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Mamelodi Sundowns attacker Gaston Sirino says Mamelodi Sundowns “showed character” when they clawed their way back into contention for the Premier Soccer League (PSL) title which they clinched last week.

After trailing Kaizer Chiefs for the better part of the season, Sundowns made a remarkable comeback to snatch the league title which appeared to be in Amakhosi’s grip.

It was on the final day of the season when Downs overtook Chiefs who had led the standings for 28 games.

The Tshwane giants could now complete the season with a treble if they beat Bloemfontein Celtic in Saturday’s Nedbank Cup final.

“At Sundowns it is all about winning, the moment you join the club, that is instilled in your DNA,” Sirino told the Sundowns website.

“It doesn’t matter who your opponents are, we are all about winning. It feels good to win trophies, we are about that. We have two trophies already and we are going to fight for the third one.

“It will be a great way to close the season, it was a tough season for everyone and we showed character and we fought all the way. Now we have the last game and we go rest and prepare for next season.”

It would be Sundowns’ chase for a second Nedbank crown under coach Pitso Mosimane, who led them to the triumph of South Africa’s premier knockout competition in 2015.

Twelve Sundowns players have won the Cup before. But Downs’ domestic treble ambitions face a serious threat from Celtic, who are unbeaten since football resumed in South Africa following a coronavirus-induced break.

Playing under the tutelage of John Maduka, Celtic have become a more competitive side.

The Free State side do not lack players who have won the Nedbank Cup before, with midfielder Lucky Baloyi lifting during his days at Kaizer Chiefs in 2013.

Captain Ndumiso Mabena is a two-time Nedbank Cup winner, claiming it with Orlando Pirates in 2011 and 2014.

Congolese forward Harris Tchilimbou won it two seasons ago with Free State Stars.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has confirmed Harry Maguire will keep the captain's armband at Manchester United.

The England centre-back was found guilty under Greek law of aggravated assault, resisting arrest and repeated attempts of bribery after an altercation with police on the Greek island of Mykonos, but his 21 months and 10 days prison sentence was suspended.

Maguire has since lodged an appeal and is expected to have a retrial, while the Greek prosecutor has criticised him for refusing to apologise for the incident.

Solskjaer commended the 27-year-old for the way he has reacted to the situation and says he sees no reason to strip him of the captaincy.

"Of course, Harry, as you said, had a difficult summer. He didn’t have a long break," he said in an interview with MUTV.

"His break was different to others as we gave him a few more days and, after, he’s come back and looked fine.

"He’s handled it really well and, of course, I’ll be here to support him. He is going to be our captain. We’ll just leave Harry and his people and the process to run.

"For me, he is a top, an absolute top human being and has always been a positive guy with the right values. So I really hope we can see Harry performing at his best."

Meanwhile, United midfielder Paul Pogba has been forced to miss training sessions as the Red Devils prepare for the new season, having tested positive for Covid-19.

But the Norwegian is confident the France star will return to full fitness and hopes to be able to include him in their opening game of the season.

“Paul’s had a couple of training sessions so he’s lost out on a few sessions because of the virus, of course," he added.

"But Paul is quick to get fit. Of course, he worked really hard to get back after lockdown last time and played the majority of the games. Hopefully, he’ll be ready for next weekend. I am not 100 per cent sure though.”

United's Premier League campaign will begin next week when they welcome Crystal Palace to Old Trafford.

Temwa Chawinga was on target as Wuhan maintained their unbeaten record after defeating Barbra Banda's Shanghai Shengli 3-0 in a Chinese Women's Super League encounter on Saturday.

After a 1-1 draw with Changchun Dazhong, Wuhan were keen to secure a win to halt Shanghai's winning run for the first time, having fallen two points behind the league leaders.

On their part, Shanghai aimed to keep up their fantastic momentum against Wuhan after opening a two-point gap at the top following Wednesday's 4-1 triumph over Beijing Phoenix.

The Southern African stars have been impressive on their first outings for their respective clubs in the Chinese top-flight, with Malawi striker Chawinga scoring three goals in six games for Wuhan.

While Zambia star Banda has found the back of the net eight times for Shanghai, with one behind topscorer Changchun's Sole Jaimes after Wednesday's hat-trick against Beijing in Kunming.

Chawinga opened the scoring with her individual brilliance to break the deadlock for Wuhan in the top-of-the-table clash with Shanghai.

Hopes for a possible comeback were buried for Shanghai when Wang Shuang and Lu Yueyun also got on the scoresheet to condemn the leaders to their first defeat of the season.

Before the final whistle, chaos broke out on the pitch when Camilla attacked Wu Haiyan from behind after the Brazilian was sent off.

Banda lasted the duration for Shanghai but could not add to her tally nor save her side from their first defeat of the campaign.

Chawinga bagged her fourth goal of the season to ensure Wuhan remain the only unbeaten side in the competition after seven matches.

With this result, Chawinga's Wuhan are top of the standings of the Chinese top-flight with 19 points from seven games, while Banda's Shanghai dropped to second with 18 points from the same number of ties.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer says Manchester United are open to doing “some business” before the summer window closes.

The Red Devils have been relatively quiet on the recruitment front so far.

Speculation is rife at Old Trafford, but Netherlands international midfielder Donny van de Beek is the only fresh face to have joined the ranks.

More movement is expected, with United eager to build on the foundations they put down in 2019-20.

Funds are, however, in short supply amid the uncertainty caused by the coronavirus outbreak and Solskjaer has no transfer war chest to work with.

He is, however, continuing to scour the market for shrewd additions – as talk of a possible move for Borussia Dortmund winger Jadon Sancho rumbles on – and the Norwegian is hoping to get bodies on board before the October 5 deadline.

He told MUTV of his transfer plans: “It’s been a strange time and a strange world.

“Financially, I’m sure loads of clubs have suffered. It looks like it as there has not been a lot of activity in the window.

“We’re always looking to improve the squad, scouting players and, if something fits, both the financial bit and the football bit, of course we’ll try to make some business.

“But we can’t know how the markets and how other clubs have been affected either.”

While it remains to be seen whether United can get any more deals wrapped up, Solskjaer is delighted to have pushed through the £35 million ($46m) acquisition of Van de Beek.

He joins an already well-stocked midfield department, but the 23-year-old is being tipped to add extra quality to the Red Devils’ squad.

Solskjaer said of his latest signing: “He’s been training only a couple of days but he’s a bright, bubbly character.

“He wants to learn and the first few signs are positive, not that I doubted that one because I’ve followed him for a few years, of course.

“He’s been a talented youngster and now we felt he was ready to come here. He felt it was the best place to come so, for us, it’s a good transfer.”

United will open their 2020-21 campaign at home to Crystal Palace on September 19.

Lionel Messi is in the Barcelona squad for Saturday's friendly with Gimnastic, but Luis Suarez and Arturo Vidal will not be involved.

Captain Messi is in line to appear in Ronald Koeman's first match in charge despite having tried to engineer a move away from Barca in the past month.

The Argentina star decided to stay at Camp Nou for the final season of his deal rather than threaten Barca with a lawsuit, having tried unsuccessfully to argue that the clause allowing him to terminate his contract was still valid.

Messi felt he was able to make use of that clause because the 2019-20 season was extended by the coronavirus pandemic, but Barca and La Liga insisted the timeframe in which he would have had to activate it had elapsed.

While Messi is now committed to the club for at least another year, the futures of Vidal and Suarez are far less certain.

Suarez is reported to have been told by Koeman on the phone that he can leave, although AS claim the new Barca coach also made it clear that selling the striker was not his decision.

The Uruguay international has been heavily linked with Juventus, who have allowed Gonzalo Higuain to leave ahead of an expected move to Inter Miami.

Vidal, meanwhile, has been tipped to join Inter to reunite with former Juve boss Antonio Conte.

Barca face Gimnastic at Estadi Johan Cruyff on Saturday in the first of their pre-season fixtures, before playing Girona next Wednesday.

Philippe Coutinho is in the squad, having returned from a loan spell with Bayern Munich, while Francisco Trincao and Pedri could make their first appearances for the club.

Although not selected in the 25-man squad, new signing Miralem Pjanic trained with the Blaugrana for the first time on Saturday.

The midfielder, who joined from Juventus in a deal that could cost up to €65 million (£59m/$73m),  tested positive for Covid-19 last month and did not arrive in Barcelona until Thursday.

Barcelona posted photos of Pjanic and Jean-Clair Todibo, who has also been kept away from the team after a positive coronavirus test, being put through their paces.

Alongside the images, the club wrote: "[Pjanic] and [Todibo] have received the medical green light after recovering from Covid-19, and have already trained at the Ciutat Esportiva."

Barca are due to begin their Liga season against Villarreal in 15 days' time.

The Premier League returns on Saturday after a brief interlude, with Liverpool and Leeds United locking horns in one of the more intriguing opening matches of the 2020-21 season.

Jurgen Klopp's side are, of course, defending champions having cruised to glory last term, leaving Manchester City and Co. trailing in their wake, and they are very much the team to beat this season.

Last season was similarly momentous for Leeds, who ended a 16-year exile from the Premier League by winning the Championship in remarkable style under the stewardship of the inimitable Marcelo Bielsa.

A meeting with the Reds at Anfield is certainly a baptism of fire for their return to the top table, but it will be an occasion to relish for the Yorkshire club and their loyal fans nonetheless.

Liverpool vs Leeds United live streaming in UK

In the United Kingdom (UK), Liverpool versus Leeds United will be available to stream live online using NOW TV.

Fans will be able to watch the game by signing up for a NOW TV Day Pass - which gives access to all Sky Sports channels for 24 hours at a price of £9.99. NOW TV is also offering for a special offer of £25 per month for 12 months - a saving of over 25 per cent - for a limited time.

You can sign up for a NOW TV Day Pass here.

Liverpool vs Leeds United on UK TV

Liverpool vs Leeds United will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Premier League and Sky Sports Main Event in the UK.

The showdown between the Reds and the Whites will also be available to watch on Sky Sports Ultra HD.

Liverpool team news & injuries

Jordan Henderson is expected to miss the game as he continues to recover from injury. The captain has returned to training, but is unlikely to be match ready.

“We will see how he develops," said Klopp ahead of the game. "[There are] a few days until Leeds [and we will see] how the boys come back from the national teams.”

Joel Matip could feature, however, having regained fitness following a period on the sidelines. New signing Kostas Tsimikas is a doubt due to illness, but will be hoping to push for inclusion in the squad.

Possible Liverpool starting XI: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, Van Dijk, Robertson; Fabinho, Wijnaldum, Keita; Salah, Firmino, Mane.

Leeds United team news & injuries

The return to full fitness of Kalvin Phillips is a major boost for Leeds and the midfielder, who missed last season's promotion run-in, will be available to play having reported for England duty.

However, the concerns remain over the fitness levels of Adam Forsaw, who is still working back from a lengthy lay-off.

With Ben White returning to parent club Brighton, new signing Robin Koch could potentially slot in to the defence, while another new signing, Rodrigo, will be vying for a start ahead of Patrick Bamford in attack.

Possible Leeds starting XI: Casilla; Koch, Ayling, Cooper; Dallas, Struijk, Klich, Harrison, Phillips, Hernandez; Bamford.

Premier League games on NOW TV this week

NOW TV Day Pass subscribers will have six top Premier League games to watch this weekend.

The big Liverpool vs Leeds match on Saturday is followed by West Ham vs Newcastle United, with two similarly matched sides looking to kickstart the new season with a win.

Is Saturday's games don't appeal, Sunday features two must-watch matches starting with top-four challengers Leicester City against newly promoted West Brom.

Afterwards, Jose Mourinho pits his wits against Carlo Ancelotti later on Sunday afternoon as Tottenham welcome Everton to north London. Both teams have bolstered their squads in the summer and it should be a fascinating meeting of managerial minds.

Alternatively, Chelsea and Brighton will also be available to stream live on NOW TV on Monday evening, following a clash between two clubs who chased European football in 2019-20: Sheffield United and Wolves.

If UK football fans want a full weekend and beyond on Sky then NOW TV's offer of £25 a month for 12 months will ensure you don't miss any of the Premier League action.

Gor Mahia coach Steven Polack has confirmed he will be back to discharge his duties at the club and that he has not left for good as others may perceive.

The Finnish left the country on Friday night for a 10-day holiday with his family in Finland. Of late, the tactician has publicly expressed his dissatisfaction with the way some of the decisions are made.

His predecessors Dylan Kerr, Hassan Oktay, and Ze Maria had initially used a 'holiday' reason to exit the Kenyan Premier League (KPL) giants.

"If it is all about leaving, I could have told them I am not coming back," Polack told Goal.

"I am not a coward to leave and not to come back. I have a two-way ticket; after finishing my business with family at home, Gor Mahia will be my next step in preparations for the 2020/21 KPL season."

The tactician has also stated he is not worried by the exit of players. David Mapigano left the club for the Tanzania Mainland League giants while Dickson Ambundo opted to join promoted side Dodoma Jiji FC. 

Assistant captain Joash Onyango was signed by champions Simba SC while Bonface Omondi opted for Wazito FC.

"We cannot force any player to stay and play for Gor Mahia," Polack continued.

"At the end of the day, the club is always bigger than any individual. We will rebuild with the remaining players as well as the new signings. It is not a big deal, we will rise again."

The KPL might resume in October, and the tactician has revealed players are already preparing.

"We are training in small groups to ensure players return to full fitness before the season starts. The small groups are meant to keep social distancing and at the same time ensure players gain." 

The 2019/20 season was annulled by Football Kenya Federation (FKF) on April 30. Gor Mahia were crowned and given the right to represent the country in the Caf Champions League.

Chemelil Sugar were relegated from the top-tier alongside fellow Sugar Millers Sony Sugar.

Nairobi City Stars and Bidco were also promoted to the KPL.

Kevin De Bruyne says he does not care that Manchester City were unable to sign Lionel Messi from Barcelona this summer.

The Premier League side became the favourites to land the 33-year-old attacker after he made it clear that he wanted to leave Camp Nou in a free transfer.

But the Argentina star decided to remain at the club for another year after they insisted they would not let him go unless his €700 milion release clause was paid.

Although De Bruyne understands why City wanted to reunite Messi with coach Pep Guardiola, he insists the squad is already good enough and is not wasting time wondering what might have been.

"I really don’t care. I really don’t. If he would have come it would have helped us because, for me, he has been the best player of all time," the Belgium international told The Daily Mail.

"But I am never looking at what players may come and what may happen, you know.

"You play with the players you have and I think we have a pretty good team in that respect. It would be stupid of me to assume what would happen if a certain player came. It happens in football all the time. People are supposed to come and eventually they don’t."

City would have had to pay Messi astronomical wages to convince him to make the move to England, but De Bruyne reckons they would have made that money back in no time.

"If you can get Messi to your team you are always going to do it. I can see it from a playing perspective and especially as a club," he added.

"Business wise, the amount of sponsors and money it would have attracted would have been huge.

"Even if you would have paid him a load of money, in a certain way you would get it all back. So I could understand the decision in that respect."

De Bruyne has spent four years working with coach Guardiola and has become accustomed to the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss' unique playing philosophy.

However, he admitted that he occasionally wants to try a different style.

"The way he looks at football is different to how many people look at football. He has his philosophy and he stays with it and doesn’t change," he said.

"There is Plan A and there is Plan A. There is no Plan B. For a lot of people that’s difficult to understand. 

"[Wanting a change] can happen in your mind but afterwards you know that Plan A mostly works for us.

"I think everybody is really confident [in the plan] though you are always going to say in any moment of time in a game that you want this or this. Or we should do that.

"But that happens in every club. It’s good to have these discussions because you just need to win the game and sometimes the coach can say whatever he wants.

"If a player just does something and it helps the team win he will be happy."

Former East Bengal goalkeeper Sandip Nandy expressed his delight at East Bengal securing a new investor in Shree Cement Limited and their imminent entry into India’s top tier league from the 2020-21 season.

Nandy mentioned how the Red and Golds fans were anxious about their club’s participation in the Indian Super League (ISL) and how this news comes as a huge relief to them.

“The East Bengal fans had been waiting eagerly to see their club in the ISL even more after Mohun Bagan had joined the league after their merger with ATK. There were several problems and at what point of time everyone had lost hope but now the arrival of an investor comes as a huge relief for everyone,” said the former India international to Goal.

Nandy also spoke about how the inclusion of East Bengal and ATK Mohun Bagan will boost the popularity of the league. He hopes that the third Kolkata giants Mohammedan Sporting also ends up joining the ISL in the future. Mohammedan are currently playing in the Second Division I-League.

It must be noted that I-League winners will get "direct slots" in the top-tier ISL in 2022 and 2023. And from 2024-25, promotion and relegation between ISL and I-League will be in effect as well.

“It is very good that East Bengal has also joined the ISL. I have been telling this from a very long time that when ISL is the top league of the country it should have the two top teams in the country that is East Bengal and Mohun Bagan.

"ISL has been running for six years and now the two Kolkata clubs have joined so the league will understand the value of having these two clubs. It is a great thing for Indian football and I hope Mohammedan Sporting will also eventually qualify for the ISL in future.”

The former Kerala Blasters goalkeeper suggested that Kolkata Derby which is one of the biggest derbies in world football will enhance the viewership of the ISL.

“ISL, of course, has been very successful in the last six seasons, but the Kolkata derby, which is one of the biggest derbies in the world, will be a great addition to the league this season. The passion which is involved in the Kolkata derby is second to none.

“This year, unfortunately, there will be no fans to witness the derby in the stadium due to the pandemic but the viewership of the league will be very high,” said the veteran goalkeeper.

Star Liverpool forward Sadio Mane is in red hot form right now, having helped the Reds end their Premier League title drought in style last season.

With 18 goals and seven assists, Mane's brilliance upfront was a key asset to Jurgen Klopp's outstanding team that won the league at a canter. There are no doubts that Mane is among the best in the world right now.

In fact, the Senegalese was ranked No.4 behind Lionel Messi, Virgil Van Dijk and Cristiano Ronaldo in the 2019 Ballon d'Or rankings and his form has not waned even in 2020.

Fellow Senegalese Armand Traore is of the opinion that Mane has already achieved the 'greatest of all time' honour for his country. Traore, who is a product of the Arsenal academy, feels Mane has definitely surpassed Senegalese hero from the 2002 World Cup and former Liverpool striker El Hadji Diouf.

"I do believe that Sadio is the best Senegalese player ever, yes." Traore told Goal. He felt that despite Diouf starring in Senegal's run to the quarter-finals of the 2002 World Cup, Mane's work ethic, humility and the amount of silverware he has won tilts the scales in his favour.

"In terms of ability, Senegalese people would argue that El Hadji Diouf could be the best because he did make the whole nation dream in that 2002 World Cup which people remember to this day.

"But Sadio's obvious talent, his work ethic and most importantly his humility puts him ahead. Coupled with the fact that he is winning a lot of trophies and putting Senegal back on the map, I do believe that he is quickly becoming the best Senegalese player ever. That’s if he is not already."

Traore made his senior debut for Arsenal in 2006 in a League Cup fixture against West Brom. He featured heavily in the competition as Arsenal beat Liverpool 6-3 en route the final where they were beaten by Chelsea. Traore played as the left-back in those games.

He would go on to make several appearances for the club in the Premier League before going on loan to Portsmouth and Serie A giants Juventus. He would then move permanently away from the Emirates stadium in 2011 to join Queens Park Rangers.

"My time at Arsenal was great. I was coached by two legends of the game in Arsene Wenger and Steve Bould. I got to play in the Champions League and train with absolutely amazing players.

"I got to play for Portsmouth in the Premier League and was involved in a great European game against AC Milan at Fratton Park. Juventus was an amazing experience although it was slightly marred by off field family issues. Overall it was nothing but good memories."

Traore left the Gunners in 2011 after featuring in a 8-2 humiliation against Manchester United. It was a period when a lot of star names departed the Emirates like Cesc Fabregas, Samir Nasri and Robin van Persie (2012). However, the Senegalese feels that the result against the Red Devils was not the reason he moved to QPR.

In fact, he says he would never have played in that game if Bacary Sagna had been fit.

"That transfer window was a bit strange indeed. A lot of senior players left and maybe there was a shift in ideas that summer. I’m not sure and it is not really for me to speak on that.

"A lot of people might think that I was sold because of the Man United game but in reality my move was already agreed and I was supposed to have my medical at QPR before that game. But Bacary Sagna was ill so the boss (Arsene Wenger) needed me in the squad for the game. So we pushed the medical back for the day after the game."

Traore also had high praises for the current Gunners' boss - Mikel Arteta - who joined Arsenal just before Traore left. The 30-year-old feels Arteta had impressed Wenger even during his time at Everton.

"I believe the fact that the boss signed him and he pretty much made an impact instantly proves to me that the boss rated him highly as a player.

"Arteta was a fantastic player who caused a lot of problems for many years for teams in the Premier League. Arsene Wenger would have taken notes on Arteta whenever Arsenal played Everton. So I believe he rated him, yes."

Traore, who is looking forward to a new chapter in his career after ending his stint in Turkey, picks that fateful match against Manchester City on the final matchday of the 2011-12 Premier League season as one of his favourite moments from his career.

Traore was involved as QPR were beaten dramatically by two injury time goals from Edin Dzeko and Sergio Aguero that saw Manchester City win their first ever Premier League title. Though Traore ended up on the losing side, the fact that QPR were not relegated helped him savour a historic occasion.

"It (my career) has been overall pretty enjoyable. I have been involved in two promotions with QPR and Cardiff and the play-off final at Wembley was particularly enjoyable.

"Playing in the Premier League and being involved on the day that Man City won their first title in many years was a good moment because we stayed up and Man City won the league. So it was smiles all around. You do have ups and downs but that is part of being a football player."

Armando Colaco feels that the rivalry between Mohun Bagan and East Bengal will be the marquee clash of the Indian Super League (ISL) henceforth.

Even though Mohun Bagan have entered the ISL after a merger with ATK, the Goan insists that East Bengal's presence in the ISL will just spice up the rivalry between the traditional giants of Kolkata football.

"The ISL is now the number one league of the country and everyone wants to be there. Everyone wants the big piece of cake and that is where the rivalry of Mohun Bagan and East Bengal will continue," Colaco told Goal. 

"When Mohun Bagan got into the ISL, East Bengal also had to get there. They (East Bengal) approached Mamata Banerjee's government to get it (possible ISL spot)," he added as the Red and Golds recently roped in Shree Cement Limited as their investors before picking up the ISL bid.

"The rivalry is great but it is not going to be ATK and somebody else but Mohun Bagan and East Bengal and people love that. There is not going to be a crowd bigger than the one you get for a Mohun Bagan vs East Bengal match in Kolkata," he exclaimed.

Colaco, who has coached East Bengal for around two seasons between 2013 and 2015, touched upon his derby memories.

"You can lose to anyone but you cannot afford to lose the (Kolkata) derby. People start coming to the stadium from the morning of the game. I have experienced it first hand and I am proud that I never lost against Mohun Bagan," said Colaco who has never lost a Kolkata derby as East Bengal coach.

The former Dempo coach is currently happy with life in Goa as technical director of Sesa Football Academy.

"I enjoyed the best of my coaching career and now I thank the directors of Sesa for my role over here. I get offers like the one from Peerless (Kolkata) and Ozone FC (Bengaluru) but I have grown very fond of my grandchild to leave Goa now," he concluded.

The 2020-21 edition of the Carabao Cup began in August, with Championship, League One and League Two sides entering the competition.

Manchester City lifted their seventh Carabao Cup and third title in a row after beating Aston Villa in the final in March.

This season's final will be played on February 28, 2021 at Wembley Stadium.

Goal has your complete guide, including participating teams, full draw information, fixture schedules and results.

Carabao Cup 2020-21 format

All 92 clubs competing in the Premier League and the English Football League enter the 2020-21 Carabao Cup, with participation distributed across the divisions.

The competition will be played over seven rounds, with single-leg ties throughout. The previous two-legged tie for the semi-final was scrapped in favour of one.

In round one, the draw was split into northern and southern clubs with 22 Championship sides and all League One and League Two clubs entering.

Carabao Cup 2020-21 third round

The likes of Arsenal, Chelsea, Leicester City, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur were automatically registered for the third round due to their participation in European competitions.

The draw was conducted on September 6, and will be played the week commencing September 21.

Carabao Cup 2020-21 second round

Fifty teams are involved in round two of the Carabao Cup, including Premier League clubs that are not participating in European competition.

Like previous years, the draw was again split into 'northern' and 'southern' sections. The draw for the second round was made on September 6.

Carabao Cup 2020-21 first round

Seventy clubs participated in the first round, with 24 teams from League Two (tier four), 24 from League One (tier three), and 22 from the Championship (tier two).

The draw was divided between 'northern' and 'southern' sections. Teams were drawn against a team from the same section.

Carabao Cup 2020-21 on TV

In the United Kingdom, the Carabao Cup will be broadcast and live-streamed on Sky Sports.

In the United States, the competition will be shown on ESPN channels.

Carabao Cup 2020-21 rules

As was the case in 2019-20, extra-time will be abandoned for all rounds except for the final, with ties advancing straight to penalties in the event that the score is a draw at the end of regular time.

This was introduced in order to limit issues of "additional fatigue", as Carabao Cup fixtures typically take place in the middle of the week.

The ABBA penalty system trial was also eliminated, with the format for penalty shoot-outs now reverting to the standard ABAB penalty-taker order.

Seeding has also been removed from the first two rounds.

Video assistant refereeing (VAR) will continue to be in use in fixtures played at Premier League grounds.

Additionally, this will mark the first instance in which the winner will also qualify for the play-offs of the brand-new Europa Conference League, instead of the second qualifying round of the Europa League.

All ties will be played as single legs.

Will away goals count in the Carabao Cup semi-finals?

If both teams are level after the end of full-time during the second leg of either of the semi-final ties, the game will go directly to a penalty shoot-out with a no away goals rule implemented - a rule which began in 2018-19.

Previously, the away-goal rule was used in the semi-final stage in the same manner as it is in the Champions League knockout rounds. If, for instance, the away team scored a goal in the first leg that ended in a 1-1 draw, with the second leg ending 0-0, then that team would have progressed to the final courtesy of the away-goals rule.

Now, no such rule will be considered and second-leg stalemates will be decided ultimately by a penalty shoot-out.

Why is the League Cup called the Carabao Cup?

Until 2016, the tournament was named the English Football League Cup (EFL Cup) instead of the League Cup, following the rebranding of the Football League to the English Football League.

Officially, the EFL Cup is known as the Carabao Cup due to the energy drink being the tournament's official sponsors.

Prior to Carabao's sponsorship of the tournament starting from 2017, the competition was called the EFL Cup (2016-17), the Capital One Cup (2012-13 to 2015-16), the Carling Cup (sponsored by Molson Coors from 2003-04 to 2011-12), the Worthington Cup (sponsored by Worthington's from 1998-99 to 2002-03), and the Coca-Cola Cup (from 1992-93 to 1997-98).

Carabao & League Cup past winners

Liverpool have won the Carabao Cup the most times, winning their eighth in 2012 when they defeated Cardiff City on penalties.

Behind them are Man City, who lifted their seventh Carabao Cup in 2020 when they beat Aston Villa through penalty shootout. Manchester United, Aston Villa and Chelsea have all won the Carabao Cup five times each.

Tottenham and Nottingham Forest have both won the competition four times apiece.

Manchester United legend Gary Neville believes trouble is brewing at Old Trafford over who keeps goal in the coming season, with Dean Henderson’s return to the club putting David de Gea’s position in doubt.

The Spain international made several high-profile blunders last term but has long been regarded as one of the best shot-stoppers in the game, while Henderson enjoyed a breakout campaign at surprise package Sheffield United, where he spent the campaign on loan.

Neville does not believe Henderson will return to take De Gea’s spot, but he believes the additional competition spells trouble for United.

"The idea that Dean Henderson would come into Manchester United and replace David de Gea as No 1 goalkeeper straight away… it won't happen, I can guarantee it won't happen," Neville told Sky Sports' ‘FNF: Season Preview’.

"This has got 'problem' written all over it. The one area of the pitch where you need consistency and stability is your goalkeeper, you need to know who your No.1 is, you cannot be flip-flopping. It just does not work; I've never seen it work at any club or at international level.

"Where there is a decision to be made about two goalkeepers you have to pick your No.1, go with him and stick with him, even if there is a mistake.

"Once you take David de Gea out of the team and put Henderson in, you may as well forget about De Gea. That's coming from my experiences at United.

"The period between Peter Schmeichel and Edwin van der Sar we had Ricardo, Fabien Barthez, Mark Bosnich, Roy Carroll, Tim Howard, Massimo Taibi, many goalkeepers over a five- to six-year period and there was an inconsistency that certainly didn't help."

De Gea and Henderson were statistically closely matched last term, though Henderson had marginally the better numbers in terms of goal conceded and errors leading to goals.

The 23-year-old has been on United’s books since 2011, while he has spent much of his senior career out on loan at the likes of Stockport, Grimsby and Shrewsbury before joining the Blades.

Gio Reyna says he is looking forward to playing a bigger role for Borussia Dortmund this season following his breakthrough 2019-20 campaign.

The 17-year-old burst onto the scene last season, playing in the Bundesliga and Champions League and scoring a stunning goal against Werder Bremen in the DFB-Pokal.

Dortmund start the new season with a cup visit to Duisburg on Monday, before their first game of the Bundesliga campaign at home to Borussia Monchengladbach on September 19.

Reyna was pleased with his debut season but is keen to kick on and establish himself in the first team.

“The most important thing for me is confidence, which I’ve gotten a lot of over the last six weeks in pre-season,” Reyna told reporters.

“I’m doing well, I’ve gotten closer with a lot of the guys. They’ve really accepted me now and they expect me to have a big season for them too. I just think confidence is the biggest thing that’s improved for me.

“I learned a lot last season in my first six months in the Bundesliga, getting used to the professional speed of play and physicality.

“I think I made a big jump and I think everybody knows I’m ready to play more and have a bigger role in the team now.”

Reyna is also looking forward to lining up alongside fellow 17-year-old Jude Bellingham, who snubbed Manchester United to join Dortmund for €25 million (£23m/$29m) earlier in the summer.

“I’m ready for an exciting year – we know it’s going to be a long year because we have lots of games,” he said.

“I think we’re both going to get opportunities this year for sure, so it’s just about whether we take them or not.”

Dortmund have been boosted in recent days by the return to training of club talisman Marco Reus, following his latest injury outlay.

“Marco’s done so much for this club and is obviously a world-class player,” Reyna said.

“Of course there’s competition, and it’s healthy competition. It may not now be as easy [to get playing time] as when he was injured, but there are still so many positives to having him back in the team.

“I can still play in other positions and he can too. It’s not only him, we have other good attackers this season, so it’s against other guys as well. I’m happier to have him back than not.”

Jurgen Klopp vowed Liverpool will not "throw money away" as he hit back at the Premier League champions' transfer critics.

Liverpool finished 18 points clear at the top of the table last season but have been accused by some observers of sitting back after making just one signing so far this window.

Kostas Tsimikas was brought in from Olympiakos for £11.75 million ($15m) in August to provide competition for regular left-back Andy Robertson.

Bayern Munich midfielder Thiago Alcantara continues to be linked with a move to Anfield, but the Reds are reportedly unwilling to match his €30 million (£28m/$36m) valuation.

However, Klopp insisted he fully understands the lack of incomings ahead of the new campaign.

"Since I've been here, there has not been one transfer window where I've thought, 'If we don't get this player, we cannot start the season'. Not once," Klopp told Sky Sports .

"We are in a luxury situation that if we can bring somebody in, it will be a really good player, and if we don't, we have really good players.

"It's a little bit of theatre, this transfer business. In all the years I'm here it's always the same. That isn't to say we always did things right, we did things as good as we could do.

"It depends on different things - one is finding the player, one is having the money, and all of these kind of things.

"But I read this morning that somebody who saw my body language saw 'anxiety or anger' or things like this. Interesting! That starts really early, judging my body language!

"I expect that for the season, when we lose a game, when everybody will look if I'm still the funny guy I used to be in some press conferences when we won a game."

He added: "This club, since I am here, and before, spends what we earn. That was always the case. I don't know why this is so surprising now, it's nothing new.

"Pretty much everything we earn, we spend, if we have to in the moment. If not, we don't, because it makes no sense to throw money away.

"When I speak about the difficulty of the times we live in at the moment, people might think, 'Really? In football as well?'. Yes! Surprisingly enough, in football as well.

"Uncertainty means uncertainty for all of us. It must fit to the group. Influence from outside, which a transfer is, can help, 100 per cent. 

"If we can find the right player, it will probably happen, if not, then it won't."

Liverpool ended their 30-year wait for top-flight silverware in unique circumstances, playing their final nine games of last season behind closed doors due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Klopp is expecting the 2020-21 campaign to be even tougher for his side as they cope with the demands of playing in four competitions in a condensed period.

"It's a big one for all of us. I think it will be tough, tougher, the toughest probably," he said.

"In terms of being champions? Being Liverpool is always a challenge, wherever you go, they want to win anyway.

"Our challenge again will be to show again the greed, the desire, the mentality which we showed in the last years, to be successful again, as successful as possible."

Liverpool begin their Premier League title defence at home to promoted Leeds United on Saturday.