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Kevin Akpoguma was in action as Hoffenheim lost 1-0 against Bundesliga champions Borussia Dortmund on Saturday.

The centre-back was handed his fourth start for the Kraichgauer this season despite only recently rejoining the side after he left for international duty.

The 25-year-old was handed his first call-up to the Nigeria national team after committing his international future to the West Africans last month.

The defender was subsequently afforded his Super Eagles debut against African champions Algeria in a friendly as a second-half substitute.

He also featured for the three-time African champions in their draw against Tunisia on Tuesday before returning to Rhein-Neckar-Arena.

Akpoguma paired Kevin Vogt and Stefan Posch at the heart of the Hoffenheim defence and gave a good account of himself in the encounter.

The defender made 63 touches, won one aerial contest, made one tackle, three interceptions and blocked two shots.

Marco Reus scored the only goal of the game after he set up Erling Braut Haaland to halt the impressive form of Hoffenheim.

Akpoguma featured for the duration of the game while his teammate and Algeria international Ishak Belfodil played for 60 minutes before he was replaced by Christoph Baumgartner.

The loss saw Hoffenheim drop to the eighth spot on the Bundesliga table after six points from four games.

Akpoguma has now made more than 30 league appearances for the Kraichgauer since his promotion to the first team.

The 25-year-old will hope to continue his solid defensive display when Hoffenheim take on Crvena Zvezda in a Europa League game on October 22.

Luis Suarez was back among the goals for Atletico Madrid on Saturday, with only Cristiano Ronaldo hitting 150 in La Liga quicker than the Uruguayan in the 21st century.

The Uruguay international arrived in Spanish football during the summer of 2014.

Barcelona prised him away from Liverpool in a big-money deal, with those at Camp Nou buying into the ability of a forward who almost guarantees goals.

Six productive years were spent at Camp Nou, with the target found on 198 occasions through 283 appearances.

Of that haul, 147 strikes were recorded in the Spanish top-flight.

Ronald Koeman took the surprising decision to cast Suarez aside when he was handed the managerial reins at Barca over the summer.

Atletico were happy to do business with a domestic rival, allowing a proven 33-year-old to join their ranks.

Suarez has hit the ground running in the Spanish capital, with three goals recorded through just four outings.

The most recent of those came against Celta Vigo, in a 2-0 victory for Diego Simeone’s side.

Three points were most welcome for Atletico as a collective, while Suarez has now reached another notable landmark as an individual.

He has reached 150 goals in La Liga in just 195 games, with only a five-time Ballon d’Or winner who sent records tumbling while at Real Madrid able to better that return.

Suarez’s former Barcelona team-mate Lionel Messi would have been expected to figure prominently on that chart, but he was eased onto the senior stage while still in his teens.

He was not as prolific through his early years, with his goalscoring exploits bursting into life from 2008-09.

A remarkable haul has been recorded since then, with Messi fast closing in on 450 in the Spanish top-flight.

Suarez has no chance of chasing down the mercurial Argentine, but he can take his tally much higher in the coming years.

He has committed to a deal at Atletico through to 2022 and could earn an extension if he is able to maintain his current standards through to that point.

Simeone’s side will be back in La Liga action on October 24 against Real Betis, with a Champions League opener away at Bayern Munich – the holders of that crown – set to be taken in on Wednesday.

Timo Werner is only 50 per cent happy to have opened his Premier League goal account for Chelsea, with the Blues throwing away two points in a home date with Southampton.

The Germany international striker is now up and running in the English top-flight.

His ability to deliver end product at Stamford Bridge has never been in doubt, with the 24-year-old establishing a reputation as one of European football’s most prolific frontmen.

He has had to bide his time before finding the target in Premier League competition, but bagged a brace against the Saints and will hope that the floodgates have now opened.

Werner was, however, unable to celebrate a welcome win alongside his two goals on Saturday, with Frank Lampard’s side seeing Southampton hit back in style to snatch a dramatic 3-3 draw.

“The first half we played very well,” Werner told BBC Sport when reflecting on an eventful contest.

“When you get a goal two or three minutes before half-time it is not easy. You have to think with a clear head.

“Southampton make a lot of pressure on us and pressed us high. We gave them too much in terms of opportunities. We have to win the game.

“I am happy about the goals but I want to win the game - 50 per cent I am happy, 50% not.

“I don't know if we have a problem but the last three games we concede six goals and it is not where we want to be, to compete for titles.

“In Germany we always say defence wins titles. If we concede so many it is hard to win games and win titles.”

Lampard has struggled to plug defensive leaks throughout his time in charge of Chelsea, but he is pleased to see summer signing Werner proving his worth.

The Blues boss said: “They are great goals. The second in terms of the team was class but it is a lot to do by Timo.

“Those moments will come from him and other players. But we need to be more solid and making individual mistakes gives other teams chances.”

Lampard is unable to explain why his side are finding it so hard to keep opponents at bay and close games out, with consistency still proving to be elusive in west London.

He added when assessing a meeting with the Saints: “You go two goals up, you want to finish it off.

“It was the best we've played this season for sure at this stage. But Southampton are a good side. They put pressure on us off the ball. They put us under pressure after the first goal.

“My message at half-time was that the goal shouldn't change too much. We never got to the same levels in the second half. We can do better.

“We are seeing lots of goals across the league and no manager is happy. I don't know why it is.

“There are attacking players in this league and maybe pre-season and lack of working time plays a part. But we have to get better at it.”

John Obi Mikel helped Stoke City grab their second win in the Championship this season with a 2-0 victory over Luton Town on Saturday.

The former Nigeria captain delivered an impressive performance in midfield as the Potters kept a clean sheet on the road.

After a goalless first-half, efforts from Steven Fletcher and Nick Powell in the 46th and 55th minutes respectively secured all three points.

Mikel was in action for the entire duration and he has played every minute of Stoke City’s league matches in this campaign - 450 minutes.

During the game, the 33-year-old managed the best pass accuracy for the Potters with 82.1 per cent, the second-highest tackles (3) and three clearances.

Senegal midfielder Badou Ndiaye was an unused substitute in the encounter while DR Congo descent Kazenga LuaLua also watched on from Luton Town’s bench.

Mikel will shift his focus to Wednesday when Stoke City welcome Barnsley to bet365 Stadium for their next Championship fixture.

The victory fired Michael O'Neill's side to eighth in the league table with eight points after five matches.

Harambee Stars defender Clarke Oduor was involved as Barnsley fought to pick up a point from 2-2 draw against Bristol City on Saturday at Oakwell Stadium.

Oduor flew back to join his club teammates after he had featured in the Harambee Stars vs Zambia October 9 friendly where he made his international debut after coming on in the second half.

Michal Helik and Cauley Woodrow were Barnsley’s scorers at home as Jack Hunt and Tyreeq Bakinson scored for Bristol City who had a 100% run before the Saturday encounter.

Bristol City conceded inside the opening two minutes as Helik managed to head Romal Palmer's corner beyond goalkeeper Max O'Leary.

But within the first seven minutes of the second half, the Robins equalised through Hunt and took the lead via Bakinson as both earned goals with deflected shots.

Barnsley, who are operating without a manager, were staring at another defeat at the hands of Bristol City but a 102nd-minute penalty by Woodrow ensured they salvaged a point at home. The effort ended the unblemished run the Robins had enjoyed since the start of the season.

Woodrow came on in the second half after Michael Sollbauer was injured. He had to wait for eight minutes as Sollbauer was being attended by the medics and when he finally came on, he managed to convert the penalty by planting the ball into the top corner for the eventual draw.

Oduor’s teammate Sollbauer had to be stretchered off with a neck brace fitted after Callum O'Dowda clattered into him inside the penalty area.

Bristol City’s 100% record was the only perfect run remaining in the Championship.

The result must be an encouraging outcome for Barnsley whose record against Bristol City in recent years has been rather poor.

Oduor’s side has failed to beat the Robins in the last nine matches and their last victory came way back in 2012. In this millennium, Barnsley have had six wins in 30 matches against their Saturday opponents across all competitions.

Barnsley Starting XI: Walton (GK), J.Williams, Andersen, Woodrow, Chaplin, Thomas, Palmer, Oduor, Sollbauer, Mowatt, Helik.

Subs: Collins (GK), Brittain, Kane, Christie-Davies, Schmidt, Simoes, Frieser.

Bristol City Staring XI: O'Leary (GK), Hunt, Mawson, Martin, Paterson, Weimann, Wells, Moore, Rowe, Vyner, Bakinson.

Subs: Wollacott (GK), Diedhiou, O'Dowda, Semenyo, Kalas, Massengo, Sessegnon.

Raul Jimenez continues to “keep doors open” on the transfer front at Wolves, with the Mexico international continuing to spark talk of interest from the likes of Manchester United and Real Madrid despite committing to a new contract.

The prolific frontman has agreed fresh terms at Molineux through to the summer of 2024.

It remains to be seen, though, whether that deal will be seen out in the West Midlands.

Wolves have ensured that a prized asset on their books retains full market value, with a long-term agreement ensuring that they can demand big money from any sale.

Jimenez has offered no indication that he will be looking for a way out, with the 29-year-old feeling settled in his current surroundings.

He is, however, aware that anything can happen in football and concedes that further speculation regarding his future is set to be sparked in upcoming windows.

Jimenez told Sky Sports of the transfer rumours he has been generating, with clubs across Europe said to be monitoring his prolific strike rate in England: “I was on my days off, on holiday, and every day that I woke up I was at a new club.

“It was just rumours, that’s it. I’m happy here and happy to stay here.

“You always have to keep doors open for everything but never lose your mind. It’s going to be like this for all the transfer windows.

“If I stay, I’m very happy and I’m going to keep playing the same. If I have to leave, well it’s going to be part of it. We are professional football players and it is part of our life.”

Jimenez has made no secret of his desire to grace a Champions League stage and believes Wolves are capable of providing him with that platform.

“I think so,” he said when asked if a top-four finish can be chased down.

“If we continue working like we are doing in the last two seasons, we did very good.

“Last season I think we deserved more. The last games we didn’t get want we want but we are a great team, a great family and if we stay together we can do it.”

While European football forms part of collective ambition at Wolves, Jimenez also has personal targets to chase down, with club legend Steve Bull challenging him to eat away at a club-record haul of goals that stands at 306.

“He was a very good player here at Wolves and I’m looking to make my own history. I’m here to help the team in our tasks,” Jimenez, who has 46 efforts to his name said of following in the footsteps of an icon.

“He asked me to beat his goal marks. I told him it will be difficult but I will try.”

Andre Ayew was on the scoresheet as Swansea City lost 2-1 against Huddersfield Town in Saturday’s Championship game.

The winger continued his impressive form in front of goal after starring for the Ghana national team during the international break.

The 30-year-old featured prominently for the Black Stars against Mali and Qatar in their international friendlies.

The forward bagged a brace against the 2022 World Cup host to ensure the West Africans returned to winning ways after losing against the Eagles.

On his return to Swansea, the forward quickly settled down with the club and got a starting role against Carlos Corberan’s men.

Ayew formed a three-man attack along with Viktor Gyoekeres and Jamal Lowe for the Liberty Stadium outfit and impressed in the encounter.

Swansea started the game on the back foot after allowing Harry Toffolo to open the scoring for Huddersfield with just 23 minutes into the game after benefitting from Juninho Bacuna’s assist.

10 minutes later, the Ghana international then levelled proceedings for his side, converting from the penalty spot for his second Championship goal of the season.

Josh Koroma then scored the winning goal in the 67th minute after receiving a timely assist from Richard Stearman.

Besides his goal, Ayew made two key passes, had 43 touches on the ball, completed one dribble and had an 80% successful pass rate in the encounter.

The winger featured for the duration of the game while the Democratic Republic of the Congo descent Isaac Mbenza played for 62 minutes to help his side secure all three points in the match.

With the defeat, the Liberty Stadium outfit is fourth on the Championship table with 10 points from five games. 

Ayew will hope to continue his impressive showings and help Swansea City return to winning ways against Coventry City on October 20.

Liverpool have asked the Premier League to review the use of VAR during their fiery Merseyside derby draw with Everton.

The Reds were left incensed by two decisions in particular during their 2-2 draw at Goodison Park on Saturday.

Firstly, they felt Blues goalkeeper Jordan Pickford should have been shown a red card for his first-half challenge on Virgl van Dijk. 

Van Dijk was forced off injured as a result of the England No.1’s reckless lunge, with Liverpool now facing an anxious wait to discover the severity of the issue.

But David Coote, the VAR, failed to flag up the incident to match official Michael Oliver. The game, in fact, resumed with a free-kick to Everton, with Van Dijk given offside as he attempted to reach Fabinho’s pass ahead of Pickford. 

“We lost a player in a situation where VAR was not used,” Klopp complained post-match, while captain Jordan Henderson revealed that Pickford had sought him out to pass on an apology to Van Dijk.

Pickford was involved in the second controversial moment of the afternoon, too. His stoppage-time fumble looked to have given Henderson the winning goal, only for VAR to rule that Sadio Mane, who scored the game’s opener, was marginally offside in the build-up. The goal was disallowed. 

Replays failed to offer clarity on the offside decision, and since the game Liverpool have made the Premier League aware of their concerns surrounding both issues. 

“When I came back to the dressing room, there were people stood there with a laptop and others stood around it and I asked what's on,” Klopp said of the Mane decision. “They say, 'We watched the situation back and we don't understand why they whistled offside.'

“Look, I'm a real supporter of VAR but you would expect that, especially with offside, you then do the right decision. We scored a goal one time at Aston Villa and they said the armpit was offside – sounds funny, we got it. 

“This time, the picture I saw now once on the laptop, there is no armpit, there is nothing, we are just not offside. Since then I had 10 interviews around about and everybody tells me it was not offside and that doesn't lift my mood obviously.”

Goal understands that Liverpool will seek clarity on which part of Mane’s body was deemed to be offside as well as the moment VAR decided to freeze the frame to calculate their finding.

They will also ask for an explanation as to why VAR didn’t intervene during the Pickford incident.

Speaking as part of BT Sport’s coverage of the game, former Premier League referee Peter Walton stated that Pickford should have been sent off.

“The foul from Pickford is still relevant,” he said. “The whistle may have gone but players are still accountable for their actions. The VAR will have looked at that to see if there was serious foul play happening.

“Personally I think it was serious foul play, I think Pickford was a lucky player not to be sent off there.”

Both Van Dijk and Thiago Alcantara, who finished the game despite being on the end of a red-card challenge from Everton forward Richarlison late on, will undergo scans on potential knee injuries, with fears growing that both could be set for a spell on the sidelines. 

Liverpool suffered an early injury blow in their Merseyside derby with Everton after seeing Virgil van Dijk forced off after just 11 minutes following a wild lunge from Jordan Pickford.

The Reds were already in front when the controversial incident occurred, with Sadio Mane breaking the deadlock with less than three minutes on the clock.

Jurgen Klopp’s side were looking for a second when their Dutch defender picked up an untimely knock.

Van Dijk sought to get onto the end of a ball that looped beyond the far post. Pickford raced out to meet the Liverpool centre-half and clattered into him, leaving him crumpled on the turf.

Everton’s goalkeeper, who has faced plenty of questions regarding his reliability over recent weeks, faced an anxious wait before discovering what the match officials had given.

An offside flag came to his rescue, with a VAR review deeming that the right call had been made. That got Pickford off the hook as he could have been facing at least a penalty, and potentially a red card.

Liverpool’s frustration at missing out on a spot kick was compounded when, after receiving treatment on the field, a talismanic part of their plans was forced off and straight down the tunnel.

It now remains to be seen how serious the problem picked up by Van Dijk is and how long he will be out of action for.

His absence was felt almost immediately by Liverpool, with Everton dragging themselves back into a lively contest in the 19th minute. With no Van Dijk around to organise at the back, Michael Keane headed home an equaliser.

Fabinho was unable to contain the threat posed by an England international, and he powered past Adrian to restore parity.

Liverpool knew they were going to face a response from their hosts after hitting the front so early in a keenly-contested fixture.

Mane’s goal, which saw him drill home Andy Robertson’s low cross from the left, made history for the men from Anfield. No player has ever been as quick out of the blocks on derby day for the Reds in the Premier League era.

Keeping opponents out has, however, been an issue for the defending champions in 2020-21 and another opportunity to collect a clean sheet has passed them by.

Borussia Dortmund’s Erling Haaland must be judged on his own merits and not compared to the likes of Bayern Munich hitman Robert Lewandowski or six-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi, according to former Red Bull Salzburg boss Marco Rose.

The 20-year-old has burst onto the scene over the past year, having been signed by BVB after scoring at a rate of more than one goal per game in the Austrian Bundesliga. He maintained that form upon his switch to Germany and is regarded as one of the hottest prospects in the game.

Rose, who coached Salzburg from 2017 until 2019, has attempted to play down the hype. 

“He is an incredibly positive player. He arrived injured in Salzburg, fought his way up and then took off,” he told Goal. “At his young age he can already carry a team and he radiates an enormous amount of energy. He is also a funny guy. 

“But there are still many things he can learn - he knows that too. Nowadays he’s probably one of those players that you work in superlatives and make big comparisons with the likes of Robert Lewandowski or Leo Messi, but I wouldn't see him that way.”

Meanwhile, Rose is pleased to see Mario Gotze, who scored the winning goal in the 2014 World Cup final before fading from view, having signed up with PSV after leaving Dortmund.

“I hold Mario Gotze in high esteem, he's a nice guy,” the Borussia Monchengladbach boss said before denying his side held an interest in the 28-year-old this summer. 

“I am pleased that he has found a task that he approaches with full conviction. That speaks volumes of him. He has chosen a great traditional club. He has never been an issue for us because we never looked for him in his position.”

Rose’s campaign is set to ramp up a notch in the next few days as the Europa League begins with a trip to face Inter at San Siro.

Before then, his Monchengladbach side host Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga, aiming for a second win of the season in their fourth outing.

Nick Mwendwa has retained his seat as the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) president for the next four years.

In what seemed like a one-horse race, the incumbent managed 77 votes out of the 85 cast in a Nairobi Hotel on Saturday. The youthful leader will now focus on continuing his projects to help football in the country develop alongside his deputy president Doris Petra.

Former Gor Mahia CEO Omondi Aduda with his running mate Athanas Obala came second with just five votes. Herbert Mwachiro, who once served as the FKF deputy CEO alongside Harold Ndege, who is a former Kenya international, walked home with three votes.

Journalist Boniface Osano and his running mate had nothing to smile about since they walked home empty-handed, same as Dan Mule, who had presented Peter Lichungu as his running mate.

In the race for the Federation Women Representative, Violet Kerubo Momanyi was narrowly beaten by Margaret Omondi. The latter managed to get 43 votes, one more than Momanyi.

Former Gor Mahia treasurer Sally Bolo had zero votes.

Michael Ouma Majua won the Nairobi National Executive Council (NEC) ticket after downing Tom Onyango Alila comfortably. The former managed to collect 59 votes while Alila came second with 25. Isaac Macharia got none.

Ahmedqadar Mohamed Dabar got 82 votes against Mohammed Abdi Farah, who managed to get just three votes. As a result, Dabar will represent North Eastern in the NEC.

The Upper Rift will be represented in the executive by Bernard Korir, who succeeded David Gikaria.

Joseph Andere retained the Nyanza seat after managing to get 79 votes, ahead of his only competitor Laban Jobita, who managed just five.

The new office will now be focused on helping Kenya continue growing in football with the 2026 World Cup a target.

However, the main focus will now shift on the Harambee Stars Africa Cup of Nations qualifier double-header against Comoros.

Later on, the focus will be on the FKF Premier League which will start on November 20. AFC Leopards will be playing Western Stima in the 2020/21 opener. 

Everton winger Yannick Bolasie is disappointed after missing out on a move to Middlesbrough on the English transfer deadline day.

The Championship club were close to signing the 31-year-old on loan but could not conclude the process before 17:00 on Friday.

Bolasie was hoping to reunite with manager Neil Warnock whom he played under at Crystal Palace after finding it difficult to break into the Everton first-team.

He will now to shift his focus to maintaining fitness in training because he has not made any Everton’s match day squad this season.

“Disappointed the deal couldn’t get done in time... Signed and sent off, waited till 19.00 with real hope,” Bolasie tweeted.

“From my end I know I was willing to give up a lot... All I want to do is say thank you to Neil Warnock (appreciate you so much) and wish Middlesbrough all the best this season.

“But now my focus is back on Everton and continuing to work hard everyday like I have been and if I’m called upon I’ll be ready to do whatever is necessary.

“Real ones know I speak from the heart nothing more nothing less.”

Bolasie claimed Middlesbrough are not to blame for the failed move because they just did not beat the deadline.

“Nothing like that at all... Backroom at Boro have been great and tried to get everything done, we just couldn’t make the cut off... Gaffer’s vision and belief in me is why I wanted to come,” he replied to a fan who blamed the club.

“Only messaged this as I can’t have any negativity on boro end.”

Earlier this month, Everton boss Carlo Ancelotti disclosed that there is no space for the 31-year-old whose last competitive outing for Everton came in May 2018.

“He is doing well, training well and professionally,” the Italian manager said of Bolasie.

“He is not part of the squad, he can train with us if he's not able to find a club by the end of market and if he stays we will train him.

"But I said to him we have a big squad and unfortunately, there is no space for him."

Barcelona boss Ronald Koeman has reiterated his desire to sign Memphis Depay from Lyon.

The former Manchester United attacker had seemed destined to switch to Camp Nou before the transfer deadline of October 5, but the deal was never done.

While Memphis has indicated that his thoughts are fixed on firing OL back into the Champions League after they missed out this season, his former boss at international level has doubled down on his desire to secure the 26-year-old’s services before his contract expires next summer.

Asked by AD if he was prepared to move for the player in January, he replied: “It’s a possibility. I will try because I want to have him at Barcelona, but I can’t know what the financial situation of the club will be then. We’ll have to wait.”

Finances were one of the big stumbling blocks that prevented the deal taking place, with Barca unable to move on Ousmane Dembele, while Philippe Coutinho remained at the club.

Meanwhile, a departure for Antoine Griezmann has also been mooted as the World Cup winner went public on his complaints over Koeman’s use of him out of position on the right of the attack.

“Everything was ready but due to La Liga rules we knew we had to sell a player first,” Koeman confirmed. “In the end, that didn’t happen. We wanted Memphis because he’s a great player and because he’s got qualities that I think we lack, including an ability to play with depth in his game.”

The player, meanwhile, commented on Friday: “I’m very happy to be at Lyon. I’m proud to be a Lyon player and the captain. Things have been misunderstood. What’s said in the media is not always true. It’s true that some clubs were interested in me and came forward, but in the end no deal was done.”

When he was asked about the possibility of a January move, he replied: “That’s in four months, we’ll see. My thoughts are with Lyon.”

Barcelona, who are fifth in La Liga having won two and drawn one, travel to Getafe on Saturday before hosting Ferencvaros in the Champions League and then Real Madrid in El Clasico next weekend. 

Arsenal no longer make trips to the likes of Manchester City filled with “dread”, says Alan Smith, saying Mikel Arteta has rebuilt confidence and removed the fear of getting “embarrassed”.

The Gunners’ record on the road against fellow members of the Premier League’s ‘big six’ makes for uncomfortable reading. Away form has been an issue for some time, but the north London outfit have found the going particularly tough in fixtures that matter most.

Arteta is starting to turn that tide, with Liverpool and City among the scalps he has claimed in league and cup competition, and Smith sees cause for optimism in what could be a “funny season” for the Gunners.

 “I think Arsenal fans will be looking forward to this one [against City on Saturday]. More so than a year ago when going to the places of the big boys would have filled them with a bit of dread as to whether they were going to get turned over, embarrassed even,” former Arsenal striker Smith told Sky Sports.

“Nowadays, win lose or draw, Arsenal fans are fairly confident they'll go up there prepared, organised, and they'll give City a good game.

"Arteta has come a long way in a short space of time. As a coach, individually, and also in charge of that Arsenal team that is pushing in the right direction.

“It's that attention to detail first of all and the demand for high standards week in, week out, and day in, day out on the training ground [which Arteta has in common with Pep Guardiola]. That's the mark of a good coach, always pushing his team.

“It's getting those players to buy into that project. It's not so easy these days, you've got independent footballers that can go one way or the other if they don't feel the manager is the right man and they don't get a sense he's doing the right thing.

“Everyone at Arsenal wants to be a part of Arteta's way forward and if they're buying into it, that's a great asset, a great strength to have.

“It would be a statement to go up there and get a win. Obviously they lost at Liverpool and nobody was all that surprised by that, least of all Arteta. There's still a gap there, a sizeable one.

“The early results suggest it might be a funny season without the fans, we've already seen some strange results and we might get some more. I'm not suggesting we'll get a shock with Leicester winning the title but Arsenal should improve quite significantly on that eighth-place finish last season. I don't think there's any doubt about that.

“Quite rightly they're aiming for a top-four finish to get them back in the big time, back into Champions League football where they were for a couple of decades or more. That's the challenge.

"They've obviously won a trophy with the FA Cup last season, which was wonderful, but to get into that top four that would really make a statement in Arteta's first full season.”

Harambee Stars midfielder Collins Shichenje has signed a two-year contract extension with AFC Leopards.

Shichenje becomes the third player to sign a deal that will see him stay at the Kenyan Premier League side after Washington Munene and goalkeeper Benjamin Ochan.

“Defensive midfielder [Collins] Sichenje has extended his stay at AFC Leopards after putting pen to paper on a new one-year deal at the den,” AFC Leopards announced.

The teenager became an instant first-teamer at AFC Leopards after signing his first deal in 2019 from the then National Super League side Green Commandos.

He launched his career while still studying at Kakamega High School.

Just like Ochan, Shichenje has made it clear that his primary target is to help AFC Leopards win the Premier League title.

“My target this season is, together with my teammates, help the team lift the league title,” he told the club’s website.

“Personally, I want to be among the best performances in the league as well. I also want to urge our fans not to relent on their support.”

Although the youngster arrived as a midfielder, he ended up playing more games as a centre-back, especially when captain Robinson Kamura and Robert Ayala were sidelined by injuries.

Shichenje managed to keep a regular position under both Casa Mbungo and Anthony Kimani in the 2019/20 season that was cancelled in May.

A recent injury kept him out of national team duty after he had been called up by Francis Kimanzi ahead of the Zambia friendly tie at Nyayo Stadium. According to the club, he is expected to be out for six weeks.

AFC Leopards have opted to make public deals of the players they intend to keep for the seasons ahead while the fans are eagerly waiting to see who the new players will arrive.

Muzamiru Mutyaba, Fabrice Mugheni and Harrison Mwendwa are, however, the players who have agreed to sign for Ingwe, according to a source at the club.

The club is also expected to appoint Tomas Trucha as the new head coach as Kimani – who was serving on an interim capacity since December 2019 – is expected to take leave and pursue further studies.

Cedric Bakambu scored a brace to inspire Beijing Guoan to a comeback 2-2 draw against Shandong Luneng in Saturday’s Chinese Super League Championship playoff quarter-finals.

The forward has been in superb form for the Imperial Guards in this campaign and again shone against the Team Mount Tai.

The forward was handed a starting role in the encounter and delivered a five-star performance to help his side avoid defeat ahead of their second leg outing.

Beijing Guoan started the game on the back foot, allowing Graziano Pelle to open the scoring in the 25th minute from the penalty spot.

Twelve minutes later, Jingdao Jin doubled Shandong Luneng’s lead after receiving a sumptuous assist from Junmin Hao.   

After the restart, Bakambu reduced the deficit in the 48th minute, converting from the penalty spot.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo international then completed his brace in the 69th minute after receiving a timely pass from Lei Li.

Besides his goal, Bakambu, who featured for 89 minutes, had 24 touches and had a 66% successful pass rate in the encounter.

The forward has now scored 13 goals for the Imperial Guards this season in only 15 league appearances, amid other dazzling displays.

He will hope to help his side progress into the semi-finals when they meet Shandong Luneng in the second leg on October 22.

Bakambu has been with Beijing Guoan since 2018 when he teamed up with the side from Spanish club Villarreal and helped them win the 2018 Chinese FA Cup title.

The forward currently has 29 caps for DR Congo and was part of the side at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt.

Gareth Bale is “not an idiot” and rejoined Tottenham over making a move to China or MLS because he believes he has “something left in the tank”, says Jamie Redknapp.

The Wales international has retraced his steps to north London from Real Madrid. Despite collecting an enviable haul of trophies in Spain, including two La Liga titles and four Champions League crowns, the 32-year-old became a scapegoat for many at Santiago Bernabeu.

A move had been on the cards for some time prior to finally pushing through a season-long loan in the summer of 2020.

Bale could make his second debut for Spurs when they take in a derby date with West Ham on Sunday, with a niggling knee injury having been overcome.

Redknapp is among those expecting a global superstar to shine back on a Premier League stage, saying there is every reason to believe that an old spark can be rekindled.

The former Spurs midfielder told Paddy Power: “There’s a really simple reason why I believe Bale will work at Tottenham: he’s not an idiot.

“I don’t think he’s the type of guy that would put himself on offer unless he thought it would work. He could have gone anywhere, to America, to China, to Man United, wherever he wanted, but he chose Tottenham because he knows he has something left in the tank.

“It’s great news for the fans, too, and if he can even get a little bit of the form he had before he went to Real Madrid then, honestly, anything is possible. Because he is such an amazing talent, there’s nothing he can’t do.”

Bale is set to form part of a star-studded attack at Tottenham alongside Harry Kane and Heung-min Son, with Redknapp of the opinion that Mourinho now boasts the most fearsome frontline in the English top-flight.

He added: “If those three can hit it off, then that’s the best forward line in the country. We all think about [Mohamed] Salah, [Roberto] Firmino and [Sadio] Mane but all three of those for Spurs have goals in them.

“They could be amazing. I genuinely can’t wait to see how those three forwards gel, it has the potential to be unreal.”

Liverpool attacker Mohamed Salah has scored his 100th goal for the club, with the strike coming against Merseyside derby rivals Everton.

The Egypt international had seen Michael Keane wipe out Sadio Mane’s opening goal before a half-cleared cross fell to him in the box. Salah struck a crisp first-time shot with his left foot that picked out the corner of the net.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin subsequently levelled for the Toffees once more on a Goodison Park afternoon that saw the sides share the spoils in a 2-2 draw.

It was Salah's 100th goal in just 138 appearances for the club, in which he has helped them to a Champions League crown and a Premier League title – as well as runners-up positions in both of those illustrious competitions.

In addition to his remarkable tally of goals, he has also chalked up 38 assists in those outings.

Signed from Roma in the summer of 2017, the former Chelsea forward began explosively as he scored 32 goals in 36 Premier League matches of the 2018 campaign to bag the Golden Boot.

It was during that season the Reds made the final of the Champions League, yet Salah’s match was cut short after clashing with Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos in an infamous encounter remembered for Loris Karius’ two dramatic errors and Gareth Bale’s fine overhead kick.

Although he was unable to perform to any meaningful level at the 2018 World Cup due to the ensuing shoulder problem, he struck 22 times in 38 matches for the Reds the in the following campaign as they narrowly missed out on the league title.

It proved to be third time lucky for Salah with Jurgen Klopp’s side in the 2019-20 season as they ran away with the title, winning it at a record early point in the season.

Although the 28-year-old netted 19 Premier League goals last term for the Reds – his lowest tally in three seasons – he has started the new campaign in formidable form and has six goals to his credit already.

He struck a hat-trick on the opening day against Leeds, including a dramatic late penalty that won a seven-goal thriller, and then netted twice against Aston Villa in a remarkable 7-2 loss before the international break.

He saved his 100th goal for the Merseyside derby, however, and Reds fans will expect there is much more to come from their star man in the months ahead.