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AmaZulu coach Benni McCarthy believes Mamelodi Sundowns custodian Denis Onyango deserves to win the goalkeeper of the season award.

The tactician conceded the Ugandan has been impressive for the Masandawana in the ongoing season, and it will be logical to hand him the accolade if the team, as expected, retains their PSL title. The 36-year-old has so far managed 15 clean sheets to help his team put a formidable fight in the domestic league.

"I think Onyango would be a wise choice, should Sundowns win the league," McCarthy opined .

"[Veli] Mothwa is a top, top goalkeeper, but you have to look at the log and if you see who’s sitting at the top. It is Sundowns and they are at the top because they have got a formidable squad and a very good goalkeeper, Onyango."

The former Bafana Bafana striker concedes the Usuthu shot-stopper is a quality custodian having kept 10 clean sheets this season. He believes he is the most improved player in the league and says the 'keeper has earned his respect.

"I have assessed the league and I have seen teams and goalkeepers," McCarthy continued.

"You can play for AmaZulu and cannot have the performance that this guy [Mothwa] has had. Any other goalkeeper would have come to AmaZulu, I don’t think we would have had the season that we are having, so that tells a lot about the quality of Mothwa.

"If he doesn't win the award I don’t think he can be too disappointed because for me he’s been the best keeper this season and the most improved player. That alone makes him a winner. He doesn’t need to win any award to earn my respect." 

The AmaZulu duo were crowned as coach and player of March/April in the PSL. In the aforementioned month, the 30-year-old managed to keep eight clean sheets as Amaqhawe won seven matches and drew one. It was the first time he has won the award.

For McCarthy, he had also won the January/February award and he continues his journey to help the team get back to the top after he was brought in mid-season to turn the club's fortunes around.

Rob Holding admits Arsenal have let their supporters down "a few times" in 2020-21, with the Gunners looking to finish a testing campaign with a flourish.

Inconsistency has remained an issue for Mikel Arteta's side this season, leaving them in danger of missing out on European football for 2021-22.

They did, however, edge out top-four hopefuls Chelsea 1-0 at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday, and the target now is to take six more points from meetings with Crystal Palace and Brighton.

What has been said?

Holding told Arsenal's official website: "We owe the fans a lot after this season. We've let them down a few times, so if we can wrap up some points, wrap up some wins and give them something to look forward to going into next season."

The bigger picture

Arsenal displayed battling qualities during the derby win at Chelsea.

They were gifted the winning goal, with Jorginho's careless back-pass forcing Kepa Arrizabalaga to scramble across his line and parry the ball out to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

He teed up Emile Smith Rowe and the 20-year-old scuffed an effort in off the inside of the post.

Arteta's side were forced onto the back foot for long periods from that point, but survived a few scares - including a couple of late efforts that struck the woodwork - and dug in to complete a league double over their rivals.

Holding added: "I managed to block everything, head everything that came my way. We just sort of defended first and then anything we could do with the ball, we did.

"It's nice to get a double over Chelsea for the season. We got a good one at home and then it's nice to grind out a result here."

Arsenal, who will be back in action next Wednesday against Palace, previously saw off Chelsea 3-1 on Boxing Day.

Further reading

Manchester United will host Liverpool on Thursday after the initial Premier League fixture was postponed due to demonstrating fans at Old Trafford.

The Reds have won just two of their six midweek - Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday - Premier League games this season (D1 L3), with both of those victories coming against Tottenham. The Reds have failed to score in the four games they didn’t win.   

Manchester United vs Liverpool Latest Odds

Manchester United have lost just one of their 13 Premier League games played on a Thursday (W8 D4) and the ninth win in 14 games is valued at (2.90) with BetKing.

Liverpool have won five of their last seven away league games (D1 L1) and a win against the Reds Devils is tipped to occur at (2.40).

A draw between the English giants is considered to occur at (3.55).

Manchester United vs Liverpool Team News

Manchester United will face the Reds without English defender Harry Maguire who suffered a ligament injury to his ankle during the Aston Villa game. Maguire joined the injury list that already includes Daniel James, Phil Jones and Anthony Martial.

Jurgen Klopp will have to contend with an injury list that grew with the addition of James Milner and Ozan Kabak. Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez, Joel Matip and Jordan Henderson have been out for a while now due to injuries too.

Manchester United vs Liverpool Preview

Manchester United have lost just one of their last 15 home games against Liverpool in all competitions (W10 D4), and are unbeaten in their last eight since a 0-3 loss in March 2014.

The Red Devils have avoided defeat in both meetings with Liverpool in all competitions this season (W1 D1); the last time they faced Liverpool as many as three times in a season without losing any was in 1998-99 (W2 D1), with this the eighth campaign they’ve met more than twice since then.  

Liverpool have not lost consecutive games against Man Utd in all competitions since a run of four between 2014/2016, with the Reds losing 3-2 at Old Trafford in the FA Cup in January.

In the Premier League, Manchester United have won just one of their last nine meetings with Liverpool (D6 L2), and are winless in five against the Reds (D3 L2). They last had a longer winless run against Liverpool in the top-flight between December 1989 and October 1992 (7 games).

Manchester United vs Liverpool Tips and Predictions

Marcus Rashford has been involved in five goals in his last four games in all competitions for United against Liverpool at Old Trafford; scoring four and assisting one.

Mohamed Salah scored twice in Liverpool’s 2-3 defeat at Manchester United in the FA Cup this season. Punters can, therefore, take an offer of under 2.5 goals at (2.20) with BetKing.

Under 2.5 goals at (2.20) with BetKing.

Odds correct at the time of writing. Please gamble responsibly.

Efforts to resume Football Kenya Federation Premier League have been dealt a blow as the government is yet to give the green light for the use of Moi International Sports Complex, Kasarani and Nyayo Stadiums.

A source at FKF has told Goal they will, however, continue with steps that should see the resumption of the Premier League despite the government's failure to allow the use of the two main facilities.

"We have not been told anything so far but what is there is that we have not been granted permission to use Kasarani or Nyayo Stadium so far," a source at the federation said.

"What we will do is to use other venues but keep away from Kasarani and Nyayo Stadium. We have Hope Centre, Jamhuri and Ruaraka Stadiums that can host the games. 

"We will have to prepare for the kick-off of matches despite the issue as we have no other option. The government facilities are no-go zones and FKF have not been told what next. 

"That is the situation. FKF, are, however, keen to finding a solution as the preparations for the resumption continues."

Kasarani and Nyayo Stadium’s inaccessibility will be a big blow, especially for the Nairobi clubs. Before sports were suspended, Kasarani used to host doubleheaders - especially games that were broadcast - most times.

Utalii Ground was also used on a number of occasions while Hope Centre at Kawangware has not been hosting top-tier games. The ground has been mostly used for the National Super League matches and Nairobi City Stars used it as its home turf before they were promoted to the Premier League.

Tusker and Mathare United used Ruaraka Stadium but the facility has been undergoing renovation due to its poor pitch especially during the rainy season.

In readiness for the season’s resumption, the players and officials of the participating teams underwent Covid-19 tests over the week. The campaign had been set to begin again on May 12 but the date had to be pushed to May 14 as the ministry of health had not provided the protocols that needed to be followed.

Victor Moses is the best African to play under Antonio Conte and not Achraf Hakimi or Kwadwo Asamoah, according to Goal readers.

The duo worked together at Chelsea in 2016-2018, where they won the Premier League and FA Cup together. They then reunited at Inter Milan in 2019 where the Nigerian helped the team to a second-place finish in Serie A.

In a poll conducted by Goal, 56% of readers voted in favour of the 30-year-old who now plays his trade in Russia with Spartak Moscow.

Hakimi, who was part of the Nerazzurri team that was recently crowned the Scudetto champions, came second with 33.4%. 

The Moroccan played 35 league matches for the Serie A champions and was directly involved in 15 goals. He managed to score seven and provided eight assists to ensure the Antonie Conte-led charges win their first league title for the first time in 11 years.

Interestingly, the 22-year-old former Real Madrid player had joined Internazionale on July 2 2020 on a five-year contract after failing to win a first-team place with the Spanish giants. 

His first goal came in the 5-2 win over Benevento having assisted in his debut on September 26 in a Serie A game against Fiorentina where the team won 4-3. 

Ghanaian Kwadwo Asamoah came in third with 10.5%. It is not surprising considering the fact that the versatile West African played for one season under Conte before leaving to join Cagliari.

While at Inter Milan, the 32-year-old made 40 appearances, mostly as a wing-back, scoring no goal in the process.

In the almost-ending season, Conte has managed to help Inter Milan win 27 matches in 36 outings. The team has drawn seven games and lost just two. They have further scored 82 goals and conceded 31. As a result, they secured their 19th league title with several matches to spare, taking over from Juventus who are currently struggling to break into the top four.

The tactician will now hope to further strengthen his team to ensure they compete effectively in the Uefa Champions League next season. The last time they won the competition was way back in 2009/10 season under Portuguese Jose Mourinho.

During the aforementioned season, the club also won the league as well as the Coppa Italia. 

Paul Onuachu rescued Genk from defeat with his equaliser in their 1-1 draw with Anderlecht in the Belgian First Division A play-offs on Wednesday.

Anouar Ait El Hadj put Anderlecht ahead at the Luminus Arena with his 33rd-minute opener but Onuachu ensured the Blue-White grab a point at home after linking up with Junya Ito for the leveller in the 67th minute.

The 26-year-old has proven to be a key player in John van den Brom's team so far as he took his tally to 34 goals in 39 appearances across all competitions this season.

Genk are yet to lose a game in the play-offs and they sit second in the table with 35 points after three matches – four points behind leaders Club Brugge.

On Wednesday, Onuachu played the entire duration while his compatriot Cyril Dessers was an unused substitute for Genk.

Anderlecht, on the other hand, had two Ghana stars in action with Majeed Ashimeru seeing 67 minutes of action and his compatriot Mohammed Dauda came on as a substitute in the 83rd minute.

Next up for Onuachu and his Genk teammates, is a trip to Brussels as they battle Vincent Kompany's men who sit third in the table in a reverse fixture on Saturday.

They are aiming for a domestic double with the First Division A title in sights after their Belgian Cup win on May 25 when they defeated Standard Liege 2-1.

Onuachu’s goalscoring heroics has made him a target for several clubs across Europe ahead of the summer transfer window.

Meanwhile, former Belgium coach Rene Vandereycken has backed the Nigeria international to perfectly adapt in the German Bundesliga or the Premier League.

"Onuachu is a very special type of striker, you can hardly compare him with anyone," Vandereycken said.

"Despite being 2.01 meters, Onuachu is technically strong and fast, and he often succeeds in making the right decision.

"He will also feel that after a season in which he has already scored 33 times, it is the time to take a step higher.

"He must be able to keep up perfectly in the Bundesliga or even the Premier League, as long as he chooses the right club and trainer, although we always have to wait and see how a body reacts to a more demanding competition."

Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta hit out at the media after his side defeated Chelsea 1-0 on Wednesday. 

Emile Smith Rowe scored early in the match at Stamford Bridge after a Jorginho error, and the goal stood up as the Gunners defended resiliently through the second half.

After the match, though, Arteta felt compelled to lash out at what he felt was an unfair interpretation of pre-match comments in which he appeared to suggest some Arsenal players weren't giving their all. 

What was said?

"Nothing is broken inside," Arteta said to Sky Sports. "I don't know how they want to try from the outside. They try to put things on me that I never said.

"You can see the spirit of the team from the first minute. You can never doubt the efforts.

"I said if I don't get 120 per cent off each player it's my fault and responsibility. It wasn't like this in the press. I'm so annoyed by that.

"My players, I will defend them from everybody for the rest of the time I'm here. They don't deserve that."

Arteta added on the press: "They're not going to break it [the team's bond]. They can try but they're not going to break it.

"Not only with the players, but the coaching staff and the board - they can't touch it. If they try to touch it it can be with opinions but not saying something I never said.

"I'm not taking that. It's the first time I have to make my point."

What were Arteta's pre-match comments?

The Arsenal boss seemed to suggest that some of his players had let him down by now offering their maximum effort this season.

Asked if his players had given their all, Arteta replied: "With the majority of them, yes.

"Some of them can get to a certain level and you cannot push them any further. You want to evolve them but it's not possible.

"When I said a majority, I did not say all of them. Some have a big contribution to make to those results."

Further reading

Xavi has ended speculation that he could take over as Barcelona head coach by signing a two-year contract extension at Al-Sadd.

The 41-year-old had been strongly tipped to take over at Camp Nou after becoming a club legend through 17 years with the Barca first team.

But Xavi is now set to stay on at the Qatari club through to 2023.

What was said?

"We achieved a lot together, scored goals, won matches and titles, and we are all very proud of this success. Getting this kind of support is the best thing any coach can get," Xavi told Al-Sadd's official website.

“I have everything I could want to do well, and I feel proud to continue with Al-Sadd for an additional two seasons.”

Xavi also denied reports that he has a clause in his new contract that allows him to leave at any time.

“This is incorrect," he said. "I have a two-season contract with Al-Sadd, and I respect this contract - and I also respect the official negotiation methods between all parties."

The bigger picture

Since taking over as Al-Sadd manager in 2019 Xavi has led the club to six trophies, demonstrating his potential as a manager. 

That potential, combined with his legendary playing career at Camp Nou, has made Xavi one of the first names mentioned as a future Barcelona manager over the past year. 

Xavi himself acknowledged earlier this year that he hopes to manage his former club one day, saying: "Of course I would like to be Barcelona’s head coach. I’ve said it many times."

But it appears that Xavi's time will have to come in the future, despite the pressure mounting on Ronald Koeman as he nears the end of his first season in charge. 

Barcelona won the Copa del Rey this season but were bounced from the Champions League at the last-16 stage and their La Liga title pursuit appears likely to fall just short.

Further reading

Fans are faulting Chelsea’s first-half error as Arsenal secured their first Premier League win at Stamford Bridge since October 2011 on Wednesday.

The Gunners took advantage of Jorginho's howler in the 16th minute with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang setting up Emile Smith Rowe who tapped into an empty net to give them a 1-0 victory.

The result earned Arsenal their first league double over Chelsea since the 2003-04 season but fans were divided on social media with some questioning the team's performance while others described it as a hard-fought win.

Mikel Arteta's men moved up to eighth in the Premier League table with 55 points after 36 matches and Chelsea remain fourth with 64 points after the same number of games.

Jurgen Klopp says he is expecting a “strange” summer transfer window, and doubts whether the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland or Jadon Sancho will be involved in big-money moves. 

The Liverpool manager was asked at a press conference on Friday about his own club’s plans to strengthen their squad – plans which may be strongly affected if the Reds fail to secure Champions League qualification for next season.

Liverpool head to Manchester United on Thursday knowing anything less than a win could cost them the chance of a top-four finish, and Reds officials are well aware of the financial implications of that. Klopp, though, spoke bullishly, insisting his team will be stronger next season regardless of whether they make big moves in the market.

What’s been said?

Asked if he knew what would be possible in the summer yet, Klopp smiled: “Yeah, not a lot! 

“It is always how it is. What happens depends on the business, if someone wants to leave, if we sell, stuff like this. That’s why we can never really plan early.

“Not playing Champions League doesn’t help obviously, but it is not our biggest problem.

“The market will be really strange. I hear a lot about big-money moves, is Mbappe going or not, Haaland, Sancho, these kind of things. I don’t see that happening a lot this summer because the football world is still not in the same place it was before. 

“Getting players back [from injury] makes us already better. These are our first transfers. We don’t know exactly when that will happen, but it will happen. All the rest, we have to see. 

“If we don’t go to Champions League it is not good but there is still a chance. But if not, then we have to deal with that.”

Careful what you wish for

Klopp was also asked how confident he was that Liverpool could claw back the ground they lost to newly crowned champions Manchester City this season – especially given the fact that Pep Guardiola’s side would appear to have the means to make big-money transfers of their own in the summer.

He said: “And Chelsea, and United! City and Chelsea always had [financial] advantages and we still won the league and the Champions League. So it is about our situation. I never look at other clubs and think ‘they can do this’ or ‘we can’t do that’. 

“I am not interested in being the coach of the best team in the world. I am interested in being the coach of the team who can beat the best team in the world. And if two or three of them play in our league, then we will try to beat them. 

“It’s absolutely not a situation to moan or cry about. Our situation is fine.”

He added: “A year ago nobody knew how football will go on. One year later, people speak about ‘what can we do in the transfer market?’

“People talk about changing the structure completely, like the German model. Well, I can tell you the budget will go down massively. Having more say in the club, changing the structure and the ownership model, and then at the same time signing Haaland for £150 million? That doesn’t work together. 

“We have to use our situation better than we did this year. This was not the season when we could have become champion. No chance. But we could have had five, six, seven points more, with exactly the same situation we had? Yes, and we should have. That is something I don’t like too much. 

“The situation is better than I would have thought a year ago, with the financial situation, but everyone suffers and we are asked about signing players for this or that. 

“We will see how the market develops but for sure it will not be an early market.”

Further reading

Amine Harit found the back of the net as Schalke 04 lost 2-1 to Hertha Berlin in Wednesday’s Bundesliga game.

The midfielder was handed his 23rd league start in the encounter and utilized the opportunity to score his second goal of the season.

The 23-year-old formed a five-man midfield for Dimitrios Grammozis’ men along with Timo Becker, Blendi Idrizi, Florian Flick and Sead Kolasinac

Harit hit the ground running, scoring as early as the sixth minute for Schalke after receiving a timely assist from Sead Kolasinac.

The lead did not, however, last long as Hertha Berlin levelled proceedings in the 19th minute through Jessic Ngankam after he was set up by Dedryck Boyata.

The Royal Blues made efforts to try and find the back of the net before the end of the first half with Harit coming close in the 50th minute when he struck a free-kick.

After the restart, Jessic Ngankam scored the match-winning goal in the 74th minute after he receiving an assist from Nemanja Radonjic.

Moments before the end of the game, the Old Lady were reduced to 10 men when Dodi Lukebakio received his second yellow card and subsequently sent off.

Despite their one-man down, Hertha Berlin held on to their lead to secure all three points at Veltins Arena.

Harit featured for the duration of the game, struck three shots, made three passes, completed three dribbles and had an 80 percent successful ass rate as part of his contribution in the encounter.

The defeat further condemned Schalke to the bottom of the Bundesliga table with 13 points from 32 games.  

Besides his goals, the Morocco international has provided three assists in 29 appearances across all competitions this season.

The forward will hope to help Schalke end their four-game winless run when they take on Eintracht Frankfurt in their next league game on May 15.

Harit has three years left on his current contract and it is yet to be seen if he will remain with the Royal Blues beyond the summer.

AC Milan's 7-0 hammering of Torino in Wednesday's Serie A encounter has got football enthusiasts talking on social media.

Following their emphatic 3-0 win at Juventus on Sunday, the Rossoneri continued their dominant display away from home as they boost their chances of returning to the Uefa Champions League for next season.

Theo Hernandez got the visitors off to a flying start at the Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino in the 19th minute and Ivory Coast's Franck Kessie doubled their lead seven minutes later.

After the break, Kessie assisted Brahim Diaz to make it 3-0 in the 50th minute and Hernandez grabbed his brace just two minutes after the hour-mark.

Shortly after, Ante Rebic scored a 12-minute hat-trick as AC Milan secured their biggest away win in the Serie A since May 2001 when they defeated city rivals Inter 6-0.

Fans were stunned by the goal margin and they even pleaded with Stefano Pioli's men to be merciful to Torino who sit 16th in the league table.

Kaizer Chiefs had to come from behind to hold Swallows FC to a 1-1 draw in the Soweto Derby encounter which was played at FNB Stadium on Wednesday afternoon.

The draw saw Amakhosi stretch their winless run to four matches in the PSL and they have been displaying relegation form having won just two of their last 15 league matches.

However, some Chiefs fans were relieved to see the Glamour Boys hit the 30-point mark which is supposedly needed to guarantee PSL survival. 

The Soweto giants are placed 10th on the league standings - five points above the relegation zone, but Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila, who are in the relegation play-off spot (15th), have a game in hand.

Here is how Twitter reacted to the Soweto Derby match:

Manchester United centre-back Eric Bailly has named Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Luke Shaw as the two players who deserve the club’s Player of the Year award.

The England duo have featured prominently in the Red Devils' defence this campaign with their defensive and attacking contributions.

Bailly, who recently renewed his contract at Old Trafford until 2024, acknowledged the array of talent in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s squad, but he named the full-backs as the best candidates to succeed last season’s winner Bruno Fernandes.

“It’s very hard to say one player, but for me, if I have to choose, then I choose two players: Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Luke Shaw,” Bailly told the club website.

“For me they deserve it, that’s just my opinion.

“Then also we have Harry [Maguire], Fred, Scott [McTominay]... I could say so many names! So I keep with Aaron and Luke.”

Bailly has been restricted to just 18 games across all competitions this season due to injury challenges and Solskjaer's selection decision.

However, Shaw and Wan-Bissaka have been in consistent form for Manchester United with significant goalscoring contributions in addition to their defensive duties.

Wan-Bissaka has provided four assists and two goals in all competitions this term while Luke Shaw has six assists and a goal to his name.

The Ivory Coast international further explained the reason behind his selection and he described the duo as the best right-back and left-back in the Premier League this season.

“For me, these two are the best right-back and best left-back in the league,” he continued.

“When I see Luke playing at this level, I am so happy because he has had some difficult times before this. Now he is very happy and is playing every game and playing well. He is back playing for his national team too.

“It’s the same with Aaron. The guy is young, playing every game and giving his best. They have helped our team be strong. They are two young guys who are both focused on giving everything to the team.

“I’m so, so happy for these two.”

After failing to stop Leicester City in Tuesday's Premier League outing which ended in a 2-1 loss, Bailly will be focused on keeping Manchester United's defence tidy when they welcome Liverpool to Old Trafford for their rescheduled league fixture on Thursday.

Cristiano Ronaldo has become the fastest player in Juventus history to reach 100 goals with the club. 

Ronaldo reached the mark by scoring just before half-time against Sassuolo in Serie A action on Wednesday, giving his side a two-goal lead heading into the break. 

The Portugal star has netted 100 goals in 131 games for Juventus and has become the first Juve player to ever do so in less than three seasons.

Ronaldo's record

Prior to Wednesday night, only Omar Sivori and Roberto Baggio had required less than five seasons to reach the 100-goal mark.

But Ronaldo achieved the feat near the end of his third season with the club, having joined from Real Madrid ahead of the 2018-19 campaign.

In addition, Ronaldo became the first player in history to tally more than 100 goals with three different clubs and his national team, having done so with Manchester United and Madrid as well as Portugal.

Another Juve star reaches 100 goals

Later in the same match, Paulo Dybala joined Ronaldo in reaching the same milestone when he also scored his 100th Juventus goal.

What's next for Ronaldo?

The Portugal star has one year remaining on his contract beyond this season and there has been plenty of speculation over his future.

Ronaldo helped Juve to Serie A titles in his first two seasons with the club, but he's failed to lead them to Champions League glory and this season's league campaign sees Juve battling to simply earn a top-four spot.

He has seen a return to Spain discussed, while there has also been talk of a second spell at Manchester United or a move to MLS.

Any move away, however, would require a team to make a suitable bid to Juventus as well as pay Ronaldo the massive wages he is set to command. 

Further reading

Michael Essien has backed Chelsea to win the Premier League in the 2021-22 season, given the caliber of players in the squad.

The Blues are enjoying a turnaround since Thomas Tuchel was appointed as manager of the side after Frank Lampard was relieved of his duty.

Their impressive performances have seen them advance into the Champions League final, booking a date with their Premier League rivals Manchester City.

Convinced by their fine showings, Essien believes the Blues will be a major contender for next season’s Premier League title.

"I’m going to say Chelsea win the league next season, based on how good they’ve looked since Thomas Tuchel has taken over,” Essien said as per the Mirror.

"They’re my first choice for the title, then it’s obviously going to be United, Liverpool and City who will be right up there with them.

"With the players Thomas Tuchel has got at his disposal, I think he’s got all the tools needed to challenge for the title next season

"If you look from the goalkeepers to the forwards, they’ve got big names all over the pitch. They’ve got it all.

"I love the fact that they’ve got Thiago Silva at the back, his experience really is vital to that team and he’s such a great name the younger players in the squad can learn from

"He commands the back line very well. But even without him, they’ve got Antonio Rudiger, Kurt Zouma and Andreas Christensen, so they’re very strong in that area."

Essien spent nine years at Stamford Bridge and featured consistently for the side, amassing 168 Premier League appearances.

The former Ghana international helped the Blues to win a number of titles, including the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup, Community Shield and League Cup among others.

Chelsea are currently fourth on the Premier League table and will hope to maintain a spot in the top four to guarantee their place in the group stage of the Champions League next season, although victory in the final of the European competition on May 29 could also automatically see them qualify for the next edition of the tournament.