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Juventus suffered a setback in their efforts to clinch a ninth successive Serie A title as they were held to a thrilling 3-3 draw at Sassuolo.

The Bianconeri looked to have all but sealed the Scudetto when two penalties helped them preserve a nine-point lead at the top with a 2-2 draw against Atalanta on Saturday.

Atalanta cut the lead down to six points with a 6-2 thumping of Brescia on Tuesday and Juve could be only four points ahead by the time they face Lazio on Monday after an engrossing contest saw the spoils shared.

Danilo and Gonzalo Higuain put them 2-0 up inside 12 minutes before Filip Djuricic pulled one back. Domenico Berardi levelled matters six minutes into the second half and then teed up Francesco Caputo to make it 3-2, only for Alex Sandro to secure a point for Maurizio Sarri's men.

Former Manchester City defender Danilo bent home from Miralem Pjanic's low corner delivery to the edge of the area and the Bosnia-Herzegovina international's sublime throughball led to the second goal as Higuain – preferred to Paulo Dybala – converted confidently on the half-volley.

Wojciech Szczesny produced a pair of stunning saves to first deny Mert Muldur and then Berardi, but he could do nothing to prevent Djuricic from finding the top-right corner with a fine first-time finish after more good work from Muldur.

Szczesny did well to hold a drive from Berardi as Sassuolo continued to press for an equaliser, with Cristiano Ronaldo seeing a gilt-edged chance to restore Juve's two-goal lead in first-half stoppage time deflected over.

That advantage was eradicated in spectacular fashion by Berardi as he left Szczesny no chance with a superb free-kick from the edge of the area.

And a remarkable turnaround was completed three minutes later when Berardi's ball across the face of goal found Caputo to tap in at the far post.

Adrien Rabiot headed wide and Ronaldo shot straight at Consigli but Alex Sandro made no mistake in converting from Rodrigo Bentancur's corner to make it three apiece.

Consigli thwarted Ronaldo from close range and at the other end Szczesny produced heroics to deny Hamed Junior Traore, with Alex Sandro clearing Jeremie Boga's goal-bound follow-up in a fittingly frantic finale.

What does it mean? Hope for Atalanta

Juve are still overwhelming favourites for the Scudetto but, if Atalanta beat Hellas Verona on Saturday, the pressure will be firmly on Sarri's side going into the game with Lazio.

The draw ends Sassuolo's four-match winning streak but they are still unbeaten in seven and deserve great credit for a scintillating attacking display.

Brilliant Berardi

Berardi was once co-owned by Sassuolo and Juve, and the Italy international reminded the Bianconeri what they are missing out on in an instrumental display.

No case for the defence

Juve would normally be expected to cruise to victory after going 2-0 up, but they never looked comfortable at the back and are without a clean sheet in five games, conceding 11 goals in that time.

What's next?

Lazio will hope to further dent Juve's hopes on Monday. Sassuolo visit Cagliari on Saturday.

South Africa striker Thembi Kgatlana and Portuguese side SL Benfica have reached a mutual agreement to part ways.

The 24-year-old joined the European side from Chinese outfit Beijing Phoenix in January on a two-and-half-year deal and went on to establish herself as one of the key players in the team.

She only made three appearances in all competitions for Luis Andrade's team, scoring three goals, including in the 4-0 win over City rivals CF Benfica, to seal a Portuguese Taca de liga final berth.

However, their relationship has come to an abrupt end, the 2018 African Women's Football of the Year winner revealed.

"My time with Benfica has come to an end!," she revealed on Twitter.

Goal understands her exit was unconnected to the effects of the coronavirus that saw Raquel Infante, Caroline Von, Mimi Asom and Alana O'Neill depart the Portuguese side.

Corroborating Goal's sources in Portugal, her representative Chris Atkins tweeted: "I can confirm Thembi Kgatlana has left SL Benfica. 

"Covid 19 has had a big impact on the women's game but Thembi will go from strength to strength regardless. The next steps are in place and will be announced shortly."

Following the coronavirus cancellation, SL Benfica were declared Liga BPI champions with 42 points after 15 games and will represent Portugal in the Uefa Women's Champions League next season.

Having mutually left Benfica, the South Africa international will not be able to make her debut in the European club competition.

Before her move to Portugal, she has played for South African side the University of the Western Cape and NWSL outfit Houston Dash.

She starred in South Africa's maiden Women's World Cup outing in France last year, where she scored the country's maiden goal against Spain.

With the closure of the Chinese transfer window since March, Kgatlana will be hoping to stay put in Europe following her shock departure from Benfica.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer believes Manchester United have been dealt an unfair fixture schedule in the final two weeks of the Premier League and he’s going to have to play his cards well as they chase down a Champions League spot.

United have three games left of the current campaign and an FA Cup semi final in the next 11 games and while Chelsea have four days to prepare for Sunday’s Wembley clash United have just two as they play Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Thursday evening, and Solskjaer is not happy about it.

“There is a concern, obviously, that they will have had 48 hours’ more rest and recovery than us. It’s not fair,” Solskjaer said. “We spoke about a fair scheduling going into this restart and of course it isn’t. But I have to think about Thursday, winning that one, focusing on that one, and then pick up the pieces after that.”

Despite the hectic schedule, which sees United play twice next week too, Solskjaer is confident with the fitness levels of his side as they look for a final push into the top four in the last three league games.

“The next two weeks will be hectic but then again we’re fit, very fit - our lads have not felt as fit as this for years, I’m sure,” Solskjaer explained.

“It was a big thing towards the end of last season that we felt our team wasn’t fit enough, we got a few injuries, this season we’ve not had that kind of a problem.

"It’s not going to be a problem and a concern for us but 24 hours, 48 hours is a big difference at this time [of the season] so we’ve not been handed four Aces, to put it that way, for the last two weeks. But we’re going to have to put on a poker face and play the cards well.”

After coming off the bench against Tottenham in the first game since the restart Paul Pogba has started every Premier League game since and he looked a bit off the pace in the draw against Southampton at Old Trafford. But, if the Frenchman isn’t selected for the Palace clash it won’t be because he has been dropped.

“I’ve been speaking more or less every day with Paul. He knows that he wouldn’t be dropped. When Paul plays like this he wouldn’t be dropped from any team in the world - France or Man United - but he’s been out for a long, long time,” Solskjaer explained.

“There was a question mark before the game [against Southampton]. But he felt ready for it, which was great, so now let’s see how he is today or even tomorrow morning. He’s been fantastic since the restart and brought a lot to the team.”

Jose Mourinho appeared to take aim at Pep Guardiola and Manchester City over their Financial Fair Play (FFP) dispute as he bristled at a question regarding his Tottenham team selection.

Mourinho oversaw Spurs' 3-1 win at Newcastle United on Wednesday, with Harry Kane on the scoresheet twice – passing 200 club career goals – as the London outfit boosted their hopes of European qualification.

But even after victory – Mourinho's first in the Premier League at St James' Park – the head coach's focus did not seem to stray far from the result of City's appeal this week.

Guardiola's side were initially banned from European competition for two years by UEFA but successfully appealed against that punishment at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Mourinho called the outcome "a disgraceful decision" and again made reference to FFP following the game on Tyneside, going slightly off piste as he discussed his line-up.

Asked about Steven Bergwijn's role as a substitute, Mourinho replied: "You do this question to me but not to [Frank] Lampard, to [Jurgen] Klopp, to Pep.

"Lampard plays [Christian] Pulisic, you don't ask him why he doesn't start [Callum] Hudson-Odoi. Pep leaves Bernardo on bench, you don't ask why he doesn't start Bernardo Silva.

"I'm the only guy who doesn't have the right to play certain players. If Bergwijn started, you'd be asking me why Lucas [Moura] didn't start.

"You don't ask [Wolves boss] Nuno [Espirito Santo] why he leaves [Adama] Traore on the bench. [Bergwijn] is a team player, he plays for Tottenham."

It was put to Mourinho that he would be pleased by Bergwijn's impact from the bench, prompting his reply: "It is credibility for the players and for the group.

"We need good players and more than 11. We need a good group of players. And if we can do that without breaking FFP, we'll do even better."

Mourinho was cheerier as he discussed the end of his St James' Park hoodoo, halting a run of seven games as a visiting manager in the league without victory.

"It's special for us as we needed these three points," he said. "For me, it's a good feeling.

"I'm very happy for the team and finally I can leave the stadium and look at the statue of [former mentor] Bobby Robson and smile at him."

Musa Barrow became the youngest player to score eight goals in Serie A this season after helping Bologna earn a 1-1 draw against Napoli in Wednesday’s league outing.

The Gambia international scored an 80th-minute equaliser to increase his tally to eight goals and three assists after 21 appearances.

The result was Bologna’s second straight draw in Serie A after settling a for a 2-2 draw at Parma on Sunday and they remain unmoved from the 10th spot on the league table with 43 points from 33 matches.

Sinisa Mihajlovic’s side started Wednesday’s encounter on the back foot after Kostas Manolas fired Napoli ahead in the seventh minute.

They trailed for most of the fixture until Barrow finished a counter-attack in the final 10 minutes, thanks to Roberto Soriano’s assist.

The 21-year-old forward who is on loan from Serie A rivals Atalanta, was in action from start to finish alongside Senegalese defender Ibrahima Mbaye while Musa Juwara was an unused substitute.

Napoli, on their part, rested Senegalese centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly and Algerian full-back Faouzi Ghoulam, and dropped points again after their 2-2 draw against AC Milan.

Gennaro Gattuso's side is sixth on the Serie A standings with 53 points after 33 games and they are a point adrift of fifth-placed Roma.

They host Udinese for their next league fixture on Sunday while Bologna visit AC Milan at the San Siro Stadium on Saturday.

Liverpool saw their hopes of achieving a record Premier League points total extinguished at Arsenal as two errors resulted in a 2-1 loss for the champions.

The Reds needed at least a point to remain in with a chance of equalling Manchester City's 100-point haul from two seasons ago, and their hopes of reaching 102 were boosted by Sadio Mane's opener.

However, uncharacteristic gaffes from Virgil van Dijk and then goalkeeper Alisson saw the Gunners come from behind as they put Sunday's defeat to rivals Tottenham behind them.

Alexandre Lacazette equalised and Reiss Nelson scored his first Premier League goal to leave Liverpool on 93 points with just two games remaining.

There was an early warning regarding Emiliano Martinez's clearances when Roberto Firmino charged down one of his attempts and blocked the ball onto a post.

Ten minutes later, Martinez was harried again and Liverpool won the ball back from his kick, with Firmino releasing Andy Robertson to slide across for Mane, whose first-time finish gave the Reds a 20th-minute lead.

However, Arsenal quickly turned the game around following mistakes from Van Dijk and then Alisson.

First, Van Dijk, under pressure from Nelson, played a loose pass between Fabinho and Alisson, allowing Lacazette to capitalise for the equaliser.

Alisson was the next to sloppily give away possession, Lacazette again seizing upon the ball and squaring for Nelson to give the Gunners the lead prior to the interval.

Liverpool almost hit back early in the second period when Mohamed Salah, making his 150th appearance for the club, sat down David Luiz with a dummy before prodding towards goal only to see Martinez tip over the crossbar.

Jurgen Klopp called for Takumi Minamino from the bench and, after he dragged one shot wide, the Japan international felt he should have had a penalty when Kieran Tierney's pressure on him in the box went unpunished.

Salah then directed a weak header straight at Martinez, Mane fired a great opportunity wide and Trent Alexander-Arnold's deflected effort was saved as Liverpool saw their chance of becoming centurions pass them by.

What does it mean?

There was always a danger that Liverpool might fail to maintain their relentless pace once the season resumed, and this was the fourth time in seven games since the restart that they dropped points.

Their status as champions is, of course, already confirmed, but a record points haul is now beyond them. For Arsenal, this was an all-too-rare victory over a 'big six' club, which bodes well for the future and keeps them in the hunt for a top-six finish.

Lacazette not lacking

It is now three goals in four games for Lacazette, who has reached double figures in the Premier League in each of his three seasons in London.

His quick thinking saw him make the most of Liverpool's errors and, having looked like a spare part early in Mikel Arteta's reign, Lacazette is making himself a vital cog again.

Alisson all at sea

Van Dijk should cop the flak for the first Arsenal goal but, having just seen his team-mate make such a basic error, Alisson's blunder was even more unforgivable.

The arrival of those two in 2018 transformed Liverpool into Champions League winners, and then Premier League champions, but this was a night to forget.

Key Opta Facts

- Arsenal have beaten Liverpool for the first time in the Premier League since April 2015 (4-1), with this being the first time Klopp has suffered defeat against the Gunners in the competition (W5 D3 L1).
- Liverpool suffered their first Premier League defeat in a game they opened in the scoring in since April 2017 (1-2 v Crystal Palace), ending a run of 83 consecutive league games without losing after scoring the opening goal.
- This was Arsenal’s first Premier League win against the team starting the day top of the table since February 2016 (2-1 v Leicester), having lost each of their previous five such games.
- Lacazette has been directly involved in four goals in three Premier League appearances against Liverpool at Emirates Stadium (two goals and two assists).
- Nelson netted his first Premier League goal for Arsenal, becoming the fifth different player aged 20 or under to score for the Gunners in the competition this season.
- Mane has scored six goals against Arsenal in the Premier League; only against Crystal Palace (nine) does he have more in the competition.

What's next?

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang – who started on the bench as one of five changes – will be expected to return to the starting line-up for Arsenal's FA Cup semi-final against Manchester City on Saturday. Liverpool will hope to complete an unbeaten Premier League season at Anfield against Chelsea next Wednesday, when they will also finally get their hands on the trophy.

Sammy Ameobi scored a brace for Nottingham Forest while Andre Ayew scored from the penalty spot for Swansea City in Wednesday evening’s 2-2 Championship draw at the City Ground.

The Reds played out a 1-1 draw away at Preston North End last weekend while the Swans lost 1-0 at home to league leaders Leeds United.

It was the South Wales outfit that got things going in the eighth minute via Liverpool loanee Rhian Brewster, who netted his ninth Championship goal since he joined in January.

Forest then equalised 12 minutes later through Ameobi, who blasted home a fine shot from outside the penalty area having received the ball from Yuri Ribeiro.

Ayew made it 2-1 to Swansea via a penalty on the stroke of half-time after Ryan Yates fouled the Ghana international on the edge of the 18-yard area.

The lead was, however short-lived, with Nigerian winger Ameobi equalising again 10 minutes after the restart with another fierce shot from distance.

Forest were then reduced to 10 men after former Tottenham Hotspur full-back Kyle Naughton was given a straight red card for a rough foul in the 82nd minute.

Ameobi played for 77 minutes with his contributions aside from his brace reading four total shots, three successful dribbles from five, 48 touches, 19 accurate passes at 82% and winning 11 of 19 total duels.

He now has a hand in 12 goals (three goals, nine assists) since his arrival from Bolton Wanderers on a free transfer last summer.

For Ayew, he was on the pitch for the whole 90 minutes, contributing three total shots, two dribbles from four attempts, 50 touches on the ball, 18 accurate passes at 64% and winning 10 of 20 total duels. The Ghana captain was also fouled by the opposition - four times.

His goal tally now stands at 14 in the Championship and 16 overall, with a total of 42 outings in all competitions.

Swansea are three points shy of the final promotion play-off spot which their fierce rivals Cardiff City occupy with two games left to the end of the regular season while Nottingham are in fifth spot with 70 points.

Virgil van Dijk and Alisson are known as two of the most reliable performers in the Premier League - but both men blundered to put Liverpool at a disadvantage on Wednesday. 

Already secure of their position as champions, the Reds continued their victory tour at the Emirates Stadium against an Arsenal side desperate for atonement after letting slip a winning position to go down against arch-rivals Tottenham at the weekend. 

And it looked as though Jurgen Klopp's men were in for another routine victory as Sadio Mane swooped to open the scoring after 20 minutes. 

Needing wins in all three of their final matches to surpass Manchester City's single season points (100) and wins (32) record, Liverpool appeared comfortable thanks to that early strike. 

But relief came for the Gunners in the form of two unlikely collaborators. 

First Van Dijk gifted Alexandre Lacazette an equaliser with a woefully mishit back-pass, in a passage of play that bore uncanny resemblance to the mix-up between Sead Kolasinac and David Luiz that allowed Son Heung-Min to steal in for Spurs on Sunday. 

The Netherlands defender's slip led to Arsenal's first shot of the match with more than half an hour played while, incredibly, it marked his first error to result in an opposition goals since March 2019.

The Gunners did not have to wait long before they received another stroke of good fortune, with Alisson the next Reds star to oblige. 

Lacazette was once more attentive as he intercepted a woefully underhit pass from the Brazil goalkeeper, and Ryan Nelson scored from the resulting move to put Mikel Arteta's men ahead going into half-time. 

Curiously, and despite his reputation as the most solid of performers, Wednesday was not the first time Alisson has erred between the posts for Liverpool. 

He has now made four mistakes that have led to goals in the Premier League - more than both Loris Karius and Simon Mignolet, widely derided for their lack of reliability at Anfield. 

Following the Arsenal game the Liverpool victory parade continues with their two final games of the season, hosting Chelsea at home on July 22 before visiting Newcastle United on July 26.

David Silva produced a decisive display in Manchester City's 2-1 win over Bournemouth on Wednesday, leaving Pep Guardiola in awe of the departing playmaker.

Silva, 34, joined City in 2010 and has gone on to enjoy a wonderful career in Manchester, winning 11 major trophies and establishing himself as a club icon.

The veteran midfielder looks set to depart at the end of the season, with a return to Spain likely as he winds down his glittering career.

But on Wednesday he provided another reminder that his days at the top are by no means over, as he scored with a wonderful free-kick, before then setting up Gabriel Jesus.

It was an unconvincing win, but Guardiola was thrilled with Silva.

"He is in an incredible performance, he is one of the guys who came back from lockdown in an incredible position," Guardiola told Sky Sports.

"He's in an incredible condition right now, incredible condition, and the way he is playing is really good.

"His mentality with and without the ball, scoring goals – it's his second in a row with the free-kick. He's really, really well."

When Silva initially joined from Valencia, there were certainly some doubts over whether the technical midfielder could adapt to the Premier League.

But he resoundingly disproved his doubters, and Guardiola hopes he gets to see out the final years of his career in a place of his choosing.

"All the people think about it with this situation, to come here and play in this league it will not be easy, but it shows the mentality of David, he has [it], so the reality was like this," Guardiola continued.

"He decided to go, so hopefully he can find the place where he wants to play his last years."

On Wednesday, Silva's assist in the Jesus goal gave him his 10th of the season, marking the fourth such campaign that he hit double digits.

Only five total Spaniards have reached that mark in the Premier League, with Cesc Fabregas doing it five times while Santi Cazorla, Juan Mata and Jose Antonio Reyes each did so on two occasions.

Next up for Manchester City is Saturday's FA Cup clash with Arsenal before Silva and co. visit Watford in the Premier League next Tuesday.

Linda Mothalo netted the crucial late goal to ensure Djurgardens’ 2-1 win over Vittsjo in Wednesday's Swedish Damallsvenskan encounter.

Mothalo made an impactful start for Djurgardens, scoring a brace in a 4-2 win over AIK in a Swedish Women's Cup tie in January, days after arriving from Chinese outfit Beijing Phoneix.

On her Damallsvenskan debut, the South Africa international was given her marching orders in a 3-2 defeat against Uppsala on June 26 before making a return from suspension against Vittsjo.

Having gone without a win in three matches, Djurgardens looked determined to halt their poor run of form and Olivia Schough gave them the vital early lead15 minutes into the contest.

Ten minutes after the restart, the visitors secured the crucial equaliser as Michelle De Jongh canceled out Schough's opener.

In the 79th minute, the Banyana Banyana midfielder came close to scoring but her effort failed to find the back of the net until she struck the match-winner for Djurgardens four minutes from full-time.

Motlhalo, who was in action for the duration along with Ghana's Portia Boakye, scored her first Damallsvenskan goal of the season, and has now netted three in three outings for Djurgardens.

The victory was the first in four matches for Pierre Fondin's team this season and puts them in the eighth position with four points.

Following the return to winning ways, Motlhalo and Boakye will hope to help their side get another win against leaders Goteborg on July 19.

Arsenal rank as the Premier League team Sadio Mane has scored the second-most goals against, following his opening strike for Liverpool on Wednesday.

The 28-year-old finished off an Andy Robertson assist in the 20th minute to notch his sixth goal against the Gunners in the English top-flight, only against Crystal Palace (nine goals) has he scored more in the competition.

The strike was Mane's 17th goal after 33 league appearances for Jurgen Klopp's side this season and his first away goal since his winning strike against Norwich City on February 15.

His lead was short-lived as Alexandre Lacazette capitalised on Virgil van Dijk’s error to draw the hosts level in the 32th minute and just before the break, Reiss Nelson fired Arsenal ahead with his first Premier League goal.

Mane has played a key role in helping Liverpool end their 30-year wait for the Premier League title this season, and they will be crowned as champions on July 22 when they host Chelsea at Anfield.

Egypt's Mohamed Salah joined Mane in leading the Reds' attack alongside Roberto Firmino while Guinea midfielder Naby Keita started on the bench.

For Arsenal, Gabonese star Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was handed a substitute's role while Ivory Coast's Nicolas Pepe retained his spot in the attack, and Anglo-Nigerian Bukayo Saka returned to the starting XI after starting on the bench against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.

Nigerian Halimatu Ayinde gave an assist for compatriot Ngozi Okobi-Okeoghene as Eskilstuna United suffered a 3-2 defeat against Kristianstads in Wednesday's Swedish Damallsvenskan game.

Going into the tie, the Nigerian midfielders were pivotal in Eskilstuna's 2-1 victory at Anam Imo's Rosengard last time out, as they extended their unbeaten run to three matches this season.

For Kristianstads, they had failed to get a win from three matches, having bowed to Goteborg and Rosengard in their two opening games before coming from behind to claim a 3-3 draw at Vittsjo.

The visitors made the brighter start to the encounter as Alice Nilsson twice came close to securing the lead inside five minutes. 

In the 12th minute, the hosts were reduced to 10 players after Elise Stenevik was sent off for a poor challenge inside the area and gifted the visitors a penalty which was converted by Therese Ivarsson.

Twelve minutes later, Eskilstuna were rewarded with an equaliser when Fanny Andersson set up Felicia Rogic to find the back of the net.

After the restart, Magnus Karlsson's ladies returned on a high despite having one of their players sent off and they gained the lead when Ayinde teed up Okobi-Okeoghene to score in the 59th minute.

However, the visitors capitalised on their numerical advantage and Svava Gudmundsdottir levelled matters in the 71st minute before Eveliina Summanen netted the winner seven minutes from full-time.

Okobi, who scored her first league goal of the season, was in action for the duration along with her compatriot Ayinde for Eskilstuna.

The defeat was Eskilstuna's first in four games this season and leaves them in the seventh position with five points.

The Nigerian duo will look to help their side bounce back to winning ways when they host leaders Linkopings, who boasts of Nigerian trio Ebere Orji, Uchenna Kanu and Chinaza Uchendu, on July 19.

Jose Mourinho praised his Tottenham charges for digging deep in order to overcome Newcastle United on Wednesday, admitting that the players were lagging before they even walked out at St. James' Park. 

Spurs were in action just 72 hours after coming back from behind to win Sunday's north London derby while Newcastle, who had played the previous day, had the luxury of an extra 24 hours rest going into the Premier League clash. 

Despite their fatigue, though, it was Mourinho's men who ultimately came out on top in a clash which could prove vital to their European aspirations in 2020-1. 

Son Heung-Min opened the scoring in the first half and, after Matt Ritchie had levelled for the hosts, Harry Kane scored twice - his 200th and 201st Spurs goals - to see Spurs through to a 3-1 win. 

The victory moved Tottenham up to seventh place, just one point behind Wolves in the final Europa League qualifying spot after they dropped points to Burnley. 

And Mourinho was in no doubt as to why his team were able to play through the tiredness and come home with three points. 

"[It was] resilience, the team was tired before we even started," the manager signalled to BBC Match of the Day after the final whistle. 

"We had resilience and a great desire to win the match and to fight until the last for our objective which is the Europa League."

Tottenham still conserve a slim mathematical chance of making the Champions League, although wins for either Manchester United or Leicester City on Thursday would extinguish that possibility. 

Having taken over with Spurs in dire straits at the end of 2019, though, Mourinho would settle for the secondary club competition.

"Since I started we are fourth in the table. If we cannot get the Champions League than the Europa League is important.

"No doubt the subs were important. I knew they would give us the freshness that we needed.

"Harry Kane knows how important he is, he is incredible. After such a difficult recovery he is playing every minute of every game, this is the fourth game with two days in bewtween, we are the only team to have this, and Harry gave everything.

"I am proud of them and happy with the points. Serge Aurier is a very strong character, every person is different and in his case he wanted to play.

Former Kaizer Chiefs central defender Bevan Fransman has been handed a contract extension at Highlands Park.

The 36-year-old player's previous contract with the Lions of the North expired at the end of last month.

The Tembisa-based club is preparing for the resumption of the current season which was suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic in March.

Highlands Park co-chairman Brad Kaftel disclosed that Fransman has also been handed a short term deal like his fellow veterans Musa Nyatama, Reneilwe Letsholonyane and Greg Etafia.

“Yes, we have extended the contract of Bevan by handing him a short term deal like we did with the other guys recently,” Kaftel told Daily Sun.

The short term deals are set to expire at the end of the current campaign which has seen the Lions of the North reach the MTN8 final where they lost to SuperSport United.

Fransman, Etafia, 37, Letsholonyane, 37, and Nyatama, 32, will be looking to impress coach Owen Da Gama and the club's management in order to earn new contracts ahead of the 2020/21 season.

“I’m hoping that football resumes so that we can be able to complete our season and then we’ll decide what to do at the end of the season with other players’ contracts that were renewed,” added Kaftel.

The suspended campaign is expected to be completed in a Biologically Safe Environment (BSE) in Gauteng next month and Highlands Park will be looking to secure a top-eight finish in the league.

Da Gama's side is placed eighth on the league standings having accumulated 31 points from 24 matches.

Fransman was enjoying regular game time just before the season was halted due to the virus which has caused significant disruption to the worldwide sporting calendar.

The former SuperSport United player also captained the Lions of the North in the absence of regular captain and goalkeeper Tapua Kapini, who was nursing a long-term injury.

Fransman has made 17 appearances across all competitions for Highlands Park this term and netted one goal in the process.

He is in his second season with the Lions of the North having joined the club after being released by Maritzburg United in June 2018.

Two goals in four minutes, including a thunderbolt from Franck Kessie, helped Milan come from behind to beat Parma 3-1 on Wednesday.

The Rossoneri's European chase under Stefano Pioli appeared to be losing momentum when Parma went ahead at San Siro through Jasmin Kurtic 44 minutes in.

But Kessie pulled his side level with a spectacular effort after 55 minutes and Alessio Romagnoli's header turned the game on its head in quick fashion.

Hakan Calhanoglu made it 3-1 to secure all three points for Milan in Zlatan Ibrahimovic's 100th game for the club.

Milan saw a Romagnoli header bounce back off the left-hand post in a dominant opening spell.

Giacomo Bonaventura had a tap-in ruled out for offside and Kessie missed a great chance from Rafael Leao's cross, with Parma not really threatening until Gervinho ran through the heart of the Milan defence but fired over.

It was Gervinho who helped to fashion the breakthrough, though, his clever pass sending Alberto Grassi clear to cut back for Kurtic, who fired low past Gianluigi Donnarumma.

Parma were largely restricting Milan to speculative shots from distance, a tactic that was working well until Kessie thumped an unstoppable strike in off the right-hand post 10 minutes into the second half.

It was 2-1 before the hour mark, Romagnoli escaping into space to nod in Calhanoglu's expert delivery, and Dejan Kulusevski's shot that deflected onto the crossbar suggested fortune was not favouring the visitors.

Calhanoglu made certain of a seventh Milan home league win over Parma in the past eight meetings, the midfielder drilling home a fine finish from Bonaventura's pass.

What does it mean? Never mind top four - Milan are finishing as one of Serie A's form sides

Milan could still qualify for the Champions League after this win, although it would require Lazio to lose all of their remaining games and a few favourable results involving Napoli and Roma.

A sixth season without playing among Europe's elite might be almost certain, but the Rossoneri can at least be pleased with their form since Italian football returned - especially since Pioli appears destined to be replaced by Ralf Rangnick for next term.

Calhanoglu holds the key

Calhanoglu had more touches (80) and passes (58) than any Milan player except Kessie, set up their first two goals and scored the third himself. You will struggle to find a more influential display in that regard.

Theo loses track

Theo Hernandez wasted a couple of good openings at 0-0 and Parma's opener came when they found far too much space down the left of the Milan defence.

What's next?

Milan host Bologna on Saturday, with Parma at home to Sampdoria a day later.

Pep Guardiola has outstripped all of his peers past and present in the Premier League after racking up his latest victory at the helm of Manchester City. 

With City in a festive mood following Monday's decision from the Court of Arbitration for Sport to overturn the club's suspension from the Champions League, Wednesday saw Bournemouth visiting the Etihad Stadium for the latest round of league fixtures. 

Pep took the opportunity to rotate his team, resting the likes of Raheem Sterling, Kevin De Bruyne and Riyad Mahrez, but it made little difference to the overall result as City ran out 2-1 winners. 

David Silva and Gabriel Jesus both netted in the first half, meaning David Brooks' late strike was little more than consolation for the Cherries, who find themselves in serious danger of going down to the Championship. 

Not only was it City's third consecutive Premier League victory, but it also brought up Pep's 150th match in the English top flight, a run in which he has surpassed all previous managers in terms of success. 

Wednesday's clash was his 111th win on the bench, marking an outstanding strike-rate of almost 64 per cent. 

It is also more than any other man has achieved in the same time-frame, even Premier League legends such as Arsene Wenger and Sir Alex Ferguson. 

Current Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho sits second in the rankings, having picked up 105 victories from his first 150 matches. 

Liverpool's Jurgen Klopp completes the podium with 92, followed by Ferguson (90) and ex-Reds, Blackburn Rovers and Newcastle boss Kenny Dalglish (85). 

Guardiola, of course, has the luxury of arguably the Premier League's deepest, most distinguished squad of players at his disposal, and he has not shied away from changing up his first XIs over the course of the season. 

Wednesday saw City make seven alterations from the starting line-up that downed Brighton at the weekend, taking them up to 137 in total in 2019-20 - far outstripping nearest challengers Chelsea, a long way back with 95. 

City will be back in action in Saturday's FA Cup semi-final against Arsenal and continue their Premier League campaign the following Tuesday with their penultimate clash of the season, away to Watford.

Hakim Ziyech has described the Uefa Champions League outing between Chelsea and Ajax which ended in a 4-4 draw as "a crazy game".

The 27-year-old produced a man-of-the-match performance at Stamford Bridge on November 5 last year with a brace of assists despite Ajax giving up their 4-1 lead.

He was also involved in the third goal when goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga turned his free-kick which came off the post, into the back of the net with his face.

The result was not enough for Ajax to progress from Group H in the elite European competition as Chelsea and leaders Valencia moved on to the knockout stage.

Eight months after the game, Ziyech, who is now a Chelsea player after completing a five-year deal from the Dutch giants in February, recalled the night in London against Lampard’s team.

“It was a crazy game. If you were a neutral supporter it was a fantastic game,” Ziyech told Chelsea website.

“For us it was a little bit less because we were 4-1 up, but it was a crazy game. I think the neutral fans, that is why they like football, because of moments and games like this.”

The Morocco international started his individual training sessions at Chelsea on Saturday and he was in the stands as the Blues edged Norwich City 1-0 in Tuesday’s Premier League fixture.

The Dutch-born midfielder said he was inspired by club legends Didier Drogba, John Terry and Lampard before making the move to Stamford Bridge

“When you are a young guy you always want to play for a big club, in the Premier League of course,” he added.

“When I was young, the players that played here, it was always a big club so I am very happy and it means a lot. I was playing in the youth in Heerenveen and here was playing Drogba, Lampard, Terry, all those big names.

“We were always for Chelsea, and if you look at now, if you can play here it means a lot to me.”

This season, Ziyech was involved in 24 goals before leaving Ajax - a tally of eight goals and 16 assists in all competitions and he was named the club's Player of the Year for the third time in a row.

Olympique Lyon forward Tino Kaderwere has admitted that he is yet to provide his best for the Zimbabwe national team and promises to deliver more in the country’s quest to qualify for the 2022 Fifa World Cup.

Kadewere expressed respect for fellow Warriors attackers Knowledge Musona and Kaizer Chiefs Khama Billiat, who have overshadowed him in the national team but said his chance to shine is coming.

After some impressive performances in club football which saw him signing for Lyon from Le Havre, Kadewere has often been criticised in Zimbabwe for struggling to translate that form to the Warriors.

He has so far managed two goals in eight national team appearances.

“To be honest, I haven’t had a huge spark with my national team,’’ Kadewere told football presenter Carol Tshabalala.

“And, I still have time, I think. I’m 24 years old and I respect the guys that play in front of me [Musona and Billiat]. I always believe that, one day, I will make my nation proud.’’

Kadewere says he is keen to help Zimbabwe qualify for their first-ever World Cup tournament and the Warriors are in the same group as South Africa, Ghana and Ethiopia in their bid for a ticket to Qatar.

He singled out the home and away matches against South Africa as the ones he is looking forward to most.

“And the goal, for my country, is to go to the World Cup,’’ said Kadewere.

“I want us to go to the World Cup and people to get to say that Tino was in the generation that made our country go to the World Cup for the first time.

“I know, you are not going to like this. You know we have South Africa in our group, but I’m looking forward to that game. I have never played [against] South Africa, but I want to play South Africa. I have played Zambia, they are our neighbours, I have played Botswana, I have played Mozambique, but not South Africa.

“I am looking forward to that game and it’s one of the hurdles, in front of us, for us to go to the World Cup, you know what I mean.’’

Meanwhile, Nottingham Forest manager Sabri Lamouchi has described Zimbabwe defender Tendayi Darikwa as a “fantastic” player with the right-back back from a long-term injury.

Darikwa recently returned from the injury and is yet to play an official match, managing to sit on the bench twice.

But Lamouchi has hailed Darikwa’s availability for their push for a Premier League return.

“Tendayi has worked hard for many, many weeks and now he’s back with the group. I’m happy for him because he’s a fantastic boy,” Lamouchi was quoted as saying by Nottingham Post.

Fifth-placed Forest’s best chances of securing Premier League promotion lies in ending the regular season in the top-six and qualifying for the promotion play-offs.

Elsewhere, former Zimbabwe international Costa Nhamoinesu has left Czech Liga giants Sparta Prague after seven seasons at the club.

Ex-Arsenal attacking midfielder Tomas Rosicky, who was Nhamoinesu’s former teammate at Sparta Prague and now the club’s sporting director, has paid tribute to the Zimbabwean.

“Costa was a great professional for the whole time at Sparta. He became a real Spartan,” Rosicky told the Sparta Prague website.

A Czech Liga winner with Sparta, Nhamoinesu made more than 200 appearances for the club he later captained after joining from Polish side Zaglebie Lubin in 2013.

The 34-year-old helped the Czech giants reach the 2015/16 Uefa Europa League quarter-finals and bows out after recently winning his second Czech Cup.

“We meet to part and we part to meet,” said Nhamoinesu

“Thank you for all the amazing years. The most important thing for me is that we always stuck together, in good and in bad.”