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Pep Guardiola spoke out on the Black Lives Matter movement after Manchester City thrashed Arsenal on Wednesday, admitting he is "ashamed of what white people have done to black people".

The Premier League put on a unified front against racism as English football returned following a three-month coronavirus-enforced hiatus.

Sheffield United and Aston Villa led by example when they kicked off the midweek action, with all players from both sides wearing jerseys displaying "Black Lives Matter" across the back instead of their own names.

The two squads took a knee on the pitch just before kick-off in a show of solidarity with the global movement, before the same gesture was seen in the second game of the day at Etihad Stadium.

Manchester City and Arsenal also took part in the display against racism while wearing kits with the BLM logo printed over the Premier League badge.

After watching his side pick up a comfortable 3-0 victory over the Gunners , Guardiola explained why he is so desperate to see significant change affected when it comes to equality among races.

The City head coach told a post-match press conference: "White people should say sorry for the way we have treated black people for 400 years.

"We should send a thousand million messages for the black people. I'm embarrassed and ashamed of what the white people have done for the black people.

"How people can think they are different? All the gestures are good and positive. Everything we can do to make it conscious, it is not acceptable.

"We have to do a lot of things for the black people which we have not done so far."

City winger Raheem Sterling, who launched his own anti-racism social media campaign in the wake of the mass protests taking place around the world, feels English football is finally "going in the right direction" when it comes to tackling the issue.

He told Sky Sports : "I see it as a massive step for the Premier League to allow something like that to happen and it shows we're going in the right direction.

"Little by little we’re seeing change. It was natural, it was organic. We saw the teams do it in the earlier kick-off and thought it was something we had to do as well."

Sterling netted his 12th Premier League goal of the season against Arsenal, and was pleased with how well City performed as a collective after an extended period away from the pitch.

He added: "It’s been a confusing last couple of weeks. We're all buzzing to be back in the stadium and put in a good effort.

"We expected it to be weird but the message after the break was to find something inside ourselves and dig deep.

"First 10 minutes we were getting used to the atmosphere but after that, I thought we controlled the game well."

Jamie Carragher believes David Luiz has no future at Arsenal after he was sent off in a 3-0 loss to Manchester City .

Luiz has struggled to impress since moving to the Emirates from Chelsea, giving away four penalties so far this season - the joint-most by a single player in one Premier League campaign. 

On Wednesday against City, the Brazilian also became the first player to be sent off , concede a penalty and commit an error leading to an opposition goal in a Premier League match since Carl Jenkinson did the same for West Ham in August 2015.

With his current Arsenal contract due to expire at season's end, Carragher believes Luiz has no long-term future at the club as he discussed the defender's latest error. 

"I know Kevin De Bruyne does get a good ball in at the time and maybe it's come off the turf as well which adds the extra bit of pace but no, it's happened so often it's no surprise why he's on the bench," Carragher said on Sky Sports post-match. 

"As I said before the game, I don't think there's any future here for David Luiz at Arsenal next season, that probably just puts pay to that."

Carragher added: "People keep talking about experience. Sometimes experience is one of the most overrated qualities. It's actually how good you are.

"It doesn't matter how old you are. David Luiz is not good enough for Arsenal. They got a young French lad coming in next season, they got [Pablo] Mari, they need to buy another one because they've got  Sokratis, [Shkodran] Mustafi played tonight. These are not good enough.

"That's the problem. You've got David Luiz and you think, 'I'll get the best out of him, I'll do this or I'll do that'. You won't.

"The people at the top of the club are deciding that he shouldn't get that year extension, and they're right. If Mikel Arteta thinks he should get that year, then I think he's wrong.

"I'd be worried if I was an Arsenal fan if Arteta thought David Luiz should get another year at Arsenal. I'd be worried."

Luiz, who was subbed on in the 24th minute for Mari following an injury to the Spanish defender, looked far from his best against City, with Gary Neville adamant the 33-year-old hasn't learned from past mistakes. 

"I have no words really," Neville said on Sky Sports . "I've said everything I've got to say over the last few years. He never learns, he's so rash.

"You've just got to let him go. We've seen so many times he's been unable to let the first mistake go and that second one...off you go.

"City started playing well 25 minutes ago in this game - when David Luiz came on. He will never get rid of those kind of mistakes."

Benfica president Luis Filipe Vieira  recently suggested Luiz was close to signing a new deal with Arsenal but the player himself conceded post-game his future remains up in the air and needs to be sorted.

Joao Felix struck twice as Atletico Madrid ended a three-match winless streak in LaLiga in style with a 5-0 hammering of Osasuna on Wednesday.

Diego Simeone's side had slipped to sixth prior to their trip to El Sadar Stadium, but Joao Felix's double set the stage for them to move into the top four.

Having broken the deadlock in the 27th minute, Joao Felix was on hand to tuck in his and Atleti's second shortly after the hour, with Adrian Lopez spurning a glorious chance to get Osasuna back into the game.

But any lingering doubt over the result was eradicated when Marcos Llorente drilled home with 11 minutes remaining.

Llorente then teed up Alvaro Morata to add a coolly taken fourth, before Yannick Carrasco completed the rout.

It was a quiet night for Jan Oblak as he set the record for the fewest games played to rack up 100 clean sheets in the Spanish top flight, the century reached in his 182nd appearance.

Diego Costa was Atleti's greatest threat in the opening stages, but it was strike partner Joao Felix who opened the scoring with a blistering first-time finish high into the net.

Angel Correa failed to take advantage of fine work from Joao Felix shortly before half-time, but Atleti's record signing made no such mistake 11 minutes after the restart, calmly slotting into a gaping net after latching onto Costa's square ball.

Adrian should have made an instant impact a minute after his introduction from Osasuna's bench, yet the former Atleti striker failed to keep his composure from close range.

Atleti soon had the win wrapped up, Llorente firing in a low finish before setting up Morata three minutes later, with the striker's goal awarded by VAR after initially being disallowed for offside.

Llorente claimed a second assist two minutes from time, providing Carrasco with a simple finish to add further gloss to a resounding triumph.

What does it mean? Atleti lay down a marker in Champions League race 

With nine matches remaining, Atleti sit fourth, two points behind third-placed Sevilla, with Real Sociedad – who play Deportivo Alaves on Thursday –Getafe and Villarreal all in hot pursuit.

Their strength in depth was displayed in full force on Wednesday, and should they pick up momentum, Simeone's side have more than enough quality to ensure their place at Europe's top table for next season.

Joao Felix back with a bang

After missing the draw with Athletic Bilbao, Joao Felix – who had suffered an injury on Atleti's return to training – made sure to leave his mark on Wednesday, with his two strikes richly deserved for a display full of craft and ingenuity.

Special mention must also go to Llorente, who made a sensational cameo from the bench.

Adrian fluffs his lines

Having come on as a substitute just after the hour, Adrian had the perfect opportunity to strike against his former club, only to prod wide from point-blank range.

What's next?

The fixtures are coming thick and fast, with just a three-day turnaround for Atleti, who host Real Valladolid on Saturday. Mid-table Osasuna face Valencia on Sunday.

Raheem Sterling, Kevin De Bruyne and Phil Foden were on target as Manchester City impressed on their Premier League restart with a convincing 3-0 win over 10-man Arsenal at a wet Etihad Stadium.

It was an unhappy return for former City assistant and now Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta, whose positive test for coronavirus led to the postponement of this fixture and decisively moved the Premier League towards suspension in March.

Perhaps it was the three-month hiatus that accounted for David Luiz's forgettable evening, his woeful misjudgement allowing Sterling to score his first goal of 2020 just before the break.

The Brazil defender then saw red for fouling Riyad Mahrez after more poor defending, with De Bruyne converting the 51st-minute penalty.

City's only worry was when Eric Garcia was taken away on a stretcher after an ugly collision with team-mate Ederson, before Foden rounded out the win in the first of 11 additional minutes.

After a minute's silence was observed, players from both sides took a knee in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement shortly before kick-off.

Bernd Leno tipped a 20-yard De Bruyne free-kick over the top in a pedestrian opening in which Arsenal lost Granit Xhaka and Pablo Mari to injury, with the hapless David Luiz replacing the latter.

City found their groove, though, and Sterling cut in from the left to test Leno, who brilliantly denied David Silva after another slick move by the hosts.

Sterling was then guilty of wastefulness when trying to scoop a close-range effort over Leno as Arsenal's defence became stretched.

But it was third time lucky for Sterling on the stroke of half-time. David Luiz made a complete hash of De Bruyne's throughball and the England forward rifled across Leno on the half-volley.

David Luiz's nightmare continued in the second half when he dragged down Riyad Mahrez and was shown a straight red.

De Bruyne emphatically found the bottom-right corner to end City's run of four missed Premier League penalties.

Leno also denied De Bruyne and Ilkay Gundogan before there was a sour note to proceedings when Garcia was hurt after being accidentally clattered by his own goalkeeper.

Following a long delay, Foden tapped into an empty goal when fellow substitute Sergio Aguero struck the post.

What does it mean? City make a statement on return

Though this result means Jurgen Klopp's men cannot clinch it at Everton on Sunday, the Premier League title is heading to Liverpool. Guardiola knows that, City know that, but they still remain in the hunt for an EFL Cup, FA Cup and Champions League treble and on this evidence you should not discount that possibility. 

For Arsenal, who had won their past three and not lost the previous six in the top flight prior to football's suspension, the damage to their already slim Champions League qualification hopes may now be irrevocable. The Gunners are eight points adrift of fourth-placed Chelsea with nine games to go.

Sterling a menace as De Bruyne and Silva pull the strings

It took a little while for City to click through the gears but when they did was it a timely reminder of what we have missed these past three months.

Sterling was a regular threat to a disjointed Arsenal defence, who were admittedly not helped by the early losses of Xhaka and Mari, while De Bruyne and Silva were the architects of a wonderfully well-oiled midfield.

David Luiz undoes Leno's good work

Leno was brilliant for Arsenal and was the main reason for the Gunners holding their own until the German goalkeeper's fine work counted for nought thanks to David Luiz's costly error with the half-time whistle looming. More flat-footed, shoddy defending led to him giving away the penalty and earning the red that left Arsenal no way back into the game.

David Luiz has now conceded penalties away at Liverpool, Chelsea and City this season, while he was also dismissed at Stamford Bridge.

Key Opta Facts

- Arsenal are winless in their last 26 Premier League away games against fellow 'big six' opposition (D10 L16), with their last such victory coming at the Etihad in January 2015 (2-0). 
- De Bruyne has been directly involved in more Premier League goals than any other player this season (25 - 9 goals & 16 assists) – it is also his best goal involvement tally in a single top-flight campaign in England.
- Sterling scored in his 50th home club game in all competitions – he has never been on the losing side in those fixtures for Liverpool and Manchester City (W47 D3). 
- David Luiz has conceded four penalties in the Premier League this season – the joint-most in a single campaign in the competition's history (also Jose Fonte 2016-17, Gary Caldwell 2011-12, Ibrahima Sonko 2007-08, Claus Lundekvam 1999-00, Ken Monkou 1993-94 & Luc Nijholt 1993-94).
- Arsenal have been shown three red cards in 11 Premier League games under Mikel Arteta – the same total they registered in 51 games under Unai Emery. 
- Ederson has registered 46 clean sheets in his first 100 Premier League appearances: the third most shutouts by a goalkeeper in their first 100 games in the competition's history (Cech 59 & Reina 54).

What's next?

City are back at the Etihad Stadium on Monday when Burnley head to Manchester. Arsenal are on the road once again when they visit Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday.

Eric Garcia was forced off the pitch late on during Manchester City's clash with Arsenal on Wednesday after being taken out by his own team-mate.

With City 2-0 up heading into the last ten minutes of their first game back following the coronavirus-enforced break in the season, Ederson came flying out of his goal to deal with a through ball.

The Brazilian shot-stopper collided violently with Garcia in the process, leaving the 19-year-old flattened on the ground and unable to continue.

After a lengthy delay, City's medical team strapped the Spanish centre-back into a stretcher and carried him down the tunnel, leaving the home side to see out the contest with ten men.

Pep Guardiola had already used up all five of his substitutions before the incident took place, as he kept his line up fresh throughout the contest staged behind closed doors at Etihad Stadium.

Arsenal were hit with their own injury woes in the first half, as Mikel Arteta had to withdraw Granit Xhaka and Pablo Mari before the 25-minute mark after a double injury blow.

David Luiz came on to replace Mari, and went on to produce a disaster-class of epic proportions which allowed City to take control of the game.

The Brazilian's failure to deal with a Kevin de Bruyne through ball allowed Raheem Sterling to race through and one the scoring just before the interval, and his night got worse when the Gunners came back out for the second half.

More to follow. 

Arsenal centre-back David Luiz was sent off in a one-man horror show at Manchester City after giving away the first goal of the game shortly after being introduced to the action as a substitute.

Luiz replaced the injured Pablo Mari in the Gunners defence 24 minutes into the first half, and his error gifted City the lead just before the interval.

Raheem Sterling got in behind the Brazilian after he made a hash of controlling a through ball, with the Manchester City star finishing expertly past Bernd Leno to fire the home side in front.

Luiz's night got worse when he was dismissed shortly after the restart, as he was punished for bringing down Riyad Mahrez when he raced through on goal.

The referee also awarded a penalty for the 33-year-old's clumsy challenge, which Kevin de Bruyne stepped up to dispatch to double Pep Guardiola's side's advantage.

At the interval, Gunners legend Ian Wright criticised Luiz for failing to deal with De Bruyne's pass through to Sterling, telling DAZN : "Arsenal had done well to try to hold off a City side that once they got in their groove, they looked dangerous, it was ominous, you could see that something was going to happen.

"When you consider where this has come from, how far [the De Bruyne pass] has come from, it is poor from David Luiz.

"It's unfortunate because to go in 0-0 would've been really good, it would've given them a little bit of confidence.

"But that, for me, you've got to attack that, we know that it's raining, it might be a little bit wet.

"But a player of his experience should go and meet that, kick that out, he's got himself in all sorts of problems and got punished for it."

Luiz has now committed more errors leading to goals than any other player this year (three), and he is the first player to be red-carded, concede a penalty and make a mistake leading to an opposition goal in a Premier League fixture since Carl Jenkinson for West Ham against Bournemouth in August 2015.

He is also the first player to have given away four penalties in a single top-flight season since Jose Fonte at Southampton in 2016-17, living up to his reputation as one of the most erratic defenders in European football.

Borussia Dortmund's grip on second in the Bundesliga has loosened slightly after they suffered a surprise 2-0 defeat at home to struggling Mainz, who took a huge step towards safety.

Dortmund had seen Bayern Munich clinch an eighth successive Bundesliga crown on Tuesday, and perhaps the disappointment combined with the realisation of their title hopes being over was to blame for a lacklustre performance at Signal Iduna Park.

For all of their monopolisation of the ball, Dortmund struggled to supply Erling Haaland with adequate service and Mainz took a shock lead into the break thanks to Jonathan Burkardt's header at the end of a slick counter.

Complacency was then the root of their issues just after half-time as Lukasz Piszczek conceded a penalty, and Jean-Philippe Mateta converted the resulting kick.

Lucien Favre's men made desperate attempts to get back on level terms, but they were given too much to do by a Mainz side who move five points clear of the bottom three with two games left.

Dortmund were dominant for the majority of the first half, but clear-cut chances were difficult to craft against Mainz's packed defence – Axel Witsel and Raphael Guerreiro having efforts at presentable opportunities blocked.

The visitors then edged ahead against the run of play just past the half-hour mark, as Mateta fed Bote Baku on the right-flank and his first-time cross was expertly headed in by Burkardt to round off a clinical move.

That lead was almost wiped out just three minutes later, but Emre Can's header from a Dortmund corner was tame and straight at Florian Muller in the Mainz goal.

Mainz elevated their game to another level at the start of the second half.

The lively Mateta saw a ferocious effort parried by Roman Burki, who then also blocked a long-range effort courtesy of Karim Onisiwo, but the rebound fell to Danny Latza and the switched-off Piszczek tripped the midfielder to concede a penalty.

After Mateta coolly swept home his spot-kick, Mainz unsurprisingly sat back again, inviting Dortmund on to them.

But BVB fared no better than before, their best chances coming from distance, as Achraf Hakimi drew a couple of necessary saves from Muller.

What does it mean? Dortmund looking over their shoulder, Mainz almost safe

This result combined with RB Leipzig's draw with Fortuna Dusseldorf could have serious ramifications at the end of the season.

Leipzig are three points behind Dortmund, whom they host at the weekend, while Mainz are left five points clear of Fortuna in the relegation play-off place and six ahead of Werder Bremen in 17th. Their vastly superior goal difference puts Mainz on the brink of safety.

Mateta makes his mark

It has not been an easy season for Mateta, who has struggled for goal-scoring form since returning from a serious knee injury in December. But the 22-year-old Frenchman, who netted 14 times last term, was a real livewire here, regularly showing classy touches. He scored Mainz's second and had a pivotal role in their first – a very promising display.

Haaland anonymous

There is no doubt Haaland's difficulties were partly down to poor service, but similarly we have grown used to him taking games by the scruff of the neck and deciding them on his own. Not this time – he failed to muster a single shot and his 19 touches were the fewest of all Dortmund players who started.

What's next?

Dortmund's final position in the table will surely heavily influenced by the result in their next game, as they go to third-placed Leipzig on Saturday. Mainz can secure survival against fellow strugglers Werder Bremen on the same day.

Asisat Oshoala will aim to help Barcelona to a maiden European title as Spanish city San Sebastian will host this season's Uefa Women's Champions League final on August 30.

On Wednesday, Uefa announced the Champions League for the 2019-20 season will be completed as a mini-competition from the quarter-final onward since its suspension due to Covid-19 outbreak.

Uefa also disclosed that two Spanish cities - Bilbao's San Mames Stadium in Bilbao and San Sebastian's Anoeta Stadium - will be used as the host venues for the final stages from August 21-30.

"Teams will be allowed to register three new players on their List A for the remainder of the 2019/20 season, provided such players were already registered and eligible for the club since the last registration deadline (18 March 2020)," Uefa also revealed. 

"List A will still only be able to contain a maximum of 25 players. It will not be possible for clubs to register newly-transferred players.

"Five substitutions will be allowed in all the remaining matches in season 2019/20, in accordance with the temporary change to the Laws of the Game, whereas the number of substitutions for season 2020/21 will remain at three."

The development will come as positive news for Oshoala and Barcelona as they chase their maiden European crown after missing out on the title in 2019 following a 4-1 thrashing at the hands of Lyon in the final

Despite the defeat, Oshoala made history as she became the first African to score in a Uefa Women's Champions League final after she came on late to net a consolation goal for the Catalans. 

The Nigeria international, who won her fourth African Women's Player of the Year crown in January, continued her excellent form for Barcelona as she celebrated her first league title this season.
 
So far, the 25-year-old has scored 26 goals in 25 matches in all competitions this season to help Luis Cortes' side secure their first league title in five years, without recording a defeat in 21 matches.

Having won two titles this season, the Super Falcons captain will shift focus on inspiring Barcelona to a continental success as they face Spanish rivals Atletico Madrid in the quarter-final in August.

Beside Atletico facing off against Barcelona, Lyon are due to battle Bayern Munich, and Glasgow City are scheduled to tackle Wolfsburg, while Arsenal will go up against Paris Saint-Germain.

The quarter-final matches will be completed on August 21 and 22, the semi-finals on August 25 and 26 before the final on August 30.

The draw to determine the order of matches and the final match schedule will take place at Uefa's headquarters in Nyon on 26 June.

Former Ghana coach James Kwasi Appiah believes his status as a "local" coach has contributed to his struggles in retrieving outstanding salaries for his coaching spell with the Black Stars.

The 59-year-old led the West African nation from 2017 until December last year when a new Ghana Football Association (GFA) administration decided against renewing his expired contract.

He has since been at war with the football governing body and the Ghana Ministry of Youth and Sports (MoYS) over five months' outstanding salary and bonus for his last match while at the helm of affairs.

"I was owed money since August 2019 when there was no Covid-19," Appiah told BBC Sport Africa.

"Would they owe a white coach for 11 months?

"[My predecessor] Avram Grant was not owed [for] more than a month when his contract ended.

"It's not right and should not be encouraged - irrespective of whether [the coach is] local or foreign.

"I gave the GFA a three-month deadline [earlier this year] but neither the GFA nor the Sports ministry have met with me."

Appiah has threatened to haul the GFA before Fifa should the situation persist.

"The salary of the head coach of the Black Stars has always been paid through a sponsorship package, and it is unfortunate this has now dragged into the period of the coronavirus pandemic," MoYS spokesperson Kofi Asare Brako explained their side of the story to BBC Sport Africa.

"We have paid him for the two-year contract period of 24 months. What is left is the extended contract period of eight months, of which we have already paid three months."

"We are still in touch with the former coach and in no time we will pay him. Soon, all money will be paid to Appiah.

"I can say categorically that the chief accountant of the Ministry of Youth and Sports has been in constant communication with Appiah.

"We are still in talks with him. If we have to structure a payment plan, we will do that but if he insists we have to pay all at once we have no choice but to do it."

The recent spell was Appiah's second stint in charge of the Black Stars.

He first coached the side between 2012 and 2014, when a disastrous World Cup campaign in Brazil led to his sacking.

More recently, he guided Ghana to the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt where the team suffered a Round of 16 elimination.
 

Schalke 04 star Amine Harit has been nominated for the 2019-20 Bundesliga Player of the Season award.

The 22-year-old, who was named the Player of the Month for September, battles previous monthly winners including Bayern Munich duo Robert Lewandowski and Serge Gnabry, RB Leipzig's Timo Werner, Borussia Dortmund duo Jadon Sancho and Erling Haaland, and Bayer Leverkusen's Kai Havertz for the grand prize.

Harit enjoyed a bright start to the 2019-20 campaign, and he has scored six goals with four assists in 24 league appearances for David Wagner's side this season.

The Moroccan playmaker is currently battling an ankle ligament injury and he is yet to feature for Schalke 04 since he limped off in their 4-0 loss to Borussia Dortmund on May 16.

Back in September, he scored in each of his three Bundesliga appearances that month, against Paderborn, Mainz 05 and RB Leipzig.

Harit's pace and dribbling skills distinguish him in David Wagner's squad and he is enjoying his best season yet in Germany in terms of goal ratio.

Despite their 14-game winless run in the Bundesliga, with their last victory coming against Borussia Monchengladbach in January, Schalke 04 are ranked 10th on the league table with 39 points after 32 matches.

They will be hoping to have Harit back for their final two games of the season when they host Wolfsburg on Saturday and their trip to Freiburg on June 27.

The Morocco international joined the Royal Blues from Ligue 1 outfit Nantes in 2017 and he made an instant impact in his debut season by winning the Bundesliga Rookie of the Year award for the 2017-18 season, after helping his team to a second-place finish on the league standings.

As a reward for his fine performances, he was handed a new three-year contract that will keep him at the Veltins-Arena until at least 2024.

Harit was born in France to Moroccan parents and he played for the European country across various youth levels before switching his international allegiance to Morocco in 2017.

The 22-year-old has played 10 games for the Atlas Lions so far and he was a member of their 23-man squad to the 2018 Fifa World Cup in Russia, where they were eliminated in the group stage.

Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta says it is "very emotional" for him to come up against Pep Guardiola and Manchester City in the Gunners' first match back following the coronavirus outbreak.

The Spaniard spent three years at City as Guardiola's assistant before taking up the head coach role at his former team Arsenal in December.

The ex-midfielder was supposed to face his previous employers for the first time in March, but he was diagnosed with Covid-19 and the English top-flight was subsequently suspended.

After waiting more than three months, Arteta has finally come up against Guardiola's reigning league champions and he admits it is a big deal for him.

"It's a very emotional game for me obviously but I am very excited. It's been a tough few months for everybody," he told  Sky Sports.

The Gunners' form had been improving in the build-up to the coronavirus-enforced hiatus, having won six and drawn three of their last 10 matches in all competitions.

But the 38-year-old feels believes it will be difficult for players to adapt to the new situation as they play their first game without fans in the stadium

"Everything, every protocol, is different, so we have to adapt and find the right motivation. Let's find out how it goes," Arteta said.

"There are a few things that have happened in the last few weeks so I have to pick the team that I think will do well."

Meanwhile, Guardiola was excited about coming up against Arteta and expressed his admiration for his colleague-turned-rival.

"Of course a little bit, we were rivals as football players and now as managers," he said.

"We were together for an incredible three and a half years. I learned a lot from him. He is an exceptional person and I wish him all the best.

"We want to win of course. The best players will win. I cannot play unfortunately and he [Arteta] cannot play either, fortunately!"

Arsenal are ninth in the English top-flight after 28 matches, five points behind the Europa League qualification spot - occupied by Manchester United - and five adrift of Chelsea, who are in the fourth and final Champions League place.

City, meanwhile, are in second and 25 points behind leaders Liverpool.

AmaZulu FC defender Tsepo Masilela says he represented all the teams he’s played for with pride.

The veteran left-back is an accomplished player having had a successful spell with Maccabi Haifa in Israel, before returning home to join Kaizer Chiefs in 2012.

Masilela was one of Amakhosi's key players when they clinched two PSL titles, a Nedbank Cup and MTN8 crown between 2013 and 2015 under then-Chiefs coach Stuart Baxter.

“I’m just a player. I play to see the team and the supporters happy. I feel that’s my duty. I remember that at Chiefs I once won the players’ player of the season award, but those things they don’t matter,” Masilela told IOL.

“We won the league at the time and that gave me joy. The players’ player of the season, or the player of the season - that doesn’t matter. I want the big one - that we won the league.”

Masilela recalled the 2010 Fifa World Cup finals, where he was part of the Bafana Bafana team which failed to reach the knockout phase.

This was after the hosts, South Africa recorded a 1-1 draw with Mexico and a 3-0 defeat to Uruguay, before securing a 2-1 win over France in their final Group A match.

“It was very disappointing because we conceded three goals. I think that if we had at least lost by one goal we could have actually recovered in the other game against France,” he said.

The 35-year-old made his professional debut at Hellenic in 2003, before playing for Thanda Royal Zulu - known as Benoni Premier United at the time - between 2005 and 2007.

Masilela was then snapped up by Maccabi Haifa in 2007 and he helped the team clinch two Israeli Premier League titles and the Israel State Cup.

“For me to be playing abroad at the time wasn’t pressure at all. It all came down to the coaches, because they had to make the final decision. So, whether you are playing in Botswana or wherever, it doesn’t matter,” he added.

“For me, whenever we were in the national team camp we were all South Africans and we were representing our country. So, all in all there was no pressure. If you remember in the [Fifa] Confederation Cup, I played in all four matches [for Bafana Bafana].”

Masilela, who also represented Maccabi Haifa in the Uefa Champions League, spent the 2011/12 season on loan at Getafe, where he was able to face the likes Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in La Liga.

The well-travelled player made eight appearances in the PSL for AmaZulu this term, before the season was suspended indefinitely due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Arsenal lost Granit Xhaka and Pablo Mari to injuries within the first 25 minutes of their Premier League return against Manchester City.

After Sheffield United earned a draw at Aston Villa in Wednesday's early kickoff, the Gunners and City met behind closed doors at a wet and rainy Etihad Stadium.

Xhaka was injured just seven minutes into the second match marking the resumption of the top-flight amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The midfielder went over on his ankle as he chased back in midfield, and after being assessed by Arsenal's medical team, he was deemed unfit to continue.

Xhaka's injury forced Mikel Arteta into a change just moments into the club's first match in three months, with the Spanish manager turning to Dani Ceballos to replace his injured midfielder.

With 21 minutes on the clock, the away side were dealt another major blow as Pablo Mari pulled up after being beaten by Kyle Walker, whose marauding run ended when his cut-back failed to find any of his City team-mates.

The 25-year-old centre-back, who is currently on loan at Emirates Stadium from Flamengo, was unable to shake off the issue and had to be substituted for David Luiz, leaving Arteta's game plan in tatters.

The Gunners were billed as underdogs heading into the contest, having slipped to ninth in the Premier League standings before play was stopped due to the coronavirus outbreak in March.

Arteta's men are 17 points behind the reigning Premier League champions at the moment, but they have yet to suffer a single top-flight defeat in 2020.

Arsenal will need to finish the season strongly to have any hope of securing a top-four finish, with Chelsea currently occupying the final Champions League spot.

City, meanwhile, look set to relinquish their domestic crown to runaway leaders Liverpool, having fallen 25 points off the pace with only ten fixtures left to play.

Pep Guardiola's men may also have a fight on their hands for the coveted runners-up position, with Leicester City hanging from their coattails in third after a brilliant first full campaign under Brendan Rodgers.

Nigeria international Ogenyi Onazi has acquired a multi-million naira residence in Lekki, Lagos.

The midfielder put aside the disillusionment of Denizlispor’s 1-0 defeat to Sivasspor with a state-of-the-art edifice.

Goal gathered that the new acquisition was procured in celebration of the ex-Lazio star’s fourth wedding anniversary.

This property joins the lists of assets owned by Onazi, who is a key member of Gernot Rohr’s Super Eagles.

Reacting to this development, the president of Authentic Nigeria Football Supporters Club, Prince Abayomi Ogunjimi lauded the 27-year-old's latest achievement.

“This is a very great development for Onazi and on behalf of my team, I want to say a big congratulations to him,” Ogunjimi told Goal.

“I have been a staunch fan of the youngster – not because of his performance or charisma on the field of play, but because of his ability to make responsible choices.

“With a place where he can call home, I think that will spur him in putting up more impressive performances for his Turkish based team.”

Onazi joins Manchester United’s Odion Ighalo in the hallowed list of Nigerian footballers past and present who own a mansion in the comfy part of south-west Nigeria.

In an attempt to secure regular playing time, he left Trabzonspor for a one-and-a-half-year deal with the Denizli Ataturk Stadium giants.

The game against Sivasspor, where he replaced Oscar Estupinan, was his seventh game in the Turkish elite division.

Denizlispor are currently in the 11th position with 31 points from 27 games as they continue preparation for Saturday’s game against Besiktas.

On the international scene, he was part of John Obuh’s Nigeria team to the 2009 U17 World Cup where the Golden Eaglets bowed 1-0 to Switzerland in the final.

His impressive outing fast-tracked his transition to the senior national team, and in 2013, he played a key role in Nigeria’s Africa Cup of Nations triumph in South Africa.

Later that year, he was part of the country’s Confederation Cup squad as well as the 2014 Fifa World Cup in Brazil. However, injury ruled him out of Rohr’s squad for the 2019 Afcon where the three-time Africa kings finished third.

Pedro is set to join Roma after agreeing to a pre-contract with the Serie A club, leaving Chelsea frustrated and potentially at risk of losing an important squad member for the remainder of the Premier League season.

The 32-year-old has accepted a two-year contract, which includes an option for an extra year at Stadio Olimpico, which would see him turn down approaches from Real Betis, Vissel Kobe and Inter Miami.

The former Barcelona star has spoken with Giallorossi manager Paulo Fonseca on a number of occasions regarding the move, and he is now set to move to the Italian capital in the coming weeks.

Several sources have told Goal that Pedro may or may not remain at Chelsea until the end of the season, with talks still ongoing.

Similarly, Willian is still locked in talks over completing the season, and it is understood that it could go down to the Premier League deadline on Tuesday before a clear decision is communicated.

Chelsea's players remain unsure whether they will be playing with the duo beyond the first game of the season's resumption, which sees them face Aston Villa on Sunday.

They would be contractually obliged to face Villa, Manchester City and Leicester City, if selected, before the end of June, but from July 1 they would be free to leave.

Lampard is keen to keep both players on with nine games to go in the Premier League and a possible further three games in the FA Cup also on the agenda.

There are fears that players could opt out of matches with future moves on the horizon, after Ryan Fraser indicated his unwillingness to play on at Bournemouth beyond June 30 when his contract expires.

The risk of injury ahead of potential transfers has led to increased doubts among players, despite FIFA advising clubs and players to complete the season.

Chelsea, meanwhile, are awaiting confirmation on the signing of Timo Werner from RB Leipzig, with some logistical arrangements to resolve relating to the coronavirus pandemic.

The 24-year-old has told Leipzig that he does not want to play in his club's remaining Champions League matches, which will be playeed in Lisbon in August.

However, Leipzig boss Julian Nagelsmann continues to deny the notion that Werner could leave before playing those matches after reaching the quarter-final stage with a 4-0 aggregate win over Tottenham.

"He is currently, as usual, in my plans to play the Champions League. He is our player and has not signed for anyone else," said Nagelsmann. "His importance to RB Leipzig is extraordinary. He has an incredibly good goalscoring rate, which you always hope for from a striker."

Lampard now faces similar uncertainty to his counterpart in Germany, and he will be questioned on how he is handling it with a virtual press conference scheduled on Friday.

The manager has other options available on the wings should he lose Pedro and Willian, with Callum Hudson-Odoi having recently returned to fitness along with Christian Pulisic.

Ruben Loftus-Cheek returned to the fold to score twice against QPR in a recent friendly victory and can play on the wings despite predominantly being a central midfielder. Similarly, Mason Mount is capable of adding to options in wide areas.

Chelsea had two other players, Olivier Giroud and Willy Caballero, in similar situations to Willian and Pedro, but they were able to utilise contract clauses to keep the duo at the club for another season.

Aston Villa goalkeeper Orjan Nyland was spared by malfunctioning goal-line technology as Dean Smith's side played out a 0-0 draw with Sheffield United at Villa Park.

Three minutes before half-time in the Premier League's first game back from the coronavirus shutdown, Nyland collided with team-mate Keinan Davis after catching Oliver Norwood's free-kick and tumbled inside the side-netting – appearing to carry the ball over the line.

But referee Michael Oliver was not given the signal on his watch to award the goal.

That apparent mishap could prove crucial for second-bottom Villa, who are a point behind Bournemouth, Watford and West Ham immediately above them with nine matches remaining in the 2019-20 campaign.

Villa were largely the better side, although not to the extent that they merited such a stroke of fortune, with Nyland's opposite number Dean Henderson making fine saves from Conor Hourihane, Davis and the returning John McGinn in a contrastingly accomplished showing.

United's John Lundstram had a shot blocked by Douglas Luiz with 20 minutes to play but Chris Wilder's side were unable to secure a win that would have overhauled Manchester United in fifth place.

Players from both teams took a knee for the first 10 seconds of the match in a show of support to the Black Lives Matter movement.