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Jose Mourinho believes he could stay at Tottenham for the long term after he felt he was not giving sufficient time to put his project together at Manchester United.

Mourinho, who recently celebrated one year at the helm of Spurs after he replaced Mauricio Pochettino last season, has Tottenham flying high to start the 2020-21 season. 

Spurs are in first place in the Premier League on goal difference over Liverpool, with the two sides set to face each other in a top-of-the-table clash on Wednesday. 

Mourinho joined Spurs 11 months after he was sacked at Manchester United, leaving the club after two and a half years in charge. 

After he experienced quick success with several clubs earlier in his career, Mourinho said that United was a long-term project that he felt was prematurely cut short when he was sacked. 

"In a certain period of my career, with a profile of club I was getting in hands, we didn’t need as much time to reach success," Mourinho said.

"We did it at Porto, Inter, Real [Madrid], Chelsea, both times, we did it without that need of that longevity and also my desire to try different things and my crazy desire to go to many countries, and to try to win it, and try to get different experiences in many different countries, was perfect because was about winning, and good bye, and let’s try another thing.

"The first club where I felt I need time and time was not given was at Manchester United, because I felt that I left at the middle of the process, but I learn very early to respect decisions, which I did at United.

"We did what we did, we did what was possible to do, and we move on. I am happy, they are happy, and we have a great relation, which is something I am very proud always to say, when I leave clubs, I keep very good relationship with everybody, and United is one more example of that."

Mourinho has now been a manager for more than 20 years, achieving major success nearly everywhere he's been. Now 57, he said he can see himself at Spurs for the long term.

“Now, in Tottenham I know the profile of job I have in hands, and hopefully until now I am enjoying very, very much to be in the club, I believe that the club is happy to work with me, so I see myself staying for a long time, but if we can accelerate the process, like we are accelerating, and being doing good things like we are doing, of course we are not going to waste time," Mourinho said. 

Zinedine Zidane hailed Karim Benzema as the best French striker ever after he helped Real Madrid past Athletic in La Liga on Tuesday.

Benzema scored a late brace as Madrid beat Athletic 3-1, moving them level on points with Real Sociedad and Atletico atop the table.

The Frenchman took his tally to 10 goals in all competitions this season – more than any other La Liga player.

After the game Zidane was asked if Benzema was the best French striker ever and replied: "For me yes, in addition to what he does, what he shows, he has been at Real Madrid for a long time.

"More than 500 games, all the goals, his record. What he has done speaks for itself. For me he is the best, it is very clear."

Benzema has become a Real Madrid legend but has not played for the France national team since 2015 after an incident involving his then national team-mate Mathieu Valbuena.

Still, the 32-year-old did score 27 goals in 81 caps for Les Bleus, in addition to scoring more than 250 goals during his time at Real Madrid.

“He is a more complete player now than he used to be. He is not a pure No.9, he doesn’t just think about scoring goals and that’s what I love about him,” Zidane, himself a French national team legend, added.

“He loves to combine with his team-mates and create chances for them but he also knows how to score goals and he does that when the team needs him the most like he did today. That’s what Karim is all about.”

Toni Kroos gave Madrid the lead at the Estadio Alfredo Di Stefano on Tuesday, where Athletic were reduced to 10 men in just the 13th minute following Raul Garcia's red card.

But Ander Capa drew the visitors level and Madrid struggled to create clear-cut chances before Benzema delivered late.

Zidane admitted Madrid were below their best, feeling his side pushed too hard against 10 men.

"It is true that we suffered. When you play 11 against 10, if you interpret the game well you can have it easier, but it has been the other way around. We were too hasty," he said.

"When they lose a player, you say, 'I'm going to score the goal in 15 minutes'. And you have to be patient.

"After the fourth game in 10 days, there are three points and you have to be very happy."

Madrid will look to extend their four-match winning streak when they visit Eibar on Sunday.

Jose Mourinho is convinced Son Heung-min wants to end his career at Tottenham and is therefore unconcerned about delayed contract negotiations.

Son has already spent over five years at Spurs and has been a key player for the majority of that time. His goal against Arsenal in the recent north London derby saw him reach double figures for a fifth successive Premier League season.

The difference this term, however, is he has reached that point in just 12 matches and also got four assists, while his haul of 18 league goals under Mourinho is remarkably almost double his expected goals (xG) rating of 9.3.

His relationship with Harry Kane has been particularly notable, as the pair have already combined for 12 goals in the Premier League this term – that is one less than the record for a single campaign (Alan Shearer and Chris Sutton in 1994-95).

Son is contracted to Spurs until 2023, meaning there is no rush for the club to tie the 28-year-old down, though rumours in recent months have suggested a new deal is desired by both parties.

Mourinho is not expecting that to come soon, though, given the financial implications of the coronavirus pandemic – not that he is overly concerned.

"No, I don't have any news," Mourinho said when asked about talks over fresh terms for the winger, who on Tuesday won the South Korean Footballer of the Year award once again.

"To be honest, this instability around society, clubs and football...we have 2,000 people [in the stands], we are expecting more people, more income certainly a couple of weeks later, then 2,000 goes back zero people a couple of weeks later.

"I'm not a money man but wouldn't like to be an owner or CEO of one of the big clubs with all this instability. How can you sign a new contract with a player?

"You don't know what's going to happen next season, you don't know if you can offer the player a better contract. I think it's a very strange moment, I just trust Sonny and Mr. [Daniel] Levy [Tottenham chairman], I know both want to stay, if possible, for life and until the end of careers, so I see Son signing a new contract here, but I don't believe – I don't even ask – for something to happen now because it's not the right moment."

Like Son, Kane has been essential to Spurs' rise to the top of the Premier League, with the England star boasting an incredible record of nine goals and 10 assists in 12 appearances.

Kane has also scored 18 goals (excluding penalties) in the Premier League since Mourinho took charge, outperforming his xG figure by 5.1.

Mourinho has been put under pressure to "manage" Kane's minutes given his importance at international level with England as well, though it does not look likely national team boss Gareth Southgate will be receiving too many favours in this regard over the coming months.

"Yeah, tomorrow he [Kane] is not playing, so no risk," a sarcastic Mourinho said ahead of Wednesday's clash with champions Liverpool. "I rest him against Leicester [City] as well, so no risk."

When pressed for a serious response, Mourinho added: "I want to win matches and if I want to win matches, I have to play my best players. If there is an alert of something not going well, of course we have to make decisions.

"We have lots of people working very hard on detection of problems [injuries], from the medicals to nutritionists and analysts. We have lots of people working with every player.

"I promise, when players are at an orange light, we are going to protect them, but when players are on green light and feel fine, then great, but injuries sometimes happen in amazing moments even when there are no signs of anything.

"Our calendar is hard. I manage Harry where I feel I could. He didn't play much in the Europa League matches.

"But now in the Premier League, it is what it is – we have this sequence of matches, we have Liverpool, Leicester, Stoke City [in the FA Cup], and I need the best players for it."

Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is relishing the chance to face La Liga leaders Real Sociedad in the Europa League last 32. 

Solskjaer's side fell 3-2 to RB Leipzig last week in their Champions League group stage finale, consigning them to the Europa League. 

Their draw for the last 32 is a tough one as the Red Devils will face off against high-flying Sociedad, who currently lead La Liga after winning seven and drawing five of their first 13 matches. 

Though disappointed by his side's inability to reach the Champions League knockout round, Solskjaer believes that United's draw in the Europa League is reminiscent of one they would have received in Europe's top club competition. 

“It sounds like a Champions League draw and it’s definitely one that keeps everyone on their toes,” he told United's official website.

“They’re the team that’s top of La Liga at the moment ahead of teams like Atletico Madrid, Barcelona and Real Madrid. I’ve watched them a couple of times and they’re an exciting team and it’ll be a test for us.

“We’ve got some difficult games around that period. It’s not a time we can switch off and feel it’s an easy Europa League draw, this feels like a Champions League draw – they’re top of the Spanish league. We just have to stay focused.”

United will have the chance to face off against their former player Adnan Januzaj in the Europa League tie, with the Belgian having come up through United's academy after signing at 16.

Januzaj signed with Sociedad in 2017 and has gone on to establish himself as a regular with the Liga side, scoring two goals in 13 total appearances this season. 

Solskjaer will be wary of facing Januzaj, a player he knows will enter the two-leg tie with a point to prove. 

“They’re hard-working with high intensity and some high-quality players and they’ve got our own Adnan of course,” Solskjaer added. “They also have some experienced players and some young, up-and-coming players.

“Everyone who plays against Man Utd wants to show what could have been and Adnan’s done well in his career.

"It’s always difficult to see where you’re going to go after Man Utd and he’s one of those boys that you hope would make it here. It wasn’t to be so now we’ll have to make sure that he’s not going to enjoy his return!"

Memphis Depay says he has not made a decision about his future as his contract at Lyon nears its end.

The Netherlands international will be a free agent at the end of the season and he has been heavily linked with a move to Barcelona.

Rumours of a potential January transfer have been circulating, and although the 26-year-old suggested last month that he would jump at the chance to move to Camp Nou, Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas has maintained he will not leave until the end of the season.

The former PSV star insists he is completely focused on Lyon for the time being as his side look to stay in contention for the Ligue 1 title, but he does not know where he will be next year.

"To be honest, we have a great team here. I don't know what will happen next year. I'm an OL player, the captain, and I'm here to win things, games and be important for the team. This is my main goal," he said at a press conference.

"If I start thinking about my future, I might lose my focus. I am 100 per cent with OL. What will happen in the future, we'll see. That's what I've always said.

"I can't say anything about [Barcelona]. I'm here now, a lot of clubs might be interested."

The Lyon star has been in good form for club and country since recovering from an anterior cruciate ligament he suffered last December.

Depay has scored six goals and registered four assists in 14 Ligue 1 appearances this season and found the net in Netherlands' recent Nations League wins against Bosnia-Herzegovina and Poland.

"It's crazy how quickly the year has gone by. I woke up today to realize that it happened a year ago," he said.

"Today I'm able to play and I'm happy for it. 

"I'm happy to play football, especially at a time when people cannot work, earn money and support their families because of the pandemic."

Lyon are second in the French top flight, trailing Lille on goal difference. Rudi Garcia's side beat Paris Saint-Germain on Sunday to extend their winning streak in the league to five games.

They face Brest at home on Wednesday.

Young Africans technical and administrative advisor Senzo Mazingisa has give his view on Shiza Kichuya’s controversial move from Pharco to Simba SC.

Fifa ruled the Tanzanian left the Egyptian side without following due procedure and fined Simba TSh294 million for signing the winger without sufficiently involving their Egyptian counterparts.

Mazingisa, who was the Chief Executive Officer when Kichuya was signed, has claimed Salim ‘Try Again’ Abdalla, an influential figure at Simba, forced the club to sign the winger although the deal was not sanctioned by the coach.

“There was no need to have a winger then, but Abdalla forced the club to sign Kichuya and all of us knew the coach did not want a winger,” Mazingisa told Mwanaspoti. “Kichuya’s agent is a man going by the name Chavas, he is the one who took him to Pharco and got him back.

"The loan deal could not be finalised fast because Kichuya and Chavas claimed Pharco had terminated the contract," he added. “I had to call an official at Pharco who stated Kichuya’s contract had not been terminated despite the player insisting the contract no longer exists.

“After Simba acquired Kichuya, Pharco went to Fifa and reported the player had joined another club yet he was not a free agent. Fifa wrote to Simba but the club did not bother to conclusively follow the issue up and that is where the problem began.”

Simba are understood to have received the first letter from Fifa on July 29, 2020. This duly required them to shed more light on Kichuya’s transfer, but they never replied to the letter.

“I had to seek advice even from lawyers from South Africa and in all our mail communication, Simba lawyers were copied but I understand the club just did not want to provide answers to the questions Fifa asked,” Mazingisa added. “For now, that matter does not concern me because I am engaged in something else.”

Kichuya left for Pharco in 2019 and signed a four-year deal but was loaned out to ENPPI where he featured for just half a season in the Premier League before he returned to Pharco.

His club is said to have wanted to get Kichuya another loan move before the forward decided to return to Tanzania and join Simba.

If Simba are not going to settle the ordered amount within 45 days, then they will be banned from signing any player in the next two transfer windows.

Nasarawa Amazons must drastically improve their scoring form if they are to excel in the Nigerian Women's Premier League this term, says Nasarawa state Commissioner for Sports Othman Bala-Adam.

The Solid Miners lifted the Nigerian title twice in their history, first in 2013 before claiming the second four years later, but lost 1-0 at home to Robo in their opening match of the 2021 season to dampen title expectations.

Shobowale Rukayat’s easy 32nd-minute tap-in off Gift Monday's header was all Robo required to condemn Christopher Danjuma's side to a losing start at the Lafia City Stadium last Wednesday.

In light of the defeat, the sports administrator rued the team's wastefulness in front of goal, while reflecting on their disappointing start at home to the new season.

"We saw great talents and a quality match between from FC Robo and Nasarawa Amazons here in Lafia," Bala-Adam told Goal. "It was a good match and a good testimony that we are getting it right for women's football in Nigeria. I'm very proud to be from Nasarawa and glad to witness this as a sports commissioner.

"We missed out a couple of chances and in football, if you don't bury your chances and someone else does that will make a huge difference," he added. "I'm optimistic the technical crew will work on because the defence was stable, the goalkeeping was awesome and the midfield was excellent but the finishing was our problem."

Following their opening loss at home, Danjuma's team will look to avoid back-to-back home defeats when they welcome four-time winners Bayelsa Queens on Wednesday.

The two teams will be meeting for the second time in space of a month following their clash in the final of the 2020 Flying Officier Cup in Abuja where Moses Aduku's side recorded a 1-0 triumph.

Ahead of the showdown in Lafia, Bala-Adam, who previously played as professional football before venturing to politics, has backed Amazons to turn things around.

"Absolutely, a lot has to be done. There's some push needed and I'm very optimistic that the management and technical crew are equal to the task," he continued. "They have to knock on their doors and sharpen their instincts in front of goal and be on top of their game. 

"They should work hard in converting their half-chances which is capable of making them champions already and not just looking for full scoring opportunities," he concluded. "They will surely come back strongly in their coming matches, beginning against Bayelsa Queens.

"They still stand a very good chance of securing the Champions League ticket." 

Borussia Dortmund forward Youssoufa Moukoko has set yet another record by making his first Bundesliga start.

Moukoko was handed his first start for Dortmund on Tuesday as his side faced Werder Bremen in Bundesliga action. At age 16 years and 25 days, Moukoko became the youngest player to ever start a match in the Bundesliga. 

Moukoko broke the record that was set by another Dortmund player, Nuri Sahin, who started against Wolfsburg in August 2005 at the age of 16 years, 11 months and 1 day.

The teenage striker has recently set several records, becoming the youngest player to ever play in the Bundesliga on his Dortmund debut and then setting the record as the Champions League's youngest player last week.

The Bundeliga's minimum age was recently set at 16 – a regulation that was changed from 16 and six months partly in anticipation of the prodigy's emergence as a possible first-teamer – meaning Moukoko's Bundesliga records will likely stand for some time.

Entering Tuesday's match against Bremen with five total appearances, Moukoko will now look to score his first senior goal for Dortmund after dominating for the club's youth teams. 

Dortmund will be hoping for a spark from their teenage star, as they entered the Bremen match on the back of a run of just one win in five matches. 

The team's latest loss - a humiliating 5-1 home defeat to Stuttgart on Saturday - saw head coach Lucien Favre sacked after two and a half years in charge.

Assistant coach Edin Terzic has been put in charge of Dortmund on an interim basis for the rest of the season, and he has promised that his team will display attacking football while he is at the helm.

"I'm a product of Borussia Dortmund. I come from the region and have been a fan for ages," Terzic said on Monday. "I've been working here for 10 years now and I'm shaped by the past.

"There are two ways you can win a football game: you can concede fewer goals, or you can always try to score one more. I'm more for the latter."

Terzic has worked at Besiktas and West Ham as an assistant and also spent time as a scout during Jurgen Klopp's spell in charge of Dortmund.

Andrea Pirlo acknowledges Juventus are facing a "strange" season in Serie A, but believes the impact of coronavirus on the schedule has restored balance across European football.

Italian champions Juve are fourth in the table after 11 matches, four points off leaders Milan, but they are not the only top side struggling to match the high standards of previous campaigns.

Liverpool, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain – all reigning champions – are being kept off the top of their respective divisions.

Indeed, each of the leaders in Europe's top five leagues – Tottenham, Real Sociedad, Bayer Leverkusen, Milan and Lille – are playing in the Europa League in 2020-21, rather than joining Juve in the Champions League.

"It's a strange championship but it's like all the other European championships," Pirlo told Juventus TV.  "With Covid and the matches close together, everything has balanced out a bit and therefore you have to face every game with the right mentality.

"There are no more 'materasso' teams; there are strong teams who think about playing and not just defending themselves. You have to face them all with a certain mentality otherwise you risk facing nasty surprises."

Juve's fortunes have improved in recent weeks, however, winning their past four matches in all competitions. They face Atalanta on Wednesday and could win five consecutive games for the first time since January.

"More than results, it is the attitude and concentration in facing all matches in the same way, both in the Champions League and in the league," Pirlo said. "When you have the right attitude and the spirit of wanting to play the game, the results are on your side."

Juve are unbeaten in 23 home Serie A games against Atalanta, a run stretching back to 1989, while they are the only side Gian Piero Gasperini has faced more than once in the league without defeating since taking charge in Bergamo.

However Pirlo is wary of the threat of the eighth-place team, who have had 11 different scorers in Serie A this term – more than any other side.

"I expect a difficult match against a very strong team," the Bianconeri coach said. "They have been a reality for several years now. We have seen that not only in the Italian league but also at European level. It will be a tough game to play given their attitude. We will have to face it as a top team."

SuperSport United secured a rugged 2-1 win over Kaizer Chiefs in a Premier Soccer League match which was played at Lucas Moripe Stadium on Tuesday night, with Itumeleng Khune again at fault in a poor Amakhosi display.

Bradley Grobler and Sipho Mbule both scored to hand Matsatsantsa a two-goal lead before Lebogang Manyama netted what proved to be a consolation goal for Amakhosi.

Matsatsantsa were a well-rested side as they were inactive for three weeks before this fixture, and they were looking to secure their second successive win having edged out Maritzburg United 2-1 in their last match.

Coach Kaitano Tembo made five changes to the team which took on Maritzburg with Kudakwashe Mahachi and Siyabonga Nhlapo among the players who were making their return to the starting line-up.

Meanwhile, Amakhosi, who were playing their fourth game in just over two weeks, were desperate to snap their four-match winless run in the league following their 2-2 draw with Black Leopards in their previous game.

Tembo's former boss, Gavin Hunt made one change to the Chiefs starting line-up which faced Leopards with Siyabonga Ngezana replacing fellow defender Kgotso Moleko in the team.

Chiefs saw most of the ball in the opening exchanges with Njabulo Blom pulling the strings in midfield and they were able to create half-chances.

Blom ran on to a loose ball in the box and unleashed a shot which was blocked by the hosts' defence, before Lebogang Manyama fired over the crossbar after being set up by Philani Zulu.

Manyama looked the likeliest Amakhosi player to score, but he could not keep his shots on target as he placed his attempts over the crossbar without testing Ronwen Williams in the SuperSport goal.

With Matsatsantsa defending too deep, Leonardo Castro and Manyama both unleashed long-range shots which were well-saved by Bafana Bafana international Williams.

However, Chiefs keeper Khune committed a mistake as his poor pass was intercepted by Ghamphani Lungu, who then found Sipho Mbule, before Bradley Grobler finished off a quick move with a well-taken goal to make it 1-0 to SuperSport on the stroke of half-time.

It was Khune's second costly mistake in as many matches having also given away possession against Leopards and he was punished by Ovidy Karuru.

The momentum was with SuperSport after the restart and Lungu forced Khune into a decent save at the near-post as the home side pushed for their second goal of the match.

The Tshwane giants did double their lead when Grobler was sent through on goal down the left-hand side and he set-up Mbule, who beat Khune with a powerful low shot to make it 2-0 to SuperSport in the 53rd minute.

Hunt then made a change as he introduced Dumisani Zuma and Chiefs took control of the match, with Nkosingiphile Ngcobo hitting the crossbar with a curling effort from a free-kick.

The ball then fell kindly for Zuma in the box, but the former Bloemfontein Celtic attacker placed his effort over the crossbar from close range as the Soweto giants looked to pull one back.

However, things went from bad to worse when Zulu was sent off after making a reckless challenge on Lungu, and Chiefs were reduced to 10 players just after the hour-mark.

Amakhosi continued to attack despite being numerically disadvantaged, but they were awarded a penalty after Zuma was fouled in the box by Luke Fleurs.

Manyama then stepped up and beat his Bafana teammate Williams from the spot to make it 2-1 with a minute left. 

Hunt's men pushed for a late equalizing goal, and the last chance of the game fell for Erick Mathoho in stoppage time. However, his effort was bravely blocked by Onismor Bhasera at the near-post and ultimately, the match ended in a 2-1 win in favour of SuperSport.

Chiefs remained 12th on the league standings - two points above the relegation zone on the league - while SuperSport climbed up to the fourth.

Both teams will be in action in the league on Saturday, with Chiefs taking on Bloemfontein Celtic, while SuperSport lock horns with Baroka.

Ghana are through to the final of the ongoing Wafu B U20 Cup of Nations in Benin following a 5-3 penalty shoot-out victory over Niger on Tuesday.

The semi-final match ended 0-0 after extra-time at Stade de Gaules in Porto Novo, after which the Black Satellites emerged victors on penalties.

Goalkeeper William Emmanuel Essu, who was substituted into the game just before the end of the extra-time period, Mohammed Sulemana, Precious Boah, Abdul Mugees Zakaria and Frank Boateng made no mistakes with their kicks from 12 yards.

Mahamudou Mahamane Ousmane was the unfortunate man for Niger as his missed kick handed joy to the Black Satellites.

The win has not only set Ghana up with a final date with the victors of the second semi-final fixture between Group B winners Cote d'Ivoire and Group A runners-up Burkina Faso but also secured Abdul Karim Zito's side qualification ticket for the 2021 Africa U20 Cup of Nations in Mauritania.

Ghana came into the game on the back of a 1-0 loss to Cote d'Ivoire and a 1-0 win over arch-rivals Nigeria in the group stage, which saw them finish second in Group B.

Niger, on the other hand, finished top of Group A after a 1-1 draw with Togo, 0-0 stalemate with Burkina Faso and 1-0 victory over hosts Benin.

The two finalists at the sub-regional tournament secure qualification ticket for next year's African championship.

At the continental gathering, the four semi-finalists will get the nod to represent Africa at the 2020 Fifa U20 World Cup in Indonesia.

Ghana are looking to go all the way to play at the World Cup for the first time since reaching the Round of 16 of the tournament at New Zealand in 2015.

The Black Satellites failed to qualify for the African Championship in 2017. Two years later, the three-time champions reached the continental gathering but failed to progress beyond the group stage, thereby unable to register one of the four available World Cup qualification tickets.

Ghana won the U20 Afcon in 1993, 1999 and 2009, where they also went on to conquer the world. 

Aston Villa will be without inspirational winger Mahmoud Hassan ‘Trezeguet’ when Dean Smith’s men take on Burnley in Thursday night’s Premier League encounter.

Since his head injury during an English top flight game where the Claret and Blue Army stuttered to 2-1 defeat by West Ham United, the Egyptian is yet to feature for the Villa Park giants.

The 26-year-old went down under the challenge of Declan Rice while trying to connect to Douglas Luiz’s flick in the 71st minute.

That left him with a deep cut with the medical team rushing to the field to attend to his bleeding head. Subsequently, he was replaced by Netherlands international Anwar El Ghazi.

Although he recovered from that knock, he has returned to the sidelines having suffered a hamstring injury during training.

He will duly miss the fixture versus Sean Dyche’s team alongside the suspended duo of Douglas Luiz and Matty Cash.

“We’re going to have a look at Ross [Barkley] tomorrow [Wednesday] in training, he’s getting closer and closer, we’ll have a look and see how he is,” Smith told media via a virtual press conference on Tuesday.

Villa have confirmed, however, that they will be without suspended pair Douglas Luiz and Matty Cash. as well as Trezeguet, who misses out with a hamstring injury.

Trezeguet teamed up with Aston Villa on July 24, 2019 from Turkish Super Lig club Kasimpasa for a fee of £8.75 million.

Initially, he struggled to adapt to life in England but he went on to score six goals in 34 games, including his brace in their victory over Crystal Palace, and provided two assists as Villa escaped relegation to the English second tier.

In nine games played so far in the 2020-21 English top flight campaign, the former Al Ahly, Excel Mouscron and Anderlecht man has made significant contributions, helping his side secure six wins to sit 10th after accruing 18 points with two games in hand.

For the visiting Clarets who sit a place above the relegation zone after accruing nine points from 11 outings, they go into this game with full of high hopes thanks to their shocking 1-0 triumph over Arsenal on Sunday.

Goals from Peter Shalulile and Themba Zwane ensured Mamelodi Sundowns defeated TS Galaxy 2-0 in an emotional Premier Soccer League clash on Tuesday evening.

Only two days after Sundowns defender Motjeka Madisha was understood to have been killed in a car crash – although the victims’ bodies have not yet been officially identified – the league leaders delivered a professional display to remain top of the table.

Shalulile opened the scoring in the 32nd minute, and Zwane made sure of victory 14 minutes from time, although there was still time for Ebrahim Seedat to miss a late penalty following Brian Mandela’s handball in the box.

The win takes Downs up to 17 points after seven matches, two clear of second-placed Moroka Swallows, as their unbeaten run continues. Defeat leaves TS Galaxy in 10th, and they are still waiting for their first victory since defeating AmaZulu at home on October 28th.

The hosts started intensely, but struggled to adapt to Galaxy’s high line, and it was the visitors who had the first big attempt, when they caught Sundowns out on the counter and Stydom Wambi struck his effort against the crossbar.

Denis Onyango was twice forced to deny Felix Badenhorst—and Wambi again—before Shalulile opened the scoring when he was picked out by Zwane’s clever flick.

During the second period, Galaxy were forced to ride their luck as Sundowns enjoyed a monopoly over possession and sought to extend their lead.

Shalulile had gone close with a header from a corner early in the second half, and it was the outstanding Zwane who ultimately added the second—thumping home after sharp interplay with the inventive Lebohang Maboe to take the contest beyond Galaxy.

The goal was Zwane’s seventh goal in seven outings so far this season, as he continues to make a case to be considered the PSL’s outstanding individual.

The visitors had the opportunity to stage a late and unlikely comeback when Mandela handled in his own area, but Onyango went the right way to deny Seedat from the spot and keep the Brazilians’ clean sheet intact.

Next up for Sundowns, they face Golden Arrows away on Saturday, while Galaxy are away at Cape Town City FC.  

Pedro Neto was Wolves' hero in second-half stoppage time as the Portugal international sealed a 2-1 comeback win over Chelsea at Molineux on Tuesday.

Frank Lampard's men went into the match the possibility of going top temporarily, but Wolves showed admirable character to come from behind to secure a fine victory against the odds.

Kurt Zouma went closest to breaking the deadlock late in the first half as he hit the frame of the goal, before Olivier Giroud did convert his seventh goal in as many games with 49 minutes on the clock.

Wolves were unperturbed, however, as Daniel Podence – a nuisance to Chelsea throughout – got himself a deserved goal in the 66th minute to restore parity.

Chelsea had seemingly ensured a share of the spoils when Wolves had a penalty award overturned, Neto deemed to have simulated contact in the area, but the winger ultimately had the final say in the fifth minute of stoppage time.

A largely drab first half belied the drama that was to unfold in the second period, with the only moment of true excitement occurring right before the interval when Zouma sent a towering header onto the crossbar.

Wolves were not so lucky soon after the restart, however.

Ben Chilwell's low delivery from the left was met by Giroud at the near post and Rui Patricio could not quite keep an instinctive finish out of his bottom-right corner.

Fabio Silva then had what would have been his first Premier League goal disallowed for offside, though Wolves did draw level in the 66th minute.

Chelsea failed to deal with the tricky Podence, and his lovely effort took a slight deflection off a defender on its way into the back of the net.

The hosts then seemingly had the chance to clinch victory taken away from them when a VAR review corrected the referee's initial error of pointing to the spot when Neto went to ground under pressure from Reece James.

But all eyes were on the Wolves man for the right reasons at the end, as Neto latched onto Vitinha's pass on the counter, ran at Zouma and fired a pinpoint finish into the bottom-right corner.
 

What does it mean? Blues to lose ground at the top

Whatever happens for the rest of this midweek matchday, Chelsea will go into the weekend action further adrift of the top of the table as a consequence of this defeat.

With champions Liverpool and pacesetters Tottenham facing each other at Anfield on Wednesday, this was a chance to gain ground – a victory at Molineux would have taken Chelsea top.

But now, as many as four teams could move above the fifth-placed Blues, who are three without a win across all competitions. Heading into the hectic Christmas schedule without momentum could prove damaging.

Back of the Neto!

If we ignore his exhibition of the dark arts with respect to the penalty that was overturned, Neto was otherwise a standout here. His winner was a delight, but the forward had already troubled Edouard Mendy in the first half and he almost got a second goal in the dying seconds. Add to that a couple of key passes – bettered by no other Wolves player – and you have a fine individual display.

Werner's woes

While Neto impressed on Wolves' flanks, it is difficult to say the same about Timo Werner. None of his three shots found the target, and he missed the chance to get a shot away from close range in the second half as the ball squirmed under his foot at the crucial moment. His 44 touches of the ball were only more than two players in Chelsea's starting XI – Mendy and Giroud, the latter of whom was withdrawn in the 71st minute – and the German is now eight games without a goal.

What's next?

Chelsea return to action in a London derby against West Ham on Monday, while Wolves go to Burnley the same day.

Chelsea head coach Frank Lampard has taken aim at his players following their second straight Premier League defeat, suggesting they may have become complacent after a strong start to the campaign. 

The Blues fell 1-0 to Everton at the weekend and on Tuesday, they let a second-half lead slip away as Pedro Neto's injury-time goal gave Wolves a 2-1 comeback win over Lampard's side. 

Chelsea took the lead just after half-time through Olivier Giroud before Daniel Podence found an equaliser for the home side midway through the second half. 

As Chelsea pushed for a late winner, they were undone on the counterattack as Neto took advantage of space to beat Kurt Zouma and finish low past Edouard Mendy.

Lampard believes his side may have taken their foot off the gas following a strong run of form that saw them near the top of the table. 

"Performance is what gives you results, and we had a long run of good performances but maybe the lads think we’re playing well, and when you think you’re playing well this is what happens," Lampard told Amazon.

"Maybe it’s for the players to think about the game while they’re resting. Think about tonight, think about Everton. This is the Premier League and if you don’t perform, you lose games."

Lampard also lamented Chelsea's inability to get a result after they took a second-half lead, saying they left themselves too exposed as they chased more goals. 

"At 1-0 we should see the game out," he said. "If you’re not playing that well, which we weren’t tonight, hang on to 1-0. Control the game. Don’t allow counter-attacks, and we did."

Chelsea midfielder N'Golo Kante also felt Chelsea were too open near the end of the match, as their pursuit of a late winner instead left them with no points at all. 

"Always disappointed [to lose]. The first half was not so great," Kante said. "We were a goal ahead and could have managed the game. When they scored, we tried to win. By trying to win the game we conceded a counterattack.

"What happened in the last two games is not what we want."

Aymen Barkok got a goal and an assist as Eintracht Frankfurt played to a thrilling 3-3 draw against Borussia Monchengladbach on Tuesday.

Adi Hutter’s men came into Tuesday’s game hoping to return to winning ways following Friday’s 2-1 defeat Wolfsburg, albeit, they could only settle for a draw in a game where they were reduced to ten men.

The visitors took the lead in the six-goal thriller through captain Lars Stindl after 14 minutes. As a result of Makoto Hasebe’s foul, Stindl curled in a mid-range free-kick past goalkeeper Kevin Trapp.

Eight minutes later, the hosts levelled matters through Andre Silva who converted from the penalty mark after Stefan Lainer handled the ball inside the box.

While the celebration were still dying down, Silva put his team ahead two minutes later – firing past goalkeeper Yann Sommer after he was released by Barkok’s well-orchestrated pass from the midfield.

In a goal-laden first-half that produced four efforts, Morocco international Barkok gave his team a two-goal advantage with a cool finish following Silva’s assist.

Eintracht Frankfurt held sway in the second-half until things fell apart in the 81st minute when Argentine star David Abraham was given his marching orders by referee Benjamin Cortus for a second caution.

In the 90th minute, former Arsenal transfer target Barkok went from hero to villain having fouled substitute Breel Embolo in the goal area as Cortus awarded a penalty.

Stindl converted the ensuing kick before completing his treble during added time to help Marco Rose's team leave the Deutsche Bank Park with a point.

The Moroccan was replaced in the first minute of extra time by Danny da Costa, while Angola’s Jabez Makanda was not listed for action.

The visitors were without Algeria international Ramy Bensebaini while Guinea midfielder Ibrahima Traore came in as an 83rd-minute replacement for Oscar Wendt.

Thanks to this result, Borussia Monchengladbach are seventh in the German elite division log having accrued 18 points from 12 games, while Eintracht Frankfurt occupy the ninth position with points from nine matches.

Barkok will be hoping to add more to his goal tally for the 2020-21 campaign when his team travels to the WWK Arena for a date with 11th-placed Augsburg.