Looking for Soccer News?

The former Germany international playmaker is presently out of the picture at the Emirates Stadium, having been left out of the Premier League squad and the Europa League squad by manager Mikel Arteta.

He has been involved in a very public battle with the club, notably offering to pay the wages of sacked mascot Gunnersaurus having refused to take a pay cut due to the coronavirus crisis.

As the club’s highest earner, his case has been regularly debated in the media, and Koscielny has backed his former colleague.

“As a man, he’s a very good person, who got along with all his team-mates,” the Bordeaux defender told L’Equipe. “He gave a lot, helped sick children. He is a generous person, with whom I got along very well. 

“As a player, he is in my opinion a phenomenon. He can find passes that no one sees, he’s a maestro. He can rock a game with incredible passes.

“We’re both part of the ‘Arsene Wenger Generation’. The coach loved him as a player. It was more complicated with Unai Emery and Mikel Arteta. 

“Knowing him, he must always be professional in training, always on time. He is undoubtedly at the level demanded by the Premier League.”

The former France man is eager to see the 32-year-old back playing soon – whether that is with the Gunners or elsewhere.

“I hope both sides find a deal that works for everyone. He is a competitor. I hope to see him back on the pitch soon, at Arsenal or elsewhere, because he is real talent,” he said.

Ozil has been with Arsenal since moving to the club from Real Madrid in 2013 and has turned out on more than 250 occasions for the Gunners. 

He has, however, fallen out of favour with Arteta, with his last game a 1-0 win over West Ham in the Premier League back in March.

He created the winning gaol for Alexandre Lacazette on that occasion, his 77th assist for the club in 254 outings, while he has 44 goals to his name.

The two players embraced at the end of the one-sided game, but Delano van Crooy has hit out at what the Cameroon international had to say to him.

Far from being in the goalkeeper’s union, Van Crooy said the 24-year-old wanted to heap misery onto 10-man VVV by taking a penalty if the chance arose.

Asked by Langs de Lijn if Onana’s hug at the end of the match gave him mixed feelings, he replied: “Yes, when you hear that he actually wanted to take a penalty against me, you think: ‘Was his action genuine?’ You don't take a penalty against another keeper if you respect him. It would have been humiliating.”

Van Crooy spoke of his feelings on being on the wrong side of such a historic score line.

“It cannot be described. You don't really feel anything, that's the bad thing, I think. You are mentally broken, you want to leave. Everyone means well, but you don’t want to wait for everyone’s pity,” he said.

Meanwhile, he would not give himself a mark for his performance in an encounter in which he also saved 10 shots.

“I’ll leave that to the experts,” he said. “I’ve not seen the game again.”

It is an encounter that will make for bad viewing for VVV fans. While their side mustered only three shots – none on target – Ajax fired at goal on 45 occasions.

The Amsterdam outfit took the lead through Jurgen Ekkelenkamp in 12 minutes before Lassina Traore scored in the 17th and 32nd. A further goal arrived before the break through Dusan Tadic.

A red card for Christian Kum early in the second half sparked a deluge of four goals in five minutes, while later in the period three goals arrived in four minutes.

The scoring was finally completed by Traore, who netted his fifth of the afternoon, having also laid on three more.

The result leaves VVV 14th in the 18-team Eredivisie with five points from six games - and a minus-13 goal difference.

Traditionally one of the great showcases for bright young footballers, the competition - more commonly known as the Toulon Tournament - has seen international teams vie for the trophy since 1975, having previously included club sides.

However, for the first time since the competition was inaugurated in 1967, it will not run this year.

A statement published by the organisers reads: “Last April, when we announced the postponement of the Maurice Revello Tournament’s 48th edition, initially planned to be held from 1st to 14th June, the Organising Committee took the time to reflect: should we totally skip this year 2020? Or should we try to reschedule the 48th edition at the end of the calendar year?

“We had opted for the second option, aiming to reschedule the Maurice Revello Tournament 2020 in December which is obviously an unprecedented challenge.

"This lapse of time allowed us to rework on the organisation of our event and meanwhile to set up all the specific arrangements related to Covid-19 in order to ensure the safety of everyone involved in this event.

“Supported by our major partners, the project started to take shape as several national teams - Japan, Chile, Ivory Coast, DR Congo, Vietnam and Indonesia  - agreed to take part in this rescheduled tournament planned to be held in December.

"However, as you have seen, the sanitary situation is deteriorating again in Europe and especially in Southern France, with an upsurge in the number of positive Covid-19 cases.

“The situation has led the French government to set up a curfew in different departments including Bouches-du-Rhone, the home of the Maurice Revello Tournament.

"Now, it’s no longer a question of delivering an international sport event but to follow, as citizens, the government’s recommendations in order to protect the athletes, managers and all the persons necessary for the proper functioning of such an organisation.

“As a result, after consulting with our major partners, we took the difficult decision to purely and simply cancel the 48th edition of the Maurice Revello Tournament.”

Brazil are the defending champions, in a tournament which has previously been graced by the likes of Jean-Pierre Papin, Alan Shearer, James Rodriguez. Javier Mascherano and Thierry Henry.

Isco has taken a swipe at Real Madrid head coach Zinedine Zidane, claiming that he is being ostracised by the Frenchman.

The Spain midfielder has not featured for either of Los Blancos' last two outings, the 3-1 Clasico victory over Barcelona on Saturday and the stunning 3-2 Champions League loss to Shakhtar Donetsk three days earlier.

Indeed, the 28-year-old has played only sporadically this season, making four appearances after sustaining a sprained ankle in the summer.

It is a situation that the former Malaga man is not happy about.

“If he has to take me off, he takes me off in the 50th or 60th minute of the game. Sometimes even at half-time,” the player complained on Movistar+’s ‘El Partidazo’ program. “If he has to put me on, he’ll do it in the 80th minute.”

In his seven years with Real Madrid, Isco has always been in and out of the team, and has not played full back-to-back league matches for three years. In that time, he has played the full duration of only six fixtures in La Liga. There has been a suggestion that he has not put in the defensive work required for Zidane to select him.

“The win was a result of the defensive work of the group,” Sergio Ramos pointed out after the weekend’s win at Camp Nou. “We have run, we have suffered, and there is the result. 

“It is the line that we must reach and maintain throughout the season. In the end, in football there are things that cannot be negotiated such as attitude and intensity, and the team has put in the maximum from the beginning to the end.”

Real Madrid are now second in La Liga on 13 points, training surprise pace setters Real Sociedad, although they do have a game in hand.

After their Clasico success, Real Madrid travel to Borussia Monchengladbach in the Champions League on Tuesday, seeking a victory that would get them back on track in the competition ahead of a double header with Antonio Conte’s Inter.

Their next Liga clash comes on Saturday, October 31, when they host minnows Huesca.

Juventus superstar Cristiano Ronaldo is under investigation for breaching coronavirus protocols following his positive test earlier this month, according to Italy's sports minister.

Ronaldo was laid low with Covid-19 midway through the international break, having featured in a 0-0 friendly draw with Spain and the UEFA Nations League fixture against France which ended in the same scoreline.

The 35-year-old was forced to miss Portugal's 3-0 win over Sweden on October 14 after his positive diagnosis, and went straight into self-isolation.

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner missed Juve's draw with Crotone and win at Dynamo Kiev on Tuesday before posting another positive test a day later, which prevented him from returning for the Serie A clash against Hellas Verona on Sunday.

Ronaldo will have to pass a coronavirus test 24 hours before the Bianconeri's next European outing against Barcelona in midweek or else his spell in the sidelines will be extended and a renewal of hostilities with long-time rival Lionel Messi will be postponed.

He could also now be facing punishment for breaking quarantine rules while away on international duty, having travelled back to his house in Italy via a private air ambulance after contracting Covid-19.

Previously asked whether Ronaldo had broken coronavirus regulations after leaving Portugal's training camp, Italy's sports minister Vincenzo Spadafora said on October 15: "Without authorisation from the health authorities, I think he has violated the protocol.”

Spadafora has now reasserted his claim and revealed that the Juve striker's actions are being officially investigated.

He told Rai Tre: "Cristiano did not respect the protocol. There is an investigation by the Federal Prosecutor's Office to prove it.

"The virus has taught us that no one is exempt, obviously they are all people who have tried to respect the protocols as much as possible, but the only solution, in the end, is to stay at home."

Pressed on if he has discussed the situation with Ronaldo, Spadafora responded: "No, with all respect. It was an unpleasant episode, but on the occasion of the first leg he violated the protocol and this is a fact, because there is also an investigation opened by the prosecutor of Torino."

Ronaldo defended the steps he'd taken to self-isolate in an Instagram post on October 16, telling his followers: “I did not break any protocol. They’re saying that I broke Italian laws but it’s all a lie. I spoke with my team and we have the responsibility to do things right.

“Everything was done with authorisation. Principally for the Italian man whose name I’m not going to say, it’s a lie, I abided by all the protocols.”

KMC FC coach Habib Kondo believes his charges were the better team against Yanga SC and did not deserve to concede a penalty in the 2-1 loss.

With the Kinondoni-based side leading by a solitary goal, Yacouba Songne was adjudged to have been fouled in the danger zone and the referee pointed to the penalty spot. However, the tactician feels his team was undone by that decision.

"We are disappointed with the result because it is not what we had hoped for considering the way we had prepared," Kondo told reporters after the match.

"Everyone in the team came into the match optimistic of getting three points. However, we have no option but to just accept and move on. I made a very good selection and we played better than Yanga; actually, we were a better team. 

"I am still wondering how the referee decided to award Yanga a penalty. There was no foul at all; the only goal I am counting is the second one, not that penalty goal that came from nowhere."

The tactician has given out his general output regarding the entire game despite going down 2-1.

"Yanga were nowhere close to us in terms of quality," Kondo stated.

"They were just playing long balls to the front in the entire 90 minutes, there is nothing meaningful they did.

"Our main focus now is on the forthcoming assignments; we want to give our best and get a positive outcome."

KMC took the lead in the 27th minute when Hassan Kabunda moved along the left wing before cutting in and created some space for shooting. His right-footed strike was powerful enough to beat Metacha Mnata who had not conceded a goal before.  

It took Yanga 14 minutes to find an equalizer through Tuisila Kisinda who successfully converted a penalty that had been won by Yacouba Songne. He tried to meet a high ball that had been brought in by Lusajo Mwaikenda but was fouled inside the box.

Waziri Junior, who had not started a single game under Zlatko Krmpotic, doubled Yanga’s lead in the 62nd minute.  

Yanga are second on the table with 19 points from seven games, two less than leaders Azam FC.  

Cape Town City head coach Jan Olde Riekerink wants a bit more of a measured and patient approach from his players.

City ended the previous campaign strongly and claimed a credible sixth-placed league finish.

However, they have not started the 2020/ 21 season particularly well - they lost to Orlando Pirates in the MTN8 quarter-finals before opening their league campaign with a 1-1 draw against Chippa United at the Cape Town Stadium last weekend.

City scored first through Mududuzi Mdantsane in the 22nd minute. but the Eastern Cape side equalised eight minutes after half time through Augustine Kwem. After that it was the Chilli Boys who ended the match stronger and in the end the home side had to battle hard just to claim a point.

Now they face a challenging trip to Pietermaritzburg on Wednesday to take on a Maritzburg United side who will be determined to get their first points of the season after losing to Baroka FC last weekend.

Olde Riekerink accepted that each game against new opponents will bring different challenges and a different approach.

But his advice for his players is not to try and force things too much, but to adopt a more measured, risk-free approach.

“These guys really want to perform. I had the idea that we did everything at 100 kilometers per hour. Sometimes you have to have the patience to build up an opportunity. We took so many risks with so many balls. We are too much in a rush,” he told the media after the game.

"Sometimes you have to have patience when building up an opportunity, we took so many risks with a lot of balls," the Dutchman added.

“I think especially [we need to learn] how to play against teams that will wait for the opportunities and the transition. That’s a more general team idea.”

Mikel Arteta has excused his Arsenal team for their 1-0 loss at home to Leicester on Sunday, claiming that fatigue had a role to play in the defeat.

The Gunners dominated much of the match but were unable to make their possession and territory count against Brendan Rodgers’ side.

Despite having twice as many shots as their opponents, a goal from Jamie Vardy after 80 minutes consigned the Gunners to defeat, although the Spaniard refused to be too hard on his players.

“I think fatigue had a say there as well,” Arteta said when questioned about his side’s lack of creativity. “We didn't look as sharp on the ball. We didn't have much purpose on the ball. David gave us something different when we wanted to do something with the low blocks.

"Credit to them, they are really organised and it's difficult to create chances. We created one with Hector Bellerin and we didn't convert. It's an aspect we have to improve on.

“To be fair I was really pleased with the first half. The way we pressed and the aggression we showed. We were effective with that and restricted them to nothing. We scored the goal on the set piece which I don't know how it got disallowed. We needed to be patient and not to make any errors.

"We made the decision when there is no pressure on the ball to try and attack that space and they scored a good goal. We didn't manage to have enough continuity in our play, we didn't put the ball as often as we could in the box. It's a very harsh for result for us considering what happened in the game."

Arteta was also angry at the decision to disallow a goal for his side.

Alexandre Lacazette thought he had headed the Gunners in front after just four minutes at Emirates, only for the linesman to flag for an infringement. While the France international was onside from the corner, Granit Xhaka was ruled to have impeded Foxes keeper Kasper Schmeichel from an offside position. 

Arteta said: "I’m really disappointed, we had it in our hands in the first half and I don’t know how the hell the goal was disallowed."

Arsenal find themselves 10th in the Premier League table, but have played a game more than five of the teams below them and two more than Burnley. 

The ferocious pace of the season continues with a home Europa League match against Dundalk on Thursday, then a trip to Manchester United in the Premier League on Sunday.

Eric Choupo-Moting has "obviously got a fantastic agent", according to Peter Crouch, who has admitted to being surprised by the success his ex-Stoke City team-mate has had at the highest level of European football.

Choupo-Moting was a relatively unknown quantity when he arrived at Stoke from Schalke in August 2017, and he managed to score just five goals in 32 outings for the Potters in his only season at the Bet365 Stadium.

The Cameroon international's crowning moment came when he netted twice in a 2-2 draw against Manchester United, but he was ultimately unable to help Stoke avoid relegation to the Championship and was released in the summer of 2018.

He wasn't without a club for long though, with Paris Saint-Germain snapping him up on a free transfer as Thomas Tuchel sought to bolster his options in the final third of the pitch.

Choupo-Moting went on to score nine goals in 51 appearances for the French champions, including a last gasp winner against Atalanta in the Champions League quarter-finals last season.

He also appeared in PSG's final defeat to Bayern Munich, but wasn't offered the chance to extend his stay at Parc des Princes beyond the 2019-20 campaign.

Bayern obviously liked what they'd seen from the ex-Stoke forward though, as they offered the 31-year-old a one-year contract at the start of the month amid budget constraints caused by the coronavirus pandemic which limited the club to loan deals and free transfers.

Choupo-Moting has scored twice in his first four games for Hansi Flick's team, leaving Crouch amazed by how far he has come since his brief spell in English football.

"We both scored five goals in 2017-18. Maybe I undersold myself and retired too early. What I would say, in fairness to Eric, is that he had so much talent," the former Stoke, Liverpool and England striker told the Daily Mail. "You could see in training he was a player but it just didn't happen as it should have done for him on a matchday.

"It was probably fitting that he ended up in Paris after Stoke. When he was around, the dressing room resembled Paris Fashion Week. He used to wear some clobber that, really, you needed to have some confidence to pull off. He had a pair of jeans that were draped with a set of oversized keys and chains. He had trench coats that went all the way to the floor - nothing was off-limits.

"Eric was a good lad and he's obviously got a fantastic agent who has got him some fantastic opportunities. Good luck to him."

As you are aware, our readers recently voted on who the best goal keeeper and right back is as we at Goal.com team up with the gaming serires FIFA 21 to identify the top 11 players exisiting in the game today.

Join us in the poll sponsored by FIFA 21 and vote for your favorite center back below but before that here is a quick snippet on some of the players:

Sergio Ramos: Ramos has been one of the central figures in Real Madrid's 34th LaLiga success. A leader on and off the pitch. Last season saw the captain improve on his best campaign in terms of appearances made (35), eclipsing the 34 matches he played in 2011/12. He has also blitzed his goal-scoring record in a single season (11), far exceeding the 7 he netted in 2016/17. Overall FIFA 21 rating: 89

Dayot Upamecano: It would be easy to reduce Upamecano to his young age and man-mountain physique, but the 6'1" French centre-back has so much more to him than that. He's quick, strong and can start attacks just as smoothly as he nips them in the bud - Overall FIFA 21 rating: 79

Leonardo Bonucci:  His prowess as a defensive player and as someone who is lethal with his headers during corners has earned him a place as one of the top centre backs of 2020. Overall FIFA 21 rating: 85

Virgil van Dijk: Arguably the world’s best defender. He has been instrumental in the Reds’ recent success following his £75 million arrival from Southampton in January 2018. With all his achievements in mind, it’s safe to say that his contributions have exceeded the expectations at the club and have shut out naysayers. Overall FIFA 21 rating: 90

Raphael Varane: Raphael Varane has been so consistently dominant for so long that it is easy to take him for granted, and forget just how good he is, but a look at his collection of winner’s medals lets you know why he has a case for being considered one of the best defenders in the world.. Overall FIFA 21 rating: 86

Arsenal legend Ian Wright says he admires Mikel Arteta for "sticking to his guns" over Mesut Ozil.

Ozil's future at Arsenal has been the subject of much speculation in recent months. The ex-Germany international hasn't played for the Gunners since March and was not included in the club's Europa League and Premier League squads for the 2020-21 campaign.

The 32-year-old's £350,000-per week contract is due to expire next summer, with there little sign of an extension being offered to a midfielder who is now making more headlines for his actions off the pitch than on it.

Ozil accused Arsenal of a lack of "loyalty" after being omitted from Arteta's 25-man group in the English top-flight, but promised to keep fighting for a place before posting his thoughts on social media during the Europa League win at Rapid Vienna and 1-0 defeat to Leicester on Sunday.

Arteta responded to the playmaker's tweets after watching his team win in Austria, telling reporters: "It’s great. It’s what I want from all the players that are in our squad, I wouldn’t expect anything different - so it’s good to hear.”

Wright cannot see Ozil playing for the Gunners again, and although he remains a keen admirer of the German, he understands that the stance Arteta has taken is for the good of the team.

"It’s a shame," the ex-Arsenal striker told Premier League Productions. "From a professional point of view, I’m gutted for Ozil because for some reason they can’t settle their differences.

"At the same time, you’ve got to admire the manager sticking to his guns. He’s the one that’s said 'Listen: This is my decision’.

"For whatever reason, he doesn’t want to play Mesut. It’s a shame because he’s a quality player. Sometimes it just happens like that. Unfortunately for Mesut as a professional he wants to play football it won’t happen here.

"From what Mikel is trying to do Arsenal fans have to concentrate on now, it’s all about the team and the progression of the team."

Arsenal dropped to 10th in the Premier League standings after losing at home to Leicester and will now look ahead to a Europa League clash with Dundalk on Thursday, three days before they take in a crucial trip to Manchester United.

Yanga SC head coach Cedric Kaze has conceded his team struggled to stick to their game plan after going behind in their 2-1 win over KMC FC.

KMC took the lead in the 27th minute when Hassan Kabunda moved along the left wing before cutting in and creating space to shooting. His right-footed strike was powerful enough to beat Metacha Mnata who had not yet conceded a goal this season. 

It took Yanga 14 minutes to find an equalizer through Tuisila Kisinda who successfully converted a penalty that had been won by Yacouba Songne. 

Waziri Junior, who had not started a single game under Zlatko Krmpotic, doubled Yanga’s lead in the 62nd minute.  

"It was a tight game; we conceded first because of a slow start," Kaze told reporters.

"Before conceding, we tried to play a passing game but it all changed after we conceded. We were under pressure and did not stick to our game plan. Actually, we played a bit well in the first half; I thought the second one would be better but it was not the case." 

Waziri Junior, who was signed from relegated Mbao FC, got a chance to turn out for the 27-time league champions and he did not disappoint. He battled to get a chance and he scored what turned out to be the winning goal.

"Waziri Junior is a good player who gives his best in training and when on the pitch, he helps in giving us options," Kaze revealed.

"He likes to be involved in the game which is a plus to us. I am happy he scored; the goal will give him confidence and for us, we will have another option in the attacking department."

Kaze's first game in charge was against Tanzania Polisi where Timu ya Wananchi won by a solitary goal. Despite also leading the former champions to their second successive win on Sunday, the Burundian admits more needs to be done.   

"I am not satisfied with our general output, we have so much to work on like how to deal with pressure because when under the circumstance, we do not play our game. 

"But it is a process and we will eventually get used to it."  

Liverpool star Fabinho says there is no room for complacency if the Anfield side are to reclaim the Premier League title.

Jurgen Klopp’s men marched to success with ease in 2019-20, picking up their first domestic crown for 30 years, but the versatile Brazilian, who has recently filled in at centre-back, says that the ambition has to be to win it again.

Liverpool have made a promising start to the season – the anomaly of a 7-2 loss to Aston Villa aside – coming from behind to defeat Sheffield United at the weekend.

Fabinho says that the players need to stick together and maintain a high standard in order to keep producing results.

“Klopp said that what we've achieved at the club up until now is very important, but given the squad we've got, we can do a lot more,” he told the club’s official website.

“We need to forget and block out that people are saying: 'They've already won the Champions League and the Premier League', and aim to meet our objective, which is to continue winning and being one of the best teams in the world. 

“Our players and the leaders in the group are always pushing each other, helping each other out, not allowing anyone to relax. That's important at this moment in time. Even though we're a team that has been hugely successful, we need to be pushing each other on to win more things.”

He has welcomed the arrival of Thiago Alcantara, Kostas Tsimikas and Diogo Jota, claiming they have added strength to the side, with the Portuguese netting his first for the club against the Blades to snatch a late winner.

“Our squad is very strong but we know that the signing of quality players is a plus for the team,” he said. “Thiago's arrival will be really positive and he's a player coming from an exceptional season at Bayern Munich last year. 

“He's an experienced player who inspires confidence given everything he has achieved. He can also add something to our team, something we didn't have before. 

“The quality of his passing is exceptional. He's someone that receives the ball really well between the lines. So I think his arrival, both his and Jota's, are going to be really important for us.”

Next up for Liverpool are Midtjylland on Tuesday in the Champions League, a competition they started last week with a 1-0 win over Ajax.

The management of Benjamin Mkapa Stadium has reassured Tanzanians that the Mainland Premier League derby pitting rivals Young Africans (Yanga SC) and Simba SC will be staged at the venue.

This comes a few days after the Tanzania Premier League Board (TPLB) moved to shift league matches from the national stadium to the adjacent Uhuru Stadium.

However, the stadium’s manager Godwin Nsajigwa has now clarified that the derby scheduled for November 7 will be played at the venue.

“It should be known that the Ministry for Information, Culture, Arts, and Sports wrote the TPLB that they should relocate all the matches meant at the venue to Uhuru Stadium from October 15th to November 5th,” Nsajigwa said as quoted by Daily News.

“As such, the upcoming Dar es Salaam derby game will happen at the arena as planned before, hence people should not be troubled about where the derby clash will be staged.”

On whether the stadium was closed for renovation, Nsajigwa explained: “The status of the pitch now is perfect even though it had some problems when Taifa Stars welcomed Burundi, and that was a normal problem but now, everything has been put in place.”

On shifting matches from Mkapa to Uhuru Stadium, TPLB, who did not give the exact reasons why the stadium had been closed, stated: “Tanzania Premier League Board would like to announce that all the league matches that were scheduled to be played at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium will now be hosted at the Uhuru Stadium,” the board’s statement obtained by Goal read.

“The matches have been shifted until when the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium will be opened again.”

The board further announced Jamhuri Stadium in Dodoma will also remain out of bounds for an unknown period.

“Further, all the Premier League and the First Division League matches that were scheduled to be played at Jamhuri Stadium in Dodoma have been moved to Samora Stadium in Iringa City for the Premier League games,” it added.

“FDL matches have been moved to Jamhuri Stadium in Morogoro until when the concerned facility will be opened again.”

The development saw Yanga, Simba, and Kinondoni Municipal Council (KMC FC) will have to host their matches at either Uhuru Stadium or at Azam’s Chamazi Sports Complex that is situated outside Dar es Salaam.

Arthur Masuaku is buzzing after hitting 100 appearances for West Ham United on Saturday and he believes the Hammers' mentality has changed this season.

The DR Congo international reached the century of games at the London Stadium as they held Manchester City to a 1-1 draw in a Premier League match.

He played the entire duration of Saturday's encounter as Phil Foden's second-half effort cancelled out Michail Antonio's overhead kick opener in the 18th minute.

Since his arrival from Olympiacos in 2016, Masuaku has played 85 matches in the English top-flight and he is looking to help the club continue their fine impressive run.

"I'm happy to reach 100 games for West Ham," Masuaku told the club website.

"Hopefully there's many more to come - I'm enjoying my time at the club and I just want to keep going and playing for West Ham.

West Ham are yet to lose a game since their 4-1 loss to Everton in September and the 26-year-old has urged his teammates to maintain their good form as they aim to extend their unbeaten streak to four matches when they visit Liverpool at Anfield on Saturday.

"I tried to do my job as much as I can to help the team. We didn't lose, it's a good point for us," he continued.

"We're in a good moment and hopefully we can keep it going against Liverpool next week.

"I do think we have a different mentality now. I can feel it. Last year I think we'd have lost this game, we didn't on Saturday and I'm glad.

"We have to keep going with this mentality to be hard to beat, and to win games."

Masuaku has played 40 games under David Moyes and has only missed one of their six Premier League matches this season.

Moyes returned to the London Stadium last December after his first stint at the club expired in May 2018.

When asked about his relationship with the Scotsman, Masuaku said; "He's a good manager. With me he talks a lot, he told me after the game how good I was and he says good things.

"That's very good when you know the manager likes you. I'm just trying to play my game and give the trust back.

"At this moment I'm playing, I just try to keep my place in the team and hopefully help the team as much as I can."

Frenkie de Jong has revealed the advice he was given by Ronald Koeman prior to his move to Barcelona.

Barca reached an agreement to sign De Jong from Ajax for €75 million (£68m/$89m) in January 2019, having seen him emerge as one of the brightest talents in Europe at Johan Cruyff ArenA.

The 23-year-old joined up with his new team-mates at Camp Nou six months later, and has since become a regular in the Blaugrana starting XI.

The Dutch midfielder has now admitted that he sought Koeman's opinion after lining up a transfer to Barca, having already established himself in the 57-year-old's set up at international level with the Netherlands.

"I spoke to him [on the phone over a year ago] and he was really positive about Barcelona as a club as well as Barcelona as a city. So what he told me was almost all positive," De Jong told UEFA.com.

"He just told me I have to be careful, that I [shouldn't] go to restaurants too much or eat too much because life is really good in Barcelona and sometimes you can feel like you're on vacation the whole year.

"He just said, 'Be careful with that and, for the rest, everything is really good.' At the end of the day, football is the main part."

Koeman, who won four league titles and the European Cup at Barca during his playing career, inherited the managerial reigns at Camp Nou a year later, replacing Quique Setien in the hot seat following the team's 8-2 defeat to Bayern Munich in the Champions League.

De Jong is pleased to have linked up with the experienced coach again at club level, and says he enjoys a good relationship with the Blaugrana legend which is based on respect.

"I think the communication between us, between the coach and me, is really good, and he tells [me] strictly what he demands from me in this position, and I think everything is really clear," he said of Koeman's managerial style.

"When he's talking, you are listening to him because he has this authority, this power – I don't know how to explain it – and, of course, he has a lot of knowledge about football because I think he understands the game and was a great player before.

"So, if he tries to teach you something, you're listening."

De Jong has taken up several different positions in the starting XI since his arrival at Barca, but he is pleased to be back in his natural role in holding midfield under Koeman's stewardship.

"I think in my nature as a player, I want to receive the ball early in the play and to set up the play. I think that's more my style of play than waiting for the ball and receiving it up front, and touching the ball less," he said.

"I think I feel more comfortable in the pivot position than high up front, but I can also play high up front. It doesn't matter for me so much but, if I had to choose, I would rather play as a double pivot than, for example, as a mediapunta (false nine)."

De Jong will be back in action with Barca when they take in a trip to Juventus in the Champions League on Wednesday, where they will be aiming to bounce back from a painful 3-1 defeat to Real Madrid in El Clasico at the weekend.

Bongani Zungu will have his first training session at Rangers this week after his quarantine, assistant manager Gary McAllister has disclosed.

Zungu was forced to go into self-isolation earlier this month, in line with the Scottish government guidelines to contain the spread of coronavirus following his loan signing from French Ligue 2 club Amiens.

After their comfortable 2-0 victory over Livingston on Sunday, McAllister said the South Africa international will be introduced into the team training before their Uefa Europa League outing against Lech Poznan on Thursday.

“Zungu is still in quarantine but I think he becomes available to train with us just prior to Poznan," McAllister was quoted as saying by Glasgow Times.

“So that’s very encouraging. It adds to our strength in the middle of the park."

Zungu's arrival provides more competition in the midfield with Nigeria international Joe Aribo currently taking the centre stage.

Aribo who recently returned from an injury, scored his second league of the season on Sunday as Steven Gerrard's side remain unbeaten in the Scottish Premiership this campaign.

“We are all big fans of Joe Aribo here. I think he has been missed. Visually, he looks in a good place as far as where his body shape is," McAllister continued.

“He is in great nick. He has probably put a wee bit of muscle on his upper body.

“We expect big things from Joe. He’s a very talented player. And he can play in two or three different positions. We are pleased to get him back on the pitch.”

Rangers sit at the top of the Scottish top-flight table with 32 points after 12 games, six points above second-placed Celtic.