Looking for Soccer News?

FC Dallas have withdrawn from the MLS is Back Tournament starting this week after 10 players and one staff member tested positive for the coronavirus since joining the league's setup ahead of the competition.

Three other players from two other clubs have also tested positive, out of a total of 557 players currently in Orlando, Florida.

The one-off tournament, held at Walt Disney World between July 8 and August 11, will mark the league’s return to action from the Covid-19 pandemic.

MLS is keen to become the first major men’s sports league to return in the United States, following the resumption of the NWSL in June.

A statement from MLS read: “Major League Soccer announced today that FC Dallas have been withdrawn from the MLS is Back Tournament due to 10 players and one member of the technical staff confirmed positive for Covid-19.

“Each of these positive tests either occurred upon the club’s arrival or within a few days of arrival. 

“The decision was made in the best interest of the health of all players and staff participating in the tournament, and in line with protocols created in conjunction with local and national health authorities and infectious disease experts.”

MLS Commissioner Don Garber added: “The health of everyone involved in our return to play has always been our top priority, and we will continue to make decisions consistent with that priority.”

While there is clearly concern and disappointment from FC Dallas, club president Dan Hunt accepted there was little other option but to withdraw.

“We absolutely agree with the league’s decision to withdraw FC Dallas from the MLS is Back Tournament out of safety concerns for our players and staff,” Hunt said.

“We’re looking forward to resuming the 2020 season once the entire club is healthy and in position to play competitive matches at the highest level.”

MLS has not yet announced how FC Dallas' withdrawal will impact the tournament format, with the club originally scheduled to feature in Group B alongside the San Jose Earthquakes, Seattle Sounders and Vancouver Whitecaps.

The decision could also impact how the tournament will impact the league's eventual return to regular season play, with group stage matches set to count towards the 2020 standings.

Following FC Dallas' withdrawal, and with several other clubs yet to arrive in Orlando just days before the tournament is set to begin, Garber says that the league will continue to monitor the situation and make a more drastic decision should it become necessary.

“If there is a situation at any time that I believe that the protocols aren’t working, and the health and safety of our players is at risk, then I will make the decision to shut down the tournament," Garber told the Associated Press.

In a further blow to the tournament, reigning MLS top scorer and MVP Carlos Vela will not take part.

Vela will reportedly remain at home with his pregnant wife, Saioa, and their three-year-old son, Romeo.

MLS gave players the option to skip the tournament for health or family reasons, with Vela the most high-profile player to do so.

More than 132,000 people are reported to have died during the coronavirus pandemic in the U.S. so far, as concerns continue to mount over the country's handling of the crisis.

Tottenham manager Jose Mourinho says the physical altercation between team-mates Hugo Lloris and Heung-min Son during the 1-0 win against Everton on Monday was 'beautiful'.

Despite Spurs leading by a single goal as half-time started, Lloris and Son had to be separated by team-mates Giovani Lo Celso and Harry Winks as the France goalkeeper aggressively confronted the South Korean attacker.

The duo solved their differences during the half-time break as Spurs went on to win the match with Michael Keane's 24th-minute own goal the only score of the match.

Lloris admitted post-match that his anger was sparked by a lack of pressing from his team-mates, with Mourinho suggesting post-match that the disagreement between his players was born out of the team's recent poor performances.

When asked about his view on the incident, Mourinho said: "Beautiful.

"It's probably the consequence of our meetings. If you want to blame somebody for that, it's me. I was critical of my boys because they are not, in my opinion, critical enough of themselves or each other.

"I've asked them to be more demanding. I've asked them to demand more from others. I asked them to put their colleagues and the pressure of that team spirit that you have to give everything for everybody.

"It was a situation at the end of the first half where an amazing kid that everybody loves like Sonny, a team boy, but in that situation the captain thought he had to do more for the team, you have to give a different effort than you gave.

"A couple of bad words, I'm not sure if there was a push or not, but it's something very important for the team to grow up because for a team to grow up you need to demand from each other, you need to be strong personalities.

"I was really pleased. At half-time I told them, when you had this reaction that I had no doubts that you would stick together until the end."

Spurs have dropped to eighth on the Premier League table, having won only two of their four matches since the competition restart last month - leaving the side 10 points adrift of Chelsea in fourth position.

Mourinho believes the negative reaction between his two players shows the level of investment and frustration within the playing group at their own recent performances.

"It tells me that they care," Mourinho said. "It tells me that they were really upset, frustrated and probably blaming each other for the last performance in the last result [against Sheffield United]. 

"I could be very protective of my team and my players and put all the blame in [referee] Michael Oliver, lots of people did it and rightfully so. But inside closed doors I was going in another direction – forget Michael Oliver and focus on our performance."

Tottenham's next league match will be on the road at relegation battlers Bournemouth on Thursday night.

Kevin-Prince Boateng came on as a second-half substitute to provide an assist as Besiktas fell to a 3-1 defeat by Kayserispor in the Turkish Super Lig on Monday night.

The Black Eagles came off the back of a 3-0 victory over Konyaspor last time out which was preceded by a 5-1 win at Nigeria international Ogenyi Onazi’s Denizlispor.

After a goalless first-half, Kayserispor took the lead in the 51st minute via Hasan Huseyin Acar.

Boateng came on for Necip Uysal in the 62nd minute and his nicely-weighted pass found Atiba Hutchinson who equalised for the visitors from close range 12 minutes later.

It was the Ghanaian’s first-ever assist for the club since he joined on loan from Fiorentina in January having already found the back of the net on his debut against Patrick Twumasi’s Gaziantep and against Anthony Nwakaeme’s Trabzonspor.

More misery was to follow however for Sergen Yalcin’s men as Acar and Artem Kravets scored between the 83rd and 86th minutes to ensure they finished the game with all three points.

Boateng’s 28 minutes on the pitch saw him produce two shots (one on target, one off-target), 13 touches, seven accurate passes at 77% while also winning two of four total duels.

Other Africans to feature for Besiktas on the night were Egypt international and Arsenal loanee Mohamed Elneny who played the entire game with a passing accuracy of 95.8%, the fifth-highest of the Besiktas players, while also producing 85 touches, four tackles, one interception and winning six of 10 ground duels.

Mali winger Abdoulay Diaby played for 84 minutes, producing three total shots and attempting six dribbles before being replaced by Guven Yalcin.

Franco-Cameroonian Georges-Kevin Nkoudou came on for former Sunderland and Netherlands international Jermain Lens in the same minute Boateng was introduced.

Although the result is Besiktas’ second loss in four games since the resumption of the Super Lig, they remain in fifth spot on the log, one point clear of Istanbul rivals Fenerbahce and two points shy of other city rivals Galatasaray for Europa League qualification.

They host Kasimpasa next at Vodafone Park on Thursday night.

Morocco coach Vahid Halilhodzic has tipped Achraf Hakimi to “shine” after completing a move to Inter Milan from Real Madrid.

The 21-year old joined the Nerazzurri in a €40 million five-year deal having spent the past two seasons on loan at Borussia Dortmund where he scored 12 goals and provided 17 assists in 73 competitive outings, winning the 2019 German Super Cup against Bayern Munich.

BVB were initially keen to tie Hakimi down permanently, but were put off by Real Madrid’s demands and instead opted for Belgian full-back Thomas Meunier whom they sighed on a free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain.

“Hakimi has the right characteristics to shine in Italian football with Inter,” Halilhodzic told Al Arabi Al Jadeed as reported by Sempreinter.

"We’re talking about a young player who has a great future ahead of him and can really grow

“I’ll be watching his games at Inter carefully, he’s an important player in the Moroccan national team. I hope he can really perform well so he can continue to play with us with high morale.

“Hakimi is the kind of player who can shine in any league and with any team. Besides being a young man who makes speed in the game his strong point, he is ambitious and plays with enthusiasm, and I think he will give a lot to his new team.”

Hakimi made his debut for Morocco in a 4-0 friendly win over Canada on October 11, 2016, and has gone on to earn 28 caps, scoring two goals and providing five assists.

The Madrid-born player played every minute of the Atlas Lions 2018 World Cup campaign in Russia where they finished last with a point in a group that contained Spain, Portugal and Iran, finishing last. He was also ever-present during the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations where the North Africans shockingly bowed out in the round of 16 to minnows Benin Republic via penalties.

Halilhodzic took over after the Afcon disappointment and has managed six games so far, recording two wins, three draws and one defeat.

The most recent win was a 2021 Afcon qualifier away to Burundi on November 19, 2019, which ended 3-0 with Hakimi scoring the third and final goal, the others coming from Sevilla’s Youssef En-Nesyri and Ajax Amsterdam full-back Noussair Mazraoui.

Bosnia-Herzegovina national Halilhodzic has been active on the African continent previously, managing national teams in Algeria and the Ivory Coast as well as Moroccan giants Raja Casablanca at club level.

Hugo Lloris says his clash with Heung-min Son at half-time of Tottenham’s win over Everton on Monday was because he was annoyed at the forward’s lack of pressing.

Spurs got back on track with a 1-0 win, as Michael Keane’s first-half own goal proved the highlight of a largely dull match.

With half-time approaching, Richarlison was presented with a chance to equalise, much to captain Lloris’ chagrin.

As the teams walked off, he rushed over to confront Son, with the two players having to be held apart by their team-mates.

The pair made up before the second half and Lloris played the incident down as a flare-up in the heat of the moment.

“It belongs in the changing room,” Lloris told Sky Sports.

“Outside, you can say whatever you want. There is a lot of respect between the players in the changing room.

“What happened between me and Sonny is just something that's part of football sometimes. But there's no problem at all.

“You could see at the end of the game we were more than happy to be part of the team and to have the three points.

“To concede a chance a few seconds before half-time because we don't press properly... yeah, it annoyed me, but it's part of football. We move on.”

Despite the confrontation, Jose Mourinho was glad to see tempers flaring between his players.

After their 3-1 defeat to Sheffield United, he bemoaned a ‘disturbing’ lack of desire from his team. 

This win took them up to eighth, but they still face a battle to catch the likes of Manchester United and Wolves in the European places.

“As I said before, we are in a situation that we need to fight against,” Lloris added.

“We're not happy to be in this position. But the most important thing today is to stay focused on the team and do everything to finish as high as we can.

“I repeat, we can only do it as a team. When you play a season like this one it's very easy to fall apart as a team, to think about disinterest, but today we showed that we are still together and ready to compete and fight until the end.”

Kaizer Chiefs attacking midfielder Lebogang Manyama is excited to be back in full training after three months of individual training at home. 

The 29-year-old admits he still needs a few more sessions with the ball to regain his full fitness and be ready to compete. 

"Football is in my blood. I just need a few runs and touches on the ball to warm up and should be ready to compete," Manyama told the Amakhosi website. 

Manyama further revealed that the setup at training is different from what they are used to as clubs try to adhere to the government's regulations to curb the spread of the coronavirus. 

However, he feels good to be back with his teammates and he's looking forward to more sessions in the coming weeks. 

"The set-up is new to us but we have to get used to it," said Manyama. 

"It felt good to run through a few exercises. I look forward to more of these sessions. The touches are still good though. You saw me hitting the net a couple of times, right?" he asked. 

Before the lockdown, Manyama recorded nine assists and seven goals in 26 matches across all competitions, and he doesn't think he has lost the spark after 102 days of no competitive football. 

"I don’t think I’ve lost the spark," he continued. 

"Also, it is refreshing to see my teammates albeit still maintaining a safe distance. The body feels okay so far because we kept working hard under lockdown, there is no problem on that one. Obviously, training on the pitch will tell as we go along," he said. 

The South Africa international said the players just need to follow safety protocols so that they remain safe and play far away from the coronavirus.

"We just need to stay safe and follow the protocols. I am going home to rest now. It is important for everyone to stay safe so that when things get back, we are ready to do things together."

The Glamour Boy are targetting their first league title since 2015, and Manyama's first since turning professional 10 years ago. 

Galatasaray winger Sofiane Feghouli apologised and took responsibility for his first career red card in his team’s 3-1 loss to Trabzonspor in Sunday’s Turkish Super Lig encounter.

The 30-year-old was shown a straight red just after the half-hour mark for an unsportsmanlike behaviour before the Lions suffered a blow in their league title defence race.

Sunday's loss stretched Galatasaray's winless run to six leagues games with their last victory dating back to March 1 when they humbled Genclerbirligi 3-0.

Following his sending off, Feghouli was heavily criticised by a Turkish football columnist Levent Tuzemen who urged Galatasaray chiefs not to buy players from North Africa again because of their discipline and anger.

"In Galatasaray, administrators and coaches should stop buying players from North Africa,” Tuzemen said.

“North African players such as Belhanda and Feghouli have problems with discipline and anger. It is not easy to play against Trabzonspor with high quality feet such as Sosa, Sorloth, Ekuban.”

In his response on Monday, Feghouli who has contributed six goals and three assists in 25 league outings this term, admitted that his expulsion caused the team’s defeat and also described Tuzemen’s comments as racist.

“This is the first time I have been kicked out of the game in 13 years of my professional football career,” he tweeted.

“I am clearly wrong and take responsibility for this. The defeat last night stems from my mistake. North African footballers do not have "anger" problems on the field.

“Levent Tuzemen is like a racist person. You are saying that such players should not be taken in ignorant and wrong manner. When making your analysis, be equal to all origins because this is a lack of respect.”

Feghouli has been playing at Galatasaray since 2017, and he has helped Fatih Terim's side win two Super Lig titles, a Turkish Cup and the Turkish Super Cup in 2019.

The Lions will be aiming to end their poor run of form when they visit Alanyaspor for their next top-flight fixture on Wednesday.

They are fourth in the league table with 52 points after 30 games, 11 points behind leaders Istanbul Basaksehir.

Bologna rising star Musa Juwara has mentioned the name of Real Madrid winger Eden Hazard as his role model on the back of a solid performance against Inter Milan on Sunday.

The 18-year-old Gambian came off the bench to equalise for the Rossoblu after former Manchester United star Romelu Lukaku had given the Nerazzurri the lead in the 22nd minute.

Juwara’s fellow countryman in Musa Barrow then bagged the winner in the 80th minute for a shock 2-1 win at the San Siro which put a further dent on Inter’s title hopes while keeping Sinisa Mihajlovic’s men 16 points further away from the drop zone and seven points adrift of Europa League qualification.

"I used to cheer Chelsea when I was a kid, so I'd say Eden Hazard,” Juwara said when asked by DAZN about who his role model is.

Hazard was with Chelsea between 2012 and 2019, scoring 110 goals and providing 92 assists, winning two Premier League and two Europa League titles.

Juwara then jokingly mentioned Barrow - who is on loan from Atalanta and has a hand in nine goals (six goals, three assists), as his other role model.

It marks a remarkable rise for Juwara who arrived in Italy as an immigrant by boat in 2016 and started his football career with Virtus Avigliano that year before moving to Chievo Verona in 2017.

He made only one senior appearance with the Gialloblu before joining Bologna last summer.

He has now featured five times in the Serie A this season and thanks coach Mihajlovic for making it possible to play him against Inter. He also dedicated his first top-flight goal to the family that adopted him when he arrived on the shores of Italy

"First of all, I have to thank the coach, because being played against Inter is something that needs compliments,” he continued while speaking with DAZN.

“I want to dedicate my first goal in Serie A to my family and all those who helped me get here.

"I did not think of playing. I am working well in training, but I did not think of playing against Inter. But the coach gave me confidence and I must thank him, as mentioned. I am young to play and score against Inter: it is a dream that I will remember all my life.”

Juwara will hope he can inspire Bologna again when they take on Jeremie Boga’s Sassuolo at the Stadio Renato Dell'Ara on Wednesday.

Frank Lampard thinks N'Golo Kante might have to change the way he manages himself after a spate of injuries this season has often left him unavailable for selection.

The 29-year-old had been the only Chelsea player to line up for every minute of his side's return since the coronavirus-enforced stoppage in the Premier League.

However, he is now out of the upcoming trip to Selhurst Park to face Crystal Palace, while he is also unlikely to be fit to face Sheffield United at the weekend.

After his fourth injury of the season, Lampard explained how Kante might need to adjust his preparations as he gets into the senior stages of his playing career.

“Take the small injury he has now out of it slightly, because all players can get that in this period because we’re asking a lot of them in games,” Lampard said in a press conference on Zoom.

“The story of the season being he had a pretty bad injury in the Europa League final and when we came back for pre-season, I wasn’t sure what the situation was and it turned out he wasn’t near fit with that injury.

“And now we end up with a slight domino effect that took us through the season which means he played pretty much fifty per cent of the games as we went into lockdown. I like to think that we’re through that patch and that this injury now is pretty unrelated.

"One of the things that looks different for me is that when you do get a few injuries, when you are in your mid-twenties you see things differently and you have to maintain yourself slightly differently and N’Golo certainly buys into that and I think that will help too.”

Still, Lampard has a big squad to select from - and that's despite also seeing Mateo Kovacic miss out in midfield during the midweek round of fixtures.

Jorginho and Billy Gilmour are vying for a start as the latter is still yet to play a single minute since the restart in late June. Along with those two, Ross Barkley continues to be in a good run of form, adding goals and assists to his game.

Meanwhile, Mason Mount had success in Chelsea's 3-0 win over Watford in a more withdrawn role. Lampard spoke of how he makes decisions on his midfield and praised Mount's ability to both attack and defend well.

“I spoke of it the other night after the game about teams with low blocks who make it difficult for you,” the head coach added.

“To be able to get players who can arrive with technical ability high up the pitch and around the box and find a pass and take someone out of the game with a skill or finish... It’s big in those games if we feel like we’re going to have a lot of control. 

“Generally, with the midfield, I do like midfield players who can perform, not all the roles but can play high, can play on the side, can do the defensive duties and Mason really has that.

“His work off the ball is fantastic for us and if I feel like getting him high up the pitch to put more pressure on the other team if they want to play out, that can help us off the ball.

“Sometimes I’ll ask him to do a slightly different role with the ball where he comes deeper to make sure he’s not missing out on the ball because he’s a good player and needs to be on the ball deeper. Himself and Ross [Barkley] can perform that kind of role. 

“Kovacic can perform that kind of role. Ruben Loftus-Cheek can perform that kind of role. N’Golo Kante can perform that kind of role. Billy Gilmour can. Jorginho also can but his role predominantly in his career has been from a deeper position.

“I had those good problems within the team. I like to work on the midfield, making it as fluid as it possibly can be so we give teams problems. 

“Some performances recently, Watford being one the other day, Everton before lockdown I saw a real fluid movement of the midfield which I really liked. We have to continue to work on that.”

Mikel Arteta says he would be open to keeping Dani Ceballos at Arsenal but says the situation is not in the Gunners' hands.

The Spain international arrived on loan from Real Madrid last summer and is due to return to the Spanish capital at the end of the season.

Arsenal do not have an option to turn his move permanent and the expectation has been that Ceballos would only spend the one season in the Premier League before heading back to his homeland.

But Arteta has now raised the prospect of bringing the midfielder back to the Emirates at the end of his loan, if another deal with Madrid can be done.

“We are talking to the club,” said Arsenal’s head coach. “Obviously we don’t own the player, he’s not in our hands, so the clubs will need to have a communication and see what we can do.”

Having had to battle for his place in the starting XI after Arteta’s arrival in December, Ceballos has become an increasingly influential player for Arsenal under the Spaniard. 

He has started seven of Arsenal’s last eight games in the Premier League and has formed an encouraging partnership alongside Granit Xhaka in the heart of the midfield.

“I’m really happy with him,” Arteta said ahead of Tuesday night's home game against Leicester. “The way he’s evolving and I love how much he likes to play football – the passion he puts into every training session, and in every game, you just have to see his celebrations.

“Whether he’s on the pitch or on the bench, the way he celebrates [shows] how much he puts into it. Again, I’m really happy with him, I think he’s evolving in the right way and he’s becoming a really important player for us.”

Meanwhile, Arteta says Arsenal would be ‘open’ to potentially swapping players during the forthcoming transfer window in a bid to land key targets.

With money expected to be limited due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic as well as what looks set to be another season outside of the Champions League, Arteta is aware that transfer funds will be tight.

There have been suggestions that Arsenal could be willing to offer Alexandre Lacazette or Matteo Guendouzi as a sweetener for targets such as Thomas Partey at Atletico Madrid.

And although he wouldn't be drawn on any specific names, Arteta admits swap deals are likely once the window opens.

“We have to be open to different situations,” he said. “I think the market will give us the opportunity to do certain deals like this but at the moment I cannot comment on any of that.”

Frank Lampard has insisted that Tammy Abraham's goal drought isn't a result of his current contract situation, with his deal now having less than two years left to run.

The 22-year-old is on a nine-game goal drought and is the only homegrown player not to sign a new deal recently, having seen the likes of Mason Mount, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Callum Hudson-Odoi, Fikayo Tomori and Reece James all penning new terms this season.

Abraham remains Chelsea's top scorer this season with 15 goals but the majority of those came earlier in the season, with Olivier Giroud now often selected ahead of him.

The England international has had an ankle injury that disrupted his run in the team and Lampard has told his No.9 to ignore talk around his contract and to focus on training well to score again.

“I think on Tammy’s contract we’re not at a critical level with it and I’ll leave that between him and the club to discuss that side of it,” Lampard told reporters on Zoom. “I don’t think it’s something in his mind now. It certainly shouldn’t be.

“What needs to be in his mind now is these games we have coming up and how much he can give us on the pitch, whether he’s coming on as a sub or starting games. He has had a really good season.

“He hasn’t scored so much in the second half of the season and as a young player, it’s always clear that when you have those periods there’s only one way out of it and that’s work and repetition in training and trying to make the most out of every moment you get.

“I just think that’s where Tammy’s at. The contract will hopefully look after itself. It’s between him and the club. He just needs to focus on giving us that Tammy that we had earlier in the season, which was giving defenders so much of a problem in games and scoring regularly.

“It all came from how he was training and working through the week. You could see it through his demeanour in the week, which meant he could perform on the matchday. That’s what he has to sustain all the time.

“Not just Tammy. It’s a general rule. We get very excited with young talent - and rightly so. We’ve seen it this season and that’s why I’ve tried to stay pretty grounded when I get asked a lot about the youth, particularly earlier in the season, because I felt it coming.

“It’s really hard to come into the Premier League, at the level it’s at, and sustain performances or be in the side all the time. There’s competition, games are hard.

“Whether it’s Tammy, whether it’s Mason, whether it’s Fikayo, whether it’s Reece, they’ve all had periods of real input and playing regularly and periods where it’s maybe not quite so much, in their own different ways.

“That’s something we all have to be a bit calm with from the outside and expect that. 

“The main thing from working behind the scenes is that they understand that and that they will have those little moments and not lose confidence. I’m always there to support them on that. But also they need to continue the work.

“That’s the message for all young players, not just mine. I’ve been there, I know how hard it is to break through, but when you break through it’s possibly harder to sustain it and move on to a different level, which top players do. 

“All these younger players here potentially have it. A lot of it is in their hands at this point."

Aduana Stars director Kofi Manu has hit out at fans of the club for petitioning the Ghana Football Association (GFA) over the side's snub for the Caf inter-club competitions next season.

Last week, the football governing body's Execute Council named Asante Kotoko and Ashanti Gold as Ghana's two representatives for the Caf Champions League and Confederation Cup respectively after prematurely terminated the 2019-20 domestic football season due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Aduana led the table of the cancelled Ghana Premier League (GPL) which was truncated at the matchweek 15 stage. Some fans of the club believed the side should have been offered a 2020-21 spot in Africa partly because they topped the table and partly because they were the last club to win the Premier League.

“I was really sad when I heard that our own supporters wrote a letter to the GFA expressing their displeasure about Kotoko and AshantiGold representing Ghana in Caf [competitions]," Manu told Happy FM.

"These supporters are disgracing Aduana stars, a club that I am a part of. Disgracing us like this is bad. Even the regulations they quoted are against them.

“If we are to go by their letter and argument, then no club can go to Africa, not even Aduana Stars. How can you write a letter without understanding it to disgrace the club?

"Aduana stars people were quiet when the Normalization Committee [who led the administration of football in Ghana between 2018 and October last year] wrote to Caf for Kotoko and AshantiGold to represent us.

“A whole me, Kofi Manu, a club that I am a director of can write such a letter and will not even contact me. This is just shameful.

"We can’t declare any club as a leading club on the table because we have not finished our first round. Clubs haven’t played the same number of games so they’re not equal and we can’t use that [to determine who represents Ghana in Africa]."

Kotoko and AshGold similarly represented Ghana in this season's African campaign where they both got eliminated in the first round.

Ordinarily, the winners of the Premier League are awarded the slot for the Caf Champions League while victors of the FA Cup earn the Confederation Cup spot. 

Arsenal goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez says he feels safe guarding the posts behind David Luiz and Shkodran Mustafi, despite frequent criticism of the pair.

The defenders often find themselves as the butt of the joke for opposition fans, with neither being strangers to a high-profile error.

While there have been more setbacks this season, there have also been signs of progress under Mikel Arteta.

On Saturday, a back three of Luiz, Mustafi and Sead Kolasinac restricted in-form Wolves to just a single shot on target at Molineux as Arsenal won 2-0.

"Now, we have structure, we have a gameplan, we have game management and the defence looks stronger and stronger," Martinez told Sky Sports.

"Believe me, David and Musti are top players. David has been at the top for so many years and it's the same with Musti.

"Sometimes when you make mistakes at big clubs you get punished. With Arsenal, people always seem to blame the defence for defeats. But I feel really safe behind them.

"They have experience and they are constantly talking through the whole game. When you play behind them, it's not like what people say. It's not, 'Oh, they make mistakes, they don't know how to play football'.

"I feel really safe, and now that we've kept three clean sheets on the bounce in the Premier League, people are starting to say that the defence is actually solid."

Arteta is making an impression on Arsenal’s squad already, though there is clearly a long road ahead as he looks to rebuild the club.

Nevertheless, Martinez says he and his team-mates have been hugely impressed with their former midfielder’s coaching ability.

"We knew Mikel would be a good manager when he signed here, but we didn't know he would be this good," he said.

"He is incredible. He knows how to deal with experienced players, with young players. He gives us a gameplan against anybody and gives us hope when we do the training sessions.

"He knows what position you have to be in in every department, whether you are a goalkeeper, a striker or a left-winger.

“And then, when we go into the games, those scenarios we worked on in training actually happen, so we start believing in every word that he says.”

Tottenham bounced back from their defeat to Sheffield United in underwhelming fashion as a Michael Keane own goal earned a 1-0 Premier League win over Everton.

Spurs' Champions League hopes were left hanging by a thread after they slipped to a limp 3-1 defeat at Bramall Lane last time out.

Jose Mourinho's men were not much better in the more familiar confines of Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Monday, but Keane's moment of misfortune proved enough to see off a dismal Everton side and secure the Portuguese's 200th Premier League victory.

Captain Hugo Lloris was involved in a half-time flare-up with Son Heung-min and an unconvincing triumph that moves Tottenham within seven points of fifth-placed Manchester United will do little to improve the mood in the camp.

Tottenham struggled to break down their visitors in the opening stages but a 21st-minute effort from Lucas Moura almost brought about the opener as his 25-yard effort skimmed the left-hand post.

Just three minutes later Tottenham were ahead as Giovani Lo Celso's effort took a very fortuitous ricochet off Keane that left Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford helpless.

Despite their half-time advantage, there were clear signs of discord in the Tottenham dressing room as an argument between Lloris and Son threatened to boil over as they left the pitch.

The pair had to be separated by their team-mates and only the reflexes of Pickford prevented Son from putting further distance between Spurs and Everton after the restart, the England goalkeeper twice denying the South Korea star.

Spurs had no problem protecting their lead but the prospect of them catching in-form United with five games to play looks an extremely unlikely one.

What does it mean? Win doesn't paper over cracks for Tottenham

Tottenham may be back to winning ways, but it was a victory claimed in uninspiring fashion and the frayed tempers Lloris and Son displayed at the interval suggest all may not be well for a team clinging on to faint hopes in the race for Champions League football.

Son sparked into life

The heated exchange with Lloris did not appear to have a negative impact on Son, who was the only player to offer a genuine threat of scoring in the second half.

Toffees toothless

Spurs' may have been punished for their malaise on another day, but Everton offered next to nothing as Lloris went largely untested. 

Key Opta Facts

- Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho has become the fifth manager to reach 200 Premier League victories, with only Alex Ferguson (322) doing so in fewer games than the Portuguese (326).

- Tottenham are unbeaten in 15 Premier League games against Everton (W8 D7), their longest run without defeat against an opponent in the competition.

- Everton have lost exactly half of their Premier League games in London (78/156), with only Newcastle United (79) losing more in the capital than the Toffees.

- Tottenham have kept a clean sheet in two of their last three Premier League games – as many as they had in their previous 14 in the competition.

What's next?

Spurs travel to Bournemouth on Thursday, when Everton host Southampton.

The Referee Committee of the Swedish Football Federation has found Martin Strombergsson guilty of using an inappropriate and offensive statement towards Ostersunds goalkeeper Aly Keita.

According to reports, Keita reported Strombergsson to the Allsvenskan authorities after he told him “to shut up and go back into his goal so bananas could be thrown at him” during a top-flight game last season.

Following a thorough investigation, the chairman of the referees committee in Sweden, Peter Ekstrom announced that the 43-year-old official has been banned from officiating matches for the rest of 2020 as punishment.

“Martin Strombergsson regrets that he had no racist intentions with what he has said,” Ekstrom told Swedish Football Federation website.

“We have no reason to doubt this, but still consider it to be a very inappropriate statement, and it must be obvious that it can be perceived as offensive.

“Based on what has happened, it is not appropriate for Martin Strombergsson to judge any matches in the league series during the remainder of 2020.”

In his reaction, the Secretary General of Swedish football governing body, Hakan Sjotrand backed the judgement and praised Keita for reporting such an incident.

“I completely share the Judiciary Committee's view on the matter. What has happened is very serious, and is contrary to the values ​​of Swedish football - regardless of the intentions Strombergsson had,” Sjostrand said.

“The Swedish Football Association, as employer, will give Martin Strombergsson a reminder and work free. It feels good that we have thoroughly investigated the incident and talked to everyone involved - it makes us feel secure in our judgement.

“It is good and important that Aly Keita talked about his experience. We must dare to talk about these issues in Swedish football.”

On Monday evening, Keita was in action for Ostersunds in their 1-0 loss to Mjallby and could not prevent them from conceding their fourth defeat after six games in the Allsvenskan this season.

The 33-year-old goalkeeper was part of the Guinea squad to the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt, and he made an appearance before their round of 16 exit. He played against Madagascar in a group game that ended in a 2-2 draw.

Former Northern Ireland international Keith Gillespie says Sir Alex Ferguson acted as an impromptu agent to quintuple his wages as he left Manchester United for Newcastle.

Gillespie came through the youth ranks in Manchester but left seeking first-team football in 1995, with David Beckham eventually breaking into the team ahead of him.

Joining Kevin Keegan’s Newcastle, he got his wish and was a regular for three years on Tyneside, before moving on to Blackburn in 1998.

And, according to Gillespie, his time in the North-East was made even more enjoyable by a cheeky intervention from Ferguson.

“We got to the hotel, got on the hotel phone and I rang home,” Gillespie told the UTD Podcast. “My mum answered and I explained the situation and the manager comes on to her and said: ‘Look, is it OK if I do the deal and act as his agent?’

She said she was happy enough with that. And I remember the manager said to me: ‘When we go in here, don’t say a word.’

“We were on £230 a week and the contract was going up to £250 a week the next year, but I remember sitting at a big round table with Sir Alex, Kevin Keegan, Freddy Shepherd, the chairman, Freddie Fletcher, the chief executive.

“I was sat with my head down and remember Sir Alex going: ‘Well, Keith’s on £600 a week at the minute and we want you to double it to £1,200.’

“I sort of looked up and he said [again]: ‘£600,’ and gave me this look as if to say: ‘Don’t say a word here.’ And Newcastle agreed to it right away.”

Perhaps inspired by Ferguson, Gillespie is now working as an agent, having retired from football in 2013 after dropping down the leagues.

He will hope to have learned from his own unpleasant experiences, after saying he was ripped off by an agent early in his career.

“Because you’ve played the game you know what a player expects from an agent. I only had two agents in my career,” he said.

“The first one I had at Newcastle tried to rip me off when I moved to Blackburn, so I changed agent and had the same one for the rest of my career and he became like a friend.”

Luke Shaw says Mason Greenwood should “ignore the hype” around himself at the minute – but also that he can become a Manchester United legend.

Greenwood has emerged as one of the world’s most promising youngsters this season, hitting 17 goals in all competitions so far.

United legend Andy Cole has praised the 18-year-old’s “freakish” finishing ability, and Shaw thinks he has what it takes to make good on his obvious potential.

"The growth that Mason has made in the last year and a half he has been in and around the first team is amazing,” Shaw told Sky Sports.

"For me personally, I feel like he has turned from a kid to a man in such short time and now he's understanding what this league is about.

"He has grown in size, he has got stronger and he is not fragile anymore. [Before, he] could be pushed off the ball.

"The most important thing I would say for him is ignore the hype, ignore what people are saying, just focus on yourself, keep doing what he's doing and there is no reason why he can't become a very important player for Manchester United in the future.

"He can become a United legend, no doubt about it."

Following their 5-2 thrashing of Bournemouth at the weekend, United have now scored 14 goals in five games since football resumed and are pushing for Champions League qualification.

According to Shaw, January signing Bruno Fernandes has been key in their transformation in recent months.

"For me, Bruno is a massive part of the change, the culture that is now going on at United," Shaw said. "He pushes that day in, day out.

"[He is] an amazing guy off the pitch, he's funny and he has massive confidence in his own ability, which none of us doubt. He's been perfect on the pitch.

"The whole team has changed I believe. The injuries we had also - Paul [Pogba] and [Marcus] Rashford have also come back and hit the ground running in this part of the season. Everyone is pulling their weight and doing a great job."

United have today been boosted by the news that in-form midfielder Nemanja Matic has signed a new contract at Old Trafford.

Lille forward Victor Osimhen is set to make a decision about a potential move to Napoli this week after meeting manager Gennaro Gattuso and club chairman Aurelio De Laurentiis, his agent Osita Okolo has revealed.

The Nigeria international has been heavily linked with a transfer to the Serie A club after his outstanding debut campaign in France that earned him the award for the best African player in Ligue 1 this year .

Osimhen was in Italy last week to meet the leaders at Napoli and receive the club’s offer, however, his agent has disclosed that the final decision will be made by the player this week.

“Victor went to Naples with his representatives. We talked and exchanged views on the city: the impressions were good, to tell you the truth,” Okolo told Calcio Napoli 24 .

“Victor isn’t always shy, although he would’ve preferred to make an important decision with less media exposure.

“After meeting De Laurentiis, Giuntoli and Gattuso, he told me he needed some time to make a decision, without any pressure.

“Later this week he’ll drop his concerns and confirm his decision, whether he decides to accept Napoli’s offer or not.”

Osimhen who scored 18 goals in his first season at Lille, is believed to be concerned about racism incidents in Italy .

Okolo claimed Gattuso has assured the 21-year-old of his faith in him as he hopes to avoid a repeat of the experience he had at Wolfsburg where he played 14 Bundesliga matches, with only three starts across two seasons.

“We’re waiting. [His decision] may come not long after today. The coach made him feel wanted. He believes a lot in [Osimhen’s] ability and what he can do," he continued.

“Victor told me there was an agreement on everything but that there was still a couple more things to iron out before the final decision: the announcement should be made by tomorrow.

“I think it’s important for him to have a starting place, to grow further, even if there are no guarantees in the world of football.

“At Wolfsburg they promised him several things, then they moved the goalposts. Victor doesn’t want to get this decision wrong.

“I think Napoli would be the right place for him to grow, but he has the final say.”

Former Orlando Pirates midfielder Warren Lewis says he doesn’t think Bidvest Wits coach Gavin Hunt can manage Kaizer Chiefs because he will not get the freedom to choose his players.

The retired Moroka Swallows and AmaZulu anchorman is of the view Amakhosi will need a coach that will be prepared to listen to management when it comes to signing players.

Hunt’s future remains the subject of speculation after the club was sold to Tshakhuma Tsha Mdzivhandila (TTM) and the National First Division side (NFD) recently claimed they can’t afford the four-time Premier Soccer League (PSL) winner.

“Gavin [Hunt] is ready to coach a big team but the management or the owner of the club must be able to give him the freedom to sign his preferred players,” Lewis told Isolezwe.

“If Kaizer Chiefs can give him the freedom to sign the players that he wants, then we can see the results. Chiefs is a big club and we all want to see a strong Chiefs in South African football.

“If a club chooses players for him that will become a difficult situation for him. Gavin wants certain players, players that can play according to his requirements and he can get the best out of his players.

“However, there are people that will tell you how things must be done and who will be signed whilst you are a coach and that still happens in South African football.

“He has been successful at Wits and at SuperSport United because he was given the freedom to choose his players and do things according to his wish.”

Meanwhile, the Students' manager has recently confirmed he has not received offers as yet whilst explaining that he was not approached by the Thohoyandou-based club.

On the other hand, the Telkom Knockout Cup and MTN8 winner with the Clever Boys has been reportedly linked with a possible return to Matsatsantsa but the club’s CEO Stan Matthews was quick to downplay the reports.

While he said it would be the first time since 1981 where he would have to spend the pre-season at home, the manager’s name has also been linked with a move to Cape Town City.

As things stand, the Braamfontein-based outfit was scheduled to face Amakhosi when the season was halted due to the coronavirus pandemic in March.

Wits are also set to face Mamelodi Sundowns in the Nedbank Cup semi-finals once the season resumes.

Following in the footsteps of the World Championships and the African Championships, the annual Championship, which kicks off on the 20th of July, will be held online to counter the impact of the Covid-19 virus. The event is hosted by the World Freestyle Football Association (WFFA) who have partnered with Goal in South Africa to determine this year’s South African Freestyle Champion.

There are over R11,000 worth of prizes and vouchers from Hi-Tec to be won and, of course, the bragging rights and opportunities that come with being the South African Freestyle Champion 2020.

South African freestylers will be able to enter the competition through their own social media accounts using the hashtags #ZAFreestyle #hitecsa #GoalZA and showcase their talents and skills. The judging panel includes Asian Pacific champion Ibuki Yoshida and four-time Finnish Champion Alexander Wessberg.

Goal Africa’s Managing Editor Steve Blues said: “Freestyle football is one of the world’s fastest-growing sports and a great fit with Goal. The innovation, style and creativity that defines a champion freestyler are exactly the characteristics we value here at Goal.”

“I can’t wait to see what the South African freestyle community has to offer,” he added.

The tournament is open to all ages and genders. Under-18's are required to get written consent from their parents/guardians. One can enter the championship by posting their videos which are no shorter than 40 seconds and no longer than 60 seconds on their own Facebook or Instagram account using the hashtags: #ZAFreestyle #hitecsa #GoalZA

From the top 16, videos are submitted to the WFFA on Whatsapp and winners will be announced on Goal and WFFA platforms. 

Click here for more information on how to enter and the terms and conditions.