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David Luiz should thank God after being given a contract extension at Arsenal, says Emmanuel Petit, who argued the defender has not played like a "proper footballer" for the last three years.

The Gunners confirmed on Wednesday that the Brazilian centre-back has signed a one-year deal, putting an end to growing speculation over his future.

Many suggested Luiz's time in north London was over after a dismal performance against Manchester City, though the player made clear that he hoped to stay.

Former Arsenal and France midfielder Petit was disappointed by the decision to keep the 33-year-old but feels it is typical of the way the club is run. 

"David Luiz hasn't been a proper footballer for about three years," Petit wrote in a column for Paddy Power. 

"But I'm not surprised that he has been given a new contract at Arsenal, because I've been very disappointed in relation to the club's activity in the transfer market.

"I've been particularly upset in relation to the defenders. We all know one of Arsenal's major weaknesses is their defence and nothing has changed. This makes me miss Arsene Wenger.

"If I was David Luiz, of course I would sign a new deal and I would also say a prayer of thanks to the Arsenal directors every time I wake up.

"Even when he last won the Premier League with Chelsea, he's not the same player any more. This guy has lost something.

"To be honest, it's a joke. Find some proper defenders. Are you telling me there are no young talented defenders on the market? I just don't get it."

He added: "Does anyone think the Arsenal executives and directors know what they're doing on the football side of things?

"For the last few years they have been splashing out on the transfer market - and have brought in some decent players - but I don't know what their target or project for the future is.

"It's far worse now than in the last years under Wenger. What is the point of being one of the richest clubs on the planet with no reason or vision behind it?"

National First Division side Moroka Swallows have confirmed three positive cases of the coronavirus from their camp. 

According to club chairman David Mogashoa, the test results for three players of their players came back positive from the laboratory. 

All the 32 member clubs that fall under the PSL umbrella have had to conduct preliminary tests to all the players and officials. 

This is in preparation for the suspended season which is set to resume in the next few weeks following the government's approval of the league's 'return-to-play' protocol. 

"We would like to confirm that Moroka Swallows have one player who tested positive for Covid-19. The player is in good shape and we are following all protocols and giving necessary support to the team and the staff," said Mogashoa in a series of tweets before adding that two more players had tested positive to bring the total to three. 

"Two more Moroka Swallows players tested positive. Total [is] three. Protocols will be observed," he confirmed. 

Mogashoa added that Swallows, through their team doctor, have informed the PSL and all the people involved about the results. 

"We have notified the PSL through our team doctor and all the people involved," he said. 

This brings a total number of players who tested positive for the coronavirus in the National First Division (NFD) to six.

TS Galaxy were the first NFD club to make their results public on Tuesday night - revealing that three of their players had tested positive for the deadly virus. 

Swallows are one of the NFD teams involved in a tightly contested race for promotion to the PSL.

The other two teams are Uthongathi FC and Ajax Cape Town who top the NFD standings with only a handful of league matches remaining before the end of the season.

Swallows will hope to have the three players back as soon as possible and in time for the resumption of the campaign.  

The Soweto-based outfit is currently placed second on the log with 41 points, seven behind Ajax after 24 rounds of matches. 

Simba SC have emerged victorious against Mbeya FC courtesy of a double strike from John Bocco at Sokoine Stadium.

With Simba racing closer to defend the Mainland Premier League title, the midweek win helped them to maintain a wide gap at the top of the table with no team likely to overtake them now.

Bocco struck the opener in the sixth minute with the hosts struggling to contain the giants but were unlucky not to concede another goal until the second half.

Bocco earned his brace in the 54th minute to help Wekundu wa Msimbazi record not only a win but also a clean sheet in Mbeya. The victory saw Simba add their tally to 78 points after playing 31 matches.

Mbeya City will remain in position 18 on the 20-team table with 30 points from the same number of matches. Mbeya are not completely out of the relegation zone given the 19th-placed Mbao FC have four fewer points.

Azam FC's bid to keep second place received a big blow after they lost 1-0 to Kagera Sugar.

Yusuf Mhilu, who has attracted interest from a number of clubs this season due to good performances, struck the all-important goal for the Sugar Millers in the 33rd minute and the Aristica Cioaba-led side was unable to fight back away from home.

A win for Yanga SC, who will take on Namungo FC later in the evening in Dar es Salaam, will see them overtake Azam on the log. The FA Cup defending champions have 58 points against Yanga's 56.

The win is important for Kagera Sugar who have overtaken Tanzania Prisons on the table as they now enjoy 44 points, two more than Tanzania Prisons.

There was only one draw recorded in the midweek action when Alliance FC and Polisi Tanzania fought to share points in their respective tie from a 1-1 scoreline.

Martine Kiggi, in the 51st minute, put Alliance ahead before the law enforcers equalized in the 80th minute via a Pius Buswita's strike.

Kinondoni Municipal Council (KMC FC) suffered the heaviest defeat of the day after going down 4-0 away to Biashara United.

A goal from Justine Omary in the 36th minute coupled with a hat-trick from Atupele Green were enough to see off KMC. Green scored his first goal in the 68th minute and earned the second one in the 72nd minute. His last goal of a joyous afternoon came in the first minute of added time.

Stephen Ireland has revealed how he once got the better of Lionel Messi in a pre-season friendly while also earning the title of "Superman" from Barcelona president Joan Laporta.

The former Manchester City star says that Laporta bear-hugged him ahead of a warm-up match in 2009, a period where Ireland was a key player for the Premier League club.

Ireland made 176 appearances for City between 2005 and 2010 after making the leap from the club's academy, before subsequently moving on to feature at Aston Villa.

He also took in spells for the likes of Stoke and Bolton during his career, although he never played a match for the latter before ending his career in 2018.

And that career could have gone much differently, according to Ireland, who believed that there was a chance to move to Barcelona around the time of that pre-season friendly.

“We played against Barcelona in pre-season and I was the best player on the pitch by a country mile,” Ireland told The Athletic. “Messi was playing. He went on one of his mad runs and I just thought, ‘I have to tackle him’. I did this massive hook tackle on him. It was an amazing tackle.

“There were four or five times when I read his passes and intercepted them. I went round him. I gave him the eyes and went a different way. It was cool, really cool, to be out there with him. 

“On occasions like that, you’re more alert, you try harder. You run quicker, you see more. I’m built for that.

“I remember on the bus [to Camp Nou], two players saying to me, ‘If you play well today, Barcelona will sign you’. One was Javier Garrido, a Spanish boy. 

“The other was [Pablo] Zabaleta. Now I think, ‘Was I really that close? Was I that good? Was I that recognised that something like that could actually have materialised?’”

While the game against Barcelona was a memorable one for Ireland, the former midfielder added that the run-up to that game was equally unforgettable.

Even before his pre-season display, Ireland said that Laporta approached him following a training session, causing Ireland a bit of panic.

“The day before the game, we had a training session. And as we were coming up the tunnel, Barcelona’s president was there,” he said. “All the players were like, ‘That’s him!’. He kinda pushed everyone to the side, grabbed me and gave me a massive bear hug. 

“He put his arm around me and I started to sweat so bad. I was thinking, ‘Oh my God, if he picks up on this it’s going to be so embarrassing’. I was red in the face, drenched with sweat. Oh sh*t, how uncool did I look? 

“And he started telling everyone, ‘Hey, this guy is the man, this guy’s number one. This guy’s Superman!’. Looking back, I really feel I was good enough to have stayed another six, seven or eight years at City.”

Ebusua Dwarfs coach Ernest Thompson is the latest to express worry about the possible resumption of the Ghana Premier League behind closed doors.

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

The Ghana Football Association (GFA) is currently engaging the Government of Ghana over the possible resumption of major domestic competitions under strictly safe protocols which mainly involve matches without fans.

“You know our clubs actually rely on gate proceeds. And should the league resume in an empty stadium, it is going to actually affect clubs,” Thompson told Y FM.

“When it’s behind closed doors and there are no supporters coming in, there is no other source of income for some of the teams.

“It is going to cause a lot of problems for most of the teams, Dwarfs not excluded, because you know we don’t have as many sponsors and support as other teams have and that is really going to be a problem.

“If you should ask me, the government or the Ghana Football Association should come in to support the teams financially.

“With that one, if we are asked to go and play, I think fine and with all the protocols and everything put in place to ensure the players, technical team and management do not contract the disease why not.

“We are ready to play anytime they ask us to, but we should be very careful with the decision."

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.

Officials from King Faisal, Berekum Chelsea and Eleven Wonders have advocated for the complete annulment of the campaign but two-time FA Cup champions Medeama want the current term continued when safe to do so.

The GFA has, meanwhile, 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.

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

Burnley captain Ben Mee was a picture of seething disappointment after his side's 5-0 defeat against Manchester City, but it had nothing to do with the result.

The game itself felt irrelevant as he directed his ire at the people who decided it was a good idea to fly a banner with the words 'White Lives Matter Burnley' over the Etihad Stadium.

A visibly furious Mee told Sky Sports that he was "ashamed and embarrassed" by the stunt, stressing that the message portrayed by the banner was not at all representative of the club or the players. 

"It is not what we are about. They have missed what we are trying to achieve," the centre-back said in his rebuke.

"These people need to come into the 21st century and educate themselves. They don't represent what we are about, the club is about, the players are about and the majority of fans are about."

The banner in question appeared shortly after the players had knelt in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement, as, indeed, other teams had done in previous games since the restart of English football.

Premier League stakeholders had also agreed to print the words 'Black Lives Matter' on the backs of jerseys and individual players have used their platforms to amplify the voices of the BLM movement. 

Mee was speaking on behalf of the Burnley team when he admonished those behind the banner, but his expression of sharp disapproval was echoed by many within and outside the football community. 

Man City star Raheem Sterling said it was "time for change" and former Manchester United captain Rio Ferdinand wrote on Twitter: "Well said Ben Mee... respect."

Former England star Gary Lineker lauded Mee's "leadership", while Labour MP David Lammy said that Mee had "given a lesson in how to call out offensive garbage".

Mee condemned the 'White Lives Matter' banner in the strongest possible terms, but the most substantive part of his statement was that, as well as being offensive, it misses the entire point of the BLM campaign.

Why does 'White Lives Matter' or 'All Lives Matter' miss the point? 

'White Lives Matter' or 'All Lives Matter' reactions miss the point because the Black Lives Matter movement is not about denigrating the worth of other ethnic groups; it is about highlighting a specific problem.

Black Lives Matter is against racism and systemic injustices against the Black community, and it works for equality for everyone.

The message of the slogan is not that Black lives matter more. It is not that the lives of Caucasian people don't matter. It is that Black lives matter just as much.

Reactionary cries that 'White Lives Matter!' or even 'All Lives Matter!' demonstrate a fundamental misunderstanding of what BLM is working for and fighting against.

Such cries also have the effect of diminishing the plight of a community that has suffered violent subjugation in the past and continues to feel the residual ill effects of history, with overt and subtle racism still evident today.

The fact that 'White Lives Matter' has been used as a slogan for white supremacist groups is highly problematic and it creates an absurd false equivalence.

Robbie Earle noted that Mee had understood the issues "through the lens of a black man", telling NBC Sports in an emotional appraisal: "That is change, that is progression. That's people standing with you in the fight and if we can stand together in the fight we've got a chance."

So, when footballers take a knee and wear shirts emblazoned with the slogan, it is an act of solidarity, not of supremacy. It is an expression of a desire to rid the world of racism, in all its forms.

What is the Black Lives Matter about?

Black Lives Matter (or BLM) is a social civil movement that arose in 2013 in response to police brutality against Black people in the United States.

George Zimmerman's acquittal in the case of the fatal shooting of Black teenager Trayvon Martin is considered the catalyst for the Black Lives Matter movement. It began to spread on social media platforms before developing into organised street protests and activism.

Inspired by the civil rights movement, the Black Power movement and Black feminist movement among others, Black Lives Matter is most prominent in the U.S., but has spread across the world.

The BLM website says that the movement is committed "to imagining and creating a world free of anti-Blackness, where every Black person has the social, economic, and political power to thrive".

Why are people protesting?

The Black Lives Matter protests of 2020 are driven primarily by the death of George Floyd, a black man who was killed at the end of May during an arrest by a police officer in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Video footage circulated online of a handcuffed Floyd lying on the ground with police officer Derek Chauvin kneeling on his neck for approximately nine minutes. Floyd could be heard in the footage saying that he could not breathe.

His death sparked outrage in the U.S. and prompted hundreds of street protests across the country despite public health concerns related to the coronavirus pandemic. Protests subsequently spread to Europe and across the world, with demonstrators clashing with police in many cases, such as the UK, but on a smaller scale.

Besiktas forward Kevin-Prince Boateng has given an account of how he was racially abused as a child in the neighbourhoods of Berlin where he grew up.

The subject of racism has been rife in football with Boateng one of the targets when he walked off the pitch in a friendly game with Pro Patria while playing for AC Milan in 2013.

Such was an unprecedented action never seen before but, it set the tone for football authorities to pay closer attention to racist abuse with referees now authorised to stop play if chants are heard from the stands during games.

The subject of racism has reached a new high globally following the death of George Floyd in the United States with football particularly the Premier League, standing in solidarity with the Black Lives Movement.

“When I was nine years old, I went to play in a tournament in East Germany. I grew up in a neighbourhood in Berlin that was poor, and that was also home to people who were from every corner of the world: Russia, China, Egypt, Turkey, everywhere,” Boateng wrote in the Players Tribune.

“When we fought each other, it was because we disliked each other in that moment, not because of discrimination. I never experienced racism there.

“But at the tournament in East Germany, I heard parents shouting at me from the sidelines. “Tackle the n*****.” “Don’t let the n***** play.”

“I was so … confused. I had only heard that word like maybe in a song or a movie or something, but I knew it was something against my colour. I felt so alone. I felt as if I was in a place where I was not supposed to be — but this was only a six-hour drive from Berlin. How could they love me in one part of the country and hate me in another just because I’m a different colour? As a kid, you don’t understand that.

“I had never spoken to anyone about how to deal with a situation like that. So, on the bus back to Berlin, I burst into tears. My teammates started crying, too. None of us understood what had happened. I never told my mum about it. I just ignored it and kept going. I thought it’ll go away. But it didn’t. And every time I played in East Germany, it got heavier.

“'For every goal you score, we’re gonna give you a banana. 'I’m gonna put you in a box and send you back to your country, fucking n*****.' It hurt so badly. When I was 14, I asked my teacher, 'Do you see me differently from the other kids?'

“He said, “No. Why?” I said, “So why do they see me differently in the east? This is my country. I’m German. My mum’s German. So why do they want to send me away?”

“He explained that there are just some people in this world who are stupid. But I began to cry. I still couldn’t understand it. And soon the confusion turned into suspicion. You begin to think that people don’t like you, even though you don’t know them. Every mixed-race guy in Germany has this. It’s like, why are you looking at me? You don’t like me? You want trouble? Let’s go.

“I became aggressive. Disturbed. I got red cards all the time. I was a hothead. But you know what the worst part was? No one ever stood up for me. They knew what was happening to me. They heard the racism — and they just accepted it. The parents stayed quiet. The referee? Nothing. The coach? “Just ignore it.” So I did. I stored my anger inside. I became numb to it.”

Boateng who is one of the most outspoken football players on racism, went on to narrate his conservation with the referee in the game against Pro Patria. The 33-year-old Ghanaian was trying to be stopped by his teammates and other officials from walking off the pitch, but he had none of it.

“After 26 minutes I told the referee, 'If they do that again, I’m gonna stop playing.' He said, 'No, don’t worry, just continue.' Then, as I was trying to dribble past a player, I heard them again. I grabbed the ball, booted it toward the stands and began to walk off the pitch,” the former Tottenham Hotspur player continued.

“It wasn’t the first time I had been racially abused. But this time I just exploded. When the referee tried to get me to play on, I said, 'Shut the fuck up.' I told him, 'You had the power to do something. You did nothing.' When a rival player wanted me to stay on, I said, 'You shut the fuck up as well. What did you do about it? Do you like what they’re doing?'

“As I walked towards the tunnel, our captain, Massimo Ambrosini, asked me, 'Are you sure about what you’re doing?' I said, 'One hundred per cent sure.'

Boateng who is presently on loan from Fiorentina, missed Besiktas’ 5-1 win over Denizlispor at the weekend because of a muscle injury. He will hope to be in contention against Konyaspor on Friday evening.

Frank Lampard says that he always felt confident that Chelsea would be able to keep hold of Willian and Pedro for the rest of the season, hailing the duo as "fantastic professionals" after signing on to continue their Blues careers.

The pair of wingers were set to see their contracts end on June 30, with Pedro heavily linked with a move to Roma once his deal expired.

And, as a result of the coronavirus, there was a possibility that the two would leave prior to the completion of Chelsea's Premier League campaign, which runs through to July 26.

Premier League clubs unanimously agreed to allow short-term deals for players impacted by this specific situation, leading to both Willian and Pedro signing those short-term deals to finish out the campaign.

The two will be available for all Premier League matches going forward as well as Chelsea's games in the FA Cup and Champions League.

And Lampard says he is thrilled to keep hold of the two vital attackers as Chelsea look to make a push for a top-four spot this season while adding that there are still ongoing talks with regards to keeping Willian beyond this season.

"We are still talking with the players, and Willian in particular, we are talking with him," Lampard said at a press conference on Wednesday. 

"It was hard for me to comment too much because it was announced yesterday. But I was always felt confident that they would remain, they've been fantastic professionals for the club, and servants in all senses.

"And when you have that level of professionalism within you, I think it's a sign that they wanted to stay and see out the season at least.

"So we'll carry on talking and see. But I think everybody's focus now is on these next games, the individuals themselves and us as a club."

Willian has played 38 times in all competitions this season, scoring seven goals while assisting six times. In addition, he's featured in all but one of Chelsea's Premier League matches.

Pedro, meanwhile, has scored two goals across his 18 appearances under Lampard this season.

“I'm pleased, negotiations were relatively easy, because both sides wanted the same thing," Lampard said. "The two players wanted to make sure they could see the season out with us.

“At this point we need them in the squad, they are both important players for us, so I'm happy.”

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang should quit "average" Arsenal this summer, says Emmanuel Petit.

Aubameyang became the most expensive signing in Arsenal's history when he completed a £56 million ($70m) move to Emirates Stadium from Borussia Dortmund in January 2018.

The 31-year-old has justified that transfer fee by scoring 61 goals in his first 99 appearances for the Gunners, while also earning a share of the Premier League's Golden Boot last season.

Unfortunately, the Gabon international's strike rate hasn't been enough to inspire a turnaround of fortunes for a club starved of success on the biggest stages. Arsenal haven't won a trophy since 2017, and they are in grave danger of missing out on a place in the Champions League for a fourth successive year after a disastrous 2019-20 campaign.

Aubameyang's current contract at the Emirates is due to expire in 2021, and unless the Gunners tie him down to fresh terms in the coming weeks, they risk losing a key performer in the summer transfer window.

Such a departure would surely represent another major step backwards for Arsenal, but Petit says he would have no hesitation in walking away from the club if he was in the ex-Dortmund star's shoes.

The Gunners legend told Paddy Power: "If I was Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, I would leave Arsenal. There is some quality in this team but when you arrive at the club nowadays you want to do great things. But, come on guys, Arsenal is not the same any more.

"It's becoming an average club. I feel so sorry for the fans and all the people who love the club. I feel sorry for the former players that try to uphold the Arsenal reputation.

"But I don’t feel sorry for the players - I think 75% of them at the club at the moment don't deserve to wear that shirt. They should look at themselves in the mirror and show some pride."

Arsenal have slipped to tenth in the Premier League standings after losing their first two games back following the three-month hiatus caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Mikel Arteta watched his side follow up a 3-0 loss at Manchester City with a shock 2-1 defeat away at Brighton on Saturday, and frustrations boiled over after the final whistle at the Amex Stadium.

Petit was embarrassed to see Arsenal players mob match-winner Neal Maupay for his part in number one goalkeeper's Bernd Leno's first-half injury, and he is not sure how Arteta is going to get the best out of squad lacking "desire" going forward.

He added: "Arsenal look like an average team with no spirit, with no anger or pride. I saw them against Brighton at the end of the game, trying to fight Neal Maupay, but that made me laugh.

"Before Covid-19 came, I thought things were different but I was surprised after the Premier League resumed to find that we're back in the old days. Nothing changed.

"It's all a question of mentality and desire. I haven't seen any of that at Arsenal since football came back. They could have played for a century against Man City without getting a shot on goal.

"I wish Mikel Arteta good luck because I think he's a quality manager but just like Unai Emery and Wenger, what is he supposed to do with these players?"

Sergio Aguero will have surgery on a knee injury on Thursday with Pep Guardiola waiting to find out when he will have the striker available.

The Manchester City striker is currently in Barcelona where he will be operated on by specialist Dr Ramon Cugat, who has performed surgery on various City players, including Kevin de Bruyne, Ilkay Gundogan, Benjamin Mendy and Aymeric Laporte in the past.

A timescale has not been put on Aguero's return and he has not yet been ruled out of the Champions League restart in August.

"Tomorrow he’ll have surgery with Dr Cugat in Barcelona. Once he finishes the surgery maybe we’ll know exactly the time when he can come back to join us and play with us," Guardiola told his news conference ahead of Thursday's clash with Chelsea.

"I don’t know right now [about the Champions League]. After surgery we’ll know exactly what the doctor sees and exactly what he has done. He will tell us more about the time to come back."

The injury leaves City with only Gabriel Jesus as a recognised striker although Guardiola insists he has options including Raheem Sterling and Ilkay Gundogan, who has been more recently used as a defensive midfielder.

"We don’t have any doubts about Gabriel," the City boss added. "The only doubt we have is because not one single player with the preparation we have can play every three days.

"We have Gabriel. Raheem can play in this position, even Gundogan and Bernardo [Silva] can play in this position. We have different options. Not like a striker but we can use them."

City face their third game in eight days on Thursday since the return of football following the shutdown enforced by the Covid-19 pandemic when they travel to Chelsea.

Guardiola made eight changes between the victories over Arsenal and Burnley and is expected to rotate again for the trip to Stamford Bridge, but he admitted that he will makes changes with the trip to Newcastle on Sunday in mind with the opportunity of defending the FA Cup becoming a priority as Liverpool run away with the league.

"We can’t deny that we have one eye on Newcastle," he said. "Chelsea and Liverpool are prestigious and important games but Newcastle is our game. A final for us.

"We have one eye on this but the other eye, the team selection depends on physical condition, the minutes they have played. We take a look a little bit at what is going to happen in the next, not just Chelsea."

Former Manchester City midfielder Stephen Ireland has revealed that Bruno Fernandes told him he had a poster of him as a kid and that he would always sign him when playing Football Manager.

In an interview with The Athletic, Ireland explained how the Manchester United midfielder now lives a few doors away from him and that the Portugal international even offered to have a kickabout with his youngest son.

Fernandes has made a big impression at Old Trafford since making the move from Sporting C.P. in the January transfer window.

The 25-year-old has become a key member of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's starting XI and has scored three goals in six Premier League appearances for the Red Devils. He was on the scoresheet once again in United's first game of the Premier League restart, with Fernandes netting the equaliser against Tottenham from the penalty spot.

He is being tipped to form a formidable partnership with Paul Pogba in the Red Devils' midfield and Ireland, who played 176 times for City between 2005 and 2010, is a surprising inspiration for the Portuguese.

He said: "Fernandes told me that, as a kid, he had a poster of me. He said that when he played Football Manager he always signed me. I was like, 'You had me on a poster? And, seriously, you sign me for Football Manager?' I mean, how weird is that?"

United face Sheffield United in the Premier League on Wednesday night as they aim to cut the gap to Chelsea to two points.

The Blues play against City on Thursday, with Frank Lampard's side currently in the driving seat as both sides aim to finish in the top four and secure an automatic place in next season's Champions League.

As for Ireland, he has been without a club since Bolton in 2018 and recalled how Andrea Pirlo once asked to swap shirts with him after a friendly game against AC Milan.

He said: "I was like, 'Whaaaat? Pirlo wants my shirt?'. After the game, Daniel Sturridge turned to me, 'Oh, but I asked him for it ages ago'. I said, 'Take it' and handed it over. It didn’t matter. All I could think was, 'Does Pirlo know who I am? Does he watch football and realise I’m a good player?'.”

Kieran Tierney says he is "learning every single day" under Mikel Arteta and that he's confident Arsenal have a bright future under the "brilliant" manager's stewardship.

Arteta was drafted in as Unai Emery's permanent successor back in December, after a successful spell as Pep Guardiola's number two at Manchester City.

The former Gunners captain has since set about implementing his own philosophy at Emirates Stadium, and initial signs of progress were seen before the season was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic in March.

The Premier League was cleared to return earlier this month, and Arsenal were faced with the task of protecting their unbeaten record in 2020 against reigning champions City in one of the first rescheduled fixtures.

Guardiola's men were ultimately too strong for Arteta's, who succumbed to a 3-0 defeat at Etihad Stadium last Wednesday which severely dented their chances of Champions League qualification and they followed up that result with another loss at the weekend against Brighton.

Tierney, who moved to Emirates Stadium from Celtic last summer, made his first appearance in six months against City after overcoming a string of fitness issues.

The Scotland international had nothing but praise for Arteta when discussing how he has helped him through his injury nightmare, and he is "grateful" that the Arsenal boss trusted him to return in such a high-profile fixture.

"He's been brilliant," Tierney told Sky Sports . "Obviously I was injured when he first came in and that was so unfortunate because you want to impress the new manager and get off to a good start. But even then, he was good with me. He watched me from afar and asked for updates on how I was doing.

"It's been an absolute joy to train with him. I feel as if I'm learning every single day and I was grateful for the opportunity he gave me against Manchester City.

"It was my first game in so long and a big game for the club, so for him to trust me was brilliant."

Ahead of a meeting with Southampton on Thursday, Tierney added on the whole Arsenal squad being fully behind Arteta and his long-term vision: "Every day in training you know you're going there to work.

"There are times for a laugh and a joke - Mikel loves that as well - but when we're working, we're working. It's a lot of tactical stuff as well, and that's going to help us all get an understanding of how he wants us to play.

"I've said before, something like that is not going to just work straight away, it's going to be a process, but there is light at the end of the tunnel and we need to stay focused on that. There are going to be bad results and bad games, but as a team we need to keep the confidence, stick together and kick on again.

"All the players are hurting, it's a tough time for everyone at the club, but there are going to be better days ahead.

"The last two results haven't been ideal, but the work-rate is still at 100 per cent every day in training. We're working so hard and we're working to the gameplan that the manager wants. We all believe in it and we're all buying into it."

Chippa United have opted against renewing Rhulani Mokwena's short-term contract with the club. 

Mokwena joined the Chilli Boys on-loan from Orlando Pirates earlier this year, and he was expected to continue until the end of the season. 

However, while Chippa United chairman Siviwe Mpengesi indicated that he would like to keep Mokwena beyond his current deal, reports of uncertainty around his future emerged in the past few weeks. 

Now, Chippa chiefs operations officer Lukhanyo Mzizi has confirmed the club's decision to let Mokwena return to the Buccaneers.  

"In the midst of uncertainty and in spite of everything including the announcement by the sports minister [Nathi Mthethwa], we as a club were uncertain as to when we will return to play," Mzizi told The Herald. 

According to Mzizi, Mokwena's representatives kept asking whether or not Chippa will be retaining the young mentor. 

And that's when they made it clear they don't intend to keep Mokwena, and therefore allowing him to go back to his parent club. 

"His (Mokwena’s) representatives kept enquiring to make sure they were certain about his future, we needed to let them know.  

"So, we let them know about our decision to allow the coach to return home to Orlando Pirates," Mzizi confirmed.

Mokwena only took charge of a single competitive match for the Chilli Boys this season; a 1-1 draw away to Bidvest Wits, and this was before the season was suspended in mid-March.

Last week, Chippa United were accused of training in groups at Kings Beach in Port Elizabeth and thus breaking lockdown Level 3 regulations; the matter which both the club and the South African Football Association (Safa) confirmed to be investigating.  

The Herald reports that some of the reported training sessions were conducted by Mokwena although nothing has been confirmed by either the club or the coach himself. 

Other media reports had suggested that Mokwena brought divisions within the squad soon after his arrival from the Sea Robbers by informing a few senior players that they would be released. 

Mokwena's mandate was to help Chippa avoid relegation as they are currently sitting in 12th position, three points above the relegation play-off spot and a further three ahead of bottom-placed Black Leopards.

Manchester United would be "stupid" not to try and sign Harry Kane this summer, according to Louis Saha, who says the Tottenham striker can help the Red Devils win titles again.

Kane sparked questions over his future at Spurs after admitting he could leave the club if he no longer feels they are heading in the right direction back in March.

Old Trafford has been mooted as a possible landing spot for the England international if he does move onto pastures new, but as it stands, he is contracted to remain in north London until 2024.

United have yet to bring in a natural replacement for Romelu Lukaku, who joined Inter last summer, with Anthony Martial currently the man deployed in a central role.

Saha doesn't think his old club can rediscover past glories unless a "guaranteed 30-goal striker" is added to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's ranks, which has been lacking since Robin van Persie inspired their club's last title success in 2012-13.

Asked whether any of the forwards playing for the Premier League's 'big six" sides would fit in at the Theatre of Dreams, the ex-United forward told Compare Bet: "When you’re talking about Harry Kane – a proper striker. When you see how many goals he scores each season, I would be stupid not to consider him.

"He’s a world-class striker. I know Werner is quite young, but he’s a prolific goalscorer. There’s definitely talent out there in the league and we have to catch up, we need a guaranteed 30-goal striker who is able to create some magic out of nothing, like Van Persie was able to do, removing the burden of having to play well as a side.

"This is what wins titles. There are six to eight sides competing at the top, plus, there’s so much quality everywhere now, you need competition within the team too."

Kane notched his first goal in 2020 during Tottenham's 2-0 victory over West Ham on Tuesday night, and insisted post-match that he feels "as fit as ever" after recovering from surgery on a torn hamstring.

The 26-year-old was criticised for his performance during Spurs' first game back after the coronavirus-enforced break against Manchester United on Friday, which ended 1-1.

Paul Merson expressed doubts over whether Jose Mourinho is capable of getting the best out of his star striker, but the Portuguese boss dismissed the Arsenal legend's comments ahead of his side's meeting with the Hammers.

Mourinho said: "Dear Paul, I have lots of respect for you. I think Harry Kane has no problem at all to score goals in my teams, especially when he’s fit and fresh and has routines of playing.

"That’s my message to somebody I have lots of respect for."

Former South African Football Association (Safa) vice-president Lucas Nhlapo has lifted the lid on how Dr Danny Jordaan is running the organization. 

This follows the removal of both Gay Mokoena and Ria Ledwaba as vice-presidents in Saturday's national executive committee (NEC) meeting. 

According to Nhlapo, the writing was always on the wall that the pair would be removed after differing on governance matters within Safa, and he solely put the blame on Jordaan, who he alleged has too much influence on how members of the NEC should vote once anyone goes against him.    

Nhlapo further stated that Safa will not improve as long as Jordaan is still the president, alleging that some NEC members are desperate and relying on the salaries they get from the association to make ends meet.  

"My understanding is that it was expected that Gay Mokoena and Ria Ledwaba would be booted out because that's how president Jordaan operates. Once you differ with him, then you must know your hours and days are limited at Safa," said Nhlapo in an explosive interview with SA FM. 

"We met with him [Jordaan], myself and Elvis Shishana and the other vice presidents on many occasions raising issues about how we operate and dealing with issues and how we communicate certain decisions to NEC members because most of the decisions, it will be him [Jordaan] forcing them to some members and you must remember, the majority of NEC members are desperate because they are not working and they rely on him generally that's what we have observed.

"They would never take anything that contradicts his position on any matter. So, until such time Danny Jordaan is gone, Safa will remain the way it is."   

Nhlapo believes Jordaan had a hand in his removal as vice-president of Safa after he and another axed former vice-president Elvis Shishana questioned him about his trip to America, where he met with the Attorney General without informing his colleagues.  

"What happened was, we were questioning him about going to America for example and instead of answering us as to why he went to America without informing us and why he went to meet the Attorney General there, what he did was to inform the former CEO [Dennis Mumble] to say, 'these people are planning to remove me. Let's convene an urgent congress'," he continued.  

"Instead of having our congress in December, it was moved to May 26 but it wasn't our intention to remove him. That's when we were removed as NEC members and vice presidents of Safa."

"Our issue was that we were not happy about how he's dealing with things, especially going to America when we dealing with the 2010 World Cup $10 million scandal."

Nhlapo alleged that Jordaan also interfered with how the finances should be run at Safa, saying he insisted on including the alleged $10 million Fifa World Cup bribe which made headlines for years in the association's financials.  

In addition, Nhlapo alleged that Safa is on R250 million shortfall and insolvent. 

"We also differed on the issues of finances. He was insisting that we insert the so-called $10 million he was saying the government was owing us and they will be paying us but what was surprising was, why do you want to talk about the $10 million five years later and want us to put it in our financials?"  asked Nhlapo. 

"Because since we started in 2009, and that matter never arose that we have $10 million that will be coming our way that's why we released a statement to say, 'Safa cooked the books'.  

"As we speak now, if you remember, soon after releasing that statement saying Safa cooked the books, the auditors the quit. So, their books are not in order. 

"Hopefully, if you get in touch of the auditors they will inform you why they are no longer auditing the books of Safa but there is a crisis at Safa. I think as we speak now, they are around R250 million in the red. In fact, Safa is insolvent."

Frank Lampard has revealed that while he considers Bayer Leverkusen star Kai Havertz to be a "top player", Chelsea are yet to have made a bid for the 21-year-old.

The Blues have already agreed a £47.5 million ($59m) deal to sign Havertz's Germany international team-mate Timo Werner, with Lampard's side now being tipped to also land the Leverkusen sensation.

Havertz has starred in the Bundesliga over the course of the 2019-20 campaign and his form has alerted Europe's top clubs as they attempt to sign one of the world's most highly-rated young players.

The likes of Real Madrid, Manchester United, Liverpool and Bayern Munich have all been linked with the playmaker, who has scored six goals for Leverkusen since the return of Germany's top flight in May.

Chelsea, though, haven't yet made a concrete offer for Havertz, with Lampard describing the forward as a "top player" but telling reporters ahead of his side's Premier League meeting with Manchester City that no bid has been lodged.

He said: "He's obviously a top player, but to carry on from my answer before I'm certainly not going to comment on other players at other teams. And it cannot be our focus. So, nothing to say."

When asked if an offer had been made, he added: "No. No bids have gone in."

The west Londoners face Pep Guardiola's City side in what is their second game of the Premier League restart, with Chelsea having beaten Aston Villa 2-1 on June 21 to boost their hopes of finishing in the top four.

Lampard will have almost a fully fit squad to choose from for the clash at Stamford Bridge on Thursday as Fikayo Tomori and Callum Hudson-Odoi remain the only two first-team players unavailable.

The Blues were handed encouraging contract news on Tuesday after it was confirmed that both Willian and Pedro would be remaining at the club until the conclusion of the 2019-20 campaign.

The Spaniard has agreed a pre-contract with Roma although is willing to risk injury and see out the season with Lampard's side, with Willian, whose long-term future remains unclear, also committing to a short-term extension.

Lampard refused to discuss the 31-year-old's position at the club beyond the 2019-20 season, with the likes of Arsenal and Manchester United having been linked with signing the Brazil international on a free transfer.

Chelsea are currently fourth in the Premier League table, five points ahead of the Red Devils, who face Sheffield United at Old Trafford on Wednesday night.

The Kisumu ASK Mamboleo Ground has been renamed Jomo Kenyatta International Stadium and is set to be renovated to meet the required standards to host domestic and international matches.

Laying the foundation stone, Kisumu County Governor Anyang' Nyong'o and the Cabinet Secretary for Sports Amina Mohamed said the development is a sign of the national government's effort in improving the sports facilities in the country.

“First of all, I would like to say a big thank you to the Sports Minister [Amina Mohamed] for taking the long journey to Kisumu so as to help us build a new stadium,” Nyong'o said during the launching ceremony.

“I am a very happy man because when President Uhuru Kenyatta assured us that he will ensure his government builds at least one stadium in each county and today the Sports Minister is in Kisumu for the same purpose.

“We are here today to lay the foundation stone of the Jomo Kenyatta Internation Stadium. We will also move to the Jomo Kenyatta Stadium and change the name to Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Sports Ground.

“Our main aim is to improve such facilities within Kisumu. I will make sure we will construct this stadium in the correct manner. We need to improve our facilities so as to have modern Hockey and Volleyball Courts as well as a football pitch.

“These projects will go on with support from the World Bank through the Kenya Sports Support Programme.”

Kisumu County has produced many players who have represented the Kenyan national team and Sony Sugar, Western Stima, Muhorni Youth, and Kisumu All-Stars are among the major teams situating in the county.

“Soon, we will also be upgrading the Moi Sports Stadium and those who doubt let them watch this space. I promised the Kisumu residents that we should improve the sports infrastructure in the county including the Muhoroni Stadium,” added the governor.

“We have to invest more in these things and I am happy with the government's gesture and their help in ensuring we do them perhaps with great help from Raila Odinga is encouraging.

“Even the change of names of these facilities has the blessings of the President and the former Prime Minister Odinga.”

“The stadium will spur massive economic growth in and around the Lake Region Economic Bloc,” Mohamed said as she welcomed the move.

The construction and eventual completion of the Jomo Kenyatta International Stadium will complement Moi Stadium which has hosted top-tier matches.

Gor Mahia, with a huge following in the area, has always hosted the majority of their home matches there in the last few seasons.

The Kisumu ASK Mamboleo Ground has a carrying capacity of 20,000.

Hassan Oktay has termed the efforts by Gor Mahia to secure a sponsorship deal with new betting firm Betsafe as fantastic news.

Last week, the Kenyan champions, along with their bitter rivals AFC Leopards, signed a partnership contract with the betting firm that will last for the next three years, with K’Ogalo set to pocket KSh55million per year while Ingwe will receive KSh45 million.

Oktay, who left Gor Mahia last season after winning the Kenyan Premier League (KPL) and also guiding the team to their first-ever quarter-final spot in the Caf Confederation Cup, has now revealed his excitement for the players.

“I am so happy, I am very happy, about my players and Gor Mahia, it is fantastic news now that they secured money,” Oktay told Goal from his base in Britain.

“The players have suffered a lot, they have really gone through tough times, playing football and you don’t get money afterwards is something very demoralising but I like all Gor Mahia players because they never liked to show they don’t have money.

“They are all fighters, they keep fighting for the team even without money and now they will be tougher because they have money and it means their problems have been sorted out.”

Asked whether the arrival of money will help the players to grow their confidence and become mentally fit, Oktay said: “Absolutely yes, of course, it will help the players, a lot, the money will help the players to put food on the table and take care of their families, of course, it is great news.”

According to Gor Mahia chairman Ambrose Rachier, the club will, however, have to wait until football returns to start getting the financial support.

“As things stand now, we don’t have anything to give back to the new sponsor because there is no football being played,” Rachier told Goal on Saturday.

“What we agreed on when signing the deal, is they will only be able to start funding the club when football resumes, and that can only be possible when our league starts again.”

Gor Mahia and AFC Leopards have been struggling since SportPesa, their previous sponsor, left, leaving the club to depend on fans, members, and other well-wishers to honour matches and settle players' allowances at times.