Looking for Soccer News?

Pep Guardiola has defended Sergio Aguero after the striker was criticised for touching lineswoman Sian Massey-Ellis during Saturday's win over Arsenal. 

Aguero found himself at the centre of controversy just before half-time at the Etihad Stadium after he took exception to Massey-Ellis signalling a throw-in for Arsenal, when the striker believed it should have been City's ball. 

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

The incident caused plenty of strong reactions, with many believing the veteran striker had touched Massey-Ellis in an inappropriate fashion.

After the game, which City won 1-0 thanks to a Raheem Sterling goal, Guardiola attempted to shift the focus off the incident.

“Come on guys. Sergio is the nicest person I ever met in my life. Look for problems in other situations, not in this one," the Man City manager told reporters.

Guardiola also spoke about the importance of City's win, which came after an indifferent start to the season.

Saturday's win was only City's second in four Premier League matches, with the 2018-19 champions also recording a 1-1 draw against Leeds and a 5-2 defeat to Leicester City.

"It was a tight game as we expected. It was for our heads, so important this victory, for the problems that we have," Guardiola told Sky Sports.

"In the game against Leeds, Ederson made outstanding saves and again today.

"What we have done today, without the ball, defending together. I think Nathan [Ake] and Ruben [Dias] were incredible, and Kyle [Walker] as a central defender.

"We could not train one session on the build-up [with this back three]. We need more time to grow as a team, but it's okay.

"I think this game is going to help us to make a step forward."

The result was Guardiola's 500th victory of his coaching career, including his stint in charge of Barcelona B.

Guardiola's side are next in action with their Champions League opener against Porto on Wednesday before they return to their Premier League schedule with a match against West Ham next weekend.

Mason Greenwood missed Manchester United’s win against Newcastle because he was not fit enough to play, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer confirmed after the match.

With Anthony Martial missing through suspension due to his red card in the 6-1 defeat to Tottenham before the international break, many had expected Greenwood to lead the line for United at St James’ Park on Saturday evening.

However, the 19-year-old was conspicuous by his absence as he did not even make the trip to the North East for the club’s fourth league game of the campaign.

“Mason wasn’t fit to play so we had to leave him out. We hope he will recover quickly,” Solskjaer said after United won 4-1 to record their second league victory of the season.

It was an emphatic victory for United in the end but they had to come from behind after Luke Shaw deflected Emil Krafth’s cross past David de Gea with under two minutes on the clock.

Despite the early setback it was a promising reaction from Solskjaer’s side as they put four past Karl Darlow in Newcastle's goal.

“[The early goal] made it a lot harder for everyone,” Man Utd's head coach said. “It was hard enough as it was with the build-up to this game and the result from last time and then going 1-0 down after a minute and a half.

"I thought the boys responded fantastically. They were patient, resilient, they trusted what the plan was and in the end we created lots of chances to grind [out] a win.”

Harry Maguire, Bruno Fernandes, Marcus Rashford and Aaron Wan-Bissaka all got their names on the scoresheet and Solskjaer was also full of praise for Daniel James, who has been heavily criticised due to his recent form.

“He has incredible speed on the counter and today he showed more positivity, he trusted himself. We work with all the players to express themselves and show what they're good at,” Solskjaer explained.

“We wanted Bruno and Juan [Mata] in the pockets, to get in there and get on the ball. We wanted Dan and Marcus to work really hard, to run in behind and everybody to be positive. I thought all four of them did the job and I'm very pleased with Dan.”

Manchester United captain Harry Maguire admits the club still have a long way to go after their 4-1 win against Newcastle United in the Premier League on Saturday.

The Red Devils were beaten 6-1 by Tottenham in their last match and found themselves trailing inside two minutes against Steve Bruce's side after a Luke Shaw own-goal. 

Maguire however headed his side level in the 23rd minute before three late goals handed Ole Gunnar Solskjaer a vital three points. 

Despite calls for Maguire to be rested following a tough week that saw him sent off for England during the midweek match against Denmark, the centre-back started the game on Saturday and believes the Red Devils responded positively after the thrashing against Spurs. 

"I wouldn't say we have answered them [the critics]. It's funny, three games into the season and it seems like a big crisis. Won two lost two. There is a long way to go, we have to improve," Maguire told Sky Sports post-match. 

"When you play for this club and get beat at home, we ask questions. We work hard in training, it is a great group and we knew we had to bounce back. I felt it would have been really harsh if we came away with just a point. A full deserved win.

"It was important. Every game in the Premier League we want to be on top. Some games we will not be at our best but we have to do the basics well and in the games we lost we didn't do the basics well.

"We knew we needed to get three points and we managed to do so. We've got a tough run coming up.

"We are still a young team but we won't use that as an excuse. It was disappointing to start like we had but big performance tonight when we needed it."

Bruno Fernandes had a second-half penalty saved against Newcastle before putting his side ahead with a cool finish in the 86th minute.

The Portugal star was quick to highlight Maguire's resilience post-match and believes the defender can be pushed to greater heights. 

"H is a big man. He is playing for the national team and Manchester United. It is of course difficult for every player being under fire but he did what he had to do on the pitch," Fernandes told MOTD. 

"He scored. We can push him and he can push us."

Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has revealed Paul Pogba didn't start in Saturday's 4-1 win against Newcastle due to niggling injuries picked up on international duty. 

The Frenchman featured in all three of his country's recent fixtures but only came on for the final 15 minutes of their midweek win over Croatia. 

Pogba then found himself in a similar situation at club level, with Solskjaer opting to keep his star midfielder on the bench until the 69th minute on Saturday when the clash was still deadlocked at 1-1.

The Red Devils would ultimately score three late goals to wrap up the win with Solskjaer forced to clarify why Pogba didn't start the match having previously started in the club's three previous league games. 

"Paul had hip and back problems when he was away with France, so it wasn't right to start him," Solskjaer told Sky Sports. 

"We have got big games coming up. Everyone has to perform when they come on. I am delighted for him."

On the game itself, Solskjaer added: "Great result and great character to come back, led by a very inspirational captain.

"The boys came together really well. The are looking forward to every game. Today I rested a few and they have come on and done the business for us.

"The season started for us today. We have come up to the speed of the game and that showed today."

Solskajer opted to start under-fire defender Harry Maguire against Newcastle and the club captain delivered with an early equaliser for the Red Devils. 

"Harry scored and leads by example. He showed good character, I am happy for him. He had a couple of difficult weeks since he last played for us," Solskjaer said. 

Newcastle manager Steve Bruce believes the scoreline wasn't a fair reflection of his side's efforts, who were close to walking away with a point with less than 10 minutes remaining. 

"I thought we were a little bit too easy at times to play against. We will go away really, really disappointed because we were 10 minutes away and it could have gone either way when it gets that late," Bruce told MOTD. 

"It is work in progress for us. We have tried to change and with that it will take time. The defeat looks worse than it really was."

Liverpool face an anxious wait to discover the extent of Virgil van Dijk’s knee injury, amid fears the Dutchman is set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines.

Van Dijk was forced off just 11 minutes into the Reds’ 2-2 draw at Everton on Saturday, following a reckless challenge from Blues goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.

He was sent for a hospital scan immediately after the game, with Liverpool’s medical staff concerned at the possibility of serious ligament damage. 

Club sources insist there have been no scan results at this stage, but beIN SPORTS  reported during the Manchester City-Arsenal game that Van Dijk had ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament, and could face a spell of seven to eight months out of action. Liverpool were left deeply unimpressed by that report, making their feelings known to the Qatar-based broadcaster.

Reds captain Jordan Henderson revealed that Pickford, who was not even booked for the challenge, had sought him out at the final whistle, asking him to pass on an apology to Van Dijk.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, though, was unamused at the refusal of VAR to intervene and issue the England goalkeeper a red card. Indeed, it emerged later that Liverpool had contacted the Premier League asking them to review the application of VAR in the game, having been further incensed at seeing a late winning goal, scored by Henderson, ruled out for a questionable offside against Sadio Mane.

On the Van Dijk incident, Klopp said: “In the game, it was pretty quick. For me, it was a clear penalty what I saw and then obviously we saw that the flag went up, so offside. I still thought it's worth to have a look on the foul but that didn't happen. 

“We have no power there, we just sit here and now you discuss it with me. We have to ask other people about that. 

“What can I say? I don't want to say Jordan Pickford wanted to do it but it's, of course, not a challenge how a goalie can do it in the box because there's another player. If it's not offside, it's 100 per cent a penalty. So it's nothing, that's all.”

Liverpool also have concerns over the fitness of midfielder Thiago Alcantara, who was on the end of a wild challenge from Everton forward Richarlison in the closing stages of Saturday’s game.

Thiago was able to finish the game, with Richarlison, who was shown a straight red card, later tweeting an apology to the former Bayern Munich man . But afterwards Klopp revealed the 29-year-old had complained of pain. 

“When I left the pitch, Thiago told me in the red card situation with Richarlison he thinks he got injured,” Klopp said. “We will see if it’s true or not, but if he felt like this then we need to have a look.”

To lose either, of course, would be a huge blow to Liverpool’s ambitions this season. Van Dijk had, prior to Saturday, played every minute of the Reds’ last 74 Premier League matches, becoming a totemic presence since his £75 million move from Southampton in January 2018.

Without him, Liverpool would have to rely on Joe Gomez and Joel Matip as their only specialist senior centre-backs. Matip himself only returned from a hamstring problem against Everton, emerging unscathed after his first 90-minute outing in almost a year, while Gomez too has a history of injury issues and has not been at his best so far this season. 

Fabinho is another option, though the Brazilian’s importance in midfield is significant too, especially if Thiago were to miss any period of time. Liverpool also have Nat Phillips, the 23-year-old who spent last season on loan with Stuttgart in 2.Bundesliga, and teenagers Rhys Williams, Sepp van den Berg and Billy Koumetio as emergency options. 

Williams, 19, featured in the Carabao Cup games against Lincoln and Arsenal last month, while Van den Berg made four cup appearances last season. 

Koumetio, the youngest of all at 17, has made a big impression since being asked to train with the senior squad at their pre-season camp in Austria, but is yet to make his professional debut.

Zinedine Zidane admitted Real Madrid could have conceded two or three goals in a nightmare first-half display against Cadiz that contributed to their shock 1-0 loss at the Santiago Bernabeu. 

The Liga new boys picked up their third win of the season at the expense of the reigning champions, going joint-top of the league in the process. 

A single goal from Anthony Lozano after 16 minutes was enough to sink Zidane's charges, who went into the weekend's fixtures as sole leaders in Spain but now share the summit with Cadiz, Granada and Malaga. 

Barcelona's subsequent defeat to Getafe at least kept the Catalans away from top spot, but the Merengue coach could not hide his frustration with what he saw, especially in the opening 45 minutes. 

"If we had conceded two or three goals in the first half we could not have said anything. There is no excuse," the coach fired to reporters after the final whistle. 

"There is no explanation, we are not happy with what happened, but it is something that can happen in football. We did not start the game well. 

"It was tough right from the start, we were a little better in the second half. We didn't get into the game, we struggled physically, creating chances depends on how you start and we really struggled." 

To compound Madrid's misery, Zidane was forced to withdraw Sergio Ramos at half-time with an apparent physical complaint, although the Frenchman is confident his captain avoided injury. 

"I hope Sergio's problem is just a small thing. He has a little knock," Zidane added. 

Madrid will be back in action midweek in their Champions League Group B opener at home to Shakhtar Donetsk on Wednesday. 

Three days later they travel to Camp Nou for the first Clasico of the season against Barca, and Zidane hopes his charges will put Saturday's woes behind them for the crucial upcoming matches. 

"We're now going to think about the next game and what we have to do is rest up well and try to do better to win the match," he explained.

"Today is a bad time for all of my players and all of Real Madrid and we're going to try and turn that around in our next game."

Crotone striker Simeon Nwankwo celebrated his goal against Juventus by a raising a T-shirt to show his support for an end to police brutality in Nigeria. 

The 28-year-old striker scored his side’s only goal in the 1-1 draw with the Old Lady bereft of Cristiano Ronaldo, who is self-isolating after testing positive for Covid-19.

Simy’s powerful moment came 11 minutes in the first half after beating Gianluigi Buffon from the penalty spot as Leonardo Bonucci was adjudged to have fouled Arkadiusz Reca inside the penalty area.

To celebrate his effort, the Nigeria international ran to the touchline and raised a T-shirt reading ‘END POLICE BRUTALITY IN NIGERIA’ in a nod to the movement calling for an end to police brutality in the West African Nation.

Earlier in the day, Victor Osimhen was involved in a similar goal celebration after scoring his first Serie A goal for Napoli in the 4-1 victory over Atalanta at the Stadio Sao Paolo.

The likes of Ian Wright, Mesut Ozil, Marcus Rashford, Antonio Rudiger, Tammy Abraham, Frederic Kanoute have all lent their voices to support the scrapping of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, a unit of the Nigeria Police Force.

SARS officers have been accused of harassing, robbing and killing youths for no just reasons over the last few years.

In February 2020, they murdered the vice-captain of Nigerian second division club Remo Stars, Tiamiyu Kazeem.

Thanks to Alvaro Morata’s 21st minute goal, Andrea Pirlo’s men cancelled out Simy’s early penalty.

However, the visitors’ hopes of sealing all points at stake hit the rock following the dismissal of Federico Chiesa with 30 minutes remaining. Chiesa joined the reigning Italian champions on loan from Fiorentina on transfer deadline day.

The Nigerian’s goal effort was his second of the 2020-21 Serie A campaign after his maiden strike in the Pythagoreans’ 4-1 defeat at Sassuolo. With this result, they climbed to 18th in the Italian elite division log with one point from four matches.

Crotone would be hoping to get their first win of the season when they visit Stadio Is Arenas for a date with Cagliari on October 25.

Barcelona head coach Ronald Koeman complained about a "lack of respect" during his team's surprise La Liga defeat to Getafe, singling out Allan Nyom.

Koeman suffered his first loss as Barca boss on Saturday – Getafe claiming a 1-0 victory thanks to Jaime Mata's 56th-minute penalty.

It was Getafe's first league win over Spanish giants Barca since November 2011, a run of 16 games.

Koeman, who replaced Quique Setien at the start of the season, was less than impressed with the behaviour of Getafe full-ball Nyom.

"I told him [Getafe coach Jose Bordalas] that his number 12 [Nyom] had shown me a lack of respect, he had said two or three very ugly things to me which I won't repeat. He insulted me," Koeman said post-game.

"I told Bordalas that he needs to speak to his player, because we cannot tolerate that type of behaviour in modern football."

On Koeman's comments, Bordalas added: "I'm here to talk about football, not about controversy. I haven't spoken to the boy, I will tomorrow, but I doubt that Nyom would do that, I know him well.

"He's very competitive, but he's a very respectful person. I don't allow bad behaviour among my players but I doubt that Nyom insulted him."

Lionel Messi struck the post and Getafe captain Djene Dakonam was spared from scoring an own goal by the crossbar, however – after starting his reign with back-to-back wins – Koeman has now seen his side pick up a solitary point from their next two outings.

Barca – who have their lowest tally of goals after four La Liga fixtures since 2015-16 with eight – had 73 per cent possession but managed just one on-target attempt as Getafe conceded 20 fouls in a physical contest.

After Mata converted a spot-kick following a foul by Frenkie de Jong on Dakonam, Koeman said: "I don't know if it was a penalty, it looked like they were looking for it and we fell into the trap. I don't know if we had VAR or not today.

"I don't like to talk about referees, but if you watch the match and see how many fouls they made and how many cards were given out, then you can make your own mind up.

"We knew this was a very difficult ground to come to but we tried to create passages of play and move the ball around quickly and they kept disrupting that with fouls."

Andrea Pirlo described Federico Chiesa as "naive" after he was sent off on his debut in Saturday's 1-1 Serie A draw against Crotone. 

Chiesa, who joined the champions on loan from Fiorentina on transfer deadline day, saw red on the hour mark for a late challenge on Luca Cigarini. 

He had earlier set up Alvaro Morata for Juve's leveller after Simy had given Crotone the lead from the penalty spot. 

Adrien Rabiot was dismissed in the 2-2 draw with Roma on September 27, Juve's last competitive game after they were handed a 3-0 win for Napoli's no-show last time out, and Pirlo accepts his fledgling side's over-enthusiasm might come back to haunt them on occasion. 

"Unfortunately, we went down to 10 men in the last two games because of our errors, but we are a young team that needs to work and there hasn't been much time for that with so many internationals," he told DAZN.

"Young players need to gain experience by playing in matches and it can happen that they make naive errors as part of the learning process.

"We built a team with quality, but it is still a work in progress and needs time. The lads will learn through mistakes, unfortunately that also means taking a few risks in the early matches of the season.

"We made a few mistakes in the timing of the press, but as I said, these things happen when we're still getting the machine oiled. We only really spent half-an-hour on this tactical movement in training yesterday, so it will improve."

Crotone were good value for their first point since returning to Serie A, limiting Juve to just two shots on target, and their boss Giovanni Stroppa says his side can take pride in their performance. 

"Serie A is another sport compared to Serie B," he said. "We've conceded a few goals with naive errors, but I still believe we are on the right track.

"We could've made more of the extra man and been sharper in the final third, taking them on one-on-one, but we still did well with 11 against 11 and 11 against 10.

"This is not the best Juve team, but we saw they still had remarkable talents to come off the bench and bring new elements to the side, so we can be proud of this result."

Ronald Koeman suffered the first defeat of his reign as Barcelona failed to capitalise on a shock loss for Real Madrid, slipping to a 1-0 defeat at Getafe. 

With El Clasico looming on the horizon, reigning champions Madrid were stunned by newly promoted Cadiz as LaLiga resumed on Saturday following the international break.

However, Barca missed the chance to move level on points with their rivals ahead of next Saturday's showdown at Camp Nou. 

Jaime Mata's 56th-minute penalty was enough for Getafe to secure a first league win over their illustrious opponents since a similar 1-0 result back in November 2011, a run of 16 games. 

Lionel Messi struck a post and Getafe captain Djene Dakonam was spared from scoring an own goal by the crossbar, but - after starting his reign with back-to-back wins - Koeman has now seen his side pick up a solitary point from their next two outings, laying bare the size of the task on his hands. 

Ousmane Dembele made his first start of 2020 and there was also an opportunity handed to teenager Pedri from the outset, suggesting the new boss will show faith in youth during the rebuilding job required. 

Still, it is a big-money signing who will once again come under the spotlight, Antoine Griezmann squandering his team's best chance to leave him still without a goal at club level in the early stages of the 2020-21 season. 

The French forward wastefully blasted over when clean through in a first half consistently punctuated by the sound of referee Cesar Soto Grado's whistle, with five players shown yellow cards. 

Getafe had rarely threatened before Frenkie de Jong helped them out, the midfielder clumsily catching Dakonam inside the area as he rushed in attempting to win the ball. 

Mata duly converted from the spot – sending Neto the wrong way – and the dogged hosts held firm to their slender advantage through to the final whistle. 

In an eventful finish to proceedings not in keeping with the rest of the contest, Juan Hernandez blazed over at one end before Getafe were saved by the woodwork in stoppage time, Barca unable to find a late leveller their performance scarcely merited.

What does it mean? Barca rebuild will take time 

The underlying issues within the squad following a tumultuous 2019-20 campaign were not going to be solved by moving on some of the old guard during the transfer window. There are some early positives, but this was the first real bump in the road for Koeman. 

Having failed to engineer his own exit, Messi is still around. However, so too is the dependency on him to create in attack. The visitors had 73 per cent possession but mustered just one on-target attempt. 

Getafe showing fighting spirit 

Rather than Barca, it is Getafe who are now on level terms with Madrid at the summit on 10 points. This was a performance that typified Jose Bordalas' side; they conceded 20 fouls and were happy to be without the ball for long spells, yet they still had more total shots and more attempts on target than the opposition. 

Griezmann miss crucial 

After impressing while away with France, Griezmann suffered another outing to forget when back on Spanish soil. Playing in his preferred position through the middle, his one attempt saw him badly fluff his lines. It was the kind of opening he would normally be expected to tuck away.

What's next?

Barcelona start their Champions League campaign at home to Ferencvaros in midweek, followed by a Clasico clash that has taken on even greater significance for both sides. As for Getafe, they host Granada in LaLiga action next Sunday.

Bruno Fernandes recovered from a rare penalty miss to set up a late 4-1 Premier League win for Manchester United at Newcastle United on Saturday.

The Portugal international, who had never previously failed from 12 yards for United, looked to have passed up the visitors' best chance of victory at St James' Park when Karl Darlow produced a magnificent stop.

That spot-kick came after Harry Maguire - fit despite a knock on international duty - cancelled out a second-minute Luke Shaw own goal, with United dominant but set to be frustrated heading into the closing stages.

A rapid counter-attack produced the breakthrough moment, though, as Fernandes picked out the top-right corner before Aaron Wan-Bissaka lashed in a third and Marcus Rashford finished the 96th-minute fourth, ensuring United bounced back from the 6-1 defeat to Tottenham with all three points.

The latest setback in Shaw's United career had come after just 102 seconds as he toed Emil Krafth's cross past David de Gea following a Newcastle counter.

It was a goal befitting a ragged start as United dictated without initially threatening, finding their range after 19 minutes only for Fernandes' stunning strike to be ruled out due to an offside in the build-up.

The visitors had their leveller four minutes later, though, as captain Maguire - who missed from point-blank range at the same end of the stadium last season - headed in Juan Mata's corner.

De Gea saved well from Allan Saint-Maximin's piledriver, while Darlow dealt with Wan-Bissaka's wayward cross but was then grateful to Jamaal Lascelles for a goal-line clearance from Rashford, who saw another shot parried.

Only a sublime stop from De Gea denied Callum Wilson from close range early in the second half, yet Newcastle survived an even greater scare when Jamal Lewis fouled Rashford but Darlow brilliantly repelled Fernandes' spot-kick.

Jonjo Shelvey nodded another Maguire header away from the line moments later and Darlow came to the hosts' rescue again with a brave block from Rashford.

It looked like that would be enough to preserve a home point until United's late show as Fernandes applied a wonderful finish with four minutes left, before Wan-Bissaka rifled into the roof of the net and finally Rashford swept in number four with time up.
 

What does it mean? Patience pays for Solskjaer's side

This did not look like being United's day as Darlow came through a slightly shaky start to deny Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's men time and again.

The Newcastle goalkeeper, who was hobbling in the closing stages after a challenge with Rashford, made eight saves in all from 28 United attempts - 14 on target - but was helpless in a frantic finale.

Rashford showed poise to tee up Fernandes and also Wan-Bissaka before belatedly scoring himself, sealing a win that was a lot less comfortable than the scoreline suggests.

Maguire makes amends

Newcastle appear to be incapable of dealing with Maguire, who now has two goals against the Magpies - one for Leicester City - and should have had another last year when left unmarked in the six-yard box.

After tough recent outings for both club and country, the United skipper also did his job at the other end, making three clearances and four interceptions.

Last straw for Shaw

Shaw's days as United's first-choice left-back looked numbered even before this mishap. Alex Telles, signed after the England man's woeful display against Tottenham, watched on from the bench.

It was a half-hearted attempt at blocking Krafth's centre that deceived De Gea, and Shaw was perhaps fortunate Newcastle opted not to isolate him against Saint-Maximin, who created two chances from the opposite flank.

Key Opta Facts: 

- Newcastle United conceded four goals at home in the Premier League for the first time since April 5, 2014 - also against Manchester United (4-0 defeat).
- Man Utd enjoyed their 10th comeback win against Newcastle in the Premier League - the most by any side against a single opponent in the competition.
- Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side have been awarded 17 penalties in the Premier League since the start of last season, which is five more than any other side in the competition (12 scored).
- Bruno Fernandes has been directly involved in 20 goals in his 18 Premier League appearances for Man Utd (11 goals, nine assists), scoring in each of his last three games.
- Marcus Rashford registered three goal involvements in a single Premier League game for the only the third time ever (one goal, two assists), having also done so against Fulham in December 2018 and Arsenal in February 2016.

What's next?

This was a much-needed win for United ahead of a pivotal stretch. They visit Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League on Tuesday, while Newcastle are not back in action until next Sunday's trip to Wolves.

Raheem Sterling admits he was “quite lucky” to end Manchester City’s meeting with Arsenal as the match-winner, with the Blues winger conceding that he was not at his best.

Pep Guardiola’s side have not been as free-flowing as they would like in 2020-21, with many teams tipped to challenge for the Premier League title this season still searching for a spark.

City found the going tough at times in their latest outing, but took the lead inside 23 minutes and were able to claim enough control of proceedings from that point to see out a welcome victory.

Sterling proved to be the difference on the day at the Etihad Stadium, as he rolled home a rebound after Bernd Leno parried into his path, but the England international feels there is more to come from him.

He told Sky Sports afterwards: “I felt I was quite lucky to get on the scoresheet. It was not one of my better games but I am just grateful to be able to help the team.”

Guardiola will feel that his side have more gears to go through as a collective, with the Blues still feeling their way into the season.

Sterling said: “We dropped points early on in the season so it was important to keep on winning.

“Coming back from the international break we knew we needed a good performance and to pick up points to kick-start the season. Today's result definitely gives us confidence.”

City have already dropped five points through four games this term, but do have key men such as Sergio Aguero returning from injury and are far from being the only ones to have hit an early bump in the road.

Sterling added to BBC Sport: “In the end we deserved the win. We kept it tight and compact and deserved the win.

“We haven't been quite as fluent this season but in the last couple of games have shown that fluency is coming back and it's great to keep the momentum going.

“When Sergio is on the field you know there can be a goal at any moment. He is vital to help us compete on all fronts and great to have him back.

“It's only October, we have seen plenty of shock results so far, but it's a long season so we have got to stay focused and build on today's result.”

City’s next outing will see them open their Champions League campaign, with the Blues set to take in a home date with Porto on Wednesday.

Robert Lewandowski completed the Bundesliga set as Arminia Bielefeld became the latest club to suffer against the Bayern Munich striker this season. 

Back in action for his club after international duty with Poland, Lewandowski continued his hot start to the new season on Saturday, scoring twice as the reigning champions triumphed 4-1 on their travels. 

His first goal doubled Bayern's advantage following Thomas Muller's eighth-minute opener and also saw the 32-year-old complete an impressive personal achievement. 

Thanks to his 25th-minute strike against newly promoted Bielefeld, Lewandowski has found the net against all 18 teams currently in the German top flight – and that includes his current employers. 

The former Borussia Dortmund player added another in first-half stoppage time to take his tally in the league to seven in four appearances.

He already leads the German top flight in goals, putting him in a strong position to retain the Bundesliga top scorer crown for a fourth straight season.

In 2019-20 Lewandowski won the honour with a new personal best, scoring 34 goals in just 31 games to lead Bayern to yet another title.

Lewandowski scored all four in a 4-3 victory over Hertha Berlin earlier in the month, though he had to make do with just a brace this time.

Hansi Flick opted to take off the talismanic frontman in the closing minutes, with Bayern having a huge Champions League clash with Atletico Madrid to come in midweek.

By the time he was replaced by Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting in the 86th minute, Lewandowski had taken six shots in total - three of which hit the target - and also created a trio of chances for his team-mates.

Bielefeld had been unbeaten at home in all competitions in 2020 but were no match for Bayern, who move up to second in the table. They sit a point behind RB Leipzig.

Bayern's attention now switches to their defence of the Champions League title, which begins on Wednesday at home to Atletico Madrid in Group A. 

Orlando Pirates head coach Josef Zinnbauer was not overly impressed with his side’s 1-0 MTN8 quarter-final win over Cape Town City at Orlando Stadium on Saturday evening.

Terrence Dzukamanja scored the only goal of the game in the 23rd minute with a fine header from fellow debutant Wayde Jooste’s cross.

Bafana Bafana captain Thulani Hlatshwayo and Namibian international Deon Hotto also started their first matches for the Sea Robbers, who gained a numerical advantage on 33 minutes following a red card to Fagrie Lakay for a foul on Jooste.

However, despite playing against 10-men for an hour, Pirates never really took charge of proceedings. And after missing several good chances to add a second goal, they were almost punished in injury time when Tashrique Morris narrowly failed to convert Abubaker Mobara’s teasing cross.

And so although it was job done and the Soweto side can look forward to the semi-finals, there are perhaps a few areas of slight concern for Zinnbauer and his technical team.

“The structure in the defence work was good,” the German told SuperSport TV. “The offence was not so good and we had a lot of chances, we could have decided the game before the 90 minutes.

“You make the second goal and then it's normally the game finished for us,” he continued.

“When you don’t shoot the second goal then you get more problems. We had a lot of counter-attacks and a lot of chances but the final shot was not good. That’s the next step, when we get this then we get success.”

The Buccaneers are next in action when they kickstart their league campaign with an away fixture at AmaZulu, next week Saturday 24 October.
 

Victor Moses made his Spartak Moscow debut as Brian Idowu scored a goal in Khimki's 3-2 defeat on Saturday.

Moses who joined the People's Team on a season-long loan from Chelsea on Wednesday, replaced Nail Umyarov in the 55th minute for his maiden appearance in the Russian Premier League.

His introduction inspired Spartak Moscow to fight back from a goal deficit as they scored three goals within 20 minutes.

Aleksandr Kokorin cancelled out Reziuan Mirzov's opener for Khimki from the penalty spot in the 58th minute, and goals from Ezequiel Ponce and Jordan Larsson in the 63rd and 77th minutes respectively fired Spartak Moscow to a 3-1 lead.

Towards the end of the match, Nigeria left-back Idowu reduced the deficit for the hosts with his first goal in the Russian Premier League in almost four years which dates back to his time at Amkar Perm.

The Super Eagles defender was assisted by Ivory Coast's Mohamed Konate but his strike was not enough as the visitors took all three points from Arena Khimki.

The victory brought Spartak Moscow level on 24 points with league leaders Zenit St Petersburg after 11 matches while Khimki are unmoved in 14th spot with six points after the same number of games.

Moses will be hoping to make his first start for Spartak Moscow when they visit second division club Yenisey for their Russian Cup match on Wednesday.

Internationally, Moses and Idowu played all of Nigeria's games at the 2018 Fifa World Cup in Russia.

The Chelsea loanee called time on his Super Eagles career after the tournament while Idowu is yet to play in Gernot Rohr's team since their final group match against Argentina which ended in a 2-1 loss.

Young Africans (Yanga SC) have been touted as the clear favourites to clinch the 2020-21 Mainland Premier League title.

According to Burundi Football Federation (BFF) Information Officer Ramadhan Kabugi, the decision by the Jangwani giants to sign striker Said Ntibazonkiza and also hire the services of coach Cedric Kaze has given them the edge over rivals Simba in the current campaign.

Ntibazonkiza signed for Yanga after his goal enabled Burundi to beat Tanzania 1-0 in the international friendly played in Dar es Saalam four days ago while Kaze was unveiled as the coach to replace Zlatko Krmpotic on a two-year deal on Friday.

“The decision by Yanga to sign [Ntibazonkiza] and also hire Kaze for the coaching role will help them win the title this season,” Kabugi explained to Sokaletu.

“They are very experienced persons coming at a time when the team is also performing well, so their inclusion is a plus to the team, it will help them win the title and also set a record in the league.

“Ntibazonkiza is a good professional, a very experienced player who has played for top teams even in Europe, I am very sure he will score many goals for Yanga when he starts playing.

“On his part, the arrival of Kaze is also good for the team because he is a coach who loves playing the passing game and also loves to win matches, he is a very good coach and experienced coach in that matter, I know if they give him the support he needs, he will give them the title.”

Kaze had a busy day after the unveiling as he also visited the team’s residential camp situated at Avic Town, Kigamboni, in Dar es Salaam, where he interacted with the entire squad ahead of his first training session on Saturday.

In an earlier interview, Kaze revealed his delight at getting the job to handle one of the ‘biggest brands’ in East Africa and even the whole of Africa and promised to achieve bigger things with the Jangwani giants.

“I am very happy to be here,” Kaze told reporters on arriving at the Julius Nyerere International Airport. “I am also very proud to be the coach of Yanga, one of the biggest teams in Tanzania, East Africa, and even across Africa.

“I have received a lot of congratulatory messages from several quarters for accepting to take up the job and I promise them I will not disappoint, I now know that Yanga is a big brand, and urge all those associated with the club to pull together and support the team as we achieve more success in the coming years.”

Yanga have enjoyed a good start to the season as they have won four matches out of five played with the other one ending in a 1-1 draw.

Kaze’s first match for Yanga will be against Polisi Tanzania on October 22.

Swansea City attacker Andre Ayew picked his 2015 Premier League strike against Chelsea among his best moments with the Jack Army ahead of making his 100th appearance for the club on Saturday.

On his second spell with the now second-tier side, the Ghanaian originally joined Swansea from French fold Olympique Marseille, scoring on his debut against The Blues to ensure a sensational 2-2 draw away at Stamford Bridge. 

He reached a century of outings for Steve Cooper's outfit in their Championship clash with Huddersfield Town, capping the landmark game with a goal. His effort was, however, not enough to save his club from a disappointing 2-1 home defeat at Liberty Stadium. 

“My first goal versus Chelsea was one of my best moments at Swansea,” Ayew said ahead of Saturday's match, his club's official website reported.

“It was my first game in the Premier League. That season was great for me."

Ayew left Swansea for West Ham United after his first season following a fine outing for the Jack Army. He scored 12 goals in 34 league outings. 

He endured a difficult time at West Ham, prompting a return to Swansea in 2018. 

"This [reaching 100 games] is a special thing for me, because this is a special club for me, I think I have something special with the fans,” Ayew said.

“That's why, when we're playing at home, I don't like that there aren't any fans to watch us at the moment.

“I hope they will come back soon. I need them; when I play, I feed off their passion. This is how it is now.

“To play my 100th game will be great. Everyone knows this club means a lot to me. I need to keep on going and hopefully, that 100th game will bring another three points.

“For me, it's a big number. I played over 200 games for Marseille and to get close to three figures here is a good feeling for me - especially to show the fans I'm one of them.

“Hopefully, we can keep going and winning after a good start to the season.”

This season, Ayew has scored twice in five Championship outings for Swansea.

Last term, the 30-year-old, who scored twice for Ghana in a friendly fixture against Qatar, finished the campaign as the club's top scorer with 16 league goals. 

Benik Afobe and Anthony Nwakaeme’s Trabzonspor lost 2-0 at home to Demba Ba’s Istanbul Basaksehir in Saturday’s Turkish Super Lig outing.

Going into the encounter, the Black Sea Storm had lost 2-1 to BB Erzurumspor while Okan Buruk's men cruised to a 5-0 victory over Kasimpasa.

At the Medical Park Stadium, Trabzonspor continued with their losing streak as Irfan Kahveci and Edin Visca handed the hosts all the points at stake.

After a cagey start, Basaksehir took the lead after 32 minutes through Kahveci. The 25-year-old Turkey international curled a beauty past goalkeeper Ugurcan Cakir at the edge of the hosts’ goal area.

Eddie Newton’s men stepped up their performance in the second half, albeit, they were very poor in the final third. Credit too must be given to goalkeeper Mert Gunok for making a couple of good saves.

Visca put the game beyond the Black Sea Storm in the 54th minute after slamming home an assist from Deniz Turuc.

Knowing that defeat would hinder their title ambitions, manager Newton brought in Djaniny for Safa Kinali and Bilal Basacikoglu in place of Malian forward Fousseni Diabate. Even at that, they were unable to produce a comeback.

After 84 minutes of action, Afobe who is on loan from Stoke City was substituted for Yusuf Sari while Nigeria international Nwakaeme and Ghana’s Caleb Ekuban were not listed for the clash.

For the visitors, ex-Chelsea and Newcastle United dangerman Demba Ba was handed a starter’s role but he was substituted for Enzo Crivelli in the 74th minute. Belgium-born left-back of Congolese descent Boli Bolingoli-Mbombo was in action from the start to finish, whereas former Nigeria U23 skipper Azubuike Okechukwu and Cape Verde international Carlos Ponck were not dressed for the showdown.

With this result, Istanbul Basaksehir have now recorded their first win of the season after five attempts, to sit in 18th position on the log after garnering four points, while Trabzonspor are ranked 14th after accruing five points from the same number of games.

27-year-old Afobe who boasts two goals so far this term would be hoping to help his team return to winning ways when they visit Fenerbahce on October 25.