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Mark Noble says that he hopes Declan Rice will remain with West Ham for the foreseeable future, although the veteran midfielder admitted "you never know" what can happen as big clubs swirl.

Rice has been the subject of interest from the likes of Chelsea and Manchester United since breaking through with West Ham's first team in 2017.

The 21-year-old midfielder, who has earned 13 senior caps since opting to represent England rather than Ireland at international level, has featured 16 times for the Hammers this season.

As rumours continue linking Rice to some of England's biggest clubs, Noble says he remains hopeful that he may be able to call Rice a team-mate for the foreseeable future, but he does understand how difficult it will be for that to be a reality.

“He’s still learning his trade, he’ll get much better with experience. I’m hoping it’s here [at West Ham] but in this game you never know,” Noble told TalkSPORT.

“I’m sure he’ll be a top, top player and an even better player in years to come.”

Noble, who has been with West Ham since joining as a youth player in 2000, added that he believes Rice can someday captain England if he continues his development into one of the Premier League's top midfielders.

“With Dec I don’t have to say too much. He’s such a great kid, got a great family, he’s a top, top player.

“There are two or three things that I’ve been on him about in the last two seasons to change in what he does.

“I do believe that if he progresses then he’ll captain England one day. That’s the sort of player he is.

“He’s such a level-headed kid. You’ve got to remember he’s still only 21.”

West Ham currently sit 10th in the Premier League, having most recently earned a 2-2 draw with Brighton on Sunday.

Rice, Noble and the Hammers are set to visit Southampton on Tuesday before continuing their busy festive schedule with a visit to Everton on New Years' Day.

Leicester City manager Brendan Rodgers believes that Kelechi Iheanacho was the right choice to take the Foxes' penalty against Crystal Palace, even though the Nigeria international fluffed his lines. 

The King Power Stadium outfit were awarded a penalty after James Tomkins brought down Luke Thomas in the box during their 1-1 draw against the Eagles in Monday’s Premier League game.

Iheanacho was handed the opportunity to take the spot-kick, but his effort was saved by goalkeeper Vicente Guaita. 

Wilfried Zaha later opened the scoring in the encounter for Crystal Palace before Harvey Barnes scored an important equalizer to help the Foxes avoid defeat.

Rodgers confirmed the Super Eagles forward has proven his suitability to take the Foxes' penalty in training, and encouraged the attacker to put the disappointment behind him.

"I said at half time, it was one you have to let go of. He practised yesterday and hit five out of five, so he was confident, but it is just one of those things," Rodgers told Amazon Prime.

Despite the draw, Leicester maintain the second spot on the Premier League table after gathering 29 points from 16 games.

Iheanacho is gradually establishing himself at the King Power Stadium, having struggled for consistency since his arrival at the club.

The centre-forward teamed up with the Foxes in the summer of 2017 from Manchester City and has now made 78 Premier League appearances, scoring 28 goals.

In the current campaign, the 24-year-old has scored three goals and provided four assists in 15 appearances across all competitions.

The forward will hope to deliver a better performance when Leicester square off against Newcastle United in the next Premier League game on January 3.

Iheanacho's recent form earned him a return to the Nigeria national team after missing their Africa Cup of Nations campaign in Egypt, where the Super Eagles finished third.

The attacker featured prominently for the three-time African champions in their recent friendlies and Afcon qualifiers.

Everton have requested full disclosure of all the information submitted by Manchester City to the Premier League after Monday's match was postponed.

The Premier League confirmed four hours ahead of the scheduled kick-off at Goodison Park that the game would not go ahead due to a coronavirus outbreak in City's camp.

Gabriel Jesus, Kyle Walker and another two members of staff had previously tested positive for Covid-19, but City's Boxing Day clash with Newcastle United still went ahead.

However, City lodged a request to rearrange the match with Everton 48 hours later following an increase in positive Covid-19 test results received earlier on Monday.

The Premier League Board agreed to reschedule the game as a precaution, saying the health of players and staff takes priority.

But the Premier League told clubs before the start of the season that requests to postpone matches would be rejected unless at least 14 players were ruled out.

Everton, one of only two clubs along with Merseyside rivals Liverpool able to welcome fans to their ground, are seeking further explanation as to why the game was called off.

A club statement read: "Everton Football Club regret the postponement of tonight's match against Manchester City - not only for the 2,000 fans who would have been attending, but for supporters on Merseyside and across the world.

"Our players were prepared for the game, as were both the team staff and everyone at Goodison. Matchday is the most important date in our calendar. And this was a big one.

"Whilst Everton will always have public safety uppermost, we will be requesting full disclosure of all the information that Manchester City provided to the Premier League so the club can be clear on why this decision was taken."

Monday's match is the second Premier League fixture to be postponed due to a coronavirus outbreak, with Newcastle United's game against Aston Villa this month also delayed.

Carlo Ancelotti's team are three points behind leaders Liverpool after 15 games, while City are a further three adrift having played one game fewer.

Frank Lampard admits Chelsea are missing Hakim Ziyech amid their recent slump in results.

The Blues were held to a 1-1 draw by Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge on Monday, seeing Olivier Giroud's opening goal cancelled out by an Anwar El Ghazi strike in the second half.

Chelsea have won just one of their last five matches in the Premier League, having recently been beaten by Everton, Wolves and Arsenal. The London side had previously gone nine games unbeaten in the English top-flight.

Their decline coincides with the loss of summer signing Ziyech, who scored one goal and assisted three more in the league before he suffered an injury in early-December.

Lampard says his side must find a new source of creativity when the former Ajax star is out of action and is eager to welcome the 27-year-old back into the team.

"Not a coincidence. We can't rely completely on him. He was very effective of us in terms of creation and goals," the coach said when asked the significance of the Morocco international's absence.

"It helped, we were very fluid until he got injured. We want him back. There's a possiblity he could be fit for [Sunday's game against] Manchester City if it goes ahead. He's close."

Despite his team's disappointing result on Monday, Lampard was happy with his side's performance and singled out Callum Hudson-Odoi for special praise.

"I liked his performance and his range of passing in the first half. Some of his movement and touches were great but we want to see end product and for him to go one-on-one like at Arsenal," he said.

"That's the level of top wingers in the Premier League. He has the capabilities, that will be the next stage for him."

He continued: "It's a draw against a good team. Our performance was good and we deserved to win. We've come through a difficult patch. We saw the attitude of the team today. The table is still tight and we remain close. Today I saw some good signs I like."

Chelsea face City at home on January 3 and then take on Morecambe in the FA Cup the following week.

Frank Lampard says that Chelsea "didn't get the rub of the green" in Monday's draw with Aston Villa after previously saying he was unhappy with his players' effort in a recent loss to Arsenal.

Chelsea were forced to settle for a 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge as Olivier Giroud's first-half goal was canceled out by a second-half finish from Anwar El Ghazi.

With the draw, Chelsea have dropped points in four of their last five matches, with the lone win being a 3-0 battering of West Ham.

Lampard's Chelsea have lost to Everton, Wolves and, most recently, Arsenal, after which Lampard called out his players for not working hard enough.

On Monday, though, he believes he saw a positive reaction, even if Chelsea were unable to seal the three points.

"Definitely, in terms of performance. We started really well, Villa had their moments but we dealt with them and came through the first half really strong. We got a goal we deserved," he told Amazon Prime after the match.

"Second half, we conceded with a man on the floor, that's the way it is for us at the moment. We pushed but couldn't break the deadlock. Attitude-wise, effort-wise, some of the play was very good against a really good team.

"Late on we got some chances and nearly scored, when you're in a tough moment sometimes things don't quite go for you. A month ago we win that. We have to fight through it.

"I can't ask for more from the players today. No one let me down, everyone worked hard, we didn't get the rub of the green."

Chelsea currently sit sixth in the Premier League, level on points with fifth-place Villa and seventh-place Tottenham, who have a game in hand.

The club's recent dip in form have seen them fall behind in the title race, but Lampard says he isn't getting too caught up in Monday's result thanks to what he saw as a solid performance.

“They're a tough opponent, but we had really good chances," he told Match of the Day.

“I think there was a handball before the goal right next to the linesman. When you’re having a tough moment like we are, sometimes that goes against you. That last bit wasn’t quite there today because we haven’t got the rub of the green at the minute.

“The response was exactly right other than the win. We had a couple of little chances. It felt like the pressure was coming from us. This is our tough period at the moment. We have to fight for it and we’ll be stronger for it.

“You want to get results at this point of the year. I could feel the players' disappointment at the end because they want to win.

“A few weeks ago people were talking about us as title challengers, now it's a difficult period. The new players are going to get better as they come along.”

Zambia women's team were welcomed back home on Monday following after being locked down in Chile for over a month due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Zambian delegation left for Santiago to battle Jose Letelier's ladies in double-header friendlies on November 24 as part of their build-up to their maiden Olympic campaign in Tokyo next year.

Two days later, Barbra Banda and Racheal Nachula's second-half efforts helped the Copper Queens silence the South Americans 2-1 at Estadio San Carlos de Apoquindo.
 
However, hours before the kickoff of the second meeting between the two teams on December 1, the encounter was called off after some member of the Zambian delegation tested positive for Covid-19.

With up to 10 players affected, the whole team were immediately forced into isolation for 14 days by local health authorities.

On December 16, a number of squad members were released after their tests returned negative, including Zaragoza duo of Hellen Mubanga and Nachula, leaving behind six.

The remaining six Zambians, which consisted of three officials and three players - Banda, Grace Chanda and Maylan Mulenga - were eventually freed to depart Santiago on Saturday.

The six reunited with the families on arriving at the Kenneth Kaunda International Airport, Lusaka on Monday. 

Despite the month-long lockdown experience, Bruce Mwape's team will take solace in their triumph over La Roja on their first meeting.

The victory, plus a third-place Cosafa Cup finish, also saw the Copper Queens move up five places to 95th position in the world and are now ranked the 11th in Africa in the December rankings.

Crystal Palace forward Wilfried Zaha scored his eighth Premier League goal of the season against Leicester City on Monday, already surpassing his tally for the entirety of the 2019-20 season.

The 28-year-old was afforded his 14th league appearance this campaign and 200th start since teaming up with the Eagles.

The fleet-footed forward made a significant contribution for Roy Hodgson’s men to help them avoid a defeat at Selhurst Park.

The Ivory Coast international gave his side the lead after Nigeria international Kelechi Iheanacho missed a glorious chance to open the scoring for Leicester from the penalty spot.

Zaha volleyed the ball into the back of the net past hapless goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel after receiving a fine assist from Andros Townsend.

The forward, thus, surpassed his last season’s performances for the Eagles, where he managed four goals in 38 Premier League appearances.

Zaha remains an influential figure for Crystal Palace and has helped the club avoid relegation on a number of times with his eye-catching displays.

The forward’s consistent form for Palace has seen him linked to a number of Premier League clubs but the Eagles have managed to hold on to him.

The draw moved Crystal Palace to the 13th spot on the Premier League table with 19 points from 16 games.

Zaha will hope to continue his impressive performances and help Palace end their winless run when they take on Sheffield United on January 2.

The forward is also a key member of Ivory Coast and has made 18 appearances for the West African country since his debut in 2017.

He has been playing a significant role in his side’s quest to qualify for the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon.

Mamelodi Sundowns returned to training ahead of Saturday’s Premier Soccer League clash against Orlando Pirates, but attacker Gaston Sirino reportedly snubbed Monday’s workout.

This comes on a day when Downs announced that they are “terminating discussions” with African champions Al Ahly who are understood to be bidding for the 29-year-old’s signature.

Negotiations between Sundowns and the Cairo giants have been stalled by disagreements on the players’ transfer price.

Sirino has publicly made a transfer request, in the process angering the Brazilians, who threatened disciplinary action against him.

After the player missed training on Monday, the club insist that his absence was not a protest to push for a move.

“There are no issues, he is not the only player missing today. He is part of the group,” an unnamed Sundowns official was quoted as saying by KickOff.

Earlier this month, Sundowns general manager Yogesh Singh said they wanted R92 million from Ahly, who reportedly upped their R18 million offer to R46 million, which was rejected.

Had the Cairo giants agreed to Sundowns’ asking fee, it would have been the record transfer figure Masandawana have ever received for a player.

As Downs now prepare to host Pirates for their ninth PSL match this season, Sirino is yet to make a league appearance after getting injured in the MTN8 quarter-final match against Bloemfontein Celtic in October.

After expressing his desire to move to Egypt, speculation has been heightened that the forward has since recovered and is refusing to play in order to push for the transfer.

The Tshwane giants, however, denied those rumours.

Sirino arrived at Chloorkop in January 2018 from Bolivian side Bolivar, and he has already completed two full seasons in the PSL.

In June 2020, he extended his Sundowns contract by a further five years amid already reported interest from Al Ahly, which is said to have now been fuelled by Pitso Mosimane taking charge of the Egyptian giants.

Since his arrival, the Uruguayan has featured in 100 Sundowns matches across all competitions, scoring 24 goals and providing 29 assists.

Arsenal defender Gabriel has tested positive for coronavirus and is now isolating after previously missing out on a clash with Chelsea over the weekend.

The club confirmed that Gabriel had been in close contact with someone who tested positive for Covid-19 and will isolate as a precaution.

His quarantine kept him out of the Gunners' 3-1 win over Chelsea, as he began a period of isolation that will keep him out of games with Brighton on December 29 and West Brom on January 2.

"Gabriel has tested positive for Covid-19 and is isolating according to UK Government and Premier League protocols," the club said in a statement. "We will continue to monitor and support Gabriel, and we are hoping he will be available again after our next two matches."

The Brazilian defender isn't the only Gunners star set to miss out on Arsenal's visit to Brighton on Tuesday as David Luiz and Willian will also be absent for the Gunners' final match of 2020.

Arsenal confirmed that David Luiz and Willian are still "feeling unwell" after missing out on the victory over Chelsea due to illness.

The club has previously confirmed that David Luiz and Willian recently tested negative for coronavirus and their situations will be closely monitored.

The Brazilian trio are joined on the absentee list by Thomas Partey, who remains out with a left thigh issue.

"Thomas has progressed well since the injury on 6 December," a club statement read. "He has started to train outside and will continue with his daily assessments and monitoring."

Gabriel joined Arsenal in September and has emerged as a regular under manager Mikel Arteta.

The defender has featured in 15 total matches across Premier League and Europa League action, scoring two goals in domestic play.

David Luiz has featured 14 times this season for the Gunners, while Willian, a summer signing from Chelsea, has yet to score in 16 total appearances for Arsenal this term.

The Gunners currently sit 15th in the Premier League table, just six points ahead of the bottom three.

Arsenal are also facing a 10-point gap between themselves and the top four.

Chelsea dropped points for the fourth time in five Premier League games as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Aston Villa in their final match of 2020. 

Frank Lampard will have been hoping for a response to their woeful 3-1 defeat to Arsenal and dropped big-money signing Timo Werner amid a goal drought, but the Blues were no more fluent against Dean Smith's side. 

Villa's hopes of keeping five consecutive top-flight clean sheets for the first time since September 1998 were ended 34 minutes in as Olivier Giroud struck, making it seven successive goalscoring appearances against the Villans in the Premier League for the Frenchman. 

But Anwar El Ghazi levelled with his fifth goal in as many games in the 50th minute and that proved decisive, while Chelsea were fortunate to not concede again when John McGinn hit the crossbar.

An entertaining start saw both sides threaten, Jack Grealish having a curling 18-yard effort turned wide by Edouard Mendy before Christian Pulisic lashed into the side-netting at the other end. 

Another opportunity was spurned by Pulisic just past the half-hour, though two minutes later Chelsea had the lead – Giroud sending a thumping header in from Ben Chilwell's inviting delivery. 

Villa levelled early in the second half when Matty Cash's cross found El Ghazi at the back post, and he steered home through the legs of Mendy, who probably should have done better. 

Chelsea's reaction was hardly emphatic and Villa went agonisingly close to a spectacular second, the ball breaking kindly for McGinn 30 yards from goal and his fierce effort cannoned off the bar. 

Lampard introduced the much-maligned Werner and Kai Havertz towards the end, though neither inspired an improvement in Chelsea's fortunes against a shrewd Villa backline.

What does it mean? Chelsea's slide set to continue 

Lampard's hopes of mounting a credible title challenge are seemingly diminishing by the day – they could be nine points adrift of the summit by the time they next play. 

To make matters worse, they have played more games than most teams around them and are showing few signs of improvement, with those big-money additions of Werner and Havertz still nowhere near the expected level. 

At this rate, Chelsea will struggle to even finish in the top four, whereas Villa continue to upset the odds as they are now five unbeaten in the league. 

Cash is on the money 

Grealish understandably gets a lot of the plaudits in this Villa team, and he was once again impressive, but right-back Cash arguably played an even more important role. Not only did he get forward to good effect, with the visitors' goal coming from one of his four crosses, he was also dependable at the back – his three tackles and two interceptions were team highs, while his total of five clearances was bettered only by Kortney Hause. 

Pulisic fails to inspire 

He was lively enough on the left flank and worked hard, his 10.8 kilometres covered second only to N'Golo Kante, but Pulisic just was not effective enough during proceedings. He should have done better with his early chances and he otherwise failed to produce a single key pass.  

Key Opta facts

- Chelsea have lost just one of their last 14 Premier League home games (W10 D3), with that lone defeat coming against Liverpool earlier this season.
- Since losing at Liverpool in July, Villa have only suffered one defeat in their last nine away games in the Premier League (W5 D3).
- Chilwell equalled his Premier League season-best tally of four assists, with the Chelsea defender already having as many goal involvements in this campaign as in 2019-20 (6 - 2 goals, 4 assists).
- Since his Premier League debut in August 2012, Giroud has scored more headed goals than any other player in the competition (32).
- Villa have shipped 51 Premier League goals away at Chelsea – only against Manchester City and Manchester United (both 53) have they conceded more on the road in the competition.

What's next? 

Chelsea have a fairly substantial break now until they return to action at home to Manchester City in a potentially thrilling encounter on Sunday, assuming it is not postponed due to the COVID-19 outbreak in Pep Guardiola's ranks. Villa, on the other hand, have another tough task on New Year's Day, as they go to Manchester United. 

Paris Saint-Germain star Neymar will host a New Year's Eve party for approximately 150 people in Brazil.

Despite the Covid-19 pandemic, which has claimed over 190,000 lives in Brazil, the 28-year-old is putting together a celebration at his mansion in Mangaratiba that, according to reports, will last five days.

Agencia Fabrica, the company putting the party together, has dismissed claims that around 500 people will attend and insists that it will adhere to strict health and safety measures to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

A statement from the party organisers read: "Agencia Fabrica clarifies that it is the creator and producer of New Year's Eve event in the Costa Verde region, in the State of Rio de Janeiro, which will receive approximately 150 people.

"The event will take place in compliance with all health standards determined by public agencies. The company also clarifies that the private event, with exclusive access for guests and without ticket sales, happens with all licenses from the competent bodies necessary for its realisation."

Brazil has been hit hard by the pandemic, with only the United States suffering more deaths than the South American nation, while there have been over 7 million confirmed cases - the third highest tally in the world.

President Jair Bolsonaro has been dismissive of the severity of the virus, despite having tested positive for it several times. The right-wing leader is also sceptical about the vaccine that has been developed by Pfizer-BioNTech.

He said this month: "In the Pfizer contract it's very clear: 'We're not responsible for any side effects.' If you turn into a crocodile, it's your problem.

"If you become superhuman, if a woman starts to grow a beard or if a man starts to speak with an effeminate voice, they [the vaccine manufacturers] will not have anything to do with it."

Neymar has scored nine goals and registered three assists in 12 appearances this season for PSG. The former Barcelona star has been injured since mid-December and is expected to be fit to feature for the Ligue 1 giants in early 2021, with their first game of the year scheduled for January 6. 

Currently without a head coach but edging closer to signing former Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino, PSG will face Saint-Etienne and host Brest at Parc des Princes three days later.

Les Parisiens are third in the French top-flight, a point behind Lyon and Lille after 17 matches.

The Tanzania Football Federation have come out to clear the air over Lipuli FC’s dues that were to be paid for participating in the Azam Sports Federation Cup during the 2018/19 season.

Lipuli were defeated 1-0 by Azam FC in the final in May 2019, but the local FA has not fully paid the prize money owed to the finalists.

Acknowledging the outstanding debt, the TFF have explained why they have not yet paid the money, and when they intend to do so.

“The Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) would like to shed more light following a letter doing rounds in the social media concerning the amount of money Lipuli FC would have earned after coming second in the Azam Sports Federation Cup,” the letter signed by the federation’s media officer Clifford Ndimbo and obtained by Goal read.

“It is true Lipuli FC were to get a total sum of Tsh10 million by virtue of being second runners up in the competition, but after communication with the finance office, TFF found out that Lipuli were in debt of up to Tsh4 million an amount that accrued from Lipuli’s transfer activities on foreign players in the 2018/19 season.

“TFF, regardless of the outstanding debt, had paid Lipuli FC an initial Tsh5 million that was part of the Tsh10 million prize money. With that in mind, it is clear now that TFF is owed by Lipuli FC Tsh1 million, money that will be paid in the near future.”

TFF also pleaded with club officials to desist from sharing official communication documents on unsanctioned forums.

“We would also like to request club officials to avoid the habit of sharing official letters on social media because, as part of the football fraternity, they have got an obligation of respecting regulations and precedence that govern soccer including the TFF regulations,” it added.

“Many clubs are in debt with TFF and the Tanzania Premier League Board (TPLB) but the two institutions will not spread such matters to the public because such an act would contravene TFF’s regulations governing good conduct.”

Lipuli, alongside Ndanda FC and Singida United, were relegated last season.

In the current cup campaign Simba SC, Mtibwa Sugar and Azam advanced during the weekend's respective actions.

Chelsea dropped points for the fourth time in five Premier League games as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Aston Villa in their final match of 2020. 

Frank Lampard will have been hoping for a response to their woeful 3-1 defeat to Arsenal and dropped big-money signing Timo Werner amid a goal drought, but the Blues were no more fluent against Dean Smith's side. 

Villa's hopes of keeping five consecutive top-flight clean sheets for the first time since September 1998 were ended 34 minutes in as Olivier Giroud struck, making it seven successive goalscoring appearances against the Villans in the Premier League for the Frenchman. 

But Anwar El Ghazi levelled with his fifth goal in as many games in the 50th minute and that proved decisive, while Chelsea were fortunate to not concede again when John McGinn hit the crossbar.

An entertaining start saw both sides threaten, Jack Grealish having a curling 18-yard effort turned wide by Edouard Mendy before Christian Pulisic lashed into the side-netting at the other end. 

Another opportunity was spurned by Pulisic just past the half-hour, though two minutes later Chelsea had the lead – Giroud sending a thumping header in from Ben Chilwell's inviting delivery. 

Villa levelled early in the second half when Matty Cash's cross found El Ghazi at the back post, and he steered home through the legs of Mendy, who probably should have done better. 

Chelsea's reaction was hardly emphatic and Villa went agonisingly close to a spectacular second, the ball breaking kindly for McGinn 30 yards from goal and his fierce effort cannoned off the bar. 

Lampard introduced the much-maligned Werner and Kai Havertz towards the end, though neither inspired an improvement in Chelsea's fortunes against a shrewd Villa backline.

What does it mean? Chelsea's slide set to continue 

Lampard's hopes of mounting a credible title challenge are seemingly diminishing by the day – they could be nine points adrift of the summit by the time they next play. 

To make matters worse, they have played more games than most teams around them and are showing few signs of improvement, with those big-money additions of Werner and Havertz still nowhere near the expected level. 

At this rate, Chelsea will struggle to even finish in the top four, whereas Villa continue to upset the odds as they are now five unbeaten in the league. 

Cash is on the money 

Grealish understandably gets a lot of the plaudits in this Villa team, and he was once again impressive, but right-back Cash arguably played an even more important role. Not only did he get forward to good effect, with the visitors' goal coming from one of his four crosses, he was also dependable at the back – his three tackles and two interceptions were team highs, while his total of five clearances was bettered only by Kortney Hause. 

Pulisic fails to inspire 

He was lively enough on the left flank and worked hard, his 10.8 kilometres covered second only to N'Golo Kante, but Pulisic just was not effective enough during proceedings. He should have done better with his early chances and he otherwise failed to produce a single key pass.  

Key Opta facts

- Chelsea have lost just one of their last 14 Premier League home games (W10 D3), with that lone defeat coming against Liverpool earlier this season.
- Since losing at Liverpool in July, Villa have only suffered one defeat in their last nine away games in the Premier League (W5 D3).
- Chilwell equalled his Premier League season-best tally of four assists, with the Chelsea defender already having as many goal involvements in this campaign as in 2019-20 (6 - 2 goals, 4 assists).
- Since his Premier League debut in August 2012, Giroud has scored more headed goals than any other player in the competition (32).
- Villa have shipped 51 Premier League goals away at Chelsea – only against Manchester City and Manchester United (both 53) have they conceded more on the road in the competition.

What's next? 

Chelsea have a fairly substantial break now until they return to action at home to Manchester City in a potentially thrilling encounter on Sunday, assuming it is not postponed due to the COVID-19 outbreak in Pep Guardiola's ranks. Villa, on the other hand, have another tough task on New Year's Day, as they go to Manchester United. 

Uganda Cranes midfielder Bobosi Byaruhanga has promised to deliver for the country in the African Nations Championship competition scheduled to start in mid-January in Cameroon.

The Vipers SC midfielder was one of the players who impressed as the Hippos won the U20 Council for East and Central Africa Football Associations Championship held in Tanzania. The youngster did not hide his joy after being included in the 25-man squad that left for West Africa on Monday afternoon.

"I am ready to give my all and perform to my best whenever given the chance to don the colours of the national team because I know by doing so, I am making many people at home proud," Byaruhanga said ahead of the departure.

"I am proud of getting this call-up, it is a special thing for me because there is so much talent in the group and everyone is giving their all. I feel proud and filled with joy upon knowing that I have a chance of representing my country at the Chan tournament.

"Above all, I am grateful to God, who has blessed me from day one, he deserves all the praise and honour and I pray he guides us so that we emerge victorious at Chan."

The young Venom has urged the Ugandans to rally behind the national team to give them motivation and confidence ahead of the game.

"I call upon all Ugandans to rally behind us as we take on the challenge because they are our biggest support and with them, we are able to face our opponents with vigour," Byaruhanga concluded.

On Monday, Uganda head coach Johnathan McKinstry named a 25-man squad for the upcoming mini-tournament in Cameroon ahead of the Chan. 

The pre-Chan tournament consists of Cameroon, Niger and Zambia, and will be played from January 1 to 7. 

McKinstry will lead the team alongside Livingstone Mbabazi and Abdallah Mubiru acting as his assistants. Hamid Juma has been selected as the leader of the delegation while the performance coach is Alexander McCarthy.

Sadiq Wasswa will take charge of the goalkeeper coaching responsibilities.

Geoffrey Massa is the team manager while Samuel Hassan Mulondo and Ayub Balyejusa will serve as the kit men.

Travelling Players:

Goalkeepers: Joel Mutakubwa (Kyetume FC), Nafian Alionzi (URA FC), Tom Ikara (Police FC)

Defenders: Eric Ssenjobe (Police FC), Aziz Kayondo (Vipers SC), Paul Willa (Vipers SC), Ashraf Mandela (URA FC), Halid Lwaliwa (Vipers SC), Mustafa Mujuzi (Kyetume FC), Patrick Mbowa (URA FC), Hassan Muhammad (Police FC)

Midfielders: Shafiq Kagimu (URA FC), Tony Mawejje (Police FC), Bobosi Byaruhanga (Vipers SC), Karim Watambala (Vipers SC), Saidi Kyeyune (URA FC), Hassan Ssenyonjo (Wakiso Giants FC)

Forwards: Ben Ocen (Police FC), Ibrahim Orit (Vipers SC), Vianne Ssekajjugo (Wakiso Giants FC), Joseph Ssemujju (BUL FC), Joakim Ojera (URA FC), Milton Karisa (Vipers SC), Stephen Mukwala (URA FC), Mohamed Shaban (Vipers SC). 

Bengaluru suffered their second defeat on the trot this season in Indian Super League (ISL) as they went down 0-1 against Jamshedpur on Monday.

The match witnessed end-to-end action throughout the 90 minutes and both teams had their fair share of chances but Jamshedpur came on top in the end thanks to Stephen Eze's goal.

The Blues head coach Carles Cuadrat suggested that his players fought tooth and nail till the very end but unfortunately could not get the desired result.

"It has been really physical but the last game against ATK Mohun Bagan was also very physical. We know that there are tough teams and we accept that. Like the last game, we fought until the end to get something but it was not possible."

Suresh Wangjam is one of the most hard-working players in the Bengaluru team this season but Cuadrat refuted suggestions that his team is dependent on the youngster, "We create chances with Sunil (Chhetri), Cleiton (Silva) and the number nines are doing their job, getting the space for the wingers. It is not about Suresh. He is a great player but we have more players in our squad who can provide us with goals."

The Blues have struggled defensively, especially on the left side, since Ashique Kuruniyan got injured in the Odisha match. Rahul Bheke played as the makeshift left-back in their last two games but has not been able to put up a satisfactory performance.

Cuadrat acknowledged that the left-back position has been a weak link for his team in their last two games but suggested that in the absence of a key player like Ashique, the other players need time to get adjusted.

"We have a situation with Ashique. We are missing a player who was doing really well. He was one of the best players for us and one of the best left-backs in the league this season. But we have to accept that and now try to look at other options. I gave some minutes to Ajith and wanted to try him in that position but it is a new competition for him and he has to get in slowly," said Cuadrat.

The Spanish coach revealed the half time talk he had with his team and suggested that the most important message was to not be frustrated with the missed chances.

"Football is a game of dynamics. When you score one goal you are closer to the second goal and when you are losing chances in the first half, I told them at half time to be positive and to try to be confident.

"When Sunil was missing a goal he was looking dejected, same with Cleiton and Kristian. I told them to keep working even if they missed chances. It is dynamic, whenever you are not scoring you get stressed," Cuadrat said. 

Ola Aina is comfortable and enjoying the new centre-back role he is playing at Fulham as they remain unbeaten in their last four Premier League games.

The 24-year-old, who primarily plays as a right wing-back, has been moved to the centre of the Cottagers’ defence where he partners Anglo-Nigerian centre-back Tosin Adarabioyo and Joachim Andersen in Scott Parker's new formation.

With 12 league games under his belt so far this campaign, Aina – who returned to London on a season-long loan from Torino in September – said he is ready to continue helping Parker’s team wherever he is positioned.

“Normally I would be playing a bit wider, a bit further up the pitch, but I’ve always said that I’ll put a shift in wherever I’m placed,” Aina told the club website. “I’m in a back three at the minute and I’m really enjoying it. 

"I feel really comfortable there.”

Despite their fine defensive run, Fulham still find themselves in the relegation zone with 11 points after 15 games, however, the Nigeria star thinks they are improving in every department.

“We all know how it was at the beginning of the season, so from that point to now, it just shows the hard work that we’re putting in, as well as the togetherness that we have,” he added. "I don’t think it’s only the backline you know, it goes throughout the team, it starts from the top.

“If it didn’t start at the top, then the opposition would get more chances on our goal, so the whole team has done well to get us these clean sheets.”

After avoiding defeat in their last four league matches, Aina also expressed his belief that Saturday’s goalless draw with Southampton is a decent result for them ahead of their next league outing against Tottenham Hotspur on Tuesday.

They will be targeting their first win in exactly a month, when they defeated Leicester City 2-1.

Aina concluded: “There were a couple of VAR decisions that went in our favour, but it was just one of those afternoons with a lot of buts and ifs, like you said, but it’s good to get the clean sheet and build on from that.

“It’s big for us to be getting clean sheets, it shows we’re working well.”

Kelechi Iheanacho missed a penalty in Leicester City’s Premier League game against Crystal Palace on Monday.

The centre-forward was handed his second league start of the campaign against Roy Hodgson’s men but missed an opportunity to give the Foxes the lead.

The King Power Stadium outfit were awarded a penalty in the 19th minute of the encounter after James Tomkins brought down Luke Thomas in the box.

Iheanacho was given the opportunity to take the penalty but the Nigeria international missed the glorious chance, failing to fire his effort past goalkeeper Vicente Guaita.