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Pep Guardiola has backed Gabriel Jesus' scoring drought to end "soon", while insisting the Manchester City star is one of the best strikers in the world.

Jesus has scored an impressive 71 goals in 162 matches since joining City from Palmeiras for £27 million ($36m) in January 2017.

Only three of those strikes have been recorded at the start of the 2020-21 campaign, though, with the Brazilian struggling for form in the final third despite enjoying an extended run in the team in the injury-enforced absence of Sergio Aguero.

The 23-year-old has drawn blanks in each of his last six appearances across all competitions, as the likes of Riyad Mahrez, Kevin De Bruyne, Raheem Sterling and Ferran Torres have stepped up ahead of him to put the finishing touches on City's best attacking moves.

Jesus was guilty of missing another clear chance during the Blues' 0-0 draw with Manchester United in a derby clash at Old Trafford over the weekend, but looks set to retain his spot in Guardiola's line-up for a home fixture against West Brom on Tuesday night.

Although the Catalan head coach is confident that the forward will be back among the goals in the near future, he has also been quick to highlight his outstanding work off the ball, which has helped City to build up an impressive defensive record.

“Yeah, he will do it (score) soon. I see him every day and I love him so much what he does,” Guardiola told a pre-match press conference.

“One of the reasons we concede so few is exclusively for him.

“I want his goals, but his contribution is as the best striker in the world at doing things that not any other striker can do for the team.

"Regaining the ball, pressing high, being in the opponents' 18-yard box - he helps us to do it.”

City are currently six points adrift of Premier League leaders Tottenham in ninth, but they do have a game in hand over Jose Mourinho's side.

Guardiola's men will be expected to make light work of a struggling West Brom outfit before their focus switches to a tough trip to Southampton on Saturday afternoon.

TS Galaxy coach Dan Malesela says it's important for his side not to show Mamelodi Sundowns too much respect.

The Premier Soccer League (PSL) newcomers take on Masandawana in a league encounter at Loftus Versfeld Stadium on Tuesday night. Kick-off is set for 7:30 pm.

The game comes just three days after tragedy struck Sundowns when defender Motjeka Madisha was reportedly killed in a horrific motor vehicle accident. This was just three weeks after another of their players, Anele Ngcongca, was also killed in a car crash.

Speaking to his club's website team, Malesela kept the focus on the job at hand and is expecting a difficult game against a top-quality Downs side.

He says it's important for his players not to be star-struck by the star-studded Brazilians, who are currently top of the league standings.

"It is going to be a very difficult match considering that these are the league champions," said Malesela, himself a former Sundowns defender.

"But we have to put that aspect of respect aside. When you are competing in the same league, you have to put that aside and match each other.

"That’s what we will be doing. Knowing how Sundowns play, it will be an open game. On the day, the better team will win. We are really expecting a tough encounter," he added.

Galaxy are ninth on the table with four draws and a win from six matches. Their most recent game, against Stellenbosch FC, ended with their first defeat of the season.

With only three goals conceded, their defence seems watertight, but with only three goals scored, the Mpumalanga club is battling to score.

"We need to improve our goalscoring," Malesela said.

"We are trying to encourage all the attacking players to take the responsibility of goalscoring because if we are going to question them only, it is going to be difficult for them.

"I don’t think many clubs rely on strikers in our league,” he continued. “We all need to take responsibility. Even the defenders must take responsibility of goalscoring when they go up for set plays. They need to have that attitude."

Paulo Dybala does have a contract offer on the table at Juventus, as confirmed by club president Andrea Agnelli, but Goal has learned that said terms date back to June and that no fresh approach has been made.

As things stand, a highly-rated Argentine forward is due to hit free agency in the summer of 2022.

Juve are understandably reluctant to see a prized asset run down his deal and value in the transfer market.

There has been a desire on the part of those in Turin to put an extension in place, but discussions have stalled as no paperwork has been signed.

That is because the deal put to Dybala over the summer was deemed unacceptable, with the 27-year-old and his representatives of the opinion that they are deserving of better.

The South American frontman has been eager to avoid being dragged into a debate regarding finances and has accused those in the Juve boardroom of trying to turn supporters against him.

Dybala has told Sky Sport Italia on a long-running saga: “So many things that aren't true have been said in relation to my contract.

“My agent was in Turin for a long time and was never called up by the club. It disappoints me to hear talk of invested financial figures.

“It would be better if the truth could be told, because talking about those aspects in this period pits the fans against me, with all the love I have for Juventus.”

Those comments drew a response from Agnelli, with the Bianconeri president eager to point out that contact has been made.

He told Tuttosport: “Paulo had a difficult time after contracting Covid. I heard with great pleasure his love for Juventus. The love is reciprocated.

“We see him as the captain of the future.

“I know he has already received a proposal that would put him among the top 20 best-paid players in Europe. We’re looking forward to his response.”

It is understood that Juve’s proposal has not been updated since discussions were held over the summer.

There has been no movement since then, although Dybala’s entourage remain open to further talks.

They have welcomed Agnelli’s comments regarding a future captaincy role and it may be that, despite the clock ticking, a man who has been linked with Manchester United in the recent past could commit to a new deal at some point.

Molde striker Leke James is confident of their chances against Hoffenheim in the Europa League round of 32 but he claims they expected a draw with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s Manchester United.

After finishing second behind Arsenal in Group B, Erling Moe's side was handed a date with a German Bundesliga club with the first-leg scheduled for February 18 at the Aker Stadion.

Their opponents, Hoffenheim finished at the top of Group L without conceding a defeat, however, Leke is unperturbed by their unbeaten streak and he thinks Molde can advance to the last 16 stage for the first time in the club's history.

“There is a chance for us to move to the next round,” James told Goal. “We are capable, we have a lot of stars and this is football anything can happen but we will try to do things right and be optimistic.”

The Nigeria striker who is the leading top scorer for Molde with 14 goals across all competitions in this campaign, further revealed the team’s expectation before Monday’s draw in Switzerland.

James stated the Eliteserien club was hoping to get a tie that would reunite them with Solskjaer who left Molde to succeed Jose Mourinho at Old Trafford in December 2018.

Manchester United dropped to the secondary European competition after finishing third in their Champions League group behind Paris Saint-Germain and RB Leipzig.

“Actually, we were expecting the bigger teams because they finished at the top,” he continued.

“Majority of the players were expecting United because of our former coach, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, to have a reunion with him.

“We had a good time with him, he is a great guy and we had great personal experience. I would like to play under him again, hopefully in the future.”

Unfortunately, James might not be present for the Europa League games next year and might leave Erling Moe's side as a free agent in January with his current deal set to run out at the end of 2020.

The 28-year-old who has been playing in Norway for over eight years, revealed ongoing talks with reigning Norwegian champions and he also confirmed offers for his services.

He said; “We are still on it [contract talks]. I have had a couple of offers from other clubs but Norway is like a home for me, it is second after Nigeria.

“I have spent a lot of years in this country, so I feel at home here but we will see what the future holds.”

Vipers SC striker Muhamad Shaban has explained how the Ugandan Premier League debut goal against Waksio Giants would help him as he tries to regain full fitness after his long-time injury.

Shaban was sidelined for 493 days after suffering a knee injury while training with Raja Casablanca of Morocco and the tie against the Purple Sharks, where they drew 1-1, came at a time he is trying to get back to full fitness and hopefully get enough goals.

“It was a good workout,” Shaban told the club’s portal. "Obviously, I am disgusted it was a disappointing result for us because we wanted maximum points, but it was good to get 90 minutes into the legs because l have not done that for quite some time.

“I’m happy to make my debut and score my first goal for the club but I have a lot of work to do as we focus on an important reaction in the next game.”

“It [the goal] made me stronger, but I still have a long way to go. To score on my debut made me happy of course and I think it will help with the confidence.”

Vipers will play debutants Kitara FC on December 16 and are expected to welcome a few fans after the Federation of Uganda Football Associations (Fufa) gave clubs the green light to host up to 200 supporters.

“We're excited to welcome back a limited capacity of 200 fans to St Mary's Stadium. Safety measures such as mandatory masks and social distance seating are a must,” Vipers announced.

The clubs will be allowed to have fans after putting in writing to Fufa confirming the appointment of a club medical liaison officer, club hygiene implementation officer and club safety and security officer.

“Registration of season ticket holders not exceeding 200, submission of the list of season ticket holders to Fufa with their full bio-data to facilitate tracing when the need arises,” Fufa said in its circular to clubs on fan attendance.

“Only season ticket holders [maximum 200] shall access the stadium during competition matches. No other persons shall be allowed access to the stadium beyond those stipulated in Article 13 of the Fufa Covid-19 regulations.”

“Any club or football entity that fails to abide by the conditions as set out above shall be liable to sanctions including but not limited to monetary fines and withdrawal of the privilege.”

The Kitara game will be the second for Vipers who were eliminated at the Caf Champions League preliminary stage by Al-Hilal Omdurman of Sudan.

Leicester City midfielder James Maddison has expressed his delight with the performance of his teammate Wilfred Ndidi in their 3-0 victory over Brighton and Hove Albion on Sunday.

The Nigeria international recently returned from a groin injury which kept him out from action for more than four weeks.

The midfielder made a significant contribution to the Foxes in the encounter and won the ball to help Maddison score his second goal in the game.

Ndidi also made two tackles and had a 94 per cent successful pass rate in the match to ensure his side kept a clean sheet.

Maddison has praised the impact of the 23-year-old and also lauded the improvement since his arrival at King Power Stadium. 

“We actually won the ball in midfield. Wilfred Ndidi, [it is] really good to have him back, I feel safe when I'm in there with Wilf behind me,” Maddison told the club website.

“It's almost like he's two players, and what Wilf's improved on a lot, especially since I joined the Club, is his passing ability.

“It's improved a lot and [he] wins the ball back, and I remember, his first pass being forward to me. [A] forward, along-the-floor, hard pass and that's something that he's really improved on.

“And then we built [on that in] the game. Vards (Jamie Vardy) made a run in behind, came back to me and I remember being one vs. one. [I] shifted it on my right, got it back on my left, and I'm comfortable off my left.

“I feel just as confident shooting [with] my left as I do with my right, and it was one of them: I knew it was in straight away, so [I'm] really happy.”

Ndidi has featured in more than 130 appearances across all competitions since he arrived from Genk in 2017.

He played a significant role as the King Power Stadium outfit finished fifth in the Premier League last season to clinch a Europa League ticket.

The midfielder has played six games in the current campaign and will hope to continue the consistent form that has seen him become the toast of the Foxes fans.

Ndidi will be expected to feature when Leicester City take on Everton in their next Premier League game on Wednesday.

Petaling Jaya City's (PJ City) ambitious and daring plans to go through the 2021 season without the use of any foreign player received a big boost after they announced their latest signings.

Two Malaysian internationals have joined the fold in Ahmad Khairil Anuar (Beto) and Darren Lok, who will both be looking at a great opportunity to finally get more playing time than they have gotten in recent seasons.

Midfielder Beto has only ever been with Perak and had been patiently bidding his time for a prolonged run in the first team but only seemed to be a secondary option for Mehmet Durakovic, used often from the bench.

The 25-year-old earned his senior Malaysia cap in that thrashing from North Korea in the previous Asian Cup qualification but has not made the return to the national team set-up because he hasn't been able to show what he can do.

A stalwart with the Malaysia Under-23, Beto has the drive and ball-playing skills which would certainly add to P. Maniam's side at PJ City.

Meanwhile for Darren, it was a year to forget at Terengganu FC, the club he signed in 2020 after leaving Johor Darul Ta'zim II. Combination of shortened league and Dominique da Sylva's form put paid to his hopes of more minutes.

Many will remember Darren from that Malaysia side who competed in the 2016 AFF Championship (Suzuki Cup) but injuries since has robbed the striker of more opportunities to shine.

With PJ City opting to go fully local with their squad for the new season, both players may have took that into consideration when accepting the move and 2021 could potentially be a huge season for them where success at club level could propel them into Tan Cheng Hoe's thinking.

Bruno Fernandes has a "massive heart and immense quality", according to Alex Telles, who has lauded his "decisive" Manchester United team-mate.

Fernandes has had an immediate impact on English football since completing a €55 million (£50m/$67m) move to Old Trafford from Sporting CP in January.

The 26-year-old was the driving force behind United's run to a third-place Premier League finish and three semi-finals in the second half of the 2019-20 campaign, as he hit 12 goals in his first 22 appearances for the club.

The Portugal international has carried that form into the new season, contributing 11 goals and six assists to the Red Devils' cause in 18 outings across all competitions, and he was rewarded for his performances in the top flight with the Player of the Month award for November.

Telles, who joined United for £18m ($24m) on deadline day, played against Fernandes on several occasions during his time at Porto, and says it's a "pleasure" to now be playing alongside the ex-Sporting star after his struggles against him in the Primeira Liga.

“So, me and Bruno have known each other for a while now,” the Brazilian left-back told Inside United.

“Bruno has always stood out wherever he played and he is undoubtedly our main player here today. 

“We were rivals on the pitch and today we're team-mates playing in the same team. I've said to him that at the time he was quite annoying to play against on the pitch, always wanting to win, obviously. 

“He's a guy with a massive heart and immense quality, it's there for everybody to see and I don't need to talk any more about Bruno's quality. It's a pleasure to play with him.

"He is a great guy who is always willing to help everybody and he really makes a difference and that's great.”

When asked to summarise Fernandes' recent form ahead of a trip to Sheffield United on Thursday, Telles added: “My summary is simple: decisive! He's a decisive player.

"He may not stand out in one game or another, but he's still decisive. 

“When he's in front of goal or from a free kick, or penalty, he's always showing his quality. He's got a strong mind and personality in his vision and thinking.

"It's a source of pride and an honour to have someone like this in the team, someone that can help and motivate us in every game.”

Frank Lampard is starting to sound like his Chelsea managerial mentor Jose Mourinho, says Glenn Hoddle, with the Blues very much in a Premier League title race despite their manager considering that debate to be “ridiculous”.

On the back of sizeable investment during the summer transfer window, those at Stamford Bridge are under pressure to force their way back into contention for domestic supremacy.

A positive start has been made to that quest, with the odd bump in the road hit along the way.

Lampard has sought to curb expectations at regular intervals, with the Chelsea legend eager to point out that he is working towards long-term goals in west London.

Hoddle considers such comments to be part of the mind games that have become commonplace in modern football, with few bosses prepared to talk up the claims of their respective sides to the grandest of prizes.

Former Blues boss Mourinho, who Lampard enjoyed many trophy-laden years playing under, has made a career out of diverting attention away from the supposed task that he has in hand.

One of his protégés is now taking a similar approach, with Hoddle of the opinion that Chelsea and Tottenham will be there or thereabouts when major honours are handed out in May.

The ex-Blues and Spurs player and coach told the Evening Standard when quizzed on Lampard downplaying title talk: “It is a little bit like Jose Mourinho saying Tottenham are like a ‘little pony’ in the race compared to the thoroughbred racehorses. I can see where Frank is coming from.

“But if there is ever a season where someone can come through and win the Premier League, it could be this year. You only have to look at the results this past weekend.

“Now Chelsea brought in Timo Werner, Kai Havertz and Hakim Ziyech, they have unbelievable firepower, and they have brought Thiago Silva in and brought in a goalkeeper which seems to have sorted their defensive issues.

“I can see why Frank is underplaying it, and yes Liverpool and Manchester City are still the favourites, but Chelsea and Tottenham are in with a fighting chance.”

Chelsea suffered a 1-0 defeat at Everton in their last Premier League outing, but they remain fifth in the table and are only three points back on pacesetting Spurs and Liverpool.

FC Goa (fifth) and ATK Mohun Bagan (third) find themselves in the top half of the table when they face each other in the 2020-21 Indian Super League (ISL) on Wednesday.

Goa have won their last two games whereas the Kolkatan outfit have dropped points in their last two matches after picking three wins on the trot. However, the Gaurs' coach, Juan Ferrando, believes that as games come thick and fast there is no time to think about recent form. 

"In the first three games we had two points but we played three games in seven days. Now, for example, we have four games in 10 days. In the end, we don't have time to think about what form we are in. 

"Everybody knows that ATK Mohun Bagan is a good team. In the last two games, maybe the score was not something that was expected but for us, it's very important to pay attention because all their players have quality and they are compact on (while defending) set pieces. It's very important to find and attack the space, and when we lose the ball we have to be alert because this club is very aggressive in attack," he said.

Both Igor Angulo and Roy Krishna have scored for their respective sides in four of the five matches this season. But Ferrando is not ready to focus only on the Fijian as he thinks there are other players to take care of as well. 

"Everybody knows about [Roy] Krishna but whether it is Krishna or Edu (Garcia), in the end it is the team (ATKMB). That's why it's important to prepare one plan, be compact and focus on all the details because you know this team works very hard. It's different between some teams that don't have the same focus but this team is incredible because they work hard throughout 90 minutes.

"I'm so happy about Angulo because he has been scoring goals, but if you look at Angulo it's a process of (Alexander) Romario, Brandon (Fernandes) and all the other players. Of course, the last action was of Igor but there are a lot of players who can work as the number nine because when we are in attack all the players are in attack and everybody has an equal opportunity," expressed the 39-year-old manager. 

Jorge Ortiz is the only other goalscorer for Goa apart from Angulo, who also boasts of having the most number of shots - 23. But the Spaniard is not thinking about individual laurels and instead credited the team for his superlative performance. 

"Everybody looks at these numbers but the aim is to help the team as much as possible, and if it's not me who's putting the numbers across, somebody else can do the job as well. We work as a team. If my numbers are high up there, it means that the team is working well as a unit," stated Ortiz. 

Express FC coach Wasswa Bbosa has challenged his team to maintain their winning run when they face Mbarara City in a Ugandan Premier League (UPL) match on Tuesday.

The Red Eagles picked their first league win of the season on matchday two against Soltilo Bright Stars and will now shift their focus to picking up their first away league win of the season against the Ankole Lions.

Bbosa has now said they have prepared well for the match and he hopes his team will build from their last league win.

“We’ve been preparing well and we know it won’t be an easy task but our target is to keep the winning momentum going by winning away,” Bbosa said as quoted by the club’s official website.

“We have a few injuries but am sure the available players will do a good job.”

Winger Godfrey Lwesibawa also said that their first home win has motivated them ahead of the Wednesday fixture.

“The win at home in our last match gave us morale and we hope to ride on that to keep the momentum going, the boys are ready and we’re looking for a win,” Lwesibawa said.

Bbosa, will, however, miss the services of skipper Enock Walusimbi who is suspended but will be sitting out his final game, while midfielder Ibrahim Kayiwa will have to pass a late fitness test on his ankle injury.

Meanwhile, forward Kiragga Mustafa will miss out due to a delayed International Transfer Certificate (ITC), Kakooza Mahad Yaya is ruled out due to a knee injury.

On a positive note, midfielder Daniel Shabene is available for selection after healing from a hamstring injury he picked up against Bright Stars.

In a recent interview, Express forward Frank Kalanda confirmed he had set a target of scoring double figures in the 2020-21 Ugandan Premier League (UPL) season.

The burly star has already hit the ground running after notching in two straight games - the 1-1 draw away in Arua against Onduparaka FC on matchday one and the 2-1 win at home to Soltilo Bright Stars – which was also coach Bbosa’s first home victory.

“I want to thank God for the opportunity of being able to score in two straight games, am focusing and am working hard towards being the top scorer this season,” Kalanda said as quoted by the club’s official website.

"The competition we have amongst ourselves as players is very healthy, everyone knows the target at and, win silverware and have consistency and we shall overcome.”

Mbarara City are winless in their last three outings managing a draw and two defeats conceding six goals in the process and in the last six meetings between the two sides, Mbarara have managed three wins while Express have picked two wins, with one match ending in a draw.

Mikel Arteta says he is ready to take "bullets" for his players and that he remains 100 per cent confident he is the man to turn things around at Arsenal.

Pressure has been growing on the Gunners boss following the club’s worst start to a league season since 1974 and four successive home defeats in the top flight.

Arsenal host Southampton on Wednesday night sitting 15th in the Premier League and just five points above the relegation zone.

Arteta accepts that results have not been good enough and understands the criticism that has been coming his way.

But he has issued a rallying cry to his players, calling for them to stand up and be brave in the face of such scrutiny and says he is ready to put his chest out and take anything that comes his way.

“I feel the pressure all the time,” said Arteta. “When we had those [good] spells [last season], everything was not beautiful. In the last few months of last summer there were a lot of difficult moments, believe me. It wasn’t everything nice and easy and enjoyable.

“But obviously when you are winning you create a different mood and then the pressure once you win is to win again. And the pressure is always going to exist.

“I prefer that pressure when you are always thinking about winning and going into the next trophy. But this is our reality right now and we have to face it.

“And we have to face it being brave, fighting and no-one giving up or anything because it is no time to hide, it’s time to put your face and your body on the line. At the moment, I’m sorry, but we have to take the bullets.

“We are not winning football matches and you have to put your chest out [and say] 'hit me because you have the right to hit me because I’m not winning'.

“So what else can I do? Put my head down, work harder and try to do things better and improve. It’s how we have to approach things in my opinion.”

When asked if he was the man who had to take the bullets rather than the players, Arteta added: “It’s natural, I accept it. It’s part of the job.

“When you are not getting results, at the end of the day it’s the manager who has the maximum responsibility.

“That’s why I accept them, because you can say whatever you want to explain but at the end you have to win football matches and this club is too big to accept this many losses in the last weeks.

“So my chest is here, hit me guys.”

Arteta has received the backing of Arsenal’s technical director Edu this week, who spoke about the need for stability at the club following a period of such dramatic change in recent years.

The Gunners’ boss says he "appreciated" the public show of support and was adamant he could get Arsenal back on track.

“Yes,” he said, when asked if he was 100 per cent confident he could turn things around.

“We all knew the bumps were coming. I think I said many times in this room, it's how we deal with them, how strong we are to get through them and sometimes when things get ugly it's necessary to get brighter and better.

“Nobody likes to be in the situation that we're in in the Premier League and it's not good enough and it's not acceptable. It's not a quick fix but that does not mean that we're accepting the situation, it's the contrary.”

Under-fire Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta has been given full backing of the club's technical director Edu but relief won't be felt in the form of big-money signings during the January transfer window.

After the Spanish tactician oversaw a promising start to his reign last season that saw the Gunners lift the FA Cup, the North London club have struggled to 15th position in the league after 12 matches - only scoring 10 goals in those games.

Edu suggested patience would be shown in first-time coach Arteta, particularly because of the impact of Covid-19 on the usual structure of seasons.

"If we're not talking about patience with Mikel it would be very unfair to him. Because what a year we have faced," Edu said.

"Pre-season challenges, three months without any football matches, a lot of things changing in the club. He started, and stopped, and when he started to get an understanding of all the squad he stopped again.

"He didn't get a sequence to know everyone properly. It would be really unfair to Mikel to say something about that because the year was so challenging for everyone but even more for Mikel, who'd just arrived at the club.

"Because if you have a manager who was at the club for two, three, five years, it makes that situation easier. That's why Mikel needs always, from my side, good words."

Arsenal fans angrily booed the team at the final whistle of Sunday's 1-0 loss to Burnley in the first match supporters were able to attend Emirates Stadium since the recent pandemic started.

However Edu wouldn't tell the fans to relax but instead reassured them that the club was heading in the right direction with Arteta at the helm.

"Relaxing is too much," he said.

"Just believe. Internally here, listen, we are doing well.

"My main message is that we are not talking about only one person, it is unfair to talk about Mikel, or Aubameyang because he is not scoring goals, or (goalkeeper, Bernd) Leno because he has to stop the goals.

"It is unfair to talk about one person, we are a football team, we have to talk about ourselves, talk about "we" and not "him" so that for me is the main message.

"The way I see things is very simple. It's normal and easy to be driven by the results. But for me, the main point is when I see something in which I can see the future, see where we go, the way we're building things, starting to see it on a daily basis.

"So the way we work, the way we train, the way we behave internally, if you see the quality of the work, if you see the quality of the people, if you see properly what's happening here on a daily basis, it's nothing to compare with the results."

With many of Arsenal's stars currently mis-firing, there is suggestion the club will need to dip significantly into the transfer market in January to try to save their season.

Edu wouldn't speak about the type of players Arsenal would target during the next player movement period, but suggested the club wouldn't be making a lot of squad changes.

"We don't talk about [player transfers] external," he said.

"We are here to solve the problem. We have the team, we have the squad, we have the manager, we have the staff, everyone in the right place to change it.

"Why (do) people have to expect a magician to go 'boom! Come here, Messi! Boom!'? No. It depends on us.

"People might start to ask: 'what are you going to do in the winter window?' Of course we will try to do something but we have the responsibility to change it. Don't wait for someone outside to come inside and be a magician because that's not going to happen.

"Or if you can sign 20 players - which we're not going to do - but that's not going to work anyway. So the main problem, the main thing for me, is that we, as a club, have to understand our problem. Here. That's it. Believe, because we believe. I believe."

The Gunners face a tough run of fixtures in the next 12 days with league matches against Southampton (home), Everton (away) and Chelsea (home) - while also hosting Man City in the Carabao Cup quarter final.

Juventus superstar Cristiano Ronaldo said he prefers to watch boxing or UFC rather than a football match.

Ronaldo is one of football's all-time greats following his exploits for Real Madrid, Manchester United, Juve and Portugal.

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner is Madrid's record goalscorer, while his honours include five Champions League titles, three Premier League trophies, Euro 2016 glory, two Serie A crowns and as many La Liga triumphs to go with numerous other silverware.

But when it comes to watching television, Ronaldo revealed his love for combat sports.

"Playing football is my passion, but I prefer watching other sports on TV," Ronaldo told boxing star Gennady Golovkin in a DAZN documentary titled 'Parallel Worlds'.

"Between watching a football match or a boxing or UFC fight, I choose boxing or UFC."

Ronaldo, who has met UFC star Conor McGregor previously, added: "When I was at Manchester United, a coach boxed with me.

"I think practicing boxing is useful for football because it sharpens your senses and you learn to move."

Aged 35, Ronaldo has showed no signs of slowing down in 2020.

Ronaldo celebrated his 100th Juventus appearance with a brace in Sunday's 3-1 Serie A win over Genoa.

Not only was Ronaldo making his 100th Juve appearance, he also became the first player to reach 400 wins across Europe's top five leagues this century.

Additionally, Ronaldo – who has netted 77 times since joining Juve in 2018 – reached 31 goals for the calendar year, making him the third Bianconeri player to reach this milestone in the top flight, and the first since Omar Sivori in 1961.

"Last summer, I had a chat with [heavyweight champion] Anthony Joshua," Ronaldo, who has 10 Serie A goals in seven appearances this term and 14 across all competitions, said.

"At 33 you start to think your legs are going. I want to stay in sport, in football. People will look at me and say: 'Cristiano was an incredible player but now he's slow'. I don't want that.

"You can change a lot about your body, but the problem isn't that. It's depends on your mindset, your motivation and your experience, which I think is the most complex thing.

"In sport, you can gain maturity. Look at [Roger] Federer in tennis; he's 37 or 38 years old and he's still at his peak, and there are some in boxing too."

Jamshedpur's 2020-21 Indian Super League (ISL) fixture against Mumbai City on Monday at the GMC Stadium was supposed to be a tactical battle involving players who are technically adept on the field. 

And it was, for the first 30 minutes. It wasn't the cagey type of tactical battle though as both teams went all-guns-blazing in search for an opening goal. 

Both defences and goalkeepers were tested very early on and it looked like Mumbai City, the more dominant side strictly based on possession stats, would take the lead. However, Nerijus Valskis had other ideas. 

Bartholomew Ogbeche, who started his third game of the season, alongside Adam Le Fondre upfront, gifted the ball to his opponent and set the stage for the opener. Jackichand Singh intercepted the forward's poor backpass and fed Valskis inside the box who slotted home with aplomb to score his sixth goal in six matches. 

Ogbeche made amends in no time as he slotted in the equaliser minutes later. Bipin Singh received Le Fondre's pass from the right and laid it off for Ogbeche who struck a well-placed first-time effort into the bottom right corner of the net. 

For a brief period in the game, Ogbeche seemed to be the hero who had been waiting for his chance on the bench. And it looked like the two-striker system could finally work for Sergio Lobera. But everything went downhill slowly but steadily as the match wore on. 

Jamshedpur's defence put on a solid show in their own half to keep Mumbai City under check. Peter Hartley was the standout performer with his experience and leadership at the back in setting up an organized display with the team suffering from a numerical disadvantage. 

But Mumbai City still ended up creating enough chances for Ogbeche to score a hat-trick but he failed to deliver. It was a rusty show in the final third by the Nigerian striker who will need regular gametime to get back to his rhythm.

He failed to find the target despite being presented with numerous clear-cut chances and in the end, the Islanders suffered. With each passing game, it is looking unlikely that Le Fondre and Ogbeche can play together in the starting lineup. 

Mumbai's creativity was one-dimensional with the overwhelming usage of both flanks. Down the middle, the absence of the creativity and vision of Hugo Boumous was clearly felt and star man, who was unavailable for selection, could have helped the team unlock the resilient defence of Jamshedpur. 

The game which was expected to be cagey started out as an end-to-end-affair and ended us a contest in which the spirit and fight of a 10-man team stood out. 

SC Villa coach Edward Kaziba is aware of his opponent's threat and has urged his team to produce a quick response and beat Kampala City Council Authority (KCCA FC) when the two sides clash in a Ugandan Premier League (UPL) derby on Tuesday.

The Jogoos suffered a 2-1 defeat against Uganda Revenue Authority (URA FC) in matchday three while KCCA are still unbeaten, having won all their three matches since the 2020-21 season kicked-off.

It is the reason Kaziba has called on his players to forget about the defeat against the Taxmen and give him a quick response with a win against the Kasasiro boys at Bombo Military Barracks Grounds in their first derby fixture of the season.

“The team has reflected on the shortcomings of our loss in the previous fixtures [against URA] and we have learned a lot from it,” Kaziba said as quoted by the club’s official website.

“We hope not to repeat similar mistakes and we come into this fixture searching for a win.

“We are well aware of the attacking threat tomorrow’s opponents pose to us but we are well prepared to neutralize them. My players recovered very well both physically and mentally from matchday three.”

Kaziba continued, “My technical team is also aware of their compact defence but have also taken note of their vulnerabilities to which we will capitalize in order to come out of this derby on top.”

The Jogoos have been boosted with the return of winger Benson Muhindo, who has been serving a suspension due to a red card he received on matchday one.

“It will be a good game for him to come and help the team avoid another slip in a space of four days,” Kabiza continued.

Meanwhile, Villa have confirmed 200 club fans will be allowed to watch the derby on Tuesday.

This is after the Federation of Uganda Football Association (Fufa) issued a circular asking clubs in the top-flight to allow at least 200 fans to return to the stadium but with strict adherence to the Covid-19 restrictions put up by the Ministry of Health.

“Due to the strict Covid-19 pandemic standard operating procedures, only 200 of the registered club members will be allowed into stadiums on the basis of first come first serve as communicated by the club henceforth,” the club confirmed in a statement.

“For all those not making it to the stadium tomorrow [Tuesday]: follow live updates of this game by following the hashtag #SCVKCC on our official social media platforms on Twitter and Facebook.”

The last league fixture between the two sides at Omondi Stadium, Lugogo in Kampala, last season ended 4-1 in favour of KCCA on November 29, 2020.

AmaZulu president Sandile Zungu says newly appointed coach Benni McCarthy's winning mentality is one of the main reasons he was hired by the ambitious Durban club.

The former Cape Town City head coach is Bafana Bafana's leading goalscorer and enjoyed a hugely successful career as a player, winning the Champions League with Porto in 2004.

He also won the Portuguese league, while playing under Jose Mourinho, and also has league title winners' medals from his time with Dutch giants Ajax as well as with Orlando Pirates.

It's McCarthy's high profile, and the potential he has to inspire up-and-coming players, which is what made him the obvious choice for Zungu, who is in the process of revolutionising AmaZulu after taking over the club earlier this year.
 
“We want young players to associate themselves with playing in Europe and being part of this brand called Bafana Bafana, which Benni has done so much for, we want players to see it is possible to reach these goals by being coached by Benni,” Zungu said at McCarthy's unveiling on Monday.

Usuthu are hopeful that McCarthy's personality will fit in with their new ambitions and the Cape Town-born coach is expected to propel the KwaZulu-Natal side into the top echelons of South African football by the time the season ends in five months time.

“Benni is a terrible loser and we want to win and be the top brand in soccer going forward," Zungu said.

"There are great brands and we want to be among them. We are aiming for a top-four finish this season, we have the players to achieve this."

McCarthy meanwhile spoke of his desire to "have the same history as Chiefs and Pirates" and added that his 'goals stretch far beyond the top four.'

That also includes helping to develop young players, as he explained:

"The President and the club did not have to sell me this vision. The fact that they want to not only impact the current squad of players but also the younger players who are still building their careers, because I was once a young player myself. And it’s important that we support those players. I’m highly optimistic that we will achieve the goals we have set for ourselves."

McCarthy's first challenge is on Wednesday in a KwaZulu-Natal derby against Golden Arrows at the Kings Park Stadium.

Police FC have confirmed midfielder Tonny Mawejje will not be involved when they take on Busoga United in a Ugandan Premier League (UPL) match on Tuesday.

The law enforcers will host Busoga at Lugogo Stadium in Kampala seeking to continue with their fine start to the 2020-21 campaign.

Police have kick-started their season strongly with two emphatic victories and a draw in the three games played thus far. In their last league outing, Police hammered Airtel Kitara 5-0.

Ahead of their clash with Busoga, the club has confirmed they will miss the services of their captain Mawejje, who is yet to recover from an injury.

“The team is still without captain Tony Mawejje who is nursing an ankle sprain,” the club revealed on their official website.

“Frank Tumwesigye, Musa Matovu, Dancun Ssseninde, and Johnson Odongo are also still out due to injuries.”

Police coach Abdallah Mubiru has admitted they are coming up against a very strong opponent and must be ready to take up the challenge they will throw at them.

“We are well prepared for the opponents, they are tough and they have always challenged us,” Mubiru told the club’s official website. “It’s not going to be easy but I hope and pray we get the result we want.”

Denis Rukundo, Mawejje’s deputy is also wary of Busoga but remained hopeful of victory.

“Against Busoga, you don’t expect an easy side, but after the two wins on the road, we are hopeful that we keep our touch on. The lads are really prepared for the game.”

The Cops have met Busoga United seven times and have come out victors in three of those meetings with Busoga managing four wins.

During their last meeting, Police scored two late goals courtesy of Ashraf Mugume and Johnson Odong to win 3-2.

Against Airtel Kitara at Kavumba Recreation Ground, Wakiso, Ben Ocen opened the scoring in the 40th minute from a penalty spot after foul play on Kiwalazi Tonny before adding the second three minutes to the end of the first half.

Defender Mahmood Hassan Aka “Mood” grabbed the third in the 62nd minute from a free-kick before talisman Ocen completed his hat-trick in the 71st minute and midfielder Sozi Yousuf, came off the bench to seal a fine day for Police with a 76th-minute goal.

Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA FC) head coach Mike Mutebi has explained why Sports Club Villa will be more confident in the Tuesday Ugandan Premier League encounter.

Mutebi states the run the Jogoos have had in the last three games suggests they are a stronger side and thus would offer a tough game.

SC Villa have won a game against Mbarara City, drew 2-2 against BUL FC before they were defeated 3-1 by URA FC. On the other hand, KCCA have not dropped a point from their last three games against Bright Stars, Onduparaka and Mbarara City.

“They have had a good run, have picked some points and that means they are going to be very confident,” Mutebi told KCCA’s Online TV.

“This is going to be a very tough match as far as we are concerned especially that we are going to play away.

“These are two traditional and most successful clubs in Uganda. It is going to be a tough match as the rivalry will always be there between these two clubs and this will be seen on the pitch.”

Mutebi also gave an injury update on players who remain sidelined.

“We do not have Gift Ali, Poloto Julius, Juma Balinya and Moses Aliro. The fixture comes early for Sadat Anaku and Ali but we will see what happens against URA FC.”

KCCA won the last meeting against the Jogoos at the Phillip Omondi Stadium by a scoreline of 4-1.

It is the second away game for Kassasiro Boys in the season as they started with one against Bright Stars where they picked a 2-1 win.

KCCA have dominated this fixture as in the last 19 games they have picked wins on nine occasions compared to SC Villa’s two while eight games have ended in draws.

In the 19 games, KCCA have scored 27 goals while the record champions have netted 15.

In those games, KCCA have managed to collect 35 points while the Jogoos have harvested 14. The game is an opportunity for KCCA’s Denis Iguma to face his former club after he has played three league ties for the 13-time champions.