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Mikel Arteta is hopeful that the Mesut Ozil situation at Arsenal is sorted soon - but the playmaker will not be allowed to depart unless the deal is beneficial to both player and club.

Ozil has not played in recent months after being left out of Arsenal's squad for the Premier League and other competitions, and it is widely expected that he will leave the club in the current transfer window.

The Germany international has been linked with several clubs, including Fenerbahce and D.C. United, although Arteta says that while he would welcome a conclusion to such a long-running saga, he will not sanction any deal that does not benefit Arsenal.

Speaking at his pre-match press conference ahead of Arsenal's FA Cup third-round clash with Newcastle United on Saturday evening, Arteta said of Ozil: "If something is sorted this month it is because it is good for both parties - for Mesut and his future and good for the club.

"If that is the case we will move forward, if it is not the case then he will continue here."

On whether it would be better to get the deal done quickly and move on, Arteta said: "Yes, the decision has to be made when you have to register and not register players, play them or not play them all the time.

"We know we have a really important player that is one of the key players in the past few seasons for this football club.

"We had to make a decision, I made it, I knew the consequences of it and now are going to have to make another one in January and we will put in the balance what is good for the club, the best thing for the team and what the intension of the player are and try and find the right solutions."

In January it is possible for Premier League teams to update their 25-man squads for domestic and European competitions, meaning Ozil could well play for Arsenal again.

Arteta avoided the topic, however, simply responding when asked if Ozil could be involved on Saturday and whether he might remain at Arsenal beyond this month: "We will decide what is happening in the next few days."

The Spaniard did, however, confirm that Ozil is training with the first team, having been given a few days off for personal reasons.

Thembi Kgatlana has congratulated Noko Matlou after she made her eagerly awaited professional debut for Eibar on Wednesday.

The striker, who was the first South African to be named African Women's Footballer of the Year in 2008, lasted the duration of a 2-0 victory over Logrono in a Spanish Primera Iberdrola encounter.

Matlou had arrived from South African side Maindies in October and so fulfilled her dream of becoming a full professional at 35 years of age.

Eibar star Kgatlana also became the second Banyana star to win the African Women's Footballer of the Year 10 years after Matlou.

Kgatlana took to Twitter to pay tribute to her compatriot's achievement, wishing Matlou "many more games".

"Solid performance from Noko Matlou on her debut. Congratulations mate, here is to many more games!," she wrote on Twitter.
 

Kgatlana continued in her rich vein of form, providing an assist for the opening goal against Logrono, so far racking up five assists and five goals in 12 appearances this season.

Having featured together for the first time in Eibar's victory over the visitors, the Banyana duo will hope to power the Spanish top-flight debutants to more wins in their bid to retain their status.

Iker Dorronsoro's side will be counting on the fine form of Matlou and Kgatlana as they hope to build on their home win over Iker Dorronsoro's team when they visit Athletic Club on Sunday.

Mikel Arteta appreciates why questions are being asked of Arsenal’s decision to send William Saliba out on loan - with £27 million ($37m) having been invested - but the Gunners boss says the teenage defender still has a bright future in north London.

The centre-half completed a big-money move to England during the summer of 2020, with a deal having been struck with Saint-Etienne 12 months prior.

Saliba was expected to slot seamlessly into the fold at Emirates Stadium, with his potential ready to be embraced by a Premier League outfit that has suffered defensive struggles.

Arteta is, however, yet to hand the youngster a competitive debut and has now allowed him to head back to France and link up with Nice for the remainder of the season.

The Arsenal boss is eager to point out that he is not giving up on Saliba, with a deal in January done to give him the best possible chance of making an impact for his parent club in 2021-22.

Arteta told reporters: “We signed a big project that we had some issues with because he’s not played enough football over the past 18 months and at that age, and in the development phase he is at, that is crucial.

“I was always very conscious when he came back, when he didn’t do the step that he had to before joining us, that to start a relationship with a new manager, a new club, new team-mates where he is not having any game time is really difficult and I think it is damaging for the future.

“I want to protect the player that we signed and the future we have alongside him and the best way to do that is to give him minutes to play.

"He has been really good, it has been a difficult few months for him to cope with that situation but I see the development that he has made, the progression that he has shown over the months and now he is ready to compete.

“He is going to a really strong league as well, a league he knows really well, he has experience [there] and he needs to play as many games as possible to be ready for us from next season.

“He will come back for pre-season and he will be with us, and hopefully he will come back after playing a number of games and [with] his performances raising and his development progressing in the right way. That is why we made that decision.

“I know that sometimes it is difficult to explain or understand after the money the club spent bringing him in, sending him on loan, but a lot of things have happened to him, he is a long-term player for us and we need to protect him as well.

“Giving him three or four games is not enough for him, he needs much more than that but what has happened over the past 18 months, he has gone through some personal problems as well that we have to try to help him, and stay as close as possible to him, and now he needs to play, play and play and enjoy his profession as well.

“In order for him to do that I think we have found the right club with him, he is very happy to go there right now and hopefully he can enjoy his football and be ready for us next season.”

Saliba made his debut for Nice in their Ligue 1 clash with Brest on Wednesday and did not get off to the best of starts as he was booked inside 11 minutes and conceded twice before half-time in a 2-0 defeat.

Dele Alli is a “goal machine” and “the end of the jigsaw” for many managers says Glenn Hoddle, but a lack of faith from Jose Mourinho at Tottenham will force the England international midfielder elsewhere.

Spurs have been favouring alternative options to Alli this season, with the 24-year-old often finding himself on the bench or overlooked completely.

A lack of game time has sparked plenty of transfer rumours, and a switch to Paris Saint-Germain had been mooted before Mauricio Pochettino took the reins at Parc des Princes, with talk of a reunion with the former Tottenham boss now being stepped up.

Hoddle can see Alli heading elsewhere before the next deadline passes, saying players of his ability deserve of more than he is getting from Mourinho.

The ex-Spurs player and coach told The Sun: “I can't see him getting in at the moment, because they're winning. He's only being used in Europa League and the League Cup.

“He's not going to get in unless there's an injury or a lack of form. The lack of form goes out the window because there's a settled team there. He's going to have to wait for an injury, then he's got to make a big impact on Jose to play.

“I'm talking about playing week in, week out, and he needs that. If he feels he can't do that, he needs to communicate that to the manager, and if he sees it that way as well, a loan deal could be possible. It's only Jose who will know if he sees a long-term scenario for him anyway. If he doesn't, he might feel it's best to cash in.

“I could see Dele going to another club and doing really well in the right system. I don't think he suits this system that Jose's looking for.

“I think at some stage he will move on, when that will be I'm not sure. If he does stay after the window, he's got to knuckle down.

“He's got to play at his very best. The truth is, and he knows it himself, he hasn't played at his best. The only way he can prove that to the manager is to play and I find that door shut at the moment.

“It must be very frustrating for Dele, because he's done such a good job. He's a goal machine from midfield. He's the end of the jigsaw. He'll do that for some team, will it be for Tottenham? There's a question mark about that.”

Nine matchdays into the 2020-21 Indian Super League (ISL), surprises, twists and turns have been scarce. 

Two teams who were touted to be favourites to win the title have pulled away from the rest of the league in the standings and look good to stay as the top two teams until the very end as of now.

Mumbai City were busy assembling a strong squad before the season kicked off and their efforts are getting rewarded. They also have a proven manager in Sergio Lobera who is heavily involved in implementing his project at his new club after three years of enthralling fans with a beautiful brand of football with FC Goa. They are currently at the top of the table with 22 points from nine matches with a seven-point lead already from the third-placed team, Lobera's former club Goa. 

Antonio Habas' ATK Mohun Bagan, which has the blueprint of the 2019-20 ISL champions ATK in terms of personnel, are also flying high at the second spot with 20 points from nine matches. Both Mumbai and Bagan have only lost one game this season and currently unbeaten in eight and five matches respectively.

Interestingly, these two teams stand on the opposite side of the football spectrum based on the method they undertake to win matches. Lobera's Mumbai City have an innate desire to keep the ball for long periods of play and carve defences open with the vision and skill of their players. Habas' Bagan are hell-bent on keeping the defence organized and as a result, they have the league's best defence as it stands and have only let in three goals in nine matches. 

Of the two teams, Mumbai have been far more impressive. They have managed to exhibit their style of play without leaking goals at the back like Goa did when Lobera first took charge of the Gaurs three years ago. They have a solid backline led by Mourtada Fall and Hernan Santana and one of the best custodians in the country in Amrinder Singh who is guarding the goal. 

Hyderabad and Jamshedpur rank low in the passing and ball retention stats because they have played with more Indian players, with key foreigners indisposed. 

Mumbai City midfielders Ahmed Jahouh and Hugo Boumous have been efficient in outclassing their opponents. Boumous has the most assists to his name in this season and even though Jahouh plays the role of a defensive midfielder, he has been the spine of Lobera's team, averaging 88 touches per game with a passing accuracy of 79.2. Rowllin Borges also deserves credit for the sheer work rate that he provides when he is on the field. 

With Adam Le Fondre in fine form in the final third, it is no surprise that they have the best shot conversion rate. But Le Fondre isn't the only one who has starred as a striker this season. Bagan's Roy Krishna has picked up from where he left off last with his match-winners for Bagan.

Le Fondre has a better shot on target-to-goals ratio compared to Krishna but three of Le Fondre’s first six goals were penalties, compared to Krishna's one. The Fijian, though, has the worst shooting accuracy among the top five strikers.

Rafael Crivellaro and Brandon Fernandes have created a lot of chances but the wastefulness of their strikers have meant that their assist column makes for dismal viewing.

Both Bagan and Mumbai City look unstoppable at the moment but the league is only half done. Teams such as Jamshedpur and Hyderabad have shown glimpses of brilliance.

All stats used in this article are from @OptaJeev and were taken on January 4, 2021.

Robbie Fowler's team selection before the FC Goa match had raised a few eyebrows as he dropped five players from the East Bengal lineup which had registered the club's first-ever win in the Indian Super League (ISL) just three days back.

Amongst the players who were dropped were big names like Anthony Pilkington and Jacques Maghoma. In the two talisman's absence, the responsibility fell on the shoulders of new recruit Bright Enobakhare who had played just 20 minutes in the last game but had managed to score a goal. The Nigerian attacker honoured his coach's trust as he scored a sensational goal.

East Bengal started the match in a 5-2-3 formation but they often changed shape during the course of the game. Enobakhare was given a free role as he was seen at times joining the strikers Harmanpreet Singh and Aaron Amadi-Holloway upfront and sometimes tracking back to support the midfielders.

The five-man defence worked well for Fowler as for the first time this season, the backline did not look shaky and instead confidently dealt with the lethal attack of FC Goa. In fact, Gaurs' most dangerous player, Igor Angulo, who is currently the top scorer in the league, was kept silent for the majority of the match. Credit must be given to Fowler whose plan of covering the Spaniard through zonal marking worked well.

Also, this was the first time the players in defence were all 'natural' defenders. Before this match, Fowler had used Surchandra Singh, Sehnaj Singh, Mohammed Irshad and Bikash Jairu in the backline in different matches but all of the aforementioned players were makeshift defenders and it reflected in their performance.

The Red and Golds would consider them unlucky not to walk away with three points as they clearly had better goal scoring opportunities than the Gaurs. Robbie Fowler too had mentioned after the game that his side deserved to get the three points. "We probably had the best chances. They obviously had some chances themselves, but ours were more clear cut, and their's were more from set-pieces."

The Gaurs dominated the game possession-wise as expected. Debjit Majumder had to make three genuine saves but two of them were from set-piece situations. They clearly had more quality upfront than East Bengal but were not able to break the Kolkata side defensively as expected except for once when Devendra Murgaonkar scored the equaliser. They failed to capitalise on the man advantage which they had for more than 30 minutes.

Ferrando's side of late has grown a habit of keeping the fate of the matches hanging until the dying moments. It worked in their last two matches and somewhat in this game as they scored a late equaliser but this shouldn't continue. They need to start grabbing their opponent by the scruff of their neck right from the off and try to finish the games early or else they might run the risk of dropping more points in the future.

They can't have Igor Angulo saving them in every game.

Carles Cuadrat's stint with Bengaluru seemed to be one that is set to last for many years when he won the 2018-19 Indian Super League (ISL) trophy. 

But less than two years later, the Spanish coach was asked to leave by the club management and agreed to mutually terminate his contract on January 5, 2021. 

Most managerial changes in ISL has happened in the December-January period but Carles Cuadrat's departure would have been one silly opinion to make only a year ago. He was deeply involved with the club and their project so the combination seemed unbreakable. But if there's a start, there's an end. 

Bengaluru's shortcomings on the pitch were there for all to see. And that didn't start this season. However, to blame it all on Cuadrat wouldn't be an apt assessment of the situation.

After bagging the ISL trophy, everybody expected the Blues to kick on for bigger and better things, such as putting up a solid showing in Asia. That didn't happen as Bengaluru lost in the inter-zone play-off semi-final and then crashed out of the Super Cup with a defeat to Chennai City. 

Bengaluru's star striker Miku, who had been prolific during the title-winning season, had fitness and injury issues throughout the season and at the end of the season, the club decided against renewing his contract as he was deemed too expensive. 

After scoring 20 goals and registering four assists in 32 appearances, Miku left the club and the Blues are yet to find a proper replacement in his position. Manuel Onwu, Kristian Opseth and even Cleiton Silva cannot be compared with the Venezuelan at this point and the goals soon dried up for a team that once treated the final third as their favourite hangout place. 

Ahead of the 2020-21 season, there were further blows when the defence was also affected by the departures. Nishu Kumar, who had grown to be a first-team regular at the left-back role under Cuadrat, left the club to join Kerala Blasters who had produced a significant offer for the young full-back. Centre-back Albert Serran also left the club and what remained was a depleted backline which was once the best in the league. 

Bengaluru's defence was what helped them land the title in the 2018-19 season as their contributions in the final third had seen a big drop. That continued into the pandemic-hit seventh season of the ISL and Blues put out back-to-back displays which were unimpressive. Losing three games in a row for the first time in the history of the competition was the last straw. 

It is safe to say that the head coach wasn't backed by the club in the transfer market ahead of the 2020-21 season but the people in charge will have their own explanations for that, especially since it has been a financially difficult period for all football clubs. 

Carles Cuadrat has left a lasting legacy at Bengaluru. He delivered an important league trophy and topped the league standings, something that nobody else has done. Moreover, he was, and always will be, a true blue.

Abigail Kim scored the first goal for Fiorentina as her side progressed to the Italian Supercoppa final following a 2-1 comeback win over Refiloe Jane's AC Milan on Wednesday.

Having arrived in Italy from the US in September, American-Liberian Kim broke her Serie A duck against Empoli on December 13 and continued from where she left off against Milan.

On her part, South Africa's Jane was pivotal to Milan's top-four finish last season and was keen to help her team inch closer to glory by seeing off Fiorentina in the race for a final spot.

Having both finished in the top four last term, runners-up Fiorentina were drawn against third-place Milan in the semi-final encounter.

After her Uefa Women's Champions League debut in the 1-0 Round of 32, second leg win at Slavia Praha, Kim earned a place in the starting XI of Fiorentina, just as Jane was a starter for Antonio Cincotta's side.

At Aldo Gastaldi Stadium, Milan well when Valentina Giacinti opened the scoring after just seven minutes to claim a narrow first-half lead over last season's runners-up.

After the break, the home side staged a fightback and gained their deserved equaliser through Kim 11 minutes into the second half.

Nine minutes later, Irish star Louise Quinn found a breakthrough and made no mistake to find the back of the net for the hosts, scoring what proved to be the winner.

The result means Fiorentina are through to the final and will square up against league champions Juventus.

Kim's goal saw the 21-year-old Liberian-born American international raise her season's tally in four matches to two for Fiorentina this term.

On the other hand, South Africa's Jane was involved from the start to finish but she could not save Milan from a semi-final defeat,

Kaizer Chiefs striker Khama Billiat has revealed the one part of his game which Amakhosi coach Gavin Hunt has been asking him to improve upon.

Billiat played a crucial role in helping the Glamour Boys advance to the group phase of the Caf Champions League when he provided a 41st minute assist for fellow striker Leonardo Castro in Tuesday's 1-0 win over Angolan champions Primeiro de Agosto.

It was a well-worked move by the Soweto giants involving several players, with Billiat's movement key.

According to the Zimbabwean, who won the Champions League in 2016 while playing for Mamelodi Sundowns, it's an aspect of his game Chiefs coach Gavin Hunt wants to see more of.

"Normally the coach is on my case, [telling me], 'your strength is to run behind the defenders and make sure you finish the attack'," Billiat told the Chiefs media team.

"As soon as Njabulo [Blom] and [Philani] Zulu got the ball, I just turned and gave them my back and started running.

"Exactly as I expected, Njabulo put the ball behind the defence. It made it easy for me and I was left with one versus one and I told myself I just need to eliminate the one in front of me and I know my player is going to be in the box, and Castro was in the right position at the right time.”

Amakhosi were without several experienced players in their victory in Luanda, which made the win all the more impressive.

The likes of Itumeleng Khune, Lebogang Manyama and Willard Katsande never made the trip, although as Billiat explained, they were still able to lend their support from afar.

"The support they gave us, it really means a lot,” he said.

“They give us confidence, they calm us down. Their motivational texts on the group shows that we are together. No matter if one is not in, the ones that are selected on the day are going to fight because if they were here they would be doing the same.”

Chiefs will be hoping to build on the midweek win when they return to domestic action this weekend – they host Maritzburg United at the FNB Stadium on Saturday evening.

Sports Club Villa youngster Salim Abdallah has explained why he carries a number 10 tattoo on his leg.

Abdallah said the tattoo is a sign of respect for his departed father who gave him great support while he was young as he chased the dream of becoming a professional footballer.

“My parents have been very supportive in my football journey,” Abdallah told the club’s portal. “While he was still alive, my father always inspired and encouraged me that I have to play professional football when I grow.

“He also said that I should put on the number 10 and when he passed on, in his honour I got the number 10 tattooed on my right leg to remember him.”

The 20-year-old also spoke about the support from his mother, from buying what he needs on the pitch to the inspiration she has been since he turned pro.

“My mother on the other hand continues to support my career up to this day. Growing up, she bought all the necessary attires for me to play in,” he added.

“Today, she continues to encourage me to train hard and always believe in myself.”

The starlet was promoted to the senior team in the 2019/20 season and although he has not enjoyed a breakthrough into the starting XI regularly so far, he declared he has seen his career progress nonetheless.

“From the junior team, I learned very many important things which I have carried forward to the senior team. I learned discipline on and off the pitch,” Abdallah added.

“My coaches also taught me very well about the positional play that on and off-ball movements while on the pitch, I thank them for that.

“These skills have helped me a lot settle into the senior team without struggling.”

Abdallah also pointed out differences from how life is at the senior and at the junior teams.

“Transitioning from the junior to the senior team is every youth player’s dream,” explained the midfielder.

“It is a long journey both physically and mentally because the priorities of the junior team differ from those of the senior team. In the junior team, the main emphasis is on building the style of play and there is little competition.

“At the senior team, there is a new challenge which needs to be mentally strong. There is a lot of hard work and competition at the senior team even during training. The training is usually very tense in that we not only compete for starting slots but also being included in the matchday squad.

“On match days, the intensity of the game being played is so high and every player is obliged to pay maximum attention to what is going on even if you are not playing. In the senior team, there are high expectations of you unlike in the junior team.”

Abdallah has often enjoyed minutes coming from the substitutes bench in the Uganda Premier League.

Ruzaigh Gamildien has been at the forefront of Swallows FC's remarkable return to the Premier Soccer League (PSL).

Back in the top flight for the first time since being relegated five seasons ago, the Birds have surprised everyone and currently sit joint top of the league standings with defending champions Mamelodi Sundowns after nine rounds of action.

They've conceded only five goals, and scored 13, seven of which have come from Gamildien, including a brace in a 3-2 win over high-flying Cape Town City earlier this week.

The 31-year-old Gamildien initially made an impression at Bloemfontein Celtic a decade ago but has since drifted from club to club, including several stints in the National First Division.

He scored 11 goals in 17 matches for Steenberg United last season before being signed by Chippa United, only to be released at the end of the campaign.

But since being signed by Swallows coach Brando Truter, Gamildien has enjoyed a new lease on life.

“I just think I came back really motivated because I was a bit disappointed with my previous club (Chippa) after I got released,” Gamildien was quoted saying by Farpost.

“I had small goals for myself for the season and obviously most of my performances is actually through the coaches who believed in me and actually giving me a chance to prove myself once again."

The Cape Town-born attacking midfielder admits he's eyeing the Golden Boot award,  although he says it's not his priority.

“Obviously those are personal goals, but most importantly is for the team to be as high as possible in the league. It all goes down to belief and obviously believing in one another as a team," he added.

“Like the coach keeps on preaching we have to give credit to the man above for pushing us this far. We just keep taking it game by game and as time goes on we might find ourselves in a good position at the end of the season."

Orlando Pirates will certainly be doing their homework on Gamildien as the Buccaneers host the Birds in a league encounter on Sunday afternoon.

NorthEast United find themselves in the seventh position on the Indian Super League (ISL) table and ahead of their clash against Hyderabad FC on Friday, coach Gerard Nus is confident of a positive result which would help them climb up the standings.

The Highlanders have won just two of their nine matches and from their last five games, they could only muster three points via three draws.

Nus stated that while Hyderabad have a good set of players in Aridane Santana, Mohammad Yasir and so on, his players have been armed with enough information on the opponent and a strategy in order to pick their third win of the campaign.

“We analysed Hyderabad FC and know that they are a good side. We know that no matter what has been the result in the previous game, they are dangerous. We analyse what they do with ball possession, set-pieces, and take everything into consideration. We will try to be at our best both offensively and defensively. 

“We know that Hyderabad FC have a fantastic squad. Aridane is always a threat on top and they play in different systems. (Halicharan) Narzary and (Mohammad) Yasir are excellent. They are good with the ball. We have to be at our best. We will go with full commitment to get the three points, but with the utmost respect as well,” said Nus.

NorthEast suffered a 2-0 defeat to ATK Mohun Bagan in their last game where they leaked in goals thanks to their poor defending in set-piece situations.

“I disagree about that,” responded Nus when asked if his side lacked intent against the Kolkata outfit.

“We are well organised. We do a lot of things to control the match. Two set-pieces cost us the game. We are doing what we need to do to improve,” he added.

Idrissa Sylla has two goals to his name, with his last goal coming on November 30th, 2020 against FC Goa through a penalty. Nus came to the defense of the former QPR striker and also explained why his team are a difficult bunch to defend against.

“Sylla is a great player and we’re lucky to have him in our squad. I am confident about him. We keep trying to create chances. We score goals in different ways. This makes it hard to defend against us. It makes us more unpredictable to manage. Sometimes you have two chances and yet you score three goals, and sometimes more chances but fewer goals. But with time it will be fine,” reasoned Nus.

Nus believes that the players are motivated at NorthEast United and are aware of their fallacies or areas where they need to improve upon.

“It is not hard to motivate players. They are professionals. They all have the desire to win. The players are 100 per cent focussed. The team wants to get better. We need to have that confidence and we are going in a good direction. A lot of games are coming up. So just moving from one game to another,” he pointed.

He reiterated that scoring goals is the most difficult part of football and that his players are aware of how important it is to find the back of the net.

“We have scored a lot of goals. We want more. We want to win games and scoring is important. Without scoring you cannot win games. We can create those opportunities but there is an opponent who tries to avert that. It is definitely the hardest thing in football,” he signed off.

Manchester United star Bruno Fernandes found himself in Roy Keane's firing line after going down to a 2-0 defeat to Manchester City on Wednesday. 

The Reds' Carabao Cup hopes were extinguished at the semi-final stage as the holders proved too strong at Old Trafford. 

John Stones gave the visitors the lead five minutes after the half-time restart, before Fernandinho put the result beyond doubt in the final stages to keep Pep Guardiola's men on track for a fourth straight success in the competition. 

Former United captain Keane was not happy with what he saw from the club, and singled Fernandes out for harsh criticism as United missed the chance to pursue their first silverware under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. 

"It’s not easy, it’s not easy winning football trophies," Keane stated on Sky Sports, while going on to compare the Portuguese midfielder unfavourably with a past Reds idol.

"Fernandes has had great praise and over the past month people have been comparing him to people like Eric Cantona etcetera. But Cantona [won trophies].

"Fernandes didn’t really do much tonight. The top players turn up on the big occasions, and that’s what the Cantona’s used to do to get their hands on trophies. And that’s where this team is a little bit short.

"They’ll probably need one or two more players to come into the squad, no doubt, and the mentality they need – maybe the confidence of winning this semi-final to get them over the line and then you get momentum. And they just didn’t quite have it tonight.

"But credit to City. United were up against an outstanding Manchester City team tonight who turned up and put on a good show."

Despite Wednesday's setback Keane still sees plenty of positives around Old Trafford, with Solskjaer's charges tied at the top of the Premier League alongside Liverpool having played a game fewer than their great rivals. 

"The next game is always your most important game. Against Watford [in the FA Cup], Championship team, no doubt United will rotate and rest some players," he added. 

 "And then Burnley certainly won’t be an easy game for them but you can’t take your eyes off the Liverpool game. If United go and win at Burnley and then win at Liverpool, they could be six points clear of Liverpool.

"Bizarre when you think of the start to the season that United had, so United, Ole and the players have to stay positive and look forward to the upcoming games."

Lyon star Memphis Depay said he may finish the season with the Ligue 1 giants after being linked to Barcelona for the majority of the summer.

Depay continues to be linked with a move to Barca, and he could be set to move there on a free as his contract at Lyon expires at the end of the season.

The Netherlands international's links to Barca have been heavily aided by his relationship with Ronald Koeman, who coached Depay with the Dutch national team before taking over the La Liga giants this summer.

Having earned 59 international caps, Depay has scored 21 goals for the Netherlands, featuring for the third-place finishers at the 2014 World Cup in Russia.

Depay scored twice in Lyon's 3-2 win over Lens on Wednesday as they moved three points clear at the top.

While he is linked with a move, Depay said he may yet finish the campaign with Lyon rather than depart this month before his contract expired.

"I'm happy here. We have a great team, I really like the president, we'll see what happens," he told Canal+ following Wednesday's win.

"The president and I know what happened in the last four seasons. Let's keep going and enjoy my presence. I might be here until the end of the season.

"Let's focus on Saturday's game, let's be happy, we have a great team."

Only Paris Saint-Germain star Kylian Mbappe (16) has been directly involved in more Ligue 1 goals than Depay (14) this season.

But no player has created more chances than Depay's 42 for high-flying Lyon.

Depay has also created 10 big chances, with only Marseille forward Florian Thauvin (12) and PSG attacker Angel Di Maria (11) having created more.

The Dutch star originally moved to Lyon in 2017 after struggling to breakthrough with Manchester United.

Depay moved to Old Trafford in 2015, but scored just seven goals in 53 appearances during his time in England.

Since arriving in France, Depay has fired 64 goals in 155 matches, helping Lyon reach the semi-finals of the Champions League last season.

As things stand, Lyon are in action again on Saturday when they visit Rennes.

Diego Simeone hinted at the idea he could leave Atletico Madrid at the end of the season after their awful Copa del Rey defeat to third-tier Cornella.

Simeone's La Liga leaders exited the Copa on Wednesday, losing 1-0 to a goal from former Atletico B defender Adrian Jimenez.

Ricard Sanchez was sent off as Atleti slumped to a shock reverse swiftly described by the Spanish media as a "disaster" among the very worst of Simeone's 502 games in charge of the club.

The long-time coach named a strong side, including record signing Joao Felix, but saw his team remarkably unable to register a single shot on target.

Copa failings are a familiar story by now, though, with the Rojiblancos losing to Cultural Leonesa last season. Meanwhile, they have not beaten a fellow LaLiga outfit in the competition since seeing off Elche in January 2017.

Simeone recognised Atleti are struggling in one-off knockout matches - also losing in last season's Champions League to RB Leipzig - but added the surprising qualifier that it would be an issue to consider only if he was still at the helm next year.

"[Cornella] played better," he said. "In the whole game, what they wanted was always done better than what we wanted.

"They took advantage of the set-piece situations and immediately found the goal.

"The boys tried to compete in the best way. In the first half, we had more chances, and in the second, it was rockier. It got difficult after the red card.

"This competition has not given us satisfaction in recent years but solutions will have to be found if we are here next year."

Saul Niguez, captain on the night, identified the same problem as he added: "We apologise to the fans. We never throw away competitions, but in these single-game editions we are not doing well."

Given Atleti's struggles, the decision to replace Joao Felix with 18-year-old debutant Mario Soriano 15 minutes from time prompted some discussion.

But the Portugal international mustered only one shot, which was blocked, prior to his withdrawal and failed to create a single chance - unlike his replacement.

Joao Felix epitomised the visitors' display as he completed just 13 of his 21 attempted passes and lost possession 13 times, winning none of his three aerial duels.

The change still appeared a big call, yet Simeone explained his star forward was struggling with an ankle injury.

"He was hurt," Simeone said. "We looked for a fresher guy. He had a bruised ankle and we wanted to find a guy in good condition."

Abdul Majeed Waris scored his first goal of the season to help Strasbourg demolish Nimes 5-0 in Wednesday’s Ligue 1 game.

The forward came off the bench to make his 11th league appearance and delivered spectacular performances to help the Racers secure a comfortable win at Stade de la Meinau.

Thierry Laurey’s men hit the ground running in the encounter and opened the scoring in the 36th minute through Ludovic Ajorque.

Two minutes later, Senegal international Habib Diallo doubled the lead, hitting his effort past the reach of goalkeeper Baptiste Reynet after he was set up by Ivory Coast forward Jean Aholou.

Moments before the end of the first half, Kenny Lala made it three for the Stade de la Meinau outfit with a fine individual effort.

Ajorque got his second in the encounter in the 51st minute after receiving a timely assist from Anthony Caci.

The forward came close to grabbing a hat-trick in the game when he was afforded to take a penalty awarded to his side but he blew the glorious opportunity.

In the 73rd minute, Ghana international Waris was introduced into the game, replacing Ajorque and made his presence felt when he sealed his side’s victory.

The forward made no mistake in sending goalkeeper Reynet to the wrong side of the net, firing his penalty to the back of the net.

 Diallo featured for the entirety of the game for Strasbourg while Aholou played for 83 minutes before making ways for Mahame Siby.

For Nimes, Senegal international Moussa Kone played for 46 minutes before he was replaced by Niclas Eliasson while Morocco’s Yassine Benrahou featured for 20 minutes after he was brought on for Andres Cubas.

The victory moved Strasbourg off the bottom three to the 16thh spot after gathering 17 points from 18 games.

Waris will hope to continue his impressive performances when his side slug it out against Lens in their next league game on January 9.

The Ghana international teamed up with Strasbourg in January and has previously featured for Spartak Moscow, Lorient and Porto among others.

John Stones ended his long goal drought as holders Manchester City secured a 2-0 derby win over Manchester United to set up an EFL Cup final showdown with Tottenham.

Stones has been outstanding at the heart of the City defence since forcing his way back into the side this season and he scored his first City goal in 1,162 days at Old Trafford on Wednesday.

The in-form centre-back had earlier put the ball in his own net early on but Marcus Rashford was offside, summing up how his fortunes have changed.

United were unable to respond following Stones' goal early in the second half and Fernandinho doubled City's lead seven minutes from time with an excellent finish.

Pep Guardiola's side were worthy winners, dumping their neighbours out at the same stage they did 12 months ago as they aim to win the competition for a fourth consecutive season.

Stones was relieved to see the flag raised after the ball bounced off him and into his own net before Ilkay Gundogan had a goal ruled out for offside at the other end in a pulsating start after a poignant minute's silence for City legend Colin Bell, who died on Tuesday at the age of 74.

Zack Steffen denied Bruno Fernandes with a magnificent one-handed save at full stretch and Kevin De Bruyne rattled the point with a rasping drive from 20 yards out.

City were dictating the tempo and Phil Foden was also denied an opening goal after straying just offside in an entertaining, but goalless first half.

It took less than five minutes of the second half for the opening goal to arrive, though, Stones finding the back of the net for a second time on the night when he turned Foden's inviting free-kick in with his left thigh.

Dean Henderson tipped Raheem Sterling's header around the post and produced a fine save to keep out Riyad Mahrez's venomous strike as City scented a second goal.

United could not find a way through a well-drilled City defence and Fernandinho settled it, firing home with his right foot from outside the penalty area following a corner from the right.

What does it mean? Ominous City pay fitting tribute to Bell

City made a big statement in the battle for the Premier League title when they outclassed Chelsea last weekend and they are now unbeaten in 12 matches.

Guardiola's men have won five in a row and this was their first victory over United in four attempts as they paid a fitting tribute to their late midfield great Bell.

City have dominated the EFL Cup and will be favourites to lift the trophy for a sixth time in eight seasons when they face Spurs in the final at Wembley on April 25.

Stones rock solid alongside dominant Dias

After falling out of favour at the Etihad Stadium, Stones has been brilliant alongside the hugely impressive record signing Ruben Dias.

Brimming with confidence, Stones was typically calm on the ball and read the game superbly as United fired a blank for the first time since they were held to a goalless draw by City on the same ground on December 12.

As well as scoring his first City goal since November 2017, Stones gained possession six times, won 80 per cent of his duels and had a passing accuracy of 95.3 per cent. The uncompromising Dias made six clearances, two blocks and won all of his five duels.

Fernandes fails to fire

United have now lost four semi-finals in a row and they could have no complaints.

It was not a night to remember for Fernandes, who had a passing accuracy of only 59.4 per cent in the City half and twice blazed off target when he had a sight of goal.

Key Opta Stats:

- City are only the second side to reach four consecutive finals in the competition after Liverpool, who did so between 1981 and 1984.
- This will be their ninth final – only Liverpool (12) have played in more.
- United have been eliminated from three of their last four semi-final ties in the tournament, having progressed from eight of nine before that.
- The home team has won just three of the last 15 derbies between United and City in all competitions (D3 L9).
- City have now had 16 different goalscorers in all competitions this season, more than any other Premier League team.

What's next?

Guardiola's side are at home to Birmingham City in the third round of the FA Cup on Sunday, while United also face Championship opposition in the form of Watford a day earlier.