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Kerala Blasters midfielder Sahal Abdul Samad is hopeful about getting a good Indian Super League (ISL) season under his belt with Spanish head coach Kibu Vicuna on board. 

The Malayali midfielder, who recently signed a contract extension that will keep him at the club till 2025, spoke to Goal just before the season started and expressed his confidence in the squad. 

"Everyone’s hopeful of a good season. My family’s supporting me from home. They have asked me to focus on the game and enjoy what I’m doing. The atmosphere in the team is pretty good. We have that positive feeling, the coach, players, staff - everyone’s motivated (for the season)."

The bio-bubble forced upon players due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the fact that all games will be played behind closed doors have made this season a strange one for both footballers and coaches. Sahal believes it will be a challenge at first. 

"Being in a bio bubble and playing before empty stands might be a challenge at first. It is strange without the fans. We were used to that season opener excitement, but we have to accept the situation now."

The ISL teams have struggled to be at their best at the start of the season due to the short pre-season that they've all had. Kerala Blasters lost their opener to ATK Mohun Bagan and conceded two second-half goals to allow NorthEast United to come back and secure one point. 

"Pre-season is always crucial for a team’s performance throughout the season. We had to adapt to new conditions and restrictions. We had to be careful after a long break from the game," Sahal said. 

He added, "Players might take time adapting to the conditions in Goa. But I think physically we would be better. Most players were focusing on their fitness during the lockdown, so it will be helpful throughout the season."

"Kibu Vicuna is a great tactician with a good plan. He’s got a role for everyone in the team. He will do what’s best for the team and individual roles will change for that common goal."

The footballer from Kannur is also of the opinion that Blasters will have to be alert against all the teams in the ISL as it is difficult to pick one particular team as their toughest rival. 

"We can’t consider one team as the toughest opponent. There are 10 opponents and they are all equal to us. Every team is tough and we respect all of them. All of us play good football. We don’t take anyone lightly. All 10 oppositions play good possession game so we see all of them equally."

Sahal has had the chance to play with highly reputed footballers at Blasters and this season also he will be sharing the first team with footballers who have prior experience in Premier League (Gary Hooper) and La Liga (Bakary Kone). The young midfielder is hoping to learn from their approach to matches.

"Our squad is a blend of exciting youngsters and experienced foreigners. There are players with experience in top leagues including La Liga and Premier League. There is a lot for us to learn from them. The way they approach the game, their style of play. It is a great opportunity to play alongside such players."

Friday evening was eventful for the Indian football audience. It was a special night not only because Indian Super League (ISL) hosted its first-ever Kolkata derby but also due to the fact that Robbie Fowler is making his debut in Indian football. 

The Liverpool legend was announced as the head coach one of the Kolkata giants a few months ago and people have been waiting to get a first impression of the club in their first season in ISL  - and the first impressions are positive.

Two well-taken goals in the second half - by Roy Krishna and Manvir Singh - put the game beyond doubt and out of reach of East Bengal. Full credit to Bagan for taking their chances and going atop the ISL table with six points after two matches. 

But it was a closer contest than what the scoreline would suggest. East Bengal was always in the game right until the final minute and looked like they could score at any point in the game. Considering the pre-season that they have had, they looked nearly ready and that is impressive. 

It must be remembered that Fowler's squad was assembled and arrived in Goa a few weeks after the rest of the teams started training for pre-season in Goa. This also meant that the foreign players have had only a few sessions with the rest of the squad. But there were some good performances on the field on Friday. 

Anthony Pilkington looks like a player ready to take ISL by storm once he fully settles into his rhythm. On his Indian football debut, he was a menace for the defenders to handle and looked threatening in the final third. Fowler went with Balwant Singh upfront, with Jeje Lalpekhlua on the bench, but the Indian striker failed to grab eyeballs.

The Indian contingent of the Red and Golds will need to step up and deliver and in the current state, East Bengal look like a team without a proper centre-forward. 

Matti Steinmann was always available for a pass and helped East Bengal keep hold of the ball for long periods. The Red and Golds had nearly 60 per cent of the ball and twice the number of passes compared to their arch-rivals. 

But in the end, it is the final scoreline that matters and that is where Antonio Habas' shrewd tactics came to the fore. The efficient attack of the Mariners proved to be the biggest difference between the two teams, and Roy Krishna broke the deadlock with a wonderful low hit from the edge of the box that took the keeper Debjit Majumder by surprise soon after the restart. 

With the opposition chasing the game and leaving themselves vulnerable to quick counters, substitute Manvir Singh decided to embark on a solo trip to greatness. He latched onto a long ball into space on the right flank by Prabir Das, knocked it forward and outran his marker, got into the box cut inside onto his left foot and smashed home. Two back-to-back strong cameos from Manvir should give Habas a selection headache for their third game. 

Bagan were more ready and efficient in the match and fully deserved their win. But for a first match in the ISL, Fowler's men exceeded expectations in terms of their performance.

Bayern Munich coach Hansi Flick wants to see more from Leroy Sane, but said the attacker needed time.

Since joining Bayern from Manchester City for a reported €45million earlier this year, Sane has scored five goals and provided two assists in nine games.

The attacker missed almost the entire 2019-20 season with City after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL).

While Flick is eager for Sane to improve, he is also prepared to be patient with the 24-year-old following his injury.

"He is 100 per cent fit. His efficiency is great," he told a news conference.

"But like other players, he unnecessarily lost the ball a couple of times against Salzburg and in some instances, he didn't quite pursue one-on-ones. There are reasons for it, and we talked about that. He will try to do better next time.

"When he comes on the pitch, he creates a certain dynamic in the team, increases it. In the last couple of games, he has always scored after being subbed in. That's what makes him stand out and he has quality.

"It is obvious that he still needs time after a long injury, and he will get that time. He works hard in training.

"We are pleased with him, but it is important that when he starts a game, he gives a 100 per cent. We are working on that."

In six Bundesliga games, three of which have been starts, this season, Sane has scored three goals and provided two assists.

He has also created four big chances. Only Thomas Muller (six), Serge Gnabry, Admir Mehmedi and Raphael Guerreiro (all five) have created more.

However, his big chance conversion percentage is 50 per cent, while he has completed just seven of 20 attempted dribbles.

Top of the Bundesliga by a point ahead of Dortmund and Leverkusen, Bayern visit Stuttgart on Saturday.

The aftereffects of an improper pre-season are evident in how the teams have gone about their business on the field after the first round of matches in the Indian Super League (ISL) this season. 

As the season enters into Round 2, injuries and fitness issues have hogged the limelight for a lot of clubs. 

After several months without football and on-field training due to the Coronavirus pandemic and the lockdown, the ISL clubs set up camp in Goa to train a month before the season opener on November 20. 

The foreign players came in batches and that meant none of the head coaches were able to train with a full-strength squad for at least a month. 

Not going through a proper pre-season can be detrimental's to a team's progress. Moreover, the players will take time to reach full match fitness and are more likely to pick up niggles along the way. 

Improper pre-season is only one of many reasons for players to pick up injuries. Even otherwise, the teams have had to deal with injury blows to tackles and bad landings. 

ATK Mohun Bagan received the biggest hammer blow to their the season right after their first match when Michael Soosairaj suffered a ligament injury. The former Chennai City player is set to be ruled out for the rest of the season. 

Kerala Blasters missed the services of Rahul KP and Nishu Kumar for their season opener due to knocks they picked up in pre-season. Nishu returned for the second game but Rahul remains out of contention. Sahal Abdul Samad also picked up a quad strain was unavailable for the second match. 

Mumbai City had to take off Raynier Fernandes in the 26th minute of their opening game against NorthEast United. The Indian midfielder suffered a groin injury. Odisha's Thoiba Singh had to be stretchered off the field in the second half of their game against Hyderabad. 

Jamshedpur have also suffered a big blow as an injured Peter Hartley had to be replaced after the half-hour mark in their first game of the season. His replacement Narender Gehlot too had to be subtituted as he picked an injury.

Other than these, the return to full fitness of several key players is also anticipated in the upcoming rounds of matches. One such player is Brandon Fernandes, ISL's all-time top Indian assist provider, who injured his knee in the playoffs last season. He made a brilliant cameo appearance in Goa's 2-2 draw with Bengaluru but was an unused substitute in the second game.

The decision by the league to allow five substitutions this season is a welcome tweak and will help coaches manage the situation better if their players are under pressure in terms of fitness. Only five teams - Kerala Blasters, Bengaluru, Chennaiyin, ATK Mohun Bagan and Mumbai City have made use of five changes and going forward, coaches may be forced into rotating their squad more often and making five changes every game.

ATK Mohun Bagan won the bragging rights in the first-ever Kolkata derby in the Indian Super League (ISL) as they downed East Bengal 2-0 with goals from Roy Krishna and Manvir Singh.

East Bengal, under Robbie Fowler’s tutelage, started the match on a positive note and were dictating the proceedings in the first half. However, Antonio Habas' side came back strongly after the break and scored two crucial goals.

Former East Bengal coach and legendary Indian footballer Subhash Bhowmick was not surprised by the outcome of the derby and hailed ATK Mohun Bagan coach Antonio Habas for being shrewd in his tactics.

“This was predictable,” Bhowmick told Goal. “I knew East Bengal would start aggressively because they are unknown but (Antonio) Habas is tactically and defensively a very disciplined coach. East Bengal played well in the first 20 minutes but failed to make any impact thereafter.

“He watched the first half and then went for the kill in the second half. The second goal was pathetic. It was a great example of counter-attack but neither Narayan (Das) made any effort nor did any central defender come to his rescue. The second half belonged to Habas who tactically outclassed (Robbie) Fowler.”

ATK Mohun Bagan are yet to concede a goal after 180 minutes of football in the ISL this season and Bhowmick believes that the Mariners’ backline will continue to perform in a similar manner throughout the campaign.

“Their defence will not concede for many minutes. They have Habas as a coach who is defensively astute,” said the ASEAN Championship winning coach.

Bhowmick was in awe of ATK Mohun Bagan star striker Roy Krishna, who has scored two goals in the first two matches.

“Roy Krishna is a perfect poacher. That is how poachers function, they score from any small opportunity they get in front of the goal. Robbie Fowler himself was a poacher and so he knows,” said the former India striker.

Ghana forward Asamoah Gyan completed his return to domestic football for the first time in 17 years with a second half appearance as his Legon Cities side settled for a 0-0 draw with Medeama in the Ghana Premier League (GPL) on Friday.

Signed in October, the veteran striker made his much-awaited debut as a 70th minute substitute in the matchday three fixture at the Accra Sports Stadium.

It was his first time taking to the pitch in the domestic championship since leaving Liberty Professionals for Italian side Udinese in 2003.

In the end Legon and Medeama shared the spoils, leaving them 13th and 12th on the league table, respectively.

Without a club since leaving Indian Super League side NorthEast United in January, Gyan joined Legon as a free agent on a one-year deal.

He had to bide his time to make his first appearance for the Royals owing to a lack of match fitness.

Without the former Sunderland and Rennes striker, Legon failed to score from open play in their first two games, culminating in disappointing results - 1-1 home draw with Berekum Chelsea and 3-0 away loss to Great Olympics - in their opening two games.

The poor results led to the dismissal of Bosnian-German coach Goran Barjaktarevic earlier this week, his place taken by former Asante Kotoko and Nigeria coach Bashir Hayford.

"Sometimes people forget that the Ghanaian league is also a professional league," Gyan told the BBC about his move back home earlier this month.

"I got the offer [from Legon] and everything was right - as a professional you have to evaluate everything. I am very proud to be in the Ghanaian league.

"The most important thing is that they were serious about the contract. I am a very serious guy, despite people seeing me as a funny guy as well, but when it comes to work, it is work. Everything is about seriousness.

"I am in Ghana and I am home. I signed for this club because they have a huge project - they want to change Ghana football. I came here for a reason so while I am enjoying football, we are also doing things behind the scenes to benefit Ghana football."

Gyan is Ghana's all-time top scorer and most capped player with 51 goals in 109 internationals.

He will be hoping to make his first start for Legon when they play away to Dreams FC in their next game.

Bruno Fernandes has a similar presence to Cristiano Ronaldo at Manchester United, according to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, as the midfielder continues to set high standards at Old Trafford.

The playmaker has been a revelation since arriving at the Theatre of Dreams from Sporting CP in January, with 21 goals and 13 assists in 35 appearances.

The 26-year-old has missed just the two matches during his time with the Red Devils, with United averaging 2.2 goals per game whenever he has featured.

Fernandes was in fine form once again during the club's Champions League exploits in midweek, where he bagged a first-half brace against Istanbul Basaksehir, to make it three games with a goal to his name on the bounce following efforts against Everton and West Brom.

Such performances have drawn comparisons already with Portugal teammate Ronaldo, who was worshipped by United fans during his time at the club, having scored 118 times in 292 games and developing from a raw prospect to a world-class talent before moving on to Real Madrid.

Solskjaer was a team-mate of the legendary Juventus forward at United and believes Fernandes can make the same sort of impact as his fellow countryman.

"He does definitely have that presence and an influence and impact on his team-mates, you can just look at results we've had since he came in," the United boss said in a press conference ahead of Sunday's Premier League trip to Southampton.

"He's got loads of energy, leadership, he's a team player which is the key here now for us going forward.

"Some players will have to sit games out and rest. I wasn't looking forward to telling Bruno when he was rested against Leipzig but he was absolutely no problem, the same as Marcus [Rashford].

"They know this season is challenging and that's how we build this team, the culture of the team - it's about the team, not individuals and Bruno has proved that over and over, that's it's the team before 'I'."

United will look to make it three Premier League wins on the trot for the first time this season when they face Saints this weekend, as they attempt to reignite their push for the top four following mixed fortunes across the first month of the season.

Lyon coach Rudi Garcia says that the decision to punish Houssem Aouar for his recent behaviour was “logical”.

Aouar will not be picked for OL’s Sunday clash with Reims after he refused to warm down with the substitutes last weekend in Angers after he had not taken any part in the match.

Reports in France suggest Lyon elected not to give him game time because they were fearful about him injuring himself on a poor pitch. The player is alleged to have used the same excuse when he snubbed the coach’s request to cool down after the match.

“I’m only going to say this once. It was logical to give him a sanction,” Garcia said during a Friday press conference.

“I suggested some myself. The club decided to remove Houssem from the squad for Sunday’s match. So we’ll play it with the squad at my disposal and of course I respect the decision of the club. My opinion is that this kind of case should be resolved internally.”

Club-mate Karl Toko-Ekambi would not condemn his club-mate too severely.

“Quite simply, he made a small mistake,” the forward said.

“The club has made a decision, which we must respect. It’s not for us to comment on that. Houssem took it well. He trains well and that’s the main thing.”

Aouar has been heavily linked with a move to Arsenal for many months, while Manchester City were also considered to be admirers. Indeed, it was expected that a deal would be done in the summer, though the Gunners ultimately failed to match OL’s asking price. Juventus have since been associated with the 22-year-old.

The once-capped France international has endured a testing season since then, having had several small physical complaints, including a Covid-19 infection and an adductor injury.

He has played seven times in the league for the Rhone side and has scored a couple goals plus bagged a further assist

Aouar was in eye-catching for in the Champions League over the summer months as OL made an unexpected trip to the semi-finals, having dispatched Man City in the last 16 of the competition.

Pitso Mosimane's Al Ahly were crowned 2019/20 Caf Champions League winners after securing a 2-1 win over Zamalek in the final at Cairo International Stadium on Friday night.

The Red Devils' two goals were scored by Amr El Sulaya and Mohamed 'Afsha' Magdi, while Mahmoud Shikabala netted the White Knights' first-half equalising goal.

Mosimane was hoping to become the eighth coach to win more than one Caf Champions League title having clinched his maiden trophy during his time with Mamelodi Sundowns in 2016.

The South African tactician recalled Amr El Sulaya to the starting line-up after the influential midfielder was rested as the Red Devils defeated Abu Qair Semad 2-1 in the Egyptian Cup match last weekend.

Mahmoud Abdelrazek Hassan Fadlala, who was part of the last Zamalek team to win the Champions League title in 2002, started for the White Knights.

Better known as Shikabala, Fadlala was also a key member of the White Knights side which was defeated by Mosimane's Sundowns in the 2016 final. 

The Red Devils got off to a dream start as they grabbed an early goal through El Sulaya after the White Knights' defence caught ball watching. 

Ali Maaloul, who was also recalled to the starting line-up by Mosimane, delivered a well-taken corner-kick which was headed home by El Sulaya to make it 1-0 to Al Ahly in the fifth minute.

Zamalek looked to Shikabala for some inspiration and the veteran winger forced Al Ahly goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy into comfortable save as the White Knights looked to level matters.

Parity was restored in the 31st minute when Shikabala beat two defenders, before unleashing a powerful effort which beat El Shenawy to make it 1-1.

Both teams then launched attacks in search of more goals, but they could not find the back of the net and the score was 1-1 during the half-time break.

Zamalek continued to press Al Ahly after the restart with Ahmed Sayed Zizo hitting the woodwork and Mosimane decided to make a change in the 67th minute.

Geraldo, who is a winger by trade, replaced Nigeria international Junior Ajayi as the Red Devils looked to take control of the match and restore their lead.

The Red Devils then upped the tempo and they snatched a late winning goal when Magdi scored with a volley in the 86th minute to seal a 2-1 win over Zamalek on the night.

As a result, Al Ahly clinched a record-extending ninth Champions League title and their first since 2013, while Zamalek lost their second final since 2016.

Mosimane has joined Stefan Zwytoko, Boubacar Fofana, Mahmoud El-Gohary, Oscar Fullone, Céleste Tambwe Late, Mouine Chabaane and Manuel Jose as the only coaches who have won more than one Caf Champions League title since the inception of the competition in 1964.

He is also only the third coach to have won it with two different teams.

Rose Lavelle is ready to show what she can do at Manchester City after her stunner against the Netherlands on Friday, according to U.S. national team coach Vlatko Andonovski. 

Lavelle has seen her City career get off to a stuttering start since her summer move, with the 25-year-old starting just one league game in the 2020-21 season thus far. 

The attacking midfielder was hampered by an ankle injury to delay her City debut by a few weeks, and head coach Gareth Taylor has rotated her through a number of attacking roles outside of her preferred spot as a No.10.

Lavelle has netted twice in cup action for City and that scoring prowess was demonstrated again for the USWNT against the Dutch, as she curled in a left-footed beauty from the top of the box just before halftime. 

Kristie Mewis would go on to score in the second half as the USWNT won 2-0 in their first match since March. 

Andonovski was impressed with Lavelle’s goal not just for its inch-perfect accuracy, but also because it came directly from the training ground.

“Our assistant coach Milan Ivanovic spent a lot of time with her in individual sessions working on that exact move and exact shot in that same exact spot,” Andonovski told reporters after the game. 

“The fact that she was able to soak up the information and implement it in a game and against an opponent like the Netherlands just makes me happy because it tells us how coachable she is and as good as she is.”

Andonovski insisted that he wasn’t necessarily surprised Lavelle hasn’t gotten fully up to speed with City yet, but backed her to use her goal on Friday as a jumping-off point to further establish herself in the Women’s Super League. 

“I don't know if I expected any more or less with her playing time,” the coach said. “She needed a little bit of time to adjust one thing and then she had a small injury going into [her debut] so that’s why I don't know if I had any different expectations. 

“But she’s finally healthy, she’s playing well, she’s mentally in a good stage and the fact that she scored a goal like this proves that she’s ready and she’s a very good player.”

USWNT defender Crystal Dunn wasn’t surprised to see Lavelle net a stunning goal, saying the attacker does the same thing on a daily basis in training. 

“Rose is an incredible player,” Dunn said. “She’s a young player but she plays so much beyond her years. She’s proven time and time again that she is skilled and an elite player at this level. 

“That goal she scored, she can do that day in and day out. She’s an incredible addition to our team ... and she has so much more she can give this team, so it’s very fun having her, playing alongside her and just watching her grow.”

Marseille boss Andre-Villas Boas has taken a swipe at Leeds manager Marcelo Bielsa’s nomination for The Best FIFA Coach Award.

The Argentine has joined a five-match shortlist that also includes Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, Sevilla’s Julen Lopetegui and Bayern Munich’s Champions League-winning coach Hansi Flick.

Bielsa was at the helm as Leeds returned to the top flight of the English game for the first time in 2004, but Villas-Boas has suggested that these achievements pale into comparison with other coaches who have been overlooked.

“Bielsa? Bielsa has to win a prestigious trophy,” he told the media on Friday. “But he’s not among the best five coaches in the world in 2020. It’s a scandal. He won the Championship!”

Villas-Boas, who risks provoking the Marseille fans, where Bielsa is a cult hero, after a one-season stint at the club in 2014-15 will further frustrate the OM support by suggesting that Paris Saint-Germain boss Thomas Tuchel would have been a worthier nominee.

The club's have had a fiery relationship for decades and when they met earlier this season there were five red cards.

“That Tuchel’s not in the top five coach is a scandal,” he said. “FIFA are sleeping… Tuchel won four trophies and then got to the final of the Champions League.”

Villas-Boas is having a rough ride at Stade Velodrome this season due to poor European performances from Marseille.

In four Champions League matches, they have failed to pick up a single point and have not even scored a goal yet. Wednesday’s pitiful 2-0 home loss against Porto consigned them to a 13th-straight defeat in the competition, which is a new record.

Bielsa, meanwhile, has won praise for the solid start that Leeds have made in the Premier League and has won a hoard of new fans for his idiosyncratic brand of expansive football.

The Elland Road side were 14th in the standings before the weekend’s matches kicked off, having won three of their nine fixtures. With 14 goals scored, meanwhile, they have netted more frequently than any other team in the bottom half of the standings, including Manchester United, Arsenal and Manchester City.

His side travel to face Everton on Saturday.

Knowledge Musona and Edo Kayembe provided assists as Eupen secured a 3-1 victory over Sporting Charleroi in Friday’s Belgian First Division A game. 

Musona was afforded his 13th league appearance in the encounter and made the most of the opportunity, helping his side end their three-game winless run.

Musona starred in a five-man midfield for the Pandas along with Adriano, Kayembe, Stef Peeters and Nils Schouterden.

The Zimbabwe international inspired Benat San Jose’s men to victory when he set up Smail Prevljak for the opening goal of the encounter in the 18th minute.

Nicolas Penneteau turned the ball into his own net in the 48th minute to help the Pandas double their lead.

With 15 minutes left to play, the Democratic Republic of the Congo international Kayembe set up Julien Ngoy with a fine pass and the Belgian forward wasted no time to fire home his effort.

Joris Kayembe then scored a late strike which was not enough to help Charleroi avoid defeat in the encounter.

Musona featured for the duration of the game along with Kayembe as Eupen clinched their third win of the season.

The victory ensured the Pandas moved to the 13th spot on the league table after gathering 16 points from 13 games.

Musona has scored two goals and provided two assists in 13 league matches this season while Kayembe has featured seven times for the club.

The Zimbabwe and the Democratic Republic of the Congo internationals will be expected to continue their impressive contributions in Eupen’s next league game.

The Pandas will square off against Mechelen on December 3 and will hope to secure their second consecutive win in the match.

Chelsea manager Frank Lampard believes Thiago Silva's experience and leadership can help him stop high-flying duo Harry Kane and Son Heung-min as Tottenham travel to Stamford Bridge on Sunday.

The Spurs front two have 16 Premier League goals between them already this season, which has helped their side claim top spot in the Premier League table.

Still, Chelsea could leapfrog their fiercest rivals with a home win and Lampard thinks his summer signing from PSG will be keen to stop such a potent combination.

"Let’s be fair to Harry Kane, he can probably play against most defenders in world football and give them a problem," Lampard told reporters ahead of the match.

"I don’t want to tempt fate but with Thiago’s qualities, his positioning and his experience, he can deal with these things individually. But as much as that, the influence is what he gives to others around him.

"The major thing when you play against players as clever as Kane and Son is that your concentration levels are absolutely spot on and you have the desire to deal with situations and keep clean sheets. Thiago gives off that.

"His individual talent, yes, but also as a unit, we have to make sure and Thiago is the leader of that unit when you look at the back end of the pitch."

The decision to sign Silva on a free transfer is proving a masterstroke even though he recently turned 36 years old.

The central defender has been an important part of Chelsea's run of six clean sheets in their last eight games which has seen them correct their previous weaknesses at the back.

Reports from Italy this week claimed Silva is in talks about renewing his one-year contract, but Lampard dismissed those claims while confirming the club does have an option to extend the deal by one season.

"I've seen the reports and there's an option in his contract that we can look at as the season goes on," he added. "Obviously the way he's playing at the minute, we're really happy and that's the end of it really, I'm surprised it's come out that way."

Chelsea are expected to wait until 2021 to consider whether to activate the clause or not.

Meanwhile, ahead of their clash on Sunday, both Chelsea and Spurs are being discussed as possible title contenders.

Yet Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho, like Lampard, has played down his team's chances of winning the league. Lampard has agreed with his former manager that it is too soon to be discussing the title race.

"Tottenham at the moment are top of the league," he added. "I think Jose thinks exactly what I think. The quote I was told earlier where he says, ‘We are not really contenders, we have to look at the next game’.

"I think that is the reality for Tottenham and for us because the last two or three seasons don’t lie. The last two or three seasons have Liverpool and City ahead of the rest. As managers, I think we will certainly be jumping the gun to proclaim ourselves as anything at this stage of the season.

"I agree with Jose’s comments. He is saying it from his point of view - looking at the next game - and that is exactly what I am doing."

Jurgen Klopp admits he wants Gini Wijnaldum to stay at Liverpool – but says the uncertainty surrounding the Dutchman’s contract situation will have no effect on the relationship between the pair.

Wijnaldum entered the final year of his Reds deal in the summer and is free to negotiate a pre-contract agreement with clubs outside of the UK as of January 1, should he wish.

Negotiations over an extension at Anfield have not moved on at all this year, though Liverpool sources insist all parties are relaxed about the situation. 

Wijnadum has been linked with a move to Barcelona, where he has a huge admirer in his former national team boss Ronald Koeman, but remains a central part of Klopp’s plans. 

Indeed, no player has played more games for the club so far this season. The 30-year-old has made 201 appearances in all competitions since joining from Newcastle in 2016.

“I would be happy if he would stay here,” Klopp told reporters on Friday ahead of his side’s trip to Brighton.

“I am pretty happy with Gini. You can see that when you see most of the line-ups! He always played good, that’s why he played so many games. And he has played plenty of positions, different positions.

“He’s in a good moment, thank God! Long may it continue.

“There is nothing else to say about it. As long as nothing is decided, then everything is possible. I’m positive.”

The fact that Wijnaldum and his representatives would be free to negotiate with other clubs in a little over a month, though, presents something of an issue.

Liverpool have allowed players to leave on free transfers before under Klopp – Emre Can, Alberto Moreno, Daniel Sturridge, Adam Lallana and Nathaniel Clyne all did so – but the manager does not anticipate any issue with Wijnaldum.

“Gini is one of the best people I ever met, and one of the best players I ever trained,” he said. “He’s an outstanding person, which means there is no issue at all.

“It’s professional. Our relationship didn’t change at all over the years. We won a few things together, we know each other much better. I am interested in his life, he is interested in my life – which is not so spectacular, really!

“That’s the truth, it’s no problem. We had situations like this with Emre Can, for example. He gave us absolutely everything until the last day of his contract. Gini will do the same, no doubt about that.”

Liverpool could welcome back captain Jordan Henderson for the visit to Brighton. The England midfielder has trained with the team this week after missing the last two games with a groin issue.

Thiago Alcantara, Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Xherdan Shaqiri, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Joe Gomez and Virgil van Dijk, however, are all expected to be missing. 

Perth Glory have been knocked out of contention for the Asian Champions League knockout stage after suffering another heartbreaking loss to Ulsan Hyundai in Qatar.

After giving up two goals in the dying stages to lose to the Koreans 2-1 on Wednesday, Glory repeated the dose on Friday, conceding two late strikes as stoppage time approached in a 2-0 defeat at Education City Stadium.

Incredibly, it was also the same two Ulsan players that did the damage, with Kim In-sung scoring the go-ahead goal on 87 minutes before Junior Negrao sealed the victory 120 seconds later.

Missing stars Diego Castro and Bruno Fornaroli from the starting line-up, Glory were second best throughout the match, giving up 68 percent possession to the K-League side and conceding 18 shots with seven of those on target.

A costly turnover from debutant Nicholas Walsh left Glory goalkeeper Tando Velaphi wide open to concede In-sung's opening goal, just as it looked like Perth could secure their first ever point in the competition.

After going behind, Glory pushed forward hard for an equaliser and were caught on the break with Negrao exploiting the vacuum of space.

Glory have now lost all four of their Asian Champions League matches so far and cannot catch second-placed FC Tokyo, who are seven points ahead with two matches to play.

Richard Garcia's side still have two remaining dead rubbers to come in the competitions, with matches against Shanghai (Tuesday 12am AEDT) and FC Tokyo (Thursday 9pm AEDT) on the horizon.

Legendary Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has heaped praise on Marcus Rashford for his campaign to tackle child food poverty.

Since the beginning of the coronavirus crisis, the Old Trafford striker has brought the issue to the attention of the public.

Furthermore, he has achieved positive change, with the government now guaranteeing the children in need of food will receive support during the school holidays until next Easter.

“You have to be shocked at the number of people who are in need of food,” Ferguson, who is set to pledge up to £2 million towards the FareShare charity that Rashford is an advocate of, told The Times.

“What Marcus has done is he’s led the way – people will say, ‘That boy he’s only 23 years of age’. People who are in their later ages … should be saying, ‘I can do something’.”

Ferguson, who won 13 Premier League titles with the Red Devils, has been left stunned by the maturity of the current Red Devils favourite.

“He should be giving me some advice because what he’s doing at 23 is fantastic for a young person,” Ferguson said. “I’ve no need to tell Marcus because I think there’s humility in the way he lives his life. His feet are on the ground.

“These are great qualities to carry you through life. Football hasn’t changed him. There is a danger in football that it can change people, money can change people, stardom can change people.

“Getting a celebrity position in life can sometimes be a problem because not everyone can carry success well. And at the moment Marcus is doing that very, very well.”

Rashford, who made his bow for the club three years after Ferguson retired, has proven as influential on the field as he has been off it.

He has scored eight times for United in 14 appearances this season and has chipped in with three further assists. Included among his goals are a hat-trick against RB Leipzig in the Champions League and a later winner against Paris Saint-Germain.

Bright Osayi-Samuel continued his impressive form for Queens Park Rangers in their 2-1 defeat to Brentford in Friday’s Championship game.

The 22-year-old delivered another scintillating performance for Mark Warburton’s men against the Bees, although he could not help them to avoid their fifth loss of the campaign.  

The Anglo-Nigerian scored his second league goal of the season against Rotherham United on Tuesday and continued the impressive form against the Bees, grabbing an assist in the encounter.

QPR found themselves on the back foot as early as the 14th minute when Vitaly Janelt opened the scoring after he was set up by Rico Henry.

Osayi-Samuel then inspired his side back to contention when he found Lyndon Dykes with a fine pass and the Scotland international swiftly fired his effort beyond the reach of goalkeeper David Raya.

Moments after the hour mark, Ivan Toney scored what turned out to be the winning goal, firing home a fine strike after receiving a timely assist from Emiliano Marcondes.

Four minutes before the full time, Queens Park Rangers were reduced to 10 men after Todd Kane received his second caution and was subsequently sent off.

Osayi-Samuel featured for the entirety of the game while Ghana international Tariqe Fosu played for 71 minutes before he was replaced by Sergi Canos.

The defeat saw QPR drop to the 13th spot on the Championship table after failing to add to their previous 17 points.

Osayi-Samuel has now made 14 appearances across all competitions for QPR this term, scoring two goals and providing four assists.

The 22-year-old forward has been a key member of QPR since his arrival at Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium in 2017.

He will be expected to continue his impressive performances when Queens Park Rangers square off against Bristol City on December 1.

Tottenham manager Jose Mourinho has claimed he was under more pressure during his time in charge at Chelsea than current Blues boss Frank Lampard.

Mourinho won three Premier League titles with Chelsea over two separate stints, with Lampard one of his most important players at Stamford Bridge. 

Lampard has now returned to the Blues as manager, leading them to a fourth-place finish last season in his first campaign in charge.

The pair are set to renew pleasantries on Sunday in a major Premier League showdown, with Tottenham entering the match in first place and Chelsea in third. 

Though Lampard has plenty of expectations after Chelsea invested heavily over the summer, Mourinho has insisted that he faced more pressure during his time at Stamford Bridge.

“What I felt is that when I was in these clubs, there was huge pressure on me and now there is not huge pressure on the coaches of these teams. Put a little bit of pressure on them and leave us in peace, doing our job.”

Though he believes he faced more pressure than subsequent managers at Stamford Bridge, Mourinho also said that Lampard is currently under more pressure as Chelsea boss than Mourinho is at Spurs.

“When you are favourites, you know why you are favourites,” Mourinho said. “And you have to accept that and you have to deal with that kind of pressure and responsibility.

"I was at clubs which were, let’s say, champions in the market because of their powerful investments. I had to deal with that pressure. So now it’s not for me to deal with that pressure. It’s for others to deal with that pressure. That’s not for us.”

Mourinho contrasted Chelsea's major summer spend with Tottenham's more subdued transfer business, even though Spurs did spend on the likes of Giovani Lo Celso, Sergio Reguilon and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg among others.

“It’s a different way of going into the market [at Spurs],” Mourinho said. “I’ve been at Chelsea before and I know the difference but I enjoyed very much to do this first market with Tottenham, to do that kind of wise market where, with less money, you try to give a good balance to the team, not to make mistakes, choose the right guys. I am really happy with what we got.”

Arsenal will need multiple transfer windows "at least" before they can mount a credible challenge for the Premier League title, according to boss Mikel Arteta.

The Gunners have not finished inside the top four since they wound up as runners-up to Leicester City in 2016 under Arsene Wenger, with last season's eighth-place finish representing their worst result for 25 years in the top-flight.

Former Manchester City assistant Arteta was brought in last December to revive fortunes at the Emirates Stadium following a poor start to the campaign by Unai Emery, and he guided the club to an FA Cup triumph at the first time of asking in August.

Yet having failed to even secure Champions League football for the past four seasons, the task of transforming Arsenal back into genuine title contenders looks to be a sizeable one, with just one win in their last five league games compounding their former player's problems at the helm.

Arteta however says that he is under no illusions that there is an easy fix to the matter at hand and revealed that he believes it could be a matter of years before his side reclaim their former standing, aided by multiple transfer periods.

"That [will] take a few windows at least to do that," the Spaniard responded to Sky Sports when asked how long it could take his team to complete such a turnaround. "To establish yourself to compete at the level of certain clubs in this league, which is nearly 100 points, it takes time.

"In football, time is very precious and people are very impatient. But if you don't respect the processes and you ask certain people to do certain things when the foundations are not there, it's a really dangerous thing to do.

"I know we all want to see Arsenal at the top of the league. My only intention every time is to prepare the football match. Where we get, time will tell. There's still a lot of things that are going to happen.

"We have to prepare for difficult moments. We knew that right from the start because it's not something that has happened in the last year - it has happened many years in the past.

"To flick that into a league with 38 games; that's a big challenge. But we're all ready."