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A few weeks ago, Arjun Jayaraj returned home after terminating his contract with Indin Super League (ISL) club Kerala Blasters. 

Arjun was inside a bio-bubble in Goa for a couple of months as a Kerala Blasters player and for someone who had already been sidelined for several months, it was not easy. 

The 24-year-old midfielder had signed a three-year deal with Kerala Blasters in 2019 but couldn't make a single appearance for the Yellow Army. 

The player, for whose signature Blasters paid a transfer fee to Gokulam Kerala, suffered an ankle injury at the beginning of the 2019-20 season and had to be excluded from the squad for ISL 2019-20 by then-coach Eelco Schattorie.

Following a long drawn out process of surgery and rehabilitation, the player joined the squad in Goa to prepare for the 2020-21 season of Indian Super League (ISL) but ultimately had to decide to mutually terminate his contract. He wanted to make a comeback in his career and for that, he needed to play regularly. 

The player chose to accept an offer from Kerala United, owned by the United Group that also owns Premier League club Sheffield United, hoping to embark on a new journey. 

"The situation inside a bio-bubble was hard to accept. The second floor, dining hall and the meeting room are the only places you can access. It helps to go out and relax to take time off stress during games but the players have started to adjust after the season began. With matches coming thick and fast, the focus shifts to that. Pre-season was more difficult," Arjun revealed what it is like to spend time inside a bio-bubble to Goal.

"When I left, I had many offers. But I-League clubs had already started pre-season. Kerala United contacted me after seeing my profile from when I played for Gokulam Kerala. 

"I have had a gap of two years so I wanted to go to a club which had coaches and players I knew and am familiar with so that I can play more games and be more confident. The training ground is six kilometres away from my home. I want to stay in the comfort zone and play more games and gain confidence before playing in a league with more intensity. They are starting a new club from Malappuram, my home, so that's a good thing as well," the player said. 

Kerala United are set to begin their preparations for the I-League second division in January and Arjun is fit and ready for a fresh challenge. 

"I felt okay during practice sessions and trained in pre-season for two months and played in friendly matches. I played with my friends here. I am close to full match fitness. Match fitness can be improved only by playing matches. I am training alone for now."

Arjun's decision to join a second division side may be confusing for some but it was all about getting regular game time for the midfielder who is only 24 years old and last played a professional game in March 2019 for Gokulam Kerala in the I-League.

"Every player wants to play at the top level. But it is better to play in a second division or any other league than not play in a top league. We need games, there are players who haven't played for more than a season. It is frustrating to sit at home injured and it is even more difficult when you are not injured and not playing."

After more than 540 minutes without a win in the 2020-21 Indian Super League, Kerala Blasters finally managed to end their winless run with a convincing 2-0 result against Hyderabad on Sunday. 

With key players such as Costa Nhamoinesu, Bakary Kone and Gary Hooper unavailable for selection due to injuries, Kibu Vicuna had a tough task in choosing the starting lineup for what was a must-win game considering the poor start to the season.

But he pulled it off and here's how he did it. The defence that included a foreign centre-back partnership that wasn't consistent was replaced by an all-Indian line featuring Abdul Hakku and Sandip Singh as centre-backs. 

It was a big risk considering both of them were starting a game for the first time this season and in the case of Hakku, it was only his seventh start in four seasons due to injury issues. They were up against the likes of Aridane Santana but the riskiest move of the season so far from Vicuna paid off. 

Hakku is the one who broke the deadlock in the first half from an accurate Facundo Pereyra corner-kick. He looked rusty at several instances in the game but had no trouble in heading the corner into the net in the 29th minute. 

Both Hakku and Sandip managed to withstand the threat posed by the Hyderabad attack but there were enough warning signs that meant that the all-Indian defensive line could be punished against a stronger team. 

Going into the game, only East Bengal had a worse defensive record in second halves than Kerala Blasters who had conceded eight goals after restarts. But Vicuna looked to have finally gotten his half-time team talk right as his side took control of the game in the second half and denied Hyderabad easy forays into their defensive third. 

Jeakson Singh found starts hard to come by at the start of the season but proved his mettle once again in the midfield with an energetic display alongside Vicente Gomez. He scored a late equaliser for his team on his first start and then produced a stellar show in his second.

On the right flank, Rahul KP was involved in a fantastic duel with Akash Mishra and it was the Keralite who came on top with his direct runs and quick feet.  Facundo Pereyra remained available for a pass and was happy to deliver balls into the box for Jordan Murray who looked more involved in the final third in one game than Gary Hooper did in all his games combined. 

Sahal Abdul Samad also got a start - once again on the left-wing - and he showed why he should start more often but not on the flanks. He was happy to dribble past defenders but gave away the ball cheaply and did not possess the expected defensive work rate when the team did not have the ball. 

Up next for Blasters is a big game against league leaders Mumbai City who have been phenomenal in all areas of the pitch. Given how a new-look team performed against Hyderabad, Kibu Vicuna has some decisions to make. 

Naby Keita and Joel Matip will not be available for selection when Liverpool face Newcastle United in Wednesday’s Premier League showdown, according to manager Jurgen Klopp.

The Reds’ defensive injury worries grew on Sunday when the Cameroonian defender was forced off against West Bromwich Albion with a groin injury.

Matip, featuring in his eighth English topflight game of the 2020-21 campaign, had supplied the assist for Sadio Mane in the 12th minute, however, the centre-back pulled up after attempting a clearance against Sam Allardyce’s men with 15 minutes gone in the second half.

After getting treatment on the pitch, the 29-year-old was subsequently replaced by Rhys Williams on the hour mark of the 1-1 draw at Anfield.

Addressing the media after being held by the Baggies, Liverpool boss Klopp disclosed that Matip would possibly miss some time.

“Joel told me he felt something in his adductor and that’s obviously not too good," Klopp told a post-game press conference as captured by Liverpool website.

“I am not sure how serious it is now, but it was serious enough that he had to leave the pitch. The rest of the information I will get tomorrow.”

According to former star Jamie Carragher, it is dominant that the Reds should sign a central defender in the January transfer window due to the club’s injury fears.

"It's a massive worry, but it's not a new worry. Joel Matip will not play every game between now and the end of the season,” Carragher told Sky Sports.

“We knew that even before the injury today, that's why it's paramount Liverpool sign somebody in January. I said that as soon as Virgil van Dijk had his injury against Everton.”

On Guinea international Keita, who has managed just 10 appearances so far this season for the reigning English champions, the German added that he would not also figure in that contest.

“He felt a muscle again,” said Klopp. “I don’t know exactly how long [it will be], but he was not ready for today and not for Wednesday, I think. We will see.”

Liverpool’s injury list is already a lengthy one, with Joe Gomez, Virgil van Dijk, James Milner, Thiago Alcantara, Kostas Tsimikas and Diogo Jota already out of action for various reasons.

Semi Ajayi is pleased to have scored his first English Premier League goal as West Bromwich Albion held reigning champions Liverpool to a 1-1 draw on Sunday evening.

In the keenly contested affair at Anfield, Sadio Mane gave Jurgen Klopp’s men a 12th minute lead thanks to a cool finish past goalkeeper Sam Johnstone after profiting from a fine assist from Joel Matip.

Despite dominating ball possession for a large part of the game, the hosts were unable to get more goals as Sam Allardyce’s team put up a strong defensive network.

However, the Baggies refused to go down without a fight with Nigeria international Ajayi levelled matters in the 82nd minute thanks to a Matheus Pereira cross.

In the process, he ended his six-year wait for his maiden goal in England’s topflight since his time at Arsenal.

Remarkably, the 27-year-old’s effort ranks him behind only Liverpool’s Vigil van Dijk and Aaron Pierre (both nine) as defenders who have scored the most headed goals in England’ top four tiers since the commencement of the 2018-2019 campaign.

Buoyed by his goalscoring performance against the Klopp’s side, the former Rotherham United and Cardiff City man too to social media to celebrate his first strike in England’s Premier club championship.

“First Premier League goal! God is great,” Ajayi wrote on Instagram.

In his assessment, West Brom’s boss was pleased seeing his players’ hard work pay off.

“I think that everyone has seen we showed a lot of resilience today to keep ourselves in the game and we kept trying to do the right things," Allardyce told club website.

“Defensively, apart from the slip up for the goal we were excellent. I think a change of tactics about 30 minutes in, putting Grant up front gave us a bit more of an out ball rather than everybody just getting pegged back. It started to work a little bit by him holding it up and us getting in to Liverpool’s half. In the second half I think we expanded on that.”

Even at their latest result, the Baggies stay in relegation waters – sitting in the 19th spot with just eight points from 15 outings played so far in the 2020-21 campaign.

Ajayi began his career with Charlton Athletic before joining Arsenal in 2013 after completing a season-long loan spell at Dartford.

His inability to get a regular playing time at the Emirates Stadium saw him join Cardiff City before the move was made permanent following the expiration of his Gunners’ deal.

Cristiano Ronaldo has revealed he likes it when people boo him and finds playing without fans "boring".

Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, spectators have generally been unable to attend games across Europe with some exceptions. 

At Juventus over the past several months, Ronaldo has had to get used to playing in empty stadiums and was even sidelined temporarily after himself testing positive for Covid-19.

As someone who channels the good and bad energy from fans, the 35-year-old conceded he misses the boos just as much as the applause. 

"For me I have to be honest, to play in an empty stadium is boring in my opinion. We, the players, respect all the protocol and health is the most important thing of all, of course, but I don't like it, to be honest," Ronaldo said at the Globe Soccer Awards on Sunday. 

"I do it first of all because I love football. My passion is always football. I play for my family, my kids, my friends, the fans. But I don't like it, to be honest. It's so weird. 

"I like when people boo Cristiano. When I touch the ball they 'boo', I like it. I hope in 2021 they can change the rules and we can see the stadiums full of people." 

Ronaldo, who was named Player of the Century at the Globe Soccer Awards, has been a role model for the next generation of footballers for over a decade now and relishes having such an influence. 

"It's great when you look and see the kids want to be like you. They cut their hair like me. They want skills like me. I see my son, 10 years old and he wants to look like me and I say: 'You have a long way to do it, to be like your father'," Ronaldo said. 

"The future is the kids. I have four and I wish them all the best. When I see the kids around for example in Dubai, they run and say 'Siii' it makes me happy because they recognise my effort, my dedication, my hard work. I'm proud when I see stuff like that and it gives me motivation to carry on and continue like that." 

Lionel Messi does not believe Barcelona will be able to afford to bring Neymar back to the club. 

Since making a world-record €222 million move to Paris Saint-Germain in 2017, Neymar has been consistently linked with a return to Camp Nou and a reunion with Messi. 

But such a move has yet to come to fruition and with Barca's current financial difficulties, it appears that Neymar's storybook return is a long way off. 

The Brazilian recently stated his desire to play alongside Messi again next season, but where that reunion would take place is unclear. 

Speaking to La Sexta, Messi admitted that his current side likely don't have the funds to bring the Brazilian back. 

"How do you pay Paris for the transfer?" Messi asked. "It is not easy, it will be a difficult situation for the new president. He will have to be very intelligent, get everything in order and make many changes to make it go well.

"It will also be difficult to bring in players because we need money and there is no money. There are several important current players we need to fight again for everything and you have to pay them."

On Neymar's recent declaration that he wants to be Messi's team-mate again, he added: "He didn't say, 'Let's play,' he said, 'I'd like to play' … right?

"Yes, we talk from time to time. The three of us either with him or with Luis [Suarez] every day. We maintain the relationship."

Another relationship of Messi's that has drawn speculation involves Antoine Griezmann, after the French star's uncle hit out at the Argentine last month.

Messi, though, has played down any potential feud with his team-mate, saying the two get along just fine. 

"The relationship is good, I already said it," Messi insisted. "I never had problems with him and I never did everything that was said, that I did not want his signing and all that, I think it was more than clarified.

"I have no problems, The relationship is good and sometimes we drink mate together in the dressing room and on trips. There is no kind of anything."
 

Chelsea manager Frank Lampard has admitted that he is considering dropping players ahead of Aston Villa's visit to Stamford Bridge on Monday.

Mikel Arteta's struggling Arsenal were the latest team to defeat Chelsea after earning a deserved 3-1 win at the Emirates on Boxing Day, the third defeat in four games for the Blues.

Lampard was left frustrated and was critical of his players who performed particularly poorly in the first half. Now, having hammered his players for "not following the basics," Lampard has admitted there will be consequences after a bad run.

"The first half certainly was our worst performance of the season as far as I saw it," Lampard told reporters ahead of his side's clash with Villa. "We lacked energy. We are in a position in the last four games of losing three and only winning one. So that needs a reaction.

"They did [lack character] and the players know that. The first half we lacked it. Second half we didn't, to be fair, and there will be some players that come out of it with credit for the performances in the second half. But today we did.

"I’m not going to generalise that that’s the case because it’s not. But today we did and football will punish you if you turn up and have that sort of lack of the basics in your game.

"There will be some changes and I knew that anyway. I am certainly not going to bang the drum about the quick turnaround after our performance today. That's not to point. We are playing two games in two days and [changes] would have happened anyway.

"Some of those will happen because of how the game went and people will have to come in and inject energy and personality."

Chelsea must count the cost of their efforts in the London derby ahead of the match against Dean Smith's side, who are one of seven teams above them in the Premier League after 15 games.

Ahead of the match, Lampard confirmed that Hakim Ziyech remains out injured but hinted that Callum Hudson-Odoi would start. The 20-year-old was one of the few bright performers off the bench against the Gunners after coming on at half-time for an out-of-form Timo Werner.

"Some people wanted to talk us up as title contenders but I never accepted that because we are not there," he added. "That takes time to build and days like today are ones where we have to learn big lessons from.

"You learn about the players and the players have to learn about themselves. Some of them are young and some of them are new to the Premier League and these tough times are things that we will have to go through.

"I don’t think this season was ever going to be plain sailing, winning every week. We got confident and we got into a position where we were not losing games and winning a lot of games.

"When you lose a couple of games, things become a lot tougher and the only way out of it is the fight and work hard. That’s what I will be instilling in the players – that idea – because it’s the only way that you get out of what is a difficult little period for us."

Chelsea next face an in-form Villa before Manchester City visit after the New Year.

Lampard spoke about his respect for the Midlands side and the impact that fellow legendary Blues player John Terry has had as Villa's assistant manager.

"I’m sure John has an influence because he’s one of the greatest centre-backs that played in the Premier League for England and in the world for a long time and an absolute wealth of knowledge," he added.

"His input will be invaluable to Dean Smith and all the staff and the team are working hard. You’ve seen a big uplift and I’m sure there’s a lot of hard work behind the scenes from John and all the staff.

"I think they are a good team with very good individual players. They added to their squad in a very good way in the off-season. Good manager, good coaches and good players that are playing well and they are in a really good time at the moment.

"I’m not completely surprised. It will be a tough match."

John Stones is determined to make the most of his remarkable turnaround after reestablishing himself at the heart of Manchester City's defence.

The England international's future at the Etihad Stadium looked uncertain in the summer when Pep Guardiola drafted in Ruben Dias and Nathan Ake to eliminate the defensive problems that blighted City last season.

But Stones has returned in brilliant form to dislodge first-choice centre-back Aymeric Laporte and help City to 13 clean sheets in all competitions - the most of any club in Europe's top five leagues.

City have not conceded a goal with Stones on the pitch for 718 minutes going back to the opening game of the season, and he is revelling in being back in the side.

“It makes you realise how hard you have worked and that the hard work is paying off," the former Everton defender said ahead of Monday's night return to Goodison Park.

"It makes you realise how special it is to be out there and also to realise that when other players aren’t playing, how they feel and what you should do for them when you are on the pitch.

"There are a lot of aspects you can look at but it is something you cannot take for granted. There is always twists and turns and you have got to grab it with both hands and enjoy it and that is what I am doing.

"I am really enjoying my football. It always makes it easier when you are winning and keeping clean sheets but I am just trying to move in the right direction and to keep trying to become better as a player and as a team.”

Individual errors have been costly to City, particularly with Guardiola putting his defence under pressure by asking them to defend high up the pitch.

But since the 5-2 defeat to Leicester in September when they conceded three penalties, the City boss has been happy to see his side largely eliminate their mistakes.

"What we’ve improved in is that individually we don’t make stupid mistakes," Guardiola said. "The opponent can make a good action and we applaud, but we are not making mistakes. Everyone is focused.

"That has helped us, we’ve conceded three goals in the last 10 games.

"We conceded five against Leicester because we gave them three penalties but otherwise we have been incredibly solid. Maintain it, don’t make mistakes, it will help us."

It has not been an easy two years for Stones as he struggled with injuries, being out of the side, off-field issues and losing his place as a regular in the England squad.

But he has been grateful for the support of his team-mates and believes he has learnt a lot about his own game.

“I think I have learnt who I am as a player," he added. "I have learnt a lot of things football-wise as a person as well.

"I think the biggest compliment is to my team-mates as I wouldn’t be where I am without them and my coaching staff.

"You get to learn how to become a winner from winners that are still here and have left.

"I have learnt a lot from players in different positions as well. I think we have such a variety of players here with different qualities and attributes that has made me better.

"It is a difficult question to answer but I think a winning mentality is the one I have learnt.”

Stones says he is enjoying the pressure that comes with being in a City side pushing for Premier League and Champions League success.

“Win or lose, the pressure is there and pressure is something we definitely thrive off and take a lot of motivation to do better and keep the pressure on the other teams," he said.

"There are all types of scenarios that run through your head at this club and it is exciting to be a part of it.

"We have got to just keep striving to be better and better and keep that consistency we have had in previous seasons.”

Granit Xhaka was happy to silence his critics with his goalscoring performance during Arsenal's 3-1 victory against Chelsea on Boxing Day.

The Switzerland international was playing his first game since his sending off against Burnley on December 13 and marked the occasion with an impressive performance as Arsenal claimed their first win in seven Premier League games.

Xhaka curled home a wonderful free-kick just before half-time to add to Alexandre Lacazette’s penalty and drew praise from manager Mikel Arteta for his all-round display in the heart of midfield.

It was the perfect response from the 28-year-old, who has come in for lots of criticism in recent weeks following his red card against Burnley and his failure to publicly apologise for the incident which led to a 1-0 home defeat.

“There was a lot of speaking after the red card,” Xhaka said. “A lot of people started speaking again ... and again and again.

“I will always show my character. I was very disappointed about my red card and I knew what I did was wrong for my side. But I am more than happy. I helped the team and I am back.”

Xhaka added: “We knew it would be a very difficult game, but we worked very well together like a team and at the moment we can only get points if we do this.

“We carried out the plan that the coach gave us. To press, to be focused 95 minutes. We scored at the right time and going 3-0 up helped a lot.”

Arsenal’s win against Chelsea saw them move up to 14th in the Premier League and edge six points clear of the relegation zone.

The victory was their first in the league since the 1-0 success at Manchester United on November 1 and it helped ease the pressure on Arteta, who had come under fire for his side’s awful run of form.

Arteta’s side now head into two crucial away games at Brighton and West Brom and Xhaka says the win against Chelsea will count for little if they don’t follow it up.

“It was very important that we got three points [against Chelsea] but we have to continue like this,” he said.

“The next two games away are very difficult but if we work together like a team we have the chance to take away all six points.”

Tottenham manager Jose Mourinho was left frustrated by his side's failure to beat Wolves on Sunday as they were held to a 1-1 draw.

Despite taking the lead in the first minute through a Tanguy Ndombele goal, Spurs ended up sharing the spoils with the home side when Romain Saiss headed beyond Hugo Lloris in the late stages of the game.

The north London side have collected just two points from their last four Premier League matches and the coach feels they should have put an end to their winless streak after going ahead so early.

"One point against Wolves normally wouldn't be a bad result because they are a strong opponent. But scoring in the first minute and having the control of the game for the rest of it and having 89 minutes to score more, there's a sense of feeling frustrated," he told Sky Sports.

"I know the way I prepare the team, I know what I asked of the players, I know all that and don't want to say much more than that. I give some credit to Wolves of course because they put pressure on us, pressure that we coped quite well with, controlling the game very well.

"But we didn't have that ambition, that desire to go for more."

He added to BBC Sport: "I don't know if we deserved more than a point. We had the best thing that can happen to a team which is to score in the first minute. We had control of the game and conceded from a corner. We had 89 minutes to score more goals and we didn't.

"It is very disappointing, it is like against Liverpool where you control dangerous players for 90 minutes and concede from a set-piece.

"Tanguy Ndombele had a good game when he had energy. I didn't want us to sit deep, I put [Steven] Bergwijn on for [Sergio] Reguilon, a fresh [Erik] Lamela for a tired Son [Heung-min].

"Defending deep, that's not the intention. They know what I asked them at half-time, if they couldn't do better it's because they couldn't do better."

Mourinho's men will host Fulham on Wednesday in their final match of 2020 and will welcome Leeds to north London next Saturday for the first encounter of 2021.

Barcelona legend Lionel Messi has likened Cristiano Ronaldo to the biggest names in world sport, insisting the Portuguese icon is someone who stands out in the world of football.

The question on who is best between Messi and Ronaldo has raged in recent times but the Argentine superstar himself admitted his respect for the Juventus attacker.

Messi revealed he sees Ronaldo alongside other sport superstars in their chosen craft - likening him to Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and LeBron James.

"There are many admirable athletes. Rafa Nadal, Federer, LeBron - in all sports there is always someone who stands out and is admirable for his work," Messi told La Sexta.

"Cristiano stands out in football. There are many who stand out and always do their best."

Despite Messi revealing his admiration for several sporting figures in world sport, the 33-year-old said that his children invoke more passion in him than anyone else.

He explained he managed to suppress "the fan inside" when he became a senior player at Camp Nou.

"When I started to be a professional, I managed to put aside my passion as a football supporter," Messi said. "Those who make me get up from the couch are my children. They are what move me the most today."

Messi has been linked with a transfer to the likes of Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain at the end of the season after handing in a transfer request to Barcelona's hierarchy during the recent summer.

The attacker decided to stay at Camp Nou after much deliberation and hinted that he could still remain at the club next campaign.

"I'm sorry about everything. I always said it. Barcelona is my life. I've been here since I was 13 years old," Messi said.

"Well, the truth is that today I'm fine, it's true that I had a very bad time over the summer because of how the season ended."

Barcelona have struggled for consistency under Ronald Koeman, as they sit in fifth place in the La Liga standings, eight points behind Atletico but having played one extra game.

Their next league fixture comes against Eibar at home on December 29.

Barcelona star Lionel Messi has promised he won't talk to other clubs about a possible move until the current season is over. 

After failing to secure a Camp Nou exit over the summer and now into the final season of his current contract with the club, Messi continues to be linked with a possible transfer away from Spain. 

Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain loom as the most likely destinations with the Argentine seemingly still interested in exploring his options. 

Any talks about a possible move will have to wait until the summer however with Messi vowing he'll hold off having those discussions to ensure he continues to give his all for Barca. 

"I have nothing clear until the end of the year, I will wait for the end of the season," Messi told La Sexta.

"The important thing is to think about the team, finish the year, think about trying to get titles and not be distracted by other things. 

"I don't know what's going to happen, I'm focused on what we have, on what can be done in these six months. I don't think about how the year will end because today it wouldn't be good for me to tell you what am I going to do because I don't know. 

"I don't know if I'm going to leave or not and if I leave, I would like to leave in the best way.

"Always speaking hypothetically, I would like to return some day. I would like to return to the city, to work at the club, to contribute. Barcelona is much bigger than any player, even me obviously, and I hope that the president who comes in will do things well to help us lift important titles again." 

Messi added that a potential move to Major League Soccer would appeal to him, but he is unsure if it will come to fruition.

"I always said that I have the illusion that I would like to enjoy the experience of living in the United States, of living that league and that life, but if it happens or not I don't know," the Argentine said.

Messi also rejected the idea of him joining either Atletico Madrid or Real Madrid, and replied when asked if he could join the later: "No, impossible." 

A move to Manchester does however appear to be possible with Messi confirming he still chats regularly with former mentor and current City boss Pep Guardiola. 

Bengaluru and Jamshedpur, after a defeat to ATK Mohun Bagan and Goa respectively, are set to meet in a 2020-21 Indian Super League (ISL) fixture at the Fatorda Stadium, on Monday evening.

TV CHANNELS & LIVE STREAM

The Star Sports Network have the exclusive broadcasting rights of the ISL in India.

Commentary will also be available in vernacular languages across India.

TEAM NEWS

Bengaluru FC Possible XI:   

Injured - Ashique Kuruniyan
Doubtful - None
Suspended - None

Key Players - Sunil Chhetri, Cleiton Silva     

Jamshedpur FC Possible XI: 

Injured - Nick Fitzgerald, David Grande, Narender Gahlot
Doubtful - Joyner Lourenco
Suspended - None

Key Players - Nerijus Valskis, Alex Lima

Lionel Messi has declared that "Barcelona is my life" as he looks to silence speculation surrounding his long-term future.

After failing to secure a Camp Nou exit over the summer, the 33-year-old continues to be linked with a departure in 2021 with Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain reportedly circling as Ronald Koeman's side struggle to perform consistently in La Liga. 

Messi's current contract with Barcelona expires at the end of the season with the club currently battling financial problems and likely unable to offer him as much as other sides in Europe. 

The Argentine has however spent his entire career with the Catalan giants and has stressed just how much the club and city mean to him despite his recent push to leave. 

"I'm sorry about everything. I always said it. Barcelona is my life. I've been here since I was 13 years old, I've been living in Barcelona for longer than in Argentina and I learned everything here. The club trained me as a player," Messi told La Sexta.

"Well, the truth is that today I'm fine, it's true that I had a very bad time over the summer because of how the season ended. Then came what happened in summer, the burofax and all that. The truth is that I dragged it a bit during the beginning, but today I feel fine and want to fight seriously for everything we have ahead – I'm excited.

"I know that the club is going through a very difficult time at club level and everything that surrounds Barcelona is difficult but I am looking forward to it."

Currently on an extended break from club duties, Messi insisted he's willing to discuss all matters with Barcelona when it comes to his next step, but made it clear he wasn't happy with how former president Josep Maria Bartomeu handled his situation in the summer. 

"We had fixed it at the time when we talked about the pandemic ... I am not talking about these things in public, I prefer to do it in private," Messi said. "I am a man of my word. We are going to talk about anything."

On his previous attempt to leave Camp Nou, Messi added: "I felt that it was the moment for change and I wanted to leave and I wanted to do well.

"Then all that trouble was put together. The president at that time did not want me to leave and began to filter things to make me look bad and to be the bad guy in the movie and everything that happened happened, but I am still calm that what I did was what I felt and what I should have done at that time."

Tottenham's winless run in the Premier League was extended to four matches as Romain Saiss' late header cancelled out Tanguy Ndombele's opener to earn Wolves a 1-1 draw.

After losses to title rivals Liverpool and Leicester City, Spurs were aiming to avoid suffering a third successive league defeat for the first time since November 2012 and made a flying start as Ndombele drilled in after just 57 seconds.

Wolves looked toothless for most of the remaining 89 minutes with star forward Raul Jimenez watching on from the stands, yet their knack of getting late goals came to fruition once more.

Pedro Neto's superb corner was met by Saiss, who glanced a brilliant header beyond Hugo Lloris to again frustrate Tottenham, who passed up the chance to move up to third and were ultimately grateful for a 96th-minute Fabio Silva miss.

Wolves had been caught cold inside the opening minute as Ndombele's thumping strike fooled Rui Patricio, whose step to the right proved costly.

Ndombele then turned provider with a surging run from deep but Patricio was equal to Sergio Reguilon's effort.

Silva was left frustrated when he lashed into the side-netting before the half-hour, while Hugo Lloris kept out Daniel Podence's first-time shot.

Wolves wanted a penalty straight from the restart when Eric Dier clipped Silva, yet the VAR did not advise referee Paul Tierney to assess a replay and no spot-kick was given.

Lloris lunged in bravely at Silva's feet to deny the 18-year-old in a goalmouth scramble as Wolves started to turn the screw, although Son Heung-min, hunting his 100th Spurs goal, missed a chance to tee up Harry Kane at the other end.

Wolves' attempts looked set to prove fruitless until the 86th minute when Saiss turned in Neto's excellent delivery for an equaliser that set up a frantic finale.

Silva should have snatched all three points in stoppage time, only to head straight at Lloris as the spoils were shared.
 

What does it mean? Wolves' patience pays off as Spurs' late heartbreak continues

Since the start of 2018-19, only Liverpool (45) and Man Utd (44) have won more top-flight points from losing positions than Wolves (40). Their most recent three Premier League goals have all been scored in the final five minutes of matches.

Meanwhile, Spurs – who are up to fifth – have dropped nine points in 2020-21 from goals conceded in the final 10 minutes of matches, the most of any side in the Premier League. 

Ndombele's flying start

Ndombele's strike was the earliest Premier League goal scored from outside the box since Chelsea's Kenedy scored after 39 seconds against Norwich City in March 2016.

Only Chelsea (12) have scored more Premier League goals in the first minute of a match than Tottenham (11), and Ndombele – who turns 24 on Monday – went on to turn in an impressive display, winning 10 of his 15 duels, completing two of his four dribbles and creating two chances before he was replaced in the 70th minute.

Mourinho's pragmatic approach comes unstuck... again

Since masterminding a 2-0 victory in the north London derby, Mourinho has seen his team take just two points from 12 on offer.

Spurs managed only three attempts on target – the last of which came in the 21st minute – and had 45.4 per cent of the possession. 

Key Opta Facts

- Wolves' starting XI for this match featured seven Portuguese players (Patricio, Nelson Semedo, Neto, Joao Moutinho, Silva, Podence and Ruben Neves), the joint-most non-English players from the same country in a team's line-up in Premier League history. Fulham had seven French players in their XI versus Middlesbrough in 2003, and Newcastle United had seven Frenchmen against Liverpool in 2013.
- The home side conceded after only 57 seconds, the earliest goal they had conceded in the Premier League since April 2012 against Swansea City (Andrea Orlandi, 22 seconds).
- Since having 18 shots in the second half of their game against West Brom, Spurs have had just 22 shots in the second half of their past seven Premier League matches, mustering just one attempt in the second half of this match.
- Four of Saiss' past five Premier League goals for Wolves have been headers scored via a corner.

What's next?

Spurs have three days to recover before they take on Fulham at home, while Wolves travel to in-form Manchester United on Tuesday.

Former Barcelona and Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng believes the white community is not doing enough to kick racism out of football.

Born to a Ghanaian father and a German mother in Berlin, the 33-year-old has become a famous advocate against the vice after walking off the pitch following racist abuse while playing for AC Milan against lower division side Pro Patria in 2013.

That same year, he was named as the United Nations (UN) ambassador for anti-racism as well as being appointed as the first global ambassador for the Fifa anti-discrimination taskforce, working alongside Fifa vice-president Jeffrey Webb at Fifa headquarters.

This year, the 'Black Lives Matter' campaign has been launched as part of the fight against racism.

"The 'Black Lives Matter' movement was born but too little has been achieved to counter the phenomenon. No white person has ever told me they want to support me in this battle," Boateng has told Monza.

"Some abstains out of fear, others because they believe it is more advantageous not to expose themselves in this battle, a story that does not concern them.

"The whites are in charge: if they raised their voices, we would be more listened to."

Boateng also spoke about his September move to newly-promoted Italian second division side Monza, a club owned by Silvio Berlusconi who first brought the Ghanaian to AC Milan in 2010.

"How did Silvio Berlusconi convince me [to come to Monza]? He called me and said 'my son, come home'. There was no need for many more words," Boateng revealed.

While at Milan, where he would return for a second spell in 2016, Boateng played together with a host of top stars, including Sweden legend Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

The 39-year-old is still active, having made a return to Milan in December last year.

"I am not surprised, I learned from him the desire to win even in training. He is never happy, when he missed a pass at Milanello, as if to scold himself he shouted 'Zlataaaann'. Imagine what he was shouting at the others," Boateng said about his former teammate.

The Ghanaian has also previously played for Borussia Dortmund, Schalke 04, Fiorentina, Sassuolo, Eintracht Frankfurt, Las Palmas, Portsmouth, Hertha Berlin and more recently Turkish side Besiktas.