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Mikel Arteta has defended his choice to push an injured Thomas Partey back onto the pitch during Arsenal's north London derby defeat to Tottenham, explaining he did so in an attempt to prevent Harry Kane's successful strike on the stroke of half-time.

Goals for Son Heung-min and the England skipper proved the difference at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as Jose Mourinho outfoxed the Gunners to take the spoils and local bragging rights in their Premier League clash.

Both strikes spawned from impressive breaks and deliveries by the Spurs pair, with the Korea international curling in an absolute beauty and the Three Lions captain rifling home a close-range effort.

During the build-up to the latter finish Ghana international Partey hobbled to the sideline, nursing a knock that would ultimately force his substitution.

As Tottenham broke forward, Arteta pushed the ex-Atletico Madrid man back onto the pitch in a vain attempt to cut short the attack.

Speaking after the match Arteta was quick to defend his actions, indicating that he attempted to push Partey on to prevent Spurs from scoring, while stressing that his side enjoyed a statistical superiority that they failed to convert.

"He has to stay on the pitch," he told BBC Sport. "I applaud their first goal, it is world class, but the second goal we are a man down, we leave a massive gap and they take advantage.

"After that we dominated, they didn't have any chances, but they win the game. I don't know what else we can do. If we can't score goals we cannot improve our situation."

Arteta further elaborated on the Partey incident in his post-game press conference, saying: "I was trying to push him. I didn’t think he realised the gravity of the situation when he left his position. But probably that was because he was in a lot of pain. There’s nothing we can do at the moment to resolve that.

"I think it was a four-against-three situation for us and suddenly they are coming to us and Thomas was walking to me. I tried to push him. I haven’t spoken to him. I don’t know exactly how it happened, but he felt something really serious."

Doubling down on his side's technical domination - Arsenal enjoyed 70 per cent of possession throughout and almost double the number of shots as Spurs - the ex-Manchester City assistant professed his pride in his side's overall performance.

"I saw a team full of passion, dominating the team and creating chances but in the end it is about the end product and that is why they are top of the table," Arteta added to Sky Sports. "I think we had 44 crosses.

"The fight and the spirit and the way they played in this stadium is to be applauded but it is not enough to win football matches because we are not scoring goals."

Arsenal's woes were deepened in defeat on Sunday as their north London derby loss to Tottenham continued to pile the pressure on Mikel Arteta, leaving the club facing their worst league start for almost four decades.

The Gunners were condemned to their sixth Premier League reverse of the new campaign, leaving them closer to the relegation zone than to the summit thanks to goals from Son Heung-min and Harry Kane.

With almost a dozen top-flight games under their belt already, Arteta's side look to be facing an uphill battle to secure a top-six berth once more, having only qualified for this year's Europa League through their FA Cup victory in August.

Since their triumph at Wembley however, it has been a relatively torrid few months on the domestic front, with three wins from their opening four matches having since translated to just one in their last seven in the league.

A lone point against recently promoted Leeds United is the pick of the bunch in terms of positive results, with the Gunners having lost to Aston Villa, Wolves and Spurs since they last won, against Manchester United at the start of November.

Those results mean that Arsenal have earned just 13 points from 11 league games this season, their lowest return at this stage of a top-flight campaign for 39 years, since 1981-82 when they achieved 12.

In defeat to Jose Mourinho too, Arteta became just the second Arsenal manager to lose each of his first two north London derbies for over half a century, after Bertie Mee in 1966-67.

The manner of the club's defeat against their rivals - in a game they statistically dominated, with 70 per cent of possession throughout - will rankle the Spaniard too, particularly given his side's creativity throughout.

Arsenal attempted 32 open-play crosses in total, their most in a single Premier League match for almost five years, since February 2016 against Leicester when they managed 36.

It also represented their most away from home for the better part of a decade, since March 2011 when they also logged 32 attempts against West Brom at the Hawthorns.

Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka's leadership was called into question by Graeme Souness after the midfielder failed to provide cover for Thomas Partey in the build-up to Tottenham's second goal on Sunday.

The Gunners suffered a 2-0 defeat to their north London rivals, with Son Heung-min and Harry Kane providing the goals in the first half.

As the hosts charged forward to score the second goal, Arsenal midfielder Partey walked over to the touchline due to an injury.

Coach Mikel Arteta shoved him back onto the field to try to stop Spurs' attack, but he could not catch up.

Former Liverpool player and manager Souness believes Partey's central midfield partner Xhaka should have been more alert to the danger his side were in.

"Big players, leaders, don't allow that to happen on the football pitch," the Sky Sports pundit said.

"As a central midfield player, as a holding central midfield player - I don't know what Xhaka is, it's been about six or seven years and I'm not quite sure what he is - the alarm bells are ringing.

"All the time you're looking over your shoulder, 'where are we vulnerable?'. But they just empty the space, [Giovani] Lo Celso picks it up, on you go, 2-0, game over, possibly."

Former Manchester United full-back Gary Neville went on to criticise the Swiss midfielder, too.

Xhaka was booked with 15 minutes still to play when he cut down Son deep in Tottenham territory and Neville argued it was an unnecessary tackle.

"It's just madness that. The last thing you need if you're Arsenal is the game stopping," he said.

"Son's going nowhere, he can't counter attack from there and it just stops the game for another 30 or 40 seconds."

While Spurs returned to the top of the Premier League table with the win, Arsenal's misery continues.

Arteta's team have taken just four points from their last seven matches in the English top-flight and are in 15th place.

They face Dundalk in the final Europa League group-stage match before returning to domestic action with a home game against Burnley, who are currently third bottom with six points.

Samuel Chukwueze was on parade for Villarreal in their 0-0 draw against Elche in Sunday’s La Liga game at Estadio de la Ceramica

The 21-year-old made his sixth league start in the encounter but could not build on his impressive performance against Sivasspor on Thursday.

The Nigeria international found the back of the net against the Turkish Super Lig club in their Europa League victory.

Against Elche, the winger formed a three-man attack for Villarreal along with Gerard Moreno and Alejandro Baena.

The Yellow Submarine overwhelmingly dominated the opening 15 minutes but failed to find the back of the net.

Chukwueze sent a fine cross into the area but none of his teammates could make the most of the opportunity in his quest to help his side break the deadlock. 

The best chance in the opening 45 minutes fell to Villarreal when they were awarded a free-kick after Antonio Barragan tripped Alejandro Baena, but Pervis Estupinan’s effort was saved by goalkeeper Edgar Badía.

After the restart, Chukwueze was replaced by Paco Alcacer as Unai Emery’s men desperately search for a possible match-winning goal.

Before the Super Eagles forward was taken off in the 46th minute, he made 11 passes and had 19 touches on the ball.

The second half, however, continued in a similar way as both sides failed to breach each other’s defences in the encounter to settle for a share of the points.

With the draw, the Yellow Submarine are third on the league table behind leaders Atletico Madrid and Real Sociedad after gathering 21 points from 12 games.

Chukwueze has now made 15 appearances across all competitions for Villarreal in the current campaign, scoring two goals and proving three assists.

The forward will hope to deliver a more impactful showing in their next outing against Qarabag in the Europa League on December 10.

Derby coach Wayne Rooney has condemned the behaviour of Millwall fans as "disgraceful and mindless" after they jeered players for showing support to the Black Lives Matter movement before kick-off on Saturday.

The Millwall and Derby players knelt before the start of the game in a gesture of support for the campaign against police brutality towards black people.

Millwall criticised the supporters' behaviour and pledged to prevent a repeat of the incident in subsequent home matches.

Interim Derby manager Rooney expressed his "surprise" in an interview after the game, but has followed up with a stronger message denouncing of those responsible. 

"Yesterday I witnessed the disgraceful and mindless behaviour by a large section of the Millwall supporters in the stadium," Rooney wrote in a social media post. "Prior to the match, we were aware of the possibility of a planned disruptive response during the taking of the knee in support of the BLM campaign, but nothing prepared us for what we heard.

"I was proud of my players and staff for not letting the fans deter them from continuing to present a positive and important message that taking the knee immediately before a game sends. The professionalism of the players on both sides throughout the game was a credit to our profession after such an incident. 

"On behalf of Derby County, I want it to be clear to everyone associated with the club that we represent all sectors of our community, regardless of colour, gender or sexuality. 

"Fans being allowed back into the stadiums is vital for the wellbeing of everybody involved in our sport, from fans to players to chairmen and owners. It is therefore really important that the vast makority of us show respect and support of each other and do not tolerate or accept the actions of the mindless few."

Millwall manager Gary Rowett told reporters that his players fear taking the knee is in danger of becoming an empty gesture and urged clubs to do more off the field to fight discrimination.

“The players have released a statement together and said they don’t support it [taking the knee] as a political message but support anti-discrimination," he said. “Moving forward, like a lot of clubs, they would prefer not to take the knee and actually enact change.

“They want to be proactive rather than it being a gesture, which a lot of clubs are now saying is perhaps empty. That’s not my consideration, but they now feel that gesture is in danger of being empty.”

Tusker were held to a 0-0 draw by Bandari in the second match of the Football Kenya Federation Premier League on Sunday at Utalii Ground.

It is the first point of the season for Tusker after going down 2-1 against AFC Leopards in the opener. On the other hand, Bandari picked their fourth point after the opening 1-0 victory against Bandari in Mombasa.

After Bandari looked strong enough and denied Tusker a way into the box, midfielder Hashim Sempala attempted a long-range shot but his ferocious hit was stopped by Justin Ndikumana in Bandari’s goal in the 20th minute.

The game, which looked largely balanced, ended without a goal in the first half and even the few chances in the other half did not yield anything meaningful.

As the second half started, Emery Mvuyekure did well to deny David King’atua who was in a prime position to break the deadlock and give the Dockers an opener.

The game grew slightly into a physical one and the referee had to pull a yellow card for Sempala who dangerously challenged Dennis Chetambe in the 56th minute.

Coach Robert Matano made a change in the 61st minute as he substituted Chris Ochieng and introduced former AFC Leopards forward Brian Marita.

Harambee Stars forward Boniface Muchiri attempted a long shot but Ndikumana was again equal to the challenge as he stopped the fierce shot in the 67th minute.

The teams were given a two-minute water break to cool down after playing for more than an hour under a hot Nairobi sun. In the 75th minute, Matano made another change by introducing John Macharia in place of Kevin Okoth.

The three minutes added were not enough to help any team get a goal as the sides shared a point from the stalemate.

At Bukhungu Stadium, Kakamega Homeboyz fought back to ensure the tie ended1-1 against Posta Rangers.

Posta Rangers took an early lead when William Odero scored in the fourth minute but Allan Wanga opened his goal account for the new season with an equaliser in the 84th minute.

The point is the first one for the Mailmen after receiving a heavy 3-0 defeat to KCB in the league’s opener. Nicholas Muyoti’s side registered a fourth point after opening the 2020-21 campaign with a 1-0 win against debutants Vihiga United on November 28.

Odisha's winless run continued as they went down 0-2 against Mumbai City in their fourth match of the Indian Super League (ISL) 2020-21 on Sunday.

The Juggernauts were completely outclassed by the Islanders in the game and Odisha manager Stuart Baxter acknowledged the lack of quality on the ball.

"(There was) Certainly a mismatch in experience," said Baxter after the match. "Does that really mean it becomes a mismatch technically or tactically, no it shouldn't. I thought in the first 15 or 20 minutes, it was the same equation but a better result. After the penalty, then the mismatch became apparent.

"We played in 48 hours (after the previous game)  and some of the boys were tired so maybe but what I saw in the first 50 minutes wasn't very good. At first, we went 3-5-2, pressed high, took our chances. We had three of our chances and we needed to score one of them to put some pressure on Mumbai. Because when they 2-0 up, they played without pressure. They are a technically good team and the made it look like it was a bit of mismatch."

Baxter revealed that the only pep talk he gave his players at half time was about improving their quality on the field .

"We went 2-0 down and we were very flat. The chances we had, we didn't take. We needed everybody to make that improvement in terms of their quality. I put Marcelinho on, he was carrying a shoulder injury, but I put him on at half time because I thought he would get into some pockets, some spaces. We needed an all round improvement. When you are down against a side like Mumbai City, you make sure you improve your game and manage their game as well. That makes it difficult."

The former South Africa national team coach said that his team's lack of quality separated the two teams. 

"For 50 minutes there was a total lack of quality. The players played in less than 48 hours and it is very difficult to recoup properly. When we go a goal down, the confidence drains. Our lack of quality on the ball was a definite player in the game tonight."

Goalkeeper Kamaljit Singh had to leave the pitch in the first half itself after a clash with Mourtada Fall. Baxter confirmed that the custodian had suffered a concussion and did not look comfortable in the dressing room. 

"Kamaljit (Singh) had a very bad concussion. He answered a couple of questions the doctor asked him but he was clearly affected by the impact. He didn't know where he was and it was a very bad concussion. In the dressing room, he looked dazed but we will take care of him and all the protocols for concussion will be followed.

The British coach is disappointed with Odisha's winless start but he believes his players can turn things around very soon.

"It will keep playing on my mind until we have our next training session and in our next training session will be one wherein we can get rid of this frustration I hope. But first up we need to give rest to players and then work on our tactical, technical game plan and then we need to make sure we come to the party. We can't keep giving others penalties and then think we can come back. We have to make sure we can turn that around and I believe the players can."

Sunday's two league games saw Baroka FC shoot up to third on the standings with a 2-1 victory over Chippa United at the Peter Mokaba Stadium, while Stellenbosch edged TS Galaxy with a late goal in a 1-0 win at the Mbombela Stadium.

Chippa were the stronger side in the first half, and probably in the first hour; enjoying more of the ball and more of the goal scoring chances.

The Chilli Boys were however indebted to their goalkeeper Mlungisi Mazibuko for making a fantastic save to keep out a first minute header from Kgodiso Monama.

Other than that though, the home side were flat in attack and Chippa deservedly took the lead through defender Sandile Mthethwa, who stole in at the back post to neatly steer Nyiko Mobbie's 41st minute cross into the roof of the net.

After the break, Baroka continued to battle to find much fluency or penetration against the Chilli Boys.

Yet, from a corner kick, they were to restore parity in the 65th minute as Evidence Makgopa powered in a header from an out-swinger by Nhlanhla Mgaga.

The goal restored confidence in the hosts and they went ahead 10 minutes later when Richard Mbulu headed home emphatically, from a Mgaga free kick.

Chippa’s hopes of a comeback suffered a setback when Mduduzi Sibeko was sent off in the 80th minute after collecting a second yellow card.

Meanwhile at the Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit, Stellenbosch FC left it late to beat PSL newcomers TS Galaxy.

Stellenbosch had the better of the first half of play but were unable to turn their superiority into goals.

Their best efforts saw Lelethu Skelm bringing out a good save by Wensten van der Linde in the 11th minute, as well as a spectacular long range volley from Ashley Du Preez which struck the woodwork.

Galaxy were also to be denied by the post in the first half as Strydom Wambi's 32nd minute shot from the edge of the box was tipped onto the crossbar by goalkeeper Lee Langeveldt.

Although Galaxy coach Dan Malesela made three changes at the break, it was Stellenbosch who got on top after the restart, although the likes of Dean van Rooyen, Phathutshedzo Nange and Du Preez were unable to profit from opportunities.

While the match remained tight, Stellenbosch were enjoying slightly the better of the chances and they had the breakthrough in the 83rd minute when Stanley Dimgba scored a brilliant goal, his first for the Cape club. The loss was a first of the season for the Mpumalanga team.

Vipers SC have been eliminated from the Caf Champions League after falling by a solitary goal away to Al-Hilal Omdurman.

The only game came in the second half courtesy of Hani Al Dhahi.

The Ugandan Premier League (UPL) came into the match desperate for a win after falling by a solitary goal at home a week ago. A 2-0 win would have pushed the Venoms to the second preliminary round of the competition.

It explains why they came into the match under pressure and took some time to settle. The visitors would have conceded as early as the 10th minute, but Bashir Asiku was in a good position to ensure the ball was out of the danger zone for a fruitless corner.

In the 27th minute, Aziz Kayondo managed to get past his marker, brought in a good cross in search of Dan Sserunkuma but the goalkeeper was alert and he reacted fast enough to stop the danger.

Three minutes later, Jamil Kalisa had a good chance of scoring when the goalkeeper was out of position, but the defender recovered to clear the ball for a corner.

The Venoms felt they could have had a penalty in the 35th minute when Sserunkuma was fouled in the danger zone but the referee was not interested. 

After the break, the Venoms, once again, had a chance in the 49th minute when Ibrahim Orit and David Bagoole played well to set Cesar Manzoki in the danger zone. However, Al Hilal custodian Abdalla Aboeshren denied him.

The Venoms committed in numbers and were caught napping in the 63rd minute, and Hani Al Dhahi capitalized on it to give his team a vital goal that sealed their place in the next phase. 

It could have been worse for the visitors in the 70th minute when they conceded a free-kick in the danger zone, but Fabien Mutombora bailed them out to ensure they did not concede another goal.

Ibrahim Orit could have at least scored when he was slipped in, but he shot straight at the goalkeeper.

The Venoms qualified for the competition after the Federation of Uganda Football Associations (Fufa) annulled the 2019/20 season and declared them champions.

FC Goa beat Kerala Blasters 3-1 to pick up their first win of the ongoing Indian Super League (ISL) season on Sunday at the Fatorda Stadium.

Igor Angulo (30', 90+3') and Jorge Ortiz (52') were on target for Goa while Vicente Gomez scored the consolation goal (90') for Kerala Blasters. 

Juan Ferrando made just two changes to the FC Goa lineup which drew 1-1 against NorthEast United in their last match. James Donachie and Alexander returned to the starting eleven replacing Aibanbha Dohling and Alberto Noguera.

Kibu Vicuna, on the other hand, made three changes tp Kerala Blasters lineup as Jessel Carneiro, Vicente Gomez and Rahul KP replaced Denechamdram Meitei, Sergio Cidoncha and Seityasen Singh.

Jorge Ortiz came agonisingly close to breaking the deadlock in the 10th minute but his long range effort struck the crossbar.

In the 16th minute, Igor Angulo picked up Rohit Kumar's misplaced pass, entered the box and tried to slot the ball in but the upright once again stood in Goa's way.

The Gaurs finally found the back of the net in the 30th minute thanks to Igor Angulo's strike. Saviour Gama lobbed the ball into the box and Angulo chipped the ball over Albino Gomes to break the deadlock. 

Goa were more dominant in the first half and were unlucky not to have a bigger lead after the first 45 minutes of play.

The home team doubled their lead in the 52nd minute when Jorge Ortiz put the ball into the back of the net from Brandon Fernandes' pass. The Goan forwarded a pinpoint through ball for the Spaniard who found space in between Kone and Costa and slotted the ball home. 

Blasters could have pulled one back in the 66th minute when Vicente Gomez unleashed a shot from the edge of the box but it hit the crossbar.

Gomez did however get one back in the 90th minute when he headed the ball into the net from Nishu Kumar's cross from the right flank. The Spaniard's header hit the crossbar before it went in.

A howler from Albino Gomes right at the end allowed Goa to pile misery on Blasters. Gomes collected the ball and then kept it on the ground to pass it to a teammate completely oblivious of Angulo's presence in the box. The Spaniard punished Gomes' mistake as he snatched the ball away from the custodian and placed it into the net. 
 

Ange N'Guessan scored her first goal of the season as Raissa Feudjio made her return to action from a year-long knee injury in Tenerife's 3-1 win over Real Betis in a Spanish Primera Iberdrola game on Sunday.

The Cote d'Ivoire international, who could not score in the opening nine matches, ended her goal drought with the opener on her fifth start of the season to inspire her side's seventh win of the campaign, at home.

On the part of Feudjio, she made her competitive return to the pitch for Tenerife this term since she suffered a serious knee injury last season, surprisingly against Betis on November 24.

The hosts went into the tie on the heels of a recent 2-2 draw at Athletic Club as they aimed to return to winning ways, and the 30-year-old Ivorian opened the scoring for the hosts after 32 minutes.

After the half-time break, Patri Gavira doubled the lead for Francis Diaz six minutes into the second half of the match at Estadio La Palmera.

In the 64th minute, Serbian star Allegra Poljak netted off Natalia Ramos' assist to open a three-goal advantage for Tenerife.

Betis, however, looked set to stage a fightback in the final moments when Mari Paz Vilas set up Rosa Otermin to pull one back in the 76th minute but the hosts held for the three points.

Ivorian star N'Guessan featured for 60 minutes before she was taken off for Aleksandra Zaremba, while Cameroon's Feudjio played the last five minute of the game after replacing Clare Pleuler.

On the other hand, Dorine Chuigoue was involved for the duration of the game but could not save Betis from a seventh defeat this term.

The result means Tenerife moved two points clear at the top of the log with 23 points from 10 matches and will hope to maintain their winning form at Santa Teresa next Sunday.

Alex Morgan scored her first goal for Tottenham Women on Sunday.

The 31-year-old striker converted a penalty late in the game to put the north London side 3-1 up against Brighton in their first game since Rehanne Skinner took over as coach last week.

Morgan was substituted and replaced by Rachel Williams shortly after her goal. 

The United States international's strike helped Spurs secure their first win of the season in the Women's Super League.

It is also her first goal in any competition since she found the net in the USWNT's 2-1 win against England in the 2019 World Cup semi-final. Morgan announced she was pregnant last fall and gave birth to her first child in May.

Morgan joined the English club from Orlando Pride in September. The two-time World Cup winner was forced to wait for her first appearance, however, after suffering an injury setback.

Morgan played her first game in over a year when she came off the bench in the league match against Reading a month ago and spoke of her delight at being back on the field.

Meanwhile, Tottenham's new coach has already said she hopes to get the American's future at the club sorted "as soon as possible".

"We will assess where we are with Alex, look at the future and see what that looks like for her with the club moving forward," Skinner added.

“She is obviously a fantastic character to have in the environment with her experience and she is definitely moving in the right direction now."

She added: “In the coming weeks we are hoping to increase minutes and get her into the form she is accustomed to being in, but it has been a long break that we have to manage and be aware of.

“She is definitely heading in the right direction and has looked good in training this week."

Sunday's victory lifts Tottenham up to ninth in the league with six points from eight matches. Next week they host Aston Villa at the hive with a trip to Kingsmeadow Stadium for a match against Chelsea to follow on December 20.

Joachim Low has been backed to reverse his fortunes as Germany coach by Jurgen Klopp, with the Liverpool manager professing his belief that the veteran manager can take the nation far at Euro 2020.

The 60-year-old succeeded Jurgen Klinsmann in the top role in the wake of the 2006 World Cup and is closing in on a decade and a half at the helm next summer.

During his tenure, Low has overseen Germany's transformation into one of the pre-eminent sides in world football, with a string of top-four finishes at major tournaments culminating in a famed World Cup triumph in Brazil in 2014.

Since then however, the former Freiburg man has overseen a dramatic reversal of fortunes, slipping to a group-stage exit as defending World Cup champions in Russia and enduring two difficult Nations League campaigns since 2018.

Fears have already been stoked that Germany could be in for a rough time in 2021 during next year's rearranged Euro 2020 tournament, with Low's decision to axe long-term senior squad members in favour of younger talents having backfired significantly.

Despite the pressure however, the country's governing body have stood by their man, indicating he will still be in charge after the new year.

Reds boss Klopp - widely viewed in some quarters as a potential successor to Low down the line - has offered his backing to the beleaguered coach, stating that he feels his pedigree proves he has the capacity to bounce back.

"There is a huge chance that he will just turn things around," the 53-year-old told Welt am Sonntag. "Next year is the European Championship. Maybe he will win, maybe he will go far.

"Nobody is perfect. [But] most of us are good and Jogi is one of them. I have zero per cent criticism. The bigger effect [of certain selections] can be seen later. I trust him that he has planned it exactly that way.

"People always think that the next coach will do it better immediately., but [the coach] is not always the only reason when things go well.

"But they are not the only reason when things don't go quite so well. Jogi Low has been extremely successful for many years."

Kerala Blasters continued their winless run as they were thrashed 1-3 by FC Goa in the Indian Super League 2020-21 clash at the Fatorda Stadium on Sunday.

By the virtue of the loss, Kerala Blasters are placed at the ninth spot with two draws and two losses. 

Igor Angulo (30', 90+3') scored a brace for FC Goa and Jorge Ortiz (52') scored once. Vicente Gomez scored the consolation for Kerala Blasters in the 90th minute. Blasters head coach Kibu Vicuna said he is most concerened by the final results since the start of the season more than anything else. 

Sergio Cidoncha has been the key midfielder for Kerala Blasters in the ongoing season. He did not start in the match against FC Goa due to injury. Vicuna highlighted that his absence was a major blow for the side as their morale was effected. 

"The results (are the major concern). I think we are in a process. Sergio was injured. That effected the morale of the team. But we have to keep going. We have different matches (coming up). We are confident that we are going to play well," Kibu Vicuna said after the game.  

Vicuna applauded the dominant display from the Gaurs and said that they had better players upfront. He also mentioned that the match saw moments where both teams fought for the ball but FC Goa were better in certain areas. 

"I think they played better, both teams had chances.. They have very good players upfront. I think it was a fight for the ball. I think they were better in both the areas," Vicuna said. 

"They pressed well, we commited mistakes," he added.

Maritzburg United player Kwanda Mngonyama has revealed what his coach Ernst Middendorp instructed him to do on Saturday night in the 1-1 league draw at the Harry Gwala Stadium.

The point was the first of the season for the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) side in what was their sixth match.

It came via Mngonyama’s expertly taken header on the hour mark, following a Dan Morgan corner kick.

Sundowns had taken the lead on 31 minutes through Themba Zwane and had also enjoyed several other good opportunities to score.

Mngonyama was named Man-of-the-Match after a storming display up and down the right flank for the Team of Choice on a rainy night in the  KZN capital city.

His high energy approach was designed to take advantage of Sundowns left-back Lyle Lakay's preference for pushing forward.

"I would like to thank my coach and I would like to thank my team-mates, because you could see we've got a plan from the start, we're structured. Coach gave us instructions on how to approach the match," Mngonyama told SuperSport TV after the game.

"We knew that they are going to come at us, and their wings, they are always pushing high. So they are going to be always leaving space on the side. So I was ready and prepared to run on the their left, because Lakay, we knew he's going to push high."

Mngonyama has worked with Middendorp before at Maritzburg and is pleased to be working with him again, following the departure of previous coach Eric Tinkler two weeks ago.

"When the coach gives you a chance, you have to grab it, take it. I really appreciate the opportunity, he always wants us to work hard, to push each and every training session," Mngonyama explained.

"So it's not a new thing for me, I've worked with him before. I know what he expects from me. You can see progress, the self-belief is back. So we are looking forward to keep on going."

Manchester United star Paul Pogba has admitted it took him a "long time" to recover physically from coronavirus and that he "couldn't run" during the first game of the season.

Pogba was diagnosed with Covid-19 on August 27, which forced him to pull out of France's squad for the first international break of the 2020-21 campaign.

The Frenchman spent 10 days in quarantine before returning to full training with United, and was subsequently named in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's starting XI for their Premier League opener against Crystal Palace on September 19.

The 27-year-old struggled as the Red Devils fell to a 3-1 defeat, which marked the beginning of an alarming loss of form for a player who had been integral during the team's run to a third-place top-flight finish post-lockdown.

Pogba has been in and out of Solskjaer's line up since giving away the penalty which gave Arsenal a 1-0 win at Old Trafford on November 1, with competition for places in midfield at an all-time high following Donny van de Beek's arrival in Manchester from Ajax in the summer transfer window.

Van de Beek, Fernandes and Fred have enjoyed prominent roles in the team ahead of the World Cup winner in recent weeks, but Pogba returned to United's starting XI for their trip to West Ham on Saturday evening.

Pogba, who scored a stunning second-half equaliser to set Solskjaer's side on their way to a 3-1 victory at the London Stadium, has now revealed that it took him far longer than originally expected to regain full fitness after testing positive for coronavirus, which ultimately affected his ability to perform.

“It’s strange, it’s hard to explain because you wouldn’t understand. Even in training, I would say to the fitness coach that I feel strange. It’s not me," the France international told United's official website. "I get tired very fast and I’m out of breath really fast. The first game of the season, I couldn’t run. I was trying.

"I spoke with the manager, 'I will start the game and let’s see,' but I was very out of breath and it took me a long time to get me back to my fitness and to get back physically good.”

Asked how it felt to get 90 minutes under his belt against the Hammers, Pogba responded: “So good. Obviously, it feels good to play. The lads have been playing really well as well.

"I wasn’t ready physically I would say. I felt weakness physically. You know, just to play the 90 minutes and carrying on with the games. It’s such a difference. I’m finding my rhythm as well.

"I feel so much better today, I felt I could go again, control the game, getting the ball. That’s what I like, myself. That’s what I think is good for the team. I’m a team player.

"As long as the team wins, that’s the most important, you know. I find myself good and we want to win. That’s why I came here and that’s why I want to be successful.”

The Red Devils playmaker added on his first Premier League goal of the season: “The kick from Dean [Henderson] was a bit… we didn’t know if it was out or in but we just went for it. I just went for it, I saw Bruno [Fernandes] had the ball and I was free. I hit it in the first half, it didn’t go well, but the second time it went in and I’m really happy with this.

"I feel confident, I feel myself, like more in my legs and physically I feel much better. It’s good, you know, just to get back in the team, and to score this goal to help the team get back in the game, it’s very important for the team. I’m very happy for that.”

Gor Mahia forward Nicholas Kipkirui is still overwhelmed after scoring the goal that took the Kenyan champions to the next phase of the Caf Champions League.

K'Ogalo won the game 3-1 at Nyayo Stadium to advance with a 4-3 aggregate win.

On Saturday, Samuel Onyango scored for the home team in the first half before substitute Keddy Nsanzimfura equalized for the visitors in the 81st minute. It seemed APR were cruising to the next stage but Sydney Ochieng' and Kipkirui struck late to win the tie for the Kenyan champions.

"I still don't believe I played a crucial role to help my team qualify to the next stage; I am overwhelmed," the excited Kipkirui told Goal on Sunday.

"It was a huge goal, not only for me but my team as well. So far, this is the most important goal I have ever scored and it came in a good time. When the ball found the back of the net, the feeling was just unexplainable because before then, we were under pressure to score.

"I just saw the ball coming, I decided to attack it and by the time the defenders and the goalkeeper realized, the ball was in the net."

The 24-year-old has also revealed the influence the stand-in coach Sammy Omollo had on him.

"Before he put me on the pitch, he called and motivated me, and by the time I entered, I was psyched up," Kipkirui added.

"I am so happy that now we can focus on the second round of the preliminaries hoping to go all the way to the group stage."

The former Zoo FC striker went on to reveal what he aims to achieve in the 2020/21 campaign with the Kenyan champions both domestically and in continental matches, as well as the national team.

"This is my season; I want to help Gor Mahia successfully defend the league title, I want us to perform better in the Caf Champions League, and I also want to battle for the Golden Boot," he continued.

"My other objective is to try and break into the first team of the Harambee Stars; but to achieve all those targets, I need to work harder and consistently deliver for my team Gor Mahia."