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Chelsea boss Frank Lampard has hailed "incredible" Willian, detailing how the normally-reserved winger has emerged as a vital leader for the Blues this season.

The 31-year-old has been with Chelsea for seven years, winning two Premier League titles, the FA Cup, the League Cup and the Europa League during his time at Stamford Bridge.

However, Willian could depart at the end of the season, with his contract originally set to expire at the end of June.

The Brazilian recently delayed that departure, though, joining Pedro in agreeing to terms through the end of the 2019-20 season.

Willian has made it publicly clear that the Blues are unwilling to offer him the three-year deal he's hoping for, and, as a result, his future remains undecided.

Having played with the winger, Lampard has a unique appreciation for the Brazilian and the Chelsea boss is thrilled to have Willian involved for the final eight matches of the Premier League season as well as the FA Cup and Champions League.

"He's been incredible in terms of that the younger players look up to him," Lampard said. "He's played every level, and at a high level himself throughout.

"He has a great character about him and it's good, it's important when you have a lot of young players that they have people to look up to from within. He's not a shouter and a screamer, but he certainly works by example in how he is daily, so yes, I'm very thankful for having him in the squad this year."

In recent times, Willian, like most modern footballers, has seen his fair share of criticism on social media.

The Brazilian, who has started all but one of Chelsea's Premier League matches, isn't deserving of any of it, Lampard says.

The head coach added that he understands the importance and influence of social media, but he won't let outside opinions impact his own decision-making process.

"In terms of social media, I remember the back-end of my playing career I had a couple of moments of viewing of what fans thought of me, either Chelsea or outside," he said.

"And it kind of stopped me wanting to look at it again because if you were to view social media, you'd never pick a team, you'd change it every two seconds. And I suppose that's the beauty of football in one way, that everyone has opinions.

"My opinion, fortunately, is the important one here at the moment, at the club. And I get to see what the players are like, how they train day to day, so when you make a selection people might comment on from the outside, they don't see what you see.

"And I have a huge value on training, how players behave and work in training in the week. I knew Willian had it as a player because I've played with him. I think we've all seen it on the pitch this year, his work ethic off the ball, his creation and his work on the ball, and you saw it against Aston Villa as well.

"So I think, generally, Chelsea fans hold him in real high regard. It's difficult in the modern day to take a view on what social media says from all over the world. I think people who are in the club know the value of him, and no matter what happens at the end of the season, he's been a fantastic servant for the club."

Super-sub Ahmed El Mohamady was on target in Aston Villa’s 1-1 draw at Newcastle United on Wednesday, in the process ending his five-year wait to find the net in England’s elite division.

The hosts looked destined to secure maximum points at St James’ Park having taken a 68th-minute lead,  however, the 32-year-old headed home a corner-kick with seven minutes left to play to earn his team a point.

Dean Smith’s men neck to neck against Steve Bruce’s team with aspiration on ending their six-game run without a victory.

They could have taken the lead after six-minute but Mahmoud Hassan ‘Trezeguet’ scraped his shot over the bar after meeting Ezri Konsa’s cross.

After a dominant first-half that ended goalless, Villa continued with their imposing display but go stunned in the 68th minute through substitute Dwight Gayle. He picked the far corner after being assisted by Andy Carroll.

That propelled manager Smith to introduce Conor Hourihane and El Mohamady as he looked for a comeback – which he got in the 83rd minute after the Egyptian headed past Hourihane’s corner past Martin Dubravka.

With that, he has now scored his first Premier League goal since March 22, 2015 – when he beat Thibaut Courtois in Hull City’s 3-2 defeat to Chelsea.

Also, that marked his second English topflight strike at against the Magpies – making Newcastle United the only side he has netted more than once against in the competition.

Tanzania superstar Mbwana Samatta was handed a starter’s role and he saw every minute of action, while Zimbabwe international Marvelous Nakamba replaced John McGinn in the 77th minute.

Even with the draw, Aston Villa remain 19th in the log with 27 points from 31 league games - six ahead of Norwich City who sit at the base of the table.

For Newcastle, they are ranked 13th having accrued 39 points from the same number of matches. They welcome Manchester City in their next encounter on Sunday, as Samatta and his team continues to fight against relegation against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday.

Liverpool moved a step closer to clinching their first title in the Premier League era with a resounding 4-0 triumph over Crystal Palace.

Trent Alexander-Arnold's delightful free-kick midway through the first half set Jurgen Klopp's side on the way as they maintained their 100 per cent league record at Anfield this season.

A 16th straight home victory in the competition in 2019-20, albeit this one coming inside an empty stadium due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, was wrapped up just prior to half-time by the returning Mohamed Salah.

Liverpool will now wait to see if Manchester City keep them waiting into July to end a 30-year wait to be crowned champions again; Pep Guardiola's side must win at Chelsea on Thursday to remain in the hunt, mathematically at least.

Palace were the last away team to triumph at Anfield in the Premier League, back in April 2017, though hopes of a repeat suffered an early blow when an already depleted visiting line-up lost the talismanic Wilfried Zaha to injury. 

Their cause was also not helped either by facing opponents clearly determined to do better after a Sunday stalemate against neighbours Everton. 

Georginio Wijnaldum had already spurned a glorious opportunity before Alexander-Arnold's sublime set-piece strike broke the deadlock, the full-back lifting the ball over the Palace wall and beyond Wayne Hennessey's desperate dive.

Fabinho's delightful pass picked out Salah's run in behind to lift the ball over the Palace goalkeeper in the 44th minute, while the Brazilian went for power to thump in a stunning third from distance 10 minutes into the second half.

Sadio Mane rounded out the scoring when Salah's throughball allowed him a clear run on goal before steering a low shot past Hennessey. Job done for Liverpool, meaning their attention now switches to what happens at Stamford Bridge.

What does it mean? Reds right on the edge

The 30-year wait (plus a few weeks) is almost over. Pedestrian in the Merseyside derby at Goodison Park on their return after a three-month hiatus, Liverpool were far more up to speed back on the other side of Stanley Park.

City will have a major say in when exactly a title race that turned into a procession long ago officially comes to an end, just not quite in the way they might have hoped.

All systems Mo again

In case anyone needed reminding, Salah demonstrated his importance to Liverpool. An unused substitute at the weekend due to a fitness concern, the Egyptian made it 15 home goals in the Premier League season.

Firmin-woe continues at Anfield 

While Salah and Mane scored, the other member of Liverpool's formidable frontline once again drew a blank at Anfield. Roberto Firmino is not all about goals, of course, but his last at home in the league was way back in March 2019, against Tottenham.

What's next?  

Liverpool have time to recover before they travel to the Etihad Stadium on July 2. Palace are in action prior to then, however, welcoming Burnley to Selhurst Park on June 29. 

 English North East Regional Women’s Football League side Wakefield Trinity Ladies has secured the services of Uganda defender Jean Sseninde on a one-year deal.  

Wakefield Trinity Ladies was established in 2019 and are bolstering their ranks ahead of the new 2020-21 season following the cancellation of the season due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The English outfit were second in the 2019-20 season but their Women's National League promotion dreams were dashed after the season was voided with all results expunged.

The West Yorkshire based outfit had already confirmed the acquisition of Chelsea Pilmer, Rosie Gresswell, Tyler Carter Dabda and the latest and fourth this summer is the Uganda international.

The Crested Cranes star had enjoyed stints at Charlton Athletic, Crystal Palace and Queens Park Rangers in the FA Women’s National League Southern Premier before being sidelined due to injury.

Earlier this week, Sseninde had established a partnership with the English outfit on the empowerment of women and youth in communities through education and non-formal skills training in Uganda.

"Wakefield Trinity Ladies FC will forge a partnership with the Sseninde Foundation and in the summer of 2021 Trinity player-coaches will visit Uganda, spend time with a Ugandan family and experience the culture but also deliver exhibition coaching sessions with their girls’ football teams, schools and communities during a two-week stay," the club recently announced.

Speaking on her switch to Goal, Sseninde expressed delight over her move and shared how valuable the opportunity is to return to the field again.

"I agreed on a one-year with an option of another extension with the club," she told Goal.

"My ambition now is to get back to playing next season and regaining full fitness after being out for almost a year with injuries and other commitments.

"Had a lot of injuries and needed to recover other commitments to help develop women’s football and administration work in the game which am still committed to and I will never put limits on what I can do and want all young girls to believe it’s all possible.

"For me now it’s to settle into getting back to a professional playing setting and also inspiring many young girls in Africa and around the world that you can be successful both in and off the field if you trust God, work hard, believe in yourself and stay committed. Never allow people to write you off or define you on what you want to achieve."

Sseninde will be aiming to return to the field after months out due to injury and inspire her new English side to the second division next season.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has warned there is more to come from his Manchester United as they target a third place finish after beating Sheffield United.

Man Utd moved to within two points of Chelsea in fourth after a dominant display at Old Trafford thanks to an Anthony Martial hat-trick.

And while Solskjaer was happy with his side’s performance, he thinks there is still room for improvement and thought they should have scored more.

“At times it was very, very good football we could and should have scored more goals to put the game to bed before half time,” Solskjaer said. “It’s always worrying going into half time knowing you should have scored [more] goals the way we controlled the game, pressed and stopped them playing.

“I’m very happy with it but there is still more to come and we shouldn’t be 100 per cent happy with it.”

The win means Man Utd are now six points off third-placed Leicester, with a trip to the King Power to come before the end of the season - and Solskjaer isn’t ruling out United finishing third.

“I have never said fourth is our aim. We want to win, we want to go up to third, of course we want to,” he said. “Hopefully we can count the points and only have two teams ahead of us at the end.”

Martial shone in the match, which was the first behind-closed-doors fixture at Old Trafford, and while everyone raved about his third - which was a lovely chip past Simon Moore - Solskjaer was more impressed with the Frenchman’s movement for the first goal.

“The third goal was a great goal. But for me the first and the second were better. He’s in the box, ready to go. We have worked on that, getting in the box in that situation more often,” Solskjaer said.

“At the near post he showed composure and I think, as I said, the first goal was vital the way he turns and gets himself into a position to score from Marcus' cross. [I'm] very pleased with that. 

“He’s getting more and more into those position he could have had one at Spurs  - a great turn and finish and a great save, he’s in good form.”

The hat-trick was Martial's first in senior football as well as the first scored by a Man Utd player since Sir Alex Ferguson retired.

Robin van Persie was the last Man Utd player to fire three goals in one match, and Martial says he hopes Wednesday's hat-trick is a sign of things to come.

“It's special for me because it's my first one and I hope it's not the last one,” Martial told Sky Sports.

“It was a long time with nobody scoring three goals [for Manchester United].

“It was an important win against a team who are just behind us, so it is important for us to keep going and win the next one.”

Great Olympics director and former Ghana Football Association (GFA) vice president Fred Pappoe believes it will be "difficult" for the West African nation to resume the Premier League (GPL) amid the current coronavirus situation.

All domestic football competitions have been on hold since a national ban on public gatherings, including sporting and religious events, came into effect as part of measures to curb the spread of the deadly disease on March 15.

Following the recent return of some national leagues in England, Spain, Germany and Italy, there have been calls for Ghana to follow suit. The Ghana Football Association (GFA) has revealed it is currently engaging the national government over the possible resumption of football under strict safe protocols such as playing matches behind closed doors.

“If you look at the fact that we are having the infection rate going up at this stage, it’s still dangerous, it’s not getting positive or encouraging,” Pappoe said, as reported by Footballmadeinghana.

“You will ask yourself whether, under the circumstances, we can start our game. Definitely we cannot unless there is a change.

“Now one can also argue that other leagues are playing, England, Spain and all the rest.

“But then you ask yourself what they did or what they are doing to enable them to play safely. Do we have the capacity to do what they’ve done or what they are doing to get to this level? Definitely I think that will also be difficult.

“So much as it is sad to say it, looking at what we know now and what is happening now, it will be very difficult to say we should start our game."

Ghana's ban on all contact sports, including football, remains in effect until at least July 31.

The GFA has set a June 30 deadline to make a final decision on the future of the 2019-20 Ghana football season in the wake of the disruptions.

The Premier League was at the matchweek 15 stage - with Aduana Stars leading the table - when the competition came to a standstill.

With huge uncertainties over the immediate future of domestic football due to the increasing number of coronavirus infections in Ghana, there have also been some calls for the complete termination of the season. 

Claudia Dabda provided an assist and Salimata Simpore was on target for Dinamo-BSUPC as they gained a first-leg advantage in the Belarusian Women's Cup semi-final after defeating Zorka-BSU 6-0 on Wednesday.

The Cameroon defender and Burkina Faso striker have continued to impress since joining the Belarusian club during the winter transfer window this year. 

Going into the contest, Simpore contributed an assist in Dinamo's 5-0 thrashing of Neman to maintain their lead at the top last Friday.

Again at home, Dinamo maintained their fantastic form as Hanna Pilipenko opened the scoring through an assist from Anastasia Shlapakova in the 14th minute at the Dynama-Juni Stadium.

In the 31st minute, Anastasiya Linnik teed up Simpore to double the lead before Karina Olkhovik netted the third four minutes later and also set up Shlapakova for the fourth six minutes from half time.

After the restart, Linnik grabbed a fifth of the match off an assist from Vita Nikolaenko in the 59th minute before Dabda teed up Krystsina Tikhavodava to seal the victory nine minutes from time. 

Simpore's goal was her seventh in seven games for Dinamo and the Burkina Faso star, who lasted for 71 minutes.

Cameroon's Dabda was also involved from the start to the finish but South Africa's Bambanani Mbane was not involved in the encounter.

A draw in the second leg away on July 8 will be enough for Yury's ladies to advance to the semi-finals for the first time in their debut season.

The Royal Moroccan Football Federation has announced plans to restart the 2019-20 Botola Pro season and Botola 2 campaign on July 24.

After a virtual meeting between the league authorities and the FRMF led by President Fouzi Lekjaa, it was announced the campaign will resume next month and end on August 8 without fans in stadiums.

Football activities in Morocco were suspended on March 14 to contain the spread of coronavirus in the country and following the progress made by health institutions, the top-flight and second division clubs have been cleared to resume.training sessions which will be in two stages. These are individual and collective sessions - from June 25 with the individual phase having five players occupying half of the stadium for 10 days.

The FRMF also concluded the start date for the 2020-21 football season will be October 16.

In reducing the impact of Covid-19 on players' performances, the federation approved the recommendation of the International Football Association Board (IFAB) which grants clubs permission to make five substitutions instead of three in a game. There will also be a pause for three minutes in every 30 minutes of a match.

Prior to the suspension of football in March, Wydad Casablanca sit at the top of the Botola Pro table with 36 points after 18 matches and they still have two games in hand.

FUS Rabat trail in second spot with 35 points after 20 games while Mouloudia Oujda are third with 34 points from 19 outings.

In the Second Division, Maghreb Fes and Chabab Mohammédia are leading the hunt for promotion to Botola Pro, and they are level on 39 points after 22 matches.

PSL's acting chief executive officer Mato Madlala says the competition will only resume as soon as the clubs complete all the required protocols. 

The current season remains suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic since mid-March 2020 and the South African Football Association (Safa) and PSL have been working together to ensure that football resumes in the country.

Last week, Safa confirmed the government has green-lit PSL teams to return to training pitches, but the 16 PSL and 16 National First Division (NFD) clubs have to do and submit Covid-19 tests as one of the key regulations that have to be met. 

The government has since given the PSL the go-ahead to resume the suspended season on Wednesday and Madlala has now explained the league will only restart once clubs follow all the required safety measures.

"Resumption of football has conditions. There are some protocols that we need to follow like testing. If they say, it can resume, yes, it can resume but we have to follow certain protocols in order to start," Madlala told IOL.

PSL chairman Irvin Khoza recently revealed that a national camp based in one province would conclude the campaign.

Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal are reportedly the provinces which have been earmarked by the PSL to host the national camp when the season resumes.

"From now on, we will have to do the audit of where we are with those protocols that we have to follow as individual clubs," Madllala, who is also the Lamontville Golden Arrows chairperson, added. 

Madlala went on to confirm that all PSL clubs have started the process of testing their players ahead of the league resumption.

"Yes, the process of testing at club level has started. Teams know what to do. That's why they have started testing," she concluded.

The Nedbank Cup semi-finals are also expected to take place with Mamelodi Sundowns set to take on Bidvest Wits, while Baroka FC will face off with Bloemfontein Celtic.

The reigning PSL champions Sundowns are also embroiled in a PSL title race with their Gauteng rivals, Kaizer Chiefs, who are keen to end their five-year trophy drought this term.

Mikel Arteta believe Bukayo Saka will sign a new long-term contract at Arsenal ‘very shortly’ following positive talks with the club.

Fears have been growing over the future of the teenage winger, who has been a revelation since being brought into the senior side by former boss Unai Emery.

Arteta has continued to start the 18-year-old since taking over from Emery in December, with Saka now having three goals and 11 assists to his name this season despite being played in several positions for the struggling Gunners.

However speculation has been rife over his future, with the Arsenal academy product having just one year remaining of his first professional deal, which was signed in September, 2018.

Top clubs from across Europe have been keeping close tabs on the situation with Borussia Dortmund particularly keen to lure Saka over to Germany, but Arteta has moved to calms fears that the winger could be on his way out and is hopeful that a new deal is imminent.

“I am very positive that everything is going to be done with Bukayo very shortly,” said Arsenal’s head coach, who takes his side to Southampton on Thursday night.

“The communications between the club, agents and the family has been going on for months and is very fluent.

“The player and family knows how much trust I have in him. I think he is just showing that every week and his consistency level is getting better and better.

“I’m so excited with the young players that we have. They just need the right environment around them to explode and Bukayo is doing that even in difficult circumstances which is even more merit for him.”

Meanwhile, Arteta has backed Emiliano Martinez to be an able replacement for the injured Bernd Leno between now and the end of the season.

Leno suffered knee ligament damage during Saturday’s defeat at Brighton and although the injury is not as bad as first feared, he will be sidelined for the he remainder of the campaign.

That will give Martinez an extended run in the Premier League and Arteta has full confidence in the Argentine, who has been with the Gunners for the past 10 years but only made seven league appearances.

“What I know about Emi is the way he prepares himself, how patient he has been and how much he has been waiting for this opportunity,” said Arteta.

“When you do that, you expect when the opportunity comes to perform and put everything that you have done in the past into the next few games to help the team and make yourself proud that it was the right decision to stay, work and behave the way he has over the years in the club.”

When asked whether he believes Martinez has what it takes to put pressure on Leno for the No 1 spot, the Spaniard added: “Of course he has. If not you wouldn’t be the No 2 goalkeeper at Arsenal.

“The No 2 goalkeeper at Arsenal has to be ready to play, not just to be a backup player and when you are needed, to make the difference for your team.”

Giangiacomo Magnani's 89th-minute goal stunned Inter as the Nerazzurri were made to pay for a dreadful miss from Roberto Gagliardini in a thrilling 3-3 draw with Sassuolo in Serie A.

Gagliardini was guilty of one of the misses of the season midway through the second half at San Siro, yet Inter – who took a 2-1 lead into half-time following goals from Romelu Lukaku and Cristiano Biraghi – seemed to have got away with it thanks to Borja Valero's 86th-minute effort.

Yet Sassuolo, who had drawn level at 2-2 following Gagliardini's miss through Domenico Berardi's spot-kick, fought back again – Magnani bundling home from two yards out.

With tempers frayed, there was still time for more drama when Milan Skriniar received a second booking for a foul on Lukas Haraslin in stoppage time as Inter squandered the chance to keep the pressure on Serie A's top two.

It took just four minutes for Sassuolo to open the scoring – Francesco Caputo finishing from Filip Djuricic's throughball.

Jeremie Boga's foul on Skriniar ended Sassuolo's resistance four minutes before the break, with Lukaku making no mistake from the resulting penalty. 

Inter's tails were up and, with Sassuolo's resolve broken, the hosts had their second in the first minute of stoppage time when Biraghi lashed in from a tight angle.

Gagliardini seemed destined to put the result beyond doubt in the 64th minute, only to slam an effort against the crossbar of a gaping goal after Andrea Consigli had parried out Lukaku's low strike.

Sassuolo made their good fortune count – Berardi keeping his composure from 12 yards following Ashley Young's foul on Mert Muldur to spark late drama.

After Lukaku saw a goal ruled out for offside, Valero's close-range finish from Antonio Candreva's free-kick seemed to have handed Inter victory, but Sassuolo rallied once more, with Antonio Conte left seething as the unmarked Magnani rescued a point for the visitors.

But Inter's frustrations were compounded moments later – Skriniar receiving his marching orders for a rash tackle on Haraslin in a frantic conclusion to a thrilling clash.

What does it mean? Inter's slim title hopes fading fast

Some costly defeats prior to Serie A's suspension due to coronavirus saw Inter slip down to third, but they would have, temporarily at least, moved to within two points of Lazio – and six of Juventus – with a victory on Wednesday.

Now, they sit on 58 points, with what seems too much ground to make up in the remaining 11 fixtures.

Berardi keeps up his run against Serie A's leading sides
With his penalty, which just snuck under Samir Handanovic, Sassuolo star Berardi has now scored four goals in his last four league matches against a side in the top three, with his previous such effort coming against Inter in the reverse fixture.

Gagliardini set for the blooper reel

In terms of misses, there will surely not be many more glaring ones this season than Gagliardini's. With the entire goal to aim at, the midfielder somehow managed to hit the woodwork from inside the six-yard box, and he will likely have to face Conte's wrath after Inter’s collapse.

Key Opta Facts

Inter have conceded three goals in a single Serie A game for the first time since the reverse fixture against Sassuolo (4-3 win).
Inter have conceded three goals in a single Serie A home game for the first time since April 2018 (2-3 v Juventus).
Lukaku has scored 19 goals in Serie A this season, his second-best campaign in the top five European Leagues (only fewer than in 2016-17 with 25 goals scored for Everton in Premier League).
Valero scored his first Serie A goal for Inter at San Siro, he had scored the first three away from home.

What's next?

A trip to Parma comes next for Inter on Sunday, shortly after Sassuolo face Hellas Verona.

Anthony Martial's hat-trick against Sheffield United is the first in quite a while for Manchester United as the French forward provided the first three-goal performance since Sir Alex Ferguson left the club.

The striker provided all three of his side's goals on Wednesday, leading the way in a 3-0 win over Sheffield United at Old Trafford.

Martial opened the scoring just seven minutes into Wednesday's match, firing home a Marcus Rashford assist from a tight angle to get United up and running.

His next finish came just moments before the half-time whistle, as Martial benefitted from an Aaron Wan-Bissaka assist to fire a first-time finish that sent the hosts into the dressing room with a two-goal lead.

Finally, Martial's third came in the 74th minute from another Rashford assist, as the Frenchman chipped goalkeeper Simon Moore, who was in net to replace United loanee Dean Henderson, who was unable to play against his parent club.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer decided to remove Martial seven minutes after he completed his hat-trick, bringing in fellow forward Odion Ighalo in the 81st minute.

Martial's hat-trick was the first of his career, stretching back to his time at Lyon and Monaco before his Manchester United move in 2015.

It was also the first Manchester United hat-trick since Ferguson's departure in 2013, with Robin van Persie the last player to fire three goals in one match with the Red Devils.

Van Persie's hat-trick came in 2013, Ferguson's final year in charge, with the Dutchman's three-goal effort coming against Aston Villa as they clinched the title to send the legendary manager into retirement on a high.

This season, they sit fifth in the Premier League, level on points with six-place Wolves and two points behind Chelsea, who will face Manchester City on Thursday in their game in hand.

Next up for the Red Devils will be back-to-back matches away from Old Trafford, as Martial and co. face Norwich on Saturday before visiting Bright & Hove three days later.

After that, United will return home to face Bournemouth for their fifth game of the Premier League restart. 

Anthony Martial scored Manchester United's first Premier League hat-trick for more than seven years as he monopolised the scoring in a 3-0 win over Sheffield United.

Martial revelled in his role at the centre of an attack featuring Mason Greenwood and Marcus Rashford, with the latter claiming the first of two assists in the seventh minute.

Aaron Wan-Bissaka made a mockery of questions over his attacking capabilities from right-back as he tormented Enda Stevens to set up Martial's second a minute before half-time.

A clever chip completed his treble – becoming the first United player to do so in England's top flight since Robin van Persie against Aston Villa in April 2013.

Sheffield United began on the front foot but fell behind when Marcus Rashford got to the byline and smashed across goal, where Martial nipped in front of Chris Basham to score.

Martial looked to return the favour when he raced clear in the 13th minute, only for Rashford to inexplicably scuff wide with the goal at his mercy.

Bruno Fernandes' set-piece prowess was to the fore, with Simon Moore – in goal for the visitors due to Dean Henderson being unavailable against his parent club – pushing away a free-kick from the left before Harry Maguire had a header from the Portugal midfielder's corner chalked off for a foul on Phil Jagielka.

The drinks break seemed to revitalise the Blades but more static defending allowed Martial to tuck home from Wan-Bissaka's cross.

Mason Greenwood had a snap shot deflected behind by Jagielka 10 minutes into the second period, with Fernandes again vibrant in the build-up.

Martial swiped over in pursuit if his hat-trick, taking the ball off the toe of Paul Pogba – whose dazzling dribble was the shining moment of his first start since September.

The France forward would not be denied the matchball, however, exchanging passes with Rashford and producing a sublime dinked finish to seal the points 16 minutes from time as his side extended their unbeaten run to 13 games.

What does it mean? Solskjaer's Champions League bid on track

Victory means Manchester United keep up the pressure on Chelsea and lie two points behind the fourth-placed side, who host Manchester City at Stamford Bridge on Thursday.

No goals and one point from a dismal three-game run since the Premier League restart means Sheffield United are rapidly fading from that equation.

Fernandes sets the tone

Fernandes was unable to add to his hastily compiled tally of goals and assists in England but it was again clear United are a team transformed since his January arrival from Sporting CP. The 25-year-old was bright and inventive at the heart of a dominant performance and the early signs are that he and Pogba will thoroughly enjoy one another's company.

Jagielka wilts in the heat

Sheffield United's esteemed former England international did not sign up for playing against relentless, pacey attackers in 30-degree temperatures at 37 years of age. Jagielka was left in Rashford's wake for the opener and this was largely an ordeal for he and his team-mates thereafter.

What's next?

An FA Cup quarter-final at Norwich City on Saturday means Solskjaer will have the chance to advance ambitions for a first piece of silverware in his Old Trafford tenure, with Sheffield United hosting Arsenal at the same stage of the competition on Sunday.

Gary Neville has urged caution over the prospect of Dean Henderson becoming first-choice goalkeeper at Manchester United next season, despite David de Gea's indifferent form.

De Gea was again in the spotlight when his failure to stop Steven Bergwijn's shot allowed Tottenham to take the lead against United last Friday, though the Red Devils hit back to secure a draw from the game.

The Spain international overcame a shaky start at Old Trafford to become a cornerstone in the team during a period of transition, yet a slip in standards has raised questions over whether he should remain as number one.

Yet while Henderson has impressed in the Premier League during a loan spell at Sheffield United this season, former United defender Neville is wary of pushing the 23-year-old into the top job at Old Trafford too soon.

"David de Gea, for three or four years, was probably the best goalkeeper in the world - certainly the best in the Premier League," Neville said on Sky Sports.

"He was player of the year here and, in a very difficult period for Manchester United post Alex Ferguson, was a shining light. The only player really you would say could go into any other team in the Premier League, or the world. 

"Since that 2018 World Cup, though, he's had a real difficult time.

"What I don't buy into is that Dean Henderson at Sheffield United, obviously from Manchester United on loan, can go into that goal in front of the Stretford End and adapt to what the demands are of being a Manchester United goalkeeper. 

"It takes a special character to play in that goal. What I think David de Gea has done in the four or five year period before this last 18 months is build up a lot of credit, whereby he actually deserves a break, the idea he is given the opportunity to correct his form and get it back to where it needs to be.

"When a goalkeeper, or any player, goes through a rough patch it's mentally tough. He's at one of the biggest clubs in the world and the scrutiny is on him constantly.

"There is no escape at this club – and that is why I'd be a little bit cautious around Dean Henderson. That is a lonely old place out there to make a mistake if you're a Manchester United goalkeeper. With respect to Sheffield United, it's very different making a mistake for Sheffield United."

He continued: "To make that decision, which is a huge call, to say that Dean Henderson comes back to Old Trafford and is the number one, you're essentially dismissing David de Gea and what he's done for the club over the past seven or eight years.

"I would just urge caution on that, at this moment in time."

Neville played with Peter Schmeichel and Edwin van der Sar during his own career, yet also saw up close how tough it can be as a goalkeeper at United.

"I've seen it before with players during my period at the club," the ex-England defender said. "We had two great goalkeepers during my time – Peter Schmeichel at the beginning and Edwin van der Sar at the end.  

"In between that, there were real challenges with goalkeepers.

"At times there were young goalkeepers who were talented but found it very difficult to cope with the scrutiny, plus the levels of concentration that are required."

Saint-Etienne coach Claude Puel is hopeful William Saliba can remain with the club for the Coupe de France final before he has to link up with Arsenal.

The centre-back signed for the Gunners on a long-term contract last July but immediately returned to Saint-Etienne on a season-long loan.

Les Verts progressed to the Coupe de France final before the French football season was halted by the coronavirus pandemic.

While Ligue 1 was decided on a points-per-game basis, with Saint-Etienne consigned to a lowly 17th-placed finish, they can still qualify for the Europa League by beating Paris Saint-Germain in the Coupe de France final.

That contest is provisionally scheduled to take place on July 24, but Saliba's loan is due to end on June 30.

Puel, however, is eager to keep him around for a few weeks longer.

“William is at the end of his contract at the end of the month,” he said in a media conference. “He takes great pleasure in training with his team. We will see what can be done to keep him a little longer with us.”

He added: “We ended last season with players who were coming to the end of the contract, with players who were suspended during the season and who could not serve their suspensions.

“I think it’s unfortunate that we did not take into consideration an exceptional case with a four-month gap. They will be deprived of the finals and we will be deprived of them.

“We also have players at the end of the contract, we will take stock. Loic Perrin is with us and may have this possibility of extending. We made an offer to Yohan Cabaye, we await the answer.”

Saint-Etienne have been linked with a move for Paris Saint-Germain youngster Adil Aouchiche, who looks set to leave the club when his contract comes to an end this summer.

The 17-year-old midfielder has been linked with a move to Germany, with Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen said to be interested.

While Puel admitted he is interested in Aouchiche, he refused to say if his team are lining up an offer for him.

“I like to talk about concrete things, Aouchiche has a profile that interests me, and that's basically all I can say,” the coach added. “Many clubs are ready to welcome him, everything will depend on him.”

Former Ghana captain Asamoah Gyan says his services do not come cheap but he would consider playing in the Premier Soccer League (PSL) if he is approached.

Now playing for North East United in the Indian Super League after a career which took him to Italy, France, England, United Arab Emirates, China and Turkey, Gyan is in the twilight of his career but he says retirement has not yet struck his mind.

“I still feel strong, I still feel young. There is no day I have thought about retiring,” Gyan told Marawa Sports Worldwide on Metro FM.

“Definitely yes if a team from South Africa are interested and feel they need my services why not? We can negotiate and we can have a deal.

“Yes [I don’t come cheap but] it depends on the situation. I am a professional football player and I have to see a lot of things, I have to value a lot of things before making a move. But as I said, I feel strong, I still have fire inside me. Obviously I am not in my 20s but I feel I can prove myself once again.”

The ex-Sunderland man has revealed he was once approached by a PSL club but the team did not show “seriousness” and no deal materialised.

While declining to name the club, he says talks were inconclusive but he is still open to play in South Africa.

“Yeah [I was approached by a South African team] but it wasn’t concrete. This agent thing like you are here, you are going there, but at the end of the day I don’t see anything concrete,” said Gyan.

“I like working with serious people. When somebody wants to make a move or when somebody wants to approach you, the person has to be serious.

“But I didn’t see any seriousness. It was just talks, talks, talks and I didn’t hear from anybody again. Because it didn’t go through I don’t want to mention the club but obviously yes it was a South African club.

“If it was a done deal that really happened then I would mention the club. It was just talks, talks and I didn’t see any paperwork, I didn’t see anything. That is why I don’t want to mention any clubs.”

Coming to South Africa would remind the Ghanaian of his 2010 memories when the Black Stars dramatically exited the World Cup quarter-finals on penalties.

Shouldering the hopes of the entire continent, Gyan critically missed a penalty that could have sent Ghana past Uruguay.

“I don’t want to live my life with regrets. Life goes on,” said Gyan about the penalty miss.

Kaizer Chiefs central defender Daniel Cardoso has lauded the instant impact of the club’s new signings.

Kearyn Baccus, Yagan Sasman and Samir Nurkovic were signed by the Soweto giants prior to the start of the current season.

The trio quickly established themselves as key players under coach Ernst Middendorp as Chiefs mounted a serious challenge for the Premier Soccer League (PSL) title.

The current season was suspended indefinitely due to the coronavirus pandemic last March with Amakhosi sitting at the top of the league standings.

“Bringing in the new signings was great, Samir Nurkovic he’s got off to a great start," Cardoso said on Far Post.

"I mean he scored [his first goal for Chiefs] in the second game against SuperSport United when we drew 1-1."

Nurkovic has been one of the best performers in the league this season having hit the back of the net 11 times for the Naturena-based giants.

The Serbian marksman is also in the race for this season's Golden Boot award as he is three goals behind the league's top goalscorer, Frank Mhango of Orlando Pirates.

“Kearyn Baccus also gelled in very quickly and Yagan Sasman has been great on the left-hand side for us, he sometimes plays centre-back with me,” added Cardoso.

Baccus, who joined Amakhosi from Australian side Melbourne City, has caught the eye with some solid performances in Chiefs midfield.

While Sasman has done well as a central defender and left-back for the Soweto giants having joined the club from Ajax Cape Town.

Much was expected from another Chiefs new signing Lazarous Kambole after he inspired Zesco United to the Zambian Super League title last season.

However, the striker struggled in front of goal, having failed to score in 12 competitive matches for Middendorp's side.

“Kambole, he had great games, just needs that one goal just to get that confidence and once he gets that first goal, he will start moving up the places,” Cardoso concluded.

Cardoso has established himself as Chiefs' first-choice penalty taker this season and he has netted five goals from 27 competitive games.