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Mamelodi Sundowns attacking midfielder Themba Zwane has been crowned the 2019-20 Footballer of the Season by the South African Football Journalists' Association (Safja). 

The 31-year-old beat teammate Hlompho Kekana, Kaizer Chiefs duo of Samir Nurkovic and Lebogang Manyama, and former Highlands Park striker Peter Shalulile to the accolade. 

He was handed his award on Tuesday afternoon, a few days after a list of nominees was made public by Safja 

Zwane was instrumental in helping the Brazilians win a domestic treble this past season. 

His incredible consistency coupled with the number of goals and assists recorded made him the strong favourite to beat his rivals to the award. 

The Tembisa-born attacker finished as the club's top goalscorer with 14 goals across all competitions. 

He scored the 14 goals in 41 appearances for the Tshwane giants while also adding a whopping 12 assists to his name. 

This award may pave the way for Zwane to be crowned the league's Footballer of the Year. 

His teammate Kekana was also a strong contender after an impressive campaign he had despite him being one of the oldest players in the league. 

The 35-year-old contributed four goals and five assists in the 44 matches for Pitso Mosimane's side - and those goals and assists were crucial in Sundowns catching up and overtaking Amakhosi in the title race. 

On the other hand, the contribution made by both Nurkovic and Manyama toward turning Amakhosi into strong title contenders could not be overlooked. 

Manyama was directly involved in 17 goals for the Glamour Boys - seven goals and 10 assists. 

Nurkovic, on the other hand, did the most in front of goal, scoring 14 goals and subsequently finishing as the club's top goalscorer while he also recorded six assists. 

And lastly, Shalulile misses out on the award despite finishing the as the league's joint-top goalscorer with 16 strikes alongside Orlando Pirates forward Gabadinho Mhango. 

The Namibia international has since joined Sundowns and will link up with both Zwane and Kekana. 

Ruben Dias is a “special” talent and boasts the leadership skills to fill a Vincent Kompany-shaped void at Manchester City, claims the 23-year-old’s former youth coach.

Pep Guardiola is yet to find suitable cover for a former talisman at the Etihad Stadium who headed back to Belgium in the summer of 2019.

Kompany had endured injury struggles during his time in Manchester, but he was a commanding presence when fit and a captain who always led by example.

Various options have been tried in an effort to plug a sizeable gap in the Blues’ defensive unit, but few have convinced.

That has forced Guardiola back into the transfer market and towards Benfica star Dias.

A £62 million ($79m) deal for the promising centre-half has been put in place, with Joao Tralhao backing a player he worked with in the academy system at Estadio da Luz to thrive in England.

He told Sky Sports of Dias: “He was my captain but he was not only my captain, he was the captain of every age group that he played because his profile is that of the natural leader.

“He likes to lead. He knows how to lead. He knows how to be the coach's voice on the pitch and in the dressing room. He knows everything about leadership.

“You will see that at City once he is adapted. He will lead everything. I mean that in a good way. He will be the coach's voice. A player who can help the team do their tasks correctly.

“He will not just be a shouting leader, showing it with that behaviour, pushing players by saying, 'Come on, come on'. As well as that, he will be the one who actually leads the tasks. Telling them how they should organise in terms of the coach's idea. He can do both.

“He is a very complete player in terms of his defensive approach. He can play with the defensive line high and space in behind him, but if you ask him to play with a low block he can do that as well.

“He is good on the ball, knowing when he can make the pass, so he will be able to adapt very quickly to the manager's ideas in terms of the build-up too.”

City are looking for another option that can offer inspiration on and off the ball, with Tralhao confident that Dias will tick those boxes.

He added: “It is not easy for him to leave Benfica because he has been there so long. He arrived so young and now he is leaving.

“But, on the other hand, going to a club like Manchester City, playing in the Premier League for one of the most important clubs in the world, is a challenge and he is excited for that.

“All the memories I have are positive. He is an example, a role model for every young player because of what he does on the pitch, in training sessions, and how he lives off the pitch.

“From the moment that he arrived at the academy I knew that he was going to do very well. You could see it when he was young. But it was only when I started working closely with him at U18 level that I really knew he was going to the top.

“It was not his talent. It was his capacity to work. His focus. His mentality that he had in every session, every day. His ability to compete is amazing. He is special.”

Hector Bellerin says there is a hunger within the Arsenal squad that hasn’t existed during the last few years and believes they will bounce back strongly from their defeat at Liverpool.

Mikel Arteta’s side were beaten for the first time this season when they went down 3-1 at Anfield at Monday night, but there were still some positives for the visitors to take from the performance.

They took the lead through Alexandre Lacazette’s first-half goal and although they soon found themselves 2-1 down, Arsenal stayed in the game after the interval and had a golden chance to equalise when the Frenchman burst clean through, only to see his shot saved by Alisson.

It proved to be a costly miss as Liverpool went on to wrap things up through a late Diogo Jota strike, ensuring their unbeaten home run in the Premier League - which stretches back to 2017 - was maintained.

For Arsenal, it was a disappointing result, but Bellerin is adamant that the defeat should not take away from the progress they have made under Arteta in recent months.

“Liverpool haven’t lost a game [at Anfield] in the league in years,” said the Spanish right-back. “To be fair, it is the norm to come here and lose nowadays but we made it really, really difficult for them.

“We had the chances to even go to 2-2 and make it a different game, but the truth is right now they are a better team than us. We are getting better every time.”

Bellerin added: “The dressing room is frustrated. There is a hunger in this team that wasn’t there the last few years and we want to win every single game. We knew that coming here all the odds were against us, but the team believed that we could come here and get a result.

“For us to not get that is very frustrating, but we are not going to let this get to us.

“We have been working really well, we have been getting results that people didn’t even believe we could get and, building on from the end of last season, I think the team is working really hard.

“Every game we understand each other more and I am very positive about what this season holds for us.”

Arsenal return to Anfield again on Thursday night to take on Liverpool in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup.

They then host Sheffield United on Sunday as they look to get back to winning ways in the Premier League.

The defeat on Monday saw questions asked about the way Arteta’s side like to play out from the back, even against a team like Liverpool - arguably the best pressing side in Europe.

Some suggested that Arsenal should have tried to play another way, given the way Liverpool closed them down and forced mistakes, but Bellerin is adamant that they must stick to their principles if they want to continue to improve.

“This is our game,” he said. “This is what we have been training since Mikel has been here, so just because a team is the best in Europe at doing that (pressing), doesn’t mean we change the way we play.

“We train like this every single day, every single week, so we can master it and we can hurt teams by doing this. It doesn’t matter how good the other team is, we have an identity, we have a way of playing football, and that’s how we create our chances.

“If you look at the games we played against them in the past. Our goals come from playing out from the back. So just because they are so good at it doesn’t mean we need to change.

“We should all be proud that we stick by what we know. Sometimes it is difficult. Not every game is going to be easy. I think we just need to keep working and getting better, because these are the games we need to be winning.”

Lionel Messi is welcome to join Luis Suarez at Atletico Madrid if he still wants to play alongside the Uruguayan, Los Colchoneros president Enrique Cerezo has cheekily suggested.

Suarez was unceremoniously dumped by Barca last week, selling him to Atletico for just €6 million after six years at Camp Nou.

In that time Suarez rose to third on the club's all-time leading scorers list, but the way his exit was handled angered close friend Messi, who exclusively revealed to Goal that Barca blocked his own exit from the club.

After failing to secure a move away from Camp Nou, the Argentine again showed his disdain for those in charge by publicly lambasting them for the Uruguayan's exit.

Suarez made his Atletico debut in Sunday's 6-1 demolition of Granada, coming off the bench to devastating effect as he scored twice and claimed an assist.

And Cerezo has audaciously suggested Messi joins Suarez at the Wanda Metropolitano, borrowing a marketing slogan from Spanish nougat company El Almendro.

"In life, if you want something... If Leo Messi wants to play with Luis Suarez, I tell him the same thing that is said with nougat: 'Let him come home for Christmas'. With desire, anything is possible," he said on Cadena Cope.

Despite the turmoil at Barca over the past seven weeks, Cerezo showed support to his under-fire counterpart at Camp Nou, Josep Maria Bartomeu.

"Everything [with the Suarez signing] went perfectly well," he said. "Bartomeu is a good friend and a great president.

"At the moment things are not going well at Barcelona, but he has acted as he had to act and nothing else has happened. The signing was not complicated, the player plays where he wanted to play."

But Suarez's international colleague Edinson Cavani will not be joining him at Atletico, with Goal having previously confirmed an offer was made but it was reliant on Diego Costa leaving the club.

"Diego Costa is a player that Atletico Madrid needs," Cerezo added. "The season is very long. You don't have to complicate things.

"I don't think there will be a change at Atleti. Cavani's circumstances have not been the same as those of Luis Suarez.

"He is a fantastic player, but everything is different. It wasn't because of me or his brother [Walter Guglielmone, also his agent] that he didn't come."

Andrej Kramaric has rebuilt his reputation after flopping at Leicester and Lothar Matthaus believes the Hoffenheim striker now boasts “the potential for Bayern Munich”.

The reigning German champions were given another reminder of just how good the Croatian striker is in their last Bundesliga outing.

Bayern suffered a stunning 4-1 defeat at the hands of Hoffenheim, with Kramaric bagging a late brace to wrap up an impressive result for the hosts at the PreZero Arena.

The 29-year-old frontman has now netted 77 times through 153 appearances for his current club, with a forgettable spell in England being put behind him.

Kramaric managed only four goals in 20 outings for Leicester, after becoming their £9 million ($12m) record signing in January 2015, but his star is now on the rise again and Matthaus feels those in Munich should be looking to add him to their ranks alongside Robert Lewandowski.

The Bayern legend told Sky Deutschland: “Hansi Flick's praise a few days ago was no accident. Kramaric has already scored five goals after two match days and has also scored twice in the cup.

“He is a player who, in my opinion, definitely has the potential for Bayern Munich.”

The Bavarian giants still have time in which to dip into the summer transfer market.

Fresh faces may be sought as a side that enjoyed a remarkable treble triumph in 2020-21 have looked a little flat after returning to action on the back of a short break.

Matthaus added: “The new season will be a challenge for the title collectors from Munich. 

“They had to push their limits for longer than any other team last season, got the treble and during the week they also had the European Super Cup [beating Sevilla 2-1 after extra-time].

“It's been a long and exhausting week and when Robert Lewandowski says he's flat, there must be something to it. We're only on the second match day and this year will be very tough for many in the Bundesliga.

“It was clear that Bayern would have to lose again after half an eternity. Compliments to Hoffenheim for making that happen. My absolute respect to the team and coaches. 

“They knew how to make perfect use of Bayern's momentum and physical strain. They played very well in terms of running, physically and tactically. They made the most of their chances.”

Bayern have a DFL Supercup clash with Borussia Dortmund to take in on Wednesday before returning to Bundesliga action at home to Hertha Berlin on Sunday.

Tom Alila, who will vie for the Nairobi National Executive Committee (NEC) membership, believes the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) should extend Kenyan Premier League Limited's time running top-flight football in the country.

The latter's contract with the Federation expired on September 24, ending their management in Kenya's top tier for the first time since 2003. The outgoing office has insisted it will not extend the contract and has already started plans to run the league from the 2020/21 season.

"The KPL issue with FKF needs to be checked properly; KPL must be left to run their affairs," Alila told K24 TV.

"This issue of Federation meddling in the affairs of the KPL [should stop] and the latter should work under FKF and their contract needs to be extended so that they can run the league on their own and if there is a problem you can be able to say it came from this other side.  

"I strongly support the KPL contract being extended but under FKF."

The administrator has urged the clubs not to vote for the incumbent Nick Mwendwa if he refuses to let the KPL run on their own.

"If Nick [Mwendwa] is openly going to defy the clubs' procedure in the way they have been or are going to operate then they should not vote for him," Alila continued.

"KPL's contract should be extended, there is no [National Executive Council] Nec to rectify the contract. A new Nec should be put in place to rethink the issues with KPL."

The KPL was operated and run as a private limited company which was formed under the Companies Act of Kenya and was fully owned and managed by the 18 member clubs, with each being a shareholder.

It was affiliated to the FKF, who was also a shareholder and voting member of the KPL Board of Directors, with non-voting members including the Kenya Football Coaches Association and Kenya Football Referees Association.

When the previous contract ran down in 2015, the FKF, under the then-President Nyamweya, signed a renewal, giving the latter the legal mandate to manage the league in the country until September 29, although the league administrators did not manage to finish their last season owing to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Thiago Silva has blasted former Paris Saint-Germain boss Unai Emery after being left baffled by his decision to drop him against Real Madrid in the 2017-18 Champions League knockout stages.

PSG drafted in Emery as their new permanent manager back in 2016 after his successful three-year stint in La Liga with Sevilla.

The Spaniard led the French giants to seven trophies, including one Ligue 1 title, but failed to guide the team beyond the last-16 stage in Europe's elite competition.

PSG were knocked out by Barcelona 6-5 on aggregate after surrendering a 4-0 first-leg lead during his first season in charge, before coming up against Madrid in the last 16 the following year.

Silva, who was widely regarded as PSG's most consistent defender during his eight-year spell at Parc des Princes, was left on the bench for a 3-1 defeat at Santiago Bernabeu which saw Cristiano Ronaldo grab a brace for the Blancos.

Emery decided to restore Silva to his starting line-up for the return fixture, but PSG still fell to a 2-1 home loss which saw them exit the Champions League 5-2 on aggregate.

The Brazilian says his old manager dropped him from the first leg in favour of a left-footed centre-back, only to reverse his original decision when Madrid arrived in the French capital, which he found extremely confusing.

"We didn't often agree with each other," Silva told France Football of his relationship with Emery. "He was the 'commander', well, he was paid for that, so I respected his authority, but... In the first leg against Real Madrid, he left me on the bench because he needed a left-footed central defender.

"That was his excuse. This is the first time I've spoken about that, but at the time, it was hard to digest. He left [Angel] Di Maria on the bench too. We lost 3-1. In the second leg, he no longer needed a left-footed central defender.

"He put me in the starting line-up! It's the kind of thing a player doesn't understand. And this is just one example among many with Emery."

Emery left PSG in the summer of 2018 and took up the top job at Arsenal, while ex-Borussia Dortmund head coach Thomas Tuchel stepped into his spot in the dugout at Parc des Princes.

The Ligue 1 giants have since become a far more well-rounded team, as evidenced by their run to last season's Champions League final, with Tuchel proving a dab hand when it comes to dealing with the club's high-profile stars such as a Neymar and Kylian Mbappe.

Silva, who played the full 90 minutes of the 1-0 defeat to Bayern Munich in Lisbon,  left PSG with his status as a club legend firmly intact and joined Chelsea as a free agent in August.

Emery, meanwhile, only lasted 18 months in the hotseat at Emirates Stadium, with the Arsenal board deciding a change was needed following a poor start to the 2018-19 campaign.

The 48-year-old spent several months out of work before returning to management at Villarreal, who suffered a 4-0 defeat away to Barcelona in his third La Liga outing at the helm on Sunday.

Sofapaka president Elly Kalekwa has revealed the team will not make any more signings after completing the deals for Lawrence Juma and Michael Kibwage.

The Congolese businessman told Goal the deal for the Gor Mahia midfielder is 90% done while that of KCB defender Kibwage is as good as done since everything has been agreed. 

"Sofapaka is close to completing the deals ahead of the new season," Kalekwa told Goal on Tuesday.

"Kibwage is done, it will be official soon, and regarding Juma, no latest development. As I told you, it is close. in case something extraordinary happens and we fail to sign him, we always have Plan B which we will gladly execute.

"After bringing the two players, we will be officially out of the market because we will be having every player we need for the forthcoming season."

Batoto ba Mungu have so far signed Roy Okal from Mathare United, free agent Paul Mungai Kiongera, Isaac Mitimu from APR Rwanda, Michael Tuborlayefa Karamor, who joined from Nigerian outfit Lagos Athletico, Michael Bodo from Kariobangi Sharks, and goalkeeper Kevin Omondi from Mathare United.

"The squad we have managed to assemble is a quality one which will challenge for top honours in the 2020/21 Kenyan Premier League campaign," Kalekwa said exuded confidence.

"This is a team that has a high chance of winning the league title and get a chance to play in the continental competitions. We have the resources we need to be successful and I am confident we will."

Sofapaka were promoted to the Kenyan top-flight in 2009 and went on to win their maiden league title. Since then, they have struggled to get anywhere close to the second title.

However, they have since won the Shield Cup twice, 2010 and 2014. 

In the abandoned 2019/20 season, the Nairobi-based side finished in the 10th position having managed to collect 31 points.

The John Baraza-led charges collected eight wins, seven draws, and eight losses, and went on to score 34 goals, conceding 29 in the process.

Gor Mahia were crowned by the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) and will play in the Caf Champions League.

Luke Shaw expects Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to use “fringe” players in Manchester United’s Carabao Cup campaign, but says the Red Devils will be taking every shot at major silverware seriously.

Fresh from playing out a thrilling 3-2 victory over Brighton in the Premier League, another trip to the Amex Stadium is set to be taken in on Wednesday.

A place in the quarter-finals of the League Cup will be up for grabs in that contest, with United eager to keep as many avenues as possible open to tangible success.

No trophies will be written off by the Red Devils, having gone three years without collecting one, and there is a determination on their part to see off the Seagulls.

The games are coming thick and fast, though, in 2020-21 and Shaw believes Solskjaer will rotate in knockout competition.

The United left-back told MUTV: “Of course it’s a competition we want to win, but I think it gives the manager that opportunity to give chances to other players that are on the bench and on the fringe, who are training very hard to get chances.

“I think games like this are perfect for them. It’s good that we’ve got a very strong squad with players who are ready to play and are ready to take their chance. I’m sure the players are looking forward to that on Wednesday.

“Matches are coming thick and fast and, like I say, they’re competitions that we want to be strong in, we want to be winning and be challenging in. But it’s also a chance for players to get game time and sharpness.”

United have already shown that they have a formula for downing Brighton, but will be aware of the need to raise their game for a second meeting with the Seagulls in quick succession.

A thrilling Premier League encounter saw Solskjaer’s side survive a major scare on the south coast, as the hosts hit the woodwork on five occasions before Bruno Fernandes converted a 100th-minute penalty that was awarded after the final whistle had already been blown.

Shaw said when reflecting on that encounter: “Ups and downs really.

“It was a game that was very important points-wise, although obviously we as players and the manager know we can perform much better. The most important thing was the three points and we got that in the end.

“It felt great to win the game right at the end, we haven’t done that in a while. It’s a good three points for us, but we need to be performing better.”

Orlando Pirates are trending on social media following the unveiling of their 2020-21 home and away kits. 

The Buccaneers have returned to the famous black and white colours as their home jersey while they have decided to go orange for their away kit.

And this was met with mixed reaction from fans across the country.

Some have expressed their disappointment, especially with the orange kit.

But there are those who like the kit and have vowed to paint Soweto orange by heading to the sports stores. 

What happened to the star? Some fans asked as the Pirates logo in front of the shirt doesn't have the star. 

The answer is that the Sea Robbers kept the same logo but decided to place it at the bottom of the right-hand side of the jersey. 

The banter from opposition fans is 'too loud' to ignore...   

Former Barcelona and AC Milan midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng has pledged his support to families of the deceased and surviving victims of the fatal crash involving a Ghanaian youth team earlier this month.

Six players, believed to be between the ages of 12 and 16, were confirmed to have died on the spot while many others were left injured when a bus carrying the Africa Vision Soccer Academy crashed into a river.

Reports indicate two more players later passed away while on admission the hospital, taking the death toll to eight.

The team was travelling from the town of Afrancho to Offinso after engaging in a registration exercise for the upcoming league season.

“I heard about it [fatal accident] and it made me really sad, to be honest," Boateng, who was speaking shortly after his transfer to Italian Serie B side Monza on Monday, told Joy News.

“I heard about it on social media, then I called a friend of mine to ask him if it was really true and about what happened, and he told me about it and I felt really sad about it because I have two kids on my own, one is 12 [years old] and one is six, so I think it’s like a big tragedy, it hit me hard, you know.

“Every detail you know about it makes you more sad, so that’s why I'm here and I wanted to talk to you guys and wanted to let you know that I want to help.

“Anything that’s necessary that would help, I want to get in touch with the families, I want to give them the necessary thing to feel free, I know it is hard and I can’t even imagine how hard it is for parents to bury their kids but I just want to help them to free their minds.

“My condolences to all the families who have lost their children and I'm happy for the other kids who made it out safe. We will keep in touch, so please let me know what I can do and I will be ready to help."

In Ghana, youth teams usually travel to a designated centre to complete their player registrations for a football season.

The status quo, which has come under intense criticism, particularly after the exercise, is set up to physically inspect players on-site as part of measures to curb the age-cheating menace.

Born to a Ghanaian father and a German mother in Berlin, Boateng grew up in Europe alongside two other brothers, one of which is Bayern Munich and Germany defender Jerome Boateng.

After playing for his country of birth at various youth levels, the 33-year-old switched international allegiance to represent the West Africans at senior level, going ahead to play for the Black Stars at the 2010 and 2014 World Cup tournaments. 

Mwinyi Zahera has predicted Simba SC will not go far in the Caf Champions League.

Zahera, who is currently the technical director of promoted side Gwambina FC and also handled Simba's rivals Young Africans (Yanga SC), was speaking after their weekend Mainland Premier League match.

During the match, Simba hammered Gwambina 3-0 with goals from striker Meddie Kagere, defender Pascal Wawa, and substitute Chris Mugalu which were enough to give them their second successive victory in the unfolding league, and are now looking settled in comparison with the two opening matches they played.

However, the Congolese coach believes the style of play Simba is exhibiting will work against them in the Champions League unless they change it quickly before the competition kicks off.

“I have watched Simba playing, they are playing well and they want to use passes, and if you look at how they played against our team [Gwambina], we managed to go with them tore to tore despite us losing in the fixture,” Zahera is quoted by Sokaletu.

“Simba have a lot of work to do to impress in the Caf competition especially because of the kind of football they are playing, when playing in Champions League, they will not be facing teams they are playing here in Tanzania but will meet teams such as Tout Puissant Mazembe, and they will attack you from all angles, they don’t know about passing and will also apply force.

“If this is how Simba will play in Champions League, then they will have tough times, they will have difficulties to reach far in the competition, they need to improve on many things and make sure they also apply force all the time so that they can win matches.”

In a different interview, Simba coach Sven Vandenbroexk lauded his strikers for their good display during the last two matches and added it was working well for them ahead of the Champions League matches.

“It feels great that every Simba striker is now able to find the back of the net especially when he gets a chance to do so,” Vandenbroeck told the club’s official website.

“We are now heading to the Caf Champions League and when I see my strikers in good form, it makes me very happy, it shows that we are ready to compete in the competition.”

Simba will carry the country’s flag in the competition for the third season in a row while Namungo FC will go for the Confederation Cup.

Segunda Division B side Deportivo La Coruna has announced the permanent signing of Uche Agbo from Belgian First Division A club Standard Liege.

The centre-forward put pen to paper on a four-year deal with the Spanish third-tier club after successful medicals.

The 24-year-old spent the second half of the 2019-20 season with the side and featured in nine league games but his efforts were not enough to help Fernando Vazquez’s men avoid relegation after finishing 19th on the table.

Swayed by his performances during his short stint with the club, the Blues and Whites have decided to secure the forward permanently.

“Uche Henry Agbo will continue in the ranks of the Real Club Deportivo,” read a statement from the club website.

“The Nigerian midfielder, who played for Depor in the second half of last season on loan from Standard Liege, has signed a contract for the next four seasons.”

Agbo joined Standard Liege in the summer of 2017 and featured in 45 league games for the Stade Maurice Dufrasne outfit.

During his four-year stay with Liege, he had loan spells with Rayo Vallecano, Braga and Deportivo La Coruna.

Agbo played for FC Taraba, JUTH and Enyimba in the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) before moving to Europe to continue his development.

The midfielder teamed up with Italian side Udinese in 2013 and spent three years there before signing for Watford in 2016.

Agbo will hope to impress with Deportivo La Coruna and help them return to the Spanish second tier at the end of the 2020-21 season.

The midfielder could make his debut for the Abanca-Riazor outfit when they square off against Salamanca UDS on October 17.

The 24-year-old featured for Nigeria U20 before making his senior debut against Togo in a friendly in June 2017.

Andy Robertson claims Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah would have been “quite happy” with his composed finish against Arsenal, with the defender going from villain to hero in Liverpool’s latest outing.

A heavyweight Premier League fixture at Anfield proved to be an eventful one for Jurgen Klopp’s first-choice left-back.

The 26-year-old has been a model of consistency throughout his time on Merseyside, earning a reputation as one of the finest exponents of his position along the way.

He did, however, make an uncharacteristic error against the Gunners which allowed Alexandre Lacazette to open the scoring.

Rather than dwell on that mistake, Robertson set about helping Liverpool to offer the perfect response, with his fifth goal for the club turning the game on its head after Mane had restored parity.

The Scot took his chance like a seasoned striker, with Trent Alexander-Arnold’s cross from the right knocked out of his feet before clipping the ball over the onrushing Bernd Leno.

“I love scoring and I love assisting but, first and foremost, I love defending,” Robertson told Liverpool’s official website on the back of a 3-1 win for Jurgen Klopp’s side.

“That’s why a part of me still won’t be happy because I know I caused the [Arsenal] goal. But the fact that we’re walking away with three points and I helped put the team in front and steered us to three points will probably help me sleep tonight.

“Of course, creating goals and scoring goals is something I like doing and something I want to do, so long may that continue. Hopefully I keep popping up in the right areas. I think I showed a bit of composure there – Mo or Sadio would have been quite happy with that!”

Robertson says he will learn from the lapse in concentration that saw him tee up Lacazette with a sloppy first touch, with defending Premier League champions Liverpool looking strong again as a collective.

He added: “I don’t think there were many negatives from the game. Our defensive display was very good, our attacking was very good. The only thing we can maybe say is we maybe could have taken a couple more of the chances.

“Of course, the goal could have been avoided – it was definitely the worst assist I’ve ever given! One I wasn’t happy about.

“Look, these mistakes happen unfortunately; 99 times out of 100 I clear that and the danger is cleared, but unfortunately that was the one time.

“Luckily, since I’ve came here, I’ve not made many mistakes. But unfortunately that was one and when you make a mistake like that, you always want the team to win and you to try to contribute in different ways.

“Luckily, I popped up at the other end and I didn’t let that get to me. So, I’m pleased about that. And hopefully the next time that ball comes in I’ll clear it 60 yards the other way.”

Former Orlando Pirates midfielder Joseph Makhanya is of the view that a player such as Meshack Maphangule still has a future at the club and deserves an opportunity under coach Josef Zinnbauer.

‘Duku Duku’ said the German manager also has to consider giving an opportunity to young midfielder Tercious Maelepe, who has age on his side, and who can add versatility in the squad.

Midfielders Maphangule, Malepe, and defender Diamond Thopola have been released by Chippa United as they were on loan from the Soweto giants, and the Soweto-born legend also shared his thoughts on the trio’s impact at Mayfair.

“I’ve seen Maphangule playing in the heart of the park. I think he can add value to Pirates. These players are quality,” Makhanya told Goal.

“I can’t just mention Maphangule for the midfield role at Pirates because we don’t know what are the plans of the coach.

"Thopola is one of the good defenders in the PSL and I also see him as a quality right-back. Unfortunately, there is quality in his position.

“Remember there is [Abel] Mabaso who is doing well for the club. We don’t know what the coach has planned for the new season in terms of releasing some players.

“Tercious has age on his side, he is versatile and I think he has a bright future in football. Between him and Maphangule, I think they should be given a chance at Pirates.”

Although the Soweto giants have the likes of Ben Motshwari, Xola Mlambo, and Nkanyiso Zungu all battling it out for a spot in the middle of the park, Makhanya explained why the former Ajax Cape Town player should be handed a fair chance. 

"Tercious is a good player, he has been doing well for Chippa and it’s really sad because not all the players will get a good chance at Pirates. The coach can only play eleven players but we will see," he added.

“It’s really sad for the current players, teams are getting sold and some contracts are not renewed, but we will see what will happen next season with these guys."

Meanwhile, media reports suggest that the former African champions have loaned out defender Justice Chabalala to Bloemfontein Celtic for the 2020/21 season.

On the other hand, Pirates will return to the continental competition as they have qualified for the Caf Confederation Cup after finishing third in the PSL last season and it remains to be seen if Zinnbauer will release and retain some of the players.

Hector Bellerin believes Arsenal need to suffer losses in order to learn, with the “new identity” being pieced together by Mikel Arteta not about to fall into place “overnight”.

The Gunners have been making positive progress under Arteta as FA Cup and Community Shield successes have been savoured, while two Premier League victories and a place in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup have been secured in 2020-21.

Momentum was halted somewhat by a 3-1 defeat to Liverpool on Monday, showing how far the north London outfit still have to go, but Bellerin sees plenty of cause for optimism.

He told the Gunners’ official website after coming unstuck at Anfield: “I think we are working really, really well.

“I think when you build a new identity, a new way of playing football, it's not something that happens overnight. It's something that takes a lot of time, it takes losses, it takes wins, it takes a lot of learning.

“We've got new players that have come in this season and they need to get used to the system. So there's many things but I think we can say that the fight that we put out [against Liverpool], in that sense I'm very proud of the boys and we'll look forward to the next game playing here.

“We know we're working really, really well so we're not going to let this affect us.”

Arsenal will be back on Merseyside for their next outing on Thursday, when they face Liverpool again with a place in the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup up for grabs.

Bellerin could figure once more in that contest, with the Spain international right-back still easing his way back to full match sharpness on the back of a cruciate knee ligament injury suffered in 2019.

He added: “Yeah, I feel that coming back from my long-term injury was very difficult for me.

“I felt like once I was back, my knee felt okay but really my body in general wasn't in the same place as it was pre-injury and I felt during lockdown I had the chance to focus on myself and do the dirty work, as you'd say.

“I've come back from it way stronger, I kept working through the summer and now I feel like I'm back to how I felt two minutes before that injury.

“So, for me it feels good. But the most important thing is that the team is playing better and better every day and that's what makes me happy.”

Former AC Milan midfielder Federico Giunti believes Franck Kessie has become a great reference point for the Rossoneri following their impressive start to the season.

The Italian fashion capital outfit were 2-0 winners at newly-promoted Crotone on Sunday, with Kessie scoring from the penalty spot and Real Madrid loanee Brahim Diaz getting the other.

It was their second win after an opening day victory against Bologna which had veteran Swede Zlatan Ibrahimovic netting a brace.

It continues Milan’s unbeaten league run which now stretches to 14 games (W11 D3), having not lost any match since the Serie A restart in June, effectively making them the most in-form team in the Italian top-flight.

Kessie has been a vital part of that success in his partnership with Algeria international Ismael Bennacer in a midfield double pivot. Giunti is very much impressed at how the Ivorian has grown since he joined the club from Atalanta, first on loan and then permanently.

"He is a player who has become a great reference point for the team. He has made exponential growth since he arrived. Giunti told Milan TV.

“We need players like Franck and he is making a difference as well as Bennacer. Kessie came from. a team with less pressure than Milan and needed time to manage expectations. The performances have grown a lot.”

Kessie has been labelled “The President” for his involvement both on and off the pitch and had coach Stefano Pioli to thank for the transformation that has occurred in the team.

“Why do they call me ‘The President’? Because I’m the president of the team, the head of the locker room,” he said.

“I have to thank Pioli, because he managed to give all this to the team. Now mentally we are fine and on the pitch it shows, everyone is fighting for every ball and this is what gives you the victory in every match.

“We must continue on this path and we must work without mounting our heads and with this right spirit until the end.”

Milan will take on Rio Ave in the final round of the Europa League qualifiers on Thursday before tackling newly-promoted Spezia on Sunday.

Kessie will then turn his attention to the international break where Ivory Coast play Belgium and Japan in friendlies.