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Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola believes his players deserve to play in the Champions League next season following a 5-0 smashing of Brighton on Saturday. 

The victory has sealed second spot in the Premier League for City but their place in the next Champions League campaign remains up in the air with a formal decision on their two-year European ban to be handed down on Monday. 

Guardiola has always stressed the club's innocence in relation to alleged Financial Fair Play breaches and is hopeful his players will be rewarded for their performances like the one against Brighton with Champions League football next season. 

“I was pleased with everything tonight – the result and the levels we reached,” Guardiola told Sky Sports. “We are now at a good level and are ready to play the last games of the Premier League and in the Champions League.

“We’ve forgotten the Southampton result as we played incredibly well there. Football sometimes is strange. We just didn’t score there.

“We’re a team who create a lot of chances and today we converted them.

“We’ve qualified for the Champions League which was the minimum requirement for this club. And these players have done it for the last six or seven years.

“We won it on the pitch and hopefully on Monday UEFA will allow these players to play next season. They deserve to be in the Champions League.”

Raheem Sterling stole the show on Saturday as he scored his third hat-trick of the season in what's been his most prolific campaign in front of goal. 

“For a long time, he has been getting better,” Guardiola said of his English winger. “His finishing, his shooting and that’s because he trains hard.

“It’s good for us to have him at the end of the season.”

Brazilian striker Gabriel Jesus, meanwhile, ended his goal drought and Guardiola was quick to stress there's more to his game than just finding the back of the net. 

“He fought well. Before he scored, we had been delighted with his performances," Guardiola said.

"Tonight he didn’t just get his goal, he made lots of good chances too. It’s unbelievable that he’s scored.”

Chelsea new-boy Hakim Ziyech is anticipating his debut match at Stamford Bridge after his first training session at the club's facility on Saturday.

Ziyech has arrived in London for his new adventure with the Blues after signing a five-year deal from Ajax which was reportedly around £ €40 million.

The Morocco international was welcomed to Cobham by former goalkeeper Petr Cech for his first training programme at club while the rest of his new teammates travelled to Sheffield for Saturday’s Premier League fixture.

Frank Lampard’s side were hammered 3-0 at Bramall Lane as David McGoldrick's double and Oli McBurnie’s lone goal handed them their second defeat in their last six league outings.

Although he is not expected to play for Chelsea until next season, Ziyech described his feelings after the light training session on Saturday.

“First session done for Chelsea. Very excited and happy to be here and can’t wait to see you guys at the Bridge soon,” he wrote on Instagram.

This season, Ziyech was involved in 24 goals before leaving Ajax which include a tally of eight goals and 16 assists in all competitions.

The 27-year-old's last competitive match was against Heerenveen on March 7 before the Dutch Eredivisie was declared null and void because of the coronavirus pandemic.

After agreeing to join Chelsea in February, the three-time Ajax Player of the Year said the Blues’ attacking style of play influenced his decision to move to England.

“Happy, proud, I am excited and I cannot wait. It (Chelsea) is a big club in a big competition," Ziyech said .

“I like the style of play, they play really attacking football, and that is something that fits me and that is one of the biggest reasons I chose, therefore.”

Chelsea are third in the Premier League table and they are jostling to qualify for next season's Uefa Champions League.

Riyad Mahrez achieved a Premier League landmark following his assist in Manchester City’s 5-0 thumping of Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday.

Raheem Sterling’s hat-trick helped the Citizens run riot at the American Express Community Stadium to seal a runners-up spot in the English topflight this term, as well as a place in next season’s Champions League.

With City two goals up against the Seagulls, Pep Guardiola’s men added a third in the 53rd minute when Sterling headed past goalkeeper Mathew Ryan an in-swinging free-kick from Mahrez inside the six-yard box.

Following that assist, the Algeria international now boasts of 13 assists for the Etihad Stadium outfit this season.

That mark also stood as his best tally of assists since becoming a player in the English elite division having joined Leicester City from French outfit Le Havre on January 11, 2014, on a three-and-a-half-year contract.

Also, playing against Graham Potter’s men was his 30th league appearance this term with 10 goals to show for it.

Two years later after joining the Foxes, the 29-year-old was named PFA Player of the Year after scoring 17 goals and setting up a further 10 as Claudio Ranieri’s side won the Premier League title.

Since joining the Etihad Stadium outfit in 2018 for £60 million (€68m/$80m) on a five-year deal, the 2016 African Player of the Year winner has won one Premier League title, one FA Cup, one Community Shield, and two English Football League Cup diadems.

Mahrez recently revealed that Guardiola’s men have a strong chance to lift this season’s Champions League should they beat Zinedine Zidane’s Real Madrid to the quarter-final ticket.

“I think it is a good time to win the Champions League,” the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations winner told Goal.

 “We have the team, we have the manager, we have everything, so it is a good time.

“I don’t know if we are the best, but we are good enough to win it. The Champions League is difficult; everyone wants to win it, so it is going to be a big battle.”

Manchester City will now focus their attention on Wednesday’s league encounter with Bournemouth before taking on eternal rivals Arsenal in the FA Cup semi-final on Saturday.

Barcelona manager Quique Setien has conceded Lionel Messi needs a rest but that the club couldn't afford to rest him on Saturday as they scraped to a 1-0 win over Real Valladolid. 

Arturo Vidal scored the decisive goal in the 15th minute with Messi claiming his 20th league assist of the season in the process. 

Despite dominating possession, Setien's side struggled to wrap up the victory with Messi forced to play the full 90 minutes. 

With Barcelona still within touching distance of La Liga leaders Real Madrid, their manager admitted that though Messi needs a break, games like the one against Valladolid aren't the right time to sacrifice him. 

"Of course," Setien said post-match when asked whether Messi needed a rest. "I've said it before, but the score was too tight.

"If we'd have scored more goals in the first half, maybe more players would've been rested. The team was tired.

"They had players up front with quality and committed men forward. We couldn't cover the whole pitch. We had to drop back and that made it more difficult for us.

"We should've put the match to bed in the first half - we could've scored two or three goals. [There was] the anxiety of knowing that you're only 1-0 up and that they can score at any moment.

"In the second half, we struggled. We noticed fatigue in some players to a point."

Luis Suarez was given a rest on Saturday with the Uruguayan striker named on the bench and ultimately coming on just after half-time as Antoine Griezmann was forced off. 

"It's good to give him a rest," Setien said about his decision not to start Suarez.

"Suarez had played five full games in a row and had to rest at some point. [Griezmann] came off because of some [injury] problems. He asked to come off himself."

Barcelona are now one point behind Real Madrid in the La Liga title race, though Zinedine Zidane's side do have a game in hand, with Setien aware his side now rely on Real slipping up.

"We're doing enough to be better than where we are," Setien added. "I don't know if [it's enough] to win La Liga because [Real Madrid] are winning all their games.

"We've done enough [against Valladolid] and we've created lots of chances and we weren't clinical enough in the end."

Diego Costa guaranteed 10-man Atletico Madrid's place in next season's Champions League by heading home the winner in a 1-0 LaLiga victory over Real Betis.

Atleti looked destined to hold on for at most a draw after Mario Hermoso was shown a straight red card for a foul on Loren Moron, but substitute Costa steered home Yannick Carrasco's free-kick in the 74th minute to secure a top-four finish for Diego Simeone's men.

After seeing goals for Angel Correa and Alvaro Morata overturned by VAR, there were concerns Costa's header would be ruled out during a lengthy check for handball.

However, the goal was allowed to stand, ensuring Atleti will return to European football's top table in 2020-21.

Correa slammed home a volley midway through the first half, but after a trip to the pitchside monitor, referee Jose Luis Gonzalez Gonzalez ruled it out for a handball by Marcos Llorente in the build-up.

Andres Guardado drilled a low effort just outside the upright before Morata dinked a wonderful finish over Dani Martin but was deemed offside following a lengthy VAR review.

Atletico lost Kieran Trippier to an injury before half-time and would have fallen behind had Loren hit the target with his chip over Jan Oblak following a fortuitous bounce of the ball.

Simeone sent on Carrasco, Vitolo and Costa to begin a push for a winner but he was forced to make a defensive change – Felipe replacing Correa – after Hermoso was given his marching orders in the 57th minute.

Betis, playing for the first time since it was announced Manuel Pellegrini will be their new head coach next season, pushed for a winner but Atleti held firm.

Simeone's side then snatched all three points when Costa guided Carrasco's free-kick delivery into the bottom-right corner.

What does it mean? Time for rotation

Although Atletico have won just two of their past four matches, they are now unbeaten in nine since LaLiga resumed in June.

Their superior head-to-head record against Villarreal means Javi Calleja's side will battle it out with fourth-placed Sevilla for the final Champions League qualification berth.

With Atleti out of reach, Simeone can start to consider resting players ahead of their Champions League quarter-final against RB Leipzig next month.

Costa makes the difference

Simeone has been using Llorente up front because he does not think Costa and Morata make a good pairing, but the Brazil-born Spain international staked his claim for more minutes with an important goal.

Bartra to blame

Three points were there for the taking for Betis, but Bartra was too deep when Carrasco swung in his free-kick and Costa took full advantage to net the winner.

What's next?

Atletico travel to Madrid rivals Getafe on Thursday, when Betis host relegation-threatened Deportivo Alaves.

Arturo Vidal vowed Barcelona will fight all the way after a scrappy  1-0 win at Real Valladolid kept their title hopes alive.

Had they dropped points for a fourth time since La Liga's restart, there would surely have been no coming back for Quique Setien's side.

But Vidal's fine finish in the 15th minute, coupled with a second-half starring role for goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen, kept pressure on leaders Real Madrid.

Until Zinedine Zidane's team cannot be caught, there will always be hope in the Barcelona ranks that Los Blancos might stumble.

"We know it depends. We just have to win all the games that we have remaining," Vidal said in a post-match interview.

"It doesn't depend on us. We just have to do what we have to do and see what the other teams around us do."

There is only one "other team" that Barcelona are concerned about, and Madrid will go to Granada on Monday hoping to capitalise on their game in hand by going four points clear with two games to play.

Barcelona have German shot-stopper Ter Stegen to thank for the fact Madrid cannot be crowned champions in that game, given that would have been the case had Setien's team dropped points in Valladolid.

Barcelona missed chances, particularly in the first half, which saw one awful fluffed effort from Antoine Griezmann, who missed his kick from in front of goal.

By the closing stages, the final whistle could not come soon enough for the flagging visiting players.

"We had our chances and didn't take them and we knew they'd have theirs," Vidal said.

"We have to improve going forward and take our chances. The important thing is we've done what we came here to do and we've got three points."

It was a hot early evening in Valladolid, and Vidal indicated Barcelona were feeling the pace in the second half.

"It's difficult against a team that were very hard to play and they played very well. Also, the conditions complicated things slightly, but I'm glad we won," he added.

"We knew we'd have to work very hard and wouldn't necessarily be able to maintain our rhythm throughout.

"We wanted to improve. We kept ourselves in the title race and that's the most important thing."

Cristiano Ronaldo twice scored from the penalty spot as Juventus put an end to Atalanta's winning streak, the Serie A leaders rallying late to secure a 2-2 draw on Saturday.

Substitute Ruslan Malinovskiy fired in an 80th-minute goal that had Gian Piero Gasperini's in-form side on course to move into second place in the table courtesy of a 10th straight league win.

Duvan Zapata had put the visitors into the lead as they dominated in the first half, though they were pegged back soon after the break when a handball call against Marten de Roon allowed Ronaldo to level.

Having surrendered a two-goal lead to lose 4-2 at Milan in midweek, Maurizio Sarri's side appeared on course to suffer a second successive loss, in the process cutting their lead at the summit to six points.

However, referee Piero Giacomelli pointed to the spot for a second time when the ball struck Luis Muriel's arm in the 90th minute, allowing Ronaldo to deny Atalanta and leave Juve eight clear of Lazio.

The Portuguese had barely been involved in a first half that saw the away team strike in the 16th minute, Zapata collecting Alejandro Gomez's clever pass to fire past Wojciech Szczesny.

Juve were presented with the chance to equalise when De Roon – in close proximity to the opposing player and with his arms down – was penalised for blocking a cross.

Atalanta seemed to run out of steam as the clock ticked on but, having gone close with a left-footed attempt earlier, Malinovskiy slammed home with his right from the edge of the area to make it 2-1.

Still, there was a late twist to the absorbing tale when Muriel unfortunately left an arm dangling out when defending at a corner, allowing Ronaldo to have the last word and secure Juve a much-needed point.

What does it mean? Draw a positive for champions

When Ronaldo doubled the lead following Adrien Rabiot's exquisite opener in Milan on Tuesday, the Bianconeri appeared to be coasting towards a double-digit advantage at the summit.

Their San Siro collapse was spectacular, and a further defeat at home to a fast-finishing challenger here would have raised serious questions over their stamina down the stretch. Instead, with Lazio losing to Sassuolo earlier in the day, they have a comfortable cushion ahead of the run-in.

Euro vision for the future

A title tilt may be beyond them now with six games remaining, but Atalanta were a joy to watch for the first 45 minutes at Allianz Stadium. The revamped Champions League format will make them dangerous opponents in the competition, starting with a quarter-final tie against Paris Saint-Germain.

Getting a handle on it

Another Serie A fixture, another penalty for handball. Well, two actually. There is no doubting on each occasion that the ball struck an arm, but neither case was a clear example of a deliberate movement. VAR checks were never going to lead to a change of the on-field call either.

Key Opta Facts

- Juventus' current unbeaten home run in Serie A stands at 37 games - only Liverpool have a better such run in the top five European leagues.
- Atalanta became the first side with three players to score 15+ goals in a single Serie A campaign (Muriel 17, Josip Ilicic and Zapata 15) since Juventus in 1951-52.
- Ronaldo has scored 18 league goals in 2020, at least three more than any other player in top five European leagues.
- Since Serie A's restart, Gomez has provided six assists, more than any other players in Europe's big five competitions (level with Lionel Messi).
- Gomez was also making his 300th appearance in Serie A. Since 2010-11, he is one of five players with at least 50 goals and 50 assists in the competition (61 goals and 67 assists).

What's next?

Juve travel to Sassuolo on Wednesday before hosting a faltering Lazio. Atalanta, meanwhile, take on struggling Brescia on Tuesday.

Former Orlando Pirates coach Rhulani Mokwena has spoken about his return to Mamelodi Sundowns and the reception he received on his first training session with the club. 

The Soweto-born mentor linked up with the Brazilians in Rustenburg on Friday after receiving his test results for Covid-19. 

He rejoined the Tshwane giants as Pitso Mosimane's assistant and he said the players showed him the same respect they did before he left for the Sea Robbers three years ago.  

"It was fantastic. A warm welcome; the coaches welcomed me very well, the sessions were very well organised, the players gave me the normal amount of respect that they gave me before I left," Mokwena told the Sundowns media team.

The 35-year-old revealed he was excited to be received by players he's familiar with and left at the club - some of which are Sundowns senior players. 

"Of course, seeing a lot of very familiar faces like Hlompho Kekana, Denis Onyango, Themba Zwane, Kennedy Mweene, it is always exciting because most of these players that are at Sundowns are people that I have got very good relations with," he added. 

Mokwena feels Sundowns have got a family member in him in as much as he considers the club and the players his family. He is already looking forward to contributing positively toward the club's success. 

"I left Mamelodi Sundowns knowing that they are not just players that I know, but they are family and they know that in me that they have got a family member for life because of the good relationship that we had and I am glad that when I left Sundowns, I could easily consider myself a good person and I would like to still consider myself a good person when I return." 

"I think that for me, it has allowed me to really embrace this opportunity that I have been given,” he added.

Mokwena will work alongside Manqoba Mngqithi as Mosimane's additional assistant just like in the good old days when Sundowns dominated the South African league and went on to conquer the continent. 

His presence in the Sundowns bench was valuable in Mosimane delivering the Caf Champions League trophy in 2016. 

And according to Mosimane, Mokwena's return presents the club with a chance to add another continental crown to their trophy cabinet. 

Mikel Arteta has shot down any suggestion that Kieran Tierney could leave Arsenal when the transfer window opens.

The left-back arrived at the Gunners last summer in a £25 million ($30m) deal from Celtic, but has endured an injury-hit first season in north London.

That led to some suggestions that the Scotland International could be moved on, with his former boss Brendan Rodgers said to be lining him up as a potential replacement for Chelsea target Ben Chilwell at Leicester City.

But having returned to full fitness during the coronavirus-enforced shutdown, Tierney has become a regular since the restart - starting six of Arsenal’s seven games, with his performances earning widespread acclaim.

And ahead of Sunday’s north London derby at Tottenham, Arteta put an end to any suggestion that the left-back could be one of the players who leaves the Emirates this summer to help fund a rebuild.

“He’s not going anywhere,” said the Spaniard. “I really like him.

“I’m very impressed him. Everybody loves him at the club and he earns that every single day with the way he treats people, the way he works and the energy he brings to the place.

“And then with his performances, I am delighted. He has adapted really well, he is a player that gives you everything in every session and every game. And the quality he has added as well.

“He’s still so young, he has things to improve obviously but he’s been a great addition to the team.”

Arteta admits that Tierney has endured some difficulties since leaving his boyhood club Celtic and making the move to England last summer.

He arrived injured and then after battling his way back to fitness he dislocated his shoulder against West Ham in December and found himself sidelined for a further three months.

But the 23-year-old is now reaping the rewards for the way he worked during those tough moments, according to Arsenal's head coach.

“He had a really difficult period because of the injury, because he moved to a different city and to a different context,” said Arteta.

“In Glasgow he was at a club that was winning all the time where he was very settled. It was a challenge for him and he’s been dealing with that in the best possible way, with some difficulties.

“He needed the club to support him, he needed his team-mates to make life easier for him and we all tried to help him. But you help him with pleasure because of what he brings and how willing he is all the time to work and improve.”

Raheem Sterling is now enjoying the most prolific season of his career after his hat-trick in Manchester City’s 5-0 win at Brighton took his tally to 27 in all competitions.

The England international opened the scoring at the Amex Stadium with a low drive into the bottom corner from just outside the area after 21 minutes.

Gabriel Jesus doubled City’s advantage shortly before half-time, with Sterling making it 3-0 with a rare header eight minutes into the second half, ensuring he surpassed his previous best goal tally of 25.

Bernardo Silva made it 4-0 five minutes later as City threatened to cut through the Seagulls defence at will.

Fittingly it was Sterling who put a final gloss on the scoreline when he capitalised on a mix-up in the Brighton defence to scramble another header over the line and wrap up his hat-trick.

It is the second hat-trick Sterling has scored this season after he hit a treble in City’s 5-1 Champions League win over Atalanta in October. It is also the 32nd time City have scored four or more goals under Pep Guardiola since he took charge in 2016, more than any other Premier League side in that time.

It is a reflection of the standards achieved by Guardiola during his tenure, with Sterling one of the players who seems to have benefited most from the Catalan’s stewardship.

The 25-year-old has scored 20 or more goals in each of the last three seasons, with his tally increasing with each passing year.

This latest treble means he overtakes Sergio Aguero as City’s top scorer in the Premier League and is now just four goals behind Jamie Vardy in the race for the Golden Boot.

"The most important thing for me is to add goals to the team. We want to win the FA Cup and the Champions League otherwise these goals don’t mean anything. I need to make sure they count," Sterling told Sky Sports.

Saturday's win ensures City will finish second in the Premier League, though that will be little consolation after winning back-to-back titles.

Sterling, though, thinks he has identified where the team has gone wrong this year.

"The problem we’ve had this season is creating a lot of chances and last season we finished them and buried games early on. This season we’ve not had the luck but we’re growing and doing things right," he added.

"We were disappointed last week to lose at Southampton. We created chances but couldn’t finish them. But it's great to bounce back with an away win."

Raheem Sterling scored a hat-trick as Manchester City ran riot in a 5-0 away victory over Brighton and Hove Albion in the Premier League.

England international Sterling made it six goals in five games, moving on to 27 strikes in all competitions – his best scoring tally in a single season.

His opener and a goal from Gabriel Jesus, who ended Saturday's match with two assists, ensured City were in complete control by half-time after making six changes to their starting XI.

Sterling netted again and Bernardo Silva scored before the hour mark as Brighton, who remain eight points clear of the bottom three, had no answer.

Nine minutes before the end, a determined Sterling grabbed his third in unusual circumstances.

Jesus and Eric Garcia had already missed early chances by the time Sterling put the visitors in front after 21 minutes.

He cut inside from the left and impressively found the far corner from 20 yards after collecting Jesus' headed lay-off.

Jesus had a shot deflected onto the crossbar by Brighton defender Lewis Dunk and also showed some great footwork to create a chance which Riyad Mahrez narrowly fired wide.

But City were not to be denied, Jesus tapping in from under the crossbar after Rodri had helped on a Kevin De Bruyne corner a minute before the break.

De Bruyne cannoned a free-kick off the post shortly after the restart and City soon got their third after 53 minutes when Sterling headed in Mahrez’s in-swinging free-kick from inside the six-yard box.

It was four in the visitors' next attack when Mat Ryan could not hold Bernardo Silva's deflected effort and Jesus kept the ball alive to allow the Portugal international to convert a simple follow-up.

Sterling's hat-trick goal saw him force his way past Dunk and Adam Webster before somehow creeping a header between Ryan's legs while he fell to the ground, with a scrambling Dan Burn then helping it over the line.
 

What does it mean? City emphatically end away-day blues

City had lost their last three Premier League away games, while they had scored just three times in their last six top-flight matches on their travels, despite an expected goals figure of 13.

They had no issues bringing those poor runs to a welcome end with a victory that confirms a Champions League spot and all but secures second place in the Premier League after Chelsea's defeat against Sheffield United.

Jesus impresses with Aguero out

Brazil international Jesus scored his first goal since lockdown against Newcastle United last time out and, apart from the superb Sterling, was excellent as City's other standout in this game.

He scored one and assisted two as well as being a constant threat in a lively 63-minute outing. He now has 20 goals and 10 assists in a season where he has become even more important with Sergio Aguero out injured.

Brighton backline a concern

Convincing home defeats against Manchester United, Liverpool and now City mean Brighton, who did not register a shot on target, are not yet mathematically safe.

Facing Pep Guardiola's side is a formidable task at the best of times, but their defending did themselves no favours here, with City players constantly finding themselves unmarked close to goal.

Key Opta Facts: Sterling in elite company

- City have won their last two Premier League games by 5+ goals, the first time this has happened since City themselves did so in three consecutive matches in September 2017.
- Since the 2015-16 season when he joined City, only Harry Kane (9) and Aguero (7) have scored more Premier League hat-tricks than Sterling (4).
- Jesus has scored in 32 Premier League games for Man City – they have won 31 of those games and drew the other. City have now won their last 29 Premier League games when Jesus has scored.
- Brighton have lost all six of their Premier League matches against Man City, scoring just two goals and shipping 20.
- Mahrez has registered 13 assists in all competitions for Man City, with this his best tally of assists in a season in all competitions as a Premier League player.

What's next?

City will likely make changes ahead of their FA Cup semi-final with Arsenal when they host struggling Bournemouth in the Premier League on Wednesday, a day before Brighton could seal safety when they play away to Southampton.

Raheem Sterling has surpassed Yaya Toure's goal record for Manchester City in the Premier League with his opener in Saturday's outing against Brighton and Hove Albion.

Sterling's 21st-minute strike at the Amex Stadium took his tally to 63 league goals for the Citizens, one ahead of Toure who scored 62 goals during his eight-year stay in Manchester.

The former Liverpool attacker has been in fine goalscoring form for Man City this season with 15 goals in 30 league appearances so far.

Argentina superstar Sergio Aguero stands as City's all-time top scorer in the English top-flight with 180 goals in 263 appearances followed by Sterling and Toure in the second and third spots respectively while David Silva trail in the fourth place with 59 league goals.

During his trophy-laden career at the Etihad Stadium, Toure scored 62 goals and provided 32 assists in 230 Premier League matches before his exit in 2018.

Apart from his individual feats, the four-time African Footballer of the Year had a successful spell in England by winning three top-flight titles, two League Cups, one FA Cup and the FA Community Shield.

Toure brought an end to his eight-year stint in Pep Guardiola’s side at the end of the 2017-18 season, and he moved on to Greek giants Olympiacos where he spent just three months before terminating his contract.

The 37-year-old most recently played in China League One where he helped Qingdao Huanghai win the second division title and gained promotion to the Chinese Super League for the 2020 season.

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp does not think Roberto Firmino's lack of home league goals will become a serious issue for the Brazilian.

The forward has scored eight times in the Premier League this season, but all have come away from Anfield.

Firmino's only home goal this campaign was against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League, while his last Premier League strike on his own ground was against Tottenham in March 2019.

The 28-year-old's Anfield frustrations continued against Burnley on Saturday when his second-half effort hit the post.

However, he also created six chances for his team-mates and Klopp does not think the player will be unduly affected by his home drought.

"It cannot become a psychological problem for him because Bobby played an outstanding game today and we don't judge him, so I hope he won't read your newspaper if you make a story of it," said Klopp.

"We just don't think about it. It's not important who scores. We need Bobby for other things. We need Bobby in exactly the spaces where he was today. We need him as the link-up for all the other things.

"We only have chances because Bobby plays the way he plays, and he will score, there's absolutely no doubt about it. We are not worried at all about that, because he played an outstanding game today and was involved in so many decisive situations.

"Nobody scored apart from Robbo [Robertson] with a header, so it will not become a problem."

Klopp also revealed the reasons why he remonstrated with referee David Coote at the final whistle, saying he felt goalkeeper Alisson was not being given enough protection at set pieces.

The German marched on to the pitch to confront Coote at the end of Saturday's 1-1 draw, which ensured Liverpool's 24-game home winning run in the Premier League came to an end.

"I spoke [to the referee] about the goalkeeper situations," added Klopp.

"I feel like we've lost the game, we didn't, I know that, and maybe it's not the best time to talk about these things … but how can you let it happen? When a corner comes in, three players are allowed to block the goalie - that's just not how it should be.

"But for the ref it was not a foul or not a problem and that's why he didn't whistle in these situations. That's what I told him, but it had no influence on the result."

Andy Robertson headed the Reds in front during a dominant first half, but they were unable to add to their tally with Nick Pope in inspired form.

Jay Rodriguez fired a 69th-minute equaliser in for Burnley and they would have won it had Johan Gudmundsson not been denied by the crossbar late on.

The draw dented Liverpool's hopes of surpassing Manchester City's record haul of 100 points – they must now win their remaining three games to do so.

When Project Restart became a reality, the major story was Liverpool's renewed title challenge, and when they would finally end 30 years of hurt to claim an unprecedented Premier League triumph.

Since the league title was sealed, observers have focused on other sub-plots in the division, from the battle for the Champions League spots to the feeble efforts of the teams trying to avoid relegation.

Perhaps the most interesting story has been the influence of three supreme young talents: Bukayo Saka, Mason Greenwood and Christian Pulisic since the restart, with their impact generating the kind of buzz at Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea respectively that has rarely been felt in recent years.

Saka, 18, has thrived amid a largely topsy-turvy campaign where the Gunners have had two permanent head coaches at the helm, either side of club icon Freddie Ljungberg being in charge in an interim capacity. He’s performed commendably despite a turbulent year where many of the top players, excluding club captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, have either been badly off-form or largely absent.

This has earned him a whole lot of goodwill, and based on Mikel Arteta’s reign so far, he'll be a vital component going forward.

Having come into the side as a winger whose inclination was to hug the touchline, there were probably a plethora of sighs when the teenager replaced Sead Kolasinac at left-back just before half-time against Manchester City in mid-December. Given the Gunners were already three goals behind, there was a feeling the academy graduate could be targetted because he was playing out of position.

It ended 3-0 at the Emirates Stadium that day, but Saka wasn’t disgraced. Rather, he acquainted himself admirably in an alien position, which proved prescient to what’s followed since.

Months later, before the lockdown and owing to injuries to the Bosnian and Kieran Tierney, new boss Arteta was harnessing his natural tendencies as a left winger in his system. He was deployed at left-back, on paper, but in possession, the precocious Saka often took up positions a winger would be stationed.

This allowed Aubameyang, mostly utilised on the left, take up narrow positions to play closer to the frontman, with his efficiency in front of goal remaining intact.

In the time leading up to Arsenal’s return post-lockdown, questions were asked about Saka and how his influence could be lessened given Kolasinac and Tierney were healthy again. However, this only brought out the brilliance of the multifaceted teenager, whose swift understanding of several positions is exemplary.

Since the restart, the 18-year-old’s tactical intelligence has come to the fore: he’s played as a right winger, left wing-back, and as a ‘free 8’ in a midfield three, mostly to acceptable-to-good results.

It was from the right wing he spectacularly opened his Arsenal account just before half-time against Wolverhampton Wanderers last week, days after committing to the club on a long-term deal.

Nuno Espirito Santo’s troops hadn’t allowed a single goal in first-halves against West Ham United, Bournemouth and Aston Villa before the dynamic teenager ended their run of 177 minutes without conceding in first-halves, and 313 minutes in total.

The teenager was equally impressive against Leicester City in midweek, fooling an experienced head like Jonny Evans with quick footwork before setting up the club captain for his 20th league goal of the campaign. He’d have scored his second for the Gunners on the half-hour mark but was thwarted by Kasper Schmeichel, who saved expertly.

In truth, Saka may not necessarily nail down a permanent left-wing berth for the Gunners, as they must sign specialists in various positions, but his football brain makes him every manager’s dream player. Don’t forget he’s still only 18.

Over in Manchester, Greenwood has been one of the many positives for United since the restart, scoring four goals and setting up another in five matches since June. To get a clearer measure of how well the 18-year-old forward is performing, the fact all five goal contributions have come in the last three matches underline just how well he’s playing at the moment.

Many of those goals have been spectacular efforts, which in a sense explains why he’s outperforming his Expected Goals by far. According to Understat, the young Englishman’s xG of 2.99 means he’s outdoing his real tally of nine Prem goals considerably, and it’s no surprise it’s the largest disparity in the United side.

The immediate perception suggests his numbers are unsustainable, but there’s some context: given Greenwood’s two-footedness, which makes him even more unpredictable in possession, his proficiency at hitting the target from distance indicates he’ll score many low-percentage efforts.

While form, fitness and confidence will probably mean a mean reversion in future, the United youngster’s penchant for the unexpected demonstrates he could outperform his xG by a larger margin than usual for a while yet.

The focus pre-restart was on the Red Devils’ Fab Four – Paul Pogba, Bruno Fernandes, Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial – but maybe that ought to be renamed ‘Fab Five’ in the wake of Greenwood’s fine form. His magnificent assist for Bruno to complete a sweeping counter against Brighton & Hove Albion was a joy to behold. He not only scores belters but can pick out a final ball as well. The boy, certainly, can play.

And then there’s Chelsea’s Pulisic.

Despite being 21, three years older than the aforementioned pair, his showings since the restart have been extraordinary.

The American started the campaign slowly but began to show glimpses of his quality before the turn of the year. However, an injury in January meant he wasn’t seen in any capacity before football was halted.

There were eyebrows raised when Lampard opted for Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who hadn’t played in over a year, from the off against Aston Villa at the ex-Borussia Dortmund wideman’s expense in the Blues’ restart. Pulisic was introduced for an understandably rusty RLC 10 minutes after half-time, sparking a seven-minute turnaround for 2-1. The American got the equalizer and has been undroppable since.

Indeed, he’s dovetailed spectacularly with Willian, who’s equally been brilliant since the resumption, with his ball-carrying ability, fleet-footedness and admirable composure in front of goal catching the eye. The skill and guile of the 21-year-old has been particularly menacing for defences, prompting two penalty wins against West Ham and Watford.

Unsurprisingly, his form post-lockdown has brought about comparisons with ex-Chelsea talisman Eden Hazard. While there are similarities between the pair, there are also differences: Pulisic is undeniably more direct in his dribbling and tends to shoot more, a major source of exasperation for supporters and head coaches throughout the Belgian’s time in West London.

With three goals and two penalties won in five games, the American is slowly becoming the team’s most-important attacker. Considering the incoming arrivals of Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner, Chelsea fans may not have automatically included the US wideman in their preferred XI for the 2020-21 campaign a month or two ago.

Ask now and the former Borussia Dortmund man would certainly be included, and why shouldn’t he be after a series of thrilling displays since June?

Just how high each one will develop remains to be seen, but Saka, alongside the hugely talented Greenwood and Pulisic, have birthed a level of excitement in their respective club’s fanbases that will hopefully reverberate for many years to come.

Chelsea boss Frank Lampard says he “learned a lot” from his side’s performance in their 3-0 defeat at Sheffield United on Saturday, admitting they will need to change their approach for the remaining matches of the season if they are to secure a top-four finish.

Lampard’s side were completely outplayed by the in-form Blades, with two goals from David McGoldrick either side of Oli McBurnie’s header securing a third win in four matches that lifts the Yorkshire club into the top six.

Chelsea remain third despite the defeat, but know they could begin their next match against relegated Norwich on Tuesday in fifth if Leicester and Manchester United win their games in hand against Bournemouth and Southampton respectively.

It was Lampard’s heaviest league defeat as Blues manager since their 4-0 thrashing at Manchester United on the opening weekend of the season, with the 11 league matches Chelsea have lost in total this season their most in a single campaign for four years.

The former England midfielder conceded his side were second-best all over the pitch at Bramall Lane but has pledged to move on quickly, with league games against Liverpool and Wolves to come after Tuesday's clash with the Canaries, as well as an FA Cup semi-final against Manchester United.

"They were better than us, physically, in the mind and with the ball. So you lose the game," he told Sky Sports.

“They were stronger than us. You feel and hear every noise and all I could hear was Sheffield United voices. They are a good team. If you come here and perform below par this is what will happen.

"We matched them shape wise. We were too slow and weren't getting our wingers into the game. We tried to get control, which we did but weren't threatening. At 2-0 down you make it difficult for yourselves. 

"You analyse all season and review and move forward. We need to put that to bed quickly and fight for the top four. I learned a lot and I won't forget that."

When asked what damage the result had inflicted on Chelsea's top-four hopes, Lampard added: "I am not concerned about top four today. All I do is sit and watch the games and consider what we want to do. But today I am concerned with how we performed.

"We will see where we are when we approach Norwich. But we can't approach Norwich or Manchester United or Wolves like we did today."

Gerson has no interest in leaving Flamengo despite reported interest from Premier League duo Chelsea and Tottenham.

After an unsuccessful stint at Roma, Fluminense youth product Gerson returned to Brazil after an €11.8million (£11m/$13m) deal was agreed with Flamengo in July 2019.

The 23-year-old has since won the Campeonato Brasileiro, Copa Libertadores, Supercopa do Brasil and the Recopa Sudamericana, while the Campeonato Carioca could be secured next week with Jorge Jesus' side taking on Fluminense in a two-legged final.

Gerson's displays have led to links to some of Europe's biggest clubs, but he insists he is happy at Flamengo.

"After a year with Flamengo, I can promise that I never spoke with another club. My focus is totally on Flamengo," he told Globo Esporte.

"I feel at home, I am happy, I am wanted and I am at a club that is on the level of European sides.

"We can't shut doors, football shows this, but today I am very happy and fulfilled to be in the club of my heart.

"I rediscovered myself here and I want to win yet more trophies in this shirt."

Goal reported last month that Tottenham have had regular contact with the entourage of Gerson, with the Premier League side prepared to offer £16m ($20m).

It is understood that the Brazilian club have no intention of selling one of their star men, however, and Gerson was happy to stay to continue his development under Jesus, who signed a one-year contract extension.

Jesus had asked last season's Brasileiro winners to retain the services of his key players, with the club looking to make a raft of sales in order to ease financial distress caused by the financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

As such, the board did not accept Spurs' £16m bid, and Gerson had no issues with that decision as he is keen to continue his good form under his current coach in a bid to receive a call-up from the Brazil national team.

It is perhaps of little surprise that the player is not scrambling to secure a move to Europe, having endured a nightmare spell at Roma after turning down the advances of Barcelona, Borussia Dortmund and Arsenal to fight for a place at Stadio Olimpico.

Barcelona will keep Real Madrid waiting for the coronation that is surely coming their way after Arturo Vidal's strike secured a 1-0 win at Real Valladolid. 

The gap at the top of LaLiga is down to a single point, but Madrid can go four clear with two rounds of games remaining when they face Granada in their game in hand on Monday. 

Lionel Messi provided the killer pass that gave Vidal the chance to strike the 15th-minute goal that sank Valladolid, a 20th assist of the league season for the Argentinian. 

Had Barcelona failed to win Saturday's game at Estadio Jose Zorrilla, Madrid would have had the opportunity at Granada to clinch the title with two games to spare. Now it cannot come until Thursday at the earliest. 

Worryingly for Barcelona, they came into this game with just three wins from their last nine away games in LaLiga, but nerves were soon calmed by Vidal's fine finish. 

The Chilean midfielder received a lovely dink through from Messi and quickly got away a shot low across goal, his strike going in off the left post. 

Messi's assist made him the first player to reach the 20 mark in a single campaign in the Spanish top flight since Xavi in Barcelona's 2008-09 treble-winning year. 

Taking into account his 22 goals this term too, Messi can hardly be blamed for Barcelona missing out on the title. 

Antoine Griezmann, however, chosen ahead of Luis Suarez for this game, continues to flatter to deceive. 

He squandered an early half-chance before missing a sitter four minutes after Barcelona's breakthrough, getting his feet in a pitiable tangle when Nelson Semedo's skidding low cross from the right reached him eight yards from goal. 

Full-back Semedo had a thumping shot saved by Jordi Masip before Barcelona were thankful for Kike Perez stumbling after getting in behind their defence as the hosts sought an equaliser. 

Suarez unsurprisingly replaced Griezmann for the second half, with coach Quique Setien looking for more from a Messi sidekick than the Frenchman had been able to provide. 

Perez, Javi Sanchez and Enes Unal all had chances for Valladolid but could not make them count, with Marc-Andre ter Stegen kept busy, while Messi saw a free-kick tipped over by Masip, the king of the assists always a threat.

What does it mean? Madrid party on hold 

Barcelona are still in the title race - just. They need a royal Real stumble, but Zinedine Zidane's side have looked infallible since the league restarted so few expect that to happen. Barcelona are unbeaten since football returned in Spain, but three draws have cost them dearly. 

Valladolid are safe for another season in LaLiga, and they could count themselves unfortunate here, having plenty of chances but finding Ter Stegen on top of his game. 

Griezmann fluffs his lines again 

It is nine goals and four assists for Griezmann in his first season at Barcelona, and you would not count on him adding to that tally over the final two rounds. Here he was ponderous one moment, miskicking the next, and he must be feeling the frustration as much as anyone. Acquired amid much rancour, he has failed to deliver what Barca expected and perhaps owes them some Champions League heroics now. 

Terrific Ter Stegen 

If their goalkeeper had not been at his most alert, Barcelona could have shipped two or three goals in the second half of this contest. Ter Stegen got lucky at the end of the first half when Perez fell over when he looked set to score, but the German showed why he is so valued at Camp Nou with a string of late blocks. 

What's next? 

The end of the LaLiga season is nigh. These teams are both next in action on Thursday, in the penultimate round of games, with Barcelona at home to Osasuna and Valladolid travelling to Eibar.