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In August, Bayern Munich pipped Paris Saint-Germain to capture a sixth Champions League crown, affirming their primacy in European football.

It was a triumph built on the nous of the likes of Robert Lewandowski and Thomas Muller, the mastery and grace of Thiago Alcantara, Joshua Kimmich and David Alaba, and the youth and vivacity of Serge Gnabry, Kingsley Coman and Alphonso Davies.

Rather gloomily for the opposition, they have begun the new season in the same bent and with the same glint in their eye.

Despite a blip against Hoffenheim that saw them humbled in Bundesliga, Hansi Flick’s side is now predictably top of the pile once more, and are just as relentless in the Champions League Group Stage so far. They will, once again, take some stopping; there are precious few sides in Europe with the tools to fend off Bayern, and it is difficult to envisage anyone seriously standing between them and a dynasty.

Except, perhaps, age.

Both Lewandowski and Muller are well into their 30s, and so is defensive stalwart Jerome Boateng. While it would be foolhardy to bet against them, they surely cannot go on for much longer. When the Lazarus pit into which they immerse themselves dries up, where will Bayern be in terms of strength?

Well, that’s where a player of Jamal Musiala’s profile and talents comes in.

Only 17, the attacker, who can play all across the front line, has burst onto the scene this term after eight goals in 22 appearances at youth level for the club. Along with Joshua Zirkzee, who introduced himself last season, it appears Musiala is very much part of the club’s long-term succession plan.

The lithe, wiry attacker was plucked from Chelsea’s youth system at age 16, having already displayed an aptitude for playing at higher age groups. That trend has held since his return to Germany, the country of his birth, and now he finds himself very much on the cusp of the first-team.

Flick has been considered in his introduction of the player, but the effort to do so has, nevertheless, been deliberate.

So far this term, he has played 81 minutes over five matches, the most being a 25-minute cameo in a nerve-shredding 4-3 win over Hertha Berlin on matchday three. His two senior goals so far have come in drubbings: a low, drilled shot in the 8-0 over Schalke on the opening day, making him the club’s youngest-ever goalscorer in Bundesliga, and a cool far-post finish 5-0 against Eintracht Frankfurt a fortnight ago.

There is a paradox for young players in an environment like Bayern: it can be easier to score goals within a side that creates so much, but it can also be easier to stick out like a sore thumb.

Perhaps that is the biggest credit to Musiala – he does not. More than his considerable talent, it is his unflappability under pressure, a quality attested to by the youth coaches at the club, and his desire in pressing and harrying that have worked in his favour.

Flick’s insatiability and drive for perfection would not allow any less.

In that sense, his involvement can be seen as a reward from an approving manager, but the impact has been all his own work.

Born to a Nigerian father and a German mother, Musiala is in the peculiar situation of being eligible for three different nations. He has, in fact, represented both Germany and England, where he moved at age eight on account of his mother’s academic pursuits, at various youth levels, and appears to have an open mind with regard to his international future. Reports suggest, however, that Nigeria lags behind in this stake, despite the fact he apparently picked up football from his father.

Clearly then, a tug-of-war is in the offing, and it is easy enough to see why. Musiala has been compared to England midfielder Dele Alli, but his frame evokes another movement-expert: Thomas Muller.

One can imagine the raumdeuter has quite a way to go yet before calling it quits, but in Musiala Bayern are effectively hot-housing a replacement from within. If he turns out to be anywhere near as good, he would undoubtedly be an asset for many years to come, both for club and country.

Stellenbosch FC have confirmed the signing of Kaizer Chiefs target Phathutshedzo Nange.

The central midfielder has been a free agent since he parted ways with Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila (TTM) after the club purchased Bidvest Wits' PSL status.

Stellies made the announcement on their official Twitter account on Friday.

"Stellenbosch FC are excited to have secured the services of ex- Bidvest Wits midfielder, Phathutshedzo Nange," a club statement read.

"The player was released by TTM and secured as a free agent for the 2020/21 season."

Nange attracted interest from Chiefs after leaving Tshakhuma and he trained with the Naturena-based giants under his former coach at Wits, Gavin Hunt.

The Soweto giants were awaiting an outcome from the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) following their transfer ban appeal hearing.

However, the court dismissed Chiefs’ appeal against a two-window transfer ban which they got after the club was found guilty of signing Andriamirado “Dax” Andrianarimanana illegally in 2018.

Upon learning that their appeal was unsuccessful, Chiefs released Nange and along with his former Wits teammates Brandon Peterson and Sifiso Hlanti, who were also training with the team.

Bafana Bafana international Hlanti has since secured a move to PSL returnees Swallows FC, having been linked with Orlando Pirates in the past.

While goalkeeper Peterson is still a free agent and he was linked with Pirates, before the Soweto giants signed Ghana international Richard Ofori from Maritzburg United. 

Nange has become Stellenbosch's fifth signing in the current transfer window as they look to retain their status in the elite league. 

Junior Leandro Mendieta (Atletico Rafaela, Argentina), Sage Stephens (Cape Town City), Zitha Macheke and Solly Khunyedi (both Wits) have all joined the Western Cape-based side.

Nange could make his debut for Stellies when they take on Chippa United in a PSL match at Danie Craven Stadium in Stellenbosch on November 21.

Former Asante Kotoko coach Abdul Malik Jabir has rued Asamoah Gyan's decision to join Legon Cities over the Porcupine Warriors.

Gyan joined Cities on a one-year deal last week, marking his return to the Ghana Premier League (GPL) for the first time since leaving for Italian Serie A side Udinese in 2003.

Before sealing his transfer to the Royals, the 34-year-old was heavily linked to Kotoko, whom he holds a personal desire to represent before bowing out of active football. 

Until last December, Legon were known as Wa All Stars. 

“Gyan’s comeback is good for the local league but I wish he had joined Kotoko because I have seen his heart is with Kotoko but maybe we didn’t have money to take him," Jabir told Luv FM.

"If he had come to Kotoko, he will have had things much easier than going to struggle in that small team.

"They [Legon] are now struggling to come up because it is a new team. It’s not their fault; they are a new side struggling to make it.

"So, it means he [Gyan] will struggle over there more than if he had come to Kotoko."

Gyan was without a club for nine months. His last stint - a short-term deal with Indian Super League side NorthEast United - ended in January. 

"I have said on countless occasions that I have Kotoko at heart. I have also said I will play for them before I retire from the game," the former Sunderland forward told Adom TV.

"As I’m without a club, there were speculations that the deal has been finalised but as a professional football player, we don’t deal like that.

“I have made it known that I will play for them but at least we have to go through processes because I’m still a professional footballer.

"I don’t want people to downgrade the Ghanaian league. At times people even get it wrong [by their assumption] that if a player travels abroad, then he then becomes a professional footballer. But they don’t know that the Ghana league is professional.

“Kotoko should do everything professional although I have said I will play for them. I can't just stand up and say I’m going to play for the club. I’m available so when they are ready, we have to sit down and go through whatever is involved in terms of signing a contract.”

In his previous and only GPL spell, Gyan netted 10 goals for Liberty Professionals in 2003.

The 2020-21 Serie A season is shaping up to be full of excitement as the likes of AC Milan, Inter and Lazio attempt to end Juventus' hegemony in Italian football.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic has returned to San Siro to lead a younger generation of Rossoneri stars, while Antonio Conte has assembled an impressive squad on the blue side of the city.

Upstarts Atalanta have emerged as serious contenders in recent years too, with traditional challengers Napoli and Roma also keen to mount a solid campaign.

However, Juve boast the star quality of Cristiano Ronaldo, as well as Paulo Dybala and Alvaro Morata, so they will be confident of seeing off the threats to their dominance.

So, how can you watch it all unfold - and for free? Goal brings you everything you need to know.

Contents

How to watch Serie A live for free in the UK

Serie A matches can be watched live in the United Kingdom on the LiveScore app, which allows fans to stream a selection of games on their mobile phone or tablet device.

Once you have installed the app, visit the match page of the fixture you want to watch and if it features a little television icon (�º ) it can be streamed live.

While some games are exclusive to Premier Sports and FreeSports, a number of them are also available each week through the app.

The feature is only available to LiveScore app users in the UK and Ireland. Games cannot be streamed live through the LiveScore website, but the games which are available are clearly indicated.

What other games can be streamed live on LiveScore?

As well as Serie A, a selection of games from the Dutch Eredivisie and Portuguese Primeira Liga are available to stream live through the LiveScore app.

That means you are able to take in matches involving the likes of Ajax, PSV, Porto, Sporting and Benfica each week, which may be of interest to those whose focus is outside Europe's top five leagues.

Games from the Coupe de France and Chinese Super League are also available to watch through the app, while a selection of Champions League and Europa League qualifiers were too.

There is a truly global selection, with CONCACAF World Cup qualifiers, Copa Libertadores and Copa Sudamericana also featuring in the offering.

How can I download the LiveScore app?

The LiveScore app is available for the iPad or iPhone on the App Store and it can be downloaded for Android devices via Google Play.

Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder Yves Bissouma has been nominated for the Premier League Goal of the Month for October.

The 24-year-old opened his season account for Graham Potter’s men in style in their 4-2 defeat against Everton.

The Mali international fired home a fantastic volley from outside the box moments before full-time but the effort was not enough to save his side from defeat in the encounter.

The fine strike has, however, not gone unnoticed as it has been shortlisted for the best goal in the month under review.

Bissouma will compete with Chelsea’s Timo Werner, Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes, as well as West Ham United duo Michail Antonio and Manuel Lanzini for a chance to clinch the individual accolade.

The midfielder will also slug it out with Aston Villa’s Ross Barkley, Leeds United’s Patrick Bamford and Fulham’s Tom Cairney.

Bissouma has featured in seven Premier League games in the 2020-21 season and his effort has helped the Seagulls’ to their current 16th place on the table.

The 24-year-old will hope to play a part and help Brighton end their unimpressive run of form when they take on Burnley on Friday night.

The midfielder teamed up with the Seagulls in the summer of 2018 from French club Lille and has become a key member of Potter’s side.

Bissouma has featured in more than 56 games across all competitions for Brighton since his arrival at the club.

Young Africans (Yanga SC) will welcome arch-rivals Simba SC on November 7 for the first Kariakoo Derby in the 2020/21 Mainland Premier League season.

Goal looks at how the two local giants have fared against one another in the last decade, where they have been the most successful sides in the league.

Apart from the 2013/14 season when Azam FC picked up the title, it has been either Simba or Yanga in all the other occasions from 2010 to 2020.

What is of importance to note is Yanga have not been able to wrestle the title back from Simba on the last three occasions since they last won it under Zambian head coach George Lwandamina.

Heading to the matches - on October 16 2010, Yanga picked up a 1-0 away win over Simba while the other tie ended in a one-all draw as Yanga went ahead to claim the title.

Biggest scoreline

Timu ya Wananchi were again successful in the first encounter of the 2011/12 season given that they won the match with a slim margin of 1-0 at home. As they were without a win in a number of matches against the rivals, Wekundu wa Msimabzi responded in a big way and dismantled Yanga 5-0 in an encounter held in May 2012.

The 5-0 win remains the biggest scoreline registered between the Dar es Salaam sides in the decade and the points earned therein contributed a great deal in Simba’s march towards winning the title.

In the 2012/13 campaign, the giants shared the points after a 1-1 draw while the second tie ended in a 2-0 win in favour of the Jangwani Street club. The four points earned played a great role as Timu ya Wananchi won the title back.

In the 2013/14 season, no side managed to get maximum points from the other as 3-3 and 1-1 draws were recorded but both sides subsequently lost out on the title to Azam.

There was only one goal scored in both matches of the 2014/15 season when Wekundu wa Msimbazi emerged victorious in the second tie of the season with a 1-0 score while the initial showdown had ended in a goalless stalemate.

When Yanga managed to retain the title in the 2015/16 campaign, they defeated the Msimbazi Street side with an identical 2-0 scorelines in both ties.

For the 2016/17 season – which is the last time Yanga won the title after winning it in three straight occasions – a 1-1 draw was recorded before the second tie was won by Simba with a 2-1 margin.

Simba’s current dominance – of three consecutive league successes - over their rivals started in the 2017/18 season but they were unable to get six points from their rivals. The first meeting ended in a 1-1 draw before the champions won 1-0 in the second tie.

The 2018/19 ties took a similar pattern to the previous ones with few goals in matches as one goal was scored. The first match ended in a 0-0 draw before Simba got a 1-0 win as they won the title for the successive second time.

The 2019/20 season, which was interrupted by the coronavirus outbreak, saw a total of five goals scored. Simba were destined to win the first tie on January 4 after taking a 2-0 lead courtesy of Meddie Kagere and Deo Kanda. Yanga kept fighting and equalised courtesy of Balama Mapinduzi and Adeyum Saleh’s second-half goals.

The second season meeting ended in favour of Yanga when Bernard Morrison struck a neat free-kick to stun the eventual champions. Morrison has since controversially moved to Simba but a three-match ban will see him sit out of this weekend's encounter.

Vandenbroeck's target

Simba head coach Sven Vandenbroeck has stated why a victory in Saturday's clash is of great importance.

“It is a game between two traditional rivals and it is one match that we must win and make sure we reduce the number of points between us and them,” the Belgian said.

“We must be careful enough during the match.”

On his part, Yanga coach Cedric Kaze said his target is to finish the business in under 20 minutes.

"My target is to make sure we get a win in the derby and we want to do it as earlier as possible, we want to use the first 20 minutes to score and it will help give us to ride towards our target,” the Burundian said.

The match will be played at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium at 17:00.

There will be no annual Ballon d'Or ceremony this year, so the football world will have to wait another year to potentially see a non-Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo footballer crowned with the highest individual honour.

But why was the ceremony cancelled, and who could have won it? Goal takes a look.

Why is the 2020 Ballon d'Or cancelled?

The 2020 Ballon d'Or has been cancelled due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the football calendar.

France Football, who organise the ceremony, stated that the several months of disruptions caused by coronavirus has made it impossible to treat the 2019-20 season as a regular year to judge football properly and fairly.

It will be the first time in Ballon d'Or history that the award has been cancelled.

France Football editor-in-chief Pascal Ferre stated: "There will be no edition in 2020, because it turns out, after thoughtful consideration, that all the conditions are not met. We believe that such a singular year cannot -- and should not -- be treated as an ordinary one. 

"From a sports perspective, two months [January and February], out of the 11 generally required to form an opinion and decide who should lift the trophies, represent far too little to gauge and judge; without forgetting that the other games were played -- or will be played -- in unusual conditions [behind closed doors, with five replacements, Champions League's Final eight played in a single game].

"Finally, the equality that is required for this honorary title will not be met, especially when it comes to assessing performance and preparation: all the award contenders will not be in the same boat, some having seen their season cut short.

"Therefore, how can we establish a fair comparison? To avoid overly convoluted calculations and projections, we chose the least bad of the options."

The Ballon d'Or ceremony will return in December 2021.

Who could have won the 2020 Ballon d'Or?

The cancellation of the award serves as a huge blow to Bayern star Robert Lewandowski, who looked to be the frontrunner of the prize.

The Poland international had been in monstrous form for the German giants last season, netting over 50 goals and clinching the treble.

He was top-scorer in the 2019-20 Champions League with 15 goals, his strikes instrumental in winning Bayern Munich their sixth title.

Messi currently edges out formal rival Ronaldo to six Ballons d'Or to Ronaldo's five, but neither were considered major frontrunner for this year's award should it not have been cancelled.

Both had disappointing seasons based on their usual standards, with Messi's Barcelona failing to win single piece of silverware.

Barcelona's 8-2 humiliation to Bayern in the Champions League was a nail in the coffin, while Ronaldo lifted just the Serie A with Juventus.

"If I’m Lewandowski and they have cancelled the Ballon d’Or, I’m starting up a petition to get it back on," Rio Ferdinand told TEAMtalk. 

"I can’t believe they have cancelled it. It’s cruel, that is a good word to describe it. Lewandowski deserves to win that award for what he has done this season and if he leads Bayern Munich to the Champions League and they still decide they won’t give it out to him, it’s not right."

Nicolas Pepe is making it easy for Mikel Arteta to leave him out of his team, according to Ray Parlour, who says Arsenal's record signing goes missing far too often.

Pepe became the most expensive player in Arsenal's history when he completed a £72 million ($95m) move to Emirates Stadium from Lille in August 2019.

The Ivory Coast international had built up a reputation as a deadly winger with an impressive record for goals and assists in Ligue 1, but has yet to show the same kind of form in English football.

The 25-year-old has 11 goals to his name from his first 52 outings for the Gunners, and has struggled to hold down a place in Arteta's starting XI since the Spaniard's return to the club in December.

After being dropped for last weekend's win at Manchester United, Pepe returned to the Arsenal manager's line-up when Molde arrived at the Emirates for a Europa League group-stage clash on Thursday.

He failed to affect the game in any significant way during the first 45 minutes, but improved drastically in the second period, scoring and assisting to help the hosts wrap up a comfortable 4-1 victory.

Arteta called for Pepe to start delivering the goods on a more consistent basis in his post-match interview, and Parlour has echoed the 38-year-old's sentiments, insisting the ex-Lille star is not doing enough to earn a regular spot in the team.

"I think it was a game of two halves for Pepe [against Molde]. I thought first half he was pretty poor," the Gunners legend told talkSPORT. "He picked up second half but you can’t do that when you are in big games, you have to be effective for the 90 minutes. That’s what Mikel Arteta is saying.

"You've got to play your part throughout the game. I think [Bukayo] Saka does that. If you look at the way he plays he's always involved in the good parts of Arsenal's game going forwards and defensively.

"Pepe's just got to get that bit more consistency during the game because you can go missing.

"You can't have missing players because against the big sides you have to have everyone on that pitch doing their work and being involved in a good team performance, that's probably what he's trying to say there against Pepe.

"First half yesterday it was like his brother was playing, Second half he's turned up and got his goal. The price tag doesn't help, it was a lot of money. There's going to be more pressure when the fee is a little bit higher.

"I just want to see him do it five or six games in a row. He's got to have such a good game that Mikel Arteta can't leave him out. At the moment Pepe is giving Arteta the easy option to leave him out.

"He's too inconsistent and doesn't do it in every game. The big players do it every game, like Son [Heung-min] at Spurs. He makes a difference every single game, that's what Pepe doesn't do."

Express FC coach Wasswa Bbosa is optimistic his charges will have a good 2020/21 Ugandan Premier League season owing to the signings they have made.

The six-time league champions have signed 18 players in preparations for the forthcoming campaign. The tactician believes the signed players will help the Wankulukuku-based team challenge for the league title and that fans have every reason to be optimistic as well.

"I thank our bosses for the support extended to us in this [Covid-19] period, they have been able to give us all players we asked without hesitation," Bbosa told Express TV.

"I [urge] all fans to be hopeful, this season’s recruitment is going to be fruitful because we have recruitments across all departments on the pitch. We now have young players who can compete."

Even when football was suspended in Uganda, the tactician has explained what he did to ensure the players are fit.

"Despite [Covid-19] situation, which led to the suspension of public gathering and training, my players are in good shape," Bbosa continued.

"With the help of my technical team, which I lead, we have been monitoring these players by giving them individual training programs. As you well know, public open training are yet to resume, and by the time we commence, we will be on the right track."

Bbosa further states nothing has changed as far as the team targets are concerned. He further exuded confidence that experienced defender Murushid Jjuuko will have a positive impact on the Red Eagles. 

"Our targets haven’t changed, and in three years we will at least win a trophy for Express, as we promised when getting this job," he added.

"And our bosses know about it because Express are here to compete and that is what it is known for; to be victorious.  

"We are so grateful for players like Murushid Jjuuko who adds a lot on our defence especially in experience and confidence because every other team is built starting from the defence."  

The Wankulukuku Red Eagles finished ninth in the abandoned 2019/20 season with 31 points.

Vipers SC were crowned as champions and will be playing in the Caf Champions League while KCCA FC, who finished second, got the right to play in the Caf Confederation Cup.

Erling Haaland is "almost obsessed with success" but comparing him with Robert Lewandowski is pointless, according to Michael Zorc.

Two of Europe's most feared strikers go head to head on Saturday when Borussia Dortmund host Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga.

Lewandowski was the top scorer in Europe's top-five leagues last season, hitting 51 goals to propel Bayern to a treble triumph, and he set a Bundesliga record by scoring 10 goals in the first five matchdays of 2020-21.

Haaland, meanwhile, has managed five goals in as many Bundesliga appearances this term from a total of 15 shots. That puts the Dortmund striker's shot conversion rate at 29.4, a little way behind Lewandowski's 34.5, but he has scored 66.7 per cent of his certified big chances this term, a better tally than Lewandowski's (58.3).

Haaland is 12 years Lewandowski's junior and Dortmund sporting director Zorc feels it is too soon to compare the two, although the 20-year-old's determination to succeed seems likely to see him reach similar standards.

"They are different types of players. They score a lot of goals, but they have a different age," Zorc told reporters ahead of the Klassiker.

"We're happy to have Erling. He's not just good for us because of goals, but also because he exudes a will to improve all the time.

"He's almost obsessed with success. The comparisons are for journalists and experts, not us."

Head coach Lucien Favre believes Haaland is important in terms of not conceding goals, not only scoring them.

Dortmund conceded 44 Bundesliga goals in Favre's first season in charge, which improved to 41 in 2019-20. They also kept 15 clean sheets last term compared to 10 this season before.

They faced fewer shots on target (106) than in 2018-19 (134), something Favre says is down to improved defending from across the team, as they attempt to set a Bundesliga record of five consecutive clean sheets.

"We were okay in the first year, we didn't concede a lot of goals in the first half of the season, but now we're doing better," he said.

"What matters is that we all defend. A team has to defend together – that starts with the striker. It's the whole team that has to do it."

Bayern have won all three competitive games against Dortmund under Hansi Flick, including the DFL-Supercup in September, when they triumphed 3-2.

They effectively ended Dortmund's title hopes in May with a 1-0 win at Signal Iduna Park, courtesy of Joshua Kimmich's sublime chip, but BVB were aggrieved Haaland was not awarded a penalty when a shot struck Jerome Boateng's arm in the box.

"I think the attraction is always very great. We saw the last two games were close, with only one goal settling both," said Zorc.

"We lost the last home game because of a blatantly bad decision. That's beyond dispute. We have self-confidence and we want to throw everything into the mix tomorrow to win."

South Africa continued their fine start in the Cosafa Women's Cup with a 5-0 victory over Eswatini on Friday.

Banyana Banyana came into the contest on the back of Tuesday's 2-0 win against Angola thanks to strikes from Lonathemba Mhlongo and Karabo Dhlamini at the Wolfson Stadium.

On Friday, the hosts gained an early lead when Nonhlanhla Mthandi opened the scoring for Desiree Ellis' side after just three minutes.

Banyana maintained their pouring attack against Bongumusa Mdluli's side and Sibulele Holweni doubled the lead seven minutes from the half-time break.

On return from recess, Ellis' team continued from where they left off as Gabriela Salgado extended the lead two minutes after the restart.

On the hour mark, Mthandi bagged her second of the match to increase the tally for South Africa before Salgado struck from a late free-kick to complete the rout.

The win puts South Africa on the brink of a semi-final berth and moves them to the top of the log in Group A, with six points from two ties. 

Banyana will now seek to complete their group stage campaign on a high when they face familiar foe Comoros on November 9.

In the other result in Group A, Comoros were held to a 1-1 draw by Angola earlier at the same venue in Nelson Mandela Bay.

Manchester United head coach Casey Stoney has called the late postponement of her side's game against Everton in midweek unacceptable.

It was announced on Wednesday morning through official channels that the Continental Cup tie would not go ahead, with the Toffees citing "safety concerns on site arising from damage caused by high winds" as the reason.

Stoney, however, was less than impressed with the timing of the decision.

"It's not ideal. It's not ideal that at quarter past nine on Tuesday night I find out that I've not got a game the next day, when all day it could have been a problem that was fixed," she said.

"How much effort went into fixing it? I have to ask the question. We've prepared for a game. But I've got a fantastic team, they turned it around quickly and we were back in training the next day. I flipped it, it's got to be a positive. We get an extra day to prepare for Arsenal [on Sunday].

"But at a professional level, it's not acceptable."

Sunday's home match with Arsenal will now be United's first game in three weeks due to the international break, the Women's FA Cup final last weekend and that postponement.

It presents her team with another huge test as they look to bridge the gap to the traditional 'big three' of the Gunners, Manchester City and Chelsea - something they showed their potential of doing on the opening weekend of the Women's Super League season in a 1-1 draw with Chelsea.

That day, Stoney's side were heavily depleted too, able to put just four outfield players on their bench, making the result and performance against the reigning champions all the more impressive.

"I think you look at our squad in that game and we were lighter. We're definitely stronger now as a squad," Stoney said.

"It's about hunger, it's about belief, it's about mentality. But I'm not naive going into this game. I know Arsenal are excellent.

"They've got players coming back - [Jill] Roord played the other night, Kim Little was on the bench and came on. They've got exceptional players coming back into their squad and obviously Joe [Montemurro] is an excellent manager.

"It's going to be really difficult for us to get what we need out of the game, but I have absolutely 100 per cent confidence in my team.

"I know what we're capable of on our day. We just need to make sure that we work hard to make it our day and execute our game plan."

Chelsea have been told the decision not to award them a penalty in their 0-0 draw with Manchester United last month was incorrect, Frank Lampard has revealed.

Cesar Azpilicueta was impeded by Harry Maguire as he jumped to meet a cross in the first half at Old Trafford but referee Martin Atkinson did not point to the spot and the VAR upheld his decision.

Chelsea were more fortunate in their 3-0 win over Rennes on Wednesday, as Dalbert was shown a second yellow card for handball after Tammy Abraham's shot ricocheted off the Brazilian defender's leg and up onto his arm.

In the Premier League this season, 27 of the 68 games played (39.7 per cent) have seen at least one penalty taken. It is significantly up on the mark of 23% from 2019-20 and 14% higher than the record set in 2009-10 (25.3%).

The Premier League is using a different interpretation of the handball rule to the Champions League and Lampard wants to see greater alignment in officiating across the top European competitions.

"I think the handball rule which we adjusted in the Premier League has not been adjusted in the Champions League and from FIFA it seems," said Lampard.

"It's a rule that is universally disliked by anybody who plays, watches or supports football. I can't back it in midweek when it gives us a penalty and a red card [for Rennes] because it doesn't feel right. I think that has to be looked at in Europe in terms of how we move forward.

"That one goes in our favour and it's important to be open and honest about that, I said it after the game. And the one against Man United recently went against us.

"We've enquired about the reasons for that decision, we've been told it was a penalty. The VAR didn't take much time to look at it and that probably cost us two points on the day.

"With VAR and the subtle differences we've got to make sure VAR is there for a reason, to get the decisions right with retrospect and time for everybody on an even playing field.

"It was just one that went against us there and in midweek we had one that had a big impact on the game."

Reece James was named in Gareth Southgate's England squad for the upcoming friendly with the Republic of Ireland and Nations League matches against Belgium and Iceland.

The Chelsea right-back was sent off as the Three Lions lost their previous Nations League game 1-0 to Denmark.

Lampard has no problem with players going off to play on the international stage but revealed James will return to Chelsea following England's first game.

"I'm proud that players get called up for their countries. I'd never want to take that opportunity away from them, I think it's part of a being a top player," said Lampard.

"With Reece it's going to look after itself because he'll be involved in the first one and come back to us.

"Players are probably in need of a bit of a rest, when you think there are three games for some of them. I just try to have an open conversation with the managers of the team, speak with the players as they go and try to manage it as well as we can."

Christian Eriksen is struggling "mentally" at Inter and should look for "something new", says Michael Laudrup.

Eriksen committed his future to Inter through to 2024 after completing an £18 million ($24m) move to San Siro from Tottenham in the last January transfer window.

The 28-year-old was revered as one of the best playmakers in the Premier League during his time in north London, but has so far failed to live up to the same high standards in Italy.

He has only contributed three goals and four assists to Inter's cause in his first 33 appearances, and has yet to nail down a regular starting spot under Antonio Conte.

A move away from Milan is already being mooted for Eriksen in January, with Paris Saint-Germain reportedly keen on bringing the midfielder to Parc des Princes.

Laudrup says his fellow countryman has all the necessary tools at his disposal to be successful at Inter, but thinks underlying off-field issues may be affecting his performance, and would understand if he seeks a transfer when the market reopens.

The Denmark legend told TV3 of Eriksen's current plight: "I don't believe he is not suitable for Italian football.

"He's obviously a great player. He has two midfielders behind him and a giant like Romelu Lukaku who moves a lot and Lautaro Martinez, who is technically strong, ahead of him.

"There can be so many other things behind it. Mentally and culturally and things like that. But I can't believe he can't adapt tactically.

"I see that the local press, especially La Gazzetta dello Sport which is based in Milan, they have journalists who are already writing that his experience is coming to an end. They'll get this information from somewhere, maybe also from the club.

"I think Eriksen might want to look around for something new. But it's not easy either. It is not easy to find a club that wants to pay a lot of money for him, considering how little he played."

Eriksen was an unused substitute as Inter fell to a 3-2 defeat away at Real Madrid in the Champions League on Tuesday, which leaves them sitting bottom of Group B after three fixtures.

The Nerazzurri's form in Serie A has also been erratic at the start of the 2020-21 campaign, but Conte will be hoping his side can get back on track when they take in a trip to Atalanta on Sunday.

Mathare United have completed the signing of experienced defender David Ochieng', commonly referred to as Cheche.

The Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Premier League sides have been active in the transfer market n the last few days, bringing onboard players they feel are capable of helping them to perform in the forthcoming season.

With a few hours remaining before the transfer window closes, the 2008 champions have confirmed the arrival of the former AFC Leopards defender.

"Well well well, look at what we have here," the Slum Boys posted on their official social media outlets.

"Kenyan international David 'Cheche' Ochieng' has joined us on a one-year deal from Saudi Arabian side Al Ansar.

"Excited to have you onboard 'Cheche,' [you are welcome] at Mathare."

The 28-year-old has been a free agent after his contract with Saudi Arabian outfit Al-Ansar FC expired. 

Ochieng' started his professional career in 2011 with the National Super League side Nairobi Stima. A year later, he joined Tusker FC and was part of the Kenyan Premier League (KPL) title-winning team. He also won the KPL Super Cup.

The defender then left for Saud Arabia where he signed with Al Tawoon FC from 2013 to 2015. He was among the key players at the team and went on to make 51 appearances, scoring one goal in the process.

American outfit New York Cosmos was interested in the 28-year-old's services and they signed him in 2016 but the defender left again a year later. At the time, he had played a total of 29 matches and scored one goal.

On Tuesday, the ‘Slum Boys’ confirmed the signing of three players - striker Eugene Wethuli from National Super League (NSL) side Nairobi Simba, Cersidy Okeyo from Sofapaka, and defender Moses Mburu from AFC Leopards. 

They have also signed defender Martin Werunga.  

The next calling was in Sweden for Idrottsforeningen Brommapojkarna in 2018. It was a short-term contract for the player and he played 13 times for them before he made a return to Kenya, signing a six-month contract with AFC Leopards in 2019.

After that, he left for Al-Ansar where he was plying his trade before his contract expired.

Mathare have not yet resumed training in preparation for the FKF Premier League campaign. However, they are set to resume on Tuesday.

A Premier League six-pointer takes place on Sunday when Manchester City host champions Liverpool.

Defeat for either team would not be a disaster at this early stage in the season but it would give a huge boost to the winner, both in terms of the table as well as on a psychological level.

Previous editions of this fixture have seen plenty of action, with 29 goals being scored in the last 10 renewals in all competitions, and Sunday’s clash should be no different.

With Gabriel Jesus having only just returned from injury, Pep Guardiola may continue to play Sterling as the most advanced player and this should give him plenty of chance to add to his already impressive goal tally.

The former Liverpool man has scored five times in 10 starts this season and found the net when these sides last met back in July, so looks a prime candidate to strike again on Sunday against a depleted Reds defence.

Also in form is Jota after his hat-trick against Atalanta in midweek to make it seven goals for the season, having also scored the winning goal in Liverpool’s last two Premier League outings. The Portuguese has shown no signs of needing to settle in at Anfield and will be brimming with confidence ahead of this trip to the Etihad Stadium.

It should be a tasty battle of wits between Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp. 

Here's how to watch the game LIVE from India.
 

Contents

Where to watch or stream Man City vs Liverpool

The Star Sports network (Star Sports and Star Sports Select) has the rights to show Premier League matches in India.

Matches will also be available on streaming mobile application Disney+ Hotstar VIP, allowing supporters to watch multiple games simultaneously and catch the replay of matches.

Premier League fixtures

Matchday 8

*All Premier League matches may be streamed online on Disney+ Hotstar VIP.

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Related links

The FA Cup in England is the oldest football competition in the world and this season, despite coronavirus pandemic-related issues, it returns for the 140th season.

Teams from the lowest level of the English football pyramid right up to the Premier League compete in the tournament and this year it will see a total of 736 teams take part.

Winner-takes-all knockout games mean there is always a chance of a 'giant killing' and there have been plenty of those moments over the years, contributing to the magic of the cup.

This season there will be no replays in order to ease the burden of fixture congestion. That decision was confirmed by the Football Association in August prior to the tournament kick-off.

Goal brings you everything you need to know about the 2020-21 edition of the FA Cup.

FA Cup 2020-21 second round

The draw for the FA Cup 2020-21 second round proper takes place on November 9.

FA Cup 2020-21 first round

The first round proper of FA Cup 2020-21 kicked off on November 6, with games also being played on November 7, 8 and 9.

A total of 48 clubs from League One and League Two enter at this phase of the competition as they join the 31 winners of the previous round (along with the bye recipients - on this occasion, Chorley Town).

When did the FA Cup 2020-21 start & when is the final?

The first round proper of the 2020-21 FA Cup kicked off on November 6, 2020, with 47 clubs from League One and League Two entering at that stage.

Those clubs joined the 32 winners from the qualifying stages of the competition, which got underway at the end of August and concluded on November 4.

Premier League and Championship clubs enter the competition at the third round.

The FA Cup 2020-21 final is scheduled for Saturday May 15, 2021. It will be held at the traditional venue of Wembley in London.

FA Cup TV channel & stream

The FA Cup is broadcast on the BBC and BT Sport in the United Kingdom.

Both networks air the final and share the rest of the competition, taking turns to select the games they wish to broadcast.

All matches shown by the BBC and BT Sport will be available to stream on their respective websites and apps, while a number will be exclusively online.

In the United States, the rights to the FA Cup are owned by ESPN and the games are exclusively streamed online via ESPN+ . 

That means the games are not strictly being shown live on television in the US.

Young Africans (Yanga SC) coach Cedric Kaze has revealed the tactics he will use to finish off Simba SC and claim the bragging rights in the Mainland Premier League.

The two Tanzania giants will face off on Saturday in the first Kariakoo derby of the season, with Yanga currently enjoying a good start to the campaign, as they are yet to lose a match in nine attempts.

In fact, Kaze, who signed a three-year deal to join the Jangwani giants after the exit of Serbian Zlatko Krmpotic, has overseen four matches out of the nine, managing to win three before they battled to a 0-0 draw against promoted side Gwambina FC in their last outing.

Kaze has now revealed his happiness at taking charge of his first derby on Tanzanian soil but said he has asked his players to make sure they score in the first 20 minutes to help unsettle their rivals.

"My target is to make sure we get a win in the derby and we want to do it as earlier as possible, we want to use the first 20 minutes to score and it will help give us to ride towards our target,” Kaze is quoted by Sokaletu.

"We have done enough preparations going into the derby and I want to assure our fans we are ready to win the game, you know a derby is not an easy match, we must be at our best, my players have promised me they will deliver.

“I have set up my plans on how to finish them, I know they are the champions, but it doesn’t matter when it comes to derbies, we need to use skills to win the match, we need to use our brains so that we can overpower them.

“But what I know, fans who will attend or follow the derby from anywhere around Africa, they will be entertained, it will be a good derby and they should be ready to be entertained.”

Meanwhile, the Tanzania Premier League Board (TPLB) have confirmed the names of the officials who will be in charge of the derby at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium on Saturday.

The officials will be led by Elly Sasii, Mohamed Mkono, Abdallah Mwinyimkuu, Abubakar Mturo, Ramadhan Kayoko, Philipo Alando and Paschal Chiganga.

On Wednesday, TPLB CEO Almas Kasongo confirmed the derby will have two extra referees to make sure that all the teams and both sets of fans are satisfied with the outcome at the end of the whistle.

“We have added two extra referees for the derby, so we will have six referees in total to officiate the match on Saturday,” Kasongo told Goal on Wednesday.

“The two extra referees will be at the end of both sides of the goal-posts like it happens in Europe, and they will assist the centre referee and also the two assistants, plus the match commissioner making it six officials for the match.

“We have also made sure that security will be provided during and after the derby so we want to urge as many fans as possible to come for the match, it is the first derby of the season and we hope to see a good match.”

Last season, the two giants met three times, with the first round ending in a 2-2 draw before Yanga turned on the screw to win the second round fixture 1-0, but they again faced off in the semi-finals of the FA Cup where Simba won 4-1.