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Kakamega Homeboyz chairman Cleophas Shimanyula has welcomed the return of betting firm SportPesa into the Kenyan market.

The betting firm was pumping into Kenyan football over Sh5 million but was among 27 betting firms that had their trading licenses revoked by the government due to the failure in meeting tax compliance policies in July 2019.

But on Friday, SportPesa confirmed their return to the Kenyan market under a new license, something that has left football stakeholders and gamblers praising the new move.

“We are happy to have SportPesa back and I hope they can now come to the grassroots and sponsor my team,” Shimanyula told Goal. “I will try to engage them because if they sponsor my team, they will be very happy.

“They should also try now and sponsor community clubs, like Homeboyz and Shabana, those are the clubs in need of finances now, I think it will be good if they support mostly community clubs, they need financial support now and I hope they will listen to my call.”

On making a return, SportPesa confirmed in the coming weeks they will explore a wide range of partnerships in the country.

“SportPesa is delighted to resume operations in Kenya,” read the signed statement obtained by Goal. “We are pleased to once again offer gaming services to our customers.

“Over the coming months, we are excited to explore a wide range of new partnerships in the country.”

SportPesa CEO Ronald Karauri also took to his social media pages to confirm the return of the betting firm by stating: “SportPesa is back! I’m happy to announce that the SportPesa brand is back under a new BCLB licence holder.

“As market leaders, SportPesa will focus on upholding the highest standards of service and responsible gaming. We look forward to working closely with BCLB and all other stakeholders.

“We are excited to explore a wide range of partnerships in Kenya over the coming weeks and months, which will prioritise the development of sports in communities across our great country.”

By the time SportPesa left the Kenyan market, they had pumped at least Sh500million into Kenyan football, as they were the title sponsors of Kenyan Premier League (KPL) giants Gor Mahia, AFC Leopards, and Nakuru All-Stars.

The firm also had a partnership with the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) as they were sponsoring the Harambee Stars and also the FKF Shield Cup, whose winner represents the country in the Caf Champions League.

Their exit hit Kenyan football hard, as teams struggled to honour league matches, a move which saw Sony Sugar relegated to the lower league for missing three matches, while Chemelil Sugar and Nzoia Sugar had also missed two matches and were on the verge of being relegated before the league was prematurely ended owing to Covid-19.

The teams also could not sustain their foreign players with both Gor Mahia and AFC Leopards the most affected, losing the players to other clubs and this also saw Ingwe coach Casa Mbungo return to his native country Rwanda.

The FKF has already secured a title sponsor – BetKing - for the 2020-21 FKF Premier League season set to kick off on November 20.

Mwadui FC have vowed to make it three defeats out of three for Simba SC when the two sides clash in a Mainland Premier League match on Saturday.

The Wekundu wa Msimbazi are reeling from losing two consecutive matches - 1-0 against Tanzania Prisons and the same margin against Ruvu Shooting - a result that saw them drop from second spot on the 18-team league table to position four.

Mwadui, who beat Simba 1-0 in their first meeting last season, have now vowed to inflict more pain on the side when they clash at Uhuru Stadium in Dar es Salaam.

“We have played on several occasions and Simba and we don’t fear them, we are happy they are not doing well now and I want us to use that to bag maximum points against them,” Mwadui FC coach Khalid Adam is quoted by Sokaletu.

“It was unfortunate we lost our last league, and it really hurt our plans, I have now asked my players not to have pressure because they will be playing against Simba, they must forget about the past result and put their best foot forward against Simba because I know they are beatable.

“It will be a huge match for us because we also want to bounce back to winnings ways and one thing I know, it is very possible to beat them, we have seen them drop points in recent weeks, and we can also do it, we are ready.”

Mwadui suffered a humiliating 6-1 defeat against JKT Tanzania, a result their coach believes can be erased with a resounding win against Simba.

Simba will miss the services of forward Bernard Morrison who was banned for three matches following violent conduct during their match against Ruvu Shooting on Monday.

Morrison was involved in a physical altercation with Juma Nyoso – who has also been banned and fined - after Simba had been awarded a penalty in the 71st minute.

The Ghanaian was irked by a Shabani Msala poor challenge on Luis Miquissone as he entered into Ruvu Shooting's area. As the players surrounded the referee before he awarded a penalty, Morrison appeared from the back and punched the Ruvu Shooting star and that escalated the tension even further.

Apart from the Mwadui, Morrison, who was also fined TSh500,000, will also miss the derby against Young Africans (Yanga SC) on November 7 and also the clash against Kagera Sugar.

Orlando Pirates are set to play host to their archrivals Kaizer Chiefs in the 2020 MTN8 semi-final first-leg match on Saturday. 

A place in the final of the first cup competition of the season is at stake as the two Soweto giants look to end their trophy droughts. 

Pirates, who won their last trophy in 2014, reached the MTN8 semi-finals after defeating Cape Town City 1-0 in the quarter-finals.

This will be coach Josef Zinnbauer's second Soweto Derby and he will be determined to secure his maiden win over Chiefs. 

However, Chiefs will not be pushovers as the Glamour Boys are desperate to end their five-year trophy drought having defeated Maritzburg United 2-1 in the last eight. 

Coach Gavin Hunt will be keen to mastermind a win over Pirates in what will be his first Soweto Derby encounter, with the two teams set to clash in the second-leg match on November 8.

TV Channel, Live Score & How To Watch

The game will be shown live on SuperSport TV and SABC. 

Squads & Team News

Pirates have injury concerns with their star striker Frank Mhango having picked up a knock in the midweek draw against Stellenbosch FC and he is doubtful for the Soweto Derby. 

Zinnbauer's side could also be without striker Tshegofatso Mabasa and left-back Bongani Sam, who have been nursing injuries.

The German mentor will look to deadly forward Terrence Dzvukamanja, who scored the winning goal against Cape Town City in the quarter-finals. 

Meanwhile, Chiefs have been boosted by the availability of Eric Mathoho, Dumisani Zuma and Kgotso Moleko, who have recovered from their respective injuries.

However, Hunt has explained that the trio is only fit enough to make the bench, while striker Samir Nurkovic remains sidelined with an injury.

Lebogang Manyama is the dangerman for Amakhosi with the midfielder having netted the only goal of the match in the last Soweto Derby clash which Chiefs won 1-0 in a league game last February.

Match Preview

Pirates are undefeated in their last six competitive matches having recorded four successive wins and two draws.

The Buccaneers are also unbeaten in their previous six home games across all competitions - registering three draws and three victories.

While Chiefs have been inconsistent in their last four competitive matches having registered one draw, two wins and one defeat.

However, Amakhosi are undefeated in their last two away games across all competitions - recording one draw and one victory.

In head-to-head stats since 1970, Pirates and Chiefs have met in 69 cup matches.

Amakhosi have the upper hand having secured 30 wins compared to Bucs' 19 victories, while 17 games ended in a draw and three matches have been abandoned.

The last time the two teams met in a cup competition, Chiefs won 4-2 on penalties following a 2-2 draw in the Telkom Knockout quarter-final match in November 2019.

Abhash Thapa will return to his former club Real Kashmir FC from Hyderabad FC, Goal can confirm. 

The full-back had a disappointing season with the ISL debutantes as he did not get any competitive minute under his belt and was subsequently offloaded to East Bengal in a loan-deal in the January transfer window. 

After Mario Rivera took over from Alejandro Menendez the young player established himself as one of the regulars of the squad. 

In 2017-18 season he joined Real Kashmir, when the outfit was still participating in I-League second division. He made seven appearances in the campaign and helped the Snow Leopards get promoted to I-League. 

In the next season, he made 15 appearances in I-League and proved his credentials as a left-back after putting in a string of impressive performances. 

At the back of a forgetful year, Thapa would once again look to get his career back on track with Real Kashmir where he bloomed as a player. 

Paris Saint-Germain coach Thomas Tuchel hit out at the scheduling of games, warning the fixturing would "kill the players".

The Ligue 1 giants will visit Nantes on Saturday in what will be their fifth game in 16 days.

PSG will then face RB Leipzig and Rennes before the international break, and their players will return for 10 games between November 20 and the end of the year.

Tuchel slammed the scheduling, with PSG having seen star Neymar suffer an adductor injury in a 2-0 Champions League win at Istanbul Basaksehir on Wednesday.

"We're going to kill the players. That's what I've always said. We are going to kill them because there is an important link between preparation, performance and rest," he told a news conference.

"In football it always falls on the greatest players because they will always play for their country. They play during the break, they travel and that's too much in my opinion. They don't have a recovery phase to allow them to come back and a preparation phase. This is not a secret, it happens in sport. Preparation influences injuries and performance.

"Without preparation, players are more fragile and difficult to manage. This is not an excuse, it is the truth. We are going to look for solutions and I hope we will find some."

Tuchel said it was not just his side dealing with injuries, highlighting setbacks at Premier League giants Liverpool and Manchester City and Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich.

"Honestly, we came back [from Turkey on Thursday] and [Friday] is our second day after playing. It's the riskiest day in terms of injuries, which means we're doing almost nothing," he said.

"We are working on recovery and training a little with those who haven't played at Basaksehir and [on Saturday] we are flying out to play another match, this time in Ligue 1.

"We lose a player for every game at the moment and we are not the only ones concerned. Liverpool, Manchester City and Bayern Munich, it's the same thing."

PSG top the Ligue 1 table after earning 18 points from their opening eight games. Tuchel has seen his side win their past six league matches, conceding just once and scoring 20 times over that span. 

Jurgen Klopp said he could use a Javier Mascherano-type solution amid Liverpool's injury crisis in the centre of defence.

With Virgil van Dijk and Joel Matip sidelined, Liverpool were dealt another blow on Tuesday, when Fabinho – playing at centre-back instead of midfield – hurt his hamstring against Midtjylland in the Champions League.

Joe Gomez is the only senior centre-back available for Saturday's clash at home to West Ham, while Nathaniel Phillips, 23, Billy Koumetio, 17, and Rhys Williams, 19, are also options.

Klopp said he had expected Phillips, who was on loan at Stuttgart last season, to leave the club.

The Liverpool manager also said it was possible he could use Jordan Henderson, Georginio Wijnaldum, James Milner or Andy Robertson at centre-back, in a similar way to what Mascherano – initially a defensive midfielder – did during his career.

"I know Nat [Phillips] the longest so I was really happy with this development. Since I know him he made big, big steps and is an exceptional character," Klopp told reporters.

"I said it before that the little problem was that we were all convinced, how it looked all the time… there were a lot of clubs interested in him and in the end, maybe because of the coronavirus crisis, nobody had the money to do it but we expected him to leave the club, to be honest. Thank God he didn't, but that's the reason why he is not in the Champions League squad, the only reason.

"He cannot be on the bench in the Champions League but he is available for the Premier League like all three are and now I have to make a decision.

"And we have still, obviously, other options like Hendo or Gini or James – or Robbo can play centre-half as well. They are all not smaller than Mascherano, for example, and he played pretty well in that position.

"So yes, we have obviously still one or two options and one of them, we will choose. Which one, you have to switch on the television tomorrow night."

Roberston has never played a senior competitive game at centre-back, while Henderson did feature in that position at the 2019 FIFA Club World Cup against Monterrey. 

Liverpool have collected 13 points from their opening six Premier League games of the season to sit second in the table.

27-year-old Welsh forward Aaron Amadi-Holloway has joined East Bengal this season from Brisbane Roar on a free transfer for the upcoming Indian Super League (ISL) season.

Holloway had last played at Brisbane Roar in the A-League under Robbie Fowler and has followed his coach to India this summer. The forward has represented Wales at the youth level and spent most of his career in various divisions of England. He is the only overseas forward at East Bengal this season so far.

Debut

Aaron Amadi-Holloway joined the youth team of Cardiff City in 2009 and spent three years in their youth system before graduating in 2011. He got his first professional contract from then Championship side Bristol City. But due to lack of game time, he was sent on loan to National League side Bath City in the subsequent season where he finally made his professional debut. At Bath City, Holloway played five matches but did not score any goal.

Experience in England

Amadi-Holloway had spent three seasons at Briston City without playing a single game and had finally left the club in 2013 to join League Two side Newport County.

He has also played for clubs like Wycombe Wanderers, Oldham Athletic, Fleetwood Town and Shrewsbury Town in England. He has played a total of 161 league matches in various divisions in England.

International football

Amadi-Holloway represented Wales at the youth level and was part of the Wales U19 squad which took part in the UEFA U19 Championship qualifiers in 2011 and 2012. He has represented the U19 team in six matches where he has one goal which came during the 2011 qualifying game against Turkey.

Last Stint

The Welsh forward last played for A-League side Brisbane Roar where he played under Robbie Fowler, scoring a goal in 23 appearances. However, 18 of those appearances were off the bench. And the final five of those substitute appearances came under Fowler’s replacement Warren Moon and were fleeting cameos.

“I was only coming on for the final five or six minutes and it was frustrating,” Inman told SBS. “When Robbie was there, he sort of understood the impact I could make off the bench. But I just felt wasted coming on for a handful of minutes when the league resumed.”

FC Goa have been handed a difficult start on paper in the seventh season of the Indian Super League (ISL).

The Gaurs will start their campaign against Bengaluru FC on November 22 and will then take on Mumbai City FC three days later. 

The list of FC Goa's fixtures released so far can be found below: 

Here are Bengaluru's first 10 fixtures. 

Fixtures for only the first 11 rounds, which consists of 55 matches, have been released right now. The schedule for the remaining 55 league matches will be published in December as the league awaits clarity on calendar dates of Asian Football Confederation (AFC) matches.

The entire tournament will be held behind closed doors in Goa, due to the Covid-19 pandemic which means the teams will have to stay in a bio-bubble for the duration of the tournament. 

FC Goa topped the league table last season and won the league winner's shield and secured a spot in the AFC Champions League. This season, their target will be to go all the way and win the trophy. 

It’s another big weekend for Manchester United as they face Arsenal in the English Premier League on Sunday, November 1, 2020.

Still battling with a wobbly start to the new season, the Red Devils will be looking forward to ending their home games woes as they face the Gunners at the Old Trafford in the Super Sunday match.

United head into the match under intense pressure to regain fans’ confidence and get its Premier League campaign on track after an unimpressive home run. They have won their last 10 away games in all competitions but none of their last five at home.

It is United’s worst start to a season at Old Trafford in the last 48 years.

The once dreaded Old Trafford where opponents visit with their hearts in their mouths is fast becoming a common ground after United suffered 3-1 loss to Crystal Palace, 6-1 to Tottenham and refused to score a goal against the Blues last weekend. It is left to be seen whether Arsenal will come close to repeating the 6-1 plummeting of United by its North London rivals.

Despite losing 1-0 to Leicester City on Monday night, the Gunners boss, Mikel Arteta, will be boosted by the fact that his side has a head to head advantage over United in their last three encounters.

The head to head record appears to favour Arsenal having won two and drawn one of the duo's last three league meetings while United’s last win against Arsenal was in the FA Cup in 2019.

Arsenal presently at 10th place on nine points travel to Old Trafford on Sunday without Gabriel Martinelli, Pablo Mari, Rob Holding, Calum Chambers have all been ruled out with injury. David Luiz who picked up a muscular injury against Leicester is also unsure for the game yet.

United with seven points sits at 15th place will also be without Anthony Martial still serving his domestic suspension, while Eric Bailly, Jesse Lingard and Phil Jones are all ruled out with injury.

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

Contents

Where to watch or stream Man Utd vs Arsenal

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 7

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

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It's been a tough few weeks for Cristiano Ronaldo with the Portuguese attacker forced into quarantine after testing positive for Covid-19. 

While asymptomatic and now in the clear, the positive tests saw Ronaldo denied the chance to face off against Lionel Messi in the Champions League, with the Argentine star ultimately scoring in Barcelona's 2-0 win over Juventus. 

Prior to his enforced lockdown, Ronaldo had been in fine form for club and country, scoring three goals in his first two Serie A appearances of the new season. 

Though a situation that would test even the most patient of individuals, the 35-year-old found a way to stay mentally strong and recently hinted that Kaizen philosophy played its part in keeping him positive on social media. 

What is Kaizen philosophy?

Kaizen is the Sino-Japanese word for "improvement" and is widely referenced as a business approach of continuous improvement that involves all aspects of a company. 

Though beginning as a way to improve manufacturing processes in Japan after World War II, Kaizen has since been adopted as a wider philosophical approach to life in general. 

Masaaki Imai, founder of the Kaizen Institute, stating: "Kaizen means improvement. Moreover, it means continuing improvement in personal life, home life, social life, and working life. When applied to the workplace Kaizen means continuing improvement involving everyone – managers and workers alike."

Japanese company Toyota have been big advocates for a Kaizen approach to business, while Ronaldo has seemingly benefitted from the philosophy on a personal level. 

How does Kaizen philosophy help Ronaldo?

Kaizen philosophy is essentially about shifting one's focus to long-term improvement rather than getting caught up in momentary success or setbacks.

In Ronaldo's case, he's likely leaned on the philosophy recently to remind himself that though he's missed a few big games, he can still have a telling impact on the rest of Juventus' season. Andrea Pirlo's side have struggled in his absence, winning just one of their past four games in all competitions. 

Over the length of his career, Kaizen philosophy has also likely played a part in cementing Ronaldo's strong work ethic as it calls for consistent hard work to ensure future gains. The former Manchester United and Real Madrid star has routinely been applauded for his unrivaled commitment to training.  

Ronaldo is no stranger to the occasional philosophical message on social message either and after seeing Messi claim the Ballon d'Or in 2019, posted a message on Instagram that echoed key principles of Kaizen.  

"Patience and persistence are two characteristics that differentiate the professional from the amateur," he wrote.

"Everything that is big today has started small. You can't do everything, but do everything you can to make your dreams come true. And keep in mind that after night always comes dawn."

Real Madrid is the most successful club in Spain, having won a record 34 Liga titles, and is looking to add a 35th championship this season.

Live Stream: Fanatiz English ( stream now )

Zinedine Zidane's team saw Cristiano Ronaldo leave for Juventus in 2018, but has still found ways to win without the Portuguese superstar, lifting the Spanish title in 2019-20 ahead of fierce rivals Barcelona.

After winning the first Clasico of the season in October, Real Madrid is hoping is in the hunt for yet another league trophy.

How to watch Real Madrid vs Huesca on US TV

Real Madrid vs Huesca can be streamed in the US through Fanatiz with a 7-day free trial and kicks off at 8am PT and 11am ET.

Real Madrid recorded a convincing 3-1 win in El Clasico last weekend, but came crashing down to earth in midweek against German side Borussia Monchengladbach in the Champions League.

Late goals from Karim Benzema and Casemiro were needed to take a point on the road against the Bundesliga side, stopping Real from starting their European campaign with back-to-back defeats.

Zidane's men will look to pick up where they left off in Spain on Saturday when it hosts Huesca, a team yet to win a league game in 2020-21.

Defenders Dani Carvajal and Alvaro Odriozola remain sidelined through injury, but Mariano Diaz and Nacho could be back in contention.

Thibaut Courtois returned to individual training but remains a doubt for the game with Huesca, while Martin Odegaard is also expected to miss out.

Eden Hazard came off the bench to help in the comeback against Borussia Monchengladbach and is in line to take a spot in the starting XI.

Pedro Lopez will not pay for Huesca due to injury, while Mikel Rico is unlikely to be back in time after being diagnosed as positive for coronavirus.

Shinki Okazaki is also a doubt for the visitors, meaning Sandro Ramirez could keep his place in the team.

Real Madrid on US TV in La Liga

All of Real Madrid's La Liga games can be watched live on Fanatiz.

Real Madrid in La Liga table

At this early stage of the season, only three points separate the top six teams in La Liga. Real Sociedad has taken an early lead at the summit, but leads by just one point over both Real Madrid and Granada.

Both teams have a game in hand over Real Sociedad, with Madrid especially confident of being able to make that extra game count in the race for the Spanish title.

The Clasico win over Barcelona puts the team in a great position over the teams most likely to end up as long-term title rivals, with Barcelona now down in 12th after playing five games.

Los Blancos plays against Huesca this weekend before taking on Valencia away on November 8 ahead of the international break.

Many of Real Madrid's players will travel around the globe during November's international break, meaning Zidane will be eagerly checking match reports and updates to ensure none of his key players picks up an injury while playing for their countries.

Watch La Liga live on Fanatiz.

Barcelona had a busy summer with Ronald Koeman coming in to take the head coach job and Lionel Messi deciding not to leave Camp Nou despite submitting a request to move on.

Live Stream: Fanatiz English ( stream now )

Messi staying at Barcelona has been huge for the club and Spanish football in general, especially after the league's other biggest stars left for foreign leagues (Neymar to Paris Saint-Germain and Cristiano Ronaldo to Juventus) in recent years.

Barcelona is a much better team with Messi and its goal this year is to win back the Spanish domestic title after Real Madrid lifted La Liga in 2019-20.

An early-season defeat in El Clasico to its bitter rivals has not helped its title hopes, but Koeman is still confident that Barcelona can end up victorious over Los Blancos in the battle for the trophy.

How to watch Deportivo Alaves vs Barcelona on US TV

It has been a busy week for Barcelona, who put the disappointment of that 3-1 Clasico defeat to one side in midweek to focus on the Champions League.

Against a Ronaldo-less Juventus, Barcelona was able to pick up all three points in Champions League Group G with Ousmane Dembele scoring a beautiful goal before Messi sealed the win with a late penalty.

Off the pitch, Josep Maria Bartomeu resigned from his position as Barcelona president, something which will surely please Messi, who highlighted Bartomeu's handling of Luis Suarez's exit as one of the reasons he had grown disenchanted with the club in recent years.

On the pitch, Barcelona will be missing Philippe Coutinho this weekend thanks to an injury he picked up in El Clasico.

Coutinho is the latest key player to join Barcelona's injury list, with goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen and defender Samuel Umtiti also in the treatment room.

Ter Stegen has yet to play this season, with Neto deputising in goal for Barca. The Brazilian kept two clean sheets in the first two games of the season, but has conceded five goals over the last three matchdays.

Teenager Pedri has started the last three games in all competitions, but the Champions League win over Juventus was the first time he has completed a full 90-minute game for Barcelona.

Deportivo Alaves vs Barcelona can be streamed in the US through Fanatiz  with a 7-day free trial and kicks off at 1pm PT and 4pm ET.

Barcelona on US TV in La Liga

All of Barcelona's La Liga games can be watched live on Fanatiz.

Barcelona in La Liga table

Barcelona is one of four teams to have seven points, but has two games in hand over most of the teams above and below in the table

Koeman's side has only played five games so far, having started the campaign later than other teams due to participation in the Champions League mini-tournament in Lisbon.

Last weekend's Clasico defeat leaves Barcelona seven points off the top of the table and six points behind rivals Real Madrid.

Barcelona will look to pick up maximum points over the next two matchdays before heading into the international break.

The international break could see more players pick up injuries, but should also allow additional time for the likes of Coutinho to rest ahead of a huge game with Atletico Madrid on Novermber 21.

Watch La Liga live on Fanatiz.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is hoping to end the club's 14-year run of failing to win a Premier League game at Old Trafford when they face Manchester United on Sunday. 

The Gunners' last league win at the venue now dates back to September 2006 with the Red Devils since going 13 games undefeated in the clash when played on their soil.

After losing 1-0 to Leicester City last weekend, Arteta saw his side claim a 3-0 win against Dundalk in the Europa League on Thursday as they continued their perfect start in that competition. 

Arsenal have however now lost consecutive games in the Premier League and Arteta has welcomed the chance to get back to winning ways by ending their Old Trafford hoodoo. 

"I think it's been 14 years since Arsenal have won a Premier League game at United and, after the defeat like we had against Leicester last week, I think it's the perfect scenario to go there and try to do that," Arteta said on Friday.

"I'm not concerned about performances because you can see the trend and how we are evolving. It's just those margins, how we manage the margins within the games and those game moments when we try to get wins and not lose those games.

"It was against Liverpool [in a 3-1 defeat], we had two or three chances to do what they did, the same with Manchester City and the one against Leicester which was a different game because they approached the game in a really different way.

"But again, we will go to Old Trafford with the same mindset to go there and try to win the football match and improve, every three or four days. We are in a process and hopefully we will be a more solid and ruthless team week in and week out."

In Arsenal's favour ahead of Sunday's clash is the fact Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side have failed to win any of their three home games in the league this season. The Gunners have also won two of their last three Premier League games against the Red Devils with their most recent match ending in a 2-0 victory at the Emirates. 

Arteta will be hoping star attacker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang can rediscover his scoring touch against United with the forward failing to strike in his past five league outings - his longest such drought since November 2014 while playing for Borussia Dortmund. 

Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola have criticised the Premier League over the decision to reduce substitutes from five to three after it was initially changed following the Covid-19 break from football.

Following football's return after the coronavirus-enforced hiatus last season, Premier League teams - and most other competitions worldwide - were allowed to make five substitutions as a way of dealing with hectic schedules and lack of preparation.

However, the Premier League decided to return to three substitutions this season despite FIFA's approval to keep the initial change in place until August 2021, with clubs arguing that bigger squads would be favoured by the rule.

Liverpool have picked up a lengthy injury list in the early stages of the campaign, with Virgil van Dijk likely to miss the entire season, while Thiago, Fabinho, Naby Keita, Joel Matip and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain are also currently on the treatment table.

Klopp feels the Premier League showed a 'lack of leadership' with their decision to cut back on substitutes because of the packed schedules several teams were going to encounter.

"It should be [back on the agenda] but I don’t think it’s possible because of the system," Klopp said. 

"It doesn’t help obviously when Chelsea have injuries, and City and Liverpool and United and Tottenham and Arsenal and Leicester, because that is not enough votes for the rest.

"That is the system. I thought it should have been back in in the first place.

"For me it is a lack of leadership just to put the question on the table and say: ‘So what do you want with that?’ It should have been sold – if that’s the right word – differently with more information, showing more of what could happen, by [Premier League chief executive] Richard Masters. We never asked for any advantage.

"None of the top seven clubs asked for any advantage. We just knew, because we knew our schedule, that it would be incredibly difficult. To have the best games at the weekend in the Premier League, it would have helped that as well. I think we should think about it again."

Speaking on Friday, Manchester City boss Guardiola echoed Klopp's thoughts, saying there has been "47 per cent more muscular injuries" this year compared to the same stage of the campaign in 2019-20.

And the Catalan has added his voice to a growing campaign for the Premier League to rethink the decision to only allow three substitutions per game.

"It is nothing to do with certain teams having an advantage," he said. "It is about why we are here - the players. Forget about the advantage; this is to protect all the players.

"When they play every three days, they start to suffer. Why, in all the leagues is it happening, and here we cannot protect the players? 

"The statistics speak for themselves. The players are not recovering from the previous game, even the previous season. It makes no sense. 

"Who voted for the decisions? Who are they? They have to protect the players. They have to decide. The law is acceptable for FIFA, UEFA."

Manchester City have also been hit by key injuries with Sergio Aguero, Fernandinho, Gabriel Jesus, Benjamin Mendy and Nathan Ake having fitness issues.

Paul Onuachu and Cyriel Dessers were on the scoresheet as Genk decimated Eupen 4-0 in Friday’s Belgian First Division A game.

The Super Eagles forwards led the Blue and White’s attack in the encounter and made significant contributions.

Onuachu, who was afforded his eighth start for the Luminus Arena outfit, opened the scoring as early as the fifth minute when he tucked home his effort from the penalty spot.

The lanky centre-forward then set up his compatriot Dessers to double the Blue and White’s lead in the 48th minute.

Theo Bongonda made it three after receiving a timely pass from Dries Wouters in the 74th minute before completing his double with eight minutes left to play.

Onuachu has now scored eight goals in 10 league appearances for the Luminus Arena outfit in the current campaign.

The Super Eagles attacker featured for 75 minutes before he was replaced by Junya Ito and made 45 touches on the ball, two key passes, besides his goal.

Dessers teamed up with Genk in the summer following his outstanding performances for Heracles Almelo during his one-year stay.

The forward bagged 15 goals in 26 appearances amid other dazzling displays to emerge as the 2019–20 Eredivisie joint scorer.

Dessers has been impressive since his arrival at Luminus Arena and has now scored two goals in eight league games for Genk.

The forward featured for 61 minutes against Eupen and besides his goal, he had an 81% successful pass rate in the encounter.

The victory moved Jess Thorup’s men to fourth on the league table after gathering 19 points from 11 matches.

The Nigeria internationals could feature in Genk’s next league game against Sint-Truiden on November 7.

Former Argentina international and the nation's current Under-17's manager Pablo Aimar has stressed that Lionel Messi's dedication is unquestionable.

Aimar, who also acts as an assistant to Lionel Scaloni, briefly played alongside Messi at international level and was once cited as an idol by the superstar as he was coming through the ranks at Barcelona. 

While Messi has won trophies regularly at club level, he is yet to win a major piece of silverware at senior level with Argentina and briefly retired from international duty after seeing his country lose the 2016 Copa America final on penalties against Chile. 

The 33-year-old was lured back fairly quickly however and now wears the captain's armband as he looks to lead his country to silverware before he hangs up the boots. 

Despite recent turbulence at club level with Barcelona, Messi impressed during the recent international break and scored the decisive penalty in a 1-0 win over Ecuador. 

Aimar continues to watch the Argentine star closely and is adamant he remains fully committed to their cause moving forward.  

"He is happy, it is no small thing to be happy, to enjoy the moments, and obviously go to the games to win," Aimar told Goal.

"Do I see him with the same dedication as always? Who can doubt his dedication, I never had doubts. I like to see him play, I would have liked to seen him elsewhere.

"I really like to see him train, I have the enormous privilege of seeing him train. Wherever he is, I will watch him play." 

Aside from keeping tabs on Messi, Aimar is also coming to terms with how to manage Argentina's next big talents, having taken charge of their U-17 side in 2017. 

Aimer saw his side win the South American U-17 Championship in 2019 and admits learning to connect with a different generation of players has posed a unique challenge. 

"I learn to express myself, to understand how they communicate. They acquire culture in a different way. I cannot recommend a book because they are used to watching videos of seven seconds or less," Aimar said.

"But they have culture in their own way, they have TV shows and although I tell them 'Look, the book is better, because you have to imagine', but they are going to prefer the series."