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Andre Ayew scored the only goal of the game as Swansea City secured a 1-0 win over Said Benrahma’s Brentford in the first leg of their Championship play-off semi-final.

The Ghana international who was in action from start to finish, scored the 81st-minute winner after benefitting Jay Fulton's assist, having earlier missed a penalty.

The strike made up for Ayew's missed spotkick, which had been saved by David Raya in the 64th minute.

The 30-year-old has now scored 16 goals after 45 league appearances this campaign as Steve Cooper's men aim to secure the final promotion slot to the Premier League.

Algeria star Said Benrahma was also in action for Brentford but his contribution was not enough to help the visitors avoid defeat at the Liberty Stadium.

The 24-year-old, who is reportedly a transfer target for Chelsea, could not add to his tally of 17 goals and eight assists before he was replaced by Joel Valencia in the 85th minute.

In his reaction, Ayew disclosed that he did not give up after missing the penalty and Swansea City will get ready for the return fixture in London on Wednesday.

“It was important to get a win today,” he told Sky Sports at the end of the game.

“When you are the penalty taker sometimes maybe you are going to miss but in important moments I shouldn't. I knew I was going to get back into it and I didn't give up.

“We have an advantage of one goal and I hope it’s going to be enough.

“Firstly, we need to get into the final before thinking about anything else. I'm only focused on that, we've had a good game and it's good to come out here with a goal.

“It's just the first half that has been played so the second half will be played in three days and we have to get ready for that.”

Ayew will be hoping to help Swansea City build on their win when they visit Brentford at Griffin park for the second leg on July 29.

Both teams have their sights set on the play-offs final scheduled for Wembley Stadium on August 4.

Liverpool have matched Manchester City for most wins in a single Premier League season after signing off on 2019-20 with victory over Newcastle United. 

The Reds clinched their first Premier League crown and 19th overall title in the English top flight at the end of June after leading for almost the entire season. 

It was also the club's first league crown since 1990, ending a barren run of three decades without finishing on top domestically.

By winning with seven games to spare Jurgen Klopp's men set a new record, one of many over the course of a dominant campaign that was interrupted for almost three months by the coronavirus pandemic. 

Sunday saw the Reds visit St. James' Park for their final league outing, and despite an early scare they had few problems in seeing off Newcastle's challenge. 

Virgil van Dijk struck towards the end of the first half to cancel out Dwight Gayle's opener after just 25 seconds, while Divock Origi and Sadio Mane were on target after the break to seal a 3-1 win for the visitors. 

It was Liverpool's 32nd win of the Premier League, a number just one team in history has reached before. 

Manchester City recorded 32 victories in consecutive seasons in 2017-18 and 2018-19, as Pep Guardiola's men won back-to-back titles. 

City, however, remain in sole possession of the overall record for points in a single season, having picked up 100 in 2017-18. 

Liverpool finished just one shy of that milestone on 99 after taking their foot off the accelerator once the title was secured - they dropped 10 points in their last nine games with the title destined for Anfield, more than in the 29 matches beforehand - but nevertheless beat the club record set in 1978-9 of 98 (adjusted for three points for a win) under legendary manager Bob Paisley.

Sunday's victory was also the club's 14th away from home over the course of 2019-20, another record in Premier League history. 

Jeffrey Schlupp is happy with Crystal Palace's performance in the 2019-20 Premier League season after the Eagles ended their seven-game losing streak with a 1-1 draw against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.

The Black Stars wideman finished off a Jordan Ayew assist in the 53rd minute as the hosts peg back Spurs at Selhurst Park on Sunday.

The strike stretched his tally to three goals after 17 league appearances this season, despite struggles with varying injuries during the campaign.

Crystal Palace finished the English top flight season in the 14th place with 43 points, nine points clear of the relegation zone, and the versatile Ghanaian is overall content with how they've performed

“We’ve been safe quite early on, Schlupp told the club website. "Since the restart, results haven’t been what we wanted but we wanted to finish off the season well and I think we’ve done that today.

“We’ve had some key injuries. All in all, it has been a good season for us; we wanted to maybe challenge for something a bit higher in the league but it didn’t happen."

Schlupp ended the campaign with 17 assists, of which 11 were from the start, and registered three goals and one assist.

“We had some disappointing results but it was important for us to finish well and hopefully we can take that into the next season," he continued. “We deserve a good break first and foremost, and then we get straight back into it with a shorter pre-season than normal and pick-up where we left-off after today.”

The Premier League resumed action in June without fans in stadiums after the coronavirus hiatus that spanned over three months.

Since winning their first game against Bournemouth after the restart, Palace suffered seven straight defeats in the league before sharing the spoils against Tottenham at home.

Schlupp believes the missing atmosphere in the stadium might be the cause of their poor run of results.

“Our fans are massive for us," he concluded, "and as you can see from the restart we’ve not had the best of results and you can maybe put that down to missing our fans.

“We look forward to hopefully having them back soon and to giving us that push that we need for next season.”

Super League Champions Zesco United lost 2-0 to Power Dynamos in a Sunday friendly match played at Trade Fair Ground in Ndola.

Both sides fielded strong sides and after a cagey opening, George Chisala handed Dynamos the lead in the 20th minute after Ian Otieno's error in the Zesco goal allowed his effort from the half-way line to bundle into the net. 

Zesco tried their best to draw level and had a few good chances of their own, before Alex Ngonga eventually put the game to bed with his superb strike in the 85th minute.

The loss comes at a time Zesco United are fighting to regain ground and eventually defend their league title. The Ndola club is fifth with three fewer points than current leaders Nkana FC.

George Lwandamina’s side is preparing to face Lusaka Dynamos during the next match league match while Power Dynamos will face second-placed Forest Rangers.

The champions drew in their first match when the league resumed when they recorded a 1-1 scoreline against Kansanshi Dynamos.

Before the Kansanshi Dynamos tie, two players from Zesco United tested positive for the coronavirus and Lwandamina has assessed the impact of the pandemic.

“It is very difficult when you are working on certain things and suddenly you receive that kind of news [confirmation of positives cases],” Lwandamina told the club’s portal.

“I agree that we have a good number of players but it’s not everyone who can play and more especially the time I got the news, it was when I had announced the team.

“I was forced to start calling those who were not in my team. Their first impression was that I was calling them because they were affected by the test results. But I tried to talk to them and explained the circumstances.

“I encouraged them to prepare themselves for a game they were not supposed to play. That’s not enough for players.

“We have been together in the camp including those who are sick. I know we will need to go through another test which I am sure is costly for the club, but to be certain we have to do just that.”

The former Yanga coach resigned to the fact that the situation is completely out of his control.

“It is not just about Zesco United players. Psychologically, this is going to affect everyone,” he concluded.

“The worst part of psychology is that it takes a lot of energy and stresses someone to the point that one can’t play football.

“There is nothing like good planning. You can plan but when Covid-19 test results are out, you find that everything that you had put on paper is gone. It is difficult for everyone.

“It’s only God himself who will decide if those who are in charge can’t decide, God will decide for us.”

Tosin Adarabioyo has picked Blackburn Rovers’ 2-1 win over Sheffield Wednesday as his memorable moment during the 2019-20 season.

The 22-year-old, who spent the entire season on loan at Blackburn, was a key part of Tony Mowbray's defensive set-up and played in 34 games.

Aside from his defensive contributions, Adarabioyo also scored crucial goals for the Rovers, which include his first professional goal - in the match against Wednesday - in November 2019.

He picked the encounter because his 88th-minute equaliser inspired a late Blackburn comeback, and the defender also expressed his appreciation to the fans who showered him love during his temporary stint at the club.

“The moment that stands out was the win over Sheffield Wednesday at home,” he told the club website in his farewell chat. “It was my first goal, and then Bucko [John Buckley] went on to get that dramatic winner late on.

“It was a goal that put us back into the game and helped us get the win, a great day for all of us.

“I love our fans, they've given me lots of support and a lot of love ever since I walked through the door. I've come here, I've had the song, which I really appreciate, it's just a shame they haven't been in stadiums for the final games.

“I'm very thankful to them, they've been fantastic all season and I certainly wish them and everyone at the club all the very best for the future."

Blackburn Rovers finished the campaign in 11th after earning 63 points from 43 Championship outings.

Adarabioyo admitted the team’s regret after missing out on the play-offs, however, he feels satisfied with the improved playing minutes he got this season.

Last season, the Man City defender was loaned out to West Bromwich Albion where he played 30 league games – four games fewer than he managed at Ewood Park.

“We were all disappointed that we didn't get over the line and get into the play-offs, but looking back, I've really enjoyed my time at the club," Adarabioyo added. “We were desperate to get into the top six and it was heartbreaking that we couldn't quite do it in the end.

“It's been a long season with everything that's gone on, and it was mainly down to a few results as to why we didn't get ourselves over that line.

“It's been a great experience to be amongst some great lads," he added. "On a personal level, I feel like I've had a lot of good performances and have shown people what I can do.

“Last season I didn't play at centre half as much as I'd have liked to, so I'm delighted to have played regular football at the heart of the back four."

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp is looking forward to a brief period of respite as he watched the season end with his side overcoming Newcastle 3-1 at St James’ Park.

Dwight Gayle put the home side into the driving seat less than 30 seconds into the match – the quickest goal the Reds have ever conceded in Premier League play – but they roared back as strikes from Virgil van Dijk, Divock Origi and Sadio Mane guided them to the win.

It concludes a successful campaign in which the Anfield side ended a 30-year wait without the domestic league title, albeit one protracted because of the coronavirus crisis, which caused a hectic conclusion to the campaign.

With the new season due to start on September 12, Klopp is looking forward to winding down for a fortnight before getting right back to work ahead of the new season.

“I'm not going to the office for a while. I will be together with my family, that's all I need. Two weeks and a couple of days and we start again. It will be especially difficult next season - four weeks shorter [break]. We will use that and go again,” he told Sky Sports.

“The boys played an incredible game, not a perfect game. Like you say in this country: a dead rubber.

“I didn't like the goal we conceded but it helped to make clear [what they faced]. We made so many changes after a long time of playing with similar line-ups. It's not fair on their judgement because they need to get used to their game.

“We really worked in the game and got better and better and better even before the changes. But the changes helped massively. I liked the game. It's far away from being perfect but over the season we did not just win games when everything was perfect, we won a lot of difficult games too.”

Although Liverpool’s break is shorter than they are accustomed to, they will have to watch on as Europe’s elite compete for the Champions League, after the defending continental champions were knocked out of the competition at the last-16 stage by Atletico Madrid. 

Jose Mourinho hailed Tottenham's push to seal a spot in the Europa League as the Portuguese manager made sure to point out how much the club has improved since he took over.

Spurs locked up a sixth-place finish with a point on Sunday, as Mourinho's side finished the Premier League season with a 1-1 draw against Crystal Palace.

Despite ending the season with a draw, Tottenham did enough to climb all the way to sixth place and seal an automatic spot in the Europa League.

When Mourinho took over following Mauricio Pochettino's dismissal, Spurs sat in 14th place, having earned just 14 points from as many matches in the Premier League.

Harry Kane scored the opening goal for Spurs just 13 minutes on, but a Jeffrey Schlupp goal early in the second half was enough for the two sides to split the points.

And, although Mourinho admitted the performance wasn't quite what the club hoped for, Sunday's result did seal a positive end to what was an overall disappointing campaign.

Under the Portuguese boss, the club completed quite the turnaround, with Mourinho pleased with the progress made so far even if there was a long way to go.

“The season was crazy, since they played the Champions League final it has been up and down and really hard," Mourinho told Sky Sports.

"We, in this group of matches managed to get results and to perform. Not today, it was not the best. But in this period we played well, get results and be solid to put ourselves in the position to get in the Europa League

"From a personal point of view I'm happy because since I arrived we would be fourth which is good with all the problems we had."

Now, with European football secured, Mourinho can look ahead towards continuing to make his mark on the Spurs squad.

The club faces several departures, with Jan Vertonghen and Michel Vorm set to leave, but Mourinho says that he expects to improve the squad this summer.

"When all the players are available we showed in this last period where we belong," he said at his post-match news conference. 

"After lockdown we finished third or fourth in the table. That is where we belong. I want to have my team, my players, not a medical room full of players, a pitch full of players. 

"We want to keep our very good players and after that improve the squad. Are we going to buy 10 players. No? Are we going to pay £100 million ($125m) for a player? No.

"But let's see. The market is very strange. I don't know if we will start working pre-season with any new players or something that is going to go through the whole period.

"We are going to keep the structure of the team because we have absolutely no interest in selling our best players.

"I enjoy working with [chief scout] Steve Hitchen and we are very connected with [Daniel] Levy and the board.

"We're going to do what is possible and hopefully next season we can give the fans a very good season."

Former Ghana and Bayern Munich defender Samuel Osei Kuffour and national team coach CK Akonnor have praised the Black Stars' recent Covid-19 donation.

The four-time African champions joined the fight against the pandemic on Friday as they donated items worth GH¢100,000 (€14,797) to the Ghana Football Association for onward distribution to the people of Ghana on Friday.

In the absence of captain Andre Ayew and other notable members of the squad, Black Stars Management Committee chairman George Amoakoh made the presentation on behalf of the team.

“Well, I think it means a lot, in my opinion, to the people of Ghana, and we have to congratulate the boys for thinking about other people," Kuffour, a current Management Committee member of the Black Stars, said as reported by the GFA’s official website. "They didn’t think for themselves alone, but to think about the health of the people of Ghana is very touching."

The presented items included Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), hand sanitizers and branded face masks.

“They have done it individually which I know. but for them to come together as a team to do it shows oneness, togetherness and it shows that the team spirit is very, very high," Ghana coach Akonnor added. "We have always known them to be taking bonuses and others. But this time around, they have decided to give back to society.

"They have shown a lot of love."

Ghana’s domestic season has been massively hit by the coronavirus pandemic as the 2019-20 campaign has been cancelled.

The Black Stars have also been affected too as their 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying games in March and June have been rescheduled.

“It is a good sign because they have always shown the desire to reconnect with the fans and the Ghanaian public, and they couldn’t have done it in a better way in a more trying time than this," remarked Fred Pappoe, also a member of the Management Committee. "We can only thank them for doing that and we only hope and pray that this kind of relationship will be both ways and then it will continue forever."

As at Sunday July 26, Ghana has recorded 32,437 cases of coronavirus. These include 3,349 active cases, 28,927 recoveries and discharges and 161 deaths.

Harry Maguire has vowed reaching the Champions League is only the start for this Manchester United team, as the captain said standards must continue to rise at Old Trafford.

A 2-0 win at Leicester City, Maguire's former club, on the final day of the Premier League season meant Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's team finished in third position.

That had seemed a highly unlikely prospect at the start of the year, but the signing of Bruno Fernandes from Sporting CP in January transformed United's season.

Maguire pointed to that as a big factor in United's improvement, as he celebrated victory at the King Power Stadium.

"As a club we expect to be in the Champions League but the last few years have been tough," Maguire told Sky Sports.  "At the start of the season, the majority of people probably didn't expect us to be in the top four at the end of the season. We always had great faith in ourselves.

"Next season we've got to keep improving."

Maguire said United had been "far too inconsistent, dropping silly points" early in the campaign.

"Performances weren't good enough in parts of the games and we were getting punished," said the England defender. "We've been a lot better of late and to come from the position we were in shows the great character that we've got in this group."

Maguire was asked what had changed about United, allowing them to surge up the table.

"It's hard to say. Obviously bringing Bruno in in January has made a big difference. He put us 1-0 up today," Maguire said. "Big players turn up in big moments. It was a nervy, edgy game but we deserved the three points."

Fernandes slotted a penalty home in the 71st minute, with Jesse Lingard sealing the points in stoppage time.

Leicester sat third when the Premier League resumed after its three-month suspension, triggered by the coronavirus pandemic.

They fell away badly and finished fifth, and Maguire had sympathy for his old club, now led by Brendan Rodgers.

"To finish fifth in the Premier League for this club is a huge achievement – a great set of players and a great manager," Maguire said. "I'm sure they'll have a bright future."

Former Kaizer Chiefs defender Isaac Mabotsa has predicted that Kaizer Chiefs will win the Premier Soccer League (PSL) race but the long break from football could complicate matters between Amakhosi and their closest challengers Mamelodi Sundowns.

Chiefs lead the standings and are four points ahead of second-placed Sundowns. If football resumes, Chiefs will have to play eight games to complete their campaign, while Sundowns have a played a game fewer than the leaders.

Giving the example of Barcelona, who came back to complete the La Liga season as a side which lost steam, Mabotsa feels that most PSL teams will return with their tempo affected following four months of inactivity.

Barca led the La Liga race by two points before football was suspended in Spain but when play resumed, they finished as runners-up, five points behind eventual champions Real Madrid.

“It’s going to be tough. They [PSL teams] have been inactive for too long in terms of rhythm,” Mabotsa told iDiski TV.

“If you look at it, teams like Barcelona, for me, are struggling. There are a lot of things happening there but if in terms of rhythm, most teams will suffer.

“Yes, as you are saying, it [the season] should be completed but to be honest Chiefs are leading at the moment but you never know what’s going to happen. Let’s wait and see what’s going to happen.”

With Downs having played a game fewer than Chiefs, the title race is likely to end as a tightly-contested affair which makes it a tough call for Mabotsa to predict, although he tipped his former club to cross the finishing line first.

“The team that has a chance to win the league at the moment are Chiefs but let us not write Sundowns off because, for me, either of them will lift the league,” said Mabotsa.

“Even Wits were in the title race but the way things happened disturbed them and I don’t think they will come back. But I will give it to Chiefs and then if Chiefs fail, definitely Sundowns will take it.”

The likes of Orlando Pirates, SuperSport United, Bidvest Wits and Maritzburg United have outside chances of ghosting into the race and become champions.

Jamie Vardy has won the 2019-20 Premier League Golden Boot after scoring 23 goals for Leicester this season.

The 33-year-old beat Southampton’s Danny Ings, Arsenal’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah and Manchester City’s Raheem Sterling to the top scorer award.

However, there was disappointment for Brendan Rodgers and his Foxes side on the final day of the season, as they missed out on Champions League qualification following a 1-0 loss to Manchester United.

Click here for the full breakdown of the top scorers in the 2019-20 Premier League!

This season was the most prolific of Vardy’s Premier League career since the title-winning season of 2015-16, when he notched 24 goals but missed out on the Golden Boot to Harry Kane, who scored 25.

After two goalless appearances as Leicester drew their first two games of the season, Vardy opened his account for the campaign in a 2-1 win over Sheffield United in August, following it up with a double against Bournemouth.

Eleven of his goals came in a remarkable eight-game spell between October and December.

He scored in eight consecutive games, including a hat-trick in the 9-0 demolition of Southampton and a brace against Aston Villa, as the Foxes won eight in a row.

Vardy missed just three Premier League games all season, and has scored four goals in nine appearances since the season resumed.

Ings' final total of 22 goals was the best he has recorded in his career, and only the second time he has reached double figures in the top flight.

Aubameyang finished matched last season's total of 22, and another prolific year leaves Arsenal fans still hoping for a contract extension.

Sterling's final tally of 20 is the best total of his career so far.

Salah, joint-winner of the Golden Boot last season with Aubameyang and Sadio Mane, finished the season with 19 goals - the lowest of his Liverpool career to date.

Vardy is the oldest player to win the Golden Boot since Teddy Sheringham, who also did so at the age of 33 for Tottenham in the 1992-93 season.

He is also only the second English player to do so this century, after Kane and Kevin Phillips.

Manchester City goalkeeper Ederson has won the Premier League Golden Glove award for 2019-20.

The award, given to the goalkeeper with the most clean sheets over the course of the season, was edged by the Manchester City goalkeeper, who registered 16 shut-outs.

Prior to the final day of the season, the Brazilian was tied with Burnley's Nick Pope on 15 clean sheets, but the Clarets drew 2-2 with Brighton as City overcame relegated Norwich 5-0.

Ederson missed out narrowly on the award last season, keeping 20 clean sheets but seeing the trophy go to his Brazilian compatriot Alisson, who kept 21.

The Liverpool stopper finished this season with 13 clean sheets, but may be left ruing the calf injury which kept him out of seven games between August and October.

Pope has made headlines for his superb performances throughout the season, and his final tally will no doubt help his cause as he looks to challenge for the No.1 shirt at international level.

England keeper Jordan Pickford has been coming under increasing pressure due to his inconsistent performances for Everton. With the Three Lions scheduled to return to international football in September, Gareth Southgate may find himself with a decision to make.

Sheffield United’s Dean Henderson, on loan from Manchester United, is also in the international conversation and finished just three clean sheets behind the winner on 13.

Elsewhere, Rui Patricio registered 13 shut-outs for Wolves, Kasper Schmeichel managed that number for Leicester, and David de Gea reached 12.

Since it was first awarded in 2004-05, the Golden Glove has only been won by keepers representing Chelsea, Liverpool, Man City, Arsenal and Manchester United.

The record of 24 clean sheets set by Petr Cech in 2004-05 still stands, with Alisson last season and Edwin van der Sar in 2008-09 coming closest with 21 apiece.

Cech and former City goalkeeper Joe Hart are the record holders of the Golden Glove, with each man having won it on four separate occasions.

Kevin De Bruyne has matched Thierry Henry's Premier League record for most assists in a single season. 

The Belgium star went into Sunday's clash against Norwich City needing just one more to meet the mark set by Arsenal's legend. 

And that assist, his 20th of 2019-20, came in the final minutes for Gabriel Jesus as Manchester City ran out 5-0 winners over already relegated Norwich City. 

More to Follow...

Liverpool came from behind to conclude their successful 2019-20 Premier League campaign with a 3-1 win at Newcastle United on the final day, securing a club-record points tally.

The Reds have cruised to the title - their first in 30 years - but showed signs of a hangover from Wednesday's trophy celebrations as they trailed to Dwight Gayle's first-minute opener.

Although Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino all started from the bench, Jurgen Klopp's men recovered to turn the game on its head either side of half-time.

Virgil van Dijk equalised and Divock Origi then grabbed his first goal since December before Sadio Mane added late gloss to the scoreline as Liverpool finished the campaign with 99 points, their best ever top-flight haul and only one shy of Manchester City's 2017-18 record.

The surprise Gayle goal had seen Newcastle lead Liverpool early for the second time this season, with this 25-second effort the fastest the Reds have ever conceded in the Premier League.

Allan Saint-Maximin quickly won a foul on halfway and Jonjo Shelvey's free-kick sent Gayle clear to stab past Alisson, prompting a lengthy VAR review for a potential offside before the goal was given.

Liverpool's subsequent dominance initially spawned only a speculative Takumi Minamino effort, which Martin Dubravka saved well, before Alisson had to be alert to field an unorthodox Federico Fernandez drive at the other end.

But with the Reds' usual attacking stars watching on, Van Dijk stepped up and looped a towering header over Dubravka from Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's right-wing cross.

Klopp readied Salah, Mane and Firmino as Liverpool made a slow start to the second half, yet the imminent changes provoked Origi to blast in the visitors' second, his shot passing through a crowd of bodies to deceive Dubravka and pick out the bottom-right corner.

The triple substitution followed regardless and Salah's first involvement saw a powerful strike bounce off the post, but it was Mane who provided the final flourish.

Cutting inside from the left in trademark fashion, the winger curled beyond Dubravka to end Liverpool's season in style.

What does it mean? Record-breaking campaign ends in fitting fashion

There has been plenty of attention given to the landmarks Liverpool have not matched this season, losing their unbeaten record to Watford and then slowing after the restart to miss out on the opportunity to earn 100 points.

But few Reds fans will be complaining as they reflect on the campaign and this‏ latest record - besting their 97 points last season and 98 in 1978-79 (when adjusted to three for a win) - provided an apt finale.

Back-up Origi ends goal drought

For close to an hour, Klopp's makeshift XI displayed the few shortcomings in this Liverpool squad. Without their star attacking trio, the champions rarely tested Dubravka.

Oxlade-Chamberlain was industrious, while Minamino is still finding his feet, but it fell to Origi - scoring just his sixth goal of the season - to really make a mark.

Early error provides scare

There have been a few too many defensive Liverpool mistakes since the title was wrapped up - including in the midweek 5-3 win over Chelsea. The latest saw Joe Gomez caught out of position as Gayle ran through.

Klopp will hope such lapses do not linger into next season.

What's next?

Neither side have FA Cup or European duties still to fulfil, meaning they can instead now look towards next season, with the Premier League returning on September 12.

The Tanzania Mainland Premier League season of 2019/20 concluded with Singida United, Ndanda FC, Alliance FC, and Lipuli FC getting relegated.

Singida United had already been relegated before the conclusion of the season as they were at the bottom of the 20-team table with just 18 points.

Lipuli needed a final day victory but they did not manage it and was sent down as a result, while Alliance's win against Namungo was not enough to save them.

Meanwhile, Mbeya City and Mbao will have to successfully engage in play-offs if they are to retain their Premier League statuses.

A last day 2-0 defeat at home against Biashara United just confirmed Singida United’s relegation to the second-tier and they go down with a whooping -50 goal difference.

Deogratius Munish scored a 20th-minute opener for Biashara United while a David Nartey 27th own goal just made the matters worse for Singida United as they went on to lose the game on their own turf.

Ndanda were relegated after they came second last with 41 points losing their season final match to Mbao.

Jordan John’s 66th-minute goal and another from Wazir Junior is all that Mbao needed to ensure they picked up the victory.

Mtibwa Sugar were victors after they registered a 2-1 win over Ruvu Shooting at home. Boban Zilintusa earned a brace as Sadat Mohamed scored the only goal for the visitors.

Mohamed opened the score for Ruvu Shooting in the 35th minute but a second-half comeback by Mbao saw them equalise in the 51st minute and picked up the winning goal in the 65th minute.

Mtibwa Sugar end the season with 45 points and at position 14 while Ruvu Shooting are 12th with two more points than the Sugar Millers.

Namungo, who were long-time challengers for the second spot that has finally been taken by Yanga SC, lost to Alliance.

The 2020/21 Caf Confederation Cup participants went down 3-2 against their hosts and have now finished the season a distant fourth with 64 points, six fewer than the third-placed Azam FC.

Martin Kigi, who has been a key scorer for Alliance since the league resumed, scored the first-minute opener for the home side before Blaise Bigirimana equalised seven minutes later.

Israel Patrick struck to help Alliance regain their lead in the 25th minute before Namungo equalised once more in the 61st minute through Frank Mkumbo’s effort.

Alliance went ahead again four minutes after Mkumbo’s equaliser when Juma Nyangi scored.

Meanwhile, Coastal Union were defeated 1-0 by JKT Tanzania with the only goal being registered by Najim Magulu in the 79th minute.

Finally, Mwadui picked up a 2-1 win against Kagera Sugar as Wallace Kiango scored a brace, with his first goal coming in the 13th minute before converting a 17th-minute penalty.

Nasoro Kapama scored the only goal for the Sugar Millers in the 68th minute.

The Tanzanian league was the second to resume in Africa following the coronavirus break after Burundi’s competition that has already ended.

Dwight Gayle scored after just 25 seconds for Newcastle United against Liverpool on Sunday, making Premier League history.

A much-changed Liverpool side were caught dozing as Gayle ran onto Jonjo Shelvey's quick free-kick and squeezed a finish past Alisson for a goal that was awarded following a lengthy VAR review.

The swift strike was the earliest Liverpool have ever conceded in the Premier League.

And Gayle's effort - his fifth league goal against the Reds - also marked the fastest goal on the final day of any Premier League season.

Champions Liverpool started with Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino all on the bench, making this only the second time since the former's 2017 arrival they have all been missing from a Jurgen Klopp league XI.

Though Liverpool made six alterations from the team that defeat Chelsea 5-3 on Wednesday, the former Borussia Dortmund boss was adamant before kick-off that he wanted to see his side win the match.

“It’s easy for me to find plenty of reasons why you should win a football game. Again, the things around are different, I said that already before the Chelsea game,” he told the club’s official website .

“Chelsea played for everything, you saw that, and I wanted to see us fight like we play for everything. And that was exactly the case. The boys were incredible in that game. Something like that I would expect today as well, the boys love football and love hard work. If they put that in, we can be good; if not, then we still have a chance because we don’t know exactly what Newcastle are doing.

“Newcastle played already a while like this, like we do if you want, because they are safe for weeks or months already. They have a good team.

“I know Steve [Bruce] has a few injury problems, I think in defence. But offensively, that’s proper quality. That’s what we prepare for, so that we are really ready.”

Liverpool recovered after the concession of that opening goal, with Virgil van Dijk hitting back before the break as they went in at the interval 1-1 at St James’ Park.

David Luiz has set an unwanted Premier League record after conceding his fifth penalty of the season during Arsenal's game against Watford on Sunday.

Arsenal largely cruised throughout the first half of the match, the team's final game of the Premier League campaign, putting together a 3-0 lead through 33 minutes.

Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang was responsible for two of those goals, with the first coming just five minutes into the game, while Kieran Tierney scored his first Premier League goal for the club in between the forward's two finishes.

However, just before half-time, Watford netted a goal of their own, with Luiz the culprit after conceding a penalty, which Troy Deeney dispatched, bringing the score back to 3-1.

The penalty came after the Brazilian defender brought down former Arsenal attacker Danny Welbeck in the box, prompting referee Mike Dean to point to the spot.

Luiz's latest incident saw him concede his fifth penalty of the season, which sets the Premier League record for most given away in a single campaign.

The former Chelsea defender was previously one of seven players to have conceded four in a season alongside Ken Monkou, Luc Nijholt, Claus Lundekvam, Ibrahima Sonko, Gary Caldwell and Jose Fonte.

Now, Luiz has the record all to himself, having conceded his second penalty since the Premier League's restart, with the first coming in an error-filled display against Manchester City.

On that day, Luiz scored an own goal, conceded a penalty and was sent off as part of a one-man horror show that prompted plenty of criticism for the veteran defender.

Just one week after that display, though, Luiz saw his contract with Arsenal renewed, as the defender has signed a one-year extension to keep him at the club.

In the weeks since, Luiz had put together a series of stronger performances, having taken the blame for that initial Manchester City disaster.

The 33-year-old was virtually faultless in the FA Cup semi-final , as the Gunners took down Manchester City to book their spot in the final. 

Luiz has featured 41 times for the Gunners this season, having joined the club from Chelsea last summer.

A total of 32 of those 41 appearances have come in the Premier League, with Luiz scoring twice during the league season this campaign. 

Luiz and Arsenal will take on Chelsea in the FA Cup final on Saturday.

Yves Bissouma scored his first Premier League goal for Brighton & Hove Albion against Burnley on Sunday in the final day of the Premier League season.

The 23-year-old was handed his 14th league start and 21st appearance for the Seagulls and delivered an impressive performance at Turf Moor.

The central midfielder started the game in front of the back-four along with Dale Stephens and wasted no time in opening the scoring in the encounter.

The midfielder found the back of the net, curling a fine effort from outside the box which gave goalkeeper Nick Pope no chance in the 20th minute.

Bissouma, who joined the Seagulls in the summer of 2018 from French side LOSC Lille, thus, became the 12th Mali international to score in the English top flight, following in the footsteps of the likes of Modibo Maiga, Bakary Sako and Sambia Diakite.

Former Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United striker Freddie Kanoute is Mali's highest scorer in the Prem, having netted 43 times across his stints with the two London heavyweights.

The midfielder started his career from his home country with Majestic SC academy in 2009 before teaming up with AS Real Bamako in 2014.

Bissouma then moved abroad two years later when he teamed up with Lille youth team and signed his first professional contract with the French club in 2016.

The 23-year-old is a key member of the Mali national team and has three goals in 16 appearances for the West African country.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s goal for Arsenal in Sunday’s Premier League clash against Watford was the Gunners’ earliest English top-flight strike since Marc Overmars in 1999.

With just five minutes into the clash against Hayden Mullins, the Gabon international beat goalkeeper Ben Foster from the penalty spot after defender Craig Dawson crashed into French international Alexandre Lacazette.

That strike ensured that the Gunners’ captain moved closer to the ex-Arsenal star’s feat achieved in April 1999 when he scored against Middlesbrough after just four minutes.

Auba assisted Kieran Tierney for his goal in the 24th minute as he touched the ball into the Scotland international’s path while trying to control Nicholas Pepe’s cross.

In a productive evening for the forward, who is among the contenders for the Golden Boot, he completed his brace in the 33rd minute with his overhead kick beating Foster at his near post.

That means the former Borussia Dortmund star has now scored 13 English elite division goals in his last 11 appearances against sides starting the day in the relegation zone.

The visitors pulled one back from the penalty spot through captain Troy Deeney, who beat Emiliano Martinez from the penalty mark, after David Luiz caught Danny Welbeck with a late challenge when the striker went to get on the end of Abdoulaye Doucoure’s cross.

Should Mikel Arteta’s men hold on to their two-goal advantage and secure maximum points against the Hornets, they will end the season in ninth position should Burnley fail to defeat Brighton and Hove Albion.