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Kaizer Chiefs kept their title hopes alive with a 1-0 win over Chippa United in a match which was played at Orlando Stadium on Wednesday night. 

Khama Billiat scored the only goal of the game early in the first half after being teed-up by Samir Nurkovic.

As a result, they remain top of the standings on a superior goal difference going into the final matches of the season this weekend. 

Chippa United, on the other hand, aren't safe yet from relegation as they needed at least a point to be certain of top-flight football next season. 

The major talking point was around the return of Itumeleng Khune into the starting line-up for the first time in almost a year for Amakhosi's league matches. 

Khune last featured in the league for Chiefs in September when he had to be substituted after sustaining a shoulder injury against Baroka. 

And with Daniel Akpeyi injured, Ernst Middendorp had to choose between Khune and Bruce Bvuma and he opted for experience and the veteran goalkeeper was also handed the captain's armband. 

After a frantic start to the first half, Chiefs opened the scoring in the ninth minute through Billiat. 

Reeve Frosler, handed a more attacking role once again, played a floating cross into the box but Nurkovic failed to get a clean header on it. 

However, Erick Mathoho, high up the field at the time, kept the ball alive and played it back into the penalty box and Nurkovic was in the right place at the time to set up Billiat, who poked the ball into an empty net to make it 1-0.  

This was Billiat's second goal of the season after much criticism from a section of Amakhosi fans.

Chippa United took the game to Chiefs but Middendorp's charges gave them no space until midway through the first half when they got a free-kick outside the box. 

Ruzaigh Gamaldien stepped up and tested Khune but the veteran goalkeeper punched the ball back into play before the danger was cleared by Willard Katsande. 

Khune was hardly tested afterwards but there was a moment of madness toward the end of the first 45 minutes when he came all the way to collect but had doubts and the ball ended up being won by Chippa United players. 

And with Khune off his line, Gamaldien attempted a curling effort, only for Daniel Cardoso to clear the ball off the line. 

But before then, Billiat should have scored from close range after managing to get behind the Chippa defence but he ballooned his effort wide and high with only Veli Mothwa to beat.  

The second half saw Chiefs momentarily put the foot off the gas as they went back to their usual defensive mode with defenders playing long balls to the attackers. 

That tactic gave Chippa some hope as they knocked it around nicely through Kelvin Moyo and Kurt Leintjies.

There were a few scary moments inside the Amakhosi box with the likes of Nurkovic returning to lend a helping hand at the back. 

Chiefs then used the speed of Billiat to launch attacks while Frosler's job was made easier by the fact that his midfield teammates played the ball to him more often on the left-wing. 

Chippa were reduced to 10 men after Tercious Malepe was given his marching orders for a foul on Billiat. 

The Zimbabwe international, looking for his second of the night, beat the offside trap and raced through on goal but he was brought down by Malepe on the edge of the box and the referee didn't hesitate but show him the red card. 

At this stage, Chippa were a goal and a man down and therefore needed to change their game plan to soak up the pressure from Chiefs.    

Chippa United thought they had found the equaliser in the 79th minute but the goal was denied as the referee felt Khune was impeded inside the box.

Elvis Moyo was also sent off for a brutal challenge on Ramahlwe Mphahlele as Chippa United finished the game with nine in-field players. 

Ultimately, Chiefs held on to their lead to register a narrow win and maintain their spot at the top of the standings.   

Tabitha Chawinga scored a brace for Jiangsu Suning as they defeated Zhejiang Hangzhou 5-0 in a Chinese Women's Super League encounter on Wednesday.

The Malawi international maintained her impressive goalscoring momentum for the champions following her last season's Player of the Year performances, scoring two goals in three matches.

Smarting from Saturday's 3-0 defeat to Wuhan, Jiangsu aimed to bounce back to winning ways but still made a false start against the newcomers as Xu Caiping fired them ahead after 15 minutes.

However, Chawinga's header helped Jiangsu level the scoreline in the 28th minute before a fine volley from Gong Li ensured they completed the first-half comeback four minutes later.

After the break, Yao Lingwei's long-range effort helped Jiangsu open a two-goal lead before she scored her second goal of the match from a goal-mouth scramble nine minutes later.

Chawinga made a brilliant finish off a rebound in the 67th minute to complete the demolition job.

The Malawian, who was in action from the start to the finish of the game for Jiangsu, has now scored four goals in four matches this season.

The 24-year-old is now second-joint topscorer with Beijing Phoenix's Ma Xiaoxu and Wuhan's Wang Shanshan with four goals each.

The win means Jiangsu are third on the Chinese log with nine points from four matches and they will face Barbra Banda's Shanghai Shengli in their next Chinese league match on Saturday.

It was entirely predictable that former Arsenal boss Arsène Wenger would speak warmly of Mohamed Elneny's performance for the Gunners in the Community Shield. On a chilly London afternoon, the Egypt international produced a redemptive performance that evoked a famous Wenger-ism: he seemed like a new signing.

Some of that was to do with the fact the 28-year-old's last competitive appearance for Arsenal came back in May 2019, in a 3-1 win over Burnley at Turf Moor as part of a heavily rotated starting 11. Following that, he went on to play three times as many minutes in a loan spell for Turkish side Besiktas last season as he had managed in the entirety of 2018/19.

Then there was the Gunners being decidedly understrength. There is a surplus of defenders at the Emirates, but midfielders are alarmingly thin in the ground. With Dani Ceballos' loan deal yet to be renewed, stalwart Granit Xhaka seemed to be lacking a wing-man for the daunting test that Premier League champions Liverpool present. Enter: Elneny.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder. Or maybe plain old scarcity.

Whatever the case, the fact he was there in a moment of need is somewhat emblematic of his entire persona and style. "He is a fantastic team player," Wenger said afterward, and generic as that sounds, it's nevertheless eloquent: what makes Elneny useful is a conscientiousness that is easy to miss, and an availability that is easy to take for granted.

His style may seem effortless, but against a famously well-tuned Liverpool press, he did the hardest thing possible, staying calm as the horde bore down.

Twice he received the ball from goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez inside his own area with pressure bearing down, twice he swept the ball out to Rob Holding with total sangfroid. The first time, the ball was at the feet of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang within three passes, the prelude to the game's opening goal; the second time, James Milner was forced to scythe down the lively Bukayo Saka, earning a booking for his troubles.

So impressive was Elneny's performance on the day – he lost out on the man of the match award to team mate Ainsley Maitland-Niles, but it cannot have been by much – that it has sparked something of a re-evaluation, both of him as a player and of his long-term viability at Arsenal.

As far as the former concern goes, there is little that the former Basel man has altered. He remains fundamentally the same footballer, but perhaps within the structure of Mikel Arteta's system, it is easier to appreciate his abilities.

That context is, of course, important: under Unai Emery, there was a sense of frantic disorder that served the opposite purpose, undermining the sort of elegance and composure that Elneny brought (and brings still).

If Emery was unable to channel a player in that mould, Arteta seems the perfect coach to do precisely that. If so, might Arsenal then not be better served retaining him as a squad option?

It is worth considering, especially in light of the club's interminable pursuit of Thomas Partey.

The two are far from the same profile: Atletico's man is the more expansive player, able to cut through lines passing forward in a way that Elneny simply does not.

Partey is also better at carrying the ball; again, this is not a skill the Egyptian necessarily possesses.

However, there is more than one way to play the pivot role in the three-man midfield configuration most expect Arteta to eventually adopt.

There is something to be said for unflappability under pressure, as well as the ability to turn over and recycle possession at a high level, while also being able to drop in and offer support when teammates are caught out of position.

Ultimately, the biggest obstacle in this regard may be Arteta himself, and his own vision of the player at the base of midfield.

So far, it seems the club's stance is Partey or nothing, and there is enough in the Spaniard's marginalization of the tenacious Lucas Torreira to suggest he is not content with safe distribution. His "In the moment that he is with us" comment re:Elneny on the eve of the Community Shield was just as pointed.

However, even all-star midfields can, at some point, do with a player like the Egyptian: limited, but unerringly consistent in application and 'positive' (Arteta's description) in his conduct within the group.

Former Ajax star Sjaak Swart has claimed that Manchester United is the right place for Donny van de Beek, who nearly joined Real Madrid or Arsenal instead.

Van de Beek completed a £35 million (€39m/$46m) move to Old Trafford from Ajax on Wednesday, with the 23-year-old signing a five-year deal with the option to extend for an additional season.

There was plenty of interest across Europe for the midfielder's services, with Swart claiming that Van de Beek could have been off to Real Madrid were it not for the coronavirus pandemic.

Still, the 82-year-old believes that Van de Beek ended up at the right place for his career.

"Manchester United is certainly the right choice," Swart told Ajax Showtime. "There were more interested clubs, such as Real Madrid, Barcelona, Juventus and Arsenal.

"There were six in total but because of the coronavirus it all ended. It was already a regular idea in March that he would go to Madrid, but because of the virus all of that was postponed. Clubs had no income and they could not sell players.

"Ultimately Manchester United pushed a move through and they are of course a great club. They used to be a championship club and they now want to build towards that again."

Swart added that United's Premier League rivals Arsenal were keen on Van de Beek, but the club's financial situation made a move impossible. 

"They really wanted him," Swart said of the Gunners, "but they just couldn't get the money for a transfer. Even the biggest clubs struggle. Arsenal is a great club but Man Utd will certainly be an interesting adventure."

Swart believes that Van de Beek has the technical ability to thrive in England, even though Premier League matches will be played at a faster tempo than the Eredivisie games the Dutch international is used to.

"If you are technical, you can play well in England," Swart said. "They play at a very fast pace but if you are technical you take that tempo out.

Though Van de Beek is only beginning his career in the Premier League, Swart is already looking forward to seeing him return one day to the club where he became a professional.

"When he finishes his career he has to come back to Ajax," Swart said. "That would be ideal."

Mamelodi Sundowns recorded a comfortable 3-0 win over Polokwane City in a match which took place at Loftus Versveld Stadium on Wednesday night. 

Anele Ngcongca opened the scoring for the Brazilians before Themba Zwane doubled his side's lead in the first half. 

Keletso Makgalwa came off the bench to net his team's third of the night and increase Sundowns' chances of closing the goal difference between them and Chiefs.  

Subsequently, Sundowns kept the pressure going on log leaders Kaizer Chiefs who also won their match against Chippa United, meaning the title race will be decided on the final day of the season.

City, on the other hand, remain rooted at the bottom of the log and on the brink of being relegated to the NFD.   

Pitso Mosimane welcomed back Ricardo Nascimento from suspension while Ricardo Coetzee and Gaston Sirino started despite the club announcing they were injured.  

Lebohang Maboe had a great chance to open the scoring for Sundowns in 10th minute after being played in by Sirino but he couldn't hit the target with George Chigova out of his line. 

Chigova came to the rescue of Polokwane City in the 22nd-minute as he denied Motjeka Madisha at the near post. 

Sundowns were all over Polokwane City in the first half with Clinton Larsen's men often forced to chase the game.

They were punished in the 39th-minute when Ngcongca fired home from the rebound after Chigova had denied Nascimento. 

This was a rare occasion as Ngcongca doesn't often push forward and find himself in goalscoring positions. 

Ngcongca's goal impacted negatively on the confidence of Rise and Shine's players but Clinton Larsen wouldn't stop motivating them as he rallied them to take the game to Sundowns.  

They did just that but it left a hole in midfield, allowing Sirino too much freedom as a result. 

Sundowns utilised that opportunity and doubled their lead through Zwane, who brilliantly beat a few defenders from a Sirino pass before slotting the ball past Chigova. 

Larsen's men came back stronger from the half-time break and gave Sundowns a good run for their money.  

Their first real chance of the second half came eight minutes into it with Sibusiso Hlubi hammering his effort over the crossbar when he should have at least picked a spot. 

But the points were already in the bag for Sundowns and it was Polokwane who needed to come out of their shell and take the game to the opponents. 

Sundowns were, however, happy to knock the ball around without attempting any attack.  

Rise and Shine had their best chance eight minutes inside the second stanza after Sibusiso Hlubi received a pass from close range but blasted his shot over the bar.

A double change by Mosimane in the final 15 minutes saw Makgalwa and Lyle Lakay come on for Sirino and Maboe. 

And Makgalwa made an impact as he showed no signs of mercy on the already defeated Rise and Shine side. 

Makgalwa would wrap up the game with a classy finish deep into stoppage time as Sundowns marched on and registered an easy 3-0 win over City.

Orlando Pirates boosted their ambitions of qualifying for next season's Caf Confederation Cup by defeating Maritzburg United 1-0 in a PSL match which was played on Wednesday night.

The Team of Choice were desperate for a win which would have ended their five-match winless run in the league and cement their spot in the top eight. 

As expected, Thabiso Kutumela spearheaded Maritzburg's attack in the absence of Judas Moseamedi as coach Eric Tinkler looked to mastermind a win over his former side.

On the other hand, Bucs had to win the match in order to keep their hopes of finishing in the top three alive following their a victory over SuperSport United which ended their a six-match winless run in the league.

Lerato Lepasa was rewarded with a starting berth by coach Josef Zinnbauer after scoring the winning goal against SuperSport, while Siphesihle Ndlovu and Fortune Makaringe were facing their former club.

The two teams struggled to create good goalscoring opportunities in the opening stages of the encounter as they gave away possession cheaply in the final third.

Pirates improved after the cooling break with Thembinkosi Lorch looking to use his pace and dribbling skills to unlock the hosts' defence.

The Bafana Bafana international had an opportunity to break the deadlock towards the half-time break after beating his mark down the left-hand side.

However, Richard Ofori was alert in the Maritzburg goal-posts as the Ghana international produced a fantastic low save to deny Lorch heading into the half-time break with the two teams locked at 0-0.

Lorch continued to cause havoc for the Team of Choice defence after the restart and he found himself in good positions in the hosts' box.

The ball fell kindly for the former Chippa United winger in the box after Maritzburg had failed to clear their lines, but once again he was denied by Ofori with a diving save.

Wayne Sandilands, who was having a quiet game in the Pirates goal-posts, was finally tested by Bongokuhle Hlongwane following a rare attack by the home side.

However, the 2011/12 PSL Goalkeeper of the Season pulled off a brilliant save to deny the 20-year-old striker and Zinnbauer reacted by making changes. 

The German coach introduced attackers Tshegofatso Mabasa, Kabelo Dlamini and Frank Mhango and the trio changed the complexion of the game. 

Pirates piled pressure on the hosts and they managed to snatch a late winning goal through Mhango, who proved to be a super-sub when he netted in the last minute of the match.

The speedy striker turned his marker before unleashing a powerful left-footed shot which beat Ofori to seal Pirates' 1-0 win over Maritzburg - ending his eight-match goal drought in the process.

The victory took the Buccaneers to the fourth spot on the league standings - a point behind third-placed SuperSport United.

While the Team of Choice remained sixth on the log ahead of Saturday's final round of the 2019/20 PSL season.

Gareth Bale has hit out at Real Madrid, saying his current club "make things very difficult" as he continues to look for an exit.

Bale has experienced plenty of highs during his time at the Santiago Bernabeu, including four Champions League wins and two Liga titles. 

But there have also been plenty of lows, with injuries and loss of form seeing manager Zinedine Zidane freeze him out of the squad at times. 

Zidane would only hand the 31-year-old two appearances in La Liga after the coronavirus break ended in June, with the Wales international not even in the squad for his side's Champions League exit to Manchester City in August.

Bale nearly made a move to Chinese side Jiangsu Suning last summer, only for the deal to collapse at the last minute. 

Speaking to Sky Sports, Bale noted his disappointment that he was not allowed to leave Madrid last summer, saying he has been frustrated to see the Blancos continue to stand in the way of a potential exit.

"I tried to leave last year but they blocked everything at the last second. It was a project I was excited for but it didn't materialise," Bale said.

"There have been other instances where we have tried to go but the club won't allow it or they've done something. It's down to the club.

"I want to play football, I am still motivated to play football, so I guess it's on the club. They are in control of everything. I have a contract, all I can do is carry on what I am doing and hopefully something comes up."

Bale has been linked with a move back to the Premier League, where he starred with Tottenham between 2007 and 2013. The winger, who has two years left on his current contract, has indicated his willingness to listen to offers from England but has so far seen his efforts to leave thwarted.

"If those options arise (interest from Premier League clubs) it is something I'd look at for sure," Bale said.

"We'll see what happens, we have plenty of time in this transfer window and a couple of others as well. Time will tell, but mainly I think the reason is that the decision is in Real Madrid's hands.

"I am only 31, I feel I am in great shape still and feel like I have a lot to give. We will see what happens. It's in the club's hands but they make things very difficult to be honest."

Bournemouth forward Josh King made little secret of the fact that he almost joined Manchester United in January and has now admitted that it would be “amazing” if the Red Devils were still interested as they continue to bolster their squad.

King had been on the verge of returning to the club at which he had spent five years earlier in his career, though he had struggled to break his way into the first-team setup and was sent out on a series of loans before signing for Blackburn Rovers in 2013.

With the Cherries now relegated, the versatile 28-year-old's future is up in the air, but it does seem unlikely that he will be plying his trade in the Championship if Man Utd – or any other Champions League side – come calling for his services.

“I'm sitting here at Ullevaal in this chair and I do not know where I will play next season – that's an honest answer,” King told TV2 while on national team duty with Norway.

“I won't lie, I really wanted to go [to Man Utd] in January. But what happened, happened. We'll just have to wait and see. There are still a lot of options.

“I have a dream to play in the Champions League. Whether that will happen in this transfer window or in two years, I don't know. But I have the same dream about it that all boys have.”

When the reporter tipped him to move to Old Trafford despite the failed January move, King added: “I hope you're right! It would be amazing if Man Utd are still interested. I was at United for five years and I learned a lot there.”

Should the Norwegian get his wish of a summer move to a big club, he admits that he would prefer to be deployed in his favoured position at the head of attack. He did, however, concede that his versatility means that he would be open to playing in a wide range of attacking roles.

“I've only played on the left and the right all season – I haven't been a full striker in 2-3 years. Yes, it inhibits me, but there is also an upside to it. Not many strikers can play in all of those positions. I handle them quite well.

“But I am a striker, it's my favourite position, when I'm in that zone and can run in behind. I was kind of sacrificed, but it was my job. I went to training and matches and gave everything every single time.

“It's impossible to know [how many goals I would score as a striker]. In the season where I scored 16, I played as a striker for four months. So yes, I could clear 15 goals each season, I have no doubt about that. 

“It goes without saying that a striker gets more chances than a left-winger who has to run up and down and help the defence.

“But you can't always get what you want. I'm a team player. If a coach asks me to play somewhere, I don't whine – I give everything.”

Elias Kachunga has teamed up with English Championship side Sheffield Wednesday from rivals Huddersfield Town.

The DR Congo international moved to the Hillsborough Stadium on a free transfer, thus becoming the Owl’s fourth signing after Nigeria’s Fisayo Dele-Bashiru, Chey Dunkley and Izzy Brown.

Kachunga starred for Huddersfield last season, scoring three times in 36 league games as the Terriers finished 18th on a log of 24 teams.

Having teamed up with Sheffield, the 28-year-old would be hoping to help Garry Monk men’s ambition of securing a promotion ticket to the Premier League.

An enchanted Kachunga took to social media to express his happiness with his new adventure.

“Excited to start my new adventure at Sheffield Wednesday. Looking forward to the new season and meeting all the fans!” he posted on Twitter.

He is expected to make his debut when Monk's team face Walsall on Saturday, September 9 in a League Cup encounter.

Born in Haan, Germany, the striker began his professional career with Borussia Monchengladbach, before heading to Paderdorn after completing loan moves to VfL Osnabruck and Hertha Berlin.

After two seasons at the Benteler-Arena, he moved to FC Ingolstadt in 2015 for a club-record transfer fee of €1.7 million. There, he signed a season-long loan deal with an option to buy at the end with Huddersfield Town in June 2016.

Delighted by his performances in his debut campaign, Huddersfield paid Ingolstadt £1.1 million to turn Kachunga's loan deal into a permanent transfer.

On the international scene, he represented Germany at U19 and U21 levels before opting out to represent DR Congo at senior level. His only cap came in a 2-1 friendly defeat to Kenya on 26 March, 2017.

Ex-Arsenal left-back Armand Traore has offered some advice to wonderkid Bukayo Saka, urging him to stay at the club for much of his career.

The Anglo-Nigerian wonderkid starred for the Gunners during the past season, having a hand in 15 goals (four goals, 11 assists) as the North Londoners lifted the FA Cup by dispatching Chelsea 2-0 at Wembley. Saka was at his premium best again during the Community Shield against Liverpool, providing the assist for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s goal, Mikel Arteta’s men ultimately winning 5-4 on penalties.

Saka had recently signed a new contract that will keep him at the Emirates until 2024, but Traore – who was with Arsenal between 2006 and 2011, making 33 competitive appearances, wants the teenager to remain there even past a decade.

“I think he’s an unbelievable little player. He’s very exciting and I enjoy watching him play,” Traore told TalkSPORT.

“The advice I would give him would be stay surrounded by good people because I’ve suffered a lot from that [and] I’ve made really bad choices in my career. If you’re not surrounded by the right people, you will go downhill from there.

“I would tell him to stay at Arsenal. Now, if I had the chance, I would not have left Arsenal and I think I would have stayed for a few more years.

“Be patient and enjoy every time you play and work hard and be professional. Talent is not enough. I used to think that when I was younger and how arrogant I was to think that. If you can couple the talent with the hard work, he will be at Arsenal for the next decade, probably more.”

Traore went on to stress on the necessity of Aubameyang signing a new contract. The Gabon international; has one more year to run and is yet to commit. He also implored Arsenal to get Ghana midfielder Thomas Partey from Atletico Madrid.

“First of all, they need to keep Aubameyang if they want to do that [finish in the top four],” Traore explained.

“I would strengthen the central defence. I wouldn’t mind a guy like Partey in there sitting in front of the defence or somebody a bit angry. He [Partey] reminds me a bit of your Gilberto [Silva] or [Patrick] Vieira [in terms of] somebody who can go out there and give it a go.

“They’re playing good football. I’m really impressed with Arsenal at the moment, if I have to be honest.

“I think Arteta has done a great job and I can only see them doing well in the future.”

Barcelona presidential candidate Victor Font says he wants Xavi to run his "sporting project", but also insists that Ronaldo Koeman could stay as the club's permanent manager if he is elected.

Font will be running against current Camp Nou chief Josep Maria Bartomeu at the club's presidential elections, which are due to take place in March 2021.

He outlined plans for his long-term project at Barca during an interview with Cadena Ser last month, admitting that he would look to replace newly appointed head coach Koeman with a club legend.

"If I am president, Koeman will not be the coach. Xavi understands that all the pieces of the club have to fit together," said Font. "A board of directors that lets whoever leads the sports project do his work, which in our case would be him.”

However, Font has now asserted that his comments were misunderstood, claiming that he envisages Xavi having a key role to play behind the scenes rather than in the dugout.

“It was taken out of context,” the Spanish businessman told talkSPORT when quizzed on his original remarks. “What I said was that in the last seven years we have been working on designing a project, a project that has many different pieces, and obviously the sports organisation is a very relevant part of that complex puzzle.

“We’ve been working on what the sports organisation would look like with the leadership of Xavi Hernandez, and what I said is, if we have the honour of being chosen by the members and we become the board of the club, we would like to implement the project we’ve been working on.

“Xavi as the leader of the sports organisation would be making the decision of how to handle the situation of Koeman, and I’m sure that if Koeman does well Xavi will take care of that in the right way.”

Barca approached Xavi over inheriting the managerial reins at Camp Nou in January, following the sacking of Ernesto Valverde, but the job went to Quique Setien when the 40-year-old rejected his old club's advances.

The former Spain international, who currently serves as Al Sadd's head coach in Qatar, opened up on his decision earlier this summer, hinting at a potential return to Catalonia after the next set of elections.

"I've said it a lot of times but I want to take footballing decisions at Barcelona," Xavi told Sport. "They came for me in January, we were speaking. I told them the circumstances and timing weren't right. It's clear that after the elections the stage would be set, of course. I'm not ruling anything out."

When Crystal Palace finally confirmed the signing of Eberechi Eze from London side Queens Park Rangers on Friday, Eagles fans could be forgiven for probably getting overly excited after the arrival of the playmaker for an initial £16 million.

Eze, formerly on loan at Wycombe Wanderers, will add the needed glint to a Palace team heavily reliant on Wilfried Zaha to provide an injection of pace and creativity to the side. Even though Jordan Ayew proved in 2019/20 that he can take up the mantle, especially if the Ivory Coast winger is either off form or departs, there was still a feeling that Roy Hodgson needed more.

This was particularly evident after football returned in June, where the Eagles collapsed and ultimately ended 14th after threatening to play in Europe with eight games to play. That wretched run of results saw the London outfit lose seven of eight games, scoring just three and letting in a staggering 18 goals.

While the goals conceded were worrisome, Palace’s average concession of goals before the lockdown was quite impressive and the soft underbelly in the final stretch didn’t give a realistic presentation of their defensive solidity in the first 30 Premier League games.

Despite averaging 2.25 goals conceded following the league’s resumption, the South London team were breached fewer times (50) than any other team in the bottom half of the league.

Having let in a mean of 1.06 goals after their 2-0 success over Bournemouth, keeping the same tightness at the back will have resulted in probably conceding just over 40 times. For context, this could have been somewhere in and around the top five rearguards in the division.

Indeed, the issue for Hodgson’s men last term wasn’t in defence but the attacking third. They scored a paltry 31 times throughout the season, a statistic that highlighted their extreme reliance on Ayew to come up trumps in an attacking unit that couldn’t produce consistently enough. Relegated Norwich City were the only side to find the back of the net on fewer occasions than the Eagles, a telling fact.

With Zaha not as productive as he had been for Palace in previous campaigns, the onus shifted to the Ghana star to deliver the goods, which he did until the drop off in the final run of fixtures. For years now, before the former Swansea City forward’s unexpected prolific season, their Ivory Coast wideman tended to be the Glaziers’ go-to star on the pitch to provide the X factor in tight situations.

Eze’s arrival on the scene means Hodgson’s troops won’t be as predictable as recent years have demonstrated.

Not only is the clever playmaker capable of pulling a rabbit out of his hat but last year suggested the 22-year-old Anglo-Nigerian has the end product to match his undoubted skill.

14 goals and eight assists was a solid return, which accounted for 33 percent of QPR’s goals in the Championship. When he tailed off when the sport returned in June, it told in the Hoops’ results as they picked up just two wins in their last nine.

The fact that the electric youngster completed the highest volume of dribbles in the entire league last season will excite Palace supporters, while his tendency to draw fouls (only West Bromwich Albion’s Matheus Pereira was fouled more often), something Zaha has become accustomed to over the years means the Eagles would have more than one player now attracting opponents’ attention.

What’s even more mouth-watering is in their distinct dribbling styles. While the Ivorian tends to power past markers explosively, Eze’s dribbles look rather easier on the eye.

The latter’s goal in a 2-1 success over Stoke City perfectly sums up the youngster’s style. After a commendable nine-pass move eventually found the 22-year-old tucked inside on the halfway line, the virtuoso playmaker ran past his marker, dragged the ball past Nathan Collins before finishing coolly to send his side 2-0 up after 53 minutes.

What made that strike even more remarkable was how Eze had been casually strolling into Stoke’s half as the move developed, looking seemingly disinterested. Despite playing as the left winger on the day, the attacking midfielder then recognised the space in the middle of the park and drifted infield to act as the number 10, his favoured role.

While the home side were drawn out of position looking to win the ball and QPR seemed unable to progress beyond the halfway line, Eze had the presence of mind to be aware of the opening and devastatingly took advantage.

Besides the Anglo-Nigerian’s immense dribbling ability and admirable ball-carrying, his adeptness in several positions would be beneficial to Palace. Even though he favours a free role behind the striker, the Greenwich-born player is equally capable on the left flank, where he’s usually deployed, and also on the opposite flank.

Interestingly, he’s competent in central midfield as well, although advisably in a midfield three than a two-man pairing.

Without question, the London born and bred playmaker will add several positives to an Eagles side many observers often tag as boring or lacking depth. There will be a period of adjusting having moved from a lower division to the top flight, but the excitement he brings means Palace supporters will give him time to get to grips with Premier League football.

Having seen Ayew thrive last term and with Zaha’s already-known qualities, the introduction of Eze into the mix gives another dimension to the Crystal Palace attack, and Hodgson’s team could suddenly become one of the more watchable sides in the upcoming season.

Chelsea's aggressive recruitment drive at all levels of the club has left several of their next generation of stars to mull over loan deals for next season.

With Armando Broja having already gone out on loan to Vitesse, Tino Anjorin, Ian Maatsen and Lewis Bate have all also explored the same option.

Anjorin, who is perhaps the highest-rated player from the Under-18s group last season, is likely to stay and to battle for a first-team spot despite the imminent arrival of fellow attacking midfielder Kai Havertz from Bayer Leverkusen in for a club-record fee of £72 million (€80.5m/$95m).

Maatsen and Bate are not ruling out loan moves and are set to make late decisions on their future.

This next group of players were given a chance under Frank Lampard last season, as a record eight academy graduates debuted in the same season for the Blues.  This beat the previous record set by Ken Shellito and Danny Blanchflower, who gave seven debuts in 1978-79.

Along with Anjorin, Broja and Maatsen, Mason Mount, Reece James, Billy Gilmour, Marc Guehi and Tariq Lamptey all made their first senior appearances for the club.

Bate didn't make his debut but made the matchday squad on three occasions and has trained with the first-team almost exclusively since the coronavirus-enforced lockdown in the United Kingdom.

He represents one of the Cobham academy's top stars as Chelsea won Premier League 2 last season in the Under-23s league despite having one of the youngest squads.

Alongside 17-year-old Bate, big things are expected of Henry Lawrence, Dynel Simeu and Jamie Cumming who were all increasingly involved in Lampard's training sessions.

The decision to loan out a host of Under-18s come after an aggressive recruitment drive at youth level with the likes of former Barcelona defender Xavier Mbuyemba being added.

Then there are a host of other youngsters from overseas including the likes of Edwin Andersson joining from IFK Gothenberg, Jimi Tauriainen from Helsingin Jalkapalloklubi and Bryan Fiabema from Tromso.

This recruitment drive has been mirrored across many of the UK's top academies as club's hedge their bets with uncertainty around youth recruitment coming because of the UK's withdrawal from the European Union (EU). It remains unclear whether it will impact the ability of clubs to recruit Under-18s players from overseas.

Elsewhere, Conor Gallagher is on the verge of joining Crystal Palace on a season-long loan deal.

Jake Clarke-Salter is carefully picking a Championship loan move with Derby County, Huddersfield Town, Birmingham City and Sheffield Wednesday having explored adding him to their defensive line. A move to West Brom could be another option.

Matt Miazga, Dujon Sterling, Nathan Baxter and Baba Rahman are among those also in talks over their next moves away, with 10 players having already agreed loan moves out of Stamford Bridge.

Reports in France suggest that new recruit Malang Sarr is in talks with Leverkusen over a loan move, having opted to join the Blues initially over them and Schalke on a free transfer last week.

Ethan Ampadu is attracting a lot of loan interest, but he is attempting to impress Lampard enough to earn a first-team spot next season.

Simba SC coach Sven Vandenbroeck has come out to deny reports he was involved in a fight with striker Meddie Kagere.

On Wednesday, social media was awash with news that the two had confronted each other in training on Tuesday after the team arrived in Mbeya from Arusha, where they beat Namungo FC 2-0 to lift the Community Shield.

The Belgian coach, who is yet to start Kagere in a match for a while now, has stated that he doesn’t have any problem with the striker and does not know where the news came from.

“I can't use powers on my players and on unnecessary things that I don't know where they come from,” Vandenbroeck is quoted saying by Simba’s social media pages. “I don't have a problem, Meddie [Kagere] has no problem that's what I can say.”

Earlier on Wednesday, Simba information officer Haji Manara rubbished the reports, claiming Simba did not train on Tuesday as the players were already tired after arriving from Mwanza.

“Here in Simba it is all happiness all the time and when people want to make us sad they come up with cooked stories, nothing like that happened, at no time did [Kagere] and [Sven] fight each other or confront each other,” Manara is quoted saying by Sokaletu.

“All those are big lies being used to divert the attention that Simba won a trophy on Sunday, they just want to spoil our party and at the same time imply that there are problems in Simba, we don’t have any problems, we are a happy family, they want to provoke us and we are not ready to be provoked.

“For you to know the reports are lies, we did not have a training session on Tuesday, they are claiming the fight happened on Tuesday, so where did it happen? All the players were given a day off to rest and no training session happened on Tuesday.

“The coach requested that all the players to have a rest, they were all resting and none went to training, so I am wondering when did it happen and where? We know them [the traitors] they are back again with lies but we will not buy that.”

Simba are keen to seal a treble once again this season after they started off the season with the Shield win. Last season, Simba won the Shield, the league, and FA Cup titles and will thus represent Tanzania in the Caf Champions League.

Simba will open their league campaign with a clash against promoted side Ihefu FC at Sokoine Stadium on Saturday.

Bayern Munich legend Lothar Matthaus says Pep Guardiola "has failed again and again" since leaving Barcelona and has described the Manchester City boss as "egocentric".

Guardiola quickly proved his managerial credentials after being handed the top job at Camp Nou in 2008. His 'tiki-taka" philosophy became the most copied-blueprint for success of the modern era after he guided Barca to 14 major trophies in the space of four years, including three La Liga titles and two Champions League titles.

The 49-year-old moved onto a new challenge at Bayern in 2013 following a year's sabbatical, and added three Bundesliga crowns to his silverware collection, but ultimately failed to live up to expectations in the Champions League.

Guardiola has had the same issue at Etihad Stadium since moving to Manchester in 2016, with his domestic achievements failing to mask flaws in his approach on the continental stage.  

City have won the Premier League twice under the Spaniard but have yet to make it beyond the quarter finals of the Champions League, with a last-eight defeat to Lyon in 2019-20 marking their latest missed opportunity.

Guardiola switched from a successful 4-3-3 formation to an alien 3-4-3 set up against the French side, and left attacking quartet Riyad Mahrez, Phil Foden, David Silva and Bernardo Silva on the bench.

Lyon beat City 3-1 after producing a masterful counter-attacking performance, and City's head coach blamed defensive mistakes and wasteful finishing for the loss in his post-match interview.

Matthaus thinks Guardiola has allowed his arrogant streak to cloud his judgment in recent years, and has urged him to stick to a winning formula in order to avoid more disappointment in the future.

“With Pep Guardiola I have the feeling that he always wants to do something special in big games,” the ex-Bayern and Germany defender told Sport Bild. “Barcelona had a DNA, a system he pulled through. Pep was successful there. With Bayern and City, he tried it over and over again with changes and failed again and again.

“He always wanted to show that he could do even better. I would like to tell him: Pep, you are a giant trainer – but please keep your system!

“I would describe it as egocentric. Yes, that’s a harsh word, but it is due to what he did. At Bayern, Robert Lewandowski even had to play left wing once. That did not work out at all.”

Former Simba SC star Jamhuri Kihwelo has claimed the transfer business and friendlies have given a clear picture of how the Mainland Premier League 2020/21 contest will look like.

The former Mwadui FC coach stated Yanga SC and Simba gave a hint of how they intend to fight for the league title especially after their August friendly matches.

Yanga hosted Aigle Noir from Burundi to crown Wiki ya Wananchi whereas Vital’O were welcomed by Simba during the Simba Day celebrations. The Tanzanian sides won and Julio believes the results indicate how tough the next season could be.

“Look at how Larry Bwalya played [vs Vital’O] despite being a new player,” Kihwela told Mwanaspoti.

“I think he is going to be a dependable player when it comes to Champions League matches. What Simba need to do now is to forget the titles they won last season and start focusing on the new season.

“On the other hand, Yanga were in an awkward situation because then they did not have a head coach but they played really well against Aigle Noir.

“That tells you the next season will be a totally different season for the fans. The fans really wanted to see players who actually fight and give them good results.

“The two clubs have worked really well but it does not mean the other teams will be easy opponents. But again being big and traditional teams, Yanga and Simba need to show good examples in how they do their transfer business and how they go about getting good results on the pitch.

“There will be fireworks next season just going by the two results.” 

On the other hand, Tanzanian coach Kennedy Mwaisabula picked the Democratic Republic of Congo star Tuisila Kisinda as one of the promising Yanga players.

“Tuisila was the best in their game [vs Aigle Noir], he was everywhere, gave opponents no time to rest. He is the Yanga's biggest asset so far,” Mwaisabula told Mwanaspoti.

Meanwhile, Former Yanga striker Edbily Lunyamila said fans have every reason to be optimistic on the upcoming campaign.

“Yanga showed a clear indication of what could be on the way next season and this is the team the fans have been waiting to see on the pitch,” Lunyamila argued.

“The transfer business showed what they wanted and the new players also showed what they were doing in their previous clubs.

“Just look at Tuisila and Mukoko Tonombe from AS Vita, they are really good and how they played just tells you how the new Yanga will be taking on the opponents.”

Yanga will start their season with a match against Tanzania Prisons whereas Simba will entertain debutants Ihefu FC at Sokoine Stadium in Mbeya.

Arsenal have confirmed they plan to allow supporters back into the Emirates Stadium in October, starting with the Premier League fixture against Sheffield United.

Fans in England's top flight have been stopped from being able to attend matches amid the fight to contain the outbreak of coronavirus.

Indeed, supporters haven't been allowed into stadiums since March, with the Premier League resuming on June 17 after a three-month hiatus with all matches being played behind closed doors.

However, plans are afoot to steadily begin allowing fans back in, with Brighton's 1-1 friendly draw with Chelsea on August 29 acting as a trial that saw 2,500 supporters attend the fixture at the Amex Stadium.

The Premier League's CEO Richard Masters said of the trial: "Brighton and Hove Albion did a fantastic job at their test event for the return of supporters and it was great to see fans in a Premier League stadium for the first time since March.

"The success of having 2,500 supporters in the Amex was very encouraging and we are committed to having full stadia as soon as possible, with safety always our priority. We are working hard alongside our clubs, the government and the safety authorities to achieve this."

The last match at the Emirates Stadium with fans in attendance was the Gunners' 1-0 win over West Ham on March 7, and the north Londoners have now announced that they are targeting their second home fixture of the 2020-21 season to start allowing spectators to return.

A statement on the club's official website read: "Although our home fixture against West Ham United on Sunday, September 20 will be played behind closed doors, based on the current UK government guidelines we hope to be able to welcome supporters back to Emirates Stadium on a reduced capacity basis from the Sheffield United game scheduled for Saturday, October 3.

"The capacity at Emirates Stadium will initially be much reduced due to government guidelines, Premier League directives and our responsibility to apply appropriate social distancing measures to ensure our fans can return as safely as possible.

"Based on our consultation with various fan groups we anticipate very high demand for the limited tickets available. Taking these factors into account we have determined that Gold season ticket holders and Premium members will have priority access to the limited tickets available.

"We hope to be able to safely increase the capacity during the 2020-21 season and we will share further information if we are able to allocate tickets to other member groups or non members."

Brahim Diaz's agent Pedro Gonzalez says Real Madrid failed to get the most out of the young midfielder and has backed his client to succeed on loan at AC Milan.

The 21-year-old joined Madrid in January 2019 after six years at Manchester City but has made just five La Liga starts since, making only substitute appearances in the top-flight last season.

He previously vowed to win over head coach Zinedine Zidane, but the Spaniard is now on the verge of linking up with Milan for the 2020-21 season after flying into Malpensa airport on Wednesday.

Diaz declared himself "ready for this challenge" ahead of undergoing a medical and his representative Gonzalez is confident the ex-Man City product can become a key player at San Siro, having been underused by Zidane at Madrid.

"Brahim returned to Spain in January 2019, but in Madrid they didn't give him the required space and above all the confidence he needed," he told Tuttomercatoweb . "He's a young player and he needs to play continuously to bring out his full potential.

"I'm convinced of the Rossoneri's choice. Brahim has already lived abroad and will therefore adapt quickly to his new reality.

"His future team-mate Samu Castillejo, another great player I brought to Malaga, will help him. I say this with great pride.

"If Brahim Diaz has chosen Milan, it means he already knows he can help the team by carving out a leading role. I have no doubts about this. As soon as he has finished his growth path, we will talk about an absolute champion and not a promising youngster anymore."

Spain Under-21s international Diaz has scored two goals in 21 appearances for Madrid in all competitions during his 20 months at the club.

He is set to be the second young Real Madrid midfielder to leave the club on loan this week, with Dani Ceballos about to re-join Arsenal for a second season.

The Spain international spent the 2019-20 campaign on loan in north London and enjoyed a fine end to the season, helping Mikel Arteta’s side claim a record-setting 14th FA Cup. 

Goal  confirmed reports in Spain that another loan deal is close to being agreed , with Arsenal and Real Madrid deep in discussions over a deal which will see the 24-year-old spend the 2020-21 campaign with Arteta’s side.

Paris Saint-Germain have confirmed three positive Covid-19 cases ahead of their Ligue 1 opener against Lens.

PSG were granted an extended break before the start of the 2020-21 campaign in France after appearing in the Champions League final.

Thomas Tuchel's men have had some extra time to reflect on a painful 1-0 defeat to Bayern Munich in the European showpiece, with their trip to Lens moved from August 29 to September 10.

However, that rescheduled clash is now in doubt following the latest round of coronavirus testing at PSG's training ground on Wednesday.

The reigning Ligue 1 champions have released an official statement confirming that three first-team players have contracted Covid-19, and will now be sent into quarantine for the next two weeks.

"Three players from PSG are confirmed positive by the Sars CoV2 test and are subject to the appropriate health protocol," the statement reads.

"All players and staff will continue to perform tests over the next few days."

PSG will resume senior training on Thursday regardless of whether their fixture with Lens is pushed back again, with several members of the first-team squad currently away on international duty.

The Parisians picked up a third successive league title in April after the French football authorities decided to cancel the season.

Tuchel's side were 12 points clear of second-placed Marseille with a game in hand when Ligue 1 scrapped all remaining fixtures, but will be playing catch-up when they finally return to domestic action.

Nice are currently top of the pile having won both of their opening games, with Bordeaux, Monaco, Rennes, Lille and Nantes all sitting two points behind.

Marseille opened their account with a 3-2 win against Brest on Sunday, having seen a previously scheduled meeting with Saint-Etienne called off on August 18.

The Stade Velodrome outfit confirmed three members of their "professional workforce" had tested positive for Covid-19 , and Ligue 1 subsequently announced plans to move the fixture to either Wednesday, September 16 or Thursday, September 17.

Champions League winner Philippe Coutinho has returned to Barcelona following his loan spell with Bayern Munich, with his future still very much up in the air.

The German giants, who defeated Paris Saint-Germain in the European Cup final to secure the treble, decided against making the 28-year-old's temporary move a permanent one despite his impact in the final weeks of the season.

Indeed, Coutinho appeared as a second-half substitute in all of Bayern's last four matches in the competition, with him even scoring two goals against parent club Barcelona in the thumping 8-2 win back in August.

And in a statement released on their official website, the Bundesliga champions thanked the Brazil international for his contributions, with Coutinho making a total of 38 appearances for the club in all competitions, scoring 11 goals and claiming nine assists.

“We want to thank Philippe Coutinho very much. With his creativity and excellent technique, he enlivened our game in the treble season," CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said.

"[His performances in the Champions League especially] proved that it was a good decision to have him on loan. We all wish Philippe all the best for his future career."

Sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic added: "Even if FC Bayern and Philippe Coutinho part ways after just one season, his involvement in Munich has made it clear what an excellent player he is.

"Unfortunately, due to injuries and an operation, he couldn't be used more often but he can rightly be proud of his contribution to the treble, especially at the Champions League final tournament in Lisbon. All the best for the future, Philippe!"

Coutinho is now back with Barca, having missed the initial pre-season medical tests that were undertaken by many of the first-team squad on Sunday.

Despite the former Liverpool midfielder's presence in Spain, however, it's anything but certain that he'll be part of Ronald Koeman's squad for the 2020-21 campaign.

Barca have made frequent attempts to offload the South American as they seek to free up funds and reduce their wage bill, with Coutinho one of the highest earners at Camp Nou.

Indeed, the Catalan giants have attempted to sell the player to a Premier League club, with his agent Kia Joorabchian having explained how a switch back to England would be of interest.

There is, however, no obvious next destination for Coutinho, with Arsenal having been strongly linked with a move for the playmaker despite his wages potentially proving a stumbling block.