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Victor Wanyama and Montreal Impact lost their third straight Major Soccer League (MLS) game after going down 1-0 to Orlando City SC on Sunday at Red Bull Arena in New Jersey.

Daryl Dike scored the only goal of the encounter as Orlando City kept pace in the race for the third place in the Eastern Conference. The goal is Dikes’ third in as many games and his seventh of the season.

The goal, which Dike scored in the 39th minute, gave the Lions some great boost as they chase a place in the playoffs but it added more pressure on Wanyama and his teammates going into the final matchday.

The goal came as a result of a clever move by Mauricio Pereyra that broke Montreal Impact’s backline and got a good pass to Dike for the opener. Dike found himself through on goal and had an easy task of beating an isolated Clement Diop in goal.

The scoreline would have been huge had goalkeeper Diop failed to make key saves against the resilient opponents. Diop made four vital stops in the first half and two others in the second half when Tesho Akindele and Junior Urso were likely to score from counter-attacks.

Thierry Henry made two changes in an attempt to alter the scoreline just a few minutes after the half-time. The Frenchman sent Anthony Jackson-Hamel and midfielder Amar Sejdic for Jorge Corrales and Emanuel Maciel respectively but the duo had little impact.

Pedro Gallesse denied Montreal Impact an equaliser in the last stages of the game and the Peru goalkeeper was alert enough to deny Bojan Krkic a goal after he attempted to find the top corner with a fierce shot from outside the box in stoppage time.

Orlando City confirmed their victory despite having key stars Nani and Chris Mueller not available for the New Jersey trip.

Wanyama’s side remained above the playoffs line despite their fifth defeat in six games and was further saved by D.C United and Miami losses.

DC United will face off with Montreal Impact for the last matches for both sides on Sunday.

Azam FC winger Salum ‘Sure Boy’ Abubakar has remained confident they are on the right track to win the Mainland Premier League title.

The Chamazi-based giants have enjoyed a good start to the 2020-21 campaign managing seven straight wins before they were beaten 2-1 by Mtibwa Sugar.

Again they could not pick up maximum points as they had to come from behind to force a 1-1 draw against JKT Tanzania in their last league match at Azam Complex.

Despite the latest results, Abubakar has maintained they have already set their sights on winning the title and nothing has changed.

“Nothing has changed yet, because our plan is to win the league title,” Abubakar is quoted by Sokaletu. “We all know the competition in the league is tough, but we have set our own plans, we are looking at what we want to achieve.

“We are confident the squad we have will achieve the targets we set before the season kicked off, we knew we can reach the targets and that is why we set them, we will continue to battle until we reach our goals at the end of the season.”

On Saturday, Azam, who are sitting at the top of the 18-team league table, confirmed the return of monthly awards to boost their players in the quest to win the title.

In a separate interview, Azam information officer Thabit Zakaria told Goal the reason to re-introduce the awarding system is aimed at improving the team’s performance as they chase for the league title which they last won in the 2013-14 season.

“We want to make sure that our playing unit is well motivated and hence the decision to have the awards,” Zakaria told Goal. “We want to compete and achieve our targets this season, we have to play our part at the office and motivate the players, and that is what we have done.

“For the players to perform, you must support them,” Zakaria continued. “We are still on top of the table, we want to continue playing and getting points, we don’t want to let go of the position, and we must now win our next match to remain on course.”

Azam will next face promoted Dodoma Jiji on Saturday.

Mason Mount says Hakim Ziyech is "a joy to play with" and has hailed his new Chelsea team-mate as "world-class".

Chelsea reached an agreement to sign Ziyech for an initial fee of €40 million (£36m/$47m) from Ajax in January, and he joined up with Frank Lampard's squad at the end of the 2019-20 campaign.

Supporters were made to wait before seeing the 27-year-old in action as he struggled with fitness issues, but have been rewarded for their patience over the past week.

Ziyech scored a fine individual goal on his first start for the Blues in a 4-0 Champions League win over Krasnodar on Wednesday, and retained a place in Lampard's line-up for a trip to Turf Moor three days later.

The Moroccan doubled his account in a Chelsea shirt with a strike to open the scoring against Burnley, and produced a superb pass to set up a goal for Timo Werner with Kurt Zouma also finding the back of the net in an impressive 3-0 victory.

That result saw Lampard's men move up to sixth in the Premier League, four points behind leaders and reigning champions Liverpool after seven fixtures.

The Blues are now being billed as potential title contenders, and Mount thinks Ziyech has added a new dimension to the team in the final third of the pitch.

"We know what he can do on the ball and what he brings to the team," the England international said of the ex-Ajax star after the win at Burnley. "[He's a] World-class player, obviously coming in and scoring the other night [against Krasnodar] and scoring on his Premier League debut. He’s a brilliant player.

"He’s a joy to play with, very clever on the ball, he brings a lot to the team. He’s a very good player."

Lampard also heaped praise upon Ziyech, telling a post-match press conference: "I expected a lot of him because I was very aware of his qualities and how important they can be to the club.

"He brings a different property to us, with an eye for a pass, his receiving, crossing and assist-making. His work-rate off the ball is very, very good as well. He has brought those qualities and comes with real confidence. He has given us a big boost."

Ziyech's next chance to shine will likely come when Chelsea play host to Rennes in another Champions League group stage clash in midweek, before their attention switches to a meeting with Sheffield United at Stamford Bridge on November 7.

Last season's finalists Chennaiyin FC have made quite a few striking changes to their foreign player contingent ahead of the upcoming Indian Super League (ISL) season. 

They have retained only two overseas players from last season and have brought in five new faces. Among them, the one who will be tasked with replacing the goals scored by Nerijus Valskis, who left for Jamshedpur FC, will be Jakub Sylvestr. 

The Slovakian forward, who can play across the frontline, comes to India with the experience of plying his trade in a variety of European leagues including the top tiers in Slovakia, Croatia, Israel and Denmark. 

He has also played for reputed German clubs like Nurnberg and Paderborn, though during a period when the clubs were in the German second division.

Trophy-laden start 

The 31-year-old made his professional debut for Slovakian outfit Slovan Bratislava in the 2007-08 season before going out on a six-month loan to fellow Slovakian top-tier club Petrzalka in January 2009. However, he still won a Slovak Super Liga medal after Bratislava won the league that season.

He also scored for Bratislava in their UEFA Champions League second qualifying round match against Zrnjski. But the team could not qualify for the group stages of the European elite competition. 

Next season, Sylvestr was an important part of the team and helped them win the Slovak Cup. He was soon spotted by Croatian outfit Dinamo Zagreb who brought him in for a deal worth €1.4 million. 

He spent two seasons in Croatia. Though his goalscoring record was not very impressive, he played a part as the club won the league and cup double in both seasons.

The striker subsequently moved to German second division club Erzgebirge Aue on loan from Zagreb in the 2012-13 season. A decent campaign where he scored eight league goals saw Erzgebirge make the move permanent. Sylvestr delivered for the club in the 2013-14 season, scoring 15 goals to become the top scorer of the German second division. 

That performance saw FC Nurnberg splash almost €1.6 million to secure his services. He had a decent first season with Nurnberg before struggling for game time. And after a loan move to Paderborn SC, Sylvestr moved to Denmark to join Aalborg BK in January 2017.

He had a fantastic start to his career in Danish Superliga, scoring on league debut and following it up with a hat-trick in the very next match. He was voted 'Player of the Month' in February 2017, thanks to those performances. 

He would end up leaving Aalborg in January 2018 and spent time in Israel before moving to Chennaiyin FC.

International football

Sylvestr was a regular in the Slovakia U19 and U21 teams during his early years. He was impressive for the U21 team in the qualifying rounds for the 2011 UEFA U21 championship. He scored six goals in 10 matches during the qualifying but Slovakia could not make it into the final tournament. 

Sylvestr made his debut for the Slovakia senior national team in a 2012 UEFA Euro qualifier against Macedonia as a 90th-minute substitute. The striker went on to make six appearances for Slovakia but is yet to score a goal for them. 

His final appearance for Slovakia came in a friendly against Malta in 2014 where he played against former Chennaiyin forward Andre Schembri. He was on the bench, however, when Slovakia played England in a 2018 World Cup qualifier at Trnava, in September 2016. England won the match 1-0. 

Last stint

For the last two-and-a-half years, Sylvestr has played for four clubs in Israel. In around 67 league appearances, the striker has scored 20 goals for the various Israeli clubs he has represented. 

His final stint was with Hapoel Haifa whom he joined in January 2020. He scored five goals in 17 appearances for them before opting to join Chennaiyin FC.

Zohib Islam Amiri or more popularly known as Haroon Fakhruddin Amiri has joined Real Kashmir FC, Goal can confirm. 

In the previous I-League season he was plying his trade for Gokulam Kerala FC. He made 12 appearances for the Malabarians in a season that was curtailed due to the Coronavirus pandemic. 

He is a familiar name in the Indian football circuit as he has had several stints in this country both in ISL (Indian Super League) and I-League.  

In 2011, he set foot in India to play Mumbai FC. He soon established himself as one of the linchpins in defence and at the end of the campaign, he was awarded FPAI's (Football Player's Association of India) Fan's Player of the Season. 

He went on to join Dempo SC in the following season and made 16 appearances for the Goan outfit.  Meanwhile, he went out on loan to join FC Goa in ISL. This was followed by stints with DSK Shivajians and Chennai City FC. 

Amiri has 48 international caps, and he even led Afghanistan to a 2-0 win in the SAFF Cup against India in 2013. 

Amiri also led the squad in the 2014 AFC Challenge Cup in the Maldives. On May 22, he scored the first goal of the game with a header in Afghanistan's 3–1 victory over Turkmenistan in the tournament.

The year 2020 has been difficult for football due to the Coronavirus pandemic. 

On-field action came to a halt in March and India, like many other countries, entered a lockdown. After several months without football, the I-League qualifiers were held with COVID-19 safety protocols in place. 

The Indian Super League (ISL) season is also set to follow, with the seventh season kicking off on November 20. The teams are currently in a bio-bubble in Goa getting ready for what is set to be a challenging season. 

The 2020-21 season was supposed to be the first full year for Odisha at their home stadium in Bhubaneswar. The supporters would have been looking forward to starting a new season at their stadium but unfortunately, the pandemic means they have to wait. 

"It is not easy, it is never going to simple," club owner Rohan Sharma told Goal. "You are always going to be worried about what may happen to your team. This year was supposed to the first year where we would have had the full year in Odisha. That is the hardest part."

He added, "The biggest black mark about the season is the fact that the youth programs are going to be really quiet. A whole year without kids playing football is bad not just for Odisha but for Indian football."

Rohan feels that the lack of opportunities for commercial activations and stunted growth of young footballers whose participation in youth leagues are in doubt are the most concerning factors amid the pandemic. 

"The commercial aspect is different this year, nobody is in their hometown (except FC Goa). (Lack of) development of football players (at the grassroots) for a whole year, that is concerning. The hardest part is commercial and grassroots. It has been a chaotic rollercoaster," he said. 

However, there are still positives to look forward to. The Odisha owner expects the seventh edition of ISL to pave way for the most exciting season yet. 

"I think this year might be the most exciting year because of the chaos, you don't know what is going to happen. I don't think there is a weak team this season. The skill levels are not that far off.

"Having East Bengal and Mohun Bagan (also) in ISL does add more excitement to the league." 

Odisha FC, who were formerly Delhi Dynamos before a rebranding and a relocation to Bhubaneswar, finished sixth on the table last season with 25 points from 18 matches. They have retained their core group of Indian players this season and have brought in experienced foreigners such as Steven Taylor and Marcelinho in their pursuit of the playoffs. 

It has been a rather underwhelming week collectively for foreign-based Malaysian players, after a busy time for them in the previous week.

In Thailand

Malaysia forward Mohamadou Sumareh finally made his first ever appearance for Police Tero since joining them, although he perhaps would have liked a better occassion. His club were thumped 5-0 by Suphanburi FC in their Friday Thai League 1 clash, with Sumareh introduced in the 72nd minute. He brought along some danger to Tero's by then demoralised attack, but ultimately could not help them reduce the deficit, although what he put in may have convinced manager Rangsan Viwatchaichok to hand him a more significant role.

It must have been a bitter experience for his club and Malaysia teammate Dominic Tan as well, with the central defender playing from start to finish in the drubbing. It was his ninth appearance and third start for the club this season. Tero are now in tenth place after 11 matchdays.

Norshahrul Idlan's BG Pathum continued their march at the top of the Thai League 1 standings with a hard-fought 1-0 league win at home over Chiangrai United on Saturday, but the Malaysia forward himself only saw action in injury time. He has now made five appearances for the Rabbits this season.

In Europe

It was a quiet week for Malaysian pros based in Europe.

Dion Cools, the Belgian-born right back who is also eligible for Malaysia, was an unused substitute both times his Danish Superliga club FC Midtjylland were in action last week. On Wednesday they played away to Liverpool FC in their UEFA Champions League group match and lost 2-0, and on Sunday were hammered 4-1 by FC Nordsjælland in the league. The defending league champions are currently third in the standings.

Safawi Rasid has been made to wait for his official debut for Portimonense SC in the Portuguese top tier again, as the Malaysia forward was not listed in their 1-2 defeat to Saint Clara on Saturday.

Despite his historic debut for KV Kortrijk in the Belgian First Division A last week, teenage sensation Luqman Hakim Shamsudin will have to wait for his next competitive appearance. According to reports, he had picked up a muscle tear in their 3-1 defeat to RSC Anderlecht last week, which will sideline him for three weeks and has effectively ruled him out of De Kerels' next encounter, against Zulte Waregem on Tuesday morning Malaysian time.

Fagiano Okayama's Hadi Fayyadh and Sporting Kansas City's Wan Kuzain did not see action for their respective clubs and were not on the bench over the weekend. 

Napoli manager Gennaro Gattuso has revealed that former James Bond actor Sean Connery asked him not to leave Rangers in 1998. 

Connery, who died on Saturday, was a diehard Rangers fan when he wasn't busy playing the world's most famous spy and was often spotted around Ibrox. 

Gattuso spent just over a year with Rangers at the beginning of his career in the late 90's before moving to Serie A side Salernitana and eventually AC Milan where his career really took off. 

Though never really known for his ability in front of goal, Gattuso struck five times across 51 appearances in Scotland and did enough to earn the affection of Connery, who personally sought out the midfielder in an attempt to keep him at Rangers. 

"I only met him once. The president then was David Murray, he was part of the board and, it's true, one evening he spoke to me and he didn't want me to leave," Gattuso said of Connery in his Napoli press conference on Sunday. 

"I just want to send a big hug to all of his family, I definitely have beautiful memories of him. He had a great charm, great personality, he made cinema history."

Asked whether Connery ever suggested an acting career, Gattuso replied: "No, because I definitely didn't have his charm. Let me say again, I'll always carry him in my memories."

Former Rangers goalkeeper Lionel Charbonnier also paid tribute to Connery over the weekend, noting the actor was a familiar figure around the club and would show great respect for the players. 

"We saw him quite often, he was very close to David Murray, our president," Charbonnier told RMC Sport.

"He was very endearing. He was very self-effacing, very reserved, he would almost apologise for being there. He didn't come to do a one-man show, he spoke with his eyes rather than his voice. He was a very striking man.

"The door was always wide open. He was part of the 'team'. He would never have allowed himself to enter the locker room alone. He was a very respectful person, very humble. You could look for comfort in those eyes. He was a giant."

Jose Mourinho praised Gareth Bale's "personality" after his winning goal against Brighton and said he is looking forward to hearing how those in Madrid react to his match-winning display for Tottenham.

Bale's first Tottenham goal since re-joining Spurs on loan from La Liga champions Madrid in September sealed a 2-1 victory over Brighton on Sunday to move them up to second in the Premier League, two points behind leaders Liverpool. 

Harry Kane had earlier scored his 149th top-flight goal from the penalty spot to move level with Les Ferdinand in 10th position on the all-time Premier League goals list, before Tariq Lamptey drew Graham Potter's side level shortly before the hour mark. 

Bale sealed maximum points in the 73rd minute, though, heading home from eight yards just three minutes after replacing Erik Lamela in London.

Spurs head coach Mourinho was delighted with the Wales international's all-round contribution and could not resist a dig at his parent club, whose boss Zinedine Zidane had a public falling out with Bale. 

"For a week or so now, he's been improving," Mourinho told a media conference. "It's not just from watching him, the data supports that as well. We knew, Gareth knew. We share ideas and feelings.

"He deserves that [the goal]. When I have five minutes I'm going on Safari to look at the Madrid websites to see what they say about him.

"He showed great personality and had a great impact, scoring a very important goal for us. He also joined Harry in a very experienced way to play the last 15 minutes for us.

"They were very clever, very intelligent, especially at holding the ball up and bringing it into zones where they couldn't hurt us. 

"He knows that we care about him and he cares about the club. I think he's a perfect fit. He's very calm, very intelligent. I'm very pleased for him to score the winning goal."

Bale has started just one game and made three substitute appearances since his return to north London as he slowly works his way back to full fitness. 

Mourinho revealed he would start Thursday's Europa League game against Ludogorets, although he said the club will not rush him.

"He doesn't have 90 minutes in his legs yet," he added. "We are using the Europa League to get him minutes and when we can in the Premier League. 

"He is, of course, getting better and better and better. He will start again on Thursday but he will not play 90 minutes. I will use him in the right way."

Lamptey's goal was given after referee Graham Scott undertook a lengthy pitch-side video review to assess if there had been a foul on Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg in the build-up.

Mourinho would not be drawn on whether he thought it was a foul, but believes referees should have to explain their decisions after a match.

"There are decisions that I think they should explain and not leave us in front of you [journalists] explaining things we don't have any explanations to," he said. 

"I prefer not to talk about it. I see Scott as a good referee. He went to the screen and he saw what we saw on the bench. He should explain it but I know that is not going to happen."

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola said football must accept its fate if lockdown extends to professional sport for a second time in England amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Guardiola expressed a concern that many businesses are under threat at a time when football, albeit without fans, may get a special pass from the UK government.

Prime minister Boris Johnson said on Saturday that the Premier League would be allowed to continue behind closed doors, during a four-week national lockdown that will see business such as non-essential shops close their doors, along with pubs and restaurants.

Guardiola, who was speaking after a win at Sheffield United on Saturday but before Johnson confirmed lockdown intentions, indicated it was important for football to realise it may also at some stage have to shut its doors for the greater good.

Asked whether football should be carrying on, while rules are applied differently elsewhere, Guardiola indicated it was a quandary for the sport.

"It's difficult," Guardiola said. "I know the prime minister is taking the decision because the situation is getting worse. It happened in Spain, Germany and France. Everywhere.

"So the virus is still there. Maybe people say it is stronger. I think the world of football cannot be an exception in what is happening in society.

"So if we have to play, we will play. But we don't want to be different from the rest of society when they have to close restaurants or close whatever.

"It's a position in which I am not involved. I want to be safe. I want to keep well for myself, for my family, my friends, for all England, all of the UK. But honestly I don't know."

The former Barcelona boss stressed it was important to follow advice from the government and scientists, as they wrestle to bring infection rates down.

City are due to face Olympiacos in the Champions League on Tuesday, with no indication as yet that European competition will at any point have to go on hold this season.

Guardiola is taking the coronavirus crisis seriously and many in the game may be wrestling with their consciousnesses as lockdown, due to begin on Thursday in England, returns.

"It's not a joke. It's serious. If he says stay at home, you have to stay at home. If he says don't do this, we don't do it," Guardiola added.

"Because it's not fair for half of the population doing what we have to do and the prime minister says this, and the rest of the people do whatever they want.

"So we have to be conscious – the reality is tough, it's difficult. If we have to stop, we are going to stop.

"If we have to play, because they decide it's good for society or for I don't know, just be alert, be careful, take maximum consciousness of the dangers of the situation in which we are living."

Bayern Munich have withdrawn their contract offer to David Alaba after failing to reach an agreement with the Austria international.

Bayern president Herbert Hainer says the club set a deadline of 31 October to reach an agreement and decided to end discussions after Alaba’s agent indicated their latest offer was not acceptable.

The defender’s current deal expires at the end of the season and if an agreement isn’t reached then Alaba will be free to discuss terms with rival clubs from January.

A host of sides have been linked with a move for the defender, most notably Serie A champions Juventus.

“We presented him with a really, very good very fair, competitive offer - especially during these times,” Hainer told BR24Sport.

“We told David’s agent during the last meeting that we wanted clarity and an answer by the end of October, because we want to plan for such an important position and personnel. But we didn’t hear anything.

“Our sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic then contacted the agent and the answer was that the offer is still unsatisfying and that we should think more.

“We then decided to take the offer off the table completely. That means there is no longer any offer.”

Bayern’s decision to withdraw their offer is the latest twist in what has been an increasingly fractious contract saga.

A public spat broke out between former Bayern president Uli Hoeness and Alaba’s father about the negotiations over fresh terms.

George Alaba reacted furiously to Hoeness' insinuation his son was only interested in money and accused him of "spreading dirty lies”.

Hoeness had also accused Alaba's agent Pini Zahavi of being a "greedy piranha."

The comments from Hoeness forced Alaba himself to get involved in the fray, with the defender denying accusations that his financial demands were excessive.

Bayern boss Hansi Flick said on Saturday that he remained confident the 28-year-old would extend his stay at the Allianz Arena, while insisting the ongoing saga was not having an adverse affect on his performances.

Alaba had made more than 400 appearances for Bayern after graduating from the club’s youth academy in 2010.

Gareth Bale has savoured scoring his first Tottenham goal in over seven years after securing all three points for his side in a 2-1 win over Brighton. 

After Harry Kane opened the scoring for Spurs in the 13th minute, Jose Mourinho's side conceded a controversial equaliser in the second-half as Tariq Lamptey finished calmly despite an apparent foul in the build-up. 

In search of the win, Mourinho opted to bring on Bale in the 70th minute and the Real Madrid loanee repaid his manager's faith with a headed goal just three minutes later. 

Bale's first Spurs goal since May 2013 proved decisive, and though he enjoyed the feeling of finding the back of the net, he was quick to stress the focus should remain on the team. 

"It's a great feeling. You just want to come on and do a job for the team. I worked for the team and was lucky enough to get the goal," Bale told Sky Sports post-game. 

"It was obviously great play from Sergio Reguilon and I was in the right place at the right time. It's nice to get off the mark.

"Everyone always talks about individuals but I've always said I’m a team player, I'd be happy coming on doing a job even if it's defending. The most important thing is the collective.

"We are growing every game. Even if we make mistakes we are learning from them and we can only use that as a positive. I haven’t played a lot of football. I had a little problem with my knee so it’s taking a bit of time. I am working hard in training and when I get chances."

Tottenham have jumped up to second with the win, only two points behind leaders Liverpool, and Bale believes Spurs can compete with the best if they remain focused.

"Very competitive, we know not to get too carried away. There are some great teams, we are just going to keep working as hard as we can," Bale added. 

Kane was delighted to see Spurs seize the chance to go third and was stoked to see Bale get his name on the score sheet. 

"We said it was a great chance to go second in the league and put ourselves up there. We had to grind it out," Kane said. 

"I'm delighted for Gaz to come on and make an impact and that's what we need to win games. He's had a mini pre-season with us, it's about getting fit and sharp, we all know what he can do at the highest level. Every game he'll get stronger, we need every player to make an impact.

"We have let points slip and today could have been similar but we are learning - these games are the ones you need to grind out."

Frank Lampard has praised Kai Havertz's personality and versatility to play in different roles as the Chelsea manager moves the Germany international around to find an increased balance in his team.

Chelsea put in arguably their most complete performance of the season in a comfortable 3-0 away win over Burnley at Turf Moor on Saturday thanks to goals from Hakim Ziyech, Kurt Zouma and Timo Werner.

It came as Lampard opted for a 4-3-3 system for the first time from the start of a game, with Havertz and Mason Mount as the two number eights in midfield, either side of the more defensively-minded holding player N'Golo Kante.

The system saw Havertz play in a deeper role than he has been playing in since his arrival from Bayer Leverkusen and Lampard admits to experimenting with how to get the best out of his £62 million ($80m) summer signing.

"It is a real plus when someone comes in and says they are happy to play in a number of positions," Lampard told reporters following the win at Burnley.

"He can play as a number 10  or out wide, which he played in previously for club and country before coming here. I know he has played as a number eight too, so that was part of the process for me, him and the team to find the best way.

"It is very normal when you miss pre-season and you are looking for those tweaks in formation at the start of the season. Now, we are playing in a slightly different way and there have been a number of positives. That doesn't mean that we can't change back.

"It is great to see what it did for Kai and Mason in bringing those attributes from what we regard as really offensive players but they also have the energy and desire to cover ground to help the team.

"They then pick the ball up and can be dangerous when they arrive high [up the pitch], they are both things that Kai and Mason have. Again, it is through the balance of the team and working on that but I am really impressed with the humility of those two to do both sides of the number eight role.

"That's what I want from the players that play when it is two number eights. I want them to help build offensively, join, help build, make assists and get goals. They both did it today."

Indeed, both Havertz and Mount impressed at both ends of the pitch as Chelsea dominated possession, created a host of chances and earned their fourth clean sheet in a row.

Like Havertz, Mount has played in a number of roles this season but the 4-3-3 allows him to play in his favoured central midfield position. Lampard has been impressed with how his homegrown star has responded to competition from new signings like Havertz, Ziyech and Werner this season.

"I never doubted Mason Mount's response professionally," he added. "There are things I see behind the scenes that maybe some from the outside don’t. His attitude is first class every minute of every day in a work sense.

"I liked the balance of the midfield. N’Golo Kante was fantastic behind Mason and Kai and there was a fluidity about it where they drop out and get on the ball in deeper areas and provide for others. There was a lot of energy in that midfield as well as quality."

Chelsea's four clean sheets in a row have coincided with the addition of new goalkeeper Edouard Mendy, who faces his former club Rennes in the Champions League on Wednesday.

In fact, no Chelsea goalkeeper has put together three clean sheets in their first three league matches for the club since Petr Cech did it in 2004, and Mendy has impressed Lampard so far.

"He’s done so well so I’m pleased for the way he’s started and his personality again when you sign players and bring them into the group you want to see how they are," he concluded.

"You never quite know until they are in the building. He’s settled in really quite well. He’s engaging, trains hard, wants to talk and make relationships with the players in front of him. It’s been a really good start and I’m pleased he’s playing his old team, I think it’s a nice story."

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola says he will pick his strongest side to face Olympiacos in the Champions League despite facing rivals Liverpool just five days later.

Illness and injuries have impacted Guardiola's options in a season when he has made his worst ever start as a coach, even with Saturday's 1-0 victory over Sheffield United.

City have made a better start in the Champions League, winning their opening two matches against Porto and Marseille.

But with a testing schedule, Guardiola wants to secure qualification for the knockout stages as soon as possible and warned that the Greek champions cannot be taken lightly.

Asked whether the Liverpool game would come into his selection thoughts, Guardiola said: "No, no, no. We have a big chance - not to qualify - but if we get nine points, it’s almost done. We will need one more point, one more victory to qualify.

"At home you need to win, you need to be careful. Now it’s Olympiacos. They were able to beat Marseille at home. We have to prepare well and after that we have time to prepare for Sunday.”

Injuries to Sergio Aguero and Gabriel Jesus have left Guardiola without a recognised striker for much of the season but the Brazilian could be back for the clash with Liverpool after returning to training at the end of last week.

Without them, City have just nine goals in six Premier League matches but, after having eight shots on target against the Blades on Saturday, Guardiola says he is happy with his side's creativity.

“One day we are going to score more goals. The most important thing is that we are creating the chances," he said.

"We had 16 shots, eight on target, and that is a lot. We have played this season without strikers but we have to try to play better and do it again and again and again. Finally we are going to find the right moment to do it.”

Summer signing Ferran Torres has stepped us as an emergency striker, scoring the opener in the victory in Marseille and leading the line at Bramall Lane.

The Spain international played the role on occasions for former club Valencia club and Guardiola has been delighted with how he has taken on the responsibility.

"We wanted to play him as a winger," the City boss added. "He has the quality to score goals, in the one against one and his pace, but we have struggled a lot in the striker position.

"We’ve not had anyone for a long time. He did really well. He had three chances to score a goal, making those runs in behind and did an even better performance than against Marseille.

"He is an incredible alternative for us. He’s settled really well in the locker room. He’s so shy but so calm.

"He wants to learn and he has helped us a lot in the positions we have without the strikers. It’s an alternative that we have.”

Jose Mourinho believes referee Graham Scott should explain his controversial decision to award a goal to Brighton, as Gareth Bale scored the winner for Tottenham in a 2-1 win on Sunday.

The Welsh superstar's header was his first goal of his second spell at Spurs and his first for the club in more than seven years, in a match that was marred by refereeing and VAR controversy.

After Harry Kane gave Tottenham the lead from the penalty spot early in the match, Brighton flyer Tariq Lamptey scored the equaliser in the second half despite Seagulls wing-back Solly March bringing down Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg in the lead-up.

VAR operator Jonathan Moss alerted Scott to the possible foul in the build-up to Lamptey's goal and asked the referee to come to the pitch-side monitor to review March's tackle.

Despite footage of the incident suggesting March brought down Hojbjerg without touching the ball, Scott ruled that Lamptey's goal should stand after viewing the incident for 70 seconds - much to the frustration of Tottenham's players.

When asked about the decision after the match, Mourinho said his view 'doesn't matter' but made it clear he was unhappy by suggesting Scott should attend a press conference to explain the call.

"I prefer to stay away [from VAR]," Mourinho said to Sky Sports.

"Probably the referee should go to the press conference and explain. He had time to go to the screen so only he can explain why it is a goal. He is a good ref and a good guy, only he can explain that decision. My view doesn't matter."

Lamptey's goal wasn't the only controversial moment involving VAR, with Brighton's Leandro Trossard having a penalty appealed dismissed by Moss after a review.

Trossard was clearly held by Spurs defender Matt Doherty as the low cross flashed through the box, with the Belgium international falling to floor when he was released by his opponent.

Tottenham's victory sees the team climb to second on the Premier League table, two points behind leaders Liverpool.

Their next league match comes away at West Brom next Sunday, with a tough trip to Romania's Ludogorets in the Europa League prior on Thursday evening.