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If Pep Guardiola were to leave Manchester City in the summer of 2021, then RB Leipzig coach Julian Nagelsmann would be the perfect candidate to step in at the Etihad Stadium, says Shaun Goater.

The Blues are hoping that no movement will be made in their dugout for the foreseeable future.

They have, however, seen their current coach enter the final year of his current contract.

Guardiola, who is already taking in the longest reign of his distinguished coaching career to date with City, is famed for delivering success in relatively short bursts at any one club.

He has remained coy on his plans when it comes to a new deal in England, with the absence of his signature on fresh terms sparking inevitable speculation regarding possible successors.

Former Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino has been talked up as the favoured option for many, as the Argentine remains out of work, but Goater believes 33-year-old Nagelsmann would be a better fit to carry on the work of Guardiola.

The former City striker told Gentingbet: “I really like Nagelsmann, he’s a young manager who is brave, offensive in his game and that’s Pep’s style.

“The brand of football that City play is possession based with creativity, full-backs going forward, full-backs also being inverted and you don't see wide players or wingers, you see both. Working with those front three, that’s a brand of football that Pep has created. 

“Nagelsmann is a sort of manager that is brave when I've seen his teams and I like that about him.

“He sort of says, ‘Right, we're coming to win this game’ and he does tactical moves that stretch the opposition and make them think differently, rather than playing a cagey game, so I really like some of the things I've seen his teams do.

“With Pochettino, we’ve seen how he operated at Tottenham and he was just starting to really build some good things as a good manager but he didn't quite win anything there, but again, played a great brand of football. So, both of them would be exciting managers.”

Pochettino has been without a club since severing ties with Spurs in November 2019, while Nagelsmann is tied to a contract at Leipzig until 2023.

Kevin Akpoguma, Ishak Belfodil and Ihlas Bebou delivered impressive performances as Hoffenheim secured a 4-1 win over Gent in Thursday’s Europa League game.

Akpoguma was afforded his second start in the competition this season and shone in his defensive role. Belfodil found the back of the net while Bebou grabbed an assist in the encounter.

The Nigeria international formed a five-man defence for the Kraichgauer along with Ryan Sessegnon, Kevin Vogt, Stefan Posch and Robert Skov.

Belfodil led the attack along with Togo international Bebou and they played key roles to ensure Hoffenheim clinched their second win on the bounce in the European tournament.

Gent dominated the opening 15 minutes as they aimed to end their recent unimpressive run of form, having lost their last three games.

Hoffenheim’s defence rose to the challenge and kept the Buffalos’ attackers at bay as the opening 30 minutes ended without a goal, with Roman Yaremchuk missing a glorious chance to put Gent in front from the penalty spot.

In the 36th minute, Belfodil opened the scoring for the Kraichgauer when he fired home his penalty past goalkeeper Davy Roef.

Florian Grillitsch doubled the lead in the 52nd minute after receiving a timely pass from Bebou, Mijat Gacinovic made it three before Munas Dabbur sealed the victory to render Tim Kleindienst’s late effort a mere consolation.

Akpoguma had 62 touches on the ball, made two key passes, three tackles and had a 96% successful pass rate to ensure his side secured all three points.

The defender featured for the duration of the game along with Bebou while Belfodil played for 77 minutes before he was replaced by Joao Klauss.

The victory ensured Hoffenheim continued their lead at the top of Group L with six points from two games. The group also has FK Crvena Zvezda and Slovan Liberec.

Akpoguma has now featured eight times for Sebastian Hoeneb’s men across all competitions in the current campaign while Bebou has made seven appearances and Belfodil has played five times.

The African stars will hope to help Hoffenheim extend their unbeaten run when they take on Slovan Liberec in their next game in the tournament on November 5.

Before then, the Kraichgauer will square off against Union Berlin in a Bundesliga game and Akpoguma, Belfodil and Bebou could play a part in the game.

Akpoguma will be expected to replicate his solid defensive club performances for Nigeria in their Africa Cup of Nations qualifying game against Sierra Leone in November, having been handed a call-up for the outing.

PSG star Kylian Mbappe has joined a number of Cameroon players including Stephane Mbia and goalkeeper Andre Onana in calling for an end to the Anglophone crisis in the Central African country.

Kumba, a city in the Southwest region of Cameroon, was thrown into mourning on Saturday after gunmen stormed a school - Mother Francisca International Bilingual Academy, and opened fire on children with at least eight confirmed dead while 12 others were injured.

Cameroon is dominated by Francophone and Anglophone citizens with the Northwest and Southwest regions of the country seen as home to the English speakers.

The Anglophone crisis, however, started in 2016 when the English-speaking minority protested against the Francophone-dominated government but it turned violent a year later after the government's use of force to stop their demonstrations.

Following PSG's 2-0 win over Istanbul Basaksehir in the Champions League, Mbappe took to social media to show his support for the African country after some Indomitable Lions players expressed their concern.

"Cameroon is bleeding. I think of the families broken up yesterday in Kumba by these odious and cowardly acts. Going to school is not a crime. It is the youth and the future of our country that have been affected," Mbia tweeted.

Arsenal midfielder Matteo Guendouzi has revealed that team-mates Mesut Ozil and Bernd Leno's Bundesliga praises helped convince him to accept a loan move to Hertha Berlin, with the 21-year-old implying that the door is shut on his Gunners future.

The former Lorient youth graduate, a Europa League finalist under Unai Emery in 2019, has made the move from England to Germany this season in search of more minutes after struggling for regular game-time under Mikel Arteta.

The midfielder joined the north London outfit in 2018, and emerged as a solid presence in his first Premier League season, but will now try his fortunes with Bruno Labbadia's side.

Speaking out on his move to mainland Europe, France youth international Guendouzi has now revealed that Ozil and Leno - both German internationals at various points throughout their career and veterans of the Bundesliga - helped convince him to make the switch.

"I had a very good relationship with Mesut Ozil and Bernd Leno," the 21-year-old told Kicker. “Both of them told me a lot of good things about the Bundesliga.”

Further reflecting on his time at the Emirates Stadium, Guendouzi suggested that his long-term future appears to be away from Arsenal, indicating that he may move on to new pastures at the conclusion of his loan spell.

“I played over 80 games there and had a good, intense time there,” he added. “I learned a lot there in terms of sport and grew up there. It was two good years for me.”

Guendouzi spent the majority of his youth career at Paris Saint-Germain before making the switch to Lorient in 2014, emerging into the club's senior ranks two years later.

His form in France caught the eye of the Gunners, and he became one of former manager Emery's key purchases during his first transfer window, proceeding to feature in over 30 top-flight games in his first season in charge.

However, he slipped out of contention under subsequent boss Arteta and was reportedly excluded from group training at the club as recently as July due to alleged attitude and conduct issues.

Guendouzi is not the only player to have found themselves on the outs at Arsenal, with Ozil likely searching for a new home after he was snubbed for this season's Premier League and Europa League squads.

Romelu Lukaku could miss Inter's Champions League clash with Real Madrid after suffering a thigh injury.

The Nerazzurri striker went for an MRI scan after feeling discomfort during the goalless draw with Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Inter confirmed the Belgium international has strained a muscle in his left thigh and would continue to be assessed.

“Romelu Lukaku underwent an MRI scan at the Humanitas Institute in Rozzano this morning following a problem that arose during Tuesday's Champions League game against Shakhtar Donetsk,” read a statement on the club’s website.

“The scans showed that he has suffered a strain in his left thigh. His condition will be monitored daily.”

Lukaku is expected to sit out the Serie A match against Parma on Saturday and could also miss next Wednesday's visit to the Santiago Bernabeu.

The news is a blow to head coach Antonio Conte, whose side have drawn each of their opening Group B matches against Borussia Monchengladbach and Shakhtar.

That leaves them third in the table ahead of next week’s clash with Real, who are bottom having collected just one point from their opening two group-stage matches.

Lukaku has scored nine goals in 11 appearances in all competitions this season, picking up where he left off after a record-breaking debut campaign at the San Siro following his €80 million (£74m/$90m) move from Manchester United.

The 27-year-old scored 34 goals in all competitions to equal the record held by Brazilian legend Ronaldo for most goals scored in their debut season for the Serie A club.

Nine of those goals came in the Europa League as Inter reached the final before losing 3-2 Sevilla.

Lukaku found the net in that game and in doing so extended his own record by scoring in 11 consecutive matches in the competition, a run stretching all the way back to November 2014 when he was still at Everton.

Meanwhile, his 23 league goals helped Inter finish runners-up in Serie A, just one point behind champions Juventus. It was their highest finish in nine years and best points tally since their treble-winning season in 2009-10 under Jose Mourinho.

Jose Mourinho says that Tottenham's players made his future team selections "very easy" after struggling in a loss to Antwerp.

Spurs were undone by the Belgian side on Wednesday, with the Premier League side's second Europa League group-stage match ending in a surprise 1-0 defeat.

Mourinho deployed a reserve-heavy lineup, with the free-scoring duo of Harry Kane and Heung-min Son out of the starting XI for the day.

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Toby Alderweireld, Moussa Sissoko, Lucas Moura and Matt Doherty were also left out after featuring against Burnley last weekend.

Mourinho turned to summer signings Carlos Vinicius and Gareth Bale alongside winger Steven Bergwijn in attack, while Dele Alli was also brought in to the midfield alongside Harry Winks and Giovani Lo Celso.

After the rotation Spurs struggled, failing to win Thursday's clash in Belgium despite entering as favourites.

And Mourinho said that there will be consequences for those that didn't play up to his expectations, declaring that Spurs players "let them win" with their performances.

"You know what our best team is. I always like to think the players deserve an opportunity. We have a big squad," he said, speaking at his post-match press conference.

"It's also their opportunity to catch the chance with both hands and ask for more. Tonight my future choices are going to be very easy.

"They got in a situation where we let them win. I don't want to take credit from them."

Mourinho also took to social media to express his frustration, posting from the team bus after the game: "Bad performances deserve bad results. Hope everyone in this bus is as upset as I am. Tomorrow 11 AM training."

Thursday saw Alli return to the team, having previously been excluded from all but two Premier League games so far.

Alli, however, has been involved in the Europa League, with Thursday being his fourth appearance of the season

Like several Spurs players, Alli struggled and was one of four players substituted at half-time.

"I don't want to analyse individually," Mourinho said. "It's fair to say that players with bad performances influence the team but also a team influence individual performances. 

"It's not for me to individualise and bring some names to the table."

Following Thursday's defeat, Spurs will now look to bounce back on Sunday as Mourinho's side hosts Brighton before then traveling to face Ludogorets in the Europa League next week.

Ghana’s Elvis Manu found the net thrice as Ludogorets Razgrad bowed 4-3 to LASK in Thursday’s Europa League showdown.

Manu was a second-half substitute as the Bulgarian First League side lost 2-1 to Royal Antwerp in their first game. Against the Austrians, however, he was handed a starter’s role and that paid off as he turned in three goals.

In the seven-goal thriller at the Linzer Stadium, the hosts began the party by scoring in the second minute through Petar Filipovic. Marko Raguz found the unmarked defender who dribbled his marker before unleashing a shot past goalkeeper Plamen Iliev.

The hosts doubled their advantage in the 12th minute through Andreas Gruber who fired home a corner-kick from Peter Michorl.

In a goal-laden first-half that produced four goals, Manu pulled one back for the visitors three minutes later thanks to an assist from Alex Santana.

Marko Raguz restored LASK’s two-goal advantage in the 35th minute after acrobatically converting Andres Andrade’s cross as Dominik Thalhammer’s men went into the half-time break with a comfortable lead.

In the second half, the Austrians continued to push harder for more goals and that paid off in the 56th minute when Olivier Verdon deflected Husein Balic’s shot into his own net.

Ludogorets looked dead and buried, albeit, they almost produced a late comeback. Manu made it two for his side after darting into LASK’s defensive line before firing past goalkeeper Alexander Schlager.

16 minutes from full time, the Ghanaian completed his hat-trick from the penalty mark after he was upended by Lukas Grgic, who was dismissed by the referee Xavier Fernandez for a second caution.

That goal strengthened the Bulgarians but they tried in vain in search of an equaliser.

Alongside Manu, Madagascar’s Anicet Abel was in action from start to finish while Congo's Mavis Tchibota and Congo DR's Jordan Ikoko were introduced in the second half. For LASK, Nigeria’s Tobias Lawal was an unused substitute.

With this defeat, Stanislav Genchev’s side sits at the base of Group J with no point from two games. They would be eyeing their first win of their European campaign when they host Jose Mourinho’s Tottenham Hotspur on November 5.

Manu has represented the Netherlands in the U16, U17, U19, U20 and U21 levels. However, on 24 June 2015, he switched his national allegiance to Ghana, whom he qualifies for through his Ghanaian heritage.

Ajax Amsterdam goalkeeper Andre Onana is backing team-mate Mohammed Kudus to make a stronger return to the pitch following a recent injury setback.

Ghana international Kudus has been confirmed out of action for “several months” after picking up a meniscus injury during his club’s recent Champions League group stage opener against Liverpool.

The injury was undoubtedly a big disappointment for the 20-year-old who was beginning to settle down at Johan Cruyff Arena following his summer transfer from Danish club Nordsjaelland.

"He's a tough guy. I spoke to him and explained that unfortunately, injuries are also part of football. He was very positive and promised to do everything he could to make a great return," Cameroon goalkeeper Onana, Ajax No.1 goalkeeper, said, as reported by Footballghana.

Kudus’ injury came just three days after scoring his debut goal for Ajax during a Dutch Eredivisie encounter with Heerenveen.

Against Liverpool, the attacker made his Champions League debut but saw his night ended as early as just the sixth minute after hurting his meniscus during a challenge with Liverpool’s Fabinho.

“Mohammed Kudus had to be subbed off after only six minutes vs Liverpool on Wednesday. Further examinations show that the 20-year-old has a meniscus injury that will keep him out for several months," Ajax announced on their official website after the fateful game.

"Kudus came to Ajax this summer and played four official matches so far."

Kudus’ injury situation means he will be unavailable for Ghana in their 2022 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifying double-header against Sudan in November.

It will be the second straight time he misses national duty due to injury after being denied clearance by Ajax to honour a Ghana call-up for friendly matches against Mali and Qatar in Turkey earlier this month.

The Accra-born player was snapped up by the Dutch giants in a five-year deal in July following a string of fine performances for Nordsjaelland in Denmark.

Last season, he netted 11 times in 25 league appearances to finish the term as The Wild Tigers’ top scorer.

So far at Ajax, he has scored once and provided three assists in five appearances in all competitions for Erik Ten Hag’s outfit.

Jose Mourinho says he wanted to make 11 changes at half-time in Tottenham's 1-0 Europa League defeat to Royal Antwerp, conceding that his side were deservedly beaten.

Giovani Lo Celso, Steven Bergwijn, Carlos Vinicius and Dele Alli, making his first start in over a month, were all taken off at the interval with Tottenham trailing to Lior Refaelov's first-half strike.

Gareth Bale was next to make way on the hour-mark but the introduction of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Erik Lamela, Lucas Moura, Son Heung-min and Harry Kane made little difference.

And on the back of the chastening defeat in Belgium, Mourinho insists his fringe players can have no complaints about being overlooked for bigger matches.

"I would have liked to make 11," he said of his decision to make a quadruple change at the break. "I didn't make five because I was afraid of a long 45 minutes without any changes to make. 

"There's only one person to blame, and it is me. I had chosen the players to start. At half-time I tried to improve the situation. But it was not enough. The dynamic of the first half was there, the mentality was there and it's difficult to change. 

"In the first half the game was very easy to play, lots of space. In the second half, we improved but then they played in a completely different way. It was very difficult. In the end, Antwerp got what they deserved and we also got what we deserved. 

"It's a fair result. I'm always calm with it. The best team won and the worst team lost."

Mourinho made five changes to Tottenham's starting line-up for the Group J clash ahead of a Premier League encounter with Brighton and Hove Albion on Sunday.

Asked if any players put forward their case to start more regularly, Mourinho said: "Look, you know what our best team is. You know the same thing that I know and that everybody knows. 

"But I think that the players, they deserve an opportunity. We have a big squad with lots of good players. It's my responsibility to give them opportunities. It's their responsibility to ask for more. 

"Tonight, my future choices are going to be very easy. But again, there is only one responsible, not the players, it's my responsibility."

Tottenham did not manage a single attempt on target when chasing a goal in the second half, with the Belgian Pro League leaders holding on for a famous victory.

"It's disappointing because I keep saying the team has to be a state of mind and you have to keep always every match to play well and to win," Mourinho said. "It's as simple as that. 

"But it is more complicated, because you have to keep a certain motivational level. You have to be consistent. On Monday [against Burnley], we needed everything from every player. Of course it's frustrating we come here tonight and don't do the same."

Olanrewaju Kayode scored a goal as Sivasspor suffered 2-1 loss against Maccabi Tel Aviv in the Uefa Europa League.

Thursday's result was Sivasspor's third straight defeat across all competitions after losing their opening Europa League fixture to Villarreal and their last league outing against Rizespor by 2-0.

After a goalless first-half at the New Sivas 4 Eylul Stadium, Kayode broke the deadlock and fired the hosts ahead with his effort in the 55th minute.

The Nigeria forward was assisted by Ivory Coast's Max Gradel and it was his second goal in the Europa League after he grabbed a goal in their 5-3 loss to Villarreal last Thursday.

Kayode saw 75 minutes of action in the encounter before he was replaced by Ghana's Isaac Cofie while Gradel came off three minutes later and his compatriot Arouna Kone was introduced in the 81st minute.

Mali goalkeeper Mamadou Samassa was in goal for Sivasspor and Morocco's Faycal Fajr played for 90 minutes.

Sivasspor are third in Group I without no point after two games while unbeaten Villarreal lead the pack with superior goals difference to second-placed Maccabi Tel Aviv.

Although he is yet to open his goal account in the Super Lig after three outings this term, Kayode has been in fine goalscoring run in the Europa League.

The Shakhtar Donetsk loanee will be aiming to steer Sivasspor back to winning ways when they battle Hatayspor in a league match on Monday. Three days after, they have a date with Qarabag in the secondary European tournament.

Alfredo Morelos came off the bench to inspire Rangers to a slender 1-0 win over Lech Poznan in Europa League Group D on Thursday. 

Steven Gerrard's side kicked off their campaign in style last week with a 2-0 win over Standard Liege, but they looked destined for a disappointing draw at Ibrox until Morelos' introduction in the 63rd minute. 

The Colombian made a swift impact after replacing Kemar Roofe, thumping home a close-range header five minutes later to seal an eighth consecutive win across all competitions for the Scottish Premiership leaders.

The result means Rangers are level on six points with Benfica – who they face next week – at the summit of the group.

Chances were at a premium during the opening 45 minutes of the first ever meeting between the two sides.

Roofe skewed an overhead kick wide in what was Rangers' best opening, while Poznan forward Mikael Ishak lashed over at the end of a largely insipid half.

The visitors started the second half brightly, with Thomas Rogne heading narrowly wide from Daniel Ramirez's free-kick.

Scott Arfield fizzed wide from 25 yards on the hour mark before Morelos met Borna Barisic's superb cross from the left with a powerful header from six yards that thundered past Filip Bednarek.

Poznan – who failed to register a shot on target – never looked like salvaging a point in the closing stages, with Gerrard's side seeing the game out in relative comfort for yet another win and a fifth clean sheet on the bounce.

What does it mean? Morelos decides dour affair

It looked like Rangers were set for the most uninspired of goalless draws before Gerrard turned to Morelos.

The 24-year-old did not let his manager down, powering home a decisive header soon after his arrival. 

The hosts were not exactly a dominant force but, with Poznan failing to test goalkeeper Allan McGregor, they can certainly claim to be good value for all three points.

Davis' experience shines through

The midfield battle was not pretty but Steven Davis can reflect on a solid performance.

The Northern Ireland international made three tackles and gained possession nine times – both totals were more than any other Rangers player.

Roofe back to earth with a bump 

The former Leeds United man lit up last week's win over Standard Liege with a stunning goal from 54.6 yards.

He struggled on Thursday, though, taking just one shot and completing a mere nine passes before he was replaced by Morelos.

Key Opta Facts

- Including qualifying rounds, Rangers have lost just one of their last 20 home games in European competitions (W14 D5).

- Rangers have won their last five matches in European competition, netting 14 goals and conceding just once.

- Lech Poznan have won just one of their last nine Europa League matches (D2 L6), winning 2-1 at Fiorentina in October 2015.

- Rangers have won each of their last four matches against Polish opposition in major European competition (excluding qualifiers).

What's next?

Rangers travel to Kilmarnock on Sunday looking for a fifth consecutive Scottish Premiership win, while Lech Poznan visit Znicz Pruszkow in the Polish Cup a day later.

Arsenal made it two wins from two in this season's Europa League group stage as they beat Dundalk 3-0 at Emirates Stadium.

Mikel Arteta made 10 changes to the side that lost 1-0 at home to Leicester City last weekend and they were kept at bay for 42 minutes by an effective Dundalk rearguard until Eddie Nketiah pounced on a goalkeeping error.

Joe Willock doubled the lead before half-time and Nicolas Pepe's super strike put the Gunners firmly in control, allowing them to ease through the closing stages with one eye on the weekend trip to Manchester United.

Patrick McEleney tested Alex Runarsson with the first effort of the match as Dundalk showed they were prepared to work the ball forward rather than simply clear their lines.

Arsenal unsurprisingly controlled possession yet found it difficult to pick their way through a packed visiting defence, but Nketiah got the breakthrough three minutes before half-time, turning home from point-blank range after goalkeeper Gary Rogers made a mess of an attempted punch.

Dundalk were punished further barely 90 seconds later, Willock firing high into the net after Nketiah and Pepe led a swift break in the visitors' half.

Any faint thoughts of a comeback were quashed just a minute after the restart, Pepe taking a clever touch and curling a fine effort into the top-right corner from the edge of the Dundalk box.

Nketiah just failed to prod a cross beyond Rogers from Cedric Soares' cross, and the lively Reiss Nelson teed up Kieran Tierney to blast over, but the fight was gone from the Irish champions.

What does it mean? Arsenal cruising towards knockouts

With six points from two games, Arsenal are already firmly on track to reach the next round as they prepare for back-to-back meetings with Molde.

Arteta might not have been thrilled with their first-half performance, but this was still an efficient job by a much-changed Gunners side – and this time, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was not needed.

Wily Willock dazzles in midfield

Willock's finish was excellent but his all-round performance from one box to another was even better. He broke lines to stretch Dundalk's rigid rearguard, created three goalscoring chances and teed up Pepe for his finish.

Dundalk undone by errors

Having looked set to take a stalemate to half-time, a missed punch from the experienced Rogers gifted Arsenal their opener and the visitors never quite recovered their composure. It was a disappointing way to spoil their excellent early work.

What's next?

Arsenal head to United on Sunday before hosting Molde on Europa League matchday three next week. Dundalk meet St Patrick's Athletic before next Thursday's game with Rapid Vienna.

Samuel Chukwueze was in action and Owusu Kwabena found the back of the net as Villarreal secured a 3-1 victory over Qarabag in Thursday’s Europa League game.

Chukwueze was afforded his second start in 2020-21 while Kwabena led the Azerbaijani side’s attack.

The Ghana international played alongside Abdellah Zoubir and Romero Jaime upfront and gave a good account of himself, although his effort was not enough to ensure his side avoided defeat at Stadion Rajko Mitic.

The first-half saw few goal-mouth actions with both sides wasting a number of scoring chances in the encounter.

After the restart, Kwabena broke the deadlock with a well-taken strike after receiving a fine assist from Patrick Andrade.

Yeremi Pino levelled proceedings for Villarreal after he was set up by a timely assist from Manuel Trigueros with 10 minutes left to play.

Paco Alcacer gave Villarreal the lead for the first time in the encounter through a fine individual effort and then completed his brace at the death to seal the victory for his side from the penalty spot.

Chukwueze struck five shots, with two hitting the target, completed two dribbles and had 48 touches on the ball to ensure his side secured their second consecutive win in the competition this season.

The Nigeria international featured for 86 minutes in the encounter while Kwabena played for 90 minutes before he was replaced by Tural Bayramov.

The victory ensured the Yellow Submarine sit atop Group I with six points from two games while Qarabag are at the base with zero points.

Chukwueze has now featured nine times for Unai Emery’s men across all competitions this season, including three in the European tournament.

The forward will hope to replicate his eye-catching performances for Nigeria in their Africa Cup of Nations qualifying game against Sierra Leon in November.

The LA Galaxy have parted ways with head coach Guillermo Barros Schelotto with the club sitting last in the Western Conference.

Schelotto took charge of the Galaxy last season, with the former Columbus Crew star returning to MLS as a coach after leading Boca Juniors to the 2018 Copa Libertadores final.

The Argentine led the club to a fifth-place finish and a postseason appearance during his first season, with the Galaxy taking down Minnesota United before falling to rivals Los Angeles FC in their second playoff match.

However, after Zlatan Ibrahimovic's departure this summer the Galaxy have struggled, amassing just 18 points through 19 MLS games.

And those struggles have cost Schelotto his job after just 59 total games, with the Galaxy now turning to Dominic Kinnear as interim manager for the rest of the season.

“Based on results, we have decided to go in a different direction,” said LA Galaxy General Manager Dennis te Kloese in a statement.

“The LA Galaxy is a club that is built on winning on the field and being representative of the championship mentality and pedigree that you expect in Los Angeles.

"As a club, we have a collective responsibility and we all must share the blame for the club’s current standing. I take responsibility for the poor results and believe that we can find the right way forward for this team and our club.”

Following Ibrahimovic's departure, the Galaxy turned to Javier 'Chicharito' Hernandez, but the Mexican star has failed to live up to his lofty price tag.

The former Manchester United star has scored just one goal in 10 games with the Galaxy failing to win a match with the Mexican on the field.

Hernandez missed the Galaxy's clash with LAFC last weekend before also being left out of Wednesday's 5-2 loss to the Portland Timbers.

"I think it has been a very challenging year for everyone and certainly for Javier," Te Kloese told ESPN. "He came in with high, high expectations, from him, from ourselves, from everybody.

"We haven’t been able to connect those high expectations so far. There’s no truth to the rumors of him going to Chivas or anything else."

The Galaxy have three matches left in their season as they will still face Real Salt Lake, the Seattle Sounders and the Vancouver Whitecaps.

The Nigeria Women Football League [NWFL] board has confirmed the Nigeria Women Premier League (NWPL) will commence its 2020-21 season on December 9, 2020.

The Aisha Falode's led NWFL board named the kick-off date following a meeting with all 16 club representatives at its secretariat in Abuja.

Chief Operating Officer of the NWFL, Faith Ben-Anuge disclosed it will revert to a straight league format for the first time since 2014 following the 2019/20 season scrapping due to Covid-19.

Following a draw ceremony, Rivers Angels have drawn against Adamawa Queens, Nasarawa Amazons battle FC Robo Queens, while DreamStars Ladies welcome Delta Queens.

In other fixtures, Sunshine Queens face Heartland Queens, Edo Queens tackle Royal Queens, Abia Angels host Osun Babes, Bayelsa Queens meet Pelican Stars and Ibom Angels visit Confluence Queens.

According to Ben-Anuge, Nasarawa Amazons and FC Robo will be the opening match of the season in Lafia on December 9 and there will be a two-week break after the Week 15 fixtures.

Speaking at the event, Falode read the riot act to the clubs, while outlining plans in the build-up to the league's commencement. 

"Commencement of inspection of facilities submitted by the teams will be inspected as part of the activities to be embarked on by the NWFL," said Falode, who doubles as an NFF board member.

"If teams don't have acceptable pitches, they will be advised to get good ones, if not a decision will be taken swiftly. 

"Documentation for the season has been sent and deadlines for meeting up with these obligations and conditions will also be known soon. Any club that fails to meet these conditions will be sanctioned.

"Before the commencement of the NWFL Premiership, clubs are expected to meet all guidelines in terms of the Covid-19 protocols, player licensing, DTMS, medicals and Insurance."

WEEK ONE FIXTURE December 9, 2020

Nasarawa Amazons Vs FC Robo Queens

Adamawa Queens Vs Rivers Angels

Confluence Queens Vs Ibom Angels

Dreams Stars Ladies Vs Delta Queens

Bayelsa Queens Vs Pelican Stars

Edo Queens Vs Royal Queens

Abia Angels Vs Osun Babes

Sunshine Queens Vs Heartland Queens

James Rodriguez is still adjusting to the “relentless” pace of Premier League life, says Kevin Campbell, with the Colombian being backed to “find his feet” and produce on a consistent basis once up to full match sharpness.

The talented South American has made a positive early impression in England since completing a move to Goodison Park over the summer.

His ability has never been in doubt, with the 29-year-old having previously turned out for the likes of Monaco, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid.

Everton were considered to have pulled off quite the coup in luring him to Merseyside, with the presence of Carlo Ancelotti in their dugout proving to be a useful bargaining tool.

James has shown flashes of what he is capable of, with three goals and four assists already recorded.

He has, however, also picked up a slight knock in the midst of Premier League battle, with the English top-flight renowned for its physicality.

It was suggested on the back of Everton’s 2-0 defeat to Southampton last time out that James was looking a little tired – with regular game time having been in short supply for him over recent years.

Campbell, though, believes James is merely working his way through the gears and will prove to be a shrewd addition for the Toffees even in the most testing of times.

The former Everton striker told Gentingbet: “Rodriguez will be fine once he gets used to the relentless nature of the Premier League.

“He hasn’t played a lot of football over the years so I think he's just got to find his feet. I truly believe he will - he just needs all the top players playing for him to really excel.

“Obviously, there's a few players who aren't going to be there, so it’s going to take him a little bit of time to adjust.”

Everton’s loss at Southampton was their first in 2020-21, with a flying start made to their Premier League campaign. Campbell believes James and Co. will face another stern test of their credentials when paying a visit to Newcastle on Sunday.

He added: “Everton’s game against Newcastle is going to be very difficult.

“Lucas Digne won’t be playing as he's got a one-game suspension and Richarlison will be missing for the second game.

“I think Everton will find going to St James’ Park very difficult because obviously, it’s away from home and you haven't got Richarlison - you only realise the work and players he occupies when he isn’t there, and that he gets players away from Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

“When he’s not playing, other teams will be scheming towards Calvert-Lewin to stop him so I think it’s going to be a very difficult game for Everton.”

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta had nothing but praise for his second-stringers following their robust performance against Dundalk in the Europa League, admitting that their "easy" display has given him selection headaches.

The Gunners ran out 3-0 victors at the Emirates Stadium against the League of Ireland champions thanks to a five-minute goal burst either side of half-time led by Eddie Nketiah, Joe Willock and Nicolas Pepe.

Having named a nominal first-choice side for their European opener against Rapid Wien last week, fixture congestion ahead of a Premier League clash with Manchester United forced Arteta to rotate multiple players for the visit of Filippo Giovagnoli's relative minnows, with half-a-dozen changes between the two starting lineups seven days apart.

Despite that, the hosts took their chances when they came, with Iceland goalkeeper Runar Alex Runarsson keeping a clean sheet on debut and England youth star Willock helping them to lodge 25 shots at their opposition's goal throughout.

Speaking afterwards, Arteta championed his side's performance against an opponent who adamantly refused to be overawed by the occasion, and hailed his side's respect for their visitors as key to making their free-flowing performance look like a cakewalk on the occasion.

However, the 38-year-old admitted that several eye-catching turns meant that he would face difficulties in picking his teams in the near future, as several stars pressed a claim for more regular football, while also singling out the returning Willian for his efforts upon his return from injury.

"We made it look easy because we were very disciplined, took it seriously and were at it from the beginning," the Spaniard told BT Sport.

"We made a lot of changes, gave opportunities to other players and I think they performed well.

"We have a large squad and I wanted to give opportunities to everybody. Today they showed they were prepared when I need them and today they made it more difficult for me for selection.

"Sometimes it is about the quality, sometimes it is about the tactical plan for the game. I am very pleased with the performance today.

"We missed Willian the last couple of weeks, he had a very short pre-season. He needs that bit of rhythm. He looked good today, great to get some minutes in his legs.

"After losing the way we lost against Leicester it was painful. It took a few days to react but good to respond straight away with a win and now we go to Old Trafford and try to win again."