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Chelsea manager Frank Lampard believes his side are suffering from fatigue after they lost 2-1 at Wolves on Tuesday.

The Blues took the lead at Molineux through an Olivier Giroud goal, but Daniel Podence scored to pull the hosts level before Pedro Neto netted the winner deep in injury time.

The loss is Chelsea's second in a row, having gone down 1-0 at Everton on Saturday.

Lampard admitted his side may have been lacking some energy, but insisted that is no excuse for the defeat.

"There could be some fatigue. I hate to say it after a defeat because it could sound like an excuse but even the first 60 minutes when we were the better team we didn't have a zip about us," he said in a press conference after the match.

"We have travelled up to Everton, come back and up to Wolves but everyone is in the same boat on that front. At the moment we have a couple of injuries in areas that mean I can't make too many changes or rotations in certain areas of the team.

"So I understand that side of it but when you are 1-0 up and turn the result around I wouldn't say it was because of fatigue."

The former midfielder was asked if injured duo Callum Hudson-Odoi and Hakim Ziyech are nearing a return to the team.

"Hakim and Callum will hopefully be training by the end of the week," he said. "Whether they are fit or not for West Ham, I'm not sure."

Lampard said his side were caught out by threat Wolves posed in counter attacks, but took some positives from their performance despite the loss.

"We didn’t play enough. It is pretty simple. The threat from Wolves is clearly the counter attack and it is a major threat from what they have got," he said. "It is the main one because they have speed and quality in forward areas. The players knew it before the game, the players knew it in game but we allowed some counter-attacks.

"If you are going to allow a team to play to their strengths then you may lose that game.

"The real positive things we've seen is that we're becoming more secure. We've been given a different kind of game in these last two games, particularly Everton making it difficult for us to break them down. We didn't really succeed in that.

"Wolves play very much with a counter attacking style and we didn't deal with that. The players have to feel that on the pitch. The message was clear: they counterattack. That's disappointing."

Record Ugandan Premier League champions Sports Club Villa picked up their second win in the 2020/21 season after beating Kampala Capital City Authority 2-1 at the Bamboo Barracks on Tuesday.

KCCA FC have now seen their unbeaten record come to a grinding halt as goals from Nicholas Kabonge and Ronald Ssekiganda were enough for the Jogoos to emerge winners of the Kampala Derby, while Brian Aheebwa converted a late penalty for the visitors.

Kabonge scored in the 33rd minute to reward Edward Kaziba's team with a deserved lead in a game that was attended by a few fans for the first time in the season.

In the 55th minute, Isaac Ogwang could have scored the second for SC Villa after another nice build-up from the midfield but his effort flew slightly above Charles Lukwago’s crossbar.

As Jogoos looked a dominant side in the midfield, KCCA head coach Mike Mutebi made two changes as he brought Filbert Obenchan and Peter Magambo in places of Stefano Loro and Samuel Kato respectively in the second half.

Sam Ssenyonjo, who has scored five goals and had an open chance denied by Meddie Kibirige, had to leave the pitch due to what looked like an injury and his place was taken by Charles Lwanga.

Ronald Ssekiganda added the second in the 86th minute for SC Villa before the 13-time league champions pulled one back courtesy of Aheebwa three minutes after conceding the second goal.

It was a game that KCCA head coach Mutebi had anticipated would be tough, given the traditional rivalry and history of title successes for both sides.

Before the Bombo Barracks showdown, SC Villa had won their match against Mbarara City, drew 2-2 against BUL FC before they were defeated 3-1 by URA FC. On the other hand, KCCA had not dropped a point from their last three games against Bright Stars, Onduparaka FC, a side they defeated 8-1 to record the biggest scoreline of the campaign thus far, and Mbarara City.

The 2019 champions came into the match with some serious injury concerns as Gift Ali, Julius Poloto, Juma Balinya, Moses Aliro and Sadat Anaku all missed out.

KCCA won the last meeting against the Jogoos at the Phillip Omondi Stadium by a scoreline of 4-1. This season, the SC Villa tie was KCCA’s second game away as they started the campaign at Bright Stars and won 2-1.

KCCA and SC Villa have now met in 20 matches and the Kasasiro Boys have picked up, nine wins in those games. SC Villa, on the other hand, have won three games while eight matches have ended in draws.

In the 20 games, KCCA have scored 28 goals while the record champions have netted 17. In those games, KCCA have managed to collect 35 points while the Jogoos have harvested 17.

The 16-time champions will face Express FC on Saturday while the Kasasiro Boys will be at Lugogo to battle URA on the same day.

Meanwhile, BUL were defeated 2-1 by Sam Ssimbwa’s Uganda Revenue Authority (URA FC) while Police FC picked a huge 3-0 win over Busoga United at home.

Onduparaka and Wakiso Giants shared points from a 1-1 draw as Bright Stars defeated Malaba Youth Development Association (MYDA) 3-2.

Liverpool head coach Jurgen Klopp has praised Tottenham's performance under Jose Mourinho, saying the Portuguese manager has turned Spurs into a "results machine".

The two sides will meet on Wednesday in a top-of-the-table showdown, with Spurs and Liverpool level on points on top of the Premier League. 

After losing their Premier League opener, Tottenham have gone 11 straight matches without defeat to cement their status as title challengers. 

Klopp has been impressed by the work his counterpart has done in north London, saying those who felt Mourinho's best coaching years were behind him have been proven wrong. 

“I’m not surprised, because that’s the world we are living in – you are very successful until yesterday," Klopp said at his pre-game press conference. "If you cannot prove it today, then people go for you. I don’t think he was surprised at that, but he showed comeback skills. Very impressive what they did at Tottenham, the way they played this year is really good.

"He turned them into a results machine, that’s how it is. They have good performances, and if they are not on top form they still win. They defend collectively, very impressive.”

Spurs have been led this season by the dynamic duo of Son Heung-min and Harry Kane, but Klopp was eager to point out that the two players are hardly the only threat Tottenham possess.

"Yes [Kane and Son are a priority] but then unfortunately if you keep them quiet there are still a lot of really good players. It’s now a proper team, with threats from a lot of areas on the pitch," Klopp said.

“[Steven] Bergwijn plays an important role, especially in their counter-attacking moments. [Tanguy] Ndombele needed a little longer to settle but is now 100 per cent there. He shares the job a little bit with [Giovani] Lo Celso, [Moussa] Sissoko.

"With [Pierre-Emile] Hojbjerg, it’s a proper midfield unit and together with the last line, it obviously works pretty well, especially with [Hugo] Lloris a top-class goalie."

Liverpool ran away with the Premier League title in 2019-20, but the race is shaping up to be much closer this season as teams deal with a condensed fixture list. 

Only five points separate first-place Spurs and Manchester United in eighth, and Klopp feels that the standings could be tight throughout the entire season. 

Asked if he thinks this season will be the closest title race in years, Klopp replied: “It looks like it. I don’t know how it will be in February, March, April and May, but in the moment it looks like it. There are always a lot of really good teams, but some of them have run not so much this year and that obviously keeps us all together. Nice for the people!”

East Bengal head coach Robbie Fowler feels his current squad was recruited with the I-League in mind and that the players must step up to perform at the level required in the Indian Super League (ISL).

His team succumbed to a  2-3 defeat against Hyderabad in the 2020-21 ISL clash at the Tilak Maidan in Goa on Tuesday.

The Kolkata giants were leading at the half-time after Jacques Maghoma broke the deadlock in the 26th minute. Aridane Santana then scored twice in the second-half and Halicharan Nazaray netted the third to pull off a stunning comeback. Maghoma pulled one back for East Bengal in the 81st minute but it was not enough to help the side add a point to their tally. 

Fowler did not mince words about his team's performance. The Red and Golds are winless after playing five matches and currently sit at the bottom of the table

"I just think we are a team that is built for the I-League. The recruitment process for this team was for the I-League and then we catapulted to the ISL. Now it's up to the players to show that they are good enough for the ISL," Fowler said after the game. 

The 45-year-old also said that East Bengal showed they can score goals but needs to concentrate better in games. 

"We could do a lot better. We scored a couple of goals, which is obviously a positive to us. We proved that we can score goals and now we need to improve our concentration levels. 10 minutes after half-time you concede two goals which is obviously not what we wanted. We started well, took a lead and just switched off."

He further added, "Well, I think we need to obviously improve massively. Look it's still not over. We have a lot of points to play for. We have a lot of performances left in us. See from that team formation and the players playing in that we have got a lot of work to do. I'm going to talk to the players. A few of them are not doing themselves any favour at the moment."

Fowler also urged his players to pick themselves up and focus in the next matches instead of ruing the defeat as he believes that things can still be turned around.

"We have to pick ourselves. It's not about soaking and crying. We have to just get on with it. We have to take it, it can be changed, we have to get better. We have to be sensible. We have to be cleaver," said the East Bengal manager.

Chasing their first win of the season, East Bengal will now take on Kerala Blasters on Sunday.

AC Milan chief executive Ivan Gazidis has downplayed the threat a potential European Super League poses to world football.

The possibility of Europe's top teams breaking away from their domestic leagues to form a new competition has made headlines in recent years.

The idea became a big issue in the media when former Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu revealed the Spanish club have accepted an invitation to join the league.

The league has been criticised from all corners of the sport, with La Liga chief Javier Tebas saying it is a "weak and imaginary competition" and FIFA president Gianni Infantino insisting the focus should be on the Club World Cup rather than a continental league.

Meanwhile, Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp says he hopes it will "never happen", Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola believes it would lead to the death of domestic football and ex-Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has warned that the English top-flight would suffer drastically if the Super League became a reality.

Gazidis says the idea has been talked about for a long time and does not expect it to become a reality, though he believes football should be open-minded about new ideas.

"This conversation about the European Super League has been going on for probably more than 20 years," he told BBC Sport. "The reality is there are many different ways that European football could develop over the next 5-10 years.

"I don't think there's a big likelihood that we see a Super League in the way that people talk about it.

"Do I think that there could be developments in the way that the Champions League develops? Absolutely I do. That's a conversation we should have and have it with an open mind."

The former Arsenal chief also called on Italian football to tackle its racism problem.

There have been many high-profile incidents of players suffering abuse from the stands in recent years and Gazidis believes updating the stadiums could help deal with the issue. 

"We see an environment in which there is a lack of respect kind of built in, perhaps similar to what we saw in England before the development of stadiums," he said. "The new stadiums provide an atmosphere in which people feel more safe and secure.

"They have more technology in them, they're more inclusive, you get more diversity in the crowds, women come, children come, people from every different race, colour, background and sexual orientation feel more welcome into the stadiums. That's what we have to work towards here in Italy.

"I think England perhaps has been working on these issues in a deeper way for longer. That doesn't mean they are anywhere near the end of the journey."

He added: "Denying that we have issues and pushing them under the carpet does not help. The first thing is acknowledgment and then we can take action. This is a process, there is no end to the process that we're on. The journey that football has taken over the last 20 or 30 years has been significant, but we have a long way to go."

Joseph Paintsil found the back of the net as Ankaragucu defeated Hatayspor 2-0 in Tuesday’s Turkish Super Lig game.

The midfielder made his eighth league appearance for the Eryaman Stadium outfit and made the most of the opportunity.

The Ghana international teamed up with Ankaragucu on a season-long loan from Belgian First Division side Genk in the summer.

Paintsil came off the bench to make a significant contribution against Hatayspor, helping them to clinch their second win of the season.

The game started with both sides aiming to open the scoring before Ankaragucu were handed a huge advantage when Hatayspor were reduced to 10 men.

Gokhan Karadeniz was given his marching orders in the 50th minute by for a serious foul play and Ankaragucu capitalized on their numerical advantage.

Zvonimir Sarlija broke the deadlock 19 minutes after the incident, firing his effort beyond the reach of goalkeeper Munir after an assist from Emre Gural.

Paintsil, who was brought on for Ender Aygoren to strengthen the Ankaragucu team, then found the back of the net moments before the end of the game to seal the victory.

Senegal international Mame Diouf featured for 77 minutes in the encounter but could not help his side to avoid defeat and was cautioned in the early minutes of the game.

Paintsil has now scored four goals for Ankaragucu this season, amid other dazzling displays, but his side remain in the relegation zone with eight points.

The midfielder started his European career with Hungarian club Ferencvaros in 2017 before joining Genk in 2018.

Paintsil has four caps for the Ghana national team since he made his debut for the West African side in 2017.

The midfielder will hope to continue his impressive club performances to earn a regular call-up to the Black Stars.

He will be expected to feature for Ankaragucu when they take on Genclerbirligi in their next league game on December 20.

Football fans will remember the infamous Premier League match in 2011-12 between Liverpool and Manchester United when Luis Suarez was accused of racist language directed at Patrice Evra.

It was an ugly moment to witness as a football fan, and the controversy around the incident is not a positive memory for anyone.

Goal has what you need to know about what happened between Suarez and Evra in 2011.

What did Suarez say to Evra?

According to the FA report published in 2012 as a result of the investigation, Suarez told Evra: "Porque tu eres negro". "Negro" means "black" in Spanish.

The report continues: "Mr Evra said that at the time Mr Suarez made that comment, he (Mr Evra) understood it to mean 'Because you are a n*****'.

"He now says that he believes the words used by Mr Suarez mean 'Because you are black'."

Suarez explained in his book: "The second important point is that I said to Evra: 'Por que, negro?'.

"'Por que' means: 'Why?' It was me asking him why he was complaining, first about the foul and then about me touching him.

"I told [Damien] Comolli this, but by the time my version had been passed down the line to the referee it ended up not as 'Por que, negro?', but as 'Porque eres negro', which changes the meaning drastically; 'porque' doesn’t mean 'why?', it means 'because' – the phrase became 'because you are black'.

"I never said, nor would ever dream of saying, 'because you are black'. I certainly never said, and never would say, that I would not talk to Evra, or anyone, because they are black."

Liverpool were also criticised for wearing t-shirts in support of Suarez during the aftermath of the controversy.

Evra revealed in 2020 that he received an apology from the club – nine years on.

"When I did the punditry on Sky and Jamie Carragher apologised after eight years, I was so surprised," Evra told the official Man Utd podcast.

"He said they made a big mistake that day and he apologised. It really touched me and now I will respect Liverpool as a football club because, when this happened, I was really disappointed with the club.

"I received an email from the chairman of Liverpool apologising for what happened nine years ago. He said I was welcome to come to Liverpool if I need anything. It really touched me because it’s better late than never, but I was surprised that Liverpool supported that kind of attitude.”

How long was Suarez banned for?

As a result of the incident, Suarez was banned for eight matches and given a £40,000 fine.

During the return Premier League meeting in February at Old Trafford, Suarez was embroiled in further controversy when he refused to shake Evra's hand pre-match.

Then-manager Kenny Dalglish and Suarez later apologised for the incident.

"I have spoken with the manager since the game at Old Trafford and I realise I got things wrong," Suarez said at the time. "I have not only let [Dalglish] down but also the club and what it stands for and I'm sorry. I made a mistake and I regret what happened.

"I should have shaken Patrice Evra's hand before the game and I want to apologise for my actions. I would like to put this whole issue behind me and concentrate on playing football."

Dalgilsh said: "All of us have a responsibility to represent this club in a fit and proper manner. That applies equally to me as Liverpool manager.

"When I went on TV after yesterday's game I hadn't seen what had happened, but I did not conduct myself in a way befitting of a Liverpool manager during that interview and I'd like to apologise for that."

Former Tottenham defender Jan Vertonghen has admitted he suffered through the effects of a head injury for most of the 2019-20 season without speaking out about it. 

The Belgian initially suffered the injury in the first leg of the 2018-19 Champions League semi-final against Ajax after he collided with team-mate Toby Alderweireld. 

Vertonghen initially attempted to play through the injury but was unable to continue, and needed to be helped off the field. 

Tottenham said after the match that Vertonghen did not suffer a concussion but the defender, now with Benfica, has revealed that the effects of that blow stayed with him for months. 

"Lots of people don't know but I suffered a lot from that hit [against Ajax]: dizziness and headaches," he said in an interview with Sporza. "This is now the first time I am talking about it. I should not have continued playing, it affected me in total for nine months and that's why I couldn't bring what I wanted to on the field."

Vertonghen was in and out of the line-up for Spurs last season, sparking rumours of a feud with manager Jose Mourinho.

The defender, though, says he never had a problem with his manager and that his inability to hold down a starting spot was down to the lingering effects of his head injury. 

"Everyone thought I was angry with Mourinho, but at that point I just couldn't [play]," he said of an incident when he was subbed off and appeared to be upset with his coach. "I still had a year left on my contract, so I had to play, but when I played, I played badly. Not many people knew that, that was my own choice, it is not blaming anyone. 

"The fact I got benched had nothing to do with [Mourinho]. I was in a period I could not bring what I should have. I even thought he played me a lot compared to how I performed."

Vertonghen said that the two-month break he was able to take during the coronavirus lockdown helped him return to normal. 

"I just didn't know what to do. It was game after game and training session after training session," Vertonghen said. "Every time there was a new impact. Then the lockdown came and I was able to rest for two months, after that it was a lot better."

The Premier League is set to discuss the implementation of concussion substitutes at a shareholders' meeting this week.

John Obi Mikel will play no part in Tuesday’s Championship fixture between Stoke City and Queens Park Rangers.

Michael O'Neill’s men will be eyeing all maximum points against Mark Warburton’s team in their quest to push for a place in the Premier League.

Before his injury, he had featured in 15 games across all competitions, bagging an assist while captaining the team on a number of occasions.

As a result of that knock, he missed his side’s last four games against Wycombe Wanderers, Middlesbrough, Cardiff City and Derby County.

Manager O’Neill had revealed that the Nigerian would be examined to ascertain his level of preparedness for the crunch fixture despite his return to training.

“We’ll assess John Obi today [on Monday]. He trained for part of the session yesterday [Sunday], but the important thing is not bringing players back too early and risking re-injury,” O'Neill told the club's official website.

“I suppose the big positive is that no one added to our injury list from the game on Saturday."

Also ruled out for Stoke is Cameroonian goalkeeper Blondy Nna Noukeu following his inability to make the cut.

On the other side, the Superhoops have Nigeria-prospect Bright Osayi-Samuel, Ghana’s Albert Adomah and Morocco’s Ilias Chair in their starting XI. Zimbabwe's Macauley Bonne will start from the bench while Sierra Leone's Osman Kakay has been axed from the squad.

Victory for Mikel's team at the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium would boost their standing in the second tier.

Currently, they are eighth having accrued 29 points from 18 games, while QPR occupy the 19th spot with 16 points from the same number of outings.

Mesut Ozil's agent has revealed the exiled midfielder will not leave Arsenal in January and insists his client has every intention of seeing out the remainder of his contract. 

Ozil was omitted from Mikel Arteta's Premier League and Europa League squads in October and cannot be selected again for first-team action until at least January when changes to the player lists can be made. 

The former Real Madrid midfielder, a club-record signing when he joined for a reported £42million in 2013, has not made an appearance since March 7.

Ozil's influence has waned since providing 19 assists and creating 28 big chances in 35 Premier League outings during the 2015-16 season, setting up nine, eight, two and two goals in the following four campaigns respectively. 

Last season, however, he created 2.36 chances for every 90 minutes he was on the pitch in the top flight, comfortably more than the second-placed player on the list, Nicolas Pepe (1.79). 

While Ozil's agent Dr Erkut Sogut insists there are a host of clubs interested in signing the playmaker, he says the former Germany international – whose contract expires at the end of the season – is entirely focused on Arsenal. 

"Even one day is a long time in football, you never know," he told Tuttomercatoweb . "Of course, there are many clubs interested in signing him. 

"This has never changed but his willingness to honour his contract and play hasn't changed either. He's a man of his word and is loyal, and loyalty is hard to find in these times. He is not thinking of other clubs except the one with which he is now under contract.

"It's a shame that Mesut isn't playing. Of course, everyone focuses on his salary and I understand why. But from a personal perspective, I say it's a waste considering his talent and creativity. 

"He is training harder than ever. At home he has a gym, in the garden and in the garage. So, in addition to the work he does with the club, he also trains at home. This shows his professionalism, all his seriousness."

Sogut also revealed Arsenal did not give Ozil any prior warning that he would not be included in their squads for the first half of the season.

"I talked to Arsenal a few days before the transfer window and I told them about Mesut's feelings, his desire to stay and how much he loved the club," he added. "They never told me he wouldn't be on the list. It was a surprise to all of us and something that clearly hit him hard."

Mamelodi Sundowns have asked the Premier Soccer League to postpone the planned tributes for defender Motjeka Madisha, who was understood to have passed away in a car crash on Sunday morning, as the corpse is yet to be formally identified.

The PSL have revealed that there are certain issues still to be resolved by the South African Police Services regarding the reported death of the South Africa international, and have indefinitely cancelled the moment of silence planned in remembrance of the player.

Madisha is understood to have died in a car crash that occurred in the East Rand in the early hours of Sunday, but his employers, Sundowns have been taking a cautious approach in confirming the player’s death.

Two days after the incident, the club are yet to issue a conclusive statement on the situation and the player's fate.

Ahead of mid-week league matches as Sundowns host TS Galaxy on Tuesday, the PSL says the Brazilians made a request that a moment of silence for the player be put on hold.

“Mamelodi Sundowns Football Club has asked the PSL to postpone the observance of a moment of silence in respect of Mr Motjeka Madisha until certain issues have been resolved by the South African Police Services,” The PSL said in a statement on Tuesday.

The latest development comes less than 24 hours after Sundowns announced “a period of uncertainty” surrounding the reported death of Madisha.

The player’s family met pathologists on Monday and now await DNA identification of the remains, which were burnt beyond recognition in the accident.

Madisha is thought to have been the driver of the car involved in the tragic incident, but Downs appear unwilling to confirm the defender's passing until DNA results confirm it was him at the wheel.

“The nature of the horrific car crash that took place on the Zuurfontein Road near Chloorkop requires that all processes be followed by the necessary authorities with relevant expertise to confirm the identity of the driver," said Sundowns in a statement on Monday.

“The Madisha family requests privacy and the relevant protocols be followed during this difficult period of uncertainty. Mamelodi Sundowns will communicate further details after consultation with the Madisha family once the DNA test results have been released.”

There has also been conflicting information released in relation to Madisha's passing, with police reporting the car crash occurred early Sunday, while Sundowns have stated that the tragic incident happened on Saturday night.

The accident came after Sundowns celebrated their 50th anniversary on Saturday evening, although the defender is understood not to have attended the event.

Barcelona will have to wait until Neymar's contract at Paris Saint-Germain expires before they will be able to bring him back to Camp Nou, says Emili Rousaud.

The Brazil star, whose contract at PSG expires in 2022, has long been linked with a move back to the Spanish giants.

Neymar admitted that he wants to reunite with Barcelona star Lionel Messi in the near future, sparking talk of the Argentina international making a move to PSG.

Although the 28-year-old insisted this week that he has not considered leaving the Parc des Princes outfit any time soon, Barcelona presidential candidate Rousaud believes the attacker wants to return to La Liga.

"We have been in contact with Neymar's people and he made comments which someone interpreted as meaning he wants Messi to join him in Paris," he told AS. "What Neymar was saying is that he wants to come back to Barcelona - like he said in the summer of 2019. Right now, we cannot pay his transfer fee so it will be at the end of his contract."

Rousaud, who was a board member at Barcelona until the directors resigned in October, is confident the club can convince Messi to stay beyond this season. The six-time Ballon d'Or winner wanted to leave the Blaugrana in the summer transfer window, but decided to stay to avoid a legal battle with the club.

Although he believes making the team competitive would convince the 33-year-old to stay, the presidential hopeful warned Barca cannot afford to keep paying his current salary.

"What matters here is the sport project. When Messi said he was leaving, he didn't say it was to do with money," he said.  "He is the highest-paid footballer in the world, no one earns more than he does. He didn't want to leave because he doesn't earn enough, he wanted to leave because he wants to win trophies.

"He said so at the time: 'We aren't going to win anything'. He wants to play for a team where there is talent."

He added: "Obviously, with the actual situation at the club Messi's salary cannot be sustained. It's unsustainable. An agreement would need to be reached. The project which we will present to him is an attractive one."

Mikel Arteta says he is not ready to "throw everything away" with Granit Xhaka just because the midfielder made a mistake when he got sent off against Burnley.

Xhaka saw red during Sunday night’s 1-0 defeat after grabbing Ashley Westwood around the throat during an on-field melee sparked by a poor challenge.

Arteta labelled the incident as "unacceptable" straight after the game and there have been suggestions that Xhaka could be allowed to leave when the transfer window opens, either in January or in the summer.

But Arteta backed the Switzerland international when asked whether the 28-year-old still had a future at Arsenal following the latest in what has been a series of rocky moments during his stay in north London.

“He has and he’s not the only one, there is a lot of players who have had rocky moments,” said the Gunners boss.

“What I can say about Granit is his professionalism, his commitment with the club and his team is maximum.

“He knows, and we all know, that he had a moment where he lost it. I know the reason why, but what I cannot do is throw everything he has done away because he’s made a mistake.

“We all make mistakes and I’m here as well to protect the players when I see that they deserve that and, for sure, Granit is one of them for the way he approaches every training session, the way he wants to do things the right way all the time and the professional that he is.”

Xhaka is the second high-profile Arsenal player to be sent off during the club’s recent poor run of form.

Nicolas Pepe also saw red during the 0-0 draw at Leeds after he was spotted aiming a head butt at Ezgjan Alioski during an off-the-ball incident.

Pepe later apologised publicly for his actions, something Xhaka has yet to do.

Arteta wouldn’t be drawn on whether the midfielder had at least said sorry to his team-mates, although he did state the incident has now been dealt with behind the scenes.

“Whatever happened internally, I’m sorry but we cannot discuss,” he said. “It’s been resolved internally and this is what I can say.”

Lionel Messi remains the subject of incessant exit rumours at Barcelona but, despite the noise generated by ‘fake news’, Goal has learned that the Argentine superstar is yet to be contacted by any other club.

Naturally, as the six-time Ballon d’Or winner continues to run down his current contract, admiring glances from afar are being shot in the direction of an all-time great.

Various teams, amid talk of interest from the likes of Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain, are keeping a close eye on events at Camp Nou.

No future calls have been made as yet, though, with Messi and his representatives eager to point out that now is not the time to be discussing such matters – with Barca still searching for a spark in 2020-21.

The 33-year-old’s father and agent, Jorge, will not be entering into discussions with any suitors at this stage.

For now, patience is the order of the day for those inside the Messi camp.

The player himself wants to avoid any distractions as he seeks to deliver his best for Barca, with there no need to rush a decision regarding his future.

He will be free to speak with interested parties from outside of Spain in January, with free agency still due to be hit in the summer of 2021.

Many in Catalunya have aired their desire to see fresh terms thrashed out as quickly as possible, with it vital that any possible exit doors are closed off.

Barca will be holding their latest round of presidential election on January 24, with power at boardroom level about to change hands.

Any incoming, or possibly returning figurehead, will be eager to know where Messi stands upon taking the reins.

Goal has, however, learned that there has been no contact between the presidential hopefuls and the talismanic captain at Camp Nou.

With Messi playing his cards close to his chest, it remains to be seen what the New Year will bring for the mercurial South American.

His intentions will only become clear once he makes a formal announcement.

The last time he discussed his plans in public was during an exclusive interview with Goal in September , with Messi revealing at that stage that he would be honouring his contract and avoiding any legal dispute with Barca.

He had been keen on opening a new chapter in his career prior to that, but his stance may have changed since then as he remains the subject of intense speculation.

Sofapaka head coach John Baraza has stepped aside after leading the club in just three games in the 2020/21 Football Kenya Federation Premier League season.

In his place, John Mururi has been appointed on an interim basis after serving as Baraza’s assistant since his arrival during the 2019/20 season.

Mururi has been tasked to lead the team in preparations ahead of the next game against Kariobangi Sharks at their new home in Wundanyi, Taita Taveta County.

The last game which Baraza oversaw Sofapaka was during a 3-0 humiliation by AFC Leopards at Moi International Sports Complex, Kasarani on Saturday.

The three goals for Ingwe were scored by Elvis Rupia who helped the club maintain an unbeaten run as he also became the 27th player to score a hat-trick for the local heavyweights.

Batoto ba Mungu started the season with a 1-0 loss to Bandari before they picked up a 3-1 win over Western Stima, a club that is yet to pick a win since they lost the majority of the first-teamers to other FKF Premier League sides especially Wazito FC and Gor Mahia.

The AFC Leopards loss was registered even though the 2009 league champions have dominated the fixture in the recent past.

“Physical trainer Diallo Kwasi and assistant coach Martin Ndagano have also been dropped from the main team to the club’s youth team,” the club statement confirmed.

“We have asked coach Baraza to step aside as we plan to take him for further studies either in Norway or Germany.  

“For now Mururi is in charge of the team as we prepare for our next match against Kariobangi Sharks and we will announce the new head coach anytime from tomorrow [Wednesday].”

“Although his exit could have also been contributed majorly by the performance which has not been good, the main reason is that he is leaving for further studies,” the club president Elly Kalekwa further confirmed in a separate interview with Goal.

“We are likely to settle for a local coach.”

Baraza is the second FKF Premier League coach to leave after the season had begun. Tomas Trucha, who cited threats to his life, was the first coach to exit the stage before he immediately landed a job in Malaysia.

Wazito FC and Fred Ambani parted ways before the new campaign began and Francis Kimanzi was appointed as his successor.

Theo Hernandez has admitted he "can't imagine going back" to Real Madrid, and that he is hoping to stay at Milan "forever".

Hernandez completed a €24 million (£22m/$29m) move to Santiago Bernabeu from Atletico Madrid in 2017, with the Blancos tying the left-back down to a six-year contract after meeting his release clause.

The 23-year-old went on to win four trophies with Madrid, including the Champions League, but was never able to establish himself as a regular in the first team.

The former France U-20 international had only appeared in 23 matches across all competitions when the Spanish champions decided to accept a loss on their initial investment, with Milan snapping him up for €20m (£18m/$24m) in July 2019.

Hernandez has since become a key member of Stefano Pioli's squad, scoring 10 goals in his first 54 games for the Rossoneri, while also contributing nine assists.

The former Madrid starlet's performances have helped Milan rise to the top of the Serie A standings at the start of the 2020-21 campaign, with his latest stellar display coming in a 2-2 draw with Parma at the weekend.

The talented young defender grabbed both goals for Pioli's side as they snatched a point at San Siro, including a dramatic stoppage-time equaliser, with that result ensuring that the 18-time Italian champions are now the only unbeaten club left in Europe's top five leagues.

Ahead of a crucial trip to Genoa on Wednesday, Hernandez has expressed his desire to see out the remainder of his playing days in Milan, while conceding he cannot see himself ever returning to Madrid after his frustrating two-year spell at the Bernabeu.

"I think I'm in the best moment of my career," The Rossoneri star told El Transistor. "I went to Madrid very young.

"It's difficult when you don't get minutes... I can't imagine [going back], I'm really happy here.

"If I could, I'd stay at Milan forever."

Milan are currently three points clear of local rivals Inter at the summit heading into the latest round of Serie A fixtures, with Napoli and defending champions Juventus a point further back in third and fourth respectively.

Juve have won a record nine successive titles in Italy, but the Rossoneri are bidding to dethrone the Andrea Pirlo's side to win their first Scudetto since 2010-11.

Federation of Uganda Football Association (Fufa) has announced a long term deal with kit company Umbro.

According to a statement on the federation’s official website, the new partnership will run for the next four years and will see Umbro supply both Uganda men and women national teams with high-performance match kits, training, and off-field apparel, as well as equipment.

The new deal will see the reigning Cecafa Cup champions, join seven other African nations in wearing the double diamond – increasing the brand’s sponsorship portfolio to 34 clubs and eight national teams across the continent.

On making the announcement, the federation said: “Fufa announces a new long-term partnership with Umbro as the official technical sponsor of the Federation of Uganda Football Associations (Fufa) for the next four years.”

Speaking during the unveiling ceremony, Fufa President Eng. Moses Magogo explained: “Our vision is to become the number one football nation in Africa, on and off the field. Fufa is always looking at creating new partnerships with strong brands. It was therefore simple to choose Umbro.”

Magogo continued: “Umbro has a rich lineage in sports, particularly football. For many years now, it has been showing its dedication and commitment to producing quality products all over the world.

“The continual improvement of the Uganda Cranes has left fans yearning for more and I am confident that the new kits will excite fans much more. The designs are matching the latest global trends and we look forward to unveiling these kits within the new year.”

Umbro CEO David Ricketts from South Africa also said: “We are pleased to be partnering with the Federation of Uganda Football Associations and their affiliated teams.

“Umbro is passionate about the support of African football at all levels and we trust this partnership will transcend beyond kit sponsorship into a meaningful relationship for the team, our brand, and the broader African football community.”

The teams under Fufa in Uganda include Uganda Cranes, the Crested Cranes, Uganda U23 (Kobs), Uganda U20 (Hippos), Uganda U17 (Cubs), Uganda Boys U15, Uganda Women’s U20, Uganda Girls’ U17, and the Sand Cranes (National Beach Soccer Team).