Looking for Soccer News?

Manager Roy Hodgson has commended Eberechi Eze’s display in Crystal Palace’s 4-1 defeat of Leeds United in Saturday’s Premier League encounter.

The 22-year-old was handed his third start in the ongoing English topflight campaign, and he repaid his manager’s trust in him by providing one goal and an assist.

Thanks to his effort, he improved on his personal record of scoring and assisting in a single game for the fifth time.

For Hodgson, the England youth international had a great goal apart from his stunning free-kick that left goalkeeper Illan Meslier with no chance.

"I think apart from the free-kick, I thought his whole performance was very good," the 73-year-old told club website.

"I don’t think you could fault him in any way; I don’t think you could fault his defensive work – certainly couldn’t fault anything he did on the ball, and of course the goal for me was the icing on the cake."

"I thought it was a highly competitive game. I thought we played well and I thought we were good value for our victory," he continued.

"That’s a good victory because we are playing a team that started the season so well and have got a style of play that is a bit different to the style of play that we are normally used to seeing in the Premier League.

“Not only did we deal well with it defensively, I thought in terms of our attacking play we were a constant threat."

One the undesirable side for Hodgson is the fact his team’s energy will be reshaped by next week’s international break.

"I am a little bit disappointed that players are going to go as far as Africa to play matches," he added.

"I don’t know that in this Covid world and environment in which we live, it is really great news to be sending your players to places like Sudan and Mauritius.

"But it is something that we probably have to do, but I am just hoping this time the countries that they go and play for will look after them well because the last time we lost Jordan Ayew for two weeks."

Tottenham star Harry Kane sees no reason why his team cannot challenge reigning Premier League champions Liverpool and push for the title in 2020-21. 

The north Londoners have recovered from a slow start to the season to win on their last two outings, a run that has lifted them up to sixth place. 

Victory on Sunday away to West Brom would lift Spurs above current leaders Southampton and Liverpool for at least a handful of hours, with the Reds visiting Manchester City later in the day. 

A second-placed finish behind Chelsea in 2016-17 is the closest the club have come to glory in the Premier League era, but Kane warned that they have everything it takes to fight for silverware this time round. 

“When you look at the ability of our squad, you would definitely say that we’ve got enough to win a title," the striker told reporters ahead of Sunday's game at the Hawthorns.

“But I’d also say that we’ve been close over the last four, five years and haven’t quite got over the line. So, it’s not as easy as just having a good squad - and winning a few games - to challenge for the title.

“But this is a season where I don’t think one team’s going to run away with it - like Liverpool last year. There’s going to be opportunities for other teams to put good runs together and get right up the table.

“We’ve got to make sure we don’t get carried away either. We know we’ve been playing well - and the last two games have been good for confidence, to grind out results and get ugly wins. That’s what we’re going to need.

“There have still been points dropped from winning positions. But so far so good. If we can win on the weekend, we’ll be around the top of the table going into that international break. We’d have taken that before the start of the season.”

Spurs' recent upturn in form has eased the pressure on Jose Mourinho, who has endured mixed fortunes in the role since succeeding Mauricio Pochettino in 2019.

“It’s never easy for a manager to come in half way through a season and stamp his authority on a team,” Kane added.

“Especially with the lockdown as well. It’s been a difficult time. But since we’ve come back, we’ve signed some new players. We have a nice, big healthy squad and it allows Jose to stamp his identity on the team.

“It’s great to have the likes of Gareth [Bale] and Joe Hart, who’ve won the biggest trophies around the world, in the squad, on the pitch and in the dressing room.

“It’s a bonus to have a great team of leaders. That’s what we need to push all the way. We’ve a lot of experience and we tell each other how it is.

“We have a manager who does the same. It’s a long way to go but we’re feeling confident.”

Pep Guardiola has no intention of resting ‘exceptional’ Raheem Sterling, saying the forward is “one of the most fantastic players I ever had in my career.”

Manchester City are short of attacking options, with their problems at the top of the pitch heightened by an injury to Sergio Aguero.

Sterling has been filling in at the tip of the attack, and he will be in the side when they face his old club Liverpool at the Etihad on Sunday.

“He will be there again,” Guardiola said, per the Guardian. “There will be a moment when he takes a rest but he is so important for us. That is why we cannot [leave him out]. 

“He is an exceptional player. With his physicality he plays all the minutes. He is one of the most fantastic players I ever had in my career.”

Sterling arrived at City from Liverpool in 2015 and there is no doubt he has improved as a player under the guidance of Guardiola.

Guardiola believes the 25-year-old is only scratching the surface of his potential, but does not want to add pressure on Sterling’s shoulders.

“He is a better player than when he arrived,” Guardiola said. “He’s exceptional. I am pretty sure of his mentality and desire to win and improve a lot. He deserves a lot. I wish in three, four, five years he will be a much, much better player than he is today.

“Will he be one of the best in the world if he carries on improving? My advice, I would say to him don’t think about this. It makes no sense. Just enjoy the life; focus and destiny will dictate who he becomes as a player. It depends on him.”

City have made a stuttering start to the season, with three wins, two draws and a loss to their name from six games, but a win over champions Liverpool on Sunday would catapult them up the standings ahead of the international break.

A loss would leave them in the bottom half of the table and their first game back after the internationals is a trip to Jose Mourinho’s Tottenham.

Erling Haaland has admitted he must be more clinical in front of goal despite scoring in Borussia Dortmund's Klassiker defeat to Bayern Munich.

Dortmund went down 3-2 to the Bundesliga champions at Signal Iduna Park on Saturday, with Haaland netting the final goal of the game - his sixth of the season in the league.

But the 20-year-old might have struck long before that late effort in a wasteful display, missing the target with his prior three shots.

"I have to score more goals," he said. "If we don't put our chances away at this level, then we won't win."

It was Haaland's decision-making that was as much a problem as his profligacy.

While the Norway international attempted four shots, missing one of his two big chances, he also passed up a host of opportunities by mistiming a run or misplacing a pass.

Haaland was caught offside on three occasions, having been flagged only twice across his prior five games this term combined.

Despite repeatedly looking for a team-mate when a shot might have been on, the ex-Salzburg striker also played fewer passes into the final third (seven) than he had in previous matches. Just 42.9 per cent of these balls were completed - another season low.

This inaccuracy meant, for the first time in the Bundesliga this season, Haaland failed to create a chance, unable to add to his tally of two assists.

"[Bayern] are the best team in the world and we have to work harder to take the next step to be as good as them," Haaland said.

Taking heed of the opposition, he will surely look to emulate Bayern's ex-Dortmund forward Robert Lewandowski, who showed his class once again.

The Poland star scored with one of his two shots, had two more efforts disallowed for marginal offside calls - the only occasions on which he was flagged - and created Bayern's third goal for Leroy Sane.

It was the sort of display Haaland has shown he can similarly produce - just not yet in the biggest game in German club football.

Dortmund Dortmund will look to regroup during the international break, before hitting the ground running when they face Hertha Berlin in the Bundesliga on November 21.

Uganda Cranes coach Johnathan McKinstry has whittled down his squad of local-based players as the team prepares for their Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against South Sudan.

The Northern Irish tactician had initially summoned a squad of 20 players from local clubs in the Ugandan Premier League (UPL) but after six days of training, he has trimmed the squad down to seven, who will now link up with the foreign-based players.

Some of the players who have been left out are the experienced trio of Tonny Mawejje, Denis Iguma, and Murushid Jjuuko, who were handed a recall to the national team despite staying out of action for almost a year each.

Iguma had just returned from injury, while Mawejje has not played active football since leaving Al-Arabi last year and Juuko only signed for Express FC two weeks ago after a year out without action.

The players who made the final cut include goalkeeper Charles Lukwago, defenders Halid Lwaliwa, Disan Galiwango, and Patrick Mbowa as well as midfielders Shafik Kagimu, Karim Watambala, and forward Brian Aheebwa.

In an earlier interview, McKinstry defended his decision to call up the three players by stating and as quoted by Kawowo Sports: “There are three guys who have huge experience and have played at really high levels of the game but for some reason, the last nine or ten months have not been as they would have liked them to be.

“But also for all of them, they have moved categories recently because by signing for a UPL team means they are eligible for Chan.

“We are going to start preparing for chan around December 14. So, if I wait until then to see Tony [Mawejje], Murushid [Juuko], and Denis [Iguma] in our training environment then it is probably late for them.

“This was a case of we have six days training with the local guys so let’s bring them in and see where they are physically and technically and even how they fit into our system.

“If you think about it, the type of Cranes team that they played under is a different one that we are building now, so it is a great opportunity for them to come and see how we are developing the team.

“You should never discard experience because it is so valuable. The trio holds huge experience that can only help the young boys but it is down to their performance. No one gets a free ticket just because of their experience.”

Uganda will host South Sudan in the first meeting on November 12 at St Mary’s Stadium Kitende (4 pm) before they face off again five days later in Kenya.

Trent Alexander-Arnold is capable of becoming “one of the best right-backs ever”, says Brazil legend Cafu, with the Liverpool defender considered to have the world at his feet.

A Champions League and Premier League title winner at Anfield has already taken in over 140 appearances at club level and won 12 caps for England.

He is, however, still just 22 years of age and a long way from reaching his peak.

Once he reaches that stage of his career, Cafu believes the Reds academy graduate could be on course to cement a standing as the finest exponent of his chosen position that the game has ever seen.

A two-time World Cup winner who already occupies that talent pool told Qatar’s Road to 2022 channel: “Trent Alexander-Arnold has a unique personality.

“He's not afraid to be aggressive. He pressure, dribbles, plays, scores, he developed this personality really early and that will help him become a standout player in the Premier League.

“I think he needs to keep everything good that he has, like his physical condition and his pass and perfect the cross a bit more.

“The World Champions title would give him a seat among the best. I had the chance to win the World Cup twice and to play in three finals in a row but he's young and on the right path.

“In the future, he'll be one of the best right-backs ever in England and the world.

“There's a big difference between a professional athlete and a football player. The advice I would give is to be a professional athlete.

“Concentration, dedication, commitment. It's all about the mentality, being focused 24 hours on what you're doing.”

Alexander-Arnold is considered to have revolutionised what being a full-back is all about, with his game about much more than merely keeping opponents out.

His impressive assist haul for Liverpool has been taken to 38 through 144 outings, with a telling contribution being made at both ends of the field.

The Reds are showing no sign of moving him out of the right-back berth that he continues to thrive in, but there have been plenty of calls for a cultured performer to be moved into a midfield role at some stage in the future.

Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has insisted the door is ajar for David Alaba to remain at Bayern Munich.

Alaba’s future at the Allianz Arena was thrust into the spotlight last weekend when Bayern revealed they had withdrawn their latest contract offer to the Austria international and would not be returning to the table.

The defender expressed surprise with Bayern’s decision and it threatened to result in an acrimonious parting of ways when his agreement ends at the conclusion of the season.

However, positive noises have been coming out of both camps and Rummenigge - who is the chairman of the club’s executive board - says common ground can still be found.

"The door is still open a crack,” Rummenigge told Sky Deutschland . “If David wants to stay at Bayern then we have to evaluate how we can find a reasonable solution for both sides."

Earlier this week, Rummenigge said he hoped Alaba would remain at the club . 

Rummenigge said: “I think we all think the same thing here at the club: We all want David to stay. He's a wonderful person and a top player.

“At some point we have to start planning for the new season. We have to know: Will David stay with FC Bayern or not? A decision is important to us at this point.”

It is clear that the club feel the first move has to come from Alaba. The 28-year-old has the option to let his contract wind down, and from January he would be free to negotiate with teams from outside Germany and leave on a free transfer in the summer.

Alaba is one of the most accomplished defenders in the game, being comfortable operating at left-back and in the centre of defence. 

Players of his standing are rare, meaning there is sure to be a huge number of suitors chasing his signature should he decide to move on next year. 

Bayern have a little under two months to work on a new deal to ward off the prospect of the player signing a pre-contract agreement, but it appears Alaba’s status in the squad is unchanged as he was handed a starting spot by coach Hansi Flick against Borussia Dortmund on Saturday.

Tanzania striker Mbwana Samatta featured as Fenerbahce’s unbeaten start to the 2020-21 Turkish Super Lig season ended with a 2-0 loss to Konyaspor on Saturday.

Samatta was in action for 69 minutes before he was replaced by Ferdi Kadioglu, but second-half goals from Marko Jevtovi and Artem Kravets sealed all three points for Konyaspor.

The Taifa Stars captain could not stretch his tally of two goals in the Turkish Super Lig but he contributed to the Yellow Canaries' attacking threats at Ulker Stadium.

Before his substitution, Samatta managed two shots with one on target and he won three aerial duels.

The defeat came as a shock to Fenerbahce after Konyaspor travelled to Istanbul with a four-game winless record. This was their first win since September 27.

The hosts, meanwhile, had a great start to the campaign with a record of five wins and two draws before Saturday’s loss.

DR Congo's Marcel Tisserand and Senegal duo Mame Thiam and Papiss Cisse were also in action for Fenerbahce while Uganda's Farouk Miya played a crucial role on the flanks to ensure Konyaspor's victory.

Fenerbahce remain unmoved in second spot after the defeat with 17 points after eight games while Konyaspor climbed to 10th in the Turkish top-flight standings with nine points from seven matches.

Samatta is expected to lead Tanzania to Tunisia for their 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier on November 13, before they host the North African country for the reverse fixture at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam, four days later.

After the international break, Fenerbahce have a date with Genclerbirligi for their next Super Lig fixture on November 22.

Thomas Partey is an “absolute steal” for Arsenal at £45 million ($59m), says Paul Merson, with a midfielder who could “play for anyone” addressing the biggest need for those at Emirates Stadium.

The Gunners have been crying out for another commanding presence in their engine room.

Having once boasted the likes of Patrick Vieira and Gilberto Silva in that part of the field, the north London outfit has faced accusations of becoming a little soft at their centre.

Finding a suitable successor to some iconic figures was never going to be easy, or cheap.

Arsenal have, however, found considerable value in Partey, who was snapped up from Atletico Madrid over the summer.

He has slotted seamlessly into the fold under Arteta, with his performances earning widespread praise as the likes of Merson become fully aware of the qualities that he brings to the fold.

“They’ve got that player now. Before you looked and you thought ‘not good enough in midfield’,” former Arsenal playmaker Merson told Sky Sports.

“You’ve got [Granit] Xhaka and whoever it might be playing with him. They haven’t got that pass, and they play deep, and it’s just workmanlike.

“I can’t speak highly enough of him. When they said Partey looks like he’s going to Arsenal for £45m, I thought ‘am I missing a trick here?’

“He could play for anyone, I look at Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool.

“I can't speak highly enough of him, it's an absolute steal for Arsenal.

“It's a shame that [Mesut] Ozil can't play because I think he opens up the space for Ozil.”

Partey is unlikely to get the opportunity to work alongside Ozil any time soon.

A World Cup winner has been firmly frozen out of the picture at Emirates Stadium, with Arteta making some surprising selection calls.

No place has been found for Ozil in Europa League or Premier League squads.

He appears to be stumbling his way towards free agency in 2021, with the German considered to be part of Arsenal’s past.

Partey is very much the present and future, with the Ghana international set to get another opportunity to impress when the Gunners play host to Aston Villa on Sunday.

Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman moved to dispel any controversy over benching Lionel Messi on Saturday, after the Argentine came on to assure his side's Liga victory over Betis. 

Messi was a surprise omission from the Blaugrana starting line-up as they looked to end their painful run of four league games without a victory at Camp Nou. 

By half-time, however, Koeman already required his presence, throwing him into the action with Barca deadlocked at 1-1 against the Seville side. 

Messi made an immediate impact, teeing Antoine Griezmann up with a wonderful dummy before scoring twice himself, including his first goal from open play in the entirety of the 2020-21 season to date. 

Teenage sensation Pedri rounded off Barca's 5-2 win in stoppage time, but after the game all eyes were on Koeman and his risky decision to leave Messi out of his starting line-up. 

"We talked to Leo, who came out of the Dynamo [Kyiv] game with a niggle and he was not fit to play from the start," the Dutchman explained to reporters after the final whistle. 

"He was on the bench in case we needed him. If he was physically OK, he would have played from the start." 

Barca's recent woeful run of form saw the Catalans drop as low as 14th by the time they took the field on Saturday, heightening the pressure on Koeman after just a handful of games in the post. 

And though they needed Messi's magical intervention to take three points, the coach was pleased to see his side creating chances, while singling out Griezmann's contribution as the Frenchman bounced back after missing a first-half penalty. 

"It is a big win for how much we needed the points and I am happy with our attacking play," he added. 

"We created a lot of danger, with a lot of chances. The draw at the break was not fair. 

"We were better, missed a penalty and had more chances. We deserved to score in the second half. 

"I hope [Griezmann] keeps working as he has done so far. You have to be there in order to miss.

"I'd like to highlight his character in staying here and continuing to work hard. He knows perfectly well that he has missed chances. Despite his bad luck, he's always there to score."

Liverpool landed themselves an “exceptional player” when snapping up Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, says Chris Kirkland, but the former Reds goalkeeper says Arsenal only sanctioned a sale because the midfielder “couldn’t stay fit”.

The England international made the move to Anfield in the summer of 2017.

He had spent six years at Emirates Stadium prior to that, taking in 198 appearances and scoring 20 goals.

Those tallies could have been considerably better had regular spells on the treatment table not been taken in.

Kirkland says Oxlade-Chamberlain has endured “horrendous luck with injuries”, with momentum often evaporating as quickly as it is established.

That has been the case across an eventful spell at Liverpool, with some serious ailments laying the confident 27-year-old low.

He has seen 83 games across three seasons, but is currently out of action again with a knee complaint.

That has prevented Oxlade-Chamberlain from seeing any minutes for the reigning Premier League champions in 2020-21.

The hope is that he will soon return to full training, allowing Jurgen Klopp to call on him once more.

Kirkland wants to see an all-action playmaker get the reversal in fortune he deserves, with his career path to date having been shaped by an inability to steer clear of untimely knocks.

“We’ve seen him score goals and obviously had some horrendous luck with injuries,” ex-Liverpool keeper Kirkland told FootballFanCast.

“I mean, if he was fit, Arsenal would never have sold him for one thing you know. They sold him because he couldn’t stay fit.

“But for me he’s an exceptional player and I’d love to see him stay fit.”

Oxlade-Chamberlain has helped Liverpool to Champions League, World Club Cup and Premier League title triumphs during his time on Merseyside.

He has, however, been unable to nail down a regular starting berth and now faces fierce competition for places from the likes of Jordan Henderson, Naby Keita, Georginio Wijnaldum and Thiago Alcantara.

It remains to be seen when his next opportunity to impress will arrive.

Klopp is having to favour other options for now, and has some big selection decisions to make heading into a crunch clash with Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday.

Chelsea kept pace at the top of the Premier League as they came from behind to beat Sheffield United 4-1 at Stamford Bridge.

The Blues had kept clean sheets in each of their last five matches, but saw their goal breached in the ninth minute by David McGoldrick.

However, Tammy Abraham equalised and Ben Chilwell gave Chelsea a lead they would not relinquish as their defensive solidity returned thereafter.

Thiago Silva's first goal for Chelsea made sure of the victory before Timo Werner made the margin of triumph even more comfortable. 

The win means Frank Lampard's men are a point behind leaders Southampton and second-placed Liverpool, who have a game in hand. The winless Blades are bottom with one point from eight games.

Chelsea went close to breaking the deadlock in the fourth minute when Chilwell was denied by Aaron Ramsdale at the far post following good work from Abraham.

Five minutes later the hosts were unexpectedly behind, George Baldock and Sander Berge combining excellently from a short corner to tee up David McGoldrick to convert with a stylish flick.

McGoldrick's goal was the first Chelsea have conceded in all competitions for 459 minutes, but they did not need too long to respond, Hakim Ziyech releasing Mateo Kovacic down the right to pull back for Abraham to level matters with a measured finish.

Werner then rattled the underside of the crossbar just after the half-hour mark following a Kovacic free-kick and the turnaround was completed when Chilwell converted at the far post after Ramsdale misjudged Ziyech's excellent cross.

Kovacic shot narrowly wide as Chelsea looked to kill the game off, an aim they achieved when Silva was left unmarked to head home Ziyech's right-wing free-kick.

Werner was just off target with a lofted finish moments later but he made no mistake after a loose ball squirmed into his path in the 80th minute, emphatically applying the final gloss to the scoreline.

What does it mean? Defence breached but Chelsea convincing

Lampard may have been disappointed to see his defence undone by a short corner, but he will have been thrilled with the reply.

The Blues had 20 total shots, including nine on target, and completed 754 total passes to the visitors' 307. 

Chelsea were in command once they equalised and could have won by an even greater margin.

Ziyech cuts Blades apart

Crucial to Chelsea's dominance was Ziyech, who continues to prove his worth after joining from Ajax. 

He had a hand in three goals, playing a game-high six key passes and supplying two assists.

Wilder's men set for tough fight

The Blades never looked like preventing Chelsea from easing to victory once their lead was erased.

Chris Wilder's men had only one shot in the second half and appear set for a difficult fight against relegation - they have the joint-lowest points tally a team has recorded at this stage of a Premier League campaign.

Key Opta Stats: Chelsea's best run for two years

- Chelsea (11 games without defeat) are enjoying their longest unbeaten run in all competitions since November 2018 (a run of 18).
- Meanwhile, Sheffield United's 12-game winless run is the longest they have gone without a victory in all competitions since October 2013 (a run of 13).
- McGoldrick's opener was just the second goal Edouard Mendy has conceded for Chelsea in all competitions and first since his debut against Tottenham, having kept six consecutive clean sheets prior to this game.
- Chilwell has been directly involved in four goals in his three Premier League home games for Chelsea (2 goals, 2 assists), as many as his 52 home appearances for Leicester in the competition.
- Only Glenn Hoddle (36y 150d) scored his first goal in the Premier League for the Blues at an older age than Thiago Silva (36y 46d).
- After failing to score or assist a goal in any of his first four top-flight appearances, Werner has been involved in five goals in his last four games in the competition (4 goals, 1 assist).

What's next?

Chelsea will visit Newcastle United on November 21 after the international break. Wilder's side will look for their first win when they host West Ham a day later.

Barcelona sensation Ansu Fati suffered a muscle tear during his side's 5-2 victory over Real Betis, the club confirmed on Saturday. 

Fati, 18, started for Barca in the absence of Lionel Messi from the first XI as the Catalans looked to bounce back from a run of poor form in La Liga. 

But he was only able to complete the first 45 minutes, during which Barca struggled to overcome the Seville side as they entered the break tied at 1-1. 

Messi replaced his young team-mate at half-time and proceeded to score twice to lead his team to a much-needed victory. 

And after the game, Barca confirmed that Fati would require a spell on the sidelines after sustaining a knee injury. 

"Tests carried out this afternoon have shown that Ansu Fati has an internal meniscus tear in his left knee," the club explained on Twitter. 

"The treatment to be followed will be determined in the coming days."

Coach Ronald Koeman attempted to play down the severity of Fati's condition, suggesting that the early substitution was a precaution. 

"He was in some discomfort at the break and we didn't want to risk him. That was the reason behind the substitution," the Dutchman revealed to reporters when asked about the forward's health. 

While Spain are yet to comment on Fati, the tear looks likely to rule him out of action for the upcoming international break, having become the nation's youngest-ever goalscorer back in September with his strike against Ukraine.

La Roja are scheduled to face the Netherlands on Wednesday in a friendly clash before their UEFA Nations League double-header against Switzerland and Germany on November 14 and 17 respectively. 

Barca, meanwhile, will hope to recover their gem as soon as possible after the restart, with Koeman's men back in action on November 21 with a daunting away clash against Atletico Madrid, marking Luis Suarez's first meeting with his former employers.

Bayern Munich landed the first significant blow in this season's Bundesliga title race as they rallied to beat Borussia Dortmund 3-2 away in Der Klassiker.

Last season's champions were tied with opponents Dortmund heading into the weekend but forged a three-point gap - two clear of Saturday's early second-placed winners RB Leipzig - despite trailing to an effort from Marco Reus.

Bayern had lost Joshua Kimmich to injury with the game still goalless yet soon took the game away from BVB in clinical fashion either side of half-time at Signal Iduna Park.

David Alaba - the subject of some scrutiny amid failed contract negotiations - provided a swift riposte to the breakthrough goal, before Robert Lewandowski's 19th career strike against former club Dortmund secured a lead that substitute Leroy Sane stretched 10 minutes from time.

Erling Haaland belatedly found his shooting boots to set up a tense finale and Reus blazed a glorious opportunity over, while Lewandowski saw a late second ruled out for offside in a thrilling end to the match.

Lewandowski should have had his side in front within 41 seconds, instead lashing into the side-netting, before Roman Burki made an excellent two-handed save from Leon Goretzka's close-range header.

Haaland ran onto Gio Reyna's pass but directed a delicate finish across the face of goal and then looked to have been punished for his profligacy as Lewandowski took his second opportunity, only for a VAR review to highlight a marginal offside.

After Kimmich hobbled off - hurt in a lunge on Haaland - Reus hit Dortmund's 45th-minute opener, turning a smart effort past Manuel Neuer at the near post from Raphael Guerreiro's cutback.

But there was still time for Bayern to restore parity before the break as a set-piece routine allowed Alaba to shoot from 20 yards and earn a decisive deflection off Thomas Meunier.

They then needed less than three minutes of the second half to lead as Lewandowski stooped to meet Lucas Hernandez's cross and head inside the right-hand post, although the same section of the goal frame then denied Kingsley Coman a quick third.

Ex-Schalke winger Sane arrowed in a fine low strike on the break to seemingly settle matters, but Haaland kept Hansi Flick's men on their toes as he stayed onside to round Neuer and lash into the net, a feat Reus could not repeat when he thundered his volley over.

That would prove Dortmund's last big chance, even as another VAR review robbed Lewandowski of a stoppage-time second.

What does it mean? Bayern do just enough again

This was the sides' third meeting in 2020 and the third that has gone to the wire. But as long as Dortmund's title hopes depend on taking points off Bayern, a close-fought defeat counts for little.

Kimmich struck the winning goals in the league in May and the DFL-Supercup in September, yet Flick's side got the job done in his absence here, claiming a seventh win in eight against BVB in the Bundesliga.

Lewy loves this fixture

Lewandowski looks unlikely to loosen his hold on former club Dortmund any time soon. The striker had to wait until the second half to get his goal, but that was his 13th in his past eight Bundesliga games against BVB. An assist for Sane's third was just as crucial.

Haaland hesitance costly

Haaland made the scoresheet, but he should have helped himself to more. Indeed, while a Lewandowski goal appeared inevitable, Dortmund's main man repeatedly made the wrong call in promising positions.

Quick enough to get in behind the Bayern defence time and again, Haaland too often looked for a team-mate but completed only six passes in the Bayern half, while the goal was the only one of his four shots to hit the target.

Key Opta Facts

- This was Bayern's fourth consecutive Bundesliga win over Dortmund. They have only bettered this run once with five straight victories between 1968 and 1970.
- Reus' opener was his eighth Bundesliga goal against Bayern. No other current player in the division has more.
- Alaba netted the 100th Bundesliga goal of Flick's Bayern tenure. Reaching that milestone in just his 31st match, Flick now holds the record for the fastest century of strikes.
- Lewandowski marked his 300th Bayern appearance with his 259th goal for the club in all competitions.
- Bayern have shipped 10 goals in their opening seven league games of the campaign. The last time they conceded as many at this stage of a season was 13 under Jurgen Klinsmann in 2007-08.

What's next?

The international break provides some respite after this breathless affair. Dortmund are then at Hertha Berlin in a fortnight, while Bayern host Werder Bremen.

Three Hearts of Oak team members have tested positive for the coronavirus disease, the club has announced.

The identity of the persons have not been revealed but media reports claim striker Abednego Tetteh and midfielder Abdul Aziz Nurudeen are among the infected trio.

The Accra-based outfit recently underwent a mandatory testing exercise as part of safety protocols for the commencement of the 2020-21 Ghana Premier League (GPL) on November 14.

It remains uncertain if the players will recover in time ahead of the Phobians' season opener against Aduana Stars.

"Covid-19 Update: Three people out of the team that went for the corona test have tested positive, and have been referred to the appropriate quarters for isolation and treatment. We wish them well and hope to see them join us soon," Hearts announced on Twitter on Saturday.

The Ghana Football Association (GFA) began a mandatory testing exercise for all 18 GPL clubs last month, starting with Dawu-based Dreams FC.

According to a publication on the GFA's official website on the testing procedure, "All registered players of the clubs, coaching staff and officials will undergo the test for the purposes of competition integrity, fairness and transparency.

"The GFA is also working hard to put forward measures to ensure that games are played under strict covid-19 protocols for a successful 2020/2021 season.

"The testing of players and officials, an alliance between the Ghana Football Association and the government's Covid-19 task force is part of efforts being made to ensure that football is played in the safest possible way."

In September, Ghana president Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo announced on national television a nationwide ban on football has been lifted for the resumption of the GPL, possibly on October 30.

The ban came into force in March after Ghana recorded its first cases of the coronavirus, which brought all 2019-20 football competitions, including the GPL, FA Cup, Division One League and Women's Premier League, to a temporary halt.

After three months of waiting for the possible resumption of football, the GFA Executive Council decided to cancel the football season altogether.

Last month, the national football's governing body announced November 14 as the date for the commencement of a complete new season - the 2020-21 campaign. 

All match stadia will not take more than 25 per cent of their capacity. 

Ask anyone close to Manchester City about recent performances and results, and they are likely to say the same thing: Pep Guardiola’s team are far away from their swashbuckling best in 2017/18 and a year later when they retained their Premier League crown.

Undoubtedly, the malaise that began since the start of last season went on to worsen throughout 2019/20 and ultimately ended in disappointment, with Pep’s side failing to win three league titles on the trot or challenge on the continent.

Of course, both feats were always going to be demanding but what disappointed wasn’t that the Manchester outfit couldn’t retain their crown but how it happened. They finished a staggering 18 points behind Jurgen Klopp’s side after being realistically out of the title race in December, while they exited in the Champions League in exasperating fashion against Olympique Lyonnais.

Key to their top showings last season was Kevin De Bruyne — who eventually matched Thierry Henry’s Prem assist haul — and Riyad Mahrez, who wasn’t as lauded as the Belgium attacking midfielder.

This was surprising to an extent given how decisive the African champion was in many games pre-lockdown — including a dominant UCL first-leg win over Real Madrid despite an absence of goal contributions — before falling off a bit since June.

Mahrez’s drop off can be traced to his exclusion from Guardiola’s line-ups following disappointing showings against Newcastle United and Arsenal in the FA Cup quarter-final and semi-final respectively. The Algerian was tipped to be left out vs Los Blancos but he hasn’t seemed to recover since.

Admittedly, the wide attacker’s preparations were curbed by a positive coronavirus test just before the season started, meaning the former Leicester City man has been playing catch-up since September. Injuries to the team’s key attackers haven’t helped the side’s cause as the games have come in thick and fast with Mahrez starting five of City’s six league matches.

The wideman’s numbers reveal he has scored once and set up as many, both coming in the 5-2 thrashing by old side Leicester at the Etihad in late September. He’s also created one big chance so far this season, also in that defeat by the Foxes.

However, a greater dive into the Algeria star’s numbers emphasise the alarming drop off, albeit taking into account the small sample size of games.

Mahrez has so far failed to create an open-play clear-cut chance — the assist for Nathan Ake’s consolation vs Leicester was from a corner — and he’s significantly down for Expected Assists, shot-creating actions and goal-creating actions per 90.

Last season, the African's xA per 90 was 0.41 now down to 0.14 after five league starts. Only De Bruyne outdid the winger last year but he ranks joint-sixth this term along with Ilkay Gundogan and just ahead of Aymeric Laporte whose xA per 90 is 0.11.

For shot-creation and goal-creation, the ex-Leicester man’s decline has equally been noticeable. He’s posting fewer shot creation per 90 this year compared to 19/20 — 3.75 and 6.48 respectively — while his goal creation per 90 drop in both seasons has been striking — 0.21 thus far and 1.44 last term.

Indeed, Mahrez ranked highest for Goal-creating actions per 90 last season, whereas he finds himself in seventh after a quintet of Premier League appearances.

Interestingly, however, the 29-year-old’s struggles reflect in the team’s overall chance creation with Man City finding it difficult to consistently fashion out clear opportunities this season.

While this seems odd for a Guardiola side, their failure to unlock stubborn rearguards has been consistent in their opening six league matches.

After 540 minutes of action, City have fashioned out 11 big chances, behind Sunday’s opponents Liverpool (25), early-season high-flyers Aston Villa (18), new boys Leeds United (15) and even lower than Crystal Palace (12).

In fairness, the aforementioned stat doesn’t account for penalties but it’s striking for a Pep team to face questions about their expertise at creating in the final third. For context, at this stage last term, the blue half of Manchester had created 32 clear-cut opportunities and went on to create 141 in total, 32 more than champions Liverpool.

If this season’s games are an indication of what’s to come, then City not only have to deal with a creaky backline, an inability to control games effectively as they once did, intermittent issues in their pressing and the current struggles to make chances.

Last term, despite scoring bucket loads, they were frustratingly profligate too. After six outings this term, that has worryingly been replaced by an incapability to even put themselves in those promising situations in front of goal, leading to only nine goals scored for now which is very much unusual for them under Guardiola.

As for Mahrez, a major source of frustration has been in his extreme individualism. This came to a head in last week’s 1-0 win over Sheffield United as KDB appeared frustrated by the Algerian’s decision-making in either holding on to possession for too long or electing to shoot when there were better passing options.

The winger has always backed himself, still, 2.6 shots per game so far is significantly higher than previous seasons at the club and indeed in the Prem.

In each of his two years at the Etihad Stadium, Mahrez attempted 1.5 shots per match, while it was 1.5, 1.3 and 1.6 in 17/18, 16/17 and 15/16 respectively at Leicester.

Without question, a rise to 2.6 efforts at goal per game is remarkable, although the sample size of five games puts it into context.

Indeed, Pep’s City have been underwhelming so far and already find themselves five points behind Liverpool, albeit with a game in hand vs Villa to come.

They risk being eight points adrift of Klopp’s troops if they fall to a defeat on Sunday, instantly making them outsiders to regain the title, especially as their underlying numbers, for now, have been alarming.

While the Spanish manager will want a win vs the Merseyside club, you suspect he’ll hammer more on a dominant showing from Mahrez and his teammates as they look to regain the fear factor that’s seemingly been lost at both ends of the pitch in the last 12 to 14 months.

Montpellier secured a 2-0 away victory over Bordeaux in Saturday’s Ligue 1 clash, with Algeria international Andy Delort finding the net.

After bowing 4-0 at home to Reims the last time out, Michel Der Zakarian’s men returned to winning ways against the hosts who played without inspirational forward Samuel Kalu.

The keenly-contested game produced no goals in the first half as chances were few at the Matmut Atlantique.

In the second half, the hosts stepped up their game, but it was the visiting side who took the initiative four minutes into the restart through Florent Mollet.

Mollet beat goalkeeper Benoit Costil from close range after profiting from a cross from Gaetan Laborde - who darted through the left side of the Girondins’ backline.

Although that goal woke Jean Louis Gasset’s side from their slumber, albeit, they were unable to get the much-needed leveller due to poor finishing.

In the 67th minute, Delort guaranteed the win finishing off a short run in the hosts’ goal area thanks to Teji Savanier’s near perfect pass.

Even after the numerous chances that came the way of Bordeaux, finding the net was their major undoing as they looked poor in the final third.

Delort, Cameroonian defender Ambroise Oyongo and France-born Central African Republic Prospect Junior Sambia were on parade for La Paillade from start to finish, while Congolese forward Beni Makouana and South African midfielder Keagan Dolly were not dressed for action.

For the hosts, French right back of Ghanaian descent Enock Kwateng lasted all the minutes of the encounter. Algeria's Mehdi Zerkane who was handed a starter's role was replaced in the 62nd minute for French forward Nicolas de Preville. A minute earlier, Nigerian forward Josh Maja was substituted for Jimmy Briand, while Mozambique's Mexer, Senegal's Youssouf Sabaly and Togo's Loic Bessil were unused substitutes.

This defeat places Bordeaux in 12th position in the French elite division having garnered 12 points from 10 games, while Montpellier moved to sixth with 17 points from the same number of matches.

23-year-old Kalu remains out of action due to injury suffered during the Super Eagles’ 1-0 defat to reigning African champions Algeria in a recent international friendly.

Patrick Bamford has hit out at VAR following the controversial decision to disallow his goal during Leeds United’s 4-1 loss to Crystal Palace, with the forward saying the new laws are "ruining football."

While Leeds were ultimately well beaten at Selhurst Park, the score was 1-0 in Palace’s favour when Bamford thought he had drawn his side level.

However, a VAR check ruled against Leeds - with Bamford deemed to be in an offside position when latching on to a pass from Mateusz Klich.

Pictures showed it was Bamford’s arm that was beyond the last defender, and he was ruled offside.

A change to the handball law ahead of this season, which allows players to score with the upper part of the arm, meant VAR deemed Bamford to be offside.

"I don't understand the rule,” Bamford told the BBC. “You can't score with your arm. It doesn't make sense. It's happened with me today but I've seen it on numerous occasions.

“It's ruining football. You want to see goals. To have it ruled out for something like that is daft.

"Even the referee couldn't make sense of it. When the players and the officials can't make sense of it... does it make sense?”

Whites manager Marcelo Bielsa would not be drawn to comment on the decision, as he told the BBC: “I never discuss a referee's decision.”

In what is their first campaign back in the Premier League since being relegated in 2004, Leeds made a bright start to the season but they have lost three of their last four matches and currently sit in the bottom half of the table.

The 4-1 scoreline does not make positive viewing for Leeds supporters, but Bamford felt it was a major improvement on the loss by the same scoreline to Leicester City, and feels the international break will be good for the team.

"Today the performance was better than against Leicester," he said. “Palace had a good game plan and we were a bit sloppy. We didn't move the ball quick enough. The international break has come at the right time. You can look back at the first eight games and think it's been a solid start.”