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The Ghana Football Association (GFA) has stated it did not compromise on Covid-19 safety protocols during the Black Stars recent international friendly matches against Mali and Qatar after about six players tested positive for the disease on their return to their clubs. 

Crystal Palace striker Jordan Ayew is the latest to have been confirmed to have contracted the virus, a situation which forced him out of the club's Premier League meeting with Brighton and Hove Albion on Sunday. 

Besiktas midfielder Bernard Mensah was the first to be announced positive. Celta Vigo defender Joseph Aidoo, Hoffenheim centre-back Kasim Nuhu Adams and Vitoria Guimaraes left-back Gideon Mensah have all been reported to have been infected while Trabzonspor forward Caleb Ekuban is reportedly showing unconfirmed symptoms.

"We are informed that some of our Black Stars players have tested positive for the coronavirus following their involvement in Ghana’s friendly games against Mali (October 09) and Qatar (October 12)," the GFA, which has come under heavy criticism in the wake of the positive cases, said in a statement released on its official website on Sunday. 

"The Ghana Football Association (GFA) contingent adhered to all the strict Covid-19 protocols, before, during and after our stay in Turkey. A minimum of three tests were conducted on players, technical and management team members during the training camp in Antalya.

"The first test was conducted 24 hours prior to the game against Mali where one team official tested positive for the virus and was immediately isolated from the group. 

"With just about an hour to the start of the game against Mali, the Ghana team doctors, together with Turkish health officials conducted another round of tests in the dressing rooms of both Ghana and Mali before kick-off."

In the first match, Ghana lost 3-0 to Mali, who confirmed positive cases among some of their players before the game, leading to their exclusion from the fixture. 

Three days later, the Black Stars bounced back with a 5-1 triumph over Asian champions and 2022 World Cup hosts Qatar. 

"The third set of tests were carried out 24 hours before the second game against Qatar and again, no single positive case was recorded," the GFA statement continued. 

"Furthermore, officials and management committee members of the national team underwent another test on Thursday, October 15, 24 hours before flying out of Turkey, this time, one technical team member tested positive for the virus and was immediately isolated from the group, ruling him out of the trip to Ghana.

"The GFA ensured all Fifa Covid-19 protocols were strictly adhered to throughout the national team's engagement and it is quite a concern that some members of the team have subsequently tested positive for the virus."

The Black Stars will re-assemble in November for a 2022 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifying double-header against Sudan. 

West Ham midfielder Declan Rice has trolled a Tottenham fan after their tweet about Manuel Lanzini didn't age particularly well. 

With Spurs leading the Hammers 3-0 after 77 minutes, David Moyes opted to bring on Lanzini, while Jose Mourinho had just minutes before subbed on Gareth Bale. 

One Spurs fan found the contrast between the substitutions quite funny but the last laugh was had by West Ham as they scored three times in the space of 12 minutes to secure a dramatic 3-3 draw. 

Lanzini would score an incredible equaliser in injury-time for the Hammers and Rice enjoyed rubbing salt into one Tottenham supporter's wounds after the match. 

West Ham's incredible comeback was the first time in Premier League history a team has avoided defeated after being three goals down as late as the 81st minute. 

Moyes' side had just four shots on target across the 90 minutes but made them all count at the death as they secured a precious point. 

Lanzini was the unlikely hero for the Hammers considering the Argentine was making his first Premier League appearance of the season and hadn't scored for the club since May 2019. 

The 27-year-old failed to score last season with a shoulder injury and spells on the bench seeing him restricted to 24 games in all competitions. 

Moyes unsurprisingly singled Lanzini out for praise after his equaliser and saluted the attacker for standing up for the club when he was given his chance. 

"The first time I came here he was terrific for us. It's been hard, he's had to fight for his place because the form of our players has been really good. That's shown by our results," Moyes said post-match. 

"We've brought people on to help us and I've said to them in the dressing room that they're all going to be needed, some will be off the bench, some will be starters, but we've got a good team spirit as well and we want to build on that."

On the equaliser itself, Moyes added: "I was jumping up and down, because it was such a big moment. To come back from 3-0 down to three each [that celebration] is what you get.

"I think it's the bit where you miss the supporters being in the stadium. If we could have had them in the stadium coming from 3-0 down to 3-3 it would have been an incredible moment for us all, so let's hope we can get them back soon."

AC Milan and Aston Villa are the only remaining teams in the top five European leagues with 100 per cent records.

All eyes have been on the likes of Juventus and Inter in Italy, while the focus has been on Premier League champions Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal in England.

But Zlatan Ibrahimovic's AC Milan have been flawless in 2020-21, winning all four of their Serie A fixtures to top the standings. Ibrahimovic scored twice as the in-form Rossoneri defeated city rivals Inter 2-1 in Saturday's Milan derby.

AC Milan have scored nine goals – Ibrahimovic contributing four – from four matches, conceding just once to be two points clear of Sassuolo.

For the first time since 1995-96, AC Milan have won each of their first four seasonal Serie A matches with Stefano Pioli's side next taking on Roma in Italy's top-flight. 

Aston Villa also own a perfect record after four matchdays in the Premier League following Sunday's surprise 1-0 victory at Leicester City.

After narrowly avoiding relegation last season, Villa – who have a game in hand – now sit second, having humiliated titleholders Liverpool 7-2 prior to the international break.

Ross Barkley was the hero against Leicester as he struck a late winner, with Villa boasting the best defensive record in the Premier League with just two goals conceded so far. 

Villa have won their opening four games of a league season for the first time since 1930-31 with manager Dean Smith delighted to see his side writing themselves into the record books. 

“I said to the players at the start of the season that we’re all about trying to make history. We did it in my first season winning ten games and we stayed up last season. It’s important we keep our feet firmly on the ground and stay humble," Smith said after the Leicester win on Sunday. 

"This is a big result for us because I’ve got so much admiration for Brendan Rodgers and his team. I felt last season they were a top four team. To come here, keep a clean and play as well as we did is very pleasing." 

Mamelodi Sundowns coach Manqoba Mngqithi claimed not to be overly disappointed by his team’s 1-0 defeat to Bloemfontein Celtic in an MTN8 quarter-final match at the Lucas Moripe Stadium on Sunday night.

Sundowns enjoyed the better of the chances in Tshwane although Celtic fought hard to earn a gutsy win against their more illustrious opponents to end a four-year winless spell versus the Brazilians.

Mngqithi was in his first match in charge since stepping up as joint head coach (alongside Rhulani Mokwena), following the departure of Pitsoi Mosimane to Egyptian giants Al Ahly.

“In this game, there were a lot more positives than negatives,” Mngqithi told SuperSport after the game.

“We are beginning to play the way I would like us to play. The coaches have worked very hard to make sure that we’ve got the right balance and shape in the midfield. And to be honest, we looked very good, but then we got punished, so what can you say, you can’t say you played well but did not win the match.”

One issue the former Golden Arrows MTN8-winning coach had was with some careless play in midfield; on several occasions, Celtic threatened on the counter-attack after turning over possession.

“There were some scary moments when they won the ball out of nothing when we were casual on the ball, and it created moments for them,” Mngqithi explained.

But ultimately where the game was won and lost was in Sundowns’ inability to take the numerous chances which they created.

“Otherwise we played very well and it was just unfortunate we could not take the game,” Mngqithi elaborated.

“The chances were created. But unfortunately, it was off-side with [Peter] Shalulile, unfortunate with the captain’s shot (a Hlompho Kekana drive which smashed against the cross-bar).

“We created some moments that would have given us the goal. Maybe one more touch could easily have resulted in a goal on a few occasions, but at times we were nervy and anxious. Understandably when you are playing in the first match of the season.”

Mngqithi will now be hoping everything kicks into gear when his side gets their league campaign underway with next Saturday’s mouthwatering clash against Kaizer Chiefs, the side who finished runners-up to the Brazilians last season.

Gareth Bale's introduction from the bench was not a distraction for Tottenham in their shock collapse at home to West Ham, insists boss Jose Mourinho.

Spurs were cruising to three points in Sunday's Premier League encounter, with Son Heung-min's strike and Harry Kane's double opening up a 3-0 lead after 16 minutes.

But Fabian Balbuena struck and Davinson Sanchez's put through his own net before Manuel Lanzini's injury-time thunderbolt sealed a memorable turnaround from the Hammers.

Bale rejoined Spurs on loan from Real Madrid last month and was brought on as a 72nd-minute substitute, missing a golden opportunity when Spurs led 3-2.

However, Mourinho did not believe Bale entering the fray had any negative effect on his side.

"I don't think so, I honestly don't think so. The decision not to start him was I think a good decision," Mourinho said. 

"A decision to show that he doesn't have a beautiful chair waiting for him in the team and he sits there the first time he can. It was a message to the team that in this team everybody has to fight for positions.

"He's very well accepted in the group. Everyone likes him, and I believe he also likes what he found here. So everything is positive and the focus was not on him. The focus was on the game and he was on the bench for 65 minutes or so and I don't think so, I don't think at all.

"It's a pity that he couldn't score that fourth goal which was a beauty and would have killed the game. But that's football." 

Back in July, Mourinho said Spurs lacked mental strength following a 3-1 defeat to Sheffield United.

The Portuguese did not want to blame similar reasons on this occasion, citing the fact Spurs have made several additions to their team since then.

"I don't want to go there. We have new players. We played much better than last season. I can say the same about West Ham," he added.

"West Ham is a much better team than it was when [David] Moyes arrived. The team is in evolution, we play much better, we know how we want to play. 

"Defensively the team is much better than before, that's why I was saying before to look to our goals, the goals that we concede. It was only Danny Ings. After that, penalty Newcastle, penalty Man United, another penalty with Southampton.

"Today two free-kicks and an own goal. Defensively we're much stronger but in the last part of the game this happened and it's difficult to explain."

The Confederation of African Football (Caf) and Fifa have decided to postpone the final 2021 African U17 Women's World Cup qualifying matches, given the Covid-19 situation in many countries on the continent.

Caf had earlier chalked out a schedule to hold the African final qualifying round of matches in October and November but now the three games have been further postponed indefinitely.

The development came at the stance of Fifa due to the rising Covid-19 cases across the world, notably host nation India, who are now the second worst-hit country globally, with 7,546,882 cases.

A statement from the Caf read - "Reference to the decision already taken by Caf in August 2020 concerning the rescheduling of the U17 Women's World Cup qualifiers due to the current situation of Covid-19 in Africa, we would like to inform you that Caf Competitions Division had a meeting with their Fifa counterpart to inquire about the dates and venue of the final tournament of Fifa U-17 WWC-2021.

"Therefore, Fifa indicated that the dates and venue of the said final tournament are not yet confirmed. Consequently, the new retained dates for the second round will be communicated to you as soon as they are decided by the competent bodies.”

The final qualifying stage would see South Africa battle Morocco for a ticket as 2019 Cosafa Cup champions Uganda face Cameroon, while Nigeria square up against Ghana.

In Africa, 1,649,273 people are infected with 39,668 deaths so far, with South Africa with the highest number of infections at 702,131. 

Despite the African countries involved has since opened up for domestic football activities, the latest unexpected postponement will further fuel the possible cancellation of the competition.

If the final tournament still goes ahead in India, the three winners from the final round will be Africa's representatives when the showpiece takes place.

Arsene Wenger has responded to Jose Mourinho's comments about the former Arsenal supremo's autobiography, stating that the latter's attitude of "permanent provocation" makes it feel like he is dealing with a particularly unruly kindergartener.

Wenger joined Arsenal from Nagoya Grampus Eight in 1996 and oversaw a two-decade tenure at the helm during which he guided the club to perennial top-four status in the Premier League, winning three titles along with numerous other major honours.

Having taken time away from the managerial hotseat since he stood down at the Emirates Stadium in 2018, the 70-year-old released his autobiography My Life in Red and White earlier this month, detailing his long tenure with the club among other things.

Yet while the book touched upon Wenger's famed rivalry with Sir Alex Ferguson, as well as their subsequent post-retirement friendship, Mourinho is noticeable only by glaring omission.

Quizzed earlier in the week about his absence from the pages, Mourinho chalked it up to having got the better of the Frenchman throughout their managerial career together, pointing to his superior record on-field as his reasoning.

"You are not going to do a chapter about 12 or 14 matches and never win one so why should he speak about me in his book?" he stated. "A book is a thing to make you happy, to make you proud so I understand perfectly the situation."

Wenger however has been left unruffled by the Tottenham manager's comments, singling out his response for its perceived pettiness and inaccuracy while acknowledging that such ripostes are part and parcel of the Portuguese's general nature.

"It doesn't bother me," he told Canal+. "It is permanent provocation. I feel like I'm in kindergarten with him. But, that's part of his personality.

"It's wrong, we beat him twice. We won, and there were also a lot of draws. And it is not 'you' who wins, you only participate in the victory. It is 'us' who win. The manager is there to get the most out of a team."

Wenger also touched on speculation that he had been courted to leave Arsenal for Santiago Bernabeu during his career, confirming the rumour while noting that he elected to stay in North London following his achievements there.

The Frenchman revealed that he twice turned down an offer to leave the Gunners to take charge at Real Madrid but rebuffed them on both occasions in order to remain with the club who helped transform into a powerhouse of British football.

"Yes, I have refused them twice," he added. "But I was in a perspective [to] what I had undertaken. We had built the stadium, and we had to pay."

Ihefu Sports Club have confirmed the appointment of Zuberi Katwila as their new head coach, effective immediately.

The Tanzania Mainland League newbies have been struggling for consistency in the division. In the last six matches, they have managed to get just three points and are currently placed in the second last position on the 18-team table.

"Ihefu SC have officially appointed Zuberi Katwila as the new head coach of the senior team," the newbies confirmed via their official Facebook page.

"[Katwila] You are most welcome in the family."

Ihefu started their campaign in the top tier against defending champions Simba SC with a 2-1 defeat. They then defeated Ruvu Shooting by a solitary goal before falling by the same margin to Mtibwa Sugar. 

They followed it up with identical 2-0 losses to Mwadui FC and another promoted side Gwambina before finishing up with a 1-0 loss to Biashara Mara United.

It is for this reason they managed to convince Zuberi to join them from Mtibwa Sugar, and the former midfielder did not hesitate to accept the offer.

"Zuberi requested the management to release him, stating he needs some rest," Mtibwa Sugar communication officer Tobias Kifaru told Azam TV.

"He has been with us since his playing days; however we will have no option but to try and get his replacement."

While with the Sugar Millers, Zuberi led them to 13th position with five points in the six matches they played.

Mtibwa started their campaign with a goalless draw at home against Ruvu Shooting before settling for a 1-1 draw with defending champions Wekundu wa Msimbazi. 

Zuberi led the sugar belt side to a 1-0 win over Ihefu but fell by the same margin to 27-time champions Young Africans SC (Yanga SC) and Biashara Mara United. They also fell 2-0 to Gwambina FC.

Zuberi's first assignment with the new team will be against high flying Azam FC. The Chamazi-based charges are the only team with a 100% winning record in the top tier.

The Azam Complex charges have managed to collect 18 points from the six matches they have played and Ihefu will have to give their best to stand a chance of winning the game.

Paul Onuachu climbed to the summit of the scoring chart in the Belgian First Division A with a goal in Genk's 2-1 defeat of Sadio Berahino's Sporting Charleroi.

Onuachu opened the scoring at the Luminus Arena on Sunday with his eighth goal of the season on his eighth league outing with the Blue-White.

He scored in the 25th minute but his effort was cancelled out by Burundi star Berahino, who drew Sporting Charleroi level three minutes into the second half.

A few minutes later, Joakim Maehle found the back of the net to hand Genk their third win in the Belgian top-flight this term.

Onuachu played the duration but he received a yellow card in the 82nd minute while his compatriot Cyriel Dessers watched on as an unused substitute.

Both players were part of the Nigeria team that played against Algeria and Tunisia a week ago during their training camp in Austria.

Ivory Coast's Eboue Kouassi came on as a 78th-minute substitute for Genk while Sporting Charleroi replaced Berahino in the 68th minute and Senegal winger Mamadou Fall featured for 90 minutes.

Sunday's triumph moved Genk to 10th in the First Division A table with 13 points after nine matches, while Sporting Charleroi are still second on the table with 19 points despite the loss.

Onuachu will aim to continue his fine goalscoring form when Genk visit rivals Gent for their next league match on October 26.

The Super Eagles striker is a goal short from equalling his league tally of nine goals in 22 matches last season.

Percy Tau scored his third goal in the Belgian First Division A as Anderlecht settled for a 2-2 draw against OH Leuven on Sunday.

The 26-year-old doubled the Purple and White's lead on the stroke of half-time, after heading home a cross from Bogdan Mykhaylichenko.

Anderlecht cruised into the break with a 2-0 lead, however, they were denied home victory at the Lotto Park as Frederic Duplus' 57th-minute effort and a late goal Mathieu Maertens earned OH Leuven a point.

Tau played for 90 minutes - his eighth appearance in the First Division A this campaign but he was replaced in the stoppage time by Michel Vlap.

Meanwhile, Sierra Leone striker Mustapha Bundu made a cameo appearance in the encounter as he replaced Anderlecht goalscorer Yari Verschaeren in the 86th minute.

Sunday's goal means Tau, who is Vincent Kompany’s team on a season-long loan from Premier League club Brighton and Hove Albion, has equalled his last season's tally of three goals in 18 league matches for Club Brugge after eight games.

Despite his personal feat, Tau's Anderlecht are yet to win a league match since September 19 - against Waasland-Beveren, and their latest draw against OH Leuven stretched their winless run to three games.

The Bafana Bafana star will hope to inspire Anderlecht back to winning ways when they visit Kortrijk for their next league fixture on Friday. They are ninth in the First Division A table with 14 points after nine games.

Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has admitted he no longer knew who was in charge of the club when he left the Emirates in 2018.

Having first joined the club in 1996, Wenger saw plenty of change over his 22-year tenure with the Gunners and guided the side to 17 pieces of silverware. 

Wenger's final years at Arsenal were however shrouded in fan discontent and uncertainty behind the scenes, with the Frenchman revealing that upon his exit he no longer knew who ran things at the Emirates.

Despite that stinging observation, Wenger refrained from comparing the club's state after his exit to that of Manchester United's after Sir Alex Ferguson moved on. 

"I don't know, it's not for me to judge. But what I see is that the club have started to reinvest a lot, and things started off badly," Wenger told Canal+.

"There was disunity. We no longer knew who was in charge and that's never good. Now they've created a unit, and now it's about making good technical decisions.

"You have to find some form of stability and balance. That will be the job of [Mikel] Arteta, who must find the balance between defending and attacking.

"Mikel Arteta does a good job, yes. The club has regained its values, but it is in the long term that we will see if the values will continue to be represented. Before, Arsenal was respected because we gave young people a chance."

Asked if Arsenal consulted him on their decision to hire Arteta after the sacking of Unai Emery, Wenger added: "No. When you leave a club, at the beginning you have to cut completely. But he called me and I wished him luck."

Wenger is currently working in a role for FIFA and also recently weighed in on his relationship with Jose Mourinho - describing their fiery friendship as something more suited to kindergarten. 

Despite a recent 1-0 loss against Manchester City, Arsenal have started the new season in decent fashion and currently sit fifth after five games. 

The Gunners next face Rapid Wien in the Europa League on Thursday before backing up in the Premier League against Leicester City on Sunday.

Pep Guardiola says everyone has to show they "deserve to continue" at Manchester City, including Sergio Aguero with the striker's contract running out at the end of the season.

The Argentine made his first appearance in four months, after recovering from a knee injury, as City beat Arsenal 1-0 on Saturday.

City have said they remain relaxed about Aguero's contract situation and that of Guardiola, whose own deal is also set to finish at the end of the season.

The City boss says he has no doubts about the 32-year-old's quality but says that everyone at the club needs to earn a new deal.

“The important thing is that Sergio comes back in good physical condition, starts to get his rhythm, doesn’t get more injuries and and plays good,” he said.

"We know what he means for us, we know how we appreciate him, but now he has to show like everyone of us, me first, that we deserve to continue here and playing good and winning games.

“After that, the club and myself of course decide, but when he is playing in his level and we don't have any doubts he is a player to stay until he decides [to go] because he is unique, the numbers, he is important for us, the fans and for everyone.

“Having Sergio on the pitch, we are better, we are safer. We missed him a lot in important moments in the later part of the season. Now it is good news for us today that he is back."

Aguero has been with City since 2011 and has become the club's greatest ever goalscorer, as well as the highest-scoring non-Englishman in the Premier League and the fourth-highest goalscorer in the competition's history.

Italian giants Inter have been linked with a free transfer move for him next summer but there are sure to be other clubs interested in him if he becomes a free agent.

Meanwhile, Aguero will not face any retrospective punishment after he was criticised for touching assistant referee Sian Massey-Ellis during the victory over Arsenal.

He found himself at the centre of controversy just before half-time at the Etihad Stadium after he took exception to a throw-in decision.

The striker confronted Massey-Ellis and put his hand on her by the shoulder near her neck, before his arm brushed across her back. Massey-Ellis reacted by swatting Aguero's arm away.

City are already without fellow striker Gabriel Jesus with a thigh injury and Guardiola is not putting a timescale on his possible return.

But he warned that the club are taking a cautious approach to the Brazilian's setback.

"The injury he has is in the quadricep in the front of his leg and I think we will have to be calm and cautious," he said. "He is still not on the field training."

Frank Lampard has revealed that his Chelsea players missed the tactical instruction to 'go long' from the back to break Southampton's press in the 3-3 draw at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea squandered a two-goal lead against the Saints as Timo Werner's stunning double was cancelled out by goals from Danny Ings and Che Adams.

Kai Havertz restored the Blues' lead, but Ralph Hasenhuttl's side dominated throughout the second half and ultimately got their equaliser when Jannik Vestergaard headed home in stoppage time.

Having conceded 54 goals last season, and continued to struggle at the back this season, Lampard says that his tactical instruction to play longer fell on deaf ears.

"I certainly didn't want to play brave football in the last moments of the game," Lampard said. "That was my message to them, that I wanted them to go longer and break the press. I don't think the players did that enough.

"We tried to play too much and some of that is ingrained in the players that they want to try and play football. That's certainly something I am not a big advocate of with high pressure, as something you can do is miss out the pressure to get the ball high up the pitch and use the players at the other end of the pitch.

"That was probably my biggest disappointment that the players didn't put into action."

Chelsea face a difficult week now with a first Champions League clash against Europa League holders Sevilla before travelling to Old Trafford to face Manchester United in the Premier League.

Lampard went onto clarify that he believes his players didn't understand the importance of the instruction, rather than it being a communication issue.

"I am not concerned about the communication; we certainly work very hard through the week to have that," he added. "What I am concerned with is game management and, in the game, the players have to gauge that on the pitch, it is part of what being a top player at Chelsea is about.

"Absolutely, it is the players' choice. If there is a moment where the players have to see out a game, then we have to do that on the pitch and it isn't about communication from that point at all."

Chelsea's new goalkeeper Edouard Mendy could miss both the upcoming games, which means Kepa Arrizabalaga will continue in goal despite conceding three against Southampton.

Kepa has come under intense scrutiny due to his shot-stopping difficulties and a series of high-profile mistakes, but Lampard has repeatedly moved to protect the club's record signing and explained why he doesn't look to scapegoat the confidence-hit Spain international.

"It is my job to do it," he added. "Kepa is a goalkeeper at this club and we know he came in on a big transfer, there's certainly no hiding from that. It draws people's eyes and attention on Kepa. Then he becomes Spain's number one, the minute he is the number one or number two [that draws attention].

"The big thing for me at Chelsea is that my players, if they are in difficult moments, then a huge thing in football is confidence. Kepa needs to be supported in that way and I will always support him in that.

"He knows that behind the scenes because of how I talk to him, how I played him, last year there were tough moments for him but we kept trying to find the right solutions. That's my job to do that.

"I cannot control every performance on the pitch but I can certainly try to protect the players that go out on the pitch and, in the week, the goalkeeper one is always a specialist position as they spend time working with their specific coaches, but my point of view as a manager remains the same."

Manchester City midfielder Bernardo Silva is predicting this season’s Premier League champions will need fewer points but is expecting an even tighter title race.

Last season, Liverpool won their first title in 30 years with 99 points to take the crown off City after back-to-back seasons when Pep Guardiola's side reached 100 and then 98 points.

But the impact of Covid-19 shortened the pre-season while last term's shutdown has created a demanding schedule where the top sides will be regularly playing twice a week with squads set to be stretched.

“In the last few seasons, we saw that to become champions you needed to reach close to 100 points, I think the situation this season is going to be different,” Silva said.

“Because a lot of players didn't have any rest during the summer, I think the competition is going to be more balanced, all the game.”

Both City and Liverpool have dropped five points already this season and Silva believes that their rivals have brought in some quality signings.

Everton top the Premier League having added former Real Madrid star James Rodriguez and Napoli’s Allan while Tottenham, Arsenal and Chelsea also invested in their squads.

“I think all the Premier League teams are stronger this season and that's good for the competition,” the Portugal international said.

“It's good to know that all the matches are going to be difficult now, no matter which teams are involved.

“We'll have to work even harder this season to beat everybody. I think the Premier League became even more competitive this season. All the teams made great signings and strengthened their squads.”

After winning just one of their opening three games without keeping a clean sheet, the 1-0 victory over Arsenal was a much-needed three points for Pep Guardiola’s side.

But Silva warns that they have no time to relax with the Champions League campaign kicking off on Wednesday against Porto.

“Congratulations to my team-mates because they were three points that were very important for us,” he added.

“We don't have time to celebrate and to rest, we need to keep working, because we have another important match on Wednesday in the Champions League, and then another one next weekend, and so on.

“It's going to be tough, but we will be ready for every challenge.”

Silva was used as a box-to-box midfielder against the Gunners and, with Guardiola having to shift around players after illness and injury in the early weeks of the campaign, he has happy to be flexible.

“Under Pep Guardiola, I have played everywhere, on the right, on the left, false nine, attacking midfielder, defensive midfielder - I'm used to changing positions and I adapt to what the team needs from me,” he said. 

“I’m happy to help the team wherever the coach thinks I'm better to play and contribute.

“After the defeat against Leicester City and the draw against Leeds United, we wanted to win the three points, we knew we were facing a great team, a team that has made great signings during the summer, with a great manager and great players as well.

“Winning the three points was essential for us to restart the Premier League on the right foot.”

Virgil van Dijk has been flooded with support from his Liverpool team-mates after it was revealed he would undergoing surgery for a serious knee injury suffered in Saturday's Merseyside derby against Everton.

The Netherlands international was clattered by Toffees goalkeeper Jordan Pickford in the first half, with suggestions the challenge could have warranted a red card or a penalty to the Reds, despite Van Dijk coming from an offside position.

The 29-year-old was substituted immediately after the incident and it was confirmed on Sunday following a scan that he will require surgery on his anterior cruciate ligament.

Liverpool have not put a timeframe on Van Dijk's return from injury and have not yet ruled him out for the rest of the season - despite ACL reconstructions typically needing six-to-eight months recovery.

Messages of support for Van Dijk from his Reds team-mates flowed in on Sunday, led by the club's captain Jordan Henderson.

"The comeback is always stronger than the setback... Recover well my brother, We’ll be waiting for you," Henderson posted on Twitter.

Mohamed Salah tweeted: "I wish you a speedy recovery big man."

"Very sadly [sp] Big bro got injured on the knee and need to undergo surgery," Van Dijk's Oranje team-mate Wijnaldum said. "We are going to miss you enormously. Wishing you a soon recovery and come back even stronger bro."

Reds full-back Andy Robertson also had a message of support for his partner in defence: "Hopefully see this smile back on your face soon my friend! We are with you every step of the way brother."

The Reds have started their Premier League title defence in stuttering fashion, having conceded 13 goals in five matches, a tally that's the biggest in the division alongside West Brom.

Jurgen Klopp's side currently sit in third position three points behind leaders Everton, who they drew 2-2 with in Sunday's derby.

They will begin their Champions League campaign away at Ajax on Wednesday, before hosting struggling Sheffield United in the league on Saturday evening.

Virgil van Dijk has spoken out for the first time since he sustained a potential season-ending injury in Saturday's Merseyside derby, with the Liverpool centre-back vowing to bounce back "better, fitter and stronger than ever before".

The defender had to be helped from the field inside the opening quarter-hour of his side's 2-2 draw with Everton following a challenge from Toffees goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.

Subsequent scans have confirmed that the Netherlands skipper has suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury, leaving him facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines.

Van Dijk's injury has handed a major blow to Liverpool's aspirations of a successful title defence of their first Premier League crown, with the club already relatively stretched across the Dutchman's preferred position as it is.

Taking to social media on Sunday however, the 29-year-old defender thanked supporters for their words of comfort and stated his intent to repay their faith down the line as he begins his long journey back to full fitness.

"This afternoon I met with a leading consultant to start the process of planning the finer details of my rehabilitation following the incident yesterday," Van Dijk wrote on Twitter.

"I'm now fully focused on my recovery and will do everything I can to be back as quickly as possible.

"Despite the obvious disappointment, I'm a firm believer that within difficulty lies opportunity and with God's help I'm going to make sure I return better, fitter and stronger than ever before.

"In football, as in life, I believe everything happens for a reason and it's important to try and keep level-headed whether going through the highs or the lows. With the support of my wife, kids, family and everyone at Liverpool, I'm ready for the challenge ahead.

"I'd like to thank everyone for the messages of support. It's meant a huge amount to me and my family, and now I'll be doing everything possible to support my teammates in anyway I can ahead of a big few weeks ahead as I take my own recovery day by day. I'll be back."

Liverpool will begin their Champions League campaign with a trip to Van Dijk's homeland to face Ajax on Wednesday, with manager Klopp facing headaches over his lineup as he looks to compensate for the loss of his talismanic star.

Achraf Bencharki scored the only goal that gave Zamalek a 1-0 victory over Raja Casablanca in the first-leg of their Caf Champions League semi-final fixture on Sunday.

Bencharki broke the deadlock at the Stade Mohamed V in the 18th minute with his header off Ahmed Sayed Zizo's cross.

The effort was the Morocco international's seventh goal on his seventh appearance in the Champions League this season.

Despite pressure from the hosts to score an equaliser, Zamalek held on to the precious victory away from home in Casablanca which stretched their unbeaten run across all competitions to seven matches.

Raja Casablanca intensified their push with four changes in the second half while Jaime Pacheco made just one late substitution with Mohammed Ounajem replacing winger Youssef Obama in the 85th minute.

Sunday's victory boosted Zamalek's dreams of securing a sixth Champions League title and another continental silverware after they clinched the Caf Confederation Cup last season.

The White Knight are scheduled to host Raja Casablanca for the reverse fixture in Cairo on October 24.

On Saturday, another Egyptian Premier League club Al Ahly defeated Wydad Casablanca 2-0 in the second semi-final fixture in Casablanca, thanks to goals from Mohamed Magdy and Ali Maaloul.

The Caf Champions League final is billed to take place in Egypt on November 6, however, the Confederation of African Football noted that it could still hold in Morocco if the two teams from the country (Wydad and Raja) overturn their first-leg deficit and qualify.