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Dan Mule is the latest to announce his interest in the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) top seat.

The successful businessman joins the growing list of presidential aspirants in the forthcoming elections. The immediate former AFC Leopards chairman has exuded confidence in changing the reputation of the game in the country in a bid to develop it.

"I will vie for the FKF presidential seat in the forthcoming election," Mule told Goal on Thursday.

"Football is not doing well in the country owing to regular fights, and it is something I want to change. I want to sanitize the game and make peace with everyone for players and the country at large to benefit."

The administrator has also stated he wants to streamline the top-tier whose quality has been deteriorating with players opting to join other well-paying leagues in the continent. 

"Look at the Zambian top-tier, Tanzania and Uganda as well, they are improving day in, day out," Mule added.

"Our players are not enjoying playing in the Kenyan Premier League (KPL) because of financial problems. In the 2019/20 season, we saw several walk-overs given out by several teams, it is something we want to amend.

"The Ugandan Premier League has grown in that it is now also producing players regularly to Europe, it is something I also want to ensure happens in the KPL, I want to streamline it."

Sponsors have been shying from giving football a helping hand, but the aspirant believes he can convince them to invest in the game.

"You have to create a favourable environment to have corporates coming in to sponsor the game," Mule continued.

"We have to work together with the government and all stakeholders, and this will convince many sponsors to come on board. 

The incumbent Nick Mwendwa, former president Sam Nyamweya, Nicholas Musonye, Omondi Aduda, Twaha Mbarak, Herbert Mwachiro and Sammy Sholei are other individuals in the race.

"I have no problem with them, everyone has his plans, so we will present the same to delegates and whoever brings the best should be considered, and I believe my vision will convince them to vote for me," he concluded.

Orlando Pirates left-back Innocent Maela has opened up about his journey to become a Premier Soccer League (PSL) player.

The 27-year-old is inspired by his older brother, Tsepo Masilela, who is a successful left-back having played in the Fifa World Cup and Champions League. He also helped Kaizer Chiefs win two PSL titles before joining his current team, AmaZulu FC.

“I can tell you now, no left back starts off wanting to play left-back. A lot of us start off somewhere else and then switch later,” Maela told Far Post.

“Tsepo was of great help to me. I remember how I used to talk to him a lot on the phone when he was in Israel and he would advise me on how I could make a career out of football."

Maela's father, Eric Masilela was also a professional footballer having turned out for Witbank Aces during his playing days.

“My father played a huge role because he also played football. He was the only one who really believed I could play football professionally, not so much my mother,” he said.

Maela was nurtured in the Pirates academy before he spent two seasons with then-National First Division (NFD) side Witbank Spurs on loan from the Buccaneers.

Three successive loan spells with another NFD side Thanda Royal Zulu then followed and Maela admitted that “it was very tough" as he was keen to play for Pirates in the PSL.

The Witbank-born player revealed that he nearly quit football after Thanda survived relegation at the end of the 2015/16 season.

“I almost quit football when Thanda Royal Zulu survived relegation, I told my mom that I’d been out on loan for four years, going to five," he disclosed.

"I made it clear that if nothing happened [Pirates recalling him], I’d quit football and go back to school because I’m still young. She said to me ‘give it one more shot, son’."

“We won the 2016/17 NFD and gained promotion to the PSL. Winning the League with Thanda was a silver lining in my career,” he said.

However, Thanda sold their PSL status to AmaZulu FC a few days after the KwaZulu-Natal outfit secured promotion to the elite league by winning the NFD title.

“At that point, I thought maybe things were not meant to be. I was back to square one,” Maela explained.

“Days later, the chairman [Irvin Khoza] called to tell me they had been following my development and I was ready to come back to Pirates."

“It felt like God was making up for what seemed like delays in my career."

Maela was then included in the Bafana Bafana squad which participated in the 2017 Cosafa Cup after being recommended by his former coach at Pirates academy, Thabo Senong.

“I had been following him at Thanda Royal Zulu. I told [then-Bafana coach] Stuart Baxter that there was a left-back at Thanda Royal Zulu. I believed he would be one of the best," Senong told the same publication.

"Stuart was initially doubtful about a player coming from the NFD into the national team. But after having a look at him, he said, ‘Thabo, this is the right one’. He had a decent tournament,” said Senong, who was Baxter’s assistant at the time.

Since then Maela has been part of the Bafana squad at the 2018 Four-Nations Tournament in Zambia and 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) finals in Egypt.

The hard-working player has been able to play in the Soweto Derby and also score with a header as Pirates edged out Kaizer Chiefs 2-1 in a PSL clash during the 2018/19 season.

“If I were to pick my most memorable football moment, it would have to be the goal I scored in the [Soweto] Derby,” he said.

“That goal will always be special because it was in a derby."

Luka Jovic needs to be more professional if he wants to have a future at Real Madrid, former team-mate Milos Ninkovic has warned.

Jovic has endured a turbulent first season with Madrid following his big-money arrival from Bundesliga outfit Eintracht Frankfurt, the 22-year-old managing just two goals in 25 appearances.

A €60 million (£55m/$68m) signing after scoring 27 goals in 2018-19, Jovic has struggled for form and fitness, while the Serbia international's woes were compounded when caught breaking lockdown rules during the coronavirus pandemic .

Talk of a Madrid exit has intensified amid links to Premier League sides Leicester City and Arsenal and Serie A club Milan, while Hertha Berlin have reportedly joined the chase to bring Jovic back to Germany as Los Blancos close in on just their second La Liga title in eight seasons.

Ninkovic knows Jovic better than most, having provided the assist for the latter's debut goal as a 16-year-old for Serbian giants Red Star Belgrade in 2014.

And Ninkovic – a former 28-time Serbia international now playing for A-League champions Sydney FC – told Stats Perform News : “His biggest problem is not how he performs on the pitch, it's how he performs off it.

“He had so many problems off the pitch with some injuries and hanging out with some friends from Serbia when this virus started.

“I understand that because I was young as well. I signed, not for such a big club like Real Madrid, but I signed for Dynamo Kiev when I was 19, probably the biggest club in Ukraine and Russia.

“When you're young and you sign for a big club, he is on big money as well, it's hard to stay normal. He wants everything. As a young kid, he wants to stay with friends and go out. I read that [Zinedine] Zidane believes in Luka and he will stay next season.

“They probably understand that he is still young and everyone went through this. I understand him but he needs to be more serious because Madrid are a big club, they won't wait three, four years… He needs to be more professional if he wants to stay there.”

When FIFA revealed the match schedule and timings for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar on Wednesday, fans of the beautiful game in India would most definitely have been left happy.

The timings of the matches are extremely favourable for Indian fans who watch football on television, despite a groupstage matchday featuring four games.

The first game will kick-off at 3:30 pm IST and the last game will kick off at 12:30 am IST (the next day in India). However, the second and third matches will both be consumed by a prime time evening broadcast audience in India, given that they start at 6:30 pm IST and 9:30 pm IST respectively.

The simultaneous kick-offs for the last round of group games will be 8:30 pm IST and 12:30 am IST (next day). The knockout stage matches are also likely to kick-off at a similar time slot as the last round of group games. The final will kick-off on 18 December 2022 at 8:30 pm IST.

Given that these are time slots that Indian fans spend time watching European football, World Cup 2022 will most certainly command a lot of viewers from the sub-continent.

It is not just those who follow European football who are tuned into the World Cup in India. Despite the Indian national team having never played the World Cup, the tournament has a really huge following with the average sports fan in the country, especially in football-crazy areas like Kerala, West Bengal, Goa and the North-East.

It is a common sight in these areas to see flags and banners of nations playing the World Cup, with people discussing the tournament with passion. In restaurants and shops during the World Cup, one can see customers and shopkeepers tuned into World Cup matches on whatever device they have available.

In major cities, you can even see cafes and restaurants even organise World Cup match screenings. In fact, even people who are not huge sports followers tune into the World Cup in India.

As per the Broadcast Audience Research Council of India (BARC) data, the total cumulative reach for the World Cup 2018 on the Sony Pictures Networks (who had the broadcast rights in India) was a whopping 254 million viewers.

The final match between France vs Croatia, which kicked-off at 9:30 pm, was watched by 51.2 million viewers which was the highest for any World Cup match till date in India. Obviously, that viewership figures are expected to be even better this time around, given the final is starting at 8:30pm - the prime-time for TV viewers in the country.

However, the Qatar World Cup will appeal not just to television viewers in India but also those fans who make the ardent trip to experience the World Cup and watch the games live.

India was among the top 10 countries in terms of number of match tickets sold to fans for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. One can expect even more, if not similar, amount of fans to travel for the World Cup from India in 2022 as well.

One, there is very good connectivity between Qatar and India, given the number of direct flights to Doha from most major Indian cities. Also,  Indian nationals have topped the international tourists' arrival in Qatar for the last few years including in 2019 (385,148 Indian nationals with UK nationals second placed at 133,418).

From 2017, Indian nationals have enjoyed visa on arrival entry status in the State of Qatar. Makes it all the more appealing.

There is also the fact that Qatar has a huge Indian diaspora. Indian nationals constitute more than 25 per cent of Qatar’s population.

Whether it be a TV viewing fan or a fan who wants to experience the thrill of a World Cup from India, 2022 World Cup in Qatar seems to be the ideal tournament.

Hassan Al Thawadi, the Secretary-General of the Supreme Committee of Delivery and Legacy (SC), the organisation responsible for the delivery of infrastructure for the 2022 World Cup, believes that the global showpiece event will act as a bridge between different cultures. 

On Wednesday, FIFA revealed the match schedule for the 2022 edition of the tournament. Hosts Qatar will get the ball rolling on 21 November 2022, at the Al Bayt stadium with the game set to kick-off at 13:00 local time (3:30 pm IST).

Following the much-awaited reveal, Hassan Al Thawadi said, "Announcing the match schedule is a great milestone that we have achieved and arrived at. For us, over the last 10 years, we have been talking about preparation and I am very proud to say that we are very well advanced in terms of preparation. Most of the infrastructure is finalized, stadiums are coming into pipeline gradually by the end of next year as well."

The SC has been hard at work to make the 2022 edition of the World Cup, the first FIFA event set to take place in the Middle East, a unique experience. Their tagline is also 'Deliver Amazing'.

Al Thawadi pointed out that the upcoming event aims to bridge different cultures and also make the whole process of attending matches easy and affordable. 

"The fact is it highlights the concept of the compact World Cup. It is promoting the concept that fans can watch more than one match a day - it gives the tournament a unique spirit. It is the first time that people will experience it. 

"Although 2022 will be different from previous FIFA tournaments in many different factors, (there are) two main ones. We are infusing the spirit of the compact World Cup. Fans can watch more than one match a day, they don't have to worry about travel or changing accommodation. Once they arrive at Doha, they can focus on having fun, following and supporting their team and experiencing the Arab culture," the Secretary-General said. 

He further added, "This will be the first World Cup in the Arab world. We have always said that we are aiming for it to be a bridge between cultures. It will be an opportunity for people from different backgrounds and different walks of life to not only experience great football but create lasting bonds and friendships, especially considering we are coming out of Covid-19. I genuinely believe it will be the first global celebration where we will collectively have overcome Covid-19. The significance has become even more (increased).

"(During) Previous tournaments, fans had to plan their travel, follow their teams, take planes, trains, automobiles to be able to follow their teams. In this tournament, the minute the fans land into Doha, their main focus is going to be following their team, watching more than one match a day and celebrating. The concerns and stress of different modes of transportation from city to city are eliminated.

"It will be a more affordable tournament, we have always wanted to ensure that the fan experience is complete on all fronts. it will be a tournament that is accessible to all football fans."
 

Only three teams have won the Indian Super League since it kicked off in 2014 and Mohammed Rafi, the experienced footballer from Kerala, has won the trophy twice with different clubs. 

Having excelled in the I-League with Mahindra United, Rafi had made a name for himself in Indian football before he was signed by Atletico de Kolkata in 2014 for the inaugural season of ISL. The Kolkata-based franchise lifted the trophy, beating a David James-led Kerala Blasters in the final. 

His appeared in the final again two years later with Blasters but ended up on the losing side. Rafi moved to Chennaiyin FC in the season that followed and voila! He was a champion again!

The two-time champion decided to return to the place he calls home. He'd left without a trophy so it was time to win a third title but the much-anticipated return of the 'headmaster' did not go according to plan. 

"There was a lot of expectations at the start of the season. We had a good team. Then there were a lot of injuries. I injured my hamstring a week before the season started, came back and played a couple of games and then was out injured again for more than two months. I missed a lot of games due to injuries and it was disappointing," Rafi recounted the disappointment of the season that never truly kicked off to Goal. 

Winning the title in 2014 remains the standout moment for Rafi, who said, "The ISL win in the first season was truly special. It was unlucky to miss out in the final with Kerala Blasters. Then at Chennaiyin, it was pleasing to win the trophy in my first season itself." 

Why hasn't Kerala Blasters won a trophy yet? As a player who has been part of title-winning squads, Rafi feels there is too much hype built around young talents in Kerala which is a dampener to their spirits if things go awry.

"There is too much focus on youngsters. Teams do need experienced players also (to succeed). There are a lot of senior players who work harder than younger players, people don't see that. I have been playing football for around 18 years and for me, I have gained a lot of knowledge from my seniors," the 38-year-old said. 

He also pointed out that youngsters, when hyped up on social media, are a lot more prone to capitulation. 

"There are people who started watching football when ISL started. There are fans who are always there to support you. And there are fans who blame poor results on just senior players and focus on abusing individuals on social media. Experienced players know how to handle situations due to their match experience and they are important to the team.

"The pressure from fans affects young players more. They become more disappointed easily due to verbal attacks. When a youngster plays well, they treat him as a star, when he doesn't do well in a game, he is treated as a nobody. I have seen this happen," the experienced forward added.

Rafi has been around for a lot of years and has been there to witness the ups and downs of Indian football. He has played with and against both good and not-so-good foreign footballers, which is why he also is in favour of reducing the foreign player quota of Indian leagues. 

"If Indian football has to improve, the number of foreigners needs to come down. Only then, Indian players will get an opportunity to perform. If foreign players don't do well, there will be added pressure on Indians as foreigners aren't criticized in the same way," he opined. 

And the striker has no doubts that there are players who can do well when given the chance to perform and moulded in the right manner. 

"There are a lot of good footballers in Kerala but they don't have clubs to show their talent. There are exciting players like Rahul KP. I have never seen a better speedster than him. He is so fast. If he trains and is used well, he can be a really good player. Leon Augustin, who is with Bengaluru FC, also another really exciting talent," the footballer said. 

Rafi's know-how of football in Kerala can be an advantage for any club that makes use of his services when he hangs up his boots. The striker has plans to do the same.

"I wish to stay at Kerala Blasters and retire here. I will see the offer and decide. I would also like to maybe work at the club and help find talent in Kerala. Let's see." 

Dimitar Berbatov has hit out at Real Madrid's Gareth Bale for his "unprofessional and disrespectful" behaviour in the Spanish capital.

Bale has found himself out of favour at Madrid, with the star forward playing just 100 minutes of La Liga action since the league returned from its three-month hiatus in June amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The four-time Champions League winner sparked uproar when he was seen on camera with his face mask over his eyes before turning and laughing with team-mates from the stands during Madrid's 2-0 victory over Deportivo Alaves last week.

Bale – a substitute – then simulated holding a pair of binoculars in front of his face while he watched Madrid's 2-1 win at Granada and former Tottenham team-mate Berbatov criticised the Welsh outcast.

"Gareth Bale is in the headlines again for pretending to sleep in the stands when he found out he was going to be an unused substitute against Granada," Berbatov wrote in his column for Betfair.

"When I saw it, I couldn't believe it. I watched him put his mask over his eyes and pretend to be asleep. I cannot support that. It is unprofessional and disrespectful to Real Madrid.

"I love watching Bale play and I can feel his pain at not playing because I have been in the same situation. But that kind of reaction is going too far.

"Madrid need to find a solution to the Bale saga. It's not good for Bale or the team and it is bad publicity. I do feel his pain, I have been in his shoes of not playing and nobody is probably giving him any answers, then you are provoked to do those kinds of things, but I cannot support what he did.

"The only solution is for Bale to leave Real Madrid. If I was a Real Madrid fan and saw a player disrespecting the team like that, it would be too much.

"Bale should be asking for a solution, even if it is a loan move. It was a show of power, it was if he was saying: 'Play me or I'll do whatever I want.' That doesn't sit right with me."

Real manager Zinedine Zidane recently squashed talk of Bale leaving the club, reacting angrily when asked if the Wales star should depart Madrid. 

Former Barcelona president Joan Laporta has admitted he's "scared" Lionel Messi might not extend his stay with the club due to their current board situation. 

Messi is contracted at Camp Nou until 2021 and his relationship with Barca's current boss Josep Maria Bartomeu is reportedly far from perfect making an extension complicated. 

While Bartomeu recently stressed his confidence that the Argentine will re-sign and likely see out his career at Barcelona, Laporta isn't so certain. 

Though hopeful Messi will remain at the club, Laporta noted Barca's current board members could force their star into a corner. 

"I want him to stay in 2021 but I am scared that a bad decision of this board could result in an irreversible decision," Laporta said of Messi at an event at Sant Joan de Deu hospital on Wednesday. 

"It's not BarcaGate, it's BartoGate, I am worried about how the status of the club is being put at risk." 

Laporta, who is considering running for Barcelona president again, has also warned Xavi against returning to manage the club in its current state. 

Bartomeu has declared Xavi will coach the Catalans "sooner or later" but the man himself has resisted initial calls to return until he's given more power to influence matters at the club. 

"If I was Xavi, I would never be back with this board," Laporta said. 

"Every day I have more desire to take part in the election. Some concrete conditions are needed for me to feel comfortable to run right now rather than resist for a few more years." 

Speaking in May, Laporta expressed a clear desire to get Barcelona back on track, noting he'd love for Pep Guardiola to return and manage the club. 

"I'm working to introduce myself as a presidential candidate," Laporta told TV3. "I've been president before and I'm excited to be back. The situation in 2021 will be dramatic and we'll have to reverse it. I'm working with people I trust.

“I would very much like Guardiola to come back, but now he is at City and it is a decision that Pep should take. He is a benchmark for Barcelona and many Catalans would like him to train Barca again.

“At the right time, I will speak to the person we think should be Barca coach from 2021.”

Barcelona are currently second in La Liga with Real Madrid poised to seal the title on Thursday should they beat Villarreal. 

Porto captured their 29th Primeira Liga title following the stunning capitulation of Portuguese rivals Benfica.

Boasting former Real Madrid defender Pepe, Porto celebrated a second league trophy in three seasons thanks to Wednesday's 2-0 victory over fierce foes Sporting.

Danilo Pereira and Moussa Marega scored in the second half to ensure Porto dethroned defending champions Benfica midweek with two matches remaining as iconic goalkeeper Iker Casillas heads into retirement.

Porto have been almost flawless since the season resumed in June following the coronavirus-enforced break in March, winning six of their eight matches, including five in a row.

Benfica, meanwhile, have only managed three victories since returning to action last month and just four wins from 13 league games since February to slip eight points adrift of Porto.

"The team is to be congratulated for what we did, and not only in this game," Pepe said. "Sporting were in very good form but we knew how to cancel out their strong points.

"This is down to the hard work and sacrifice our squad put in, we never stopped, not even during the confinement.

"What made us champions? Above all, the togetherness we had. We know we represent a very important region of the country and we all identify with this region. When things get tough we use this strength to overcome adversities.

"If I'm not mistaken, in the first game of the season against Gil Vicente [a defeat] I said we lose together and we win together, and today is proof of that. Not only us the players, but the entire club and all the fans.

"We didn't have holidays, we were always working, striving for perfection. It's difficult, but we were always striving for it. The spirit we had, the belief in our coach, he always believed. Today, here, we see the result."

Porto head coach Sergio Conceicao added: "We won one of the most important titles in Porto's history. I'd like to dedicate this title to my family, who suffer a lot, my wife and my children and my parents."

Conceicao's side still have two more league matches to play this season with games to come against Moreirense and Braga. 

Juventus head coach Maurizio Sarri bemoaned his team's thrilling 3-3 draw at Sassuolo, with the stuttering Serie A leaders' inconsistency leaving him "perplexed".

Juve surrendered a 2-0 lead against in-form Sassuolo as they suffered a setback in their efforts to clinch a ninth successive Scudetto on Wednesday.

Defending champions Juve – who squandered a 2-0 advantage as they lost 4-2 to rivals Milan earlier this month – raced out to a two-goal advantage inside 12 minutes via Danilo and Gonzalo Higuain before Filip Djuricic reduced the deficit prior to half-time.

Domenico Berardi's stunning free-kick restored parity six minutes into the second half and the forward then set up Francesco Caputo to put Sassuolo 3-2 ahead three minutes later.

Alex Sandro salvaged a point for Juve past the hour-mark as the league leaders improved to 77 points through 33 games, seven clear of high-flying Atalanta.

"A coach expects consistency from his team, it's something we've been lacking both physically and mentally. We have some very strong moments in a match and some moments of passivity that are difficult to understand," Sarri told Sky Sport Italia.

"We've been up against teams in remarkable form recently and Sassuolo are no different, as they'd won four in a row and if they consolidate, they can become the Atalanta of the future.

"I do believe that if we resolve the issue of consistency throughout the game, we are on the right track. Any team becomes dangerous if you let them pass it around in our final third.

"We struggled because they played between the lines with the trequartista and we gave the ball away too many times. It was strange, as our full-backs in the first half were conservative, but then started to push forward and win the ball back early towards the end of the game.

"It's not so much something that doesn't work as it works in fits and starts. At times, I get the feeling this team has enormous potential. At other times, it leaves you perplexed, as it allows the opponents to enter the box far too easily. We need to find the right balance and that is not easy.

"We had to keep the ball more, as there are times when the passing move will help you to control the tempo and stay in the opposition half. We sometimes feel too rushed in trying to get to the goal in a couple of passes, which creates a situation where you go from end to end."

Juve host struggling Lazio – third in the standings – in Turin on Monday.

Arsenal clearly need to sign new players in the transfer market despite stunning Liverpool, according to head coach Mikel Arteta.

Arteta's Arsenal received a boost in their rebuilding job, upstaging Premier League champions Liverpool 2-1 on Wednesday.

Arsenal trailed to Sadio Mane's opener and only claimed the lead after uncharacteristic Liverpool errors let in Alexandre Lacazette and Reiss Nelson midweek.

Despite the surprise victory, Arsenal – ninth in the table with two matches remaining – are 40 points behind Liverpool and Arteta insisted the Gunners must strengthen.

"I think it's pretty clear that we need to strengthen the squad," Arteta told reporters post-match.

Not since 2004 have Arsenal won the Premier League – failing to finish in the top four since their runners-up performance in 2015-16.

The gap has continued to widen in the Premier League, with Arsenal – who sacked Unai Emery in November – six points adrift of the top four.

Asked how long it will take to close the gap, Arteta said in a news conference: "Well I have seen it and I have experienced it. To do it in one year, and I have seen other clubs never do it. Or some clubs do it in four or five years.

"Depends on the context, depends on the resources, depends on how much you have to change.

"We are in a process, we don't know at the moment. There is a lot of uncertainty in many areas, what we can control now is who we want to be as a team, the culture we are building in order to do that, the spirit to be successful and then improve our players.

"My main focus is to make our players better, make them feel more comfortable and create an identity for the club because it will be easier to say we need this, this and this."

Arsenal are back in action against Manchester City in Saturday's FA Cup semi-final before visiting lowly Aston Villa in the Premier League on Tuesday.

Arteta's side could still finish as high as fifth if results in the league go their way over the next fortnight - they are currently six points shy of fifth-place Manchester United. 

Jurgen Klopp insisted he was unfazed about Liverpool's chances of reaching 100 points in the Premier League being ended by Arsenal.

Liverpool fell to a 2-1 loss at Emirates Stadium on Wednesday, and the champions can get to a maximum of 99 points this season.

But Klopp said there was no sense of disappointment about not being able to get to 100 points, a record set by Manchester City in 2017-18.

"No, not yet at least, I don't know if it comes," the Liverpool manager told a news conference.

"But it's just I want the points we can get and we will see what it is at the end of the season.

"I cannot make any negative of something really positive, becoming champion, having so early in the season 93 points, I'm not the type of person who makes something negative of it because we cannot get the 100 or two points anymore.

"We get the points we deserve and we will see how many that will be. In the moment it's 93, two games to go, very difficult games, but two games to go and these boys played an exceptional season and nobody can take that away from them.

"But I'm not happy about the game, I'm the opposite, I'm disappointed, angry about a few things, but the game, the game was good and the attitude is good, but we took a break and that's not good and that's why we lost the game."

Liverpool led against Arsenal through Sadio Mane, only for mistakes from Virgil van Dijk and Alisson to see Alexandre Lacazette and Reiss Nelson score in the hosts' victory.

Klopp, whose team entertain Chelsea on July 22, said they were rare mistakes by two of his stars.

"Somebody is surprised that these boys are human beings, I'm not," he said. "I see them every day, from time to time they are not perfect, but not really often. That's how it is."

Van Dijk admitted after the match that Liverpool got what they deserved from the match. 

"The goals we gave them as a present," Van Dijk lamented to Sky Sports. "Until their first goal, it was totally us, we gave them two goals and it is difficult to come back. We got what we deserved.

"Until then there was nothing wrong, we played very well. So it's easy to blame us having the the title but until I made the mistake there was nothing wrong."

Moussa Marega registered his third goal in a row with FC Porto sealing a 29th Primeira Liga title with a 2-0 win over fierce rivals Sporting Lisbon.

The Dragons have been in impeccable form since the restart with just a draw at Desportivo Aves letting them down.

What followed were victories against Boavista, Pacos Ferreira, Belenenses and against Tondela, the latter being the only game they failed to keep a clean sheet.

Porto’s last defeat came at Famalicao before the suspension of the league and they were not going to be let down by their bitter rivals Sporting.

After a goalless first half, Guinea-Bissau born defensive midfielder Danilo Pereira gave Sergio Conceicao’s men the lead in the 64th minute with a powerful header from an Alex Telles corner.

Porto were well on their way towards the title, but Marega added more gloss with the second goal coming in injury time, chipping the ball over onrushing Sporting goalkeeper Luis Maximiano. He had also scored in the reverse fixture at the Estadio Jose Alvalade on May 1 which ended in a 2-1 victory.

It was Marega’s 11th goal of the season and his 14th in all competitions from 43 outings. Among those was a goal in a 5-2 aggregate defeat to Bayer Leverkusen in the Europa League round of 32.

The Mali international has now had a hand in seven goals (five goals, two assists) since the restart, his most productive outing coming in the 4-0 win over Boavista were he scored a brace and provided an assist.

Also on display for Porto was DR Congo international defender Chancel Mbemba. The former Newcastle United player had scored the only goal in Porto’s win at Pacos Ferreira and was at his solid best again at the back, contributing two clearances, four interceptions, five tackles and winning six of eight total duels.

Porto holds an eight-point lead over previous champions and record-holders Benfica who got the better of Vitoria Guimaraes 2-0 on Tuesday.

The Dragons who have 25 wins from 32 games, drawing three and losing four, will end their season with ties at home to Moreirense and away at Braga.

Mason Greenwood has made a huge impact during his breakout season at Manchester United - but if Roy Hodgson and Crystal Palace had their own way he would have lined up for an entirely different club during 2019-20. 

Greenwood, 18, made his first United start in the last game of the 2018-19 Premier League season, but it is in the current term that he has really announced his talents to the Old Trafford faithful. 

With 16 goals in all competitions, only Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial have outscored the teenager, with the young trio's form since returning from the coronavirus lockdown steering United to four consecutive wins prior to Monday's draw with Southampton. 

Back in August, though, Greenwood was just another Reds hopeful with a dream and a handful of first-team minutes under his belt, prompting an enquiry from Hodgson's employers that, rather fortuitously for United, fell on deaf ears. 

“Mason is a fantastic player," the Palace manager told reporters on Wednesday ahead of United's midweek visit to Selhurst Park.

"We’ve known about him for a while and in actual fact I think we might even have enquired about him at the start of the season, if there was any chance of him coming out on loan.

“Of course you get the answer ‘no chance’ because they see him as one of theirs. But it wasn’t a difficult spot.

"I think people all over the Premier League have realised there is a real talent on the books of Manchester United and it’s been just a question of time before he gets his chance.

“It was the same with Marcus [Rashford], he didn’t have to wait either and they put him in early and, as a result, they find themselves with a young but very, very talented forward line.”

United's Champions League hopes received a double blow on Monday as they tied with Southampton on the same day rivals City saw their ban overturned - a decision that means fifth place will no longer provide a route to Europe's biggest club competition. 

The Reds are currently tied on points with fourth-placed Leicester City, who hold a slight advantage on goal difference and take on Sheffield United shortly before Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's charges walk out against Palace.

La Liga president Javier Tebas has stepped up his attack on Manchester City, suggesting that the Court of Arbitration for Sport was wrong to overturn the club's Champions League ban. 

Pep Guardiola's charges received a huge boost on Monday when the body modified the original sentence handed down by UEFA of a two-season European suspension on charges of manipulating Financial Fair Play regulations. 

Instead of missing the Champions League City were ordered to pay a fine of €10 million for failing to assist UEFA in its investigations, a ruling that came as a huge relief to everyone connected to the club. 

Tebas has been among City's most vocal critics, and following the announcement coach Pep Guardiola told reporters: "He must be very jealous of the Premier League. 

"Maybe next time I'll ask him what court and judges we should stand before. He should be worried about La Liga and focus on that."

The Liga chief was quick to respond to Guardiola's barbs, calling into question the validity of CAS' judgement and suggesting that there was further foul play on City's part. 

"Manchester City will be in the Champions League next season not because they have acted correctly, but rather because CAS is wrong," he fired to ESPN on Wednesday. 

"In fact, the CAS has fined them €10m, that is not just for the sake of it. From what I've read I gather it is because they didn't cooperate with UEFA. Why is that? 

"Have City hidden documentation? I would like to read the final ruling now, if I can. 

"Just as we still have not been able to read PSG's final ruling from CAS, when a lot of time has passed and it is still not available. 

"The day I sit down and read it I will tell Guardiola that of which I am convinced: Manchester City have not acted right."

Tebas also launched a withering criticism of CAS, stating that the Switzerland-based tribunal had lost its legitimacy. 

"CAS is not fit to hand down rulings in the football industry. We all know what City do! Everyone in football knows what they do," he added. 

"In fact, when the punishment first reached them nobody in European football was surprised. Quite the contrary. I won't say it was celebrated, but some people did come out and say at least justice has been served to the state-run clubs. 

"Instead, after the CAS ruling there have been protests from Klopp, Mourinho... Everyone knows they tried to dodge financial fair play. 

"CAS is dead. Its rulings have been doubtful for a long time. There is no transparency and a lot of the time, looking at the judges named, you know where their ruling is headed. 

"Switzerland has great prestige in arbitration and the CAS does it no favours."

Mikel Arteta concedes there remains an "enormous gap" between Arsenal and Liverpool despite seeing his side defeat the Reds 2-1 on Wednesday night. 

Jurgen Klopp's men took the lead through Sadio Mane after 20 minutes at the Emirates, only for the Gunners to respond in defiant fashion. 

Alexandre Lacazette fired home an equaliser in the 32 minute before the Frenchman set up Reiss Nelson for the winner 12 minutes later. 

The win sees Arsenal rise to ninth in Premier League, still a massive 40 points shy of league leaders Liverpool, with Arteta adamant his side must build upon their performance against the Reds with plenty of work still ahead for them.

"Absolutely, in terms of energy and happiness in the dressing room before the semi-final, it's a good medicine," Arteta said post-match.

"To beat this team you have to have moments in the game when you take your chances, defend and have a bit of luck. I was worried after 1-0 how we would react. We were able to pick one moment and believe again.

"We will go for both [competitions], our maximum, it is just a few games so we will keep going.

"The gap between the two teams today is enormous, we can not improve it in two months, but the accountability, the fight is now equal and I am very proud of that. The rest will take some time.

"Arsene [Wenger] did some incredible things and was very successful. I have done nothing yet. We need belief to go in the direction."

After a relatively disappointing season, Arsenal's fans will be hoping to see some serious investment put into the squad over the summer but Arteta isn't getting his hopes up. 

Asked about the club's finances, Arteta added: "A big concern, you need quality, quality players and a big squad to compete in these competitions. It is a challenge."

The Gunners next face second-place Manchester City on Saturday before rounding out their season with games against Aston Villa and Watford - two sides battling against relegation. 

As it stands, Arsenal are only six points shy of the top four and could still seal their place in the Europa League if results go their way over the next fortnight. 

Virgil van Dijk insisted Liverpool were justly punished for their mistakes as Arsenal took three points to end the Reds' hopes of setting a new Premier League record. 

The newly crowned champions boasted 93 points going into Wednesday's game at the Emirates Stadium, a mark that left them needing seven from their last three outings to match Manchester City's record mark of 100 for a single season and nine to set a new benchmark in the English top flight. 

But in spite of Sadio Mane's early opener Arsenal proved more than a match, scoring through Alexandre Lacazette and Ryan Nelson to inflict the third league defeat of the season on Jurgen Klopp's men. 

Both goals came through costly individual errors, with Van Dijk's weak back-pass allowing Lacazette to equalise and Alisson contributing to Nelson's strike with his own poor distribution. 

Arsenal's only shots on target in the entire 90 minutes resulted in goals, but the Netherlands defender insisted that the result was fair. 

"The goals we gave them as a present," Van Dijk lamented to  Sky Sports  after the final whistle. 

"Until their first goal, it was totally us, we gave them two goals and it is difficult to come back. We got what we deserved.

"Until then there was nothing wrong, we played very well. So it's easy to blame us having the the title but until I made the mistake there was nothing wrong."

Klopp, however, tried to draw focus from his usually flawless centre-back, affirming that the entire team was at fault for the goal.

"Virg lost the ball, but I didn't see a lot of offers around. Nobody wanted the ball really," the manager told reporters.

"As a full pack, we took a break and that makes no sense. And Arsenal were there. We have to take that and learn from that."

While Liverpool can no longer record triple figures for 2019-20, they still have the opportunity to record the second-best campaign in Premier League history with wins over Chelsea and Newcastle United to close out a memorable season. 

Van Dijk recognised that ending the club's 30-year title drought was the main priority but pledged to keep fighting until the very end.

"I want to win the game, but we can't change that. We will try to win the last two games but can't forget we have had a fantastic season," he added.

"Being champions is a dream come true."