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Chelsea captain Cesar Azpilicueta felt the Blues deserved a penalty for an incident involving himself and Harry Maguire, adding that he thought the referee should have reviewed the decision.

Azpilicueta was dragged down in the box by Maguire during Chelsea's clash with Manchester United, with the England defender draping his arms over the Spaniard's shoulders.

Former United star Patrice Evra likened Maguire to Hulk Hogan after the incident, saying that the WWE-like manoeuvre was a clear penalty.

The referee, disagreed, opting to let play continue on in what ended up being a 0-0 draw.

After the match, Azpilicueta acknowledged that it was a difficult call in real-time, but said that VAR should have been able to clear up any uncertainty.

"A good question, on the pitch I felt yes and I felt arms around my neck and shoulders," he told Sky Sports. 

"The referee can make the decision, the VAR is there [to help]. In any situation, the referee takes the main decisions and the monitor is there for him to help.

"It was 50-50 so why not take 20 seconds to review it? I think VAR can improve a lot. It happens, it is football, I don't say every time there is contact there should be a penalty.

"In England, there is strong physical contact. In football and in the Premier League always we should seek improvement - it is not a criticism, we can all help together to make a better league."

Chelsea's high-powered, big-money attack was largely held quiet on Saturday, with the Blues playing a more cautious game against United at Old Trafford.

United, meanwhile, tested Chelsea's Edouard Mendy several times, with the new starting goalkeeper making a fantastic save late on to keep out a potential Marcus Rashford winner. 

The match was one that left Chelsea wanting more, Azpilicueta says, as the Blues did not play at a level anywhere near their best in his opinion.

"I have the feeling we could have done more. We found spaces but we didn't create the last pass or pick the right pass or make the right decisions," he said.

"We defended solid and they have at the end one save by Edouard and in the first half one mistake by us, but we could do more.

"For moments we had spells. In the first half we controlled better but in the second half sometimes we rushed it and didn't move the ball good enough.

"We lost possession too easily which meant we lost some control but we showed solidity and it was a great effort from everybody. Obviously, we want more."

He added: "We have a long season to go and hopefully we can keep improving. We have the quality to do it."

Chelsea are set to face Krasnodar on Wednesday in their second match of the Champions League groups stage while United host RB Leipzig in their next European tie.

Edinson Cavani made his debut off the bench as Manchester United's home struggles continued with a dour 0-0 draw against Chelsea in an underwhelming Premier League clash at a rainy Old Trafford. 

Marcus Rashford and Juan Mata had the best of the first-half chances but were unable to get the better of Edouard Mendy, the latter's attempt coming after Harry Maguire contentiously avoided conceding a penalty for a clumsy challenge on Cesar Azpilicueta. 

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer sent on Cavani before the hour mark and the 33-year-old striker, who was signed as a free agent on deadline day, almost scored with his first touch for United. 

Neither side was able to find a winner, with Chelsea sitting sixth in the table and United 15th, though they are only separated by two points. 

After a sluggish opening half an hour, the highlight of which was Mendy almost passing the ball into his own goal, the game finally came to life in the final 10 minutes of the opening period. 

Mendy recovered from his earlier error by using his foot to keep out a low drive from Rashford, before springing to his right to push a curling attempt from Mata behind. 

Those shots came either side of Azpilicueta – who featured on the right side of a three-man defence – appealing for a penalty when Maguire climbed over him, while Thiago Silva went unpunished for clipping Rashford in the area in the 41st minute. 

Mata and Daniel James were sacrificed for Paul Pogba and debutant Cavani, who narrowly missed out on making an immediate impact when he flicked Bruno Fernandes' cross into the side-netting.

Mason Greenwood returned for United as a late substitute and Mendy produced another stunning save to deny Rashford, who produced the first and only shot on target of the second half in stoppage time.

What does it mean? No home comforts 

United recovered from their 6-1 thrashing at the hands of Tottenham in their previous Premier League home game by winning at Newcastle United and Paris Saint-Germain over the past week. 

However, their draw with Chelsea means they are now winless in five league games at Old Trafford, their worst such run since February 1990. 

Mendy making a difference 

With Kepa Arrizabalaga having committed an error leading to a goal in each of his three Premier League appearances this season, Mendy provided some greater resilience with two impressive saves in the first half and one at the death. He still needs time to improve with his feet, though, having almost scored an own goal beforehand.

Maguire's mad moment 

He may have produced a team-high six clearances and gained possession eight times, but Maguire was fortunate not to concede a penalty for his challenge on Azpilicueta in the first half.

What's next? 

Chelsea travel to Russia to face Krasnodar in the Champions League on Wednesday, when United welcome last season's semi-finalists RB Leipzig to Old Trafford.

Mesut Ozil is “too good” to have been left out at Arsenal for football reasons, says Paul Merson, with the Gunners accused of trying to force a World Cup winner through the exits.

The German playmaker remains on the books at Emirates Stadium and will not see another transfer window open until January.

It may be that he finally seeks a move in 2021, with there no chance of him seeing competitive minutes prior to that after being omitted from Mikel Arteta’s Europa League and Premier League squads.

The 32-year-old is due to hit free agency next summer anyway, and has regularly stated a desire to honour that agreement, but had been hoping to play his way to a finish.

Ozil is now firmly frozen out, with a stunning saga in north London leaving many baffled.

Merson is among those struggling to see why Arsenal would completely overlook a player of such ability, with the former Gunners star suggesting that ulterior motives may be at play.

“One hundred per cent, I can’t see any other reason,” Merson told Sky Sports.

“I can’t see how it’s football reasons. The lad is too talented, he’s too good.

“I could understand if this was the Invincibles team of 2004, but this is the Arsenal of today. For me, for him not to get a number has to be about more than football.

“People say he doesn’t run around, that’s not his job. His job is to make things happen on the football pitch, and he can make things happen.

“Get people around him that can do that kind of work and when he stops doing that, then you get him out of the time.

“He was in Arteta’s team, he was a mainstay and everything went through him. He’s a special player and it’s a shame we aren’t going to be able to see him play now.”

While Ozil has been left out of Arteta’s plans, leading to his agent asking angry questions of those at the Emirates, the former Germany international is still being allowed to train.

Merson considers that to be the clearest indication yet that a man who has spent seven years on Arsenal’s books has not been rocking the boat and is being harshly treated by those who handed a lucrative contract in January 2018.

“That tells me he isn’t trouble,” Merson added.

“If you haven’t got someone in your squad and they are trouble, they aren’t training with you. If they are allowed to train with the club, with the first team, that isn’t football reasons.”

Edinson Cavani made his debut off the bench as Manchester United's home struggles continued with a dour 0-0 draw against Chelsea in an underwhelming Premier League clash at a rainy Old Trafford. 

Marcus Rashford and Juan Mata had the best of the first-half chances but were unable to get the better of Edouard Mendy, the latter's attempt coming after Harry Maguire contentiously avoided conceding a penalty for a clumsy challenge on Cesar Azpilicueta. 

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer sent on Cavani before the hour mark and the 33-year-old striker, who was signed as a free agent on deadline day, almost scored with his first touch for United. 

Neither side was able to find a winner, with Chelsea sitting sixth in the table and United 15th, though they are only separated by two points. 

After a sluggish opening half an hour, the highlight of which was Mendy almost passing the ball into his own goal, the game finally came to life in the final 10 minutes of the opening period. 

Mendy recovered from his earlier error by using his foot to keep out a low drive from Rashford, before springing to his right to push a curling attempt from Mata behind. 

Those shots came either side of Azpilicueta – who featured on the right side of a three-man defence – appealing for a penalty when Maguire climbed over him, while Thiago Silva went unpunished for clipping Rashford in the area in the 41st minute. 

Mata and Daniel James were sacrificed for Paul Pogba and debutant Cavani, who narrowly missed out on making an immediate impact when he flicked Bruno Fernandes' cross into the side-netting.

Mason Greenwood returned for United as a late substitute and Mendy produced another stunning save to deny Rashford, who produced the first and only shot on target of the second half in stoppage time.

What does it mean? No home comforts 

United recovered from their 6-1 thrashing at the hands of Tottenham in their previous Premier League home game by winning at Newcastle United and Paris Saint-Germain over the past week. 

However, their draw with Chelsea means they are now winless in five league games at Old Trafford, their worst such run since February 1990. 

Mendy making a difference 

With Kepa Arrizabalaga having committed an error leading to a goal in each of his three Premier League appearances this season, Mendy provided some greater resilience with two impressive saves in the first half and one at the death. He still needs time to improve with his feet, though, having almost scored an own goal beforehand.

Maguire's mad moment 

He may have produced a team-high six clearances and gained possession eight times, but Maguire was fortunate not to concede a penalty for his challenge on Azpilicueta in the first half.

What's next? 

Chelsea travel to Russia to face Krasnodar in the Champions League on Wednesday, when United welcome last season's semi-finalists RB Leipzig to Old Trafford.

Yakou Meite scored a brace while Ovie Ejaria provided an assist as Reading secured a 3-0 victory over Rotherham United in Saturday’s Championship game.

Ejaria was handed his sixth start while Meite made his fifth and they combined well to help the Royals extend their unbeaten run in the division to seven games.

The first-half produced few goal-mouth actions but Reading made good use of the opportunities that came their way to open the scoring.

Ejaria ignited the goals when he found Meite with a sumptuous pass and the Ivory Coast international calmly slotted home his effort.

The second half saw Reading continue their domination when Meite scored a breathtaking effort in the 79th minute.

The 24-year-old centre-forward chested the ball before unleashing a powerful volley from 18-yards into the back of the net to complete his brace in style.

Lucas Joao then sealed Reading’s victory at the death to ensure they maintained their perfect start to the campaign.

Meite has now scored three goals in six Championship games this season after opening his account against Barnsley in September.

The attacker featured for the duration of the game while Ejaria was replaced by Michael Olise in the 66th minute of the encounter.

Rotherham United paraded Michael Ihiekwefor for the entirety of the game while Matthew Olosunde was introduced for Florian Jozefzoon in the 64th minute and Freddie Ladapo was brought on for Wes Harding with 19 minutes left to play.

The victory helped Reading consolidate their lead on the Championship table with 19 points from seven games.

Meite and Ejaria will hope to continue their productive partnership with the Royals when they square off against Blackburn Rovers on October 27.

Young Africans (Yanga SC) head coach Cedric Kaze believes the future is very bright for the Mainland Premier League giants.

After leading Yanga to a 1-0 win over Polisi Tanzania on Thursday to maintain their unbeaten run, Kaze has now stated the victory marked just the beginning of many good things.

The 1-0 win – in Kaze’ first game in charge since he was appointed to replace Zlatko Krmpotic – ensured Timu ya Wananchi moved above their archrivals Simba SC and go second.

“We have just begun, good things are coming ahead,” Kaze told Mwanaspoti.

The Burundian also explained in detail the kind of stay he wants to be implemented at Yanga as they look to win the league title for the first time in three seasons.

“I want to see players are able to maintain possession and able to build play from the back into the opponents’ area,” he added.

“Even if we will be playing against a team that will be pressing us hard in our area, I would not want to see any of my players kicking away the ball without any plan.

“I want to see that we build our play from the back until we enter into the opponents’ area. If a player has to kick the ball away unnecessarily then it must be in a situation that would have just demanded that action.

“If you can look at the previous games that Yanga have played in the league, you will see there is a big difference with the game against Polisi Tanzania.”

Kaze added that he was slightly satisfied in how the team played against Polisi Tanzania at Uhuru Stadium in Dar es Salaam.

“Despite their strength, we were able to possess the ball and create passes from the back until when we scored the goal,” the former Vital’ O coach concluded.

“Haruna Niyonzima, for now, has not been able to fully do what I want but I believe this is just the beginning and going forward he and other players will be in a better position to do what they are asked to.

“We were not able to create a lot of chances and the few that we managed to create were not clinical enough to make sure we utilised them and get goals.

“But again, all my players can play the way I would want them to.”

Yanga will be up against KMC FC without injured Balama Mapinduzi on Sunday.

Alisson has been included in Liverpool's starting XI to face Sheffield United on Saturday, completing the Brazilian's rapid return from a collarbone injury. 

The goalkeeper suffered the issue in training at the start of October and has since been forced to sit out several matches for the Reds. 

Liverpool felt his absence as they went down 7-2 to Aston Villa with Adrian in goal, while also dropping points in last Saturday's 2-2 draw with Everton. 

He was additionally unavailable for Brazil in their opening World Cup qualifiers against Bolivia and Peru, and was deputised by Palmeiras number one Weverton in back-to-back victories for the Selecao. 

Alisson was initially expected to miss four to six weeks of action with the shoulder problem, but he has received the all-clear to join up with his team-mates for Saturday's Premier League clash at Anfield. 

"Alisson Becker has been named in Liverpool’s matchday squad for this evening’s Premier League clash with Sheffield United," the club revealed ahead of kick-off in a statement published on its official website.

"The goalkeeper is included among the Reds players that will shortly arrive at Anfield having missed the last three matches due to a collarbone injury."

The Reds subsequently confirmed that Alisson would start Saturday's clash, with Adrian returning to the bench.

Speaking ahead of the Blades clash, manager Jurgen Klopp had told reporters that his charge was in good shape and that he could be in consideration for the weekend. 

"Ali looks very good. We have to see; catching balls and stuff like this is all possible. But we cannot rush it and will not rush it," Klopp explained.

“Actually, it’s a common thing every day when I see Ali, I say: ‘How was it today?’ He always with a big smile tells me of the slight improvements.

"Today I didn’t see him [yet], so I can’t wait to ask for his progress!”

Alisson, 28, joined Liverpool from Roma in 2018 and quickly endeared himself to the Reds faithful with his commanding performances between the posts. 

The Brazilian lifted the Champions League at the end of his first season at Anfield and in 2019-20 helped Liverpool to their first league title since 1990, with Klopp's men conceding just 33 goals over the course of the campaign to boast the division's meanest defence.

Romelu Lukaku maintained his hot scoring streak as Inter battled to a 2-0 victory over Genoa at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris to snap their three-game winless run.

Inter lost 2-1 to bitter rivals Milan last weekend, either side of draws with Lazio and Borussia Monchengladbach, and they made hard work of overcoming Genoa on Saturday.

The Nerazzurri failed to register a single shot on target in the first half of a league game for the first time under Antonio Conte, who has been under increasing pressure.

But Inter made the breakthrough thanks to Lukaku's 10th goal in eight matches this term for club and country, which Danilo D'Ambrosio added to 11 minutes from time as the visitors moved up to third.

Andre Ayew was in action as Swansea City were held to a 1-1 draw in Saturday’s Championship outing at Bristol City.

Ayew was on parade for the entire duration but could not add to his tally of three goals in seven league matches this season as Steve Cooper's side settled for their second straight draw in the English second division.

Jamal Lowe gave the visitors the lead at Ashton Gate with his 51st-minute finish but his opener was cancelled from the penalty spot by Nahki Wells' equaliser for Bristol seven minutes from time.

Ayew managed one of the two shots on target registered by the Swans in the entire game and he also received a yellow card for taking his protest against referee Oliver Langford too far in the 87th minute.

The draw saw Swansea City drop to sixth in the Championship standings with 12 points after seven matches while Bristol City remain second with 14 points.

At the end of the encounter, Cooper said Ayew and his teammates were gutted by the result after their ‘decent display’ on the road.

“The lads are really disappointed with a point because of the nature of the equaliser and the decision on the penalty,” Cooper told the club website.

“I thought it was a decent game, I liked our performance coming away from home and being as positive as we were and committing bodies forward when we could.

“We got the opener, it was a great finish from Jamal, and we looked comfortable.

“I thought we would go and on and win the game and score another goal rather than seeing the game out.

“Then, when a decision like that is made, it’s hard to keep your mouth shut on it, to be honest.

“That decision, there is nothing you can do to make it better. There’s nothing you can coach or say or do in preparation to make that better.

“It’s so hard to get points in this league, so to get a decision like what when we were so comfortable in the game. It’s a difficult one to take, to be honest.”

Ayew will be aiming to return to the score sheet when Swansea City host John Obi Mikel's Stoke City at the Liberty Stadium on Tuesday.

Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman suggested that VAR was unfairly targeting his team after going down 3-1 to Real Madrid in his maiden Clasico on the bench. 

Both the Catalans and Madrid were hoping for better fortunes in the showpiece Liga game on Saturday, having gone down to defeats against Getafe and Cadiz respectively last week. 

But it was Zinedine Zidane's charges who were left celebrating as they prevailed at Camp Nou. 

Fede Valverde opened the scoring for the visitors after just five minutes before Ansu Fati responded with an almost immediate equaliser in an entertaining start to proceedings. 

Then, with the two giants deadlocked at 1-1, video technology deemed that Clement Lenglet had pulled Sergio Ramos' shirt and awarded a penalty, converted with ease by the Madrid captain. 

Luka Modric put the result beyond doubt late on to cap a disappointing afternoon for Barca, but Koeman was left wondering what might have been had the spot-kick not been awarded. 

"We do not agree, it was not a penalty for me. I hope one day I can have the VAR issue in Spain explained to me," the Dutchman fired to reporters after the final whistle. 

"We are five games in and VAR has only ever been used against Barca. 

"Neither Messi's penalty against Sevilla nor the two red card fouls against Getafe. Why is VAR only used against Barca?

"VAR can be great, but for all the teams. 

"I haven't spoken to Lenglet but I did see the move. It was a foul by Ramos on Lenglet. Then Lenglet grabbed Ramos, but not to pull him back, in any case he should have fallen forward, not back. Once again, it's not a penalty for me.

"It's normal for the Madrid players to pressure the referee, I have no problem with that. The referee and VAR made that decision in a key moment of the game."

Ramos' strike prompted Koeman to shuffle his team in the search for an equaliser, but the introductions of forwards Trincao, Antoine Griezmann, Ousmane Dembele and Martin Braithwaite from the bench only served to unbalance the Barca XI while adding little in attacking threat. 

The former Netherlands boss, though, defended his decision to go for broke, even if it left his side open to concede the third. 

"First we let the players already on the pitch try and create scoring chances," he explained. 

"Then we chose to add pace on the wings with Trincao and Dembele, and Griezmann's entrance alongside Messi. 

"From the 39th minute (of the second half) we decided to defend one-on-one at the back. It was risky but I don't mind losing 1-2 or 1-3. 

"We played a good game, created chances, but the penalty decision influenced it greatly. I am not concerned or anxious despite these two defeats, we have to keep working the way we have, I have no doubts over the quality of my players."

Patrice Evra says Harry Maguire’s headlock on Cesar Azpilicueta during Manchester United’s Premier League clash with Chelsea is a move more associated with WWE legend Hulk Hogan.

The Red Devils skipper grappled with his Blues counterpart during the first half of a cagey meeting at Old Trafford.

Maguire had been drafted back into Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s starting XI after sitting out a midweek Champions League win over Paris Saint-Germain.

The England international has endured a testing 2020-21 campaign to date, for club and country, and he could have seen matters take another turn for the worse when tangling with Azpilicueta.

As United sought to deal with a set-piece delivered into their box, Maguire found himself the wrong side of his fellow captain.

In a bid to try and prevent a Spanish foe from getting to the ball, the 27-year-old took to grabbing Azpilicueta round the neck.

His tactics worked, as he was able to complete a clearance, but his methods were slightly unusual – and risky.

With VAR now checking any contentious incidents, Maguire could easily have been pulled up for fouling Azpilicueta, presenting Chelsea with an opportunity to convert from the penalty spot.

Evra admits the Red Devils centre-half got lucky as his actions would not have looked out of place in a wrestling ring.

The former United defender told Sky Sports: “I used to watch wrestling and he reminds me of Hulk Hogan. It’s a clear penalty and VAR, we can talk all day about it.”

Evra was not the only one surprised to see Maguire get away with some questionable defending on Saturday.

Chelsea supporters following the action from afar were left baffled as to how the match officials – on the field and at Stockley Park – failed to reach the conclusion that a spot-kick should have been awarded.

Maguire continued to favour a risky approach in the second half, with the United star locking horns with Azpilicueta on a regular basis.

He faced no punishment for continuously wrapping his arms around the long-serving Blues star, with his actions seemingly judged to be part of the process that constitutes tightly marking a man.

Football Kenya Federation (FKF) has confirmed the Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match pitting Harambee Stars against Comoros will be played under floodlights.

The first round battle earmarked for November 11 will kick-off at 7 pm at Kasarani Stadium and according to Mwendwa fans will also not be allowed to attend the match owing to strict Covid-19 protocols set up by the government through the Ministry of Health.

“We had planned to have the qualifier played at the refurbished Nyayo Stadium but it will not be the case now because the lights at the venue are not functioning, so we have been forced to push the match to Kasarani,” Mwendwa told Goal on Saturday.

“The match will kick-off at 7 pm and it will be played under floodlights, we have already confirmed the Kasarani lights are working well, so the match will be played there but under strict Covid-19 rules.”

It will be Kenya’s first match under new coach Jacob ‘Ghost’ Mulee, who was appointed on Wednesday to take over the mantle after the FKF parted ways with former coach Francis Kimanzi on mutual agreement.

Mulee has already revealed the importance of the match, stating his main target is to win all matches at home to stand a chance of making it to the Afcon finals.

“It’s not going to be an easy match,” Mulee told Goal. “Most of their players play abroad. It’s a difficult match but looking at what our team has achieved in recent times, it gives me confidence that we can get a positive result.”

Mulee, whose last match as the coach of Harambee Stars was in 2010 during the Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup held in Tanzania, further explained his desire is to always see the team taking part in the Afcon finals. 

“It’s a good thing that the Federation has shown confidence in what I can do. I have been following the team in recent times and I see a lot of quality in the team,” Mulee continued.

“The first task is to qualify for the Afcon. In the recent past, our story has been going for the tournament, and then staying out for long thereafter, we want to make it a habit that we can be able to qualify for Afcon every other year.”

The 52-year-old tactician also stressed he will pick his squad for the national team on merit by stating, “Talent is talent. It’s been difficult for our local-based players during this Covid-19 pandemic in terms of match fitness, hence, we may have to turn to our foreign-based players who have been active. But in the end, talent is talent, I will pick my squad on merit.”

Kenya will move to residential training on October 26, first with local-based players, before the foreign-based stars start arriving on November 2, ahead of the first match set for Kasarani Stadium on November 11.

Kenya are currently second in Group G after managing two draws from their first two matches, 1-1 against Egypt away in Cairo and the same scoreline against Togo in Nairobi.

Liverpool are being linked with a January move for Brighton defender Ben White, but Graham Potter is ignoring talk of a £50 million ($65m) raid being launched by those at Anfield.

Jurgen Klopp is said to be weighing up his options after seeing Virgil van Dijk ruled out with knee ligament damage.

Various targets are reported to be in the Reds’ sights, with Napoli star Kalidou Koulibaly seeing transfer gossip resurface around him.

It could, however, be that Liverpool look closer to home if they are tempted into the next market, and White, who starred for Leeds on loan in 2019-20, would be a versatile and home-grown option for those on Merseyside.

He would not come cheap, with his stock having soared on the back of a promotion-winning campaign at Elland Road, but Liverpool have shown that they are prepared to spend big when required.

Potter is aware of the speculation suggesting that the Seagulls should brace themselves for bids, but he is reading little into what is merely gossip at this stage.

The Brighton boss told reporters when quizzed on the White rumours: “I think it is a bit like it was at the start of the season – all sorts of talk about he’s doing this, he’s doing that, and it is generated by outside, by outside of our control really.

“It is part of the football noise. The transfer window closed last week and we are already having conversations around transfer speculation, it is just the way it is.

“I know he is level-headed enough to not let it affect him.

“I think at this level you have to know it is part of the territory, it is part of the job of being a footballer, part of what you have to deal with.

“Consistently all he has done is just get on with his football, all he has done has come into training, be professional, tried his best and tried to play football. I have no concerns about Ben.”

Pressed specifically on the £50m price tag that has been mooted, Potter added: “I haven’t heard anything.”

Brighton are under no pressure to part with White as they tied him to a new four-year contract in September and consider him to have a leading role to play in their present and future.

Jean-Philippe Mateta found the net twice but Mainz lost 3-2 at home to Borussia Monchengladbach in Saturday’s Bundesliga outing.

The striker of Congolese descent had given Jan-Moritz Lichte’s men the lead after recovering from a goal deficit, however, a lethargic second-half display cost them the result.

In the five-goal thriller, the first chance fell to Mainz after 60 seconds, nevertheless, Robin Quaison was unable to convert Jean-Paul Boetius’ pass. On the other side, Patrick Herrmann forced a good save from goalkeeper Robin Zentner.

Notwithstanding, Monchengladbach took the lead after 15 minutes through Lars Stindl who converted a headed pass from Breel Embolo.

Eight minutes later, Mateta levelled matters for the hosts thanks to good work from Quaison. He completed his brace in the 36th minute with Levin Oztunali providing the assist.

In the second half, Mainz put their feet off the pedal and that resulted in the Foals dominating ball possession in their search for an equaliser. 14 minutes from full time, Jonas Hofmann equalised from the penalty spot after Moussa Niakhate had fouled a goal-bound Marcus Thuram.

Seven minutes from full-time, defender Matthias Ginte had the final say after his compatriot Hofmann headed the ball into his path.

23-year-old Mateta who has now scored three goals so far in the 2020-21 campaign was in action from start to finish, while Cameroonian midfielder Pierre Kunde was substituted in the 65th minute for Leandro Barreiro. Ghana's Issah Abass was not listed for the clash by interim manager Lichte.

Guinea's Ibrahima Traore and Algeria international Ramy Bensebaini were unused substitutes by the visiting Foals.

With this defeat, Mainz have now lost all five games so far this season to sit at the base of the German top-flight with zero points. They would be hoping for redemption when they travel to Augsburg on October 31.

For Borussia Monchengladbach - who are now unbeaten in their last five games across all competitions, they move to fifth spot after garnering 10 points from the same number of matches. They host RB Leipzig in their next league outing but before then, they take on Spanish giants Real Madrid in the Champions League.

Despite featuring for France at U19 and U21 levels, Mateta remains eligible to represent DR Congo at senior level.

Mbeya City registered their first win in the Tanzania Mainland League after defeating Kagera Sugar 2-1 on Saturday.

Prior to this weekend's game, the Mbeya-based side had not won any of their last seven matches, managing two draws and five losses. The Sugar Millers had managed to get one win, two draws, and four losses.

It took the visitors just a minute to get the opening goal. A defender handled the ball in the danger zone and Abdulrazak Mohamed rose for the occasion to give his team an early lead.

The second goal for Mbeya came in the 24th minute when the defender failed to clear a long ball. It fell kindly to Siraji Juma who headed the ball past the hapless goalkeeper to double the advantage.

Kagera's consolation came in the 46th minute courtesy of Erick Kyaruzi, but Mbeya City held on to register their first win of the season and take their points tally to five.

Coastal Union were held to a 1-1 draw by Gwambina FC in another top-tier game played on Saturday.

Yusuph Soka opened the scoring for the hosts after just two minutes, converting a cross which the defenders had failed to clear.

The promoted side could have levelled matters after just 15 minutes when they were awarded a penalty. However, Yusuph Dunia shot wide from 12 yards with the goalkeeper well beaten.

Gwambina managed to get onto level terms in the 35th minute when Meshack Abraham managed to beat the defenders before finding the back of the net.

Ihefu and Namungo played to a goalless draw in another league match scheduled for Saturday. 

Namungo are placed eighth on the table with 10 points from the eight matches played. They have managed three wins, a draw, and four losses while Ihefu are bottom of the table with four points from the same number of games.

They have managed one win, a draw, and six losses.

After Saturday's win against Kagera, Mbeya City are 16th on the log with five points, the same as the Sugar Millers who are a position higher owing to their superior goal difference.

Gwambina are 10th with nine points while Coastal Union are three positions lower with a point less.

Tom Barkhuizen was in action as Preston North End secured a 2-1 victory over Huddersfield Town in Saturday’s Championship game.

The 27-year-old made a second-half appearance for Alex Neil’s men at John Smith's Stadium in his fifth appearance this season.

The South African‘s contribution helped the Lilywhites secured their second consecutive victory after Wednesday’s win over Queens Park Rangers.

Preston North End started the game unimpressively, allowing Huddersfield to open the scoring with only eight minutes into the encounter through Fraizer Campbell.

The Lilywhites made several efforts to level proceedings before the half-time break but Carlos Corberan’s men managed to hold on to their lead.

Three minutes after the restart, Preston North End levelled matters when Alan Browne found the back of the net with an individual effort.

The Republic of Ireland international then completed his brace two minutes later with a fine strike which was enough to secure the Lilywhites all three points in the game.

Shortly before the end of the match, Huddersfield were reduced to 10 men after Naby Sarr was shown a red card for serious foul play.

Barkhuizen featured for 18 minutes, made six touches on the ball and had a 50% successful pass rate to help his side continue their winning ways.

The victory moved Preston North End to 12th on the Championship table after securing 10 points from seven games.

Barkhuizen has been with the Lilywhites since 2017 when he joined from Blackpool and has made more than 140 appearances for the club.

The 27-year-old, who had played for 249 minutes in the current campaign, will hope to feature more prominently for his side to boost his chances of featuring for the South Africa national team.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is expecting big things from “smiley” Thomas Partey at Arsenal, with the Ghana international offering important qualities to the Gunners that they have been missing.

Early comparisons are being made at Emirates Stadium between a deadline day signing and club legend Patrick Vieira.

Partey is considered to be cut from the same cloth as an iconic World Cup winner, with his game all about adding graft and guile in the engine room.

He has already showcased that skill set in an Arsenal shirt, with an impressive performance put in on what was his first start for the north London giants against Rapid Vienna.

There will be more to come from him once fully up to speed, with Mikel Arteta ready to hand out a prominent role at an ambitious Premier League outfit.

Aubameyang believes £45 million ($59m) man Partey will prove to be a shrewd addition, with the potential there for an inspirational 27-year-old to raise the game of those around him.

He can also reinforce the spine of an Arsenal side that has been accused of being a little soft at times, with the Gunners reaping the rewards of investing in the right kind of additions.

Gunners skipper Aubameyang told the club’s official matchday programme of a new recruit: “He has integrated so well in the squad. 

“He is kind, calm and smiley. On the pitch, we have seen already seen what he will bring us in matches. 

“He is so strong physically but yet so good on the ball as well. We didn’t really have a profile like this in our squad before.

“In terms of ball progression, beating the press, going forward, he will be very important for us. 

“My family is from Gabon but I also have some roots in Ghana where Thomas is from so we are family too!

“It is good for some of our younger players as well to have a player like him, of his calibre at training. They will learn a lot from him.”

Arsenal will be back in Premier League action on Sunday when taking in a home date with Leicester and Partey could be offered his full debut in the English top-flight when the Foxes roll into town, having made his initial bow off the bench in a 1-0 defeat at Manchester City.

Barcelona defender Sergino Dest says he is "p*ssed" that his first Clasico experience was spoiled by a Real Madrid win.

The U.S. men's national team defender became the first American to ever play in La Liga's showcase game, but his Barca were well-beaten by Real Madrid in what ended as a 3-1 win for Zinedine Zidane's side.

Real Madrid originally took the lead within five minutes thanks to a goal from Fede Valverde before Barca equalized three minutes later on an Ansu Fati finish.

From that point forward, though, Real Madrid were in the driver's seat, with Sergio Ramos giving them a 2-1 lead before Luka Modric sealed the result with a late goal.

Dest was one of few bright spots for Barca on the day, with the full-back looking comfortable in his first taste of El Clasico.

But Saturday's defeat was no sentimental experience for the American defender, as he was left frustrated by his team's performance.

"It was a really tough match, we had chances, they had chances," he told Movistar. "Too bad that we lost. My first Clasico but I am p*ssed that we lost."

He added: "It's my first Clasico. It's a nice game to play of course. It's just too bad that we lost the game against Real Madrid."

The match turned after Ramos' finish from the penalty spot, which came after Barca defender Clement Lenglet was called for a foul in the box.

Even with VAR, the call was a controversial one, but Dest says he wasn't sure whether or not the decision was correct.

"I didn't see it so I don't know if it was a penalty or not but I feel like, I don't know if it was a penalty, but I just have to play through it," he said.

 With El Clasico now complete, Barca must now turn their focus towards a highly-anticipated Champions League clash with Juventus.

The Catalan side got off to a perfect start in Europe thanks to a 5-1 win over Ferencvaros, and Dest is already turning his focus towards the upcoming match against the Italian giants.

"They had chances, we had chances. They were maybe a bit sharper with their chances. They finished and we didn't," he said.

"We have another game on Wednesday against Juventus and we have to win that one 100 percent. We just have to keep going.

"We have to win the next couple of games. The next game is Juventus, Champions League, and we have to win that and get the team spirit back."

Ugandan Premier League side Police FC have unveiled the 2020/21 season squad alongside the players' jersey numbers.

Police signed 13 players and are now set to face the new season which is expected to begin in November 2020 with renewed energy and enthusiasm.

Police struggled in the cancelled 2019/20 season and were lucky to remain in the top-tier when the Federation of Uganda Football Association (Fufa) cancelled the competition mid-2020.

Among the players who were signed is experienced midfielder Tonny Mawejje who has been named the captain and handed jersey number six.

The club’s head coach Abdalla Mubiru – who is also Uganda national team assistant coach – said he has complete trust in his squad.

“We thank God for enabling us to go through the window well,” Mubiru said as per Kawowo Sports.

“I have full trust in the commitment and ability of all the players. We have a balanced team of experienced and upcoming talents who are focused to do us a good job.

“We are only praying for God’s mercy and guidance for better results in this coming season.”

The club also stated why jersey number one has not been handed to any goalkeeper.

Derrick Ochan will wear number 19, new signing Tom Ikara will don jersey number 23 and Samson Oloka was given number 30.

“All three goalkeepers have unique numbers from their background. That is why the number one is not taken up,” the 2005 Premier League champions explained as the number one jersey remains unclaimed for yet another season.

Goalkeepers: 19. Derrick Ochan, 23. Tom Ikara and 30. Sammon Oloka.

Defenders: 2. Denis Rukundo, 3. Hassan Mahmoud, 4. Joseph Ssentume, 5. Sylvester Ssemakula, 15. Henry Katongola, 16. Musa Matovu, 17. Erick Ssenjobe.

Midfielders: 6. Tony Mawejje, 7. Yusuf Ssozi, 8. Frank Tumwesigye, 10. Ben Ocen, 11. Ruben Kimea, 13. Samuel Kayongo, 14. Muwadda Mawejje, 18. Timothy Oyamo, 20. Duncan Sseninde, 21. Fahad Kizito, 22. Tony Kiwalazi, 24. Bashir Kabuye, 25. Arnold Sembuya, 26. Edward Kiryowa, 27. Johnson Odongo, 29. Adam Mutesasira.
 

Strikers: 12. Herman Wasswa, 9. Derrick Kakooza, 28.Mubarak Nsubuga.

Uganda will be represented by Vipers SC in the Caf Champions League while KCCA FC will be in duty in the Confederation Cup after Fufa nullified the Uganda Cup competition that was suspended mid-way because of the coronavirus.