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Inter responded to their Champions League loss to Real Madrid by making the most of calamitous Sassuolo defending in a 3-0 win that lifted the Nerazzurri up to second in Serie A.

Antonio Conte's men have been troubled by inconsistency this season and are on the brink of Champions League elimination, but at top-four hopefuls Sassuolo on Saturday they produced a clinical and professional display.

Inter were 2-0 up by the 14th minute as a catalogue of defensive errors led to Alexis Sanchez – partnering Lautaro Martinez in Romelu Lukaku's place – finding the net and Vlad Chiriches' own goal doubled the advantage.

Sassuolo put the visitors under pressure for much of the second half, but Inter's uncompromising rearguard kept them in charge and Roberto Gagliardini made it 3-0 as they moved to within two points of rivals and pacesetters Milan, at least until Sunday.

Inter looked every inch a team with a point to prove early on and had the lead inside four minutes.

Martinez charged down Chiriches' clearance and raced onto Sanchez's subsequent pass, flicking the ball over the approaching Andrea Consigli before outmuscling the Romanian defender and ultimately squaring for his strike partner to tap in.

Chiriches' day got even worse soon after as he headed Arturo Vidal's fierce volley into his own net.

Sassuolo eventually forced Samir Handanovic into a couple of saves via Rogerio and Jeremy Toljan late in the half, though neither were particularly demanding.

But the home side struggled to make the most of their greater share of the possession and the game was effectively put beyond them with an hour played.

Gagliardini latched onto the bouncing ball just inside Sassuolo's penalty area and stabbed a clever volleyed finish into the bottom-left corner.

Lukaku was brought on with 10 minutes to go and quickly found the net after being fed by Arturo Vidal, though an offside call spared Sassuolo.

What does it mean? Inter finding consistency in Serie A as Conte gets it right

While their Champions League form is certainly an area of concern, having claimed just two points from four games, Inter are now unbeaten in five Serie A matches since losing to Milan on October 17.

It was not so long ago that doubts over Conte's future were being raised, but it is fair to say he got his set-up spot-on here. Inter were perfectly happy to allow the hosts to dictate possession, having just 35 per cent themselves, yet they still managed 11 shots and – crucially – scored three times.

Sassuolo were unbeaten in the league this term before Saturday. A 3-0 win in their own stadium is a fine feat for Inter.

Skriniar helps keep Sassuolo at bay

Although Inter scored three times, their defence was arguably more crucial than the attack. Milan Skriniar was the standout. The Slovakia international looked to be on the way out at the start of the season due to concerns over his suitability for Conte's system, but he showed his worth again here, making a couple of interceptions and a match-high eight clearances, while he was also tidy in possession.

An unfortunate day for Chiriches

So calamitous was Chiriches' start to the game that it was going to take something special to redeem him. He was not just at fault for the clearance before Sanchez's opener, he was also the defender knocked over by Martinez in the same passage of play, while he then put into his own goal.

He certainly tried to get back on track given he won 63 per cent of a team-high eight first-half duels, completed 90 per cent of his 40 passes and made two tackles and clearances, but injury ended his day just before the interval.

What's next?

Inter go to Borussia Monchengladbach on Tuesday knowing anything other than a win will see them dumped out of the Champions League, they then host Bologna in Serie A next Saturday. Sassuolo go to Roma a week on Sunday.

Jurgen Klopp was engaged a heated debate with a TV reporter as he first discussed the VAR decisions that went against his side before berating the packed fixture schedule and the role of broadcast companies in the decision-making process.

The injury-depleted Reds headed to the Amex Stadium aware that they were going to have to dig deep against a Premier League rival that has not had the rub of the green this season.

It appeared early on as though the Seagulls would be left cursing their luck once again, with Neal Maupay firing a poor penalty wide of the post.

Liverpool edged their way into the game after establishing a foothold and thought they had taken the lead midway through the first half when Mohamed Salah bundled the ball over Matt Ryan and into the net.

He had, however, strayed offside by the narrowest of margins, with his toe slipping beyond that line.

Diogo Jota did find the target for the Reds on the hour mark, as his rich vein of form continued, before Sadio Mane – who replaced a frustrated Salah – saw a fine headed finish ruled out.

One goal looked like being enough heading into stoppage-time, but Andy Robertson then caught Danny Welbeck when trying to clear inside the box and referee Stuart Attwell eventually pointed to the spot after a review.

Liverpool were left incensed at that decision , as two points slipped through their grasp , but Klopp was eager to avoid making any headline-grabbing comments at the final whistle.

He told BT Sport : “We are used to armpits. We have a toe today. It is how it is. I think the decisions were right.”

Pressed on whether the right call was made, with it being put to Klopp that Jordan Henderson had revealed that Welbeck told him it wasn't a penalty: “You try to create a headline.

“The ref whistled it. You try always, all the time. Today I say it wasn’t a penalty. What do you want me to say? I said it was a penalty because the ref whistled it, after watching it.

“I couldn’t be more proud of the boys for how they played today. We struggled a bit in the first half an hour with the new last line, because we didn’t drop in the right time. We sorted that but in the second half we had some problems with energy.

“In the situations around the goals, we were brilliant. Mo’s goal was a brilliant goal. Sadio’s header was outstanding. All good, it’s just tough times. That’s how it is.

“You always need a bit of luck to win a tough away game, but today we didn’t have luck. I thought the front three played really well together.”

The interview continued with reporter Des Kelly taking exception to comments made by Klopp about the Premier League fixture schedule, with the Reds boss appearing to blame the broadcasters for the hectic run of games and early kick-offs.

Kelly initially asked Klopp about James Milner's injury and whether it was a hamstring problem, to which the German replied sarcastically: “Yeah, congratulations.”

The television reporter then asked if that comment was aimed at him personally, with Klopp adding: “No, but you work for them, yeah? Hamstring. Surprise. And they had injuries as well because it's a tough time. But ask Chris Wilder how we avoid that.”

Kelly continued: “Maybe you're firing at the wrong target. We are broadcasters, we work within Premier League rules, and Premier League makes the rules, that's the Premier League clubs, so shouldn't you be talking to Premier League clubs? Shouldn't you be talking to chief executives...”

To which Klopp replied: “I don't know how often I have to say it: you pick us for 12:30 kick-offs. You picked it. Not you, personally. But you did, didn't you? Us on 12.30. Between now and December and New Year, there's one more Wednesday and Saturday 12.30 kick-off.

“Playing 12:30 after Wednesday is really dangerous for the Premier League players.”

Young Africans (Yanga SC) maintained their perfect start to the season after edging out JKT Tanzania 1-0 in a Mainland Premier League match played at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium on Saturday.

The Jangwani giants came into the match knowing a win will see them stretch their lead at the top of the 18-team league table and they did exactly that when Deus Kaseke scored the all-important goal in the 33rd minute.

Yanga coach Cedric Kaze made changes to the starting eleven after midfielder Carlos Carlinhos was ruled out of the match forcing him to start Mukoko Tonombe while goalkeeper Metacha Mnata, who was the hero after saving a late penalty against Namungo FC, was preferred to start between the sticks.

The Timu ya Mwananchi went all out for a win and in the opening five minutes, they had attacked JKT Tanzania goalkeeper with a string of shots, but the score still remained 0-0.

Kaseke, who scored the winning goal against Azam FC, then stepped up to snatch the opener in the 33rd minute after finishing off a pass from Yacouba Songne.

Yanga went into the half-time break enjoying a 1-0 lead and after the resumption, despite their efforts to add another goal, they could not do so as JKT’s defence frustrated their strikers.

The win has now seen Yanga stretch their lead at the top of the log to 31 points, while Azam are second on 25, and champions Simba SC, who are away in Nigeria to play Plateau United in a Caf Champions League match, are third on 23 points.

The win also saw Yanga maintain their unbeaten start to the season while also extending coach Kaze’s unbeaten run since joining the team after replacing fired Serbian Zlatko Krmpotic, to five matches.

Kaze admitted afterwards that his team should have won the tie by a big margin but said the most important thing was to collect maximum points.

“It was a match we deserved to win by a huge margin because we dominated proceedings from the onset but it could not be the case, but one thing I am happy about is to get all the points," the Burundian tactician told reporters.

“It is very important to win our matches and JKT tried to close us down especially when we tried to surge forward, we are happy with the 1-0 win because we have three points from it, but we will work to improve on our finishing in the next assignment.”

In other matches, Dodoma Jiji won the battle of promoted sides as they beat Ihefu FC 3-0 with a double from Seif Karihe and one goal from Agustino Samson.

Meanwhile, Mbeya City and Mtibwa Sugar settled for a 0-0 draw.

Bayern Munich returned to winning ways in the Bundesliga as goals from Kingsley Coman, Robert Lewandowski and Douglas Costa sealed a 3-1 victory over Stuttgart on Saturday.

The champions were held to a 1-1 draw by Werder Bremen last weekend and although normal service was resumed at the Mercedes-Benz Arena, they did not have it all their own way against Pellegrino Matarazzo's side. 

Stuttgart could easily have added to Tanguy Coulibaly's opener midway through the first half but Hansi Flick's men powered back to claim maximum points through fine strikes from Coman and Lewandowski before the break and a late third from Douglas.

The result means Bayern have won 26 of their last 29 top-flight games and helped them open a two-point lead at the Bundesliga summit after Borussia Dortmund dropped points at home to Cologne.

Bayern, who hit the post through Lewandowksi after three minutes, fell behind in the 20th minute when Manuel Neuer failed to cut out Silas Wamangituka's low cross, allowing Coulibaly to slot home his first ever professional goal.

Philipp Forster twice came close to extending the hosts' lead soon after, clipping narrowly past the post from close range and then firing straight at Neuer after being played clean through.

Those misses came back to haunt Stuttgart, with Bayern drawing level seven minutes before the interval when Coman tucked into the bottom-left corner after a flowing counter-attacking move.

Forster then had an effort ruled out after Coulibaly had fouled Neuer before Lewandowski put Bayern ahead in first-half stoppage time, the Poland international drilling past Gregor Kobel from just outside the penalty area.

The game slowed down dramatically after the restart, with the next sight of goal not coming until the 72nd minute when Orel Mangala's attempt was deflected narrowly wide.

Waldemar Anton and Mateo Klimowicz then went close for Stuttgart but Douglas ensured a 19th win in 20 games for Bayern over their hosts three minutes from time, clipping into the bottom corner from 15 yards for his first goal since returning to the club on loan from Juventus.

What does it mean? Bayern aided by hosts' wayward finishing

Bayern were not at their devastating best but they still had enough quality to hold off the threat of Stuttgart. The hosts will feel they should have got something out of the game given they had 15 shots on goal. Their problem? Only four of them were on target.

Flick, meanwhile, will be pleased his side are capable of running out 3-1 winners in a game they never really got going in. It does not bode well for the rest of the Bundesliga.

Coman shines for champions

France international Coman pulled his side level with a sumptuous strike and was a constant menace throughout. His assist for Lewandowski's goal was one of four key passes – the most of any player on the pitch – while he completed 88.9 per cent of his passes, which was the joint-second highest of any Bayern starter.

Forster misses prove costly

Forster squandered two golden opportunities to extend Stuttgart's lead in the first half, while he also failed to make a single key pass and lost possession 14 times before he was substituted inside the final 15 minutes.

What's next?

Flick will likely rest some of his star names for Tuesday's Champions League visit to Atletico Madrid after they sealed their progress to the last 16 as Group A winners against Salzburg in midweek. They then host RB Leipzig on Saturday in the Bundesliga, with Stuttgart travelling to Werder Bremen a day later.

Ronald Koeman says Lionel Messi is feeling well rested ahead of Barcelona’s home date with Osasuna, but Sergino Dest is a doubt after picking up a slight knock.

The Blaugrana opted to leave their talismanic captain out of a midweek Champions League clash with Dynamo Kiev.

They eased through that contest without the need for any Messi magic, with a 4-0 win taking them through to the last 16.

The six-time Ballon d’Or winner will, however, come back into Koeman’s thoughts for Sunday's La Liga contest on home soil, with Barca in need of a domestic spark.

“I think he's had a good rest, like [Frenkie] De Jong,” Koeman told reporters when quizzed on his skipper

“They'd played everything with Barcelona and their national team.

“They couldn't go on like that and that's why we left them at home. I hope they're fresh and have energy against Osasuna.”

While Messi will have a prominent role to play on Sunday, it remains to be seen whether Dest will be able to complete another 90 minutes.

The highly-rated United States international has made a positive impact at right-back for Barca on the back of his summer switch from Ajax, but the 20-year-old is nursing a muscle complaint.

He has been included in Koeman’s 21-man squad, but no unnecessary risks will be taken on him.

“It isn't serious because Dest trained [on Saturday] but he came back really tired back after the match against Kiev and he had some [muscle] problems,” Koeman added.

“We will not take any big risks with him because in his position we have a lot of players injured. If he's OK, he will start; if we have doubts, he will not start.”

As Koeman prepares for more competitive action, he has reached 100 days in charge of Barcelona.

He is reluctant to rank his efforts so far, with plenty of hard work to come.

The Dutchman said: “I'm not giving myself any grades.

“I've come to be the coach of this great club. It's a delicate time. We have to work hard and change things when we have to.

“I've had a more relaxed 100 days as the coach of other clubs, that's for sure, but I'm happy.

“Covid has limited us as well. We have seven games before the end of the year and the time to react in the league is now.

“We have to reduce the gap between the teams at the top. If we're in a game where there is intensity and rhythm, we're very good. Sometimes our level drops and we get distracted without the ball. We need to play with more intensity.

“It's not easy to know what is behind the differences between the Champions League and La Liga. It could be that [in La Liga] our opponents play more defensively and, in Europe, they're more open.

“But at the end of the season, we'll be able to say what's happened. The team really hasn't deserved to drop as many points. We have more confidence in the Champions League.”

Barca will take to the field against Osasuna sat in the bottom half of the Liga table, with just 11 points through eight games.

Kakamega Hombeoyz defeated Football Kenya Federation Premier League debutants Vihiga United 1-0 in a Saturday encounter at Mumias Sports Complex.

David Odhiambo’s goal was enough to separate the two sides as Kakamega Homeboyz picked the opening victory while Vihiga United, who earned a top-flight slot by seeing off Kisumu All-Stars in a two-legged play-off, suffered the first setback.

Vihiga United were reduced to 10 men when referee Lucas Odhiambo showed a red card to Henry Juma for a second bookable offence in the 66th minute. Juma was at fault for a dangerous challenge on Kakamega Homeboyz’s Sylvester Owino.

As the second half started, Nicholas Muyoti made a change when he replaced Stephen Wakanya with the former Nzoia Sugar star Stephen Etyang. On the other hand, Sammy Okoth withdrew Patrick Okullo and introduced Wycliffe Nthata.

The former Thika United coach believed Kakamega Homeboyz would have had a huge win had the goal-scoring opportunities been used effectively.

“We could have won by a bigger margin had we utilised the many scoring chances that came on our way,” Muyoti said after the match as per Nation Sports .

“We played well especially in the first half but the players made several mistakes in the second half,” Vihiga United’s Okoth said.

Meanwhile, Bandari picked a 1-0 win against Sofapaka at Mbaraki Stadium in another Saturday tie.

Harambee Stars’ winger Abdalla Hassan scored the only goal of the encounter in the 20th minute. The forward took advantage of a loose ball from Willis Obayi and moved to beat Kevin Omondi, who was making his debut for Sofapaka, for the goal.

Two minutes after the goal, the teams had to go for a water break to cool down under a hot sun at the coast.

John Baraza made a tactical change in the 40th minute when he replaced Jedinak Nana with Sammy Imbuye in midfield. In the 45th minute, another change for Sofapaka was done with Mohamed Kilume making way for Kepha Aswani.

Michael Karamor thought he had scored his first FKF Premier League goal in the 59th minute but the referee ruled his effort out for offside.

Aswani came close to restoring parity in Mombasa but his effort went slightly out in the 83rd minute. The five minutes that were added were not enough for Batoto ba Mungu to rescue at least a point against the Dockers.

Riyad Mahrez scored a hat-trick as Manchester City thrashed Burnley 5-0 on Saturday in a timely response to criticism of their early-season form.

The Algeria international struck twice in the first half to surpass 100 goal involvements in the Premier League and put City in total control.

Burnley had brief respite when a third City effort was disallowed, but Benjamin Mendy's clever finish – his first goal in English football – effectively ended the contest before half-time.

Ferran Torres also got his first league goal for City before substitute Phil Foden crossed for Mahrez to complete his treble and cap a supremely comfortable outing at the Etihad Stadium.

Mahrez opened the scoring just six minutes in, slotting home from Kevin De Bruyne's pass after a slick City move that started from a loose James Tarkowski pass.

It was 2-0 16 minutes later, Mahrez skipping into space and firing a shot in off the left-hand post after Burnley's defence switched off from a City throw-in.

Goalkeeper Bailey Peacock-Farrell, making his Premier League debut, saw the ball bounce in off the same upright only for the assistant referee's flag to spare Burnley's blushes, with Gabriel Jesus having headed the ball off the offside Torres.

The reprieve did not last long, De Bruyne given time to clip a cross to Mendy, who turned a controlled finish beyond Peacock-Farrell for his first club goal since a Coupe de France match between Monaco and Marseille in March 2017.

It was 4-0 with 66 minutes gone, Torres side-footing home after Jesus' clever lay-off from a Kyle Walker delivery, and Foden needed just 93 seconds on the pitch before his cross was nodded home by the unmarked Mahrez.

Peacock-Farrell turned the ball into his own net but was spared by another offside call, with De Bruyne crashing a shot off the post in injury time as City made it seven wins in a row against the Clarets by an aggregate scoreline of 28-1.

What does it mean? City close gap to champions

The win moves City into eighth in the table, six points behind Liverpool, who drew with Brighton and Hove Albion and have played a game more. It also ended a run of six consecutive league games in which City have failed to score more than once, something that will no doubt leave Guardiola feeling encouraged.

Burnley are 17th, with five points from nine matches, and have now lost four games in a row at City 5-0. In English football league history, only Notts County have beaten a specific opponent by five or more goals in four successive home games, doing so against Port Vale from October 1893 to February 1907.

Mahrez magnificent

Mahrez is the sixth African player to reach 100 goals and assists combined in the Premier League (62 scored, 41 assisted) and he did so in some style here.

He led Charlie Taylor and Ben Mee a merry dance as he became City's first African hat-trick hero since Yaya Toure against Fulham in 2014.

Tarkowski makes it too easy

On a day of zero positives for Burnley, the performance of the usually reliable Tarkowski, who has openly declared he does not plan on signing a new deal at Turf Moor, was particularly unfortunate.

His poor pass led to City's first goal, his careless clearance resulted in the fourth, and he seemed unable to organise the back line.

Key Opta Facts

– City have won their last seven meetings with Burnley in all competitions by an aggregate score of 28-1.
– Burnley have suffered six league defeats this season, losing more of their opening nine games of a top-flight campaign only once before, in 1888-89 (seven).
– Mahrez has scored seven goals in his last four league appearances against Burnley, netting more goals against the Clarets (eight) in the competition than against any other side.
– Since his Premier League debut in August 2013, City playmaker De Bruyne has provided 71 assists in the competition, eight more than any other player.
– City's Torres netted his first Premier League goal for City with his 14th shot in the competition (seven appearances).
– Peacock-Farrell became just the third goalkeeper to concede five goals on their Premier League debut, after John Sheffield in 1994 and Matt Murray in 2003.

What's next?

City head to Porto on Tuesday, having already qualified for the Champions League last 16, before hosting Fulham in a week's time. Burnley are at home to Everton next.

In-form Diogo Jota has moved “well ahead” of Takumi Minamino in the pecking order at Liverpool, says Ray Houghton, with the Portuguese matching a Robbie Fowler scoring record on his latest outing.

The summer signing from Wolves has made an immediate impact at Anfield, with an instant return being offered on the Reds’ £45 million ($58m) show of faith.

Jota already has a Champions League hat-trick to his name, with nine goals in total recorded through just 14 appearances.

The most recent of those came in a 1-1 draw at Brighton, with the 23-year-old opening the scoring at the Amex Stadium before late drama pegged Jurgen Klopp’s side back.

Jota now has five Premier League goals for Liverpool to his name, with that mark hit through his first eight league appearances for the Reds.

Fowler is the only player to have matched that return for the Reds, with considerable value being found in one attacking addition while January arrival Minamino still waits on a spark.

“Jota’s gone well ahead of him now,” Liverpool legend Houghton told talkSPORT.

“Jota’s little one-two with Salah, the movement and the finish, it was exquisite. The way he goes past defenders is incredible.”

Minamino has figured in 18 of Liverpool’s last 25 games, but he rarely sees more than 45 minutes for the Reds and is yet to make the impact expected of him on Merseyside.

He is a different kind of player to Jota, with his game more about hard work and creativity than end product, but fierce competition for places is not going to make life any easier for him.

Houghton added: “With Minamino, when you come into a team you’ve got to hit the ground running, so for an attacking player like him that means either creating goals or scoring goals.

“If you haven’t done either, then that’s where the manager says, 'I’ve got other players who can do that and are probably more effective'. That’s why his time has been limited in a Liverpool shirt.

“Having watched him prior to coming here, I thought he was better playing a little bit higher up the field, whereas at the moment he’s been employed in a deeper role, he’s playing in a midfield three.”

Toni Lato's unfortunate own goal 11 minutes from time gave Atletico Madrid a hard-fought 1-0 win at Valencia on Saturday. 

Atleti dominated throughout yet struggled to create opportunities in the second half after Jaume Domenech had stood tall in the Valencia goal prior to the break. 

After following up last week's victory over Barcelona - the first in LaLiga during Diego Simeone's tenure - with a goalless Champions League draw against Lokomotiv Moscow, the visitors looked set to suffer further frustration. 

However, substitute Yannick Carrasco's low cross bounced off Lato's knee and into the net to finally beat Domenech and take Atleti level on points with Real Sociedad at the summit.

The highlights of the first half were superb stretching saves at either end, Valencia captain Domenech punching the air in delight after getting down to his right to expertly repel Thomas Lemar's deflected 13th-minute drive.

Jan Oblak - making his 200th LaLiga appearance - had to be alert to touch Uros Racic's awkward half-volley - seemingly a mishit cross - onto the post, before Domenech was again tested by Lemar, parrying a precise effort away from the same corner as his earlier attempt.

Atleti dominated after the restart, hogging more than 70 per cent of the possession until late in proceedings while facing only a single shot, though they scarcely threatened and needed a lucky bounce to snatch the points.

Carrasco advanced down Atleti's left and sent in a low ball that evaded Domenech, as well as two tussling players from either side, catching Lato unaware as the ball skipped up off his leg and in. 

What does it mean? Still the same Atletico

Victory over Barca seemed to represent a new dawn for Atleti, yet some things may never change. Simeone's side have long been stingy at one end - they have conceded just twice this term - but often underwhelm in attack.

Really, the away team should not have needed to rely on an own goal having played 33 per cent of the match in Valencia's third, albeit only the result matters as Atleti pile the pressure on La Real. 

Defeat harsh on Domenech 

It had appeared the personal battle between Domenech and Lemar would decide the match and, as so often this season, the goalkeeper excelled.

He has made a league-leading 40 saves - including 17 from long-range shots - and got the better of a man who desperately needs his luck to change. Unfortunately for Valencia, however, he could not save from his own team-mate. 

Lemar's lean spell continues 

Signed in 2018, Lemar's Atletico career is still yet to take off. He had three goals and three assists in his first LaLiga season but failed to contribute to a single goal last term - and it is the same story so far in 2020-21.

Lemar at least threatened on Saturday. Coming into the match, he had taken just one shot and created only two chances in six league games.

The France international had four attempts and created three chances in this fixture alone, but he still could not get his season up and running and was replaced with 25 minutes remaining.

What's next?

Midweek brings a return to Champions League action as Atletico host Bayern. Valencia do not play again until a week on Monday - at Eibar. 

Dominic Solanke struck a second-half equaliser to cancel out Freddie Ladapo’s double as Bournemouth came back from 2-1 down to salvage a point at Rotherham United.

Junior Stanislas’s 20th-minute penalty had given the Cherries the lead, but goals from Ladapo in the 37th and 50th minutes gave Rotherham the lead early in the second half.

However, ex-Liverpool frontman Solanke netted the equaliser in the 63rd-minute as Bournemouth secured a 2-2 draw that keeps them second in the Championship, one point behind leaders Norwich City.

Despite dropping two points, Rotherham move up to 13 points and remain three above the relegation zone.

Ladapo had been a doubt for the fixture after sustaining a hip injury, but was risked from the start for the Millers and repaid manager Paul Warne’s faith in some style.

There was no place, however, for his fellow Nigerian Chiedozie Ogbene, with the winger still sidelined with injury, although Michael Ihiekwe and Matthew Olosunde did feature for the hosts.

Ladapo, leading the line alongside Michael Smith in Warne’s 3-5-2 formation, built on his recent goalscoring performance at Loftus Road against Queens Park Rangers with a strong showing.

For his first, he met a Joe Mattock cross from the left to slot home past Asmir Begovic from six yards, and could have had another soon afterwards when he was played in by Ihiekwe, only for Adam Smith to deny the forward.

His second was a beauty, as he demonstrated his prowess with his left foot to clip the ball over Begovic from a narrow angle.

Solanke, however, had the last laugh, as he headed home beyond Jamal Blackman from Diego Rico’s cross to ensure the spoils were shared.

The ex-Chelsea attacker could have had a second during the contest’s latter stages—and probably should have secured the victory—when he was played in by Stanislas and found himself one on one with the keeper.

However, Blackman came out on top in this exchange to deny the 23-year-old his sixth goal of the season.

After struggling to make his mark for Bournemouth in the Premier League since signing from Liverpool—Solanke netted just three goals across two seasons with the south-coast club—he already has five in 14 outings in the second tier so far this term, and appears to be thriving in the Championship.

Riyad Mahrez has aired his delight at helping Manchester City to shake off the “frustration” that had been building during their recent struggle for goals, with Burnley swept aside 5-0 on Saturday.

Pep Guardiola’s side have been surprisingly short on firepower in their 2020-21 Premier League campaign.

Despite boasting an array of attacking talent within their ranks, the Blues have been finding end product hard to come by.

That has led to a slow start to domestic duties – the slowest of Guardiola’s distinguished coaching career to date – but a spark was found in style against Burnley.

Mahrez stole the headlines in a five-star showing from City, with the Algeria international winger helping himself to a hat-trick – the first of his spell at the Etihad Stadium.

He told BBC Sport of getting back into the groove: “We are happy to score a lot of goals and create a lot of chances. We get three points and we keep going.

“When you play well and you don't score in games you have a bit of frustration but we have to keep working. We did keep working in training and in games to get the confidence back.

“It's always good to score goals so I am very happy but the most important thing was to win and create chances.”

Mahrez broke the deadlock for City against the Clarets inside six minutes, as he swept home a trademark left-footed finish.

Another followed in the 22nd minute, before a match ball was claimed in the second half as he headed in a Phil Foden cross.

Asked for his pick of the treble, Mahrez said: “Probably the last one [is my favourite goal] because I don't score too many with my head.”

City will be back in European action on Tuesday when they head to Portugal, before then playing host to Fulham next weekend.

“We have to take it game by game,” Mahrez said on the Blues’ ambition.

“We have a difficult game in Porto for the first place in the Champions League group so we will try to win as always.”

Benjamin Mendy is another City star who will be hoping to figure prominently in those fixtures, with the French defender netting his first goal for the club as Guardiola’s men swept past Burnley.

“We feel very good,” he said.

“All the players and the team are so happy. We know we create a lot of chances and they didn't go in the goal, but today the strikers and midfielders did the job which is why we scored a lot.

“I feel like in some games it is more difficult because the opponent does not try to play with the ball and stay at the back. We work a lot on tactics and we were stronger.”

While being pleased for City as a collective, Mendy is also delighted to have got off the mark on a personal note after enduring his fair share of injury problems since moving to England.

He added: “It was not easy because sometimes I was coming back then something happened.

“Now I am feeling more fit so I am ready to give everything for Manchester City and do my job for the team.”

On-loan Liverpool winger Sheyi Ojo scored and weighed in with an assist as Cardiff City thumped Luton Town 4-0 in the Championship on Saturday.

The Bluebirds were already 3-0 up when the wideman found the net in the 82nd minute following goals from Sean Morrison, Mark Harris and Kieffer Moore during thoroughly one-sided affair in which the hosts took a two-goal lead after nine minutes.

Ojo had also contributed the assist for Harris’s ninth-minute goal—the forward’s first for the club—when he sent a fine cross from the left flank for the Wales U-21 international to dispatch with aplomb.

The Anglo-Nigerian wideman then added the fourth late on, when he slammed home into the far corner after Marlon Pack’s corner was cleared into his path.

Ojo impressed on the left flank—with Harry Wilson also excelling on the opposite wing—as Cardiff delivered a dazzling offensive display to ease the pressure on Neil Harris, who was in dire need of a positive result following a three-game winless streak.

The victory takes Cardiff up to 14th on 17 points, seven clear of the dropzone, having played 14 matches.

Luton, who are now without a win in four, remain up in 12th, although they will be desperate to arrest their poor form imminently, with league leaders Norwich City next up for them.

Ojo can look back on his best performance of a season in which he’s now scored three and contributed two assists for the Welsh heavyweights.

The 23-year-old former England U-21 international—who remains eligible for Nigeria—is currently on his sixth loan spell away from Liverpool, having made eight Premier League appearances for the club since arriving as a youngster nine years ago.

He’s represented the likes of Wigan Athletic, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Fulham and even French club Stade de Reims on a temporary basis, but has enjoyed his best form in the Championship.

Last term, he spent the season on loan with Steven Gerrard’s Rangers, but received criticism from the former Reds legend for his lack of consistent contribution.

Next up, Cardiff host Huddersfield Town on Tuesday evening, before travelling away to Watford next Saturday.

Mamelodi Sundowns looked in cruise control as they ran out to an easy 3-0 league win over Stellenbosch FC at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium on Saturday evening.

The goals came from Peter Shalulile and Kermit Erasmus in the first half before Themba Zwane converted what was his fifth league goal of the season after the interval.

Sundowns did not play especially well in the opening stanza but took advantage of two moments of lapses of concentration from the Cape defence to take a 2-0 lead into the break.

The first goal came in the seventh minute when Erasmus was given space on the right to pick out a cross and he teed it up for Shalulile, who ghosted in between two defenders to score with a superbly-taken header.

The match was then paused for a minute after 16 minutes to allow the players to pay tribute to Anele Ngcongca, the former Sundowns defender who was tragically killed in a car accident at the start of the week. Sixteen being the number of the jersey he wore.

It didn’t take much longer for the next goal to come – in the 25th minute Shalulile returned the favour as he picked up on a loose ball and played in Erasmus, who controlled the ball 14-yards out before finishing with a clinical low shot into the far corner.

Although Stellenbosch tried to come back into the game in the last 15 minutes of the half, they never posed any real threat and the Brazilians could perhaps have added a third if Themba Zwane had made better contact on a cross from Erasmus.

Without really breaking a sweat after the restart, the Tshwane giants further added to their tally on the hour mark when Lyle Lakay won the ball, and gave it to Lebohang Maboe, who in turn fed Erasmus, who squared for Zwane to finish from close range.

There was a rare chance for Stellenbosch in the 71st minute when substitute Stanley Dimgba picked the ball up near the half way line and nearly ran right through the Sundowns defence, but he was denied by a fine last-gasp challenge by Tebogo Langerman, who was on for Lakay.

By this stage of the game the Sundowns technical bench had been able to make several changes, bringing on fringe players such as Lesedi Kapinga and Haashim Domingo for a run-out, while taking off key men Zwane and Erasmus to give them a break.

Domingo and Kapinga were to combine superbly in the 77th minute but the former was unable to score as the visitor’s keeper Lee Langeveldt pulled off an excellent save. Langeveldt was at it again moments later to deny Rivaldo Coetzee.

From then on it was a matter of seeing out the game for Sundowns and damage control for Stellies, as Downs won 3-0 to move two points clear of Swallows FC at the top of the standings.

Diego Maradona's off-field antics don't matter in terms of his lasting legacy as a footballer and a human being, according to Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Maradona died at the age of 60 his home in Buenos Aires on Wednesday after suffering a heart attack, having undergone brain surgery on a blood clot at the start of the month.

The Argentina great, who led his country to glory at the World Cup finals in 1986, was also being treated for alcohol dependency, and his struggles with drug abuse both during and after his playing career had been well documented.

However, the former Napoli and Barcelona midfielder is widely considered to be one of the greatest players of all time, with the likes of Pele, Gary Lineker, Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp among those to have offered heartfelt tributes following his passing.

Ibrahimovic gave his own testimonial on Maradona during an interview with Sky Sports, during which he insisted the personal demons he struggled with away from football should not detract from the impact he had on the game.

“I'm so sorry, because for me Maradona is more than football. It has become a religion for many and I was lucky enough to know him and talk to him," said the Milan striker.

“He is a symbol of what he has done on the pitch. I always judge him for what he did on the pitch, what he did outside, in my opinion, is his problem and not ours. 

"We must remember him for what he did as a footballer and in my opinion, he will be remembered forever. When you see number 10 who do you think about? Maradona. 

"It is a symbol, even today there are those who choose that number for him."

Ibrahimovic added on Maradona being a flawed genius whose passion set him apart from his peers at the very highest level: “As a person, he did everything with his heart, there were no other motives or thoughts. 

"I don't know if that's the right thing, but that's why the whole world loved him. 

"He was always himself. In today's football, everyone tries to be perfect, but to grow and learn you have to make mistakes. 

"Maradona always did everything with his heart and will always remain number one."

Odisha FC did not have the brightest of starts in the Indian Super League (ISL) this season as they went down 0-1 against Hyderabad FC in their opening game. Coach Stuart Baxter admitted that the club didn't put in the best of performances in their very first game and shared his reasons for the same.

“If we look at the possession in general, then it was a long way from what we wanted to be. Tactically the balance was wrong. We ended being very separated. We couldn’t get the support of the front players, the midfield players were a little bit too deep and then mentally, whether it was the first game of the season or the young players got nervous or just the balance of the team prevented it, but we weren’t that brave. We weren’t very brave with the ball.

“We have changed the shape little bit in training, we have encouraged the players to relax a little bit on the ball and it is looking better but the proof of the pudding will be in the eating,” said Baxter before facing Jamshedpur FC on Sunday.

Spaniard Manuel Onwu was on song for Odisha FC as a target man in the second half of last season and his impressive performances earned him a new contract this year. But in the opening match, Baxter deployed him as a wide forward in a front-three and that did not produce the desired result for the team.

Explaining his decision to field Onwu in a new role, Baxter said, “There will be changes in the position of players because of the opponent. With Jerry (Mawihmingthanga) injured, we have no real direct replacement. So we tweaked a little bit and played Manuel (Onwu), not on the wing, but in the pocket. He was in the pocket giving Diego (Mauricio) quick support. But Manuel himself asked me about playing him in that role because he has played there before and he is conscientious in defending.

“We looked at it and Manuel was the best solution we had. We wanted him to be closer to Diego closer to Marcelinho. As I said before, we got separated, we defended a bit too deeply and Manuel ended up tracking their wide players instead of staying in the pocket and it looked like he was playing on the wing. That is why we changed and pushed two strikers in the middle in the second half.”

Last season’s Golden Boot winner Nerijus Valskis picked up from where had left off last season as he scored on debut for Jamshedpur FC against his former club Chennaiyin FC.

But coach Baxter is not willing to strategise any special plan for the Jamshedpur striker and is rather focusing on cutting off the supply line for Valskis.

“We will take the heat of the fact that he is a finisher and obviously when you have a player like that in the team, the other players seek him as we saw when he scored the other day, that was a definite ball into that space. We will try cut off that service and we will try and stay compact around him. But our defenders will be well warned and they won’t give him too much room,” said the former Bafana Bafana head coach.

Al Ahly coach Pitso Mosimane has admitted that Friday’s Caf Champions League triumph was no stroll in the park after defeating old foes Zamalek 2-1 at Cairo International Stadium.

Amr Al Sulaya thrust Al Ahly ahead five minutes into the match before veteran striker Shikabala hit back for Zamalek on the half-hour mark.

Mohamed Magdi Kafsha then grabbed Al Ahly’s winner four minutes from time to hand the club their ninth Champions League crown.

This trophy comes a little less than two months after Mosimane was appointed coach of the Cairo giants which is his first-ever coaching job outside South Africa.

“I came here to win the African trophy but it was a very tough one. As we always say, finals are won not played,” said Mosimane after the game as per Al Ahram.

“I have to say Zamalek coach made it very hard for us in the first half because he prevented us from playing our normal game. Shikabala scored an amazing goal. I talked to my players at half time and told them that we need to improve.

“I made some changes in my tactics in the second half and asked the players to press Zamalek players more and more as I saw they were getting tired and losing form. We needed to press their midfield and that's what gave us the second goal.”

Friday’s triumph saw Mosimane also sealing a personal milestone of having won Champions League titles with two different sides, after bagging the 2016 crown with Mamelodi Sundowns.

Other coaches to have attained that feat are the later Argentine Oscar Fullone who won it with Ivorian giants Asec Mimosas and Raja Casablanca, while Mahmoud El Gohary also claimed it twice with Al Ahly and Zamalek.

Interestingly, Mosimane’s Champions League medals have come after dismissing Zamalek in the final.

“I have to thank president Mahmoud El Khatib for giving me, an African coach, the chance to lead one of the greatest clubs in Africa,” Mosimane added.

“I also want to thank the board, staff and players who gave me a great welcome to accomplish my job. Now we have to focus on the Egypt Cup, African Super Cup and Club World Cup.”

Azam FC have confirmed the reason why they sacked coach Aristica Cioaba after only 12 matches played in the Mainland Premier League.

The Romanian tactician was shown the exit door after the Chamazi-based giants suffered a 1-0 defeat against Young Africans (Yanga SC), a result that saw them relinquish the top spot in the 18-team league table.

Prior to losing to Yanga, Azam had also suffered a 1-0 defeat against KMC and according to club’s information officer Thabit Zakaria, the two parties agreed to part ways due to poor performance, and that assistant coach Bahati Vivier will be in charge until further notice.

“As you know, we began the season on the front pedal winning seven straight games but from the eighth game to the twelfth one, things made a U-turn to the extent that the fighting spirit from players was nowhere to be seen,” Zakaria is quoted by Daily News.

"The board saw this as a threat towards our mission of clinching the title this season hence decided to part ways with the coach and has since wished him all the best.”

Zakaria maintained that, despite their fans feeling the coach should have been given more time to handle the team, the board felt otherwise.

Meanwhile, Zakaria has also denied rumours linking former Simba coach Patrick Aussems and Yanga coach Mwinyi Zahera as possible candidates to seize control of the team while insisting coach Vivier will be in control of the situation for the time being.

On sacking Cioaba, Azam stated in a statement: “As Azam FC, we would like to notice our fans and football family at large that we have parted ways with head coach Aristica Cioaba on mutual consent.

“As it stands, assistant coach Bahati Vivier, from Burundi, will now be in charge of the team on an interim basis until we announce otherwise.

“We take this opportunity to thank Cioaba and Costel for their contribution to the team in the entire period they were with the team and we wish them the best in their future endeavours.”

Out of 50 matches that Cioaba handled after joining the team in 2019, he managed to get 28 wins, 11 defeats, and 11 draws.

Nicolas Pepe is “out of his depth” and enduring a “nightmare” at Arsenal, says Paul Merson, with the pressure of a £72 million ($96m) price tag considered to be weighing heavy on a club-record signing.

The Gunners dug deep to prise an exciting Ivorian forward away from Lille in the summer of 2019.

Pepe was believed to boast the attacking verve that would allow him to slot seamlessly into a ball-playing Arsenal side that have long been more forward-thinking than defensive minded.

The 25-year-old has, however, struggled to live up to expectations in north London, with 12 goals and as many assists recorded through 56 appearances.

He did offer signs of encouragement in a Europa League outing against Molde on Thursday, but that showing came on the back of a reckless red card at Leeds which saw more questions asked of his value.

Merson is among those placing Pepe into the expensive flop category, with the former Gunners playmaker seeing Mikel Arteta’s inconsistent side being out-of-sorts as a collective.

He told the Daily Star: “Nicolas Pepe looks out of his depth and he’s going to have to do it against much better teams than Molde to change my opinion.

“I can understand how he got sent off in the Leeds game. He’s been having a nightmare ever since he joined Arsenal and one Europa League goal in Norway won’t change that.

“He let his frustration get the better of him against Leeds and did something silly with the headbutt, because things haven’t been going well for him at Arsenal for months.

“He came in for £70-odd million. If they’d bought him for £20m nobody would be moaning. But the fee brings pressure, and he’s not been able to handle it.

“I watch him play and I don’t know what he brings to the table. But it’s not his fault Arsenal are struggling.

“I don’t think Mikel Arteta knows his best team and he’s been there a long time now. He keeps changing it too much. It’s worrying.

“He plays Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang up front and he brings absolutely nothing to the party. Again.

“If you’re playing Arsenal right now, you’re disappointed if you don’t get something. Leeds looked a better side to me in that game.

“Arteta is safe as houses. He’s going to get time. But he needs to find his best team and stick with it, because it’s not working right now.”

Pepe will be denied the chance to play his way back into form when Arsenal return to Premier League action on Sunday, as he serves a suspension, but Arteta’s side can start to build momentum heading towards the hectic festive period when they play host to Wolves.