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Ole Gunnar Solskjaer believes Anthony Martial settling into the number nine role has prompted his good run of form which has seen the Manchester United forward reach 20 goals for the season.

The Frenchman scored his first career hat-trick against Sheffield United last month and followed it up with a perfectly-struck strike against Bournemouth at the weekend, taking him to 15 Premier League goals this season.

It is already Martial’s best goalscoring season and United still have five league games remaining, an FA Cup semi-final and the Europa League to continue. And Solskjaer explained the secret behind unlocking the attacker's potential.

“I think the team creating chances, Anthony working hard, being the number nine in a settled position, but also once in a while rotating with Marcus [Rashford] and switching positions,” Solskjaer said.

“For his goal (against Bournemouth), he started off on the left and curled it into the top corner.”

While Martial has been impressing, the spotlight has been on 18-year-old Mason Greenwood. He became the youngest United player since Wayne Rooney to reach 15 goals for a season after he scored a brace against Eddie Howe’s side.

The teenager has already been compared to the former United captain and Robin van Persie, and there has been ongoing debate as to whether the forward should be called up to Gareth Southgate’s England squad.

“If you can handle playing for Man Utd, then you can handle playing for any team and Mason's got the qualities that not many others have,” Solskjaer said.

“So he could play for England's full team or Under-21s, I don't really mind. I know he's doing well for us and it's great to have him here.”

Whether or not Greenwood gets a call from Southgate, Solskjaer is confident the youngster will continue to improve and has been impressed with what he has seen from the academy graduate.

“He’s a naturally good finisher, so he'll always score goals,” Solskjaer explained. “He's a humble boy, he wants to learn, he listens, he's worked hard, you can see his fitness is getting better and better.

"He's just a young boy who will fill out, he's exciting to work with and we'll keep on building him up in the gym and on the pitch.”

Coach Lehlohonolo Seema has left Bloemfontein Celtic, Goal can confirm. 

Seema had been in charge of Phunya Sele Sele for the past two seasons alongside John Maduka and Simon Gopane. 

In an interview with Goal, the former Lesotho international confirmed he has indeed parted ways with Phunya Sele Sele. 

"I no longer have a job, my brother," Seema told Goal.

However, Seema didn't want to go into details about the reasons why he will no longer be at Bloemfontein Celtic.  

"Nothing wrong really happened but such is life," he said. 

Asked about media reports that he could surface at Chippa United, Seema said: "I don't know yet but there's a big surprise in store. Maybe I might surface in Botswana. Who knows?" 

"I just get my passport ready but we will talk later in the day,"  he added. 

Azam FC striker Obrey Chirwa set a new high in the Mainland Premier League this season after he scored four goals as his team mauled Singida United 7-0 on Sunday.

The Zimbabwean forward proved to be a hot knife in butter for the Singida United defence as he set up two goals and notched four, to walk away with the match ball and also become the first player in the league to score two hat-tricks this campaign.

Chirwa had also scored a hat-trick as Azam clobbered Alliance FC 5-0, while Kagere’s hat-trick came in the match they hammered Singida United 8-0 at National Stadium in Dar es Salaam.

The 28-year-old had also achieved the feat of scoring two hat-tricks in one season in the 2018-19 campaign, when Azam beat Mbeya City 5-0 and also thrashed Njombe FC 4-0.

The four goals he scored on Sunday have seen him rise to 12 goals in the scoring chart, which is headed by Kagere who has notched 19 goals, while Yusuf Mhilu of Kagera Sugar is second on 13 goals.

Chirwa has credited his exploits to teamwork and promised to score more goals before the season comes to a close.

“I cannot achieve such records without my teammates and I want to thank them for the teamwork we have that has seen us win tough matches and also keep the pace to finish second on the log,” Chirwa told reporters after the match played at Azam Complex.

“I know we still have like five matches to play before the season ends, I am hoping to continue scoring goals and hopefully catch up with Kagere or even beat him to the Golden Boot, I know it is possible if we continue playing like we are doing, we can achieve the target together.”

The 7-0 win was also the best result for Azam since they were promoted to the top-flight in 2008. Their best results until Sunday was a 6-2 win against Villa Squad and a 6-1 win against JKT Tanzania.

The win also enabled Azam to move above Young Africans (Yanga SC) to the second position on the log as they have 62 points, while Yanga have 61.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang needs to be made aware of Arsenal’s transfer plans before committing to a new contract, says Sol Campbell, with extension talks now becoming a matter of “trust”.

A prolific Gabonese frontman is yet to extend his stay at Emirates Stadium beyond the summer of 2021.

Uncertainty regarding his future has led to inevitable exit talk, with Arsenal in no position to let another key man head towards free agency.

Those in north London remain optimistic when it comes to thrashing out fresh terms, but no agreement has been reached as yet and a long-running saga continues to provide an unwelcome distraction.

Campbell believes Aubameyang needs assurances from the Gunners regarding their ambition before putting pen to paper, with the 31-year-old looking to challenge for more major silverware before hanging up his boots.

“He’s got to settle down and have a conversation with the manager and he needs to have a clear understanding of what they’re looking to spend, who they’re trying to get in,” former Arsenal defender Campbell told Stadium Astro.

“It’s going to come down to trust, can he trust the club to say, 'right we are looking for x, y and z, we’re going to bring two or three players in' and I think they’ll push us on to really challenge for the top four, or really you never know [with] the Premiership.

“He needs to sit down with his people and have a serious conversation about where the club is going in the next two or three years, because he hasn’t got five years, six years to say let’s see how it goes, he needs almost instant success now.”

Campbell added: “Sometimes you need to spend a lot of money, but, sometimes you get really lucky and have a lucky, fantastic year. You’ve got to say Leicester, they just kept on going, it does happen.

“I think he [Mikel Arteta] is trustworthy, there’s no doubt, he [Aubameyang] has to decide himself where he wants to go in his heart and soul and spirit.

“Where does he feel that, ‘If I can do it here I’ll just stay here I’ll give it a go, I believe they’re going to get two or three players in and I’ll believe in them.'

“That’s what it comes down to, no one’s got a crystal ball, it doesn’t matter, you can spend £150-200 million, it doesn’t bring you any trophies. 

“It can probably help the profile of the players around you, but not necessarily end up winning something.

“Sometimes you’ve got to trust yourself, your own instinct and hope it matches up with the hierarchy.”

Aubameyang has remained coy when it comes to his future plans, but Arsenal need to make a decision quickly on a player who has hit 63 goals for them through 102 appearances.

Pep Guardiola "interfered in medical matters" at Bayern Munich, according to former team doctor Hans-Wilhelm Muller-Wohlfahrt, who says the highly-rated coach thought he "knew everything better than I did".

Guardiola was drafted in to replace Jupp Heynckes in the Allianz Arena hot seat in the summer of 2013, inheriting a treble-winning squad brimming with world-class talent.

The Spaniard had already established himself as arguably the finest manager in Europe by that time, after assembling one of the greatest teams in history at Barcelona between 2008 and 2012.

As expected, Bayern continued to dominate the domestic scene in Germany with Guardiola at the helm, but he was unable to deliver success in Europe.

The 49-year-old picked up seven major trophies during his time at the Allianz, including three Bundesliga titles, before moving onto a new challenge in the Premier League with Manchester City in 2016.

Muller-Wohlfahrt, whose 40-year stint as Bayern's first-team doctor ended in June, recalls being frustrated by Guardiola's input when it came to assessing the physical condition of the players.

The 77-year-old told BR24: "It was just that I couldn't put up with the fact that a young trainer - who was very successful and who is probably one of the really, really big ones - interfered in medical matters and knew everything better than I did."

Muller-Wohlfahrt went on to reveal that although he didn't always see eye to eye with Guardiola at Bayern, he still enjoys a good relationship with the current City boss.

He added: "We met and talked to each other, and then it's over. We appreciate each other and he appreciates my work above all. He never questioned that."

Bayern secured an eighth successive Bundesliga crown this season, finishing 13 points clear of second-placed Borussia Dortmund.

Hansi Flick's men also picked up the DFB Cup by beating Bayer Leverkusen 4-2 in the final on Saturday, and another treble could be on the cards if they continue to advance in the Champions League.

Before Bayern's 1-0 victory over Dortmund on May 26, Flick hailed Muller-Wohlfahrt for his work on the touchline and behind the scenes. The German tactician said: "I am very grateful. For me, he is the best doctor I have ever known."

Western Stima chairman Laban Jobita insists there is no way the 2019/20 Kenyan Premier League (KPL) can be played to completion.

The annulling of the top tier by the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) on April 30 has been contested bitterly by the league managers, who feel the Federation overstepped their mandate by ending it and crowning Gor Mahia as champions.

The KPL initially hoped the government would relax the cessation and curfew measures put in place to curb the spread of Covid-19, but that has not been the case.

"There is absolutely no way we can play the season to completion as initially planned," Jobita told Goal on Monday.

"Time is not on our side, what we expected is not happening and we should now focus on the new season.

"Suppose we are given a green light to resume, we will need two months to prepare which will take us to September. Then we will need about two months or so to play the games which will affect the start of the 2020/21 season.

"We should just accept, there is no way we can play the current campaign to a conclusion."

The contract between the KPL and the FKF ends on September 24 and the latter has confirmed it will not be renewed.

"KPL operates under the blessings of FKF and it is important for both to try and get a solution to their issues," Jobita added.

"It should not be about arguments every now and then because it hurts the game as well. This is the right time for the two parties to settle their problems and help the game grow."

In an earlier interview with Goal, Bandari technical director Twahir Muhiddin opined on the issue as well.

"In the last 17 years, KPL has done enough to help our football grow," the tactician said.

"I do not know where we would have been without them. Despite a lot of criticism, I insist football quality in the country improved under KPL's management.

"They have enough experience to continue overseeing our top-flight football and all the involved parties should do is get a solution and continue working together.

"They kept all the teams on their toes and ran the league the way it should; it has helped in our development." 

The Federation of Uganda Football Associations (Fufa) president Moses Magogo has urged clubs to cooperate in order to make the club licensing project a success.

In this project, dubbed Clubs Pro Agenda, all the Ugandan Premier League (UPL) teams will need to comply before the start of the 2020/21 season.

The administrator has also stated he intends to make the country the leading football nation on the continent on and off the pitch.

"The success of the Fufa Clubs Pro Agenda will largely depend on the co-operation of the respective clubs," Magogo said as quoted by Sports Nation.

"And it is therefore important that clubs co-operate and desire to reorganise internally to create robust structures and strong brands that will eventually be trusted and desired by the fans and other football consumers.  

"This is what will generate money for club football and consequently improve the standards. With improved standards and performance, it will be a matter of time for Ugandan football to achieve our vision; to become the number one football nation in Africa on and off the field."

To achieve the objective and help the teams comply, Fufa has scheduled a special training program for the clubs.

The training is meant to empower the teams and also prepare them to turn them into a sustainable source of revenue.

"In order for a club to participate in this phase of Clubs Pro Agenda, they must express interest, in writing, to participate in the respective Division in the season 2020/2021 by 16:00 hours Monday 6th July 2020," Decolas Kiiza who is the Fufa Deputy CEO told the Federation's official portal.

"The club stakeholders expected to attend include the club owner(s), club president/chairman, club board/executive, club CEO, administrative and technical staff, volunteer staff, if any, representative of fans and the representative of players.

"Full cost of the programme is estimated to be not less than USh2 million per club which must be conducted in any case not later than 16th July 2020."  
 
Another proposal by the Federation has been the reduction of the number of UPL teams to 12. According to Fufa, this will help in increasing the quality of the top tier and make clubs easily marketable and the entire league at large.

David de Gea remains a “great goalkeeper” for Manchester United, says Dwight Yorke, but he urged the Red Devils to bring Dean Henderson back as they start to plan for the future.

The current No.1 at Old Trafford is set to play a prominent part in that project, with United having worked hard to tie De Gea down on a long-term contract. At just 29 years of age, he still has many seasons ahead of him.

Questions have, however, been asked of his reliability in the 2019-20 campaign, with a man who was once a model of consistency allowing costly errors to creep into his game.

That has led some to suggest that academy graduate Henderson, who has been starring on loan at Sheffield United, should be given a chance to prove his worth.

Yorke believes the 23-year-old should be welcomed back into the fold by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer next season, allowing him to see game time for the Red Devils, but he is not ready to write De Gea off just yet.

The former United striker told the Manchester Evening News: "I don't have a problem [with De Gea]. I think people forget that we've all been in that type of position. He was Manchester United's player of the year for three or four seasons running.

"Often enough, people don't look back at that and remember how fantastic he was. Unfortunately, people have short memories.

"He's still a great goalkeeper. He's developed in such an immense way and we were talking about arguably the best goalkeeper in the world a couple of years ago. For me, he's still my No 1, and if I was in Ole's position I would be backing him.

"We all make mistakes, I expect him do to better and I'm sure he will. I have no doubt he will remain at United for some time to come."

Yorke added: "I think you have to have a conversation with the player. I think that's where man management comes in but you want the best players at your football club.

"Of course, Henderson is progressing nicely. I would think integrate him now. I would say to him: 'Listen, De Gea is number one but we will give you time in other competitions.'

"De Gea will need the competition there to keep him sharp. One thing we had at United throughout my time as player, we had healthy competition in training every day.

"If you slack off or you're not performing well, the manager would make changes and that kept us on our toes. That was something that was evident and I think Ole will try to recreate that atmosphere.

"Having him back and letting him get used to that environment as well as keeping De Gea on his toes is a conversation worth having."

Henderson has made no secret of the fact that he wants to become United’s go-to option between the sticks, but accepts that he has a “brick wall” in front of him when it comes to De Gea.

Jose Mourinho says that Tottenham are building for "five years' time" and that fan "realism" will be needed as they negotiate their way through a transition period.

Spurs chairman Daniel Levy turned to the three-time Premier League winner after sacking Mauricio Pochettino in November following Spurs' descent into the bottom half of the table.

Mourinho has won silverware at every club he's managed, but his last spell at Manchester United was deemed a failure amid reports of unrest behind the scenes.

Suggestions that the Portuguese's tactical approach is now outdated have been widespread since his Old Trafford exit in December 2018, but his reign at Tottenham got off to a very strong start.

The team won five of their first seven matches with Mourinho in the dugout, re-emerging as top-four contenders and progressing in the Champions League in the process.

Pochettino's free-flowing, high-intensity style was quickly replaced with a more pragmatic, cautious philosophy, which initially helped Spurs get their season back on track.

However, results have taken a downturn in 2020, and Tottenham are now in danger of missing out on a place in Europe's elite competition having slipped back down to 10th in the top-flight table.

There have already been calls for Mourinho's head, but he insists that the foundations are in place for future success if he is granted patience.

"In this team, we have lots of people of the right age, with the right quality, with the right ambition," the 57-year-old head coach told  Sky Sports , ahead of a vital meeting with Everton on Monday .

"So I would say that in three, four, five years' time, the base of the team will still be around. Important players that are in the club now. That's why I say we don't need to make lots of changes. I believe we have an important nucleus of players.

"(Like some of the fans), I want too much too soon, but I think my realism is stronger with experience. I think it's very important to be realistic, to be in control of emotions and to understand that there is a process.

"I understand the fans' ambitions of course. I understand people dream of the best things, they don't dream of the worst things, but it takes time.

"The good thing is that we are all together in the club. We are all very stable, very realistic, very experienced and we are going to get there."

Spurs will be desperate to bounce back against the Toffees after a 3-1 defeat to Sheffield United last time out, which left Mourinho questioning the mental strength of his players.

The former United boss went on to reveal that he sat his squad down to discuss what went wrong at Bramall Lane in a civilised manner, so that important lessons are learned for the remainder of the season.

Mourinho added: "What happens inside stays inside - I think that's a golden rule - but it was a very honest meeting.

"It wasn't a monologue, it was a dialogue, because the players also had the chance to speak with me, and we shared views, and we shared emotions, and we shared analysis.

"I've lost many matches in my career but the ones that gave me the worst possible taste are the ones where I feel we should do much more than we did."

Former Orlando Pirates midfielder Joseph Malongoane hasn't taken his departure from Kaizer Chiefs badly as he understands the club is running a business. 

Malongoane had been with Amakhosi since 2016 but it was during Steve Komphela's tenure that he really worked hard and showed he can be an asset to the club. 

Komphela, the same man who handed Malongoane his PSL debut at Platinum Stars in 2009, played him as a right-back when Chiefs were hit with injuries in 2017, and the nippy attacker did an excellent job.   

The Alexandra-born player further added that he would have loved to be at Chiefs for more than just four years.  

"I have beautiful memories with Chiefs but at the end of the day, you have to understand that's a business," Malongoane told City Press. 

"I took this on the chin like a man and accepted it. I am a soldier and I'll bounce back."

"And let's be realistic, my time at Chiefs would have ended at some point and it happened on Tuesday [June 30].

"I would have loved to be there for more years but I respect their decision."

Malongoane also thanked the Amakhosi faithful for the messages of support he received when the news of his departure broke last week.  

"I'll to thank them for the messages of support; that's what pushes me ahead and keeps me strong," he added.  

He has vowed to keep training hard and wait for a call from any team that's interested in his services while assuring his potential employers that he's 100 per cent fit and healthy. 

This despite not playing competitive football for months as he was recovering from a broken ankle he suffered in August 2018. 

Malongoane's last appearance was against Golden Arrows in April 2019 but the match aggravated the injury. 

"I will keep training, be ready and wait for a call but people must understand I am 100% okay and healthy - and I am free of Covid-19. The lockdown has helped me a lot in terms of full rehabilitation. I am 100% now," said Malongoane with confidence.   

"I was doing everything with the team [in terms of virtual training]. I am ready for a new chapter in my life." 

"Maybe I am strong but I just put in the hard work and follow the doctor's orders. That's all. Even now, I am 100% fine - it's just a matter of getting a new job and doing what I like best, which is playing football," he continued. 

Already 32, 'Tight' as Malongoane is affectionately known, said he's not worried that he's fast approaching the twilight of his career, saying to him age is just a number and feels Ryan Giggs proved that when he played until he was 41 years old.  

"Age is just a number. Ryan Giggs played until he was 41. As long as you can push until a certain stage, it doesn't matter whether you are 40 or younger. 

"I am still much quicker off the mark than some 18-year-olds," he concluded.   

Jerry Mawihmingthanga along with Lallianzuala Chhangte had made the headlines in India as well as in England in 2016 when the two youngsters went to Liverpool for a week-long training program at the club’s Kirkby academy.

The Indian boys who were a part of the DSK-LFC International academy in Pune were called up by the British giants on the basis of their merit.

After reaching Merseyside, the youngsters had trained with the youth teams of Liverpool and had also visited the famous Melwood training ground. They also had a chance to attend a training session of the first team under the tutelage of Jurgen Klopp.

“It was a great experience. We learned a lot of things from that trip. Everything is very different there from India. It was like a dream,” said the 23-year-old Odisha FC winger to Goal.

Mawihmingthanga also remembered training alongside current Liverpool right full-back Trent Alexander-Arnold who was still a part of the academy back in 2016.

“We met Trent Alexander-Arnold there. He was there at the academy at that time. We trained with him. Then there was Yan Dhanda. We also went to the Melwood training ground and we met the first team players. That was indeed memorable for us.”

It was indeed a dream come true for the Mizo youngster who had idolised Luis Suarez and Philippe Coutinho while growing up and was fortunate to meet the latter during his trip to England.

“Growing up my favourite player was Luis Suarez. I looked up to Luis Suarez and also Philippe Coutinho. It was a great experience to meet the Brazilian in person.”

The winger suggested that he was inclined towards football from a tender age and always dreamt of pursuing the sport at a professional level.

“I always wanted to become a footballer. This was a dream that I nurtured since I could remember. I remember in school I had to write an essay about our hobby and I wrote that wanted to become a footballer. My father and cousins used to play football but not professionally. I looked up to them.”

The former DSK Shivajians player made his debut in the Indian Super League (ISL) at NorthEast United before moving to Jamshedpur FC in the 2017-18 season. He regularly started for the club in his very first season and was highly rated by then Jamshedpur coach Steve Coppell.

Speaking about Coppell’s influence on his career, Jerry said, “He is a very good coach. I learned a lot from him. I developed as a player under him. He gave me a lot of confidence and helped me believe in myself.”

After a comparatively less productive 2018-19 season, the winger came back to limelight last season as he once again churned out some impressive performance under Spanish coach Josep Gombau.

The Mizo boy was all praises for his former coach and also thanked the club ownership for backing him continuously.

“It is a great team,” said the young player about his current employers. “We had a very good coach in Josep Gombau. He believed in me. We enjoyed playing together and worked as a team last season. Everyone, from club owners to coaching staff, worked as a team. They looked after us in every way possible. I enjoy playing for this club and I am happy to be here.”

The youngster is very excited to work with newly appointed Odisha FC coach Stuart Baxter who has the experience of working with the South African national team.

“Stuart Baxter is a big name and a high profile coach. I am really looking forward to working with him. I want to learn more and develop further as a player under him.”

A role in midfield is the more “natural position” for Trent Alexander-Arnold, claims Emile Heskey, with the Liverpool right-back expected to change position at some stage.

The Merseyside native has earned a regular role for the Reds and England while operating in defence. At 21 years of age he is already a key man for club and country and a player with the potential to become one of the finest on the planet.

Alexander-Arnold has offered no indication that he is looking for a role change any time soon, and has said he aims to become the Premier League’s best right-back of all time.

Many are, however, backing the full-back who has contributed 30 assists to the Liverpool cause over the course of the last 12 seasons to take on a more prominent playmaking post.

Former Reds striker Heskey told Sky Sports of the Anfield academy graduate:  "If you were to ask him, he would be more than happy to play in midfield because that is, I would say, his natural position.

"He gets more space in the wide areas and then you see the passing range that he has, but that passing range has obviously been built up over the years playing in central midfield.

"His decision-making probably comes from having less time when he was in central midfield. He's had to be aware of what's going on around him."

Ex-Liverpool midfielder Graeme Souness is another who feels that Alexander-Arnold could thrive in the middle of the park, but he would be in no rush to make that tactical tweak.

The Scot said: "It's a different game in there. You are dodging bullets and elbows are up. If he's full-back, he knows nothing is coming [to his right] when he receives the ball.

"Full-back is a very different position and you get plenty of time there to have your first touch, get it out of your feet and get your head up, but he's as good as anyone when he gets a chance to deliver."

Souness added: "I think the boy could play anywhere in midfield. He started out as a central midfield player and then saw an opening at right-back.

"You would be reluctant to take him away from where he is because a large part of Liverpool's attacking play comes from him and [Andrew] Robertson. They have high energy levels, and when they get into the last third, they can deliver.

"Looking at it now, you've just won the league, you are the current European and world champions, so if it ain't broken, why try to fix it?

"But the modern defender today, at the top clubs, has to be able to take the ball and play and deliver in the final third, so why not?"

Suddenly, things don’t feel too bleak for Barcelona.

In midweek, talk of a crisis enveloped the Nou Camp in the aftermath of the reigning Spanish champions' domestic draws against Celta Vigo and Atletico Madrid.

While Barca had taken just two points from their previous two matches heading into the weekend, Real Madrid have won their last seven top-flight fixtures, going on an impressively relentless run since football returned.

By the time Barca took to the field against Villarreal on Sunday, they were seven points behind Real having played a game fewer. Failure to win, and the title—with four games left to play—would surely be beyond them.

Beyond the bleak title situation, there were also allegations of internal strife at the club, and an increasing rift between the players and the coaching staff.

However, they downed Villarreal in style on Sunday, winning 4-1 to cut Los Merengues’ lead to four points.

It was a magnificent display at El Madrigal, as Barca shook off any pressure to take an early lead when Pau Torres put the ball into his own net.

While Gerard Moreno equalised 10 minutes later, the Catalonian giants were in no mood to drop more points, and goals from Luis Suarez, Antoine Griezmann and Ansu Fati secured the victory.

Of course, they still need Real to slip up at least twice in order to overhaul the league leaders, but it’s imperative that Barca keep the pressure up when they host Espanyol in the city’s derby on Wednesday evening on SuperSport.

Bottom-club Espanyol have lost their last five, but how they would love to dent their city rivals’ title bid…and open the door for Real to re-establish their seven-point lead.

Also in LaLiga in midweek, Atletico Madrid are away at struggling Celta Vigo looking to extend their fine run.

Atleti saw off Real Mallorca on Friday to consolidate third place, with Alvaro Morata in particularly lethal form.

SuperSport Fixtures

Monday 6 July – Tottenham vs Everton (Premier League)

Tuesday 7 July – Arsenal vs Leicester (Premier League)

Tuesday 7 July – Crystal Palace vs Chelsea (Premier League)

Tuesday 7 July – AC Milan vs Juventus (Serie A)

Tuesday 7 July – Celta Vigo vs Atletico Madrid (LaLiga)

Wednesday 8 July – Barcelona vs Espanyol (LaLiga)

Wednesday 8 July – Sheffield vs Wolves (Premier League)

Wednesday 8 July – Sheffield vs Wolves (Premier League)

Wednesday 8 July – Brighton vs Liverpool (Premier League)

There’s also Premier League action on the agenda in midweek, where newly elected champions Liverpool are away at Brighton & Hove Albion.

Jurgen Klopp’s side were found wanting in midweek as they were thumped by Manchester City, but they recovered to down an obdurate Aston Villa side at the weekend and may now realign their focus on the Premier League record points haul.

Brighton, their next opponents, have been in encouraging form since the restart, but they’re still not out of the woods in terms of relegation, and will be desperate to take a major scalp.

Champions League hopefuls Sheffield United and Wolverhampton Wanderers also collide on Wednesday evening, where both will be desperate to put disappointing weekend results—a draw with Burnley and a defeat by Arsenal—behind them.

The Gunners return to action on Tuesday evening with a match against Leicester City, who must prove that their victory over Crystal Palace on Saturday was no false dawn.

The Foxes have been off the pace since the restart, with defeats by Chelsea and Everton cutting their lead to the sides beneath them, but they appeared to be back to their best in the 3-0 thumping of the Eagles, and must now build on that success away at Arsenal.

Mikel Arteta’s side, however, have been growing in stature with three consecutive victories, and the Londoners will be particularly boosted by the Sunday showing of Bukayo Saka, who netted his first Premier League goal as Wolves were dispatched.

On Monday, Tottenham Hotspur host Everton, with both harbouring European hopes. However, the Londoners must improve following their lacklustre defeat by Sheffield United.

There’s also Serie A action on Tuesday, as AC Milan host Juventus in a match between Italy’s two most successful clubs.

Juve will have watched on with glee as both of their nearest rivals—Lazio and Internazionale—were defeated at the weekend while they downed rivals Torino in style.

Victory over Milan would represent a major step towards the title.

Frank Lampard's "ruthless" streak in the dugout comes from Jose Mourinho's early days at Chelsea, according to Tony Cascarino.

Chelsea legend Lampard returned to Stamford Bridge last summer after beginning his coaching career at Derby County, succeeding Maurizio Sarri in the hot seat.

He has since set about stamping his own mark on the squad while implementing a fresh attack-minded philosophy, which has included the integration of several academy prospects into the senior fold.

Lampard has been unafraid to drop household names in favour of up and coming youngsters, with the likes of Mason Mount, Tammy Abraham, Reece James and Fikayo Tomori all emerging as stars in 2019-20.

The Blues boss axed Antonio Rudiger and Marcos Alonso from his starting line up to face Watford on Saturday after the pair's disastrous showing in a defeat to West Ham three days prior, and the decision proved to be the correct one.

Chelsea secured a 3-0 victory over the Hornets to tighten their grip on fourth place, and Cascarino was impressed by Lampard's no-nonsense approach.

“What I find extraordinary about him [Lampard] is how ruthless he can be when necessary,” the former Blues striker told Talksport.

“Yesterday he pulled the plug on Marcos Alonso at left-back and played [Cesar] Azplicueta, switched him from the right to the left side. He dropped Tammy Abraham and brought in Olivier Giroud and he dropped Antonio Rudiger.”

Cascarino went on to compare Lampard's management style to Mourinho's, specifically referring to the Portuguese's first spell at Chelsea, which garnered two Premier League titles and four domestic cups.

“Sometimes you have to make call as a manager but Frank does it incredibly quickly,” he added. “There isn’t any leeway with him. If he feels something needs to be changed he does it and I do wonder if that comes from his early days with Jose [Mourinho].

“He did it regularly at Chelsea – when someone wasn’t pulling their weight he took the out the team immediately.”

Lampard will now start preparing his side for a crucial trip to Crystal Palace on Tuesday, which comes four days before a meeting with Sheffield United at Bramall Lane.

Young Africans (Yanga SC) have suffered a huge blow with midfielder Haruna Niyonzima ruled out of their FA Cup semi-finals clash against Simba SC on Sunday.

The Rwandan international started in the Mainland Premier League match against Biashara United at Karume Stadium in Musoma but was stretchered off with only ten minutes played after a bad tackle in the contest which eventually ended 0-0.

Yanga coach Luc Eymael has now told Goal he will have to do without the influential player when they lock horns against rivals Simba in a Kariokoo derby set for the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam on Sunday.

“I lost Haruna [Niyonzima], one of my best players to injury, after only ten minutes into the game and it was due to a bad tackle and his knee twisted and so he will be out of Simba, and there was no reaction from the referee only a free-kick was given,” Eymael told Goal on Monday.

“It is a huge blow to my team because Haruna is one of my best players, one of my favourites, a hard worker a player who fights for the team, so he will not be available to play in the derby.

"It is sad news for him, he was looking forward to the match but now he will miss it altogether.”

In an earlier interview, Eymael also slammed the state of the Karume Stadium terming it as a pitch “good for pigs and cows.”

“It is a shame for a team like Yanga to play in the pitch which is just good for cows and pigs, the changing room was catastrophic, you cannot play soccer in such a pitch, how is it possible for a league match to be played there?” Eymael posed a question to Goal on Sunday after the match.

“It is impossible to play in such a pitch, you know me I like teaching my players to play good soccer, I am not enjoying this kind of soccer when playing in such a pitch, I only enjoy playing soccer when using the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam.

“But we hit the crossbar more than three times, we created a number of scoring chances though we could not convert them into goals.”

Asked whether the draw could affect their aim to finish in the second position, Eymael said: “Yes it can affect our second place but we are okay, we will fight until the end, we knew very well it will be difficult but we were not lucky like I told you we hit the crossbar but could not score.”

Yanga are fighting to lift the FA Cup so as to earn a ticket to the Caf Confederation Cup next season.

The Timu ya Mwananchi are also keen to finish second on the table, though they dropped down to third on Sunday after Azam FC hammered Singida United 7-0.

Ugandan Premier League (UPL) side Police FC are set to sign experienced midfielder Tony Mawejje.

Mawejje is set to return to Police with a two-year deal already negotiated and agreed between the midfielder and the team's hierarchy.

Mawejje was part of the Police squad, then known as Police Jinja, in 2006 and 2007 although he could take a while to return to full fitness as he has been clubless since 2019 when he terminated his contract with Al-Arabi SC of Kuwait.

“It is certainly a done deal between Police and Tony [Mawejje],” an unnamed source close to Mawejje is quoted as saying by Football256.

“And what could be holding back the deal are the final details before the player can be unveiled.

“Hopefully, what is remaining for the deal to go through will be sorted early next week, but Mawejje will be a Police player soon."

In April, Mawejje revealed what could influence his next move after he had been linked with relegated Tooro United.

“In case it happens [any transfer move] then it’s about my legacy and ending my career with pride. That means it’s only me who can choose the club with no buzzing news around,”he said at the time.

“I got the news [of Tooro United interest] from a friend who shared with me a link and only came to know about it through the news.

“I have not talked with anyone because I still have a running contract with my club, although I have some issues.”

Mawejje, 33, is an experienced midfielder having played for more than 10 clubs in his career spanning over a decade.

The Ugandan started playing football in 2004 at Kampala City Council FC, now KCCA FC, until 2005 before he joined Police Jinja for a stint that lasted about two years.

In 2008, Mawejje joined Uganda Revenue Authority (URA FC)  and left in 2009 for IBV Vestmannaeyjar and the club became his first foreign team.

Mawejje spent a long time with the Icelandic club compared to the rest of the other clubs he has featured for. He made 106 appearances and scored 10 goals.

The midfielder joined Golden Arrows of South Africa in 2012 on loan, made an appearance, and scored no goal before returning to Europe and this time around joined a Norwegian club Haugesund but made no appearance at all in 2014.

He then joined Valur of Iceland on loan again in the same year, where he played for 11 games and scored a goal. Mawejje joined Protur, his third Icelandic club, from 2015 to 2017, and played in 16 games but did not manage to find the back of the net.

In 2017 to 2019, Mawejje left for KF Tirana of Albania and played a combined 52 matches and scored two goals.
 
He had a short stint with Al-Arabi SC before he severed the association, meaning he has been clubless since last year.