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Frank Lampard thinks Chelsea's team is too early in its development to be compared to Liverpool's Premier League title-winning side and has detailed why his side sometimes falls short.

The Blues manager's comments come after Chelsea suffered back-to-back defeats for the first time since December 2019 which saw the club drop from third place down to seventh in the league table.

Those losses to Everton and Wolves came after a 17-game unbeaten run in all competitions that had drawn a lot of positive attention towards Stamford Bridge.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp then went as far as labelling Lampard's side the title favourites but Lampard was keen to play it down and he isn't surprised that Chelsea have stuttered and not been able to show the Reds' 'machine-like' ruthlessness consistently.

"Everyone was talking about us going on a great run and we should win the league. Part of my reasoning to dampen that was other teams have probably been together longer and built for longer which builds confidence within the group of players that they can deal with things better in games," Lampard told reporters from Cobham.

"Part of where our progression is that where we have some younger players and newer players, and I think as times goes on, they will definitely get stronger in those moments. That’s why you have to take lessons from things like the other night when we lose.

"Personality is very hard to measure. I just think with a group that has been together for a long time and maybe suffered some tough moments and failures.

"Liverpool in their period now, they looked like an absolute machine last year, but there would have moments that they would have gone through over those four or so years as a club where they would have looked at themselves.

"I played in a team that had that. The early Abramovich years, we didn’t win the league the first year, we came second and next year we felt a bit stronger and learnt a bit more. I think that is football.

"It’s never easy to quantify as such but you certainly can work on it and build it and I think the responsibility is definitely with manager, staff and players altogether.

"The realism is we are not a Liverpool of last year or a Manchester City of the year before where you can just go out and win, win, win, win, win. In periods, you have to be ready for some tough moments."

Chelsea are now hoping to overturn their defeat with a win over David Moyes' West Ham on Monday night who sit just one point and one place below them in the table.

The London rivals are closer than ever after 13 games and a defeat could bring a wave of negativity in a busy period for the west Londoners. In assessing what has gone wrong, Lampard says Chelsea have fallen short in the basics having had time to analyse the last two games.

"The basic demands of football are the high-speed runs, sprints and being competitive, and we dropped our level for 15 or 20 per cent," he added. "The understanding of it for me is clear.

"The confidence has to remain because we were playing very well and the table is very tight at the top level. We are much closer than we were to the top last year. We just need to remind ourselves of the great things we were doing before these two games."

Lampard himself hasn't been absolved of criticism after seeing the level of performances drop for two of his big money signings Timo Werner and Kai Havertz.

Some have called for a change of system, while others have suggested he has players playing out of position but Lampard remains confident about his 4-3-3 that delivered well-balanced performances just a few weeks ago.

"In terms of collection and system, the day that I pick a system and select a team that will make every Chelsea fan happy, it’s impossible, that day will never come and I understand that," he concluded.

"So I have to do what I believe in and what we have done this season, and the unbeaten run coincided with us going to 4-3-3, and I felt it was the way forward for us. It was bringing out the strengths of the players and we were doing it very well, there were things within that system that I wanted to do and how we were moving the ball and building up play, we were pressing, but like I said before, we came off that a little bit.

"So it’s not as if we were doing things terribly; we were just doing them at 70 per cent.

"For instance, the second goal against Wolves, we’re four against two, so you have to make sure you don’t allow the player to turn. There are counter-pressing positions which against Tottenham we absolutely nailed for 90 minutes.

"So there are little things and that’s the lesson for the players to have to react in-game and pick up those moments and get them right. So players have responsibility but I have to take it overall."

Atletico Madrid star Diego Costa is thriving on the competition for goals with Luis Suarez, whom he jokingly called a "b*stard" for outscoring him against Elche. 

Diego Simeone's men tightened their claim on the La Liga summit with a 3-1 victory on Saturday - a welcome return to form after losing out to city rivals Real last weekend. 

Costa came off the bench to score from the penalty spot in his first game back in just short of a month, having recovered from a bout of deep vein thrombosis. 

But he was overshadowed by his Uruguayan strike partner, who netted both of Atletico's first two goals to take his Liga tally to seven since moving from Barcelona in the summer. 

And his team-mate accused him, albeit with his tongue firmly in cheek, of saving up the goals to overshadow his return to the team. 

"I wasn't here and Suarez wasn't scoring; I come back and he gets two, the b*stard!" Costa joked to reporters after the final whistle. 

"I hope he keeps it up. I am very happy, the more goals he scores the better for Atleti. 

"We are going to keep winning and respectfully competing against each other, he came out and scored twice and then I came in and hit one. 

"If we want to win something big that's the way it has to be, like when we won the league, one player went out, another came in and was up to the task, we had a great team." 

Costa's recent blood clot was the latest in a series of physical setbacks that have restricted his playing time since returning to Atletico from Chelsea in January 2018. 

Now the Spain international is hoping that those troubles are behind him as he looks forward to re-establishing himself in Simeone's plans. 

"I'm very happy I can be here, I was already delighted to get the call, to see my team-mates and train," he added. 

"Life knocks me down, but I always get back up. I have a family, my team-mates, the physios, the doctors... When I am not on the pitch, I try to give my all from the sidelines. 

"It hasn't been easy, ever since I arrived there has always been something, but I am strong enough to fight and get back up. I'm back with a goal and very happy." 

Atletico are back in action on Tuesday against second-placed Real Sociedad, who welcome their title rivals to Anoeta.

Cristiano Ronaldo became only the fourth player score at least 33 Serie A goals in a calendar year by bagging a brace in Juventus' 4-0 win over Parma.

The 35-year-old scored in each half as Juve cruised to a victory that moved them level on points with Inter and one adrift of leaders Milan, both of whom play their game in hand on Sunday.

Ronaldo equalled former Juventus forward Omar Sivori's goal haul from 1961 - the joint-third most in a single year behind Gunnar Nordahl (36 in 1950) and Felice Borel (41 in 1933).

He could move further up the list as Juventus have one more league match to play in 2020 - a home meeting with Fiorentina on Tuesday.

Speaking after the match, Juventus coach Andrea Pirlo praised his star striker while also expressing his happiness with the entire team effort. 

“This evening was the Juventus I wanted to see. We needed to win this game, our strikers Cristiano and Alvaro [Morata] both needed to get back to scoring ways. We needed to work as a collective and Aaron Ramsey also had a really good game," he told reporters.

“We’re slowly getting to what we all want, not just me, but also the players. I like in particular the high press when the opponents have the ball, we can win it back quickly and that allows us to control the game. That spirit is getting into the lads and we’re improving game by game.

“We are now aware that we’re on the right path, that we’ll have this attitude in every game whether we are against Parma or Barcelona. We must press high, be aggressive and win back the ball so we can control the match.”

Ronaldo's 33 goals have come from 174 attempts - at least 67 more than any other player - giving him a shot conversion rate of 27.73, which compares to 28.26 for Ciro Immobile, who is the next highest scorer this year in Serie A with 26 for Lazio.

The Portugal international has scored 27 with his stronger right foot, four with his left and two via his head.

Robert Lewandowski, named The Best FIFA Men's Player of the Year on Thursday, has 32 Bundesliga goals for Bayern Munich since January 1, while Barcelona star Lionel Messi has just 18 in La Liga in the same timeframe.

Sadio Mane paid tribute to Liverpool fan Lee Swan during the Reds’ 7-0 demolition of Crystal Palace as he copied yet another celebration.

The Reds opened up daylight between themselves and the chasing pack in the Premier League with a performance full-back Andy Robertson described as close to perfection.

Mane was a key performer at Selhurst Park, netting the second goal on 35 minutes. He was substituted with over half an hour remaining, and looked visibly upset with manager Jurgen Klopp’s decision to replace him, but as he left the field he fulfilled a promise to Swan.

On a video call last month with Food Bank volunteer Swan, Mane asked if the Liverpool fan had a celebration for him to copy

On the call, Mane said: "You know me, I like to copy celebrations. If you have any celebrations, show me now." Swan was then seen showing Mane a celebration in which he kissed his finger before pointing to the sky.

Mane arranged for Swan, a volunteer at the Florence Institute - a community centre in the city - to take a tour of Anfield.

During the tour, Swan went on to the pitch at a floodlit Anfield and scored a goal, after which he performed his celebration.

“I'm proud to be part of Dear Liverpool FC and to be part of making a difference during these challenging times,” Mane told the club’s official website. “And it is an honour to help recognise the work that Lee, Timo (community centre leader) and the Florrie have been doing.

"Giving Lee the tour was a highlight of lockdown. He is a real character and it was a pleasure to help him realise his dream of scoring at Anfield."

And when Mane left the field at Selhurst Park on Saturday, the Senegal international kissed his finger and pointed to the sky.

Mane and Liverpool will now look to kick on over the festive period.

They hold a five-point lead over Everton, with Tottenham a further point adrift, and take momentum into their games with West Brom and Newcastle before the year is out.

The Reds welcome in 2021 with a trip to Southampton, before a brief break from league action in order to face Aston Villa in the FA Cup.

Marcus Rashford is convinced Manchester United are within touching distance of being title contenders.

The Red Devils last tasted Premier League title glory in 2013 - Sir Alex Ferguson’s final season at the helm - and they have not come close to challenging since.

Although they are already out of the Champions League, the Red Devils have been showing promising signs under manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

They are eight points adrift of pace-setters Liverpool, but have two games in hand in what is shaping up to be a tight battle.

Rashford feels the team that goes on a sustained winning run in the second half of the season will emerge victorious, and the England striker believes United are well capable of doing that - a view shared by Wes Brown.

“I believe that the team that we have now is capable of winning big trophies,” Rashford told the United Podcast.

“We are not quite there but I feel like we are close. We just need to make that final push to be a team that can win trophies and fight for everything.

“The league's wide open. Four games ago, everybody was saying 'United are finished.' But then we won three games on the spin.”

Rashford feels there is always noise surrounding United, due to their status as “the biggest club in the world.”

The forward has called on the players to block things out and take the title battle by the scruff of the neck.

“We have to find a way to block everything out and just concentrate on what matters, which is taking it one game at a time and picking up points,” Rashford said.

“We have to go back to spells where it's worked, where we've won 10 or 11 games, and just do it again. Because I believe this year, the team that does that is the team that's going to go on and win the league.

"We have to show that we're ready to step up and be that team that's going to be fighting for the title.

“We're so close to being the team that we all want to be. But it doesn't matter if you're that close or a million miles away, if you're not there, you're not there. We need to show that we are there and the only way to do that is to do it on the pitch."

The Red Devils face a big six days, as they host Leeds United on Sunday before trips to Everton and Leicester City either side of Christmas Day.

Thembi Kgatlana found the back of the net as Eibar secured a 2-0 victory over Santa Teresa in Saturday's Spanish Primera Iberdrola encounter at Unbe Sports Complex.

The South Africa international led the Gunsmiths attack in the encounter in her first appearance in the competition and flourished as her side bounced back from a 3-0 defeat at Rayo Vallecano.

Iker Dorronsoro's team started the game on an impressive note, racing into the lead in the 21st minute when Kgatlana netted the opener.

After the break, the Banyana Banyana forward was again involved when she saw her brilliant effort for the winner hit the post before coming off Marta Parralejo for an own goal in the 71st minute.

The 24-year-old forward featured from the start to the finish of the encounter and has now scored five goals and provided two assists in 10 games for Eibar.

With her opener against Santa, the South African has now provided the first of the match in all Eibar's four victories in the Spanish top-flight this season.

Her compatriot Noko Matlou continued to wait for her debut as she was not involved in the encounter, with Eibar celebrating their fourth win in the competition in this campaign.

Nigeria's Charity Adule was also not dressed for the match while Equatorial Guinea's Ruth Alvarez lasted for 77 minutes against Santa.

Victory over fellow newly promoted Spanish side ensured Eibar moved to 10th position with 14 points from 11 matches this season.

Kgatlana is expected to continue her impressive form when Eibar visit Valencia for their final encounter of the year on December 22.

After Liverpool produced a performance that was “close to perfect” in beating Crystal Palace 7-0, Andy Robertson says there is no way manager Jurgen Klopp can take the players’ days off away.

It has been a hectic schedule due to the late start to the season on account of the coronavirus pandemic, but Liverpool showed no signs of fatigue at Selhurst Park on Saturday.

They ran in seven goals, kicked off by Takumi Minamino on three minutes. Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino extended the lead before the interval.

Jordan Henderson, Firmino again and two from the bench from Mohamed Salah sealed the impressive win that guarantees the Reds will be top of the Premier League tree at Christmas.

Klopp’s players can recharge the batteries for a few days as they are not in action again until they face West Brom at Anfield on December 27, on account of being knocked out of the EFL Cup, and Robertson is looking forward to the break.

“We’ve got the longest break of the season until another game so we will get a couple of days off, which is so important,” Robertson told the club’s official website. “We’ll spend time with the family, spend time with the kids, before Christmas and I’m really looking forward to it.

"There’s no reason to take [the days off] off us after that performance so I’m not even giving him [the manager] that option! I’m looking forward to some family time and then we’ll go full-throttle into the 27th.”

Commenting on the sizzling display in south London, Robertson added: "It was as close to perfect as we can get away from home.”

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain made his first appearance of the season on Saturday, and Robertson was thrilled to see his team-mate put his injury problems behind him.

“Some fantastic goals and probably the best sight of all was to see Ox back on the pitch because he’s been out for the full part of the season and he looked really sharp,” Robertson said. “So we’ve added an extra body, which is great and we’ve got eight days until the next one so hopefully we might have a couple more back after Christmas.”

Joe Aribo provided an assist to help Rangers extend their unbeaten run in the Scottish Premiership following a 3-1 victory over Motherwell on Saturday.

The midfielder was handed his 11th league appearance as a second-half substitute and made a vital contribution for his side.

Rangers started the game unimpressively, allowing their visitors to open the scoring as early as the sixth minute of the encounter through Callum Lang.

The Gers struggled to level proceedings as Motherwell frustrated their efforts before respite eventually came their way when Kemar Roofe found the back of the net in the 73rd minute.

Eight minutes before full-time, Cedric Itten handed Steven Gerrard’s men the lead for the first time in the game after benefitting from Ianis Hagi’s assist.  

Aribo then set up Roofe to score his side’s third goal which sealed their victory and ensured they continued their impressive run of form in the division.

The victory helped Rangers maintain their lead at the top of the Premiership table after gathering 50 points from 18 games.

South Africa international Bongani Zungu made his fourth appearance in the encounter, replacing Ryan Kent with seven minutes left to play while Nigeria international Leon Balogun was not listed for the game due to a head injury. 

Aribo teamed up with the Gers in the summer of 2019 and shone in his debut campaign to win the club’s young player of the season.

The Super Eagles star has struggled with injury and ill health in the 2020-21 season which has limited his game time.

Aribo only played 16 games across all competitions for Rangers this season, scoring four goals and providing one assist.

The midfielder will hope to continue his impactful showings when Rangers take on St. Johnstone in their next league game on December 23.

Arsenal failed to halt their dismal Premier League form as Everton claimed a 2-1 victory to keep the pressure on Mikel Arteta.

The Gunners, without injured captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, have now gone seven league games without a win after Yerry Mina's header and Rob Holding's own goal lifted Everton up to second.

Nicolas Pepe's penalty had restored parity at Goodison Park, where Arteta spent six-and-a-half seasons as a player, but it was not a platform from which Arsenal could build.

Though Jordan Pickford's error led to David Luiz hitting the post, Mina's 45th-minute header ultimately proved enough for Everton to secure a third straight win from a game which saw just four attempts on target.

Michael Keane was just inches away from breaking the deadlock as Everton started in confident fashion, and an opener came when Dominic Calvert-Lewin's header from Alex Iwobi's cross diverted in off Holding.

Eddie Nketiah sliced wide from Kieran Tierney's cutback to waste Arsenal's first chance, but Tom Davies' blind challenge on Ainsley Maitland-Niles handed the Gunners a reprieve.

Pepe made no mistake, sending Pickford the wrong way with a cool finish – the Ivorian's sixth straight successful penalty.

Bernd Leno thought he had kept the scores level heading into the break with a stunning save from Calvert-Lewin, yet Everton restored their lead when Mina headed in from Gylfi Sigurdsson's subsequent corner.

Despite the setback, Arsenal came out quickly after the restart, with David Luiz hitting the upright after Pickford flapped at a cross.

Ben Godfrey's powerful run nearly resulted in Calvert-Lewin snatching a third for Everton on the counter, before Richarlison went close to teeing up Iwobi.

Arteta turned to Gabriel Martinelli with just under 20 minutes left, though the visitors' best chance did not come until the dying seconds when Pickford kept out Bukayo Saka's low drive to condemn Arsenal to an eighth league defeat of the season.

What does it mean? Differing anniversary celebrations

These sides faced each other at Goodison Park on December 21, 2019 – the day Ancelotti was appointed as Everton manager and a day after Arteta had taken charge at Arsenal – though neither were on the touchline in that game.

Ancelotti will mark a year at the helm with his team five points off leaders Liverpool while, should Brighton and Hove Albion beat Sheffield United on Sunday, Arsenal would drop to 16th.

Mina's first-half late shows rolls on

All of Mina's last four Premier League goals have now come in the 45th minute or first-half stoppage time.

The Colombia international made a decisive impact at one end, but also impressed in defence, making two tackles, while his defensive partner Keane made a game-high five clearances.

More own goal woe for the Gunners

Arsenal are finding it hard enough to score at the other end, without putting through their own net. The Gunners have scored three own goals in the Premier League this season, only scoring more in 2002-03 (four) and 2011-12 (five).

In a twist of irony, Holding is the first Arsenal player to score an own goal against Everton in the Premier League since Arteta himself did so in April 2014, in a 3-0 defeat at Goodison.

Key Opta Facts

- Arsenal's 14 points from 14 games this season is their worst record at this stage of a season since the 1974-75 campaign (12 points, converted to three per win).
- Everton have won two of their last three home league games against Arsenal, as many as in their previous 11 against them at Goodison Park.
- After a run of just one win in seven Premier League games, Everton have won each of their last three, guaranteeing them a spot in the top four at Christmas for the first time since 2004-05.
- Arsenal have not scored from open play in any of their last five Premier League away games, with their two goals on the road since Alexandre Lacazette's strike against Liverpool coming from the penalty spot.
- Pepe has more goal involvements in all competitions than any other Arsenal player this season, with the Ivorian the Gunners joint-top goalscorer (five) and assister (three) this term.

What's next?

Both teams are in EFL Cup quarter-final action, with Arsenal facing another of Arteta's old teams in the form of Manchester City on Tuesday, a day before Everton host Manchester United.

Robert Lewandowski's last-gasp strike sent Bayern Munich top of the table as Bayer Leverkusen's unbeaten Bundesliga record this season was dramatically ended with a 2-1 defeat.

A stunning Patrik Schick volley put Leverkusen in front at BayArena on Saturday, but the European and Bundesliga champions came from behind to extend their unbeaten run to 19 matches and replace the hosts at the summit.

Lewandowski celebrated being crowned Best FIFA Men's Player for 2020 this week by taking advantage of a mix-up between Jonathan Tah and goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky to head home late in the first half.

The Poland striker won it with just about the last kick of the game, Tah punished for another mistake as Bayern went two points clear in their last game of the year.

Leverkusen caught Bayern napping with a short corner to take the lead 14 minutes in, Schick brilliantly volleying Nadiem Amiri's inviting cross beyond a motionless Manuel Neuer.

Leory Sane came on for the injured Coman after Schick had a goal ruled out for offside and Bayern were gifted an equaliser two minutes before the break, an unmarked Lewandowski heading into the empty net when Tah and goalkeeper Hradecky made a mess of trying to deal with Thomas Muller's cross.

Lewandowski planted another free header over the crossbar as Hansi Flick's side finished the first half strongly and the striker should have tried his luck rather than attempting a pass after turning sharply in the penalty area early in the second half.

Amiri stung Neuer's palms with a rasping drive and Hradecky superbly tipped Serge Gnabry's shot around the post as both sides pushed for a second goal in a gripping encounter.

Joshua Kimmich made his return from injury off the bench in a double change that saw substitute Sane withdrawn, the winger looking understandably unimpressed to be hauled off midway through the second half.

Jamal Musiala struck an upright with a measured right-foot shot from the edge of the area before a dramatic final twist, Kimmich pouncing on Tah’s heavy touch and feeding Lewandowski, who drilled home with the aid of a deflection.

What does it mean? Champions end 2020 on ominous note

Bayern have taken on all comers under Flick this year and they will take some stopping in 2021, this victory striking a big blow to Leverkusen and their other rivals for the title.

Leverkusen were unfortunate not to take a point from an entertaining encounter, but only had themselves to blame after conceding two poor goals.

Lethal Lewandowski unstoppable

Lewandowski appears to be unstoppable and the prolific Pole ought to have had a hat-trick as he reached 20 goals for the season before Christmas.

The former Borussia Dortmund man has 16 goals from 13 Bundesliga games this season. He had only netted four times in 17 top-flight matches against Leverkusen before popping up with a decisive double.

Lewandowski had seven shots and although only two of those were on target, they were enough to send his side to the summit.

Torment for Tah

Leverkusen defender Tah will not want to watch this game again, particularly Lewandowski's winner.

He failed to control the ball and the fit-again Kimmich nipped in, with Lewandowski then doing what he does best. Tah also totally misjudged Muller's cross in the first half and, although his keeper was also badly at fault, the centre-back left one of the best players in the world unmarked to level.

Tah lost possession 13 times, won just 37.5 per cent of his duels and could be having nightmares about his display during the mid-season break.

What's next?

Bayern's first assignment of 2021 will be at home against Mainz on January 3, while Leverkusen start the new year with a trip to Eintracht Frankfurt a day earlier.

Arsenal failed to halt their dismal Premier League form as Everton claimed a 2-1 victory to keep the pressure on Mikel Arteta.

The Gunners, without injured captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, have now gone seven league games without a win after Yerry Mina's header and Rob Holding's own goal lifted Everton up to second.

Nicolas Pepe's penalty had restored parity at Goodison Park, where Arteta spent six-and-a-half seasons as a player, but it was not a platform from which Arsenal could build.

Though Jordan Pickford's error led to David Luiz hitting the post, Mina's 45th-minute header ultimately proved enough for Everton to secure a third straight win from a game which saw just four attempts on target.

Michael Keane was just inches away from breaking the deadlock as Everton started in confident fashion, and an opener came when Dominic Calvert-Lewin's header from Alex Iwobi's cross diverted in off Holding.

Eddie Nketiah sliced wide from Kieran Tierney's cutback to waste Arsenal's first chance, but Tom Davies' blind challenge on Ainsley Maitland-Niles handed the Gunners a reprieve.

Pepe made no mistake, sending Pickford the wrong way with a cool finish – the Ivorian's sixth straight successful penalty.

Bernd Leno thought he had kept the scores level heading into the break with a stunning save from Calvert-Lewin, yet Everton restored their lead when Mina headed in from Gylfi Sigurdsson's subsequent corner.

Despite the setback, Arsenal came out quickly after the restart, with David Luiz hitting the upright after Pickford flapped at a cross.

Ben Godfrey's powerful run nearly resulted in Calvert-Lewin snatching a third for Everton on the counter, before Richarlison went close to teeing up Iwobi.

Arteta turned to Gabriel Martinelli with just under 20 minutes left, though the visitors' best chance did not come until the dying seconds when Pickford kept out Bukayo Saka's low drive to condemn Arsenal to an eighth league defeat of the season.

What does it mean? Differing anniversary celebrations

These sides faced each other at Goodison Park on December 21, 2019 – the day Ancelotti was appointed as Everton manager and a day after Arteta had taken charge at Arsenal – though neither were on the touchline in that game.

Ancelotti will mark a year at the helm with his team five points off leaders Liverpool while, should Brighton and Hove Albion beat Sheffield United on Sunday, Arsenal would drop to 16th.

Mina's first-half late shows rolls on

All of Mina's last four Premier League goals have now come in the 45th minute or first-half stoppage time.

The Colombia international made a decisive impact at one end, but also impressed in defence, making two tackles, while his defensive partner Keane made a game-high five clearances.

More own goal woe for the Gunners

Arsenal are finding it hard enough to score at the other end, without putting through their own net. The Gunners have scored three own goals in the Premier League this season, only scoring more in 2002-03 (four) and 2011-12 (five).

In a twist of irony, Holding is the first Arsenal player to score an own goal against Everton in the Premier League since Arteta himself did so in April 2014, in a 3-0 defeat at Goodison.

Key Opta Facts

- Arsenal's 14 points from 14 games this season is their worst record at this stage of a season since the 1974-75 campaign (12 points, converted to three per win).
- Everton have won two of their last three home league games against Arsenal, as many as in their previous 11 against them at Goodison Park.
- After a run of just one win in seven Premier League games, Everton have won each of their last three, guaranteeing them a spot in the top four at Christmas for the first time since 2004-05.
- Arsenal have not scored from open play in any of their last five Premier League away games, with their two goals on the road since Alexandre Lacazette's strike against Liverpool coming from the penalty spot.
- Pepe has more goal involvements in all competitions than any other Arsenal player this season, with the Ivorian the Gunners joint-top goalscorer (five) and assister (three) this term.

What's next?

Both teams are in EFL Cup quarter-final action, with Arsenal facing another of Arteta's old teams in the form of Manchester City on Tuesday, a day before Everton host Manchester United.

Robert Lewandowski's last-gasp strike sent Bayern Munich top of the table as Bayer Leverkusen's unbeaten Bundesliga record this season was dramatically ended with a 2-1 defeat.

A stunning Patrik Schick volley put Leverkusen in front at BayArena on Saturday, but the European and Bundesliga champions came from behind to extend their unbeaten run to 19 matches and replace the hosts at the summit.

Lewandowski celebrated being crowned Best FIFA Men's Player for 2020 this week by taking advantage of a mix-up between Jonathan Tah and goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky to head home late in the first half.

The Poland striker won it with just about the last kick of the game, Tah punished for another mistake as Bayern went two points clear in their last game of the year.

Leverkusen caught Bayern napping with a short corner to take the lead 14 minutes in, Schick brilliantly volleying Nadiem Amiri's inviting cross beyond a motionless Manuel Neuer.

Leory Sane came on for the injured Coman after Schick had a goal ruled out for offside and Bayern were gifted an equaliser two minutes before the break, an unmarked Lewandowski heading into the empty net when Tah and goalkeeper Hradecky made a mess of trying to deal with Thomas Muller's cross.

Lewandowski planted another free header over the crossbar as Hansi Flick's side finished the first half strongly and the striker should have tried his luck rather than attempting a pass after turning sharply in the penalty area early in the second half.

Amiri stung Neuer's palms with a rasping drive and Hradecky superbly tipped Serge Gnabry's shot around the post as both sides pushed for a second goal in a gripping encounter.

Joshua Kimmich made his return from injury off the bench in a double change that saw substitute Sane withdrawn, the winger looking understandably unimpressed to be hauled off midway through the second half.

Jamal Musiala struck an upright with a measured right-foot shot from the edge of the area before a dramatic final twist, Kimmich pouncing on Tah’s heavy touch and feeding Lewandowski, who drilled home with the aid of a deflection.

What does it mean? Champions end 2020 on ominous note

Bayern have taken on all comers under Flick this year and they will take some stopping in 2021, this victory striking a big blow to Leverkusen and their other rivals for the title.

Leverkusen were unfortunate not to take a point from an entertaining encounter, but only had themselves to blame after conceding two poor goals.

Lethal Lewandowski unstoppable

Lewandowski appears to be unstoppable and the prolific Pole ought to have had a hat-trick as he reached 20 goals for the season before Christmas.

The former Borussia Dortmund man has 16 goals from 13 Bundesliga games this season. He had only netted four times in 17 top-flight matches against Leverkusen before popping up with a decisive double.

Lewandowski had seven shots and although only two of those were on target, they were enough to send his side to the summit.

Torment for Tah

Leverkusen defender Tah will not want to watch this game again, particularly Lewandowski's winner.

He failed to control the ball and the fit-again Kimmich nipped in, with Lewandowski then doing what he does best. Tah also totally misjudged Muller's cross in the first half and, although his keeper was also badly at fault, the centre-back left one of the best players in the world unmarked to level.

Tah lost possession 13 times, won just 37.5 per cent of his duels and could be having nightmares about his display during the mid-season break.

What's next?

Bayern's first assignment of 2021 will be at home against Mainz on January 3, while Leverkusen start the new year with a trip to Eintracht Frankfurt a day earlier.

Simy Nwankwo scored his fourth Serie A goal of the season as Crotone suffered a 3-1 defeat against Sampdoria in Saturday's encounter.

Simy pulled a goal back for the Pythagoreans on the stroke of half-time after efforts from Mikkel Damsgaard and Jakub Jankto gave Sampdoria a 2-0 lead in the first 35 minutes.

After the restart, Fabio Quagliarella came off the bench to seal victory for the hosts with his 65th-minute goal, which condemned Crotone to their ninth league loss of the season.

Simy was in action for the entire duration but despite the Nigerian's contribution in front of goal, his team have only won a match in the Italian top-flight so far this term.

The 28-year-old has played in each of Crotone's matches in this campaign, and he is three goals from equalling his best goalscoring return in the Serie A (seven goals in the 2017-18 season).

Ivory Coast's Koffi Djidji was also on parade for the visitors as he was introduced in the 78th minute, while the Gambia centre-back Omar Colley saw 90 minutes of action for Sampdoria and Senegal's Keita Balde was an unused substitute.

Saturday's defeat left Crotone languishing at the bottom of the Serie A table with six points after playing 13 matches.

Next up for Simy and his teammates, is a home league match against Gervinho's Parma on Tuesday and they will be targeting a positive result to end the year on a high.

This is the view of former Amakhosi and Bafana Bafana midfield playmaker Siyabonga Nkosi.

The hosts had come out firing at the start of the game and went in front after only seven minutes through an Anthony Agay header.

Then having squandered first half chances to add to their tally, Chiefs conceded an equaliser midway through the second stanza and were unable to muster much of a response after that.

The goal saw two of Celtic’s substitutes combining as Ryan de Jongh chipped in a delicate pass to Tumelo Mangweni, who delightfully controlled the ball before slamming home a volley past Daniel Akpeyi.

Mangweni and de Jongh as well as Tuemlo Njoti and Sera Motebang, had all come on at the start of the second half as Maduka played nearly all of his cards at once.

“You know, that bold decision at half time, to make four substitutions, from your own trusted starting line-up - and you bring them on to affect a game of this nature, where other coaches could have said, ‘let’s play out for a good 15 minutes, give these guys a chance to see now if they can up their game’,” Nkosi said during the post-match discussion in the SuperSport studio.

“Because in the first half I thought they (Celtic) were very lethargic. The only change was not in terms of tactics, but these four guys came in with better energy, prepared to get on the ball, better quality on the ball as well.”

The match was a third in a week for Phunya Sele Sele after they lost to Orlando Pirates in the MTN8 final last weekend and then beat Baroka FC 2-0 on Wednesday night, which emphasises why Maduka’s four subs helped re-energise his team.

Celtic next play on Wednesday – at home against Nigerian side Rivers FC in the Caf Confederation Cup.

Chiefs are in the same competition and they take on Angolan outfit 1 de Agosto, also at home on Wednesday.

Southampton head into the busy festive period with an injury doubt over star striker Danny Ings who limped out of the loss to Manchester City with a hamstring problem.

Former Liverpool, Burnley and Bournemouth forward Ings pulled up shortly before half-time and following a medical assessment, he was deemed unfit to carry on.

Saints boss Ralph Hasenhuttl confirmed the problem to be with Ings' hamstring, and given the forward’s history with injuries, the club will take no chances with his fitness.

“It’s a hamstring problem,” Hasenhuttl told the club’s official website following the 1-0 loss to City. “I’m not sure how much, but it’s clear we were taking a risk with another game for 90 minutes when he has played twice in the week after the long injury, so we hope it’s not too bad.”

Southampton have a seven-day break before they face Fulham on Boxing Day, and Hasenhuttl will hope the break allows Ings to rest and recuperate.

It is the latest setback for the 28-year-old who missed over a month earlier in the season after picking up a knee injury against Aston Villa.

Saints pushed Pep Guardiola’s City hard at St Mary’s, and Hasenhuttl was pleased with everything apart from the final ball.

“I think it was a better game from our side than in the summer when we won 1-0 [against Man City],” Hasenhuttl said. “Today we played better.

“We were braver and had a lot of pressure on them, but what was lacking today was the quality in the final third, with the final passes and final chances.

“We had a few good ones, but it was always a few inches away or where their defender was aware of the area, so it was tough to score.

"I think we did the maximum we can do. It was our third game in a week, and we had one day less to recover, and the effort the guys put into the second half was unbelievable really.

“We kept them a very long away from the goal, but you cannot do it all the time so they had a few chances, but this is normal.

“It’s amazing what we play at the moment and how we play. It’s always controlled and in the second half they were really defending their own box for a long time and although we didn’t find a way through, this was the highest level we can play at the moment.”

Southampton sit in fifth in the table and following the clash with Fulham, they close out the year with a home game against West Ham.

Christy Ucheibe found the back of the net and Jolina Amani continued her fine goalscoring form for SL Benfica as they defeated Estoril Praia 2-0 in Saturday's Portuguese Liga BPI encounter.

Cape Verde-born Netherlands youth international Amani, who had contributed three goals in seven outings for Benfica this season, ensured her team's ended the year 2020 on a high at Estoril.

On her part, Nigeria youth international midfielder Ucheibe had scored twice in seven appearances this season and went on to inspire her side to a seventh victory of the season.

Smarting from their Women's Champions League Round of 32 elimination at the hands of Chelsea, Benfica put up a fine show to bounce back to winning ways thanks to the Africans.

The visitors made a fine start to the encounter when Amani almost opened the scoring for the Eagles but her goal-bound brilliant effort was blocked by the hosts' defence in the 16th minute. 

Having ended the first half in a stalemate, Benfica broke the deadlock when Catarina Amado raced into Estoril's box before setting up Uchiebe to put her side in front in the 64th minute.

Despite their slim lead, Luis Andrade's team continued with their ruthless attack and were rewarded with the second when Amani fired past goalkeeper Isabel Peixeiro nine minutes from full time.

The victory keeps SL Benfica in second position on the southern region table of the Liga BPI, with 21 points from eight matches this term.

Ucheibe lasted for the duration of the match, getting her second goal in eight matches for SL Benfica, while Amani featured for 85 minutes, netting her fourth goal of the season in eight outings.

After the win, SL Benfica will immediately embark on a Christmas break and expected to regroup on December 29 ahead of the first match of the year 2021 against CL Benfica on January 3. 

Ronald Koeman has put Barcelona's 2-2 draw with Valencia down to a lack of concentration from his players, rather than a problem with their attitude.

Barca were held at Camp Nou in Saturday's entertaining La Liga clash and are now eight points adrift of Atletico Madrid having played a game more than the leaders.

Mouctar Diakhaby scored a free header to give Valencia the lead – a joint-high fourth league goal Barca have conceded from a corner this term along with Huesca – but Lionel Messi equalised and young defender Ronald Araujo put the hosts in front.

Maxi Gomez profited from yet more slack defending 21 minutes from time to score against the Catalan giants for a fourth game running, however, as Valencia became the seventh team to stop their opponents winning in 13 games this term.

Koeman did not want to blame any individuals following this latest setback but conceded his side switched off too easily for Valencia's goals.

"It was a difficult game. We fought back but have to be more focused," he told Movistar . "We had chances but weren't focused on some other actions, and the opponents defended well.

"We made more of an effort in the second half to win the game but didn't create as many chances as we wanted. It was an irregular game from us; we lost balls in areas that were dangerous.

"I don't think it was to do with an attitude problem. There was an irregularity to the whole game. We lost balls and doubted ourselves.

"We also know we have problems with set-pieces. You have to get above your opponent, but we have smaller players."

Barca had won their previous two matches, against Levante and Real Sociedad, but now face a massive battle in chasing down Atletico and the rest of the title challengers.

"We would have liked to have won all of the games," Koeman said. "The problem is not today's draw but that we lost four or five other games and that's why this draw seems worse.

"There are a lot of points left [to be won]. It's a very tough season. In two months, everything could be different. We have to fight to make up the points difference."

Koeman made one change from the 2-1 victory over Sociedad, bringing in Philippe Coutinho for Frenkie de Jong in what was an attack-minded starting line-up featuring Messi, Martin Braithwaite, Pedri, Antoine Griezmann and Coutinho.

Sergio Busquets, the sole holding midfielder, picked up a knock and was replaced by De Jong at half-time.

Explaining his team selection, Koeman said: "Frenkie had discomfort in training yesterday and we couldn't risk him from the beginning, according to the doctors.

"We had to leave him on the bench until the break. I changed things around and brought off Busquets, but not because he was having a bad game."

Messi's goal was his 643rd for Barcelona, taking him level with Santos great Pele for the number scored for a single club.

The Argentina international managed 10 shots in total and had a penalty saved by Jaume Domenech, but he headed in from two yards in the aftermath to bring up his landmark goal.

"We know all about his impressive career," Koeman said. "It is another very good achievement."

However, Valencia head coach Javi Gracia questioned whether a penalty should have been awarded for Jose Gaya's perceived push on Griezmann with Valencia a goal ahead at the time.

The referee Alejandro Hernandez Hernandez initially showed Gaya a red card before downgrading that to a yellow after checking the pitchside monitor, but Gracia feels the spot-kick should also have been rescinded at a pivotal moment in a tight game.

"Justice does not exist in football," he said. "It is always difficult to assess the referee's performance. The goal just before half-time did us a lot of damage. 

"But the team's personality was clear to see again. I am proud of my players."

Timo Werner admits “it does matter how much you cost”, with the Chelsea striker looking to embrace the pressure of a £47.5 million ($64m) price tag rather than shy away from it.

The Blues spent big on a proven goalscorer over the summer, with rival interest from the likes of Liverpool fended off in order to bring the Germany international onto their books.

Werner’s prolific strike rate at RB Leipzig suggested that Frank Lampard had landed a frontman capable of spearheading a title charge at Stamford Bridge.

The 24-year-old has hit eight goals for his new club, but has failed to find the target in his last eight appearances across all competitions.

Questions are being asked of his end product, with some big chances being squandered, but Werner has vowed to live up to expectations in west London.

He told Chelsea’s official website heading into a derby date with West Ham on Monday: “It does matter how much you cost.

“It’s always a bit of pressure when you come to a new club and you want to score by your own but now you also want to score for your new team-mates, for your club.

“You have to score and the pressure you have in every new club, but I think I can handle it very well because I got the same pressure at my old club and everybody wanted me to score. It’s not something new to me but now it’s a new ground from where I’ve been so it's new people and new players around me.

“So the pressure is a little bit higher than the last years but I think good footballers are the best under pressure and that’s my plan, I can do very well under pressure.”

Werner is still finding his feet in new surroundings, but he can call upon the full support of his manager and believes a spark will be rediscovered once fully adjusted to the demands of life in England.

He added, having hit 95 goals in 159 outings for Leipzig: “The Premier League is a little bit different to my old league that I used to play in. I have to say it’s tougher than I thought. The contact here is harder than in Germany, it’s what I expected but not like this.

“I think it’s also hard when you play every three days and the Champions League and internationals and you have to play on Saturday against teams that can rest the whole week and think only about the game against you. It makes it not easy to be the best in every game but the Premier League is very fun to play in.

“The beginning was very good, now a little bit after a lot of games I don’t know if it’s normal but I’m struggling a little bit.

“There are lot of games at the moment and I think there’s some chances that I’ve missed two or three weeks ago that were not the best thing, but I think when you are new to a country and league it’s always a little bit hard to adapt and it should be no excuse. I should try to do my best to be the best footballer that I can be in this league and I think I’ll adapt well.”