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Liverpool losing 7-2 at Aston Villa was “not a big deal”, says Ronny Rosenthal, with the former Reds winger of the opinion that heavy defeats are no different to narrow ones and that Jurgen Klopp’s side remain favourites to defend their Premier League crown this season.

The 2020-21 campaign has thrown up a number of surprise results, with the continued absence of supporters from most stadiums helping to level a top-flight playing field.

Supposed heavyweights have been caught by the odd crushing blow from plucky rivals and an intriguing title race has been thrown wide open.

Liverpool still lead the way in that, having brought their 30-year wait for top-flight glory to a close last term, but an air of invincibility has deserted the Reds.

Villa made the most of that during a memorable outing on home soil in early October, as they inflicted a stunning defeat on the defending champions.

Klopp’s men have responded positively to that, and a number of unfortunate injuries, with a gruelling schedule being ticked off one game at a time.

Rosenthal can appreciate why Liverpool’s charismatic German coach has complained about hectic fixture lists at times, but he sees a well-oiled machine ticking over nicely at Anfield.

The former Reds midfielder told Forbes: “I can understand him (Klopp), but it is the same for all the clubs.

“Liverpool still have the quality without Virgil van Dijk. They have one or two young players coming in.

“Here and there they will drop points, but they still have sufficient quality to dominate. A 7-2 can happen.

“Today in the Premier League, anyone can beat anyone, even 7-2! It was a kind of game where everything was collapsing. It was a one-off, a single game in 200 games, so be it.

“To lose 7-2 or 1-0, it is zero points, you know. It is not a big deal.”

While looking to shrug off a historic reversal in the West Midlands, Rosenthal accepts that Liverpool will not have things all their own way in 2021.

He expects the chasing pack to get much closer to Klopp’s side this season, but still sees the Reds coming out on top.

The Israeli added: “It was never expected that Liverpool was going to repeat the last season, finishing with a difference of 20 points.

“It’s clear that they can’t do it again, but they can still win the league because on paper they have the strongest team. 

“The squad, the quality of the players, they are complete. They have quality in every department, that is why they will continue to be the main contender. They are the favourites.”

Liverpool will be back in action on Monday when they take in a trip to Southampton.

Uganda head coach Johnathan McKinstry has explained how they plan to tackle Morocco in the African Nations Championship tournament in Cameroon.

The Cranes are in Group C with the reigning champions as well as Rwanda and Togo but the coach has specifically explained how he hopes to deal with the North African opponents.

“We just have to be in the best conditions because we know North African teams have not done well in Chan,” McKinstry told the Fufa website.

“We expect them to be difficult opponents because their clubs go deeper and feature in the Caf Champions League and Morocco are one of Uganda’s three opponents in Group C of the Chan finals in Cameroon.

“The nature of winning or doing well in Chan is that the number of players get opportunities to go and play outside of their domestic leagues.”

Uganda will engage in a mini-tournament against Cameroon, Zambia and Niger and their first opponents will be against the Indomitable Lions on Friday.

“It is two contrasting preparations [between Uganda and Cameroon],” the North Irish coach stated on their mode of preparations.

“Obviously for us, we got the players a week ago but connectivity needs to be worked on. We also had five Premier League rounds of action while our opponents have not had league action since March but have played four or five build-ups matches in the last three weeks.”

On his part, goalkeeper Nafian Alionzi said his teammates have had enough training.

“As a team, we are ready for the task coming ahead,” Alionzi said.

“We shall take it game per game to get out of the group stage. The energy is good as we have prepared enough and the team is up to the task. With the chances and forces we have as a team, we shall make it through the group stages.”

Uganda will play Cameroon at Ahamdaou Ahidjo Stadium in Yaounde at 8:00 EAT on January 1 while the Zambian game will be staged on January 4 at 6:00 EAT.

The final game against Niger will be played on January 7 also at 6:00 EAT. McKinstry picked 25 players for the pre-Chan tournament.

Mumbai City have had a 12-day break since their 2-0 win over Hyderabad FC. Now they gear up to face Kerala Blasters in the ongoing Indian Super League (ISL) on Saturday.

The Islanders head coach, Sergio Lobera, feels that the break has came when the team was in good momentum with a six-game unbeaten run. However, the break has allowed Lobera to work on implementing his ideas.

"We have got some time to analyse the situation at the club after a long time. When you are in a good momentum, it's not easy to stop playing, but on the other hand, it's good to have more time to work on our philosophy and style of play. This is because we had a very short time in pre-season and time between games," he said.

"Now we had time to work but if I can choose, [I would prefer] not a long break and after that play three games [in 10 days], but this is the situation and we need to adapt in this scenario."

After Kerala, Mumbai face Bengaluru and ATK Mohun Bagan to conclude the first half of the season but Lobera is fixated only on the next fixture.

"I'm only thinking about Kerala Blasters. We need to put our focus on the next game and thinking about the next three games is not good for us because our next game is going to be difficult against a very good team with a good coach (Kibu Vicuna). They have very good players and try to play in a similar style like us.

"It's not easy, especially living inside the [bio] bubble with Christmas and New Year. 12 days is a long time without competitive games but I have a very good squad with very good professionals. For me, it's easy because they (players) want to work everyday to improve their level. I think it's difficult but at the same time, it is easy because I have very good players."

Mumbai City can reclaim the top spot with a positive result on Saturday. They currently have one of the best attacking and defensive numbers in the league. 

"As a coach, you need to work on the offensive and defensive balance. We play attacking football but it's very important for us to work across the pitch. The team understands the situation in transition very well and I'm very happy with the team because they are working very well in this aspect," Lobera mentioned.

Goalkeeper Amrinder Singh, having started in all games so far, has conceded the joint least number of goals (3) with ATK Mohun Bagan's Arindam Bhattacharya. He feels that the break helped the team regroup and expressed his confidence in the coach's plan.

"I think we got this 12-day break at the perfect time to recover all our players from minor injuries. Our last few sessions have been very good with the entire squad and we are feeling confident about ourselves.

"I've always wanted to play with my feet and have always waited for such an opportunity that I got this year under our coach (Sergio Lobera). I'm very comfortable playing in this style of football. We start our attacks from the goalkeeper," he stated.

Working alongside experienced forwards such as Adam le Fondre and Bartholomew Ogbeche has also helped him up his game, claimed the 27-year-old.

"When you train against good strikers everyday, it helps a lot. Both of them (Le Fondre and Ogbeche) are very good strikers and talking to them helps me understand what goes on in a striker's mind. 

"We want to do well in every game. The players' mindset is only to win and this has helped the team a lot. I think we have also understood the plan of the coach and it has made it easier for us to do things on the pitch."

Luka Jovic has been offered a route out of Real Madrid by his former club Eintracht Frankfurt, with Adi Hutter leaving a door open for the Serbian striker in Germany.

A stunning 2018-19 campaign for the 23-year-old frontman saw him attract interest from across Europe.

Jovic hit 27 goals for Eintracht that season, with his stock soaring as leading sides jostled for position at the front of a transfer queue.

Moves to Italy and England were mooted, but Real won the race for a much sought-after signature and added what they considered to be huge potential to their ranks at Santiago Bernabeu.

A dream switch to Spain has become a nightmare for Jovic, however, with regular game time in short supply.

That is because he has struggled to deliver on expectation, with just two goals recorded through 32 appearances.

In addition, unfortunate headlines have been made on and off the field, leading to further transfer talk being sparked in each passing window.

Another has now swung open, with Real weighing up their options, and it could be that Jovic is presented with an opportunity to retrace his steps back to the Bundesliga.

Eintracht coach Hutter would be open to putting an agreement in place, telling reporters when quizzed on the possibility of snapping up a familiar face: “It is something that has not escaped anyone.

“He is getting very few minutes at Real Madrid and, surely, he would have nothing against returning to Frankfurt.”

Jovic has taken in just two La Liga starts for the Blancos this season, while seeing only 149 minutes of top-flight action in total, and looks to be in desperate need of taking on a new challenge.

Interest from the Premier League in his services is said to have been retained, with several sides in the market for another goalscorer, but Eintracht hope emotional ties will work in their favour.

Hutter is, however, prepared to admit that discussions regarding a return for Jovic will not be easy given the size of his salary in the Spanish capital.

He added: “It is correct what has been written about what Luka earns per year.”

A loan deal that sees Real subsidise Jovic’s earnings could be one solution for Eintracht, with talks able to be held now that the winter window of 2021 has opened for business.

Simba SC spokesman Haji Manara has stated winning 4-1 against Yanga SC in the FA Cup semi-finals was one of the best moments in the year 2020.

Wekundu wa Msimbazi met their sworn rivals in the last four of the competition and managed to get their goals through Brazilian Gerson Fraga, Zambian midfielder Clatous Chama, Mozambique international Luis Miquissone and Muzamiru Yassin while Yanga scored their consolation courtesy of Feisal Salum.

The vocal official has also pointed out that winning three titles - the Community Shield, FA Cup and the Tanzania Mainland League, is also one of the best achievements of the concluded year.

"It has been a good year for us because we managed to win three trophies and remember we also played in the Mapinduzi Cup finals [but lost 1-0 to Mtibwa Sugar]," Manara told Azam TV.

"We also defeated Yanga SC 4-1 this year, which is the best ever gift to Simba fans.

"We also won most awards after the conclusion of the league, 2020 Most Valuable Player [Clatous Chama], best goalkeeper [Aishi Manula], top scorer [Meddie Kagere] and also remember we had six players in the team of the year.

"Everything good came from Simba. We were eliminated from the Caf Champions League in 2019, but after then, everything else was on our favour.

"Yes the team is still in transition which I think might go up to 2021, but apart from that, we dominated."

The official is also hopeful of qualifying for the group stage of the Caf Champions League. Simba are trailing by a solitary goal against FC Platinum of Zimbabwe scored by Perfect Chikwende.

Wekundu wa Msimbazi are hopeful of getting a result they need to advance.

"[On Wednesday, January 1] we are playing in the Champions League and have hopes of making it to the group stage," Manara concluded.

The 21-time champions are aiming at winning their fourth league title in a row.

However, they are facing a stiff challenge from Timu ya Wananchi who have started the season on a high. Wananchi are currently unbeaten after 18 games. 

The former champions are on 44 points, nine points more than the reigning champions who have played 15 games.

Mamelodi Sundowns left-back Lyle Lakay says it is imperative for the team to remain focused as the race for the 2020/21 Premier Soccer League (PSL) title resumes. 

Sundowns are set to welcome Orlando Pirates in an eagerly-awaited blockbuster at Loftus Stadium on Saturday afternoon in what will be the first PSL match in 2021. 

Masandawana have had a fine start to their PSL title defence as they are placed at the top of the league standings - undefeated having recorded five wins and three draws.

Lakay, who has been preferred ahead of Tebogo Langerman in the left-back position, said they are determined to retain the league trophy as they prepare for one of their title rivals, Pirates. 

“We have started the league on a good note. Now, we shouldn’t lose focus,” Lakay told Daily Sun. 

“It might still be too early, but I can’t hide the fact that we’re focusing on retaining the league title.”

Lakay and his teammates will be up against a Pirates side which is undefeated across all competitions this season and they are currently enjoying a three-match winning run. 

Pirates are placed fifth on the league standings five points behind leaders, Sundowns, but the former have a game in hand.

Sundowns free-kick specialist Lakay admitted that they are under pressure heading into their mouthwatering encounter with Bucs, who were crowned 2020 MTN8 champions last month.

“There is always pressure to bear but the more you win games," the former SuperSport United academy player added, "The more you gain confidence. That eases the pressure in some way." 

The Cape Town-born player could not travel to his hometown after Sundowns' 2-0 win over Botswana side Jwaneng Galaxy in the Caf Champions League first-round first-leg match on December 22.

Instead, Lakay spent the festive break with his wife and sister in Johannesburg amidst the curfew which has been imposed by South Africa president Cyril Ramaphosa in order to curb the spread of the coronavirus in the country. 

“The family down in the Cape understands the situation we find ourselves in. It's quite scary when you look at the number of people who are dying," he concluded. 

In 2019, Lakay spent his Christmas far away in North Africa as Sundowns travelled to Algeria for a Caf Champions League match against USM Alger. 

After leaving Zambian Super League giants Zesco United, Harambee Stars defender David Odhiambo has been linked with a Lusaka side.

Odhiambo left the Ndola club after his contract expired and barely a day after his exit was confirmed, the defender is said to be on his way to join another Zambian top side.

Calabar, as Odhiambo is famously known, was the first high profile Kenyan to join a Zambian club in 2014 after he had helped Gor Mahia end their title drought in 2013.

His six-year stint saw him establish himself as one of the best foreign talents not only at Zesco United but also in the Zambian league. He went on to win five Super League titles, three Absa Cups, and two Charity Shields.

His great abilities also saw Zesco United establish themselves as regular competitors in the Caf Champions League and in the Confederation Cups.

Odhiambo was part of the general Timu ya Ziko squad that struggled in the 2019/20 season, failed to defend the Super League title and finished fifth. They ended up missing on the continental slots after participating in the last eight years.

“On behalf of the Zesco United Football Club executive, I wish to take this opportunity to thank Odhiambo for his dedication and commitment to duty. We will never forget his contribution towards the growth and success of this football club,” Zesco United Chief Executive Officer Richard Mulenga said as reports now indicate he may soon serve a rival team.

Should Odhiambo complete any move soon, he would be the third Kenyan to change clubs recently in Zambia. Musa Mohamed joined Lusaka Dynamos after his contract with the current champions Nkana FC ended. He was later joined by Duncan Otieno who was also key for Nkana in their 2019/20 pursuit for the league title.

Otieno had initially joined Football Kenyan Federation Premier League side AFC Leopards before he left for Lusaka Dynamos a move that was previously challenged by the Kenyan side.

Otieno and Mohamed are among the Kenyan stars doing trade in Zambia. The others are Harun Shakava and Duke Abuya of Nkana while Zesco United still host Ian Otieno, John Makwatta and Jesse Were.

Shaban Odhoji and Timothy Otieno are at Napsa Stars while Andrew Tololwa is at Red Arrows.

Sead Kolasinac marks “the beginning of the cull” at Arsenal, says Perry Groves, with Mikel Arteta backed to have the rest of the Gunners’ “deadwood” cleared out by the end of the season.

That process has been put in motion at Emirates Stadium, with a Bosnian international defender allowed to link up with Schalke on a short-term loan deal.

With the exit doors in north London now swung open, there could be plenty of footfall heading in that direction.

Several fringe players are said to have been deemed surplus to requirements under Arteta, with World Cup winner Mesut Ozil the most prominent member of that pack.

Offloading the former Germany international will not be easy, but the likes of Shkodran Mustafi and Sokratis Papastathopoulos could be moved on.

Groves believes a clean-up operation at Arsenal will drag through to the summer of 2021, but he expects expensive baggage to be dumped on a regular basis along the way.

The Gunners cult hero told talkSPORT after seeing Kolasinac head to Germany: “It’s the beginning of the cull. I think he’s on upwards of £100,000-a-week, so if they are paying a percentage that might free up some money if they are going to get some players in themselves on loan maybe.

“There’s a lot of players like Mustafi and Sokratis, the deadwood players that will be cleared out at the end of the season.

“He hasn’t really kicked on. Everyone thought when he came in the side he’s old school and tough. A no-nonsense left-back; but defensively he didn’t think.

“We’re not short at left-back because [Bukayo] Saka can play everywhere.”

Arteta has admitted that he wants to clear the decks at Arsenal during the January window, with the Premier League heavyweights eager to start afresh after enduring a testing 2020-21 campaign to this point.

A Spanish tactician has said: “We have a large squad and we knew that. A lot of things that should have happened in the summer, we cannot accomplish for different reasons.

“There are some players that are going to go on loan and going to leave and that is the priority at the moment.

“We cannot sustain the numbers that we have in certain positions and we are looking to do that, and then we will see if we have the right opportunity in the positions where we need some more help.”

When Arsenal splurged on Nicolas Pepe in summer 2019, they believed the then-LOSC Lille wide attacker will take them to the next level.

Even though the club’s decision-makers went against the wishes of former boss Unai Emery, who wanted Crystal Palace forward Wilfried Zaha, the majority of supporters were excited about Pepe.

Despite the high fee, his age, quality and end product indicated they hadn’t only made the right decision to opt for the younger Ivory Coast attacker, but also found someone to share the final-third burden with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexander Lacazette.

Going into 2021, however, and it’s not amiss to say the big-money acquisition hasn’t delivered on his promise with the talented Bukayo Saka and previously unknown Gabriel Martinelli probably ahead in the pecking order as it stands.

Undoubtedly, the New Year will be of great significance to the 25-year-old, as he strives to win back his place in Mikel Arteta’s side.

Pepe: The story of 2020

After a bright start to the year against Manchester United at the Emirates Stadium, anyone who had intimated the wide forward wouldn’t be in Arteta’s team by the end of the year may have been dismissed.

Pepe not only scored in the impressive win over the Red Devils, he arguably gave his best performance in an Arsenal shirt on that glorious night in North London.

Nevertheless, the high point of the year came in that marvellous FA Cup run that culminated in the Gunners’ 14th title. While Aubameyang got the majority of the adulation, Pepe’s role in the semi-final and decider against Manchester City and Chelsea often falls under the radar.

Unfortunately, he has mostly failed to kick on since that final — although, this can be said for nearly every member of the side, including Auba — with his lowest moment coming at Elland Road where he received a mindless sending off against Leeds United.

While Arteta has had to make do with flashes of brilliance in the Premier League, Pepe’s been on fire on the continent, having a direct hand in six goals (three goals, three assists) in the Europa League. Nobody in the Arsenal side has more.

Now, the hope is to see the Jekyll and Hyde winger carry his form in Europe into the top flight games consistently in 2021.

Pepe: Any transfer rumours?

In truth, it would take a massive climbdown by the club to even consider selling the player in whom they invested a lot approximately 18 months ago.

Allowing any clubs to sniff around means Arsenal have admitted the West African won’t turn into the key player they imagined he’d become at the club.

While no links have so far surfaced, it’ll be quite strange for any side to take the plunge on someone whose stock has fallen significantly in the last year and a bit.

Pepe: One big ambition for 2021

Simple. For Pepe to finally show the sort of form and consistency he displayed in those final 24 months in France, irrespective of the competition for places in Arteta’s forward line.

Arsenal, for their part, do need the ROI as they hope to make a play for the top four in the second half of the season — there’s currently a nine-point deficit but nothing can be ruled out in a crazy season — and look to win the Europa League for the first time.

Pepe: One big fear for 2021

If he continues to play second fiddle to the club’s young attackers.

Indeed, this wasn’t the scenario Pepe imagined at the start of the season, but Martinelli’s return to fitness and Saka’s continued ascent don't bode well for the New Year.

Malaysia Premier League side Kelantan FC can now breath easier thanks to a recent FIFA decision.

The Red Warriors announced that the world football governing body has lifted a player signing ban it had imposed on the club early last year, for the failure to settle a former player's wage.

The club published a letter it received from FIFA's player status department, informing them that a player signing ban they had received has been lifted, after Kelantan were proven to have paid their arrears to forward, Cassio de Jesus.

"Kelantan FC are now free from any player transfer bans, and are now able to register new players for the 2021 season. Insyaallah Kelantan will be ready to compete," stated the club in the post.

FIFA had in early 2020 slapped Kelantan with a two-transfer window player signing ban for failing to fully pay De Jesus' wages, a responsibility that then fell to entreprenuer Norizam Tukiman when he purchased the club from the Kelantan FA.

Apart from the lifting of the ban, the East Coast West Malaysian side also managed to further reduce its arrears, by successfully persuading a number of their 2020 squad members to reduce their November 2020 wage by 50 per cent.

They played only one match in the month, a 3-2 defeat to UiTM FC in the final sixteen round of the Malaysia Cup that knocked them out of the competition. Even if they had won the encounter, they would not be playing in any more matches because the cup would end up getting cancelled after the final sixteen round matches were played due to rising Covid-19 cases in the country.

The Malaysian club that have picked up an unwanted reputation as a poor paymaster in the last half decade can now fully concentrate their attention on rebuilding and returning to the top tier under Norizam's ownership.

In the past week, they announced that they will lease Koperasi Gemilang Tani's pitch as their training ground, and repair work is underway. In the meantime, they are looking to promote their best youth players to the first team.

The 2020-21 Indian Super League (ISL) is a crucial season in the professional career of Malayali goalkeeper TP Rehenesh. The custodian had unsuccessful stints at NorthEast United and Kerala Blasters and received a lot of flak for his displays in between the sticks for the Yellow Army during the 2019-20 season. 

But things seem to have changed for him at Jamshedpur FC and Rehenesh has managed it turn his fortunes around. The keeper is currently one of the most important players in Owen Coyle's starting lineup, has started every single game he was available for selection so far for the Men of Steel. He has made more than a few brilliant saves to keep the team in the top-four mix. 

To find out why there has been such a marked difference in the levels of performances of the player at his current and previous clubs, it is worth exploring the cultural differences of how the game is viewed in these two cities. It may not be better or worse at Kerala Blasters, but it is definitely different. 

At Jamshedpur, Rehenesh has looked carefree. He has looked like he is enjoying the importance given to him by Coyle and has not looked to be under pressure from the fans at any point so far. 

“Well, I can only speak about my goalkeeper, but there are some very good goalkeepers in the league. There was the Indian international at the other end today, Gurpreet (Singh Sandhu) made some fantastic saves today. But, about Rehenesh, when I was bringing him to the club I spoke to him beforehand and told him what I needed from him," Coyle said after Jamshedpur FC's 1-0 win over Bengaluru FC.

“On the back of that, I was determined to sign him which I did. There are still areas I want him to keep improving and striving to get better. But, he is a wonderful lad and gives us everything we need from a goalkeeper,” the 54-year-old said. 

Clearly, the approach that Coyle has taken with Rehenesh and the work that the support staff have done with him has boosted the goalkeeper's confidence, which was down in the doldrums at his pervious club.

Rehenesh's performance in Kerala was very poor to say the least and it could be argued that he was a victim of social media abuse at times. His confidence was shot and he never really recovered from it. 

Seven months ago, a teary-eyed TP Rehenesh apologetically stood in front of the Kerala Blasters supporters who were present at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium after a heavy 6-3 defeat at the hands of Chennaiyin in Kochi. He had gifted his opponents a goal due to a goalkeeping blunder and both outside the stadium and on social media, the abuses being hurled at the player were unstoppable. 

Another factor to consider is the quality of defenders in front of him. So far, Rehenesh has made 27 saves, the most by any keeper in ISL this season, and kept three clean sheets (only the top two teams Mumbai City and ATK Mohun Bagan have more) in nine matches. However, he has much better leadership in front of him, thanks to the experience of Peter Hartley and Stephen Eze. 

Coyle's tactics have also helped the keeper. The former Chennaiyin coach doesn't want his team to boring but is also not a stickler for possession-based football to win matches and isn't addicted to having his goalkeepers play out from the back every single time he gets the ball. For a keeper like Rehenesh, it helps. 

It's been a phenomenal turnaround in the career of Rehenesh so far but the season is only half done. The team looks really good to be playoff contenders and the Malayali is on his way to complete a massive comeback from his disastrous stint in Kochi.