss also addressed the position Bilic currently finds himself in at West Brom, with the Croatian considered to be on borrowed time at the Hawthorns after a winless start to their first campaign back in the top-flight.

"I don’t know if he is under pressure or not. If he is, it is difficult to understand because he has helped the club in such a difficult position after being relegated," said Mourinho.

"He brought them back to the Premier League and we started the season just a couple of months ago. It is also a strange league at the moment.

"You win a game you are up in the table, you lose one and you are back down again. So I really don’t understand why he is under pressure, if that is the case.

"But he is a big boy and he has a lot of experience which can help his club and I am sure he can cope with anything he has to deal with, but he is a good guy."

The Confederation of African Football (Caf) has set guidelines ahead of the resumption of the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

Afcon qualifiers have been suspended since the outbreak of the coronavirus earlier this year which has wreaked havoc across the world.

The last qualifiers were played in November 2019, as the games scheduled for March this year were postponed due to Covid-19.

With the gradual resumption of football activities across the world, the Afcon qualifiers are also set to continue next week, between November 9 through to November 17.

In an effort to have a hitch-free success during the campaign, the African football governing body has set out rules to guide the competition.

Five substitutions will be permitted by each team which will be made during three opportunities, a team that refuses to travel for a game due to Covid -19 issues would lose the match as well as a team that does not have the required number approved.

“Each match must be played if the team has at least eleven (11) players (including a goalkeeper) and four (4) substitutes,” read a statement from the club website.

“If a team cannot travel to the host country and/or venue of a match due to any travel or other restriction relating to COVID-19, the team in question will be considered to have lost the match 2-0.

“If a team does not have the minimum number of players required, at least eleven (11) players (including a goalkeeper) and four (4) substitutes), the team in question will be considered to have lost the match 2-0.

“The number of authorized substitutions is limited to five (5) players per team. Each team will have three opportunities to make these substitutions during the match.”

Caf also reveals that the qualifiers will be played without the fans but also gave an exception to the rule.

“According to Caf's Covid-19 protocol, all matches must be played behind closed doors, without spectators,” the statement continued.

“However, if the government of the host Association wants spectators to be present, then the Association in question will need to obtain Caf's approval.

“In the event of exceptional situations other than those mentioned above, the Organizing Committee will be consulted for a final decision.”

The 2020-21 Bundesliga season got off to a blistering start on September 18.

Mats Hummels was at the double against Arminia Bielefeld to keep pace with leaders Bayern Munich, who were unspectacular without a rested Robert Lewandowski but managed to get by Cologne, while RB Leipzig slipped down the stadings after a defeat at Borussia Monchengladbach in the sixth round of the Bundesliga.

Meanwhile, Bayer Leverkusen continue to maintain their form with a third consecutive win after a 4-2 win against Freiburg, as Werder Bremen are now the only team in the top 10 without a win in their last four games following a draw against Eintracht Frankfurt.

It's a top of the table clash between Bayern and Dortmund amid the fixtures of Matchday 7.
 

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Frank Lampard believes that Thiago Silva is comparable to Premier League title winners Virgil van Dijk and Vincent Kompany, saying the Brazilian's arrival has set a new standard for the rest of Chelsea's central defenders.

The 36-year-old has been a major part of the Blues getting five clean sheets in a row and he has been involved in six of the seven shutouts that the club has achieved this season.

Ahead of a home league match with Sheffield United, Lampard compared his Brazil international to both the Liverpool star and the former Manchester City captain who played leadership roles in title wins in recent seasons.

"In terms of the career that he has had, of course, he absolutely walks into the bracket of top centre-backs like the ones mentioned," the Chelsea manager told reporters at Cobham Training Centre.

"To achieve in the modern day, you have individuals or pairings defensively that set those standards. We know the importance of defending well to try to win trophies and particularly the Premier League title but they need support around them, behind them and in front of them but when you look at the performances of Thiago in the early games, he can be a big deal for us but we need a lot more.

"When he became available [after leaving PSG in the summer] it was something that really excited me and something that the club moved very swiftly on.

"That was good work and it feels like that now with Thiago and the opening performances showed on the pitch."

Chelsea have begun to use a settled back line for the first time in Lampard's tenure as manager, with Edouard Mendy in goal and a back four of Reece James, Silva, Kurt Zouma and Ben Chilwell.

It comes a season after Chelsea conceded 54 league goals which was the worst total since Roman Abramovich bought the club in 2003. Lampard admits that Silva's presence has lifted Zouma and that the Frenchman has improved as a result of having an experienced partner.

"I have been really impressed with Kurt and his form, what he has given us, also scoring goals from set-pieces and defending set-pieces as well, which is a big part of our game," he added.

"We knew it was something we could improve last year. In terms of the general game, I think with Thiago he can affect people around him because of his status in the game and how he plays it.

"When you talk about partnerships in a team, in central defensive areas, we can all think back and think of great centre-back partnerships.

"I think with Thiago he has the ability to not just rub off on Kurt but any player that he is paired within that position, because of his experience and quality. I think he has helped Kurt at this moment."

As a dominant partnership emerges, Chelsea's remaining central defenders are finding it hard to gain minutes. Antonio Rudiger has managed a handful of appearances but Andreas Christensen has lost his starting spot and Fikayo Tomori has made just two starts since February.

Tomori's reduced status saw him almost leave in the summer on loan with Rennes and Everton initially interested before West Ham made an unsuccessful deadline day attempt to loan him in the last hours of the transfer window. Lampard said that it was normal for a young player like Tomori to have ups and downs in his career.

"Fikayo is our contracted player," he added. "We know that West Ham were interested in taking him on loan late in the window. Fikayo took the decision not to go and that’s well within his rights. That had no bearing on my thoughts at all.

"For him, he’s still a developing player. When I say developing he’s had a great two years. He got himself in the England team, was one of the best defenders in the Championship and then played 20-plus games for Chelsea.

"It’s normal for a young player sometimes, in a squad as competitive as ours, where there are periods where you maybe aren’t playing every week. That’s the modern-day younger player in these sort of squads and that’s another test for you in terms of how you handle yourself and train and keep working and waiting for your time to come back in.

"I’ve got no problem with Fikayo. I rely on him. That’s clear from when I took him to Derby and how I handled him last year. It remains the same with him. He’s been a fantastic player for me, so I just see this as part of his development.

"He trains very well every day and when he gets his opportunity like he had when he came on against Liverpool earlier in the season and in the Carabao Cup, it’s important he takes them in the way he has done."

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has claimed that he is still working on a long-term plan with the Manchester United board, despite mounting speculation his job is under threat after his side’s poor start to the season.

United will face Everton at Goodison Park on Saturday lunchtime, looking to register just their third win of the new campaign and coming off the back of two defeats against Arsenal and Istanbul Basaksehir.

Pressure is mounting on Solskjaer to turn things around, although Goal understands there is no direct threat to his position at the moment.

And despite his side's current league position of 15th place, the United boss revealed the conversations he has had with the board have been positive and have involved long-term planning.

“I am going to say all my conversations with the club have been planning long term,” Solskjaer said. “Of course we want results short term but I’ve had positive good dialogue with the plans we have put in place.

"We have planted a seed, the tree is growing. Some clubs just rip up that tree and see if it is still growing and see if it is still getting water underneath.

“For me I have had a backing all the way since I’ve come in on the bigger picture. And the club needs to look at the bigger picture, we can’t go thinking and reacting to one or two results, we have got to look further back and [ask] what is the direction we are going.

Solskjaer was brought in nearly two years ago after the sacking of Jose Mourinho to get the club back on track and while they wanted an improvement in results, it was important for the Norwegian to change the atmosphere at the club.

His players have recently come under criticism for lacking leadership and a strong mentality but Solskjaer dismissed those claims.

“The culture and the mentality in the group has improved immensely,” Solskjaer explained. “They do really have the mindset of improving all the time and winning. 

"Yes, every time you lose a game there are critics out there everywhere. I have no complaints about the mentality.”

Ederson said he has sympathy for fellow goalkeeper Jordan Pickford after his mistimed tackle put Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk out for what could be the rest of the season.

The Manchester City keeper believes Everton’s Pickford had no intention of hurting Van Dijk, who is now recovering after surgery on a cruciate knee ligament injury.

Pickford later apologised for the challenge and Ederson drew comparisons with a 2017 incident with Sadio Mane when he needed eight stitches for a face wound after being caught by the Liverpool striker's high foot.

“First and foremost, I don't think any player steps on the pitch looking to injure an opponent,” the Brazilian said. “Sometimes you have a fraction of a second to make a decision.

"Unfortunately, Jordan Pickford had that clash with Van Dijk and it ended up resulting in a serious injury. That's part of football; sometimes it happens. 

“It could happen to any of us. I don't think it was Pickford's intention to injure Van Dijk and in the same way I don't think it was Mane's intention to do that when he clashed with me in our game a few years ago. You have such a short time to make a decision and it could happen to any of us.”

Van Dijk’s loss will be keenly felt by Jurgen Klopp’s side while the Dutchman's replacement Fabinho is also set to miss Sunday’s crucial visit to the Etihad Stadium, but Ederson said the Reds still have plenty of quality all over the pitch. 

“Their best centre-back, Van Dijk, is out. Fabinho has been playing really well this season and he's out too. But we mustn't forget that Liverpool still have great players,” the 27-year-old added.

“Their absences aren't going to be a big disadvantage for them or a big advantage for us. We don't focus on the players that aren't going to play, or a specific absence, we focus on Liverpool as a whole team.” 

While Liverpool have problems at the back, they have maintained their attacking threat - scoring 11 goals in their last four matches, with six coming from new signing Diogo Jota.

“I'm not surprised with the performances of Diogo Jota, because he is a player I already knew from Portugal,” Ederson said.

“I have already played against him and I have known him for a while. Some people might be surprised by him, but I'm not. 

“I know him well, I have watched his games and I played against him many times. I'm aware he's a really talented and very good player.”

Another player that Ederson knows well is international team-mate Alisson Becker and, despite being rivals for the Brazil No.1 shirt, he says they are good friends off the pitch.

“I have a good friendship with Allison. He is an incredible guy,” he said. “Our rivalry is only on the pitch, off the pitch that doesn't exist. We are good friends.

“I hope we both can have a good game on Sunday. Our style is very similar. Perhaps I play more with my feet, but so does he. 

“Liverpool have more or less the same style of play and he is an incredible goalkeeper.”

Mikel Arteta has backed Willian after the Brazilian’s recent slump in form and says the attacker will get ‘better and better’ as he continues to adjust to life at Arsenal.

The former Chelsea star enjoyed an excellent start to his Gunners career, picking up two assists on the opening weekend of the Premier League season during a 3-0 win at Fulham.

But he has failed to register a single assist in eight appearances since and has yet to score his first Arsenal goal.

His under-par performances have led to many questioning his continued place in the starting XI, especially at the expense of Nicolas Pepe - who has already scored three times this season.

But Arteta has leapt to the defence of the 32-year-old and is adamant that Arsenal will soon start seeing the best of the summer addition.

“I think he started really well with his first game against Fulham, then he had an injury and he didn’t have any time to train, he didn’t have any pre-season and he was later than the others,” said the Gunners boss.

“Then we’ve been changing the front three and they need to generate that cohesion, that understanding and those relationships on the pitch between the front players in order for things to work better.

“I can see a development in the last two games and the understanding of things that we do but he’s not used to. He’s getting better and better and we all know the quality that he has and he’s a great option to have on the pitch."

Arteta added: “He’s a player who can make a difference, he’s got the ability to find that last action to open the door when everything is really tight. 

“To score a goal, create an assist and the personality and understanding that he has on the pitch to manage the game we need in certain moments. At Old Trafford, I think he did that really well.”

Arsenal host Aston Villa on Sunday looking to back up their impressive win at Manchester United last time out in the Premier League.

Arteta’s side currently sit ninth in the table, level on points with Villa but a place behind them on goal difference.

The Gunners have scored just seven goals in their opening seven league games and Arteta accepts that is something that must improve.

“We need to be more productive,” he said. “In the last few weeks’ve found teams with lower blocks. We’ve trained to be ready against that, we’ve experienced that throughout the games and [against Molde] you could see a big improvement.

“That’s probably the final bit that we need to improve upon as a team because there’s many areas where we’ve improved on a lot.

“In the last few weeks that we’ve improved with the goals and the creativity but it’s the consistency that we need in the final third.”

Vinicius Junior insists being criticised is to be expected when playing for Real Madrid, who he describes as the biggest club in the world.

The Brazil international has struggled to cement himself as a first-team regular at the Santiago Bernabeu since arriving from Flamengo in 2018.

He has made 53 La Liga appearances since the start of 2018-19 - just 25 of those being starts - and has scored just seven goals and set up one more.

That sees the 20-year-old rank below Marco Asensio (nine), and on a par with Lucas Vazquez and Isco (both eight) for goal involvements in an almost identical number of games.

Vinicius has his fair share of critics but says he blocks out the out the opinions of those who do not matter to him.

"I always think about those who want the best for me - family, people at the club, colleagues like Marcelo and Casemiro, the type who put me on the right path," he told YouTube channel Desimpedidos .

"It is all part of being a member of the biggest club in the world. When we lose they talk about us, and when we win it is something else."

Vinicius recently made headlines after Karim Benzema was caught on camera appearing to tell Ferland Mendy not to pass to the young attacker.

Amid suggestions of unrest in the dressing room, though, Vinicius has revealed Benzema is one of his closest friends at Madrid.

"I have a good relationship with Benzema," he said. "Also Lucas Vazquez. I talk a lot with them off the field. There's also [Luka] Modric, who I sit with at lunchtime."

Vinicius made 69 appearances for Flamengo before officially arriving at Madrid and intends to return to his boyhood side one day.

"I am sure that in the very distant future I will head back to Flamengo to give back to the club everything it deserves," he said.

He will hope to be involved in Sunday's trip to Valencia, with Real Madrid targeting top spot in La Liga. Presently, they lie second in the standings, one point behind Real Sociedad, who have played a game more.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is not to blame for Manchester United's poor run of form according to Graeme Souness, who says that United's players have underperformed.

United have slipped to 15th in the Premier League standings at the start of the new season, and already find themselves nine points behind reigning champions Liverpool, albeit having played one game less.

Solskjaer saw his side open the current campaign with a 3-1 defeat against Crystal Palace, which marked the beginning of a worrying sequence of results at Old Trafford.

The Red Devils have also been beaten at home by Tottenham and Arsenal, while Chelsea came away from Manchester with a 0-0 draw, meaning six of United's seven points amassed to date have come on the road.

The Norwegian head coach was hoping for an instant response to last weekend's 1-0 loss to the Gunners in a midweek Champions League clash with Istanbul Basaksehir, but his team ended up being on the wrong end of a 2-1 scoreline after another uninspired display.

Rumours of ex-Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino being drafted in to steady the ship have been widespread in the wake of that result. But Souness believes the players should be held accountable for their poor performances.

The Liverpool legend feels a toxic atmosphere in the dressing room is the main reason behind the Red Devils' struggles, and that Solskjaer has been unfairly made a scapegoat after giving his all to the club's cause.

"I have been a manager, I've been sacked, I've been a manager under pressure, and it's not an easy time for Ole," Souness told Sky Sports. "He's only ever been one game away from everything being wrong at the football club, and that's the price on the ticket when you're at Manchester United.

"I read in a newspaper that the players wouldn't be against a change: the players have got Manchester United into this situation, not Ole! The players have underperformed. But the way football is these days, all the focus is on changing the manager.

"You ask your players to constantly look in the mirror and ask: can I do more? I wonder if any Manchester United players are doing that right now. Or is it the easy route, the exit hatch: 'Get rid of the manager and everything will be fine'.

"That dressing room needs to have a close look at itself, collectively and individually, as to why they're in this situation.

"There are some very good players in that dressing room: stand up and be counted now. For yourself first and foremost, then your families, then for your manager and football clubs.

"That's why I stopped being a manager a long time ago, you can't demand it from them anymore. Instead, you're asking them. I think at the end of every sentence you end up having to say 'Please' today. 'Please can you run a bit harder… please can you be more aggressive… please can you give everything'.

"They were givens, and that should be a given! You're at a big football club at United, you never play easy games, every game you play is a cup final for the opposition. From the outside looking in, a lot of them are in their armchairs, looking to blame other people."

United will be back in Premier League action on Saturday, with a must-win clash against Everton at Goodison Park on the cards before the international break comes into effect.

James Rodriguez has said Everton and Carlo Ancelotti "trusted me when nobody did" and that he is "forever grateful" for a second chance after a frustrating end to his spell at Real Madrid.

Everton pulled off one of the transfer coups of the summer when they lured James away from Santiago Bernabeu for £22 million ($29m) at the start of September.

The Colombian international had spent the previous six years of his career in Madrid, scoring 37 goals in 125 appearances in all competitions and getting his hands on two La Liga titles and two Champions League crowns.

Unfortunately, he fell way down the pecking order after returning from a two-year loan spell at Bayern Munich in the summer of 2019, and only featured in 14 games last season under Zinedine Zidane.

Bringing in James was initially seen as something of a gamble for Ancelotti, who signed the midfielder from Monaco in 2014 while he was in charge of the Blancos, but his calculated risk has already started to pay off in the early stages of the 2020-21 campaign.

The 29-year-old has contributed three goals and three assists to Everton's Premier League cause in his first six outings, helping them rise to fourth in the table.

James is delighted to be working with Ancelotti again at Goodison Park, and has promised to continue giving his all for the Italian after making a bright start to his career with the Toffees.

“Both [Everton and Ancelotti] trusted me when nobody did,” he told BT Sport. "I’ll forever be grateful to the club and to Carlo. That’s why I try to show my best in every game, that’s why I try to play at my highest level. This is what I want to do for the club.

“He’s a very easy-going person, knows how to treat players and how to get the most out of us. That’s why he worked along with all those great clubs, and now, with this new project, we expect him to do his best to achieve extraordinary things.”

Asked if Everton can qualify for the Champions League this term, James responded: “I think we’ve got what we need to be there next year.

“For qualifying, we need willingness to play, we have to be hungry to succeed in every game. I believe all players need to have that same feeling. We need to follow the same path.

“Carlo Ancelotti is a king in terms of European football.”

James went on to praise one of his new partners in the final third of the pitch, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who has stormed to the top of the early Golden Boot standings with eight goals in seven matches.

“He’s a player always willing to score, he’s hungry to score goals,” the Colombian said of the Everton striker.

“That’s a great thing, because all strikers are always looking for opportunities to score. I think he’s the same. He’s also a very young player, but still, he seems to be so ambitious. 

“He’s hungry to score. I hope this year he’ll score 30-40 goals.

“This would definitely help the team achieve great things and get points. He’s an amazing player. We’re also aware of him and of his talent.”

Tottenham manager Jose Mourinho is back on Instagram – but only because his sponsors told him to do it.

He deactivated the platform several years ago but has returned to it and has proven to be a hit on the platform, which have given a background glimpse to life at Spurs.

One particularly popular post arrived after the Europa League loss at Royal Antwerp last week, which he captioned: “Bad performances deserve bad results. Hope everyone in this bus is as upset as I am.”

He told Sky Sports, however, the reason for coming back to the platform was not simply as a motivational tool for his team.

“No, it was not the objective,” he insisted. “I'm still not an Instagram man in my nature.

“I have to be honest, I was asked by my sponsors to do it. They felt that when I closed my account a few years ago we had a few million followers and they weren't happy.

“So now I'm doing bit by bit, quite funny. It is no problem.”

Mourinho has said that he will not be keeping tabs on whether his players follow him.

“Do my players look at it and read it? I have no idea. Also the diversity of the posts I think is just good fun and if people want to follow then no problem,” he said.

While many players are active users of social media, perhaps most infamously Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba, it is rarer for managers to take to the platforms.

Everton boss Carlo Ancelotti is an active user of Twitter but is conspicuous by his presence on the site.

Mourinho, meanwhile, will have his thoughts on Tottenham’s Sunday clash against West Brom, which comes hot on the heels of a 3-1 away trip against Ludogorets in Europe.

Spurs presently lie third in the Premier League after seven matches, having suffered only one defeat to date domestically this season.

With 18 goals to their credit, no team has been more prolific, with striker Harry Kane on six and Son Heung-Min joint top marksman in the division on eight.

Swansea City boss Steve Cooper has commended Andre Ayew's influence on the club in their chase for Premier League promotion.

Continuing from where he left off last season, the 30-year-old has netted in each of his last two appearances to spur the Jack Army to the third position on the Championship table after 10 rounds of matches.

He has registered five goals in 10 league appearances for Swansea so far this term.

"I've said on numerous occasions that Andre is a top player in the league, he’s hungry, motivated and very much a team player," Cooper told pressmen on Friday ahead of Saturday's Championship away encounter against Norwich City.

"Andre is great, he has been since I walked through the door. He’s a good lad and a good professional. Andre's been an excellent player for us. He's become a real talisman.

"Off the pitch, he's a real positive influence on everybody, particularly the young boys. He's so determined to do well. He knows he carries a bit of individual responsibility in scoring the goals and leading the way, as he often does.

"He looks very motivated at the moment, he's very fit and hungry to succeed, and the more of that we see from him the better it is and everybody benefits from it. So we really hope he can continue to deliver for us, and there's no signs that that won't happen.

"We are seeing him in good form but he will be the first to tell you that it is still early stages of the season and there's so much to go."

In the 2019-20 term, Ayew registered 15 goals in 44 appearances to help Swansea reach the Championship playoffs where they lost to Brentford in the semi-final.

His exploits earned him two gongs at the Jack Army's end of season awards where he picked up the top scorer and player of the season accolades.

Ayew's recent good form has also been felt on the international stage as he grabbed a brace in Ghana's 5-1 friendly triumph over Asian champions and 2022 World Cup hosts Qatar last month.

Ruvimbo Mucherera will lead Gintra Universitetas as they take on Cameroonian Ajara Nchout's Valerenga in a Uefa Women's Champions League second-round playoff tie, following Friday's draw.

US-born Zimbabwean Mucherera marked her Champions League debut with a goal in Gintra Universitetas’ 4-0 win over Slovan Bratislava, in the first round of the qualifying round on Wednesday.

On her part, Nchout bagged a brace for Norwegian runners-up following a 7-0 thrashing of Faroe Island's KI on the same day.

Elsewhere, Nigeria's Christy Ucheibe and Cape Verde's Jolina Amani will aim to inspire debutants Sl Benfica to the next round when they will battle Belgian giants Anderlecht in the second round.

Benfica defeated Greek side POAK 3-1 to advance and they will need to maintain the form to zoom past Filip de Winne's side.

Also, Ghana's Elizabeth Addo will hope to power Apollon Limassol past Polish champions Gornik Łeczna following a first-round 3-0 triumph over Welsh champions Swansea City.

And South Africa's Janine Van Wyk will seek to help Glasgow City replicate their incredible run last season when they meet Icelandic side Valur, following a 6-5 triumph Peamount United on penalties.

While Albanian champions Vllaznia will be up against Belarusian giants Minsk, who boasts of Cote d'Ivoire's Nadege Cisse, Cameroon's Alvine Njolle and Henrietta Akaba on their books.

The Champions League second-round playoff matches will be played on November 18 and 19 and the eventual winners will book their place in the Round of 32.

Chelsea are real title contenders this season, according to Frank Sinclair, who says the Blues will only get stronger under Frank Lampard.

Lampard was backed to the tune of over £200 million ($263m) heading into his second season in charge at Stamford Bridge, having overseen an impressive 2019-20 campaign which ended in a fourth-place Premier League finish.

Hakim Ziyech, Timo Werner, Kai Havertz, Ben Chilwell, Thiago Silva and Edouard Mendy were all drafted in over the summer to help bolster Chelsea's chances of becoming an elite force once again, with Liverpool and Manchester City setting high standards at the top of the table in recent years.

Lampard's new-look squad is already beginning to gel together nicely, and the Blues are only four points adrift of the Premier League summit after seven fixtures, with a home meeting against struggling Sheffield United up next on Saturday.

Chelsea will head into that clash fresh from a 3-0 Champions League win over Rennes in midweek which saw them move top of Group E and extend their run of consecutive clean sheets across all competitions to five.

Sinclair is confident his old club are heading in the right direction, and sees an opportunity for them to recapture the Premier League crown with reigning champions Liverpool currently being forced to cope without long-term injury absentee Virgil van Dijk.

"Initially when Frank Lampard brought in a few new faces I was really excited, but then you have the realisation that it's going to take time for things to work out - especially in an attacking sense," the ex-Blues defender told Ladbrokes.

"You need to give them time to settle into the team.

"It's pretty evident in recent results that they have done that and I can only see Chelsea kicking on and getting stronger throughout the season and I think they can be real contenders for the title because for me, there's no outstanding side.

"Obviously Liverpool are the main team you've got to try and overtake to win the title but with them losing Virgil van Dijk I think it opens things up for a few sides to be involved in the title race.

"I think Chelsea will be in and around it; they'll only get stronger throughout the season and for me they've got arguably the best attacking lines in the country - along with Liverpool.

"The more they get used to playing under Frank, the better they'll get."