A first-half strike from Danny Ings was enough to seal all three points for the Saints but Spurs, who were looking to close the gap with the top four, returned empty-handed. In his post-match press conference, the Portuguese tactician opened up on why he was booked and even accused the ballboys of delaying the game.

“I think the yellow card is fair because I was rude, but I was rude to an idiot. For some reason I was rude. But I was, and because I was rude I deserve the yellow card. Basically, I had bad words with the guy,” he said.

“The second half was not easy. They were winning, they were defending basically with 10 players, fighting hard and being aggressive, a good aggressive, with lots of fouls, lots of [times] the match stopped and the ballboys were well-coached in the delaying of the game and there was not much play,” Mourinho added.

Van Persie, who has played for both Arsenal and United during his playing days, heaped praise on Pepe while talking on BT Sport but also suggested that the Ivory Coast international should make more runs in the final third which can help him in improving his overall game.

"With Pepe I do believe that today he played really well,” said Van Persie. “But he can go one level up if he makes those runs in the final third because now with crosses from the other [left] side. He’s still enjoying the moment, he’s still watching the game."

Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand also hailed Pepe’s performance and gave credit to Arsenal’s manager Mikel Arteta for giving the player much-needed confidence.

“Massive signing, hasn’t produced, today he looked like a new player,” said Ferdinand. “That comes from confidence from a manager, showing belief. He’s young, it’s youth, and I think he’s got time to work.”

Pepe joined the North London-based club in the summer transfer window from French Ligue 1 outfit LOSC Lille for a reported transfer fee of £72 million. Since then, the left-footed winger has represented his current club in 22 matches in all competitions, managing to score five goals along with providing four assists.

Sasaran untuk menjuarai saingan peringkat asia tenggara ini menjadi keutamaan kedua selepas sasaran untuk layak ke kelayakan pusingan ke-3 Piala Dunia dan layak secara automatik ke saingan Piala Asia 2023.

Ia juga sebahagian daripada pelan strategik F:30 FAM di mana skuad senior kebangsaan mestilah menjadi salah satu daripada kuasa besar bola sepak di rantau ASEAN.

"Dalam Piala AFF, kita mesti masuk final kerana sudah terlepas peluang (untuk menjadi juara) di Vietnam dua tahun lalu.

"Jadi tahun ini, kita mesti menakluki peringkat ASEAN," kata Timbalan Presiden FAM, Datuk Wira Yusoff Mahadi seperti dipetik daripada Stadium Astro.

Pada kejohanan Piala AFF 2018, skuad Harimau Malaya berjaya melangkah ke saingan peringkat akhir bertemu Vietnam namun tewas kepada pasukan tersebut dengan agregat 3-2.

Kali terakhir Malaysia memenangi Piala AFF adalah pada tahun 2010 ketika di bawah kendalian Datuk K. Rajagobal di mana skuad kebangsaan ketika itu berjaya menewaskan Indonesia dengan agregat 4-2.

Foto: FAM

Dan perkara ini mula merebak dalam kalangan pemain-pemain ternama di mana sebelum ini hanya berlaku kepada pemain kurang ternama sahaja.

Menurut ejen pemain, Efendi Jagan Abdullah, hal ini berlaku kerana banyak pasukan terpaksa beroperasi dengan bajet yang terhad.

Malah Stadium Astro turut melaporkan gaji pemain-pemain tempatan menyusut hampir 50% sejak dua musim kebelakangan ini.

"Saya rasa perkara ini turut berkaitan dengan bajet setiap pasukan. Apabila bajet pasukan berkurangan, pemain yang sepatutnya menerima gaji RM40,000 hingga RM50,000 akan berkurangan kepada RM15,000 hingga RM20,000.

"Jadi, pemain yang sepatutnya dalam lingkungan itu (15,000-RM20,000) tidak dapat menyertai mana-mana pasukan. Lingkungan umur pemain itu adalah dari usia 25 hingga 34 tahun," kata Efendi seperti dipetik daripada Stadium Astro.

[caption id="attachment_93653" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Foto: MFL[/caption]

Selain daripada faktor bajet pasukan yang terhad dan semakin mengecil, jurulatih berpengalaman, B. Satiananthan pula menyatakan keberanian jurulatih untuk membarisi pemain-pemain muda juga menyumbang kepada faktor yang dinyatakan di atas.

Malah pemain-pemain pula muda sanggup menerima gaji permulaan yang lebih kecil serta menunjukkan sikap yang lebih baik berbanding sesetengah pemain senior dan ternama.

"Jagalah sedikit (sikap) kerana pemain-pemain muda sudah tiba. Kini, ramai jurulatih yang berani mengetengahkan pemain muda. Jadi, kena jaga sedikit.

"Kerana pasukan tidak dapat berbelanja seperti dahulu, jadi mereka tidak memiliki skuad yang besar kerana tidak boleh berbelanja," kata Satiananthan.

Foto: Action Football Asia

After the match, Solskjaer confirmed that Pogba will miss up to four weeks of action as he has been advised to go for a surgery to get rid of an ankle problem. "Three or four weeks maybe, I don't know," said Solskjaer while talking to the media, as per Manchester Evening News. "He's been advised to have an operation by his people and he'll probably do that."

Pogba has not started a game for the Red Devils since September 30^th as he continues to struggle with an ankle injury. The World Cup-winning midfielder has only represented the Manchester-based outfit in eight games in the ongoing campaign whereas his last appearance for the club was in the 4-1 win against Newcastle United on the Boxing Day.

The news will also put an end to speculation regarding Pogba’s immediate future as he has been linked with the likes of Italian Serie A giants Juventus and Spanish La Liga outfit Real Madrid in the recent past.

The 26-year-old has been at United since the summer of 2016 when he moved from the Turin-based club in a deal worth of €105 million.

5. Pogba missing once again 

Social media was rife with rumours about Paul Pogba not having travelled with the Manchester United squad to London and their lineup confirmed the worst. The Frenchman has suffered a recurrence of the injury that had kept him out for the past few months and will need more time, as confirmed by manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer before the game.

4. Magical Arsenal blow United away 

The intent Arsenal showed against Chelsea was very much alive against the Red Devils as well. The Gunners' high-press was on from the outset and United just could not cope with the pace of the game. Nicolas Pepe opened the scoring with a well-taken goal before Sokratis thumped home the second from a corner to give Arsenal a two-goal cushion before half time.

3. Ozil back to his best?

Mikel Arteta suggested he would build his team around Mesut Ozil in his pre-match conference and the German has repaid the faith with two excellent showings. Ozil was back to his silky best against United and controlled proceedings beautifully. What was even more impressive was the work-rate he put in, putting in the hard yards for his new manager - even at 31. Is the playmaker finally back to his best?

2. Arteta's first win 

After two near misses, Arteta has finally had his first win as manager of Arsenal. Victory against United is a de-facto victory of the style he has been trying to implement and the Arsenal players are reportedly very impressed with their new boss. The Spaniard's style seems closely modelled on Guardiola's approach and Arsenal fans seem genuinely excited for the first time in years!

1. Back to the drawing board for Ole 

A loss on New Years' day represents a setback for Ole Gunnar Solskajer, right when it seemed United were about to hit peak form. Consistency has been an issue for United all season and the absence of key players has added to his woes. It's a clear case of 'two steps forward, one step backwards' for the team and Ole must arrest their slide at the earliest.

Pelatih Manchester United, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer bahkan tidak ragu untuk mengutarakan pujian untuk pelatih baru Arsenal, Mikel Arteta.

"Saya merasa mereka (Arsenal) bermain sangat baik, dan kadang-kadang Anda harus mengangkat tangan (untuk menyerah). Anak-anak berusaha bangkit, tetapi kami tidak cukup cepat dan Anda melihat pemain Arsenal hari ini seperti Ozil dan di lini tengah saya pikir mereka bermain baik," kata Ole dilansir dari laman resmi klub.

"Kami tahu mereka akan keluar dari perangkap kami dengan cepat. Kami mengambil satu atau terlalu banyak sentuhan mungkin beberapa kali, karena Anda bisa melihat Lacazette lakukan tracking back dan lakukan tekel beberapa kali, Torreira juga melakukannya, kemudian Xhaka, Aubameyang..."

"Saya pikir Mikel Arteta benar-benar mendapat reaksi bagus dari timnya dan Anda mengharapkan itu, karena dia adalah manajer baru. Tetapi Anda melihat di babak kedua bahwa energi mereka sedikit habis dan kami punya peluang, tetapi kami hanya tidak melakukannya untuk menjadi gol balasan kami," pungkas Ole.

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Ole Gunnar Solskjaer hinted at January signings for Manchester United, saying the Premier League club were "looking at one or two" possible additions.

United fell to a 2-0 loss at Arsenal on Wednesday, left in fifth in the Premier League table and sitting five points behind fourth-placed Chelsea.

Central midfield is an area of huge concern at United, with Paul Pogba (ankle) and Scott McTominay (knee) set to be sidelined for several weeks.

Solskjaer said he would like to make signings, but added it would only be if United could find the right players.

"You can see the squad and sometimes you think, yeah, one or two additions would do nicely because we are building towards something," he said.

"It just depends on if what we think will be right for us will be available. Of course it's playing on our decision-making when we've got two players out for a bit, Scott for two months and Paul for a month.

"But it still has to be right and that's the big point here, if someone is available and something is possible we'll do it.

"We're looking at one or two."

United are back in action on Saturday, making a trip to Wolves in the FA Cup third round.

Setakat ini, baru dua pemain import yang sudah diumumkan menyertai The City Boys, iaitu pemain pertahanan Kyrgyzstan, Azamat Baimatov dan pemain tengah Brazil, Paulo Josue yang beraksi dalam musim keempatnya dan dilantik sebagai ketua pasukan. Menurut ketua jurulatih Kuala Lumpur, Muhammad Nidzam Adzha, mereka sedang menguji beberapa pemain untuk mengisi kuota import.

"Sekarang kami masih mencari pemain import di posisi penyerang. Kami sedang menguji dua penyerang yang belum kami putuskan. Hari Jumaat ini kami ada perlawanan persahabatan menentang UiTM di Shah Alam. Selepas itu kami akan memutuskan sama ada untuk menandatangani mereka atau tidak," kata Nidzam selepas Majlis Menandatangani Pemain di Stadium Cheras, semalam.

Buat masa ini, Kuala Lumpur sedang menguji seorang penyerang dari Perancis dan juga bekas penyerang Melaka United, Davy Angan. Davy Angan telah diturunkan dalam perlawanan persahabatan menentang skuad Piala Presiden KL pada minggu lalu yang berkesudahan seri 0-0.

"Mesej dari YB Presiden jelas, kami perlu jadi juara dan naik ke Liga Super. Semua pemain dah dengar, barisan kejurulatihan pun dah dengar. Jadi, kami perlu keluar dengan mentaliti mahu menang dan karakter juara untuk capai sasaran."

Kuala Lumpur tersingkir ke Liga Premier apabila menduduki tangga tercorot Liga Super pada musim lalu.

Mou selaku juru latih mengaku frustasi dengan kekalahan ini. Tak hanya frustrasi, ia juga merasa bingung dan aneh karena Spurs hasilkan banyak peluang.

"Kami dapat mengatakan semuanya negatif karena tidak ada hasil dan kami kehilangan pemain. Bagi saya, permainan yang cukup aneh karena mereka tidak membuat masalah bagi kami dengan bertahan, mereka memiliki dua atau tiga tembakan dan mencetak satu gol dan kami tidak mencetak gol. Kami memiliki peluang untuk melakukannya di babak pertama, kami memiliki beberapa peluang bagus di babak kedua. Sekali lagi, off-side adalah apa adanya."

Ia juga mengkhawatirkan kondisi Harry Kane yang ditarik karena cedera. Bukan tak mungkin ia akan cari penyerang baru di bursa transfer januari ini.

"Lalu kita kehilangan Harry, dan tanpa Harry hal-hal lebih sulit karena kita tidak memiliki pengganti langsung, terutama tanpa Son yang menjalani larangan ketiga pertandingan tiga-nya, dia adalah pemain yang bisa bermain di daerahnya. Itu sulit karena kemungkinan kita di bangku tidak banyak tanpa Sonny."

[attachvideo id=145981]

Robin van Persie wants to see Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer become "a bit more mean" after the loss to Arsenal.

United were beaten 2-0 at Emirates Stadium on Wednesday and are five points behind fourth-placed Chelsea in the Premier League table.

Van Persie, who starred for both United and Arsenal, was unhappy with Solskjaer's reaction to the defeat.

"When I listen to Ole, he sounds like a really nice guy," the Dutchman told BT Sport.

"I would like to see him a bit more mean at times, just be angry.

"I see him smiling now after a game like that. This is not the moment to smile."

Van Persie said United's players needed to know there would be punishment for not performing.

"They need a game plan and a bit of fear for the coach," he said.

"You know if you don't make those runs or make that pass, you will be punished and you won't play the next game."

Skuat berjuluk The Gunners tersebut juga mampu menguasai bola sebanyak 57% sepanjang laga. Kabar baik lainnya tentu saja Bernd Leno sukses cleansheet kali ini.

“Para suporter ingin melihat tim mereka tampil seperti yang mereka lakukan hari ini. Terima kasih banyak kepada mereka yang dapat memberikan kepercayaan diri dan energi untuk menampilkan permainan yang kalian lihat itu jadi jauh lebih baik,” kata Arteta dilansir dari laman resmi klub.

“Pada akhirnya, kami akan dinilai berdasarkan hasil. Itu akan memberi para pemain peningkatan besar dalam hal kepercayaan diri, bahwa mereka dapat bermain melawan lawan mana pun di liga ini dan menjadi lebih baik dari mereka, mendominasi mereka, dan bersaing melawan mereka.”

“Itu sesuatu yang, menurut pendapat saya, selama berminggu-minggu, mereka belum lakukan bersama. Selain itu, apa yang kami coba ciptakan bukan hanya kata-kata, itu benar-benar terjadi dan Anda dapat melihat itu terjadi. Itu menghasilkan lebih banyak kepercayaan diri.”

Granit Xhaka has given Mikel Arteta assurances that he will stay at Arsenal, according to the Gunners head coach, who gave an optimistic view of the midfielder's future at the club.

Xhaka had reportedly agreed to join Hertha Berlin in the transfer window, with his future at Arsenal in doubt ever since he reacted angrily to being replaced during the 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace in October.

But after missing Arsenal's 2-1 defeat to Chelsea on December 29, Xhaka started 2020 in positive fashion with a strong performance in his side's 2-0 victory over Manchester United on New Year's Day.

Asked whether the 27-year-old had given him assurances that he would stay at Emirates Stadium, Arteta told reporters: "He did, yes.

"I think he's going to stay. I really like him. If we get him on board, he can be a tremendous player for us."

First-half goals from Nicolas Pepe and Sokratis Papastathopoulos helped Arteta to his first victory since taking over as Arsenal boss and he praised his side's improved performance.

"Everything we tried to do against them worked really, really well," Arteta told BT Sport.

"I think we had enough chances to put the game to bed much earlier and in the second half we knew that physically we were going to drop: at the moment we are not ready to maintain that level of intensity through 90 minutes.

"But the spirit, the commitment and the desire the boys are playing with at the moment is terrific."

Gunners defender David Luiz echoed his coach's comments, and indicated that Arteta's arrival has transformed the spirit in the Arsenal camp.

"We have to be honest and humble to admit: physically we are not ready," said Luiz. "We showed that in the second half against Chelsea, and we showed that today.

"This team is in a moment now to change a lot of things. We cannot change from zero to 10 in one day, one week or one month.

"Mikel is a great coach. He knows football, he was a great player. I believe in his philosophy and he can improve every single player and in life when you're happy the results can be totally different.

"If you sleep happy you can sleep four hours and it's better than sleeping sad for eight hours. If you work with happiness, believing what you are doing, it's totally different."

Jurgen Klopp accepts he may have "killed the winning mood" with his post-match team talk after Liverpool's 1-0 win over Wolves but said his side's performance left much room for improvement.

Reds players including centre-back Virgil van Dijk were critical of their own performances after a tight game against Nuno Espirito Santo's side, with the Netherlands international saying Liverpool "can do better", and Klopp echoed his captain's comments.

Liverpool have a 10-point cushion at the top of the Premier League going into their clash with Sheffield United at Anfield on Thursday, but Klopp warned that a repeat of Sunday's performance will not suffice.

"The game gave us a lot of space for improvement," Klopp said of the narrow victory over Wolves. "I told the boys what they could have done better immediately after the game, so maybe that killed the winning mood!

"We have to work on performances. We should not start lying to ourselves that everything is fine when it's not. We have to make sure we improve.

"I am really concerned about different things. I'd like an easy life, but I don't have it, unfortunately."

Liverpool emerged from a packed December schedule of nine matches with eight wins and a defeat, including a 4-0 league victory over second-placed Leicester City on the back of Club World Cup glory in Qatar.

Klopp said the effect of the Qatar trip were evident against Wolves and revealed that the tests his players have faced since returning from Asia have forced him into some difficult selection decisions.

"Everyone was like, 'wow', coming back from Qatar to play against Leicester like this," Klopp told reporters.
"Yes, that was really good but that's how it sometimes is, and the knock came three days later this time. We played Leicester, Wolves and Sheffield United who, in the form table, are the three teams behind us - we are playing teams in really good shape.

"When it's really busy you have to make changes, but you have to try to make sure that the pieces on the pitch fit together. When we played Everton at the beginning of the month and made five or six changes we were sure this offensive line would click together.

"The focus is always on the next game."

Pep Guardiola praised Manchester City's attitude in their win over Everton, saying other teams would "finish seventh or eighth" if they were so far behind the leaders.

Gabriel Jesus' second-half brace helped City to a 2-1 home victory on Wednesday as Guardiola's third-placed side moved within 11 points of pacesetters Liverpool, who have played two fewer games.

The City manager was pleased with his team's approach as they continue to fight in the Premier League despite Liverpool's big lead at the top.

"We played top. I am so delighted with the performance, the behaviour as always, as always that we are," Guardiola told a news conference.

GABBY NEW YEAR!

#MCIEVE #ManCity pic.twitter.com/JcrszB0fXr

— Manchester City (@ManCity) January 1, 2020

"Maybe we will finish seventh or eighth in the table, but not because we don't try. So, the game was always there, we played so good, and a good victory for us."

Guardiola opted for a 3-4-3 formation against Everton, starting Eric Garcia, Fernandinho and Rodri in defence, with Benjamin Mendy and Joao Cancelo as wing-backs.

The former Barcelona boss was pleased with City's execution of the new system, saying it could be a more regular option moving forward.

"Maybe we will do it again," Guardiola said. "In the first half against Sheffield United, we played with three at the back, too.

"Not just second half. We changed position, but the structure was that.

"We can do it in the future. We played it really well. The five guys are so good with the ball. Riyad [Mahrez] receives the ball in better positions and that helps, too."

City are back in action on Saturday when they host Port Vale in the FA Cup third round.

Paul Pogba has been advised to have an operation to address his ankle injury, according to Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Solskjaer had expected Pogba to be fit to join the United squad against Arsenal but revealed that the midfielder's ankle problem could leave him sidelined for longer than anticipated.

Pogba played in United's 2-0 defeat at Watford on December 22, making a rare appearance in a three-month spell of injury problems, and featured again when United beat Newcastle United 4-1 on Boxing Day.

After watching his side lose 2-0 to Arsenal at Emirates Stadium, Solskjaer was asked how long he expects Pogba to remain on the sidelines, and he told BT Sport: "I don't know, three or four weeks maybe.

"He's been advised to have an operation by his people and he'll probably do that."

Solskjaer went on to clarify the club's involvement in Pogba's treatment, telling reporters: "He's had scans, it's nothing major, it's something that has to be sorted within a timeframe.

"He's been advised to do it soon as, and he'll probably do it soon as. We have had consultants looking at him. The scans have been done by us."

Solskjaer suggested his players may have been affected by fatigue after playing five games in 13 days prior to the trip to Arsenal.

"We started off decent but didn't capitalise on the two or three counter-attacks we had," said Solskjaer.

"We were too slow to things and too slow on the ball. That's credit to them because I thought Arsenal played really well. On and off the ball I thought they were excellent. We had some tired heads, maybe.

"We kept going, we pushed them back, created half-decent chances but the quality in our finishing wasn't good enough."

Nicolas Pepe has hit far cleaner shots in his career but, for him and Mikel Arteta, it's unlikely many will have felt sweeter.

Arsenal's record signing had plenty of time and space to size up Sead Kolasinac's cut-back but still could not connect properly with the ball. But connect he did, and Arsenal, Arteta's Arsenal, had lift-off.

Not only was this the new head coach's first win in charge, it was just the Gunners' second in all competitions since October 24. Thirteen of 14 matches had come and gone without a victory, including those against Crystal Palace, Vitoria Guimaraes, Southampton, Norwich City, Bournemouth, and Chelsea in brutal fashion three days ago.

Pepe had looked a lost cause in some of those matches, a £72million passenger this team could no longer carry. Well, not against Manchester United. He dominated the right wing, left Luke Shaw on his backside and switched play with confidence. His eighth-minute goal was a little scruffy, but it was deserved reward for a determined, defiant performance, and perhaps a sign of what is to come under Arteta: it lifted the players to new levels, gave the Emirates crowd its voice again, and meant Sokratis Papastathopoulos' close-range second came as little surprise.

But what, exactly, is to come for United? The defeat is only the second they have suffered since the end of November, but it followed a pattern that suggests many more will follow in the new year.

In United's previous league defeats to Bournemouth, Newcastle United and Watford, they started poorly, fell behind, and that was that. The story was the same here, at a stadium where setbacks have come to be expected, where Chelsea were outplayed for an hour only to win 2-1 just days ago.

United made a habit of starting matches in 2019 as though they were already 4-0 up; a day into the new decade, it's a problem Solskjaer has still not solved. Well, he will certainly have to this month. Their season depends on it.

Wolves, Manchester City (twice), and Liverpool must all be faced in the coming four weeks, along with Norwich City and Burnley, teams in need of Premier League points. By the end of January, United could be in the fourth round of the FA Cup, the EFL Cup final and find themselves firmly in a top-four race. Or not.

With Scott McTominay and Paul Pogba likely to miss all of those matches due to injury, perhaps the transfer market will offer the solutions Solskjaer cannot find. Salvation in the January window is never guaranteed, though – and who is to say a new signing would fix what is clearly a problem of mentality, rather than talent?

Arteta is thought to be exploring the market, too, and this win, commendable as it was, does not mean Arsenal's problems have evaporated. Better, more focused teams will still pick apart this defence, just as Manchester City did last month.

But what a Pepe pep-up for the new year.

As Manchester City continue to toil defensively in the absence of lynchpin Aymeric Laporte, the switch to a back three against Everton may not have represented the most obvious solution.

So largely desperate have Nicolas Otamendi's performances been this season, City's sole fit senior centre-back only made the bench against Sheffield United on Sunday, two days on from a 90-minute shift in the dramatic collapse at Wolves.

Injury meant there would be no recall for the Argentina defender on New Year's Day, so Pep Guardiola was again struggling to find a central pair, let alone a trio.

But faced with the nous of Carlo Ancelotti, a coach he spent much of the week lauding, Guardiola decided to make the bold call.

Teenager Eric Garcia kept his place following his full Premier League debut against the Blades, and he was joined by midfielders Fernandinho and Rodri.

A 2-1 City victory was the result, and the wider positives were clear to see as the champions stretched Everton to breaking point, a change in defence bringing a new dynamic to their forward line.

Kyle Walker might be playing as "the best Kyle I have faced" - Guardiola's words - but pre-season signing Joao Cancelo has struggled to establish himself.

Bought from Juventus just months ago, the right-back has been linked with former club Valencia and Bayern Munich, and discussion of his future took up a chunk of his manager's pre-match news conference.

"We buy players for many years, not for six months," said Guardiola, before handing Cancelo just his fifth league start against Everton.

On the opposite flank, Benjamin Mendy - brought in at huge cost in 2017 - has endured a tough campaign. Injuries halted his initial fine form upon his arrival in Manchester, and displays in 2019-20 have been extremely ordinary for the most part.

But both Cancelo and Mendy certainly saw benefit in this new system, given the freedom of the flanks as Rodri and Garcia stepped forward and Fernandinho anchored the side, the three covering for their wing-back colleagues.

Cancelo linked well with Riyad Mahrez and played a key role in the Phil Foden goal that was disallowed in the now customary stretch of VAR farce in the first half.

Meanwhile, Mendy, even up against two talented right-backs in Djibril Sidibe and Seamus Coleman, enjoyed himself going forward, moving the ball at greater speed than in previous miserable performances.

The France international created three chances - as many as any team-mate - while Cancelo supplied two.

Beyond the added threat of support from the previously limited pair, the set-up accommodated different roles for the likes of Mahrez and Foden.

The nominal wingers in this formation instead found space inside, Mahrez teeing up Gabriel Jesus' second. The Brazilian's first came from an Ilkay Gundogan pass, the midfielder let off the leash a little with three men behind him.

Openly already planning for next season but without Laporte to call on, the City boss could head home encouraged by a different, still dominant, display.

Pep Guardiola hailed Gabriel Jesus after his double against Everton but also labelled Sergio Aguero "irreplaceable" at Manchester City.

Jesus' quickfire goals early in the second half ultimately proved enough to claim the points against the Toffees, who pulled one back through Richarlison following Claudio Bravo's mistake.

Meanwhile, Aguero, who marked his return from injury with a crisp finish in City's 2-0 win over Sheffield United on Sunday, remained on the bench as an unused substitute.

Brazil international Jesus now has 13 goals to his name in all competitions this season, but Guardiola insists Aguero is still number one.

"Gabriel has been excellent, but Sergio is irreplaceable," Guardiola said in quotes reported by City's official Twitter account.

"What he means for our fans, what he's done, the goal against QPR [in 2012], we need a good back-up for all the players and Sergio has a great complimentary player in Gabriel.

"They have a great relationship."

Great way to start 2020! 2 goals and a massive performance from these guys. What a game, lads! Let's keep doing it. #alômãe#gratidão#city pic.twitter.com/Hac98Y7dM4

— Gabriel Jesus (@gabrieljesus33) January 1, 2020

"Of course, it's always good to start [the year] with the victory," the 22-year-old said. "The team played well, very well. I'm happy with the goals, the guys played so well today.

"I'm a striker, I have to score and try every time. We have Sergio, who scores every game. I have to learn from him. When I go on the pitch, I have to score."

City's win kept them within a point of second-placed Leicester City, though they are still 11 adrift of runaway leaders Liverpool, who play on Thursday.

Over the festive period, City beat Leicester, the Blades and Everton, though slumped to a 3-2 defeat at Wolves on December 27.

"We played great, so I am delighted for the guys. This period is so tough. We did really well. Three more points and closer to Leicester," Guardiola added.

"When you are far away from the first position sometimes people give up, but we never give up. We have to keep going. We have FA Cup then the EFL Cup. Other teams dropped points for the top four, so it was an important win."

Mikel Arteta tasted victory for the first time since taking charge of Arsenal after Nicolas Pepe's third league goal of the season put his side on course for a 2-0 victory over Manchester United at Emirates Stadium.

Ivory Coast international Pepe capitalised on a nervous start to the game by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side, who lost for only the second time in 10 league games after failing to expose Arsenal's flaws in the way Chelsea had done in a 2-1 win on the same ground three days earlier.

Sokratis Papastathopoulos doubled Arsenal's lead just before half-time and the hosts' improvement was testament to Arteta's impact on a squad that has appeared disjointed for much of this season.

The revived performances of Mesut Ozil and Granit Xhaka in the Gunners' midfield will have particularly pleased the coach, who delivered Arsenal's second victory in 13 gruelling Premier League games that had seen them drop into the bottom half of the table, this result lifting them back up to 10th and offering cause for optimism at the start of 2020.

But Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's trickery set Sead Kolasinac free in the United box after just eight minutes and his cross deflected into the path of Pepe, who swept into the net from 12 yards to get the hosts off to an excellent start.

Pepe went agonisingly close to doubling Arsenal's lead seven minutes before half-time when David de Gea's careless clearance fell to him 20 yards out and he curled a shot onto the post with the United goalkeeper flailing.

But Arsenal kept the pressure on an embattled United defence and got their reward when Alexandre Lacazette flicked a corner into a crowd of defenders before it bounced to Sokratis, who lashed it high into the net from close range.

Fred tried his luck with a rising shot from 25 yards 10 minutes into the second half, but Leno claimed it comfortably as United struggled to create the space they needed to trouble Arsenal.

Nemanja Matic did carve out an opportunity with a clever ball into the area a few moments later but substitute Andreas Pereira hit the side-netting with his angled effort.

A foot injury to Kolasinac was the only fly in the ointment for Arsenal, who will hope this victory marks the beginning of a push towards a place in the top six that only recently looked very much beyond them.

What does it mean? The end of a long wait at the Emirates

Arsenal's previous home victory in the Premier League came all the way back on October 6, when they beat Bournemouth 1-0, but the way Arteta's men stuck to their task and bettered United all over the pitch will have satisfied fans as much as the result.

Attack the best form of defence for Kolasinac

Kolasinac's surging runs gave United no rest as Arsenal attacked with an extra man throughout the first half, and he kept up his all-action display down the left flank to ensure Ozil always had an option out wide.

Martial goes missing

The service directed towards him was intermittent, but when Anthony Martial did receive the ball in dangerous areas he was too often slow to react and opted to isolate himself in an advanced position rather than dropping deep to help his toiling midfield colleagues.

Key Opta Facts

- Arsenal ended a run of seven home games without a win in all competitions to register their first victory at Emirates Stadium since a 3-2 Europa League win over Vitoria Guimaraes in October.
- United have now lost four of their past five Premier League visits to Arsenal (one win).
- Pepe has scored all five of his goals for Arsenal in London – four at home and one at London Stadium.
- Arteta is the seventh manager to register his first Premier League victory in a game against United, and the first since Darren Moore in April 2018 with West Brom.
- Arsenal have scored eight goals via corners in the Premier League this season, two more than any other team.

What's next?

Arsenal are at home again on Monday when Leeds United visit in the FA Cup, following the Red Devils' trip to Wolves in the same competition on Saturday.

Hertha Berlin have signed Argentina international midfielder Santiago Ascacibar from 2. Bundesliga club Stuttgart on "a long-term deal".

The 22-year-old, who earned the most recent of his three Argentina caps in November 2018, becomes Hertha's first signing since Jurgen Klinsmann replaced Ante Covic.

Ascacibar previously played two seasons of Bundesliga football for Stuttgart prior to their relegation last year and featured 13 times in the second tier this term.

He will join the rest of the squad for their mid-season training camp in Orlando and is in contention to make his debut when Bayern Munich visit the Olympiastadion on January 19.

"I'm happy that the transfer has been completed in the winter break," Ascacibar told his new side's official website.

Gestatten: Unsere neue Nummer 18, Santiago #Ascacibar! Herzlich willkommen!#hahohe pic.twitter.com/qkOE5nUUGw

— Hertha BSC (@HerthaBSC) January 1, 2020

"After holding talks with [sporting director] Michael Preetz and Jurgen Klinsmann, I believe I can continue to develop as a player here and that we can achieve a lot together.

"I'm really looking forward to that and can hardly wait to get to know my new team-mates. We'll do everything we can to keep climbing up the table in the second half of the season."

Hertha, 12th in the Bundesliga after collecting eight points from Klinsmann's opening five matches, are also in the running to sign Granit Xhaka from Arsenal.

Leeds United remain top of the Championship after a 1-1 draw with West Brom at The Hawthorns on Wednesday.

Semi Ajayi put the Baggies ahead in only the second minute but was unfortunate in deflecting Patrick Bamford's header into his own net to bring Leeds level.

The result means Marcelo Bielsa's side stay above West Brom on goal difference after 26 matches.

The earlier fixtures were largely a feast of goals as 2020 started in enthralling fashion, with Stoke City winning 5-2 at Huddersfield Town and QPR thrashing Cardiff City 6-1.

Brentford were big winners away to Bristol City, Nottingham Forest edged out Blackburn Rovers in a five-goal thriller and Wigan Athletic held on to win 3-2 at Birmingham City.

Fulham's promotion bid suffered another setback with a 2-1 loss to Reading, Middlesbrough made it back-to-back away victories and Hull City snatched three points at Sheffield Wednesday.

In the first game of the new decade, Millwall came from behind to beat Luton Town 3-1 and climb into the top six.

 7 minutes! @Patrick_Bamford pic.twitter.com/eFohyj58Ob

— Leeds United (@LUFC) January 1, 2020

BAGGIES MISS CHANCE TO GO TOP

Ajayi poked home after a penalty-box scramble to give West Brom an early lead against Leeds and Slaven Bilic's side were good value for their advantage in the first half.

Kiko Casilla did superbly to keep out Matheus Pereira's free-kick and then saved with his legs from Matt Phillips, who had been through on goal.

Leeds introduced Bamford at the break and it proved a crucial move, as the striker's header from Jack Harrison's cross deflected off Ajayi's shoulder and into the net.

Neither side could find a winner in the end-to-end closing minutes, meaning each are on 52 points, nine clear of the chasing pack.

SIX-GOAL SHOWDOWNS

Stoke dominated the first half at John Smith's Stadium but Sam Vokes' opener was forgotten when Steve Mounie and a Danny Batth own goal put the hosts ahead.

However, Stoke struck a further four times through Nick Powell, Lee Gregory and a Tyrese Campbell double in a game otherwise marred when a stadium announcement was required to warn against further alleged discriminatory chants aimed at James McClean.

QPR's victory was a more straightforward affair, as a Nahki Wells hat-trick inspired them to a 6-1 thrashing of Cardiff, who got a late consolation through Will Vaulks.

Cardiff stay 12th, though, given Bristol City were dispatched 4-0 at home by Brentford, Ollie Watkins making the points safe with a late double to send his side third.

Dancing into #SCFC  pic.twitter.com/BeuwfuqRKg

— Stoke City FC (@stokecity) January 1, 2020

MILLWALL INTO PLAY-OFF SPOTS

Sheffield Wednesday's loss at home to Hull meant Millwall's earlier 3-1 win over Luton, in which they trailed until the 69th minute, was enough to see them into the top six.

Nottingham Forest are up to fourth thanks to Lewis Grabban's two goals securing a 3-2 defeat of Blackburn Rovers, with Fulham slipping to fifth after John Swift and Charlie Adam consigned them to a fourth defeat in seven league games.

Preston's top-six chase was dealt a blow, though, as Rudy Gestede and a Ben Davies own goal gave Middlesbrough a fourth win in a row.

At the other end of the table, Wigan gave their survival bid a boost after they held onto a 3-2 win at Birmingham, Cedric Kipre's 73rd-minute goal proving the difference.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have been rewriting the football history books for over a decade, and as the pair head into 2020, they are on the verge of racking up a stack of new milestones.

The iconic duo are hoping to propel their respective teams to Champions League glory this season while contesting for domestic honours in Italy and Spain, and there are new records to be set at club and international level for both players too.

Messi's Barcelona are top of LaLiga by two points and he has scored 11 goals in his last 10 games to step into the new year in optimistic mood, while Ronaldo is in a similar hot streak for Juventus after netting five in his last four Serie A outings.

At 32, Messi is two years Ronaldo's junior, but try telling the Juventus talisman that his career is nearing its end and he'll answer you with performances with all the pace, power and intensity of a player in his prime.

As two of the game's greatest embark upon what will doubtless be another year filled with glorious moments, here are the records they stand to smash along the way.

Positive vibes! pic.twitter.com/BeN84QS1tb

— Cristiano Ronaldo (@Cristiano) December 4, 2019

Ronaldo won his fifth Champions League when Real Madrid beat Liverpool in the 2018 final and if he can inspire Juventus to glory in 2020 he will have won Europe's top competition as many times as current record holder Francisco Gento, who won six between 1956 and 1966 for Real Madrid.

MESSI: Top goal-scorer for a single team

Messi is 26 goals away from eclipsing Pele's club goals record of 643, which the Brazil legend is said to have scored for Santos. Record-keeping has become more accurate since Pele's day, and Messi is set to hit a new high that will take some beating.

RONALDO: All-time top European Championship goal-scorer

Ronaldo has scored nine goals for Portugal at the four European Championships where he has represented his country, putting him level with Michel Platini as the competition's leading scorer. If he can find the net in 2020's tournament, he will become the leading Euros marksman of all time.

MESSI AND RONALDO: Most Champions League hat-tricks

Messi and Ronaldo have scored eight hat-tricks each in the Champions League - more than any other player to have graced the competition - and if either can notch another in 2020 they could claim bragging rights for some time to come.

RONALDO: First player to be top scorer in English, Spanish and Italian top flights

Ronaldo is currently joint-fourth in the Serie A scoring charts with 10 goals, behind Joao Pedro (11), Romelu Lukaku (12) and Ciro Immobile (17), but if he can storm his way to the top in 2020 he will become the first player in history to have been top goal-scorer in the English, Spanish and Italian top flights.

MESSI: Seven Ballon d'Or wins

Ronaldo did not attend the Ballon d'Or awards ceremony in 2019 to see Messi claim a record sixth gong, and if the Barca star wins again in 2020 it is hard to see Ronaldo, who has won the award five times, ever catching him.

NOT a challenge for #Messi in 2020...

To continue being the one, true GOAT. pic.twitter.com/vBFbvr1zQ2

— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) January 1, 2020

Ronaldo will be going all guns blazing for Portugal this year as he attempts to add to his 99 international goals and succeed Ali Daei, who scored 109 for Iran, as the top international marksman of all time.

MESSI: Four consecutive Golden Shoe awards

Messi has been the top goal-scorer in Europe for the last three consecutive seasons and he currently leads the LaLiga scoring charts with 13 goals. He was the first player to win the Golden Shoe, awarded to Europe's leading goal-scorer in league matches, three times in a row and could set another new record by doing it four times on the bounce.

Paul Pogba is likely to be out of action for "a few weeks" due to further problems with a troublesome ankle, Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer says.

Having missed much of the past three months due to injury, Pogba returned in the 2-0 loss at Watford on December 22 and played the second half of the 4-1 win over Newcastle United four days later.

The France international missed the 2-0 victory at Burnley after complaining of discomfort, but Solskjaer had expected him to be available to face Arsenal in the Premier League on Wednesday.

However, after leaving Pogba out of the matchday squad, Solskjaer confirmed the midfielder is likely to be missing for some time.

"He's injured," Solskjaer told MUTV. "He's feeling some discomfort in his ankle and he'll be out for a few weeks."

The news is a blow to United given Scott McTominay is also sidelined with a knee problem ahead of a gruelling run of matches.

After Wednesday's game at Emirates Stadium, United head to Wolves in the FA Cup third round on Saturday and then host Manchester City in the first leg of the EFL Cup semi-final.

They then face Norwich City at Old Trafford before heading to Anfield to face league leaders Liverpool, with a further league match against Burnley and the second leg of the EFL Cup tie with City to come before February.

Suited and booted #MUFC arrive for #ARSMUN in style  pic.twitter.com/LUBJqhQ7aZ

— Manchester United (@ManUtd) January 1, 2020

Gabriel Jesus scored a second-half brace as Manchester City claimed a 2-1 win over Everton, who suffered defeat for the first time under Carlo Ancelotti.

Brazil striker Jesus was restored to the starting line-up in one of five changes from City's victory against Sheffield United and more than took his opportunity in Wednesday's clash at the Etihad Stadium.

Phil Foden had a strike ruled out by the video assistant referee in a low-key first half, but the home side stepped things up in the second half and were rewarded through Jesus' quickfire double.

Everton had won back-to-back matches under Ancelotti previously and gave themselves a lifeline when Richarlison profited from a Claudio Bravo error 19 minutes from time, but they could not find a leveller as City saw things through.

FULL-TIME | 2020 starts with a W thanks to a fine brace from @gabrieljesus33 !

2-1 #MCIEVE #ManCity pic.twitter.com/kFml5zv8b5

— Manchester City (@ManCity) January 1, 2020

Bravo retained his place in goal due to Ederson - suspended against United - missing out through illness and he pushed over a Seamus Coleman drive early on.

City thought they had found a way through after 12 minutes when Foden tapped in Joao Cancelo's cross, only for VAR to rule it out as Riyad Mahrez was offside in the build-up.

Mahrez was again undone by VAR when the technology upheld the linesman's decision to flag him for offside before charging into the box and being felled by Lucas Digne.

But there was to be no denying Jesus early in the second half, the Brazil international controlling Ilkay Gundogan's pass and bending the ball past Jordan Pickford.

Jesus doubled his tally seven minutes later by taking Mahrez's pass in his stride and this time beating Pickford at his near post with a well-struck shot.

A poor pass from Bravo gifted Everton a route back into the game as Theo Walcott's shot deflected into the path of Richarlison for a tap in, but City came closest to scoring the game's fourth goal as Jesus struck the inside of the post.

What does it mean? City close gap despite rotation

Pep Guardiola's decision to rotate his side for this game perhaps indicates he will prioritise the cup competitions in the second half of the season, even if he has claimed he will not.

Despite leaving Sergio Aguero on the bench for the 90 minutes and only bringing on Raheem Sterling in added time, however, City got the job done in an efficient manner and are back to within 11 points of leaders Liverpool, albeit having played two games more.

Jesus maintains impressive run

Jesus has now scored in five successive Premier League meetings with Everton, netting seven goals in total - more than he has managed against any other side in the competition.

He showed brilliant awareness for both goals by getting between two defenders, controlling a pass into his feet and finding a way past Pickford.

4 - Man City v Everton is only the fourth Premier League game to see a Brazilian score for both sides (excluding own goals), after Liverpool v Spurs in March 2019, Chelsea v Liverpool in October 2015 and Middlesbrough v Man City in May 2008. Samba. pic.twitter.com/UwOhVhJfoX

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) January 1, 2020

Bravo's blushes spared

Pickford hardly covered himself in glory for either of Jesus' goals, especially having been caught out at his near post for the second, while opposite number Bravo was at fault for Richarlison's goal.

City's back-up keeper played Cancelo into trouble with his pass and the ball was in the net seconds later.

What's next?

City host League Two side Port Vale in the FA Cup third round on Saturday, while Everton travel to Merseyside rivals Liverpool the following day in a mouth-watering tie.

Paul Pogba is once again missing from the Manchester United squad to face Arsenal despite manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer saying on Tuesday that he expected the France star to play.

Pogba was out for most of the first half of the season due to an ankle injury and illness forcing him to miss the best part of three months.

He returned as a substitute in the 2-0 defeat to Watford and was United's best player, instantly providing Solskjaer's side with much-needed creativity.

Another cameo – this time the full second 45 minutes – against Newcastle United came on Boxing Day, suggesting he could be in line to start at Burnley two days later.

He was curiously absent at Turf Moor, however, with Solskjaer explaining he did not feel ready for another match just 48 hours after playing.

Solskjaer gave no reason to think Pogba would be missing again at Emirates Stadium, though, confirming in his pre-match news conference that he expected the midfielder to be in contention.

Yet, after appearing to be apart from the squad as they arrived in London on Tuesday, Pogba has not been named in the matchday selection.

Pogba's recent absences have coincided with transfer rumours, though his agent Mino Raiola has recently suggested the midfielder will not be leaving in January.

Danny Ings scored the only goal of the game as Tottenham suffered a surprise 1-0 loss to Southampton, while top-four rivals Chelsea were held 1-1 by Brighton and Hove Albion.

In-form striker Ings fired home in the first half to make it 13 Premier League goals for the season against a below-par Tottenham, who also lost Harry Kane to a hamstring injury.

Jose Mourinho's side are now six points adrift of Chelsea in the final Champions League qualifying spot following the Blues' draw with Brighton in Wednesday's early kick-off.

Chelsea were heading for back-to-back away wins after Cesar Azpilicueta put them ahead, but Alireza Jahanbakhsh's overhead-kick earned Brighton a share of the spoils.

There were also wins for Aston Villa, Leicester City and Watford as 2020 got off to an eventful start, with VAR once again proving to be a big talking point.

FULL-TIME Southampton 1-0 Spurs

Danny Ings' goal proves decisive as Southampton record their third victory in four matches with a win over Spurs #SOUTOT pic.twitter.com/ePDXK9fs80

— Premier League (@premierleague) January 1, 2020

Tottenham have struggled defensively in the early stages of Mourinho's tenure, conceding for the 16th time in 11 matches in all competitions through Ings' impressive strike.

The England international hopeful lifted the ball over Toby Alderweireld and fired past Paulo Gazzaniga for what proved to be the only goal of the game after 17 minutes.

Tottenham have taken only four points from the 12 on offer over the festive period and their misery was compounded by Kane limping off after hurting his hamstring in the process of scoring a disallowed equaliser.

Mourinho, who had never previously lost in six away league meetings with Southampton, was shown a yellow card by referee Mike Dean late on after being involved in touchline confrontation as his side remained sixth in the table.

Chelsea held by Jahanbakhsh stunner

Azpilicueta scored the first Premier League goal of the decade with a close-range finish after Tammy Abraham's shot was blocked by Aaron Mooy, but Chelsea could not get the job done against Brighton.

Jahanbakhsh celebrated with tears of joy after scoring his first goal for Brighton in the 2-0 win over Bournemouth on Saturday and he did not have to wait long for his second goal.

The Iran winger sent an acrobatic attempt past Kepa Arrizabalaga with six minutes of normal time remaining to deny Frank Lampard's side a third away league win on the spin.

Chelsea had looked comfortable until Jahanbakhsh's moment of magic but had to survive a late scare as they opened the door for other members of the chasing pack to close the gap - something Tottenham were unable to achieve.

So delighted to be able to help the team again today! Happy new year to everyone #BHAFC pic.twitter.com/nW7p7E8zMY

— Alireza Jahanbakhsh (@Alirezajb7) January 1, 2020

Despite being without the Premier League's leading scorer Jamie Vardy for a second game in a row due to the birth of his child, Leicester were comfortable 3-0 winners at Newcastle.

The Foxes' incredible campaign continued thanks to goals from former Newcastle attacker Ayoze Perez, James Maddison and substitute Hamza Choudhury.

Leicester, back to within 10 points of Liverpool after playing two games more than the runaway leaders, played almost all of the second half against 10 men.

That was due to the hosts suffering a string of injuries, Jetro Willems and Javier Manquillo being forced off in the first half and Jonjo Shelvey following them at half-time, with all three subs already made when Fabian Schar pulled up.

While Leicester's outside title hopes just about remain intact, a third defeat in a row for Newcastle leaves them five points above the relegation zone.

Villa pick up much-needed win at Turf Moor

The pressure had been building on Villa boss Dean Smith following a run of five league defeats in six matches, including a 3-0 thrashing at the hands of fellow strugglers Watford last time out.

Smith insisted he still had the support of the dressing room in the build-up to the trip to Burnley, however, and that showed as Villa returned to winning ways with a 2-1 triumph at Turf Moor that saw them climb out of the relegation zone.

Jack Grealish had a header contentiously ruled out by VAR, with Wesley adjudged to be offside in the build-up, but the two players linked up for the latter's opener 16 minutes later.

The Villans added a second on the stroke of half-time through Grealish, who scored his sixth Premier League goal in his 19th appearance this season - as many as he netted in 31 matches in the Championship last season.

Chris Wood pulled one back from Burnley's first shot on target in the 80th minute, though it was not enough to prevent a third successive loss for Sean Dyche's out-of-form side.

1 - Wesley has scored his first Premier League goal for Aston Villa since October, ending a run of 12 games and 20 shots without finding the net. Replenished. pic.twitter.com/XrXQ7M2mhk

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) January 1, 2020

Watford have now taken 10 points from four matches since Nigel Pearson was appointed as Quique Sanchez Flores' successor earlier this month, the Hornets maintaining their impressive form with a 2-1 win at home to Wolves.

Gerard Deulofeu, the hero when Watford edged out Wolves in a dramatic FA Cup semi-final last season, opened the scoring after half an hour with a curled finish into the bottom corner.

Abdoulaye Doucoure fired in on his 27th birthday to double the home side's tally, but Pedro Neto reduced the deficit with a deflected shot on the hour and Christian Kabasele was sent off with 19 minutes to play.

Wolves could not find a way past Ben Foster, though, meaning just a third loss in 16 league outings for Nuno Espirito Santo's men.

Tottenham head coach Jose Mourinho was not optimistic as he waited to learn the extent of Harry Kane's hamstring injury.

The Spurs striker – their stand-in captain in the absence of Hugo Lloris – pulled up as he scored a goal against Southampton on New Year's Day that was subsequently ruled out for offside.

Kane had to be substituted, nursing his left hamstring, and Mourinho had not been updated on his status before his post-match news conference.

"It is negative. For Harry to come out is negative," he said. "The hamstring is always negative.

"Is it a tear? Is it a small thing? Is it a spasm, a contraction? At this moment, I cannot say."

Mourinho felt Kane's absence, with Son Heung-min suspended, was a particular hindrance to his side late on at St Mary's Stadium as they chased an equaliser having been trailing since Danny Ings' goal in the 17th minute.

"The game was not easy. The second half was not easy," he said. "They were winning, they were defending, basically with 10 players, fighting hard, being aggressive, the good aggressive.

75 - Harry is forced off:

@ErikLamela
@HKane

#SaintsFC 1-0 #THFC pic.twitter.com/l3jAjnzfHQ

— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) January 1, 2020

"When we lose our target man Harry Kane, we know we don't have the part of the game where we are normally more dominant. We play the last 15 minutes plus added time without a striker. That is even more difficult."

Mourinho was similarly downbeat on the fitness of club-record signing Tanguy Ndombele, who was substituted just 25 minutes into only his 10th Premier League start.

"He's always injured," Mourinho said. "He's injured, he's not injured, he plays one match, next week he's injured, he plays another match, we are full of hopes.

"This is it since the beginning of the season. Of course, it is a concern.

"You think you have a good player, you think he is in an evolution process, he plays very well against Norwich City, you are full of hopes that today he is ready for it.

"And he is not ready for it. I cannot say much more than that. It's a situation from the beginning of the season."

Jose Mourinho said he was "rude to an idiot" to earn a "fair" yellow card in Tottenham's 1-0 defeat to Southampton on Wednesday.

The Spurs head coach was booked by referee Mike Dean after approaching the Southampton bench and leaning towards a home coach as he appeared to be making tactical notes.

Mourinho acknowledged he was right to be reprimanded but showed little remorse, hinting at an issue with the Saints coaching staff.

"I think the yellow card was fair, because I was rude," the Portuguese told a news conference. "But I was rude to an idiot.

"For some reason, I was rude. But I was. And because I was rude, I deserved the yellow card."

However, when it was put to Mourinho that he seemed to be reading his rivals' notes, he replied indignantly: "What? I don't know what to say."

Tottenham had a Harry Kane goal ruled out for offside following a VAR review and, although Mourinho admitted to not having seen a replay, the coach is unhappy with the current use of technology.

Spurs had benefited from a tight call when Norwich City striker Teemu Pukki was deemed offside as he netted in their match on Saturday.

"I think, at this moment, the referees are not the referees," he said. "I think VAR should change its name.

"Video assistant referee? That's not true. It should be VR - video referee - because they are the referees. It's strange. You see the referees on the pitch, and they're not the referees - they're the assistant referees.

"The other guys in the office are the ones that make the big decisions of the game."

He added: "This is going in a very bad direction - sometimes in our favour, like it was in Norwich, sometimes against us.

"But the direction is really, really wrong. I think the first step should be to change the name, VAR to VR - video referee. That's the way it is."

Sergio Aguero and Raheem Sterling were named among the subs and Ederson left out of the squad entirely due to illness for Manchester City's home Premier League clash with Everton.

City's leading goalscorer Aguero was on target for the 14th time across all competitions this season against Sheffield United last time out, while Sterling lasted 88 minutes of Sunday's 2-0 victory.

Both players were omitted from the starting line-up for the New Year's Day clash with Everton, however, as Phil Foden and Gabriel Jesus came in.

Kyle Walker, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Bernardo Silva also made way, replaced by Joao Cancelo, Benjamin Mendy and Ilkay Gundogan, as Pep Guardiola opted for five alterations.

The first City line-up of the decade!

Bravo, Cancelo, Fernandinho (C), E Garcia, Mendy, Rodrigo, Gundogan, Mahrez, Foden, De Bruyne, Jesus

Subs | Carson, Walker, Sterling, Aguero, Angelino, Bernardo, Silva

@HaysWorldwide
#MCIEVE #ManCity pic.twitter.com/sqzmVWLn6F

— Manchester City (@ManCity) January 1, 2020

Everton, who boast a perfect record from their first two matches under new boss Carlo Ancelotti, also made five changes for their trip to Etihad Stadium.

 TEAM NEWS!

5 changes

COYB! #MCIEVE pic.twitter.com/4BMMUUJIli

— Everton (@Everton) January 1, 2020

Aston Villa duo Tom Heaton and Wesley will undergo knee scans after being taken off on stretchers in Wednesday's 2-1 away win over Burnley.

Wesley scored Villa's opening goal at Turf Moor, with Jack Grealish then putting Dean Smith's men two clear by half-time with a fine strike, having earlier had a goal ruled out by VAR.

Chris Wood got one back for Burnley late on, Heaton sustaining his injury in trying to keep out that header against his former club, but the visitors held on for their second win in three Premier League matches.

Manager Smith accepted some of the joy had been taken out of the win by injuries to his goalkeeper and striker in the second half.

"Both of them felt their knee," Smith said to Sky Sports. "We're not sure of the prognosis as of yet.

"We will let them go and have a scan and see from there. Wesley felt something after the tackle from Ben Mee and Tom's was when he was trying to claw the ball out of the top corner.

"It's too early to know but our medical staff are with them now.

"They are two big players for the football club, so it certainly takes the gloss off [the win] but it was a tremendous performance from the boys."

Villa have a further six matches to play this month, including both legs of their EFL Cup semi-final against Leicester City.

Goals from Wesley and Jack Grealish ensured that Aston Villa move out of the relegation zone with victory over Burnley#BURAVL pic.twitter.com/ieTZw7Duni

— Premier League (@premierleague) January 1, 2020

Danny Ings continued his hot streak with a brilliant individual winner as Southampton earned a 1-0 Premier League victory at home to a lacklustre Tottenham, who lost Harry Kane to injury.

Ings, behind only Jamie Vardy in the league's scoring charts, hit the only goal as Southampton moved up to 11th in the table by virtue of a third win in four games over the festive period.

Tottenham trailed at half-time for the fourth straight league game and could not find a fightback, with Jose Mourinho's men unable to capitalise on Chelsea's draw at Brighton and Hove Albion in the race for Champions League qualification.

Their New Year's Day misery was compounded by star striker Kane limping off having appeared to hurt his left hamstring in the process of scoring an equaliser that was ruled out for offside.

Paulo Gazzaniga made a sharp low stop to keep out Nathan Redmond's shot at the end of a mazy run and Ings then put Saints into a deserved lead in the 17th minute at St. Mary's.

The in-form striker collected Jack Stephens' pass, lifted the ball over Toby Alderweireld's head, watched it bounce and confidently finished on the volley for his 13th league goal of the season.

Southampton started the second half in similarly strong fashion, Redmond volleying wide within a minute of the restart before Alderweireld escaped after a VAR check for a handball in the box.

Vertonghen's tame header in the 69th minute was the first effort Spurs managed in the second half and their day got even worse when Kane went off after turning in Christian Eriksen's pass, only to see the offside flag raised as he hobbled away.

Mourinho was then booked by referee Mike Dean after he was involved in a confrontation with a member of the Southampton backroom team as Spurs unravelled.

What does it mean? Problems at both ends for Spurs

Defensive issues have been causing Mourinho the most headaches since he succeeded Mauricio Pochettino but Spurs, who stay sixth, were blunt in attack on the south coast. Kane was again ineffective, suffering from a lack of service with Son Heung-min suspended, with the England captain now set for a spell on the sidelines.

Spurs took just four points from a possible 12 over Christmas compared to Southampton's impressive haul of 10, with Saints boss Ralph Hasenhuttl continuing to steer his team up the league.

Danny set for Ings-land recall?

With nine goals in his past nine Southampton starts, Ings is in the form of his life. The former Liverpool forward struggled with injuries at Anfield but is fit and firing his way back into England contention.

The 27-year-old won his solitary cap for the Three Lions in October 2015 but Gareth Southgate must be considering him as an option for his Euro 2020 squad with Ings having now hit 20 goals in 45 Premier League appearances for Saints.

Spurs made a rare big play in the transfer market to sign the highly rated Ndombele from Lyon but the midfielder has struggled to make an impact. He managed only 25 minutes on his 10th Premier League start of the season and he is nowhere near justifying his club-record €60million (£55m) fee.

What's next?

Squad rotation is likely when both sides play in the FA Cup third round at the weekend. Saints host Huddersfield Town and Spurs, who go to leaders Liverpool in their next Premier League game on January 11, are away at Middlesbrough.

Harry Kane provided a New Year's Day headache for Jose Mourinho as he hobbled off in Tottenham's Premier League game at Southampton.

With Spurs trailing 1-0 in the second half at St Mary's, Kane appeared to hurt his left hamstring in the process of scoring a goal that was ruled out for offside.

The England captain was duly taken off, with Erik Lamela taking his place, and Tottenham will now await news on the severity of their talisman's injury.

Prior to Wednesday's clash with Southampton, Kane had missed just five minutes of Premier League action this season.

75 - Harry is forced off:

@ErikLamela
@HKane

#SaintsFC 1-0 #THFC pic.twitter.com/l3jAjnzfHQ

— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) January 1, 2020

Frank Lampard believes the past four fixtures have shown "the good and the bad" of Chelsea, meaning they have more work to do in the second half of the season.

The Blues were held to a 1-1 draw at Brighton and Hove Albion on New Year's Day, having beaten Tottenham and Arsenal away either side of a home defeat to Southampton in a mixed run.

Encouraged by some aspects of Chelsea's performances but concerned by others, Lampard said his side must now "remain humble" and "work hard" as he addressed reporters at a news conference.

"We've got work to do," he said. "The Christmas period has probably been a small showing of our season.

"Tottenham was a fantastic all-round performance; at Arsenal, showed great spirit and fight for a young group; Southampton, we struggled to break a team down and lost a game at home; and then today, from a game where we should have the mindset to kill it, because the opportunity was there in the first half, and we don't.

"It shows the good and the bad of us. And that shows that we must remain humble, we must work hard. We've had two great results over Christmas, but there's a lot of work to do."

Lampard bemoaned a lack of ruthlessness post-match at Brighton, but he added there was no doubting Chelsea's attitude, rather their dearth of quality.

"Sometimes you can excuse a bad period in the game of [being down to] a lack of fight or a lack of urgency, a lack of whatever," he said.

"Today wasn't. Today was [down to] a lack of quality on the ball.

"Then, all of a sudden, you're giving the ball away, and when you get opportunities to score, you're not taking them. If you don't do that at this level, you're not going to win games that you should."

Now able to make signings in January after their transfer ban was lifted, Chelsea continue to be linked with Wilfried Zaha from Crystal Palace, who reportedly have an interest in Blues man Olivier Giroud.

Lampard was not interested in discussing a hypothetical deal on Wednesday.

"I wouldn't talk about Zaha, and the idea of that deal [involving Giroud] is something I haven't even considered," he said. "I wouldn't talk about Zaha because he's not a player of ours.

"If we have to do business, we'll do it in the way that we see fit to try to make us better. That's behind closed doors, as opposed to just announcing who we might want to bring in."

Frank Lampard criticised Chelsea for failing to see off Brighton and Hove Albion before half-time on New Year's Day, as Alireza Jahanbakhsh's sensational late strike earned a 1-1 draw.

The Blues led early through Cesar Azpilicueta and were then comfortable for the most part until they came under increasing pressure in the final 10 minutes.

Kepa Arrizabalaga was forced into impressive saves either side of a stunning overhead-kick from Jahanbakhsh.

Chelsea also could have clinched the points in the closing minutes, yet Lampard did not believe they should have been in a position where the game was still in the balance.

"It was frustrating for different reasons," he told BT Sport. "In the first half, the game was there to be won.

"We weren't ruthless enough. We got the goal and we had the possession. But we just didn't kill the game off. We allowed them to stay in the game.

Jahanbakhsh had not appeared in the Premier League this season until December and, despite joining Brighton in 2018, only scored his first goal for the club against Bournemouth on Saturday.

A second strike in quick succession brought the Iran winger further delight, as he reflected on "a very tough time".

"It's obviously a great feeling to be involved in such important games," Jahanbakhsh said. "I've been working hard to get my chance.

"I was finally there last game and tried to help the team and make an impact. It had been a long time that I didn't play, but I'm very happy to help the team and make the people happy.

"It's been a very tough time for me, but I'm very glad I've turned it around. It's been two great games, and I'm really happy to help the team to get points."

Jurgen Klopp believes the number of VAR controversies in the Premier League could be reduced if a thicker line was used for offside decisions, ensuring marginal calls go in favour of the attacking side.

A succession of recent goals in England's top flight have been disallowed after VAR reviews showed players to be offside by the slimmest of margins.

In a news conference ahead of Liverpool's first game of 2020, which will see the runaway Premier League leaders host Sheffield United on Thursday, Klopp pointed to a suggestion that was raised at last November's UEFA meeting of leading coaches in Nyon.

"UEFA came up with an idea where they said we just make the line thicker, this kind of judging line," explained Klopp.

"I didn't think it 100 per cent through but hopefully other people did that. For me it would give us a little bit of football back, because when I learned offside [if] it was in doubt [the benefit was given] for the offensive player.

"At the moment, all these situations which we have an offside - if it was to our favour against Wolves or against Aston Villa when we were on the wrong side of it - it's in favour for the defensive line.

"Is there an opportunity to change a little bit? I think the thicker line ... I would like that, but I don't know who will decide that."

Although VAR's role in offside decisions has angered many fans, Klopp says players and managers cannot complain if a marginal call goes against them with the existing use of technology.

"We want to have clarification and right decisions, and with offside we get them now," he added. "The only problem is it feels like half an hour until you see if the toenail is there or not. But that's offside, so we have to make the decision."

Referencing the Roberto Firmino goal against Villa in November that was ruled out due to the striker's armpit being just ahead of the last defender, Klopp said: "At the moment, it is offside and that's why we didn't moan. It was armpit and that's not cool, but at the end if someone tells me you can score a goal with the armpit then, ok, it's offside.

Takumi Minamino is likely to make his Liverpool debut in a Merseyside derby FA Cup clash against rivals Everton, according to Reds boss Jurgen Klopp.

Versatile forward Minamino, who can also operate in a deeper midfield role, is not eligible to play against Sheffield United in the Premier League on Thursday after signing from Salzburg.

Liverpool will have the same squad that battled to a 1-0 home win over Wolves when the Blades head to Anfield with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Joel Matip, Xherdan Shaqiri, Fabinho and Dejan Lovren not ready to return to action, while they have no fresh injury concerns.

But when Liverpool host Everton in the tie of the FA Cup third round on Sunday, Japan international Minamino is in line to make his first appearance for the recently crowned world champions.

"He will come into contention for Everton," Klopp told a news conference. "He's not allowed to play against Sheffield United.

"From the next moment, we're thinking about the squad. He was here yesterday and enjoyed it a lot, Sadio [Mane] and Naby [Keita] with the Salzburg DNA, it was really nice.

"I'd like to be a new player in that group as they are really welcoming with open arms, it's really nice and he felt that. His English is OK, German is really good, that helps me but not the team.

"We can talk, didn't too much yesterday but it's important he settles. We signed the player that was at Salzburg, just be who you are. We're looking forward to it.

"We signed him, the guy who played like crazy against us [in the Champions League], be like that and it's fine. We'll see how it goes but in this period especially it will not be 15 weeks until we use him, it's not how it is.

"Is he the finished article? I don't know. We start learning about him and it's what we want to do. He'll play but how many minutes I don't know."

Minamino @ Melwood  pic.twitter.com/lD0XqqtLcm

— Liverpool FC (@LFC) December 31, 2019

"It would be crazy, really nice if you could give him time," Klopp added. "We have a really good team and offensively we have some of the probably best players in the world.

"He can play different positions. At the last press conference we spoke and my friends at the Daily Mail made a headline, 'he's really good, I have no clue where to play him'.

"I wanted to say we have many options for him. I don't know when he starts or where but I don't have to know at this moment. We want to see his natural skills so will not fill him with information, we want him to be as natural as possible. All the people need to give him a bit of time.

"I asked [ex-Salzburg boss] Marco Rose and he was very positive, so he can start now, will learn English quick, speaks a little bit already.

"He was in the rondo with the English guys and there's a lot of talk, he didn't get a word with [James] Milner, Robbo [Andy Robertson], Trent [Alexander-Arnold] speaking. Not sure an English guy would understand them but he will adapt. Now he's here and he will work."

BOSS  pic.twitter.com/0nAtDtOvPi

— Liverpool FC (@LFC) January 1, 2020

"Everything about Adam Lallana, Adam Lallana knows and I know. I'm really happy, he's in sensational shape," Klopp said.

"He's a very important player at the moment and in the future, we will see. Most important thing is he is 100 per cent fit. He is in a perfect place."

Alireza Jahanbakhsh stunned Chelsea with a late overhead-kick to earn Brighton and Hove Albion a hard-fought 1-1 draw on New Year's Day.

The Iran winger ended his long wait for a first Brighton goal against Bournemouth on Saturday, celebrating with joyful tears, and his second quickly followed in a stylish start to 2020.

Chelsea looked to be easing towards a third straight Premier League away win after Cesar Azpilicueta's early strike, failing to add to their lead but largely comfortable at the other end.

However, Jahanbakhsh leapt into an outstanding volley with six minutes of normal time remaining, and Frank Lampard's fourth-placed side were clinging on by full-time.

GOOOOOOAAAALLLL!

BRILLIANT, SIMPLY BRILLIANT! HE'S DONE IT AGAIN!

Matchday Live is presented by @SnickersUKcom.

#BHAFC 1-1 #CFC pic.twitter.com/1OWCTE3iOE

— Brighton & Hove Albion (@OfficialBHAFC) January 1, 2020

Tammy Abraham's low shot on the turn following a corner was blocked by Aaron Mooy in front of the goal line, but the loose ball fell kindly for Azpilicueta to prod past the grounded, helpless Mat Ryan.

First-half chances were hard to come by thereafter, although Blues goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga had to be alert to palm clear a Leandro Trossard effort two minutes before the break.

Not until the 80th minute was Arrizabalaga seriously tested again, scrambling to keep out half-time introduction Aaron Connolly's finish.

It was another substitute who came up with the decisive moment, though, Jahanbakhsh executing a sensational strike that left Arrizabalaga rooted.

Callum Hudson-Odoi blasted just over as Chelsea chased a winner, but they were again grateful to their goalkeeper as a point was preserved, Neal Maupay's powerful drive well blocked.

What does it mean? Rare away-day blues as Brighton rock Chelsea

Only Liverpool (25) have mustered more points away from home than Chelsea (22) this term, but Lampard must feel this was a missed opportunity. The Blues were largely comfortable until the closing stages when Brighton's substitutes wreaked havoc. With their home form a cause for concern right now, Chelsea cannot afford to throw away victories on the road.

Brighton's man of the moment

Jahanbakhsh was a club-record signing for Brighton in 2018, the deal reportedly worth £17million. That is finally starting to look like money well spent.

Emotional after breaking his duck against Bournemouth, the winger - like many in the stadium - appeared to be in a state of shock after this quite magnificent finish.

Bumbling Bissouma hooked

Mooy understandably enjoyed the majority of the plaudits following Brighton's weekend defeat of Bournemouth, but midfield colleague Yves Bissouma had been similarly impressive.

The same could not be said against Chelsea.The 23-year-old struggled with the pace of the game and lost possession 15 times, completing just 13 of his 22 passes, before he was replaced at half-time by Connolly.

Key Opta Facts

- Brighton earned their first point in a league game against Chelsea, in what was their 10th match against them.
- This was Chelsea's first away Premier League draw this season – the Blues had won seven and lost three of their 10 previous games on the road this term.
- Chelsea have scored more goals in 11 Premier League away games this season (25) than they managed on the road in the whole of 2018-19 (24).
- Azpilicueta has scored three goals in his last 11 games in all competitions for Chelsea, as many as he had in his previous 118.
- Jahanbakhsh became the fifth different Brighton player to score a Premier League goal as a substitute this season, more than any other side in the competition.
- Despite only coming on as a 68th-minute substitute, no Brighton player had more shots (3) or created more chances (3) than goalscorer Jahanbakhsh.

What's next?

A hectic Premier League stretch comes to an end, but there are matches again this weekend in the FA Cup. Brighton host second-tier Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday, before Chelsea are also at home to Championship opposition in Nottingham Forest the following day.

The Red Devils had a rather subdued summer transfer window which is why there is more pressure on the likes of executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward and manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to invest in the squad which clearly look out of depth on more than one positions.

Therefore, we have identified five candidates which United can sign in order to strengthen their squad which will definitely increase their chances of a top-four finish in the ongoing campaign.

Luka Jovic (Real Madrid)

Real Madrid’s Luka Jovic is having a below-par season with the Spanish giants after moving in the summer move from German club Eintracht Frankfurt for a reported transfer fee of €60 million. The Serbia international has only managed to score a single goal in 14 appearances for the Los Blancos and there have been reports that the Madrid-based club’s hierarchy are considering the possibility of letting Jovic leave on loan in January. Considering United have already missed out on their two prime targets for attacking reinforcement—Mario Mandzukic and Erling Braut Haaland—in the January transfer window, the 22-year-old might prove to be a good edition in the squad where there are limited attacking options available currently.

Jack Grealish (Aston Villa)

Aston Villa’s Jack Grealish is one of the most talented player currently playing in England’s top-division and has impressed everyone with his game awareness and ability to produce a pass which can unlock any defensive unit. By the look of it, the 24-year-old is an ideal fit for United but with Villa involved in a relegation battle, it is pretty hard to see how they will let their prized asset leave the club in the middle of the season.

Christian Eriksen (Tottenham Hotspur)

Tottenham Hotspur’s Christian Eriksen can prove to be one of the bargains of the January transfer window. The Denmark international is currently in the final year of his contract with the North London-based outfit and is reportedly eager to leave Spurs in the mid-season transfer window. Therefore, it is believed that last season’s UEFA Champions League runners-up are open to letting the 27-year-old leave for a fee of as low as €40 million in January. United have been linked with Eriksen in the past as well and they will be eager to persuade the creative midfielder for a move to Old Trafford in the coming weeks.

Boubakary Soumare (LOSC Lille)

French Ligue 1 outfit LOSC Lille’s Boubakary Soumare is one of the most highly-rated young midfielder in Europe. The 20-year-old has been attracting interest from number of clubs across the continent including the likes of Napoli from Italy, Real Madrid and Valencia from Spain, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur from England in the recent past. However, despite having skills to become one of the very best in his position in the coming years, Soumare's age along with Lille’s valuation of €50 million for their prized asset might put United to search for alternatives in the transfer market.

Bruno Fernandes (Sporting Lisbon)

Sporting Lisbon’s Bruno Fernandes is being highly-rated in the football community and has the ability to turn the game upside down in the matter of minutes. The Portuguese international has been linked with United in the summer transfer window as well but the deal did not materialise for number of reasons. Fernandes has the leadership skills which is something clearly missing from the current lot of players at United which is why it will make a lot of sense if the Red Devils once again consider making a move for the 25-year-old in the January transfer window.

Inter Milan and Juventus have been in the market to sign a player who can bolster their respective full-back departments for the rest of the campaign as they are involved in a feisty league battle on the domestic front.

However, as per the latest report, Inter are now leading the race to sign Emerson as they are ready to offer Chelsea fee in the region of £25million in order to bring the player to the San Siro in the near future.

It is believed that the Milan-based club see Emerson as a perfect candidate for the role as he has the experience of playing in Italy with AS Roma and Palermo in the past.

Juventus are also believed to be interested, and the Italian international already has played under Maurizio Sarri at Chelsea, making it not so surprising if he actually signs him for the Bianconeri.

Emerson has been at Chelsea since the summer of 2018 when he moved from Roma for a reported transfer fee of €20million.
Since then, the Italy international has represented the London-based club in 49 matches in all competitions where he has managed to score a solitary goal along with providing five assists.

Robert Kubica will serve as Alfa Romeo's reserve driver for the 2020 season.

Kubica returned to the top level of motorsport in 2019 after eight years away, having suffered a massive rallying crash in 2011 that left him with a partially severed arm.

The Pole partnered George Russell for an uncompetitive Williams car, Kubica claiming their sole point of the season as the team almost exclusively occupied the back row.

Outqualified by Russell at all 21 races, Kubica was replaced by Nicholas Latifi at Williams for 2020.

However, he will return to the team that gave him his F1 bow in 2006. Kubica made his debut when the team was known as BMW Sauber and he claimed a pole in Bahrain and a win in Canada for them in 2008.

Kubica's return was revealed in an announcement confirming Polish petroleum company PKN ORLEN will link-up with Alfa Romeo as a title sponsor.

Team principal Frederic Vasseur said: "The exciting new partnership with PKN ORLEN is a statement of intent for both parties.

"It is proof of the ambition of our common project and of our desire to compete at the very top of Formula One.

"We are also delighted to welcome Robert back home and we cannot wait to start working with him.

"He is a driver that needs no introduction: one of the most brilliant in his generation and one who displayed the true meaning of human determination in his fight to return to racing after his rallying accident.

"His feedback will be invaluable as we continue to push our team towards the front of the grid."

The 26-year-old has been linked with a move away from the club after being unable to get any playing time since the arrival of Luka Jovic in the summer transfer window from German Bundesliga outfit Eintracht Frankfurt.

Jovic arrived at the Santiago Bernabeu for a reported transfer fee of €60million, and he is now second in line behind first-choice striker Karim Benzema at the club.

As per the latest report, Lyon have identified Diaz as one of the candidates to bolster their attacking unit and are considering making a move for him in the January transfer window.
Les Gones are struggling on the attacking front with a serious cruciate ligament rupture injury to star striker Memphis Depay who has been ruled out for the rest of the season.

Diaz rejoined Real after spending a season at Lyon in the summer of 2018 on a five-year deal for a reported transfer fee of €21.50 million.

Since then, the Dominican Republic international has represented the Los Blancos in 22 matches in all competitions where he only managed to score four goals.

Dengan saingan musim baru akan membuka tirai pada 28 Februari, menjadi persoalan besar ketika ini apa usaha yang telah PDRM FA ambil untuk menyelesaikan tunggakan tersebut yang mana akan menjadi halangan terbesar untuk beroleh kelulusan untuk bermain di Liga Super.

"Saya sangat berharap isu ini tidak dipandang sebelah mata oleh FAM (Persatuan Bolasepak Malaysia) mahupun Malaysia Football League (MFL). Sebuah pasukan yang berjaya layak ke liga tertinggi di Malaysia tetapi apabila ditanya tentang gaji kami yang belum dibayar, tiada jawapan.

"Janji hanya tinggal janji dan jika diberi muka, isu ini tidak akan ada kesudahan. Amatlah mengejutkan sekiranya pasukan yang tak bayar gaji lebih 4 bulan boleh lulus pelesenan, tolonglah MFL kenakan tindakan tegas terhadap pasukan-pasukan yang culas ini, dah masuk 2020, memalukan nama Liga Malaysia sahaja," ujar seorang pemain yang masih menunggu pembayaran dibuat kepada Foxsports.

PDRM antara pasukan yang berbelanja besar terutamanya di jendela perpindahan kedua Liga Malaysia 2019 dengan membawa masuk beberapa pemain tempatan dan juga import, dan langkah itu berjaya merubah nasib mereka daripada sebuah pasukan yang bergelut di zon penyingkiran tetapi pada akhirnya berjaya melayakkan diri ke Liga Super dengan menduduki tangga ketiga.

Isu mengenai tunggakan gaji pasukan PDRM FA pada hakikatnya bukan suatu yang baru, malah Foxsports sendiri pernah melaporkan pada beberapa bulan lalu mengenai keluhan ejen kepada seorang pemain yang mendedahkan pasukan itu turut belum melunaskan tunggakan gaji lampau yang kononnya telah diselesaikan.

Kedudukan kewangan yang tidak begitu kukuh juga difahamkan antara punca PDRM FA yang akan dibimbing oleh Ishak Kunju Mohd bagi musim 2020 bakal mempertaruhkan sebahagian besar skuad mereka kali ini dari kalangan pegawai dan anggota polis.

Foto : PDRM FA The Cops

Out with the old and in with the new.

Happy new year! Happy new decade! To your health, and to your wealth. May your future be prosperous and your family live in abundance.

Remember when we'd greet each other with such forceful cheer, way back in 2020? When Donald Trump was merely a White House tweeting machine, and not yet a challenger to Jack Nicklaus' golf majors record.

This is a message dispatched from Tuesday, January 1, 2030, and you've just swallowed the theory that the so-called former "commander-in-cheat" might legitimately win not one golf tournament but upwards of 18 against the world's elite.

The funny thing is, had it happened, perhaps it would not have been the most seismic event of the past 10 years - a turbulent, anything-goes period in sporting history.

Some will tell you sport in the 2020s reached its nadir when FIFA's executive committee needed three days of meetings before ruling out staging the 2029 Club World Cup in the cities of Chernobyl and Pripyat. You can't, it turns out, carry out urban regeneration within a nuclear exclusion zone, not even with the best will in the world and the 100% backing of CONMEBOL.

Others will look to the NFL appointing Sarah Sanders as its commissioner. Here, in any case, is an advance snapshot of the decade you're about to live through.

Happy New Year  pic.twitter.com/vHqlxLJo5X

— Bafetimbi Gomis (@BafGomis) December 31, 2019

By the dawn of the 2020s nobody doubted heads could be turned by great wedges of cash. The Premier League's long-mooted '39th game' finally got the green light, with an extra round of fixtures being staged in the United States in 2023 - predictably overshadowed by a routine weekend of college football.

Away from dollar-driven 'progress', 2023 also saw the VAR system abolished by incoming FIFA president and career goal-hanger Gary Lineker. No one countenanced ever speaking of VAR again.

If VAR was a manager, he’d have been sacked weeks ago.

— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) December 28, 2019

Roger Federer has never added to those 20 grand slam titles he tallied in the '00s and '10s, and agonisingly he saw Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic both nudge one ahead of him on the all-time list in the early 2020s. Where are Rafa and Nole now though? In an incontestable, quite glorious triumph for Team Federer, Roger is rolling on at the age of 48, a knock-in for those Wimbledon and US Open wild cards and still a fixture in Anna Wintour's wildest dreams.

In 2026, Federer partnered his 16-year-old daughter Myla Rose in mixed doubles at the Australian Open. "I've always wanted to keep going until my grandchildren have the chance to see me play, but of course so many people want to write me off," said Roger in a post-match interview.

Federer, hunting that elusive 21st major, has reached the third round of a major only twice since 2022. The year 2022, coincidentally, saw Serena Williams finally match and then pass Margaret Court's women’s tour record of 24 singles slams, immediately quitting tennis and public life at the age of 40 for a surprising second career in taxidermy. Cross the formidable Serena these days and you really can get stuffed.

We are wishing you all a very Happy New Year 2020. "I remain committed to empowering millions of children because children are tomorrow's future"- Roger Federer. https://t.co/rxIIvUJ9ZJ pic.twitter.com/4F3QshgmK2

— Roger Federer Fdn (@rogerfedererfdn) December 31, 2019

Peeved with persistent pee-test perniciousness, the plug was pulled on Olympic athletics six months out from Los Angeles 2028. To assuage the choking loss of track and field, the sport was substituted on the Memorial Coliseum stadium schedules by daily NFL games, thus guaranteeing stunning television audiences and spectacular financial success, feathering the IOC nest. The rest of the world audience, as per, embraced whatever sport in which their country had concocted a way to become world-beaters since the Tokyo Olympics. America's dominance of the shooting proved a sore point with some observers, given the successful dismantling of the NRA by President Michelle Obama's administration.

Is it 2028 yet? pic.twitter.com/7TNFmTTbli

— LA Memorial Coliseum (@lacoliseum) August 15, 2019

'No context' in 2019, and no gravity by 2028, boxing promoter Eddie Hearn teamed up in a co-promotion with Elon Musk's SpaceX corporation to announce boxing's first showdown on the International Space Station. The Matchroom boss guffawed and called the experience "different gravy" on a recce trip, yet not one astronaut on the ISS laughed back nor posted a three-second clip straight to Twitter. Even from a height of 250 miles, the world instantly felt a better place.

Coming out was the new staying in

A host of sports stars – you'll recognise some of the names, but all in good time - came out as proud members of the LGBTQ+ community over the last decade. The enlightened public majority welcomed the healthy cultural shift that made it possible, and an ignorant minority was soon shouted down. After years of suppressing their true selves in public, this generation of athletes was able to thrive in large parts of the world. There's no punchline here, just the hope we don't screw this one up in the years ahead.

Proud to welcome all to the Premier League #RainbowLaces pic.twitter.com/KQL8lNaNa6

— Premier League (@premierleague) December 9, 2019

How has the gender gap closed over the course of the 2020s, you wonder? Here's an answer: significantly but not sufficiently.

Sure, there's been a woman reaching the final of the darts world championship, half a dozen female Formula One drivers, Sam Kerr grabbed a handful of A-League goals when guesting for Perth Glory, and we've seen the first prominent football managers crossing over to the men’s game (Emma Hayes spent two years at Fulham, Corinne Diacre had 15 months with Lille, Laura Harvey is bossing the Seattle Sounders and Sarina Wiegman is sporting director of PSV).

The future's better: stadiums are now packed for women's World Cups in football, rugby and cricket.

Squabbling over tennis prize money calmed when grand slams cut matches across the board to best-of-three-set contests, yet achieving outright equality across the sporting spectrum will be one for the 2030s crew to take on.

I LOVE talking about sports and reading all of the dumb misogynist comments. It reminds me that women need to keep fighting for equality. It’s 2019 but feels like the 1950s. #feminist

— Kate Upton (@KateUpton) October 30, 2019

Football 'came home', with England driven to their 2026 World Cup triumph by a combination of Jurgen Klopp's astute management, Harvey Elliott's mastery of the number 10 role, and Real Madrid frontman Dominic Calvert-Lewin's irresistible finishing.

Just one more thing…

Don't believe everything you read. That last memory of the decade? Bigly fake news. To the delight of their many World Cup frenemies, the England football team is still FAILING.

Relive this year’s breathtaking Sydney New Year's Eve fireworks display – see the highlights ! #SydNYE pic.twitter.com/QDBONlwxOo

— City of Sydney (@cityofsydney) 31 December 2019

The Denmark international is in the final year of his contract with the North London-based outfit and has rejected a number of offers for extension in the recent past.

As per the latest report, Inter - who have been in the market to sign a player who can bolster their midfield department for the rest of the campaign -  are now leading the race to sign the 27-year-old Eriksen in the January transfer window ahead of the likes of Spanish La Liga giants Real Madrid and league rivals Manchester United who are also keen about signing him.

The versatile attacking midfielder has been at Spurs since the summer of 2013 when he moved from Dutch club Ajax for a reported transfer fee of €13.5million.

Since then, Eriksen has represented his current club in 299 matches in all competitions where he has managed to score 69 goals along with providing 89 assists.

In the ongoing campaign, the creative midfielder has managed to score three goals along with providing three assists in 22 matches in all competitions.

The German international has been linked with a move away from the Paris-based club in the recent past after failing to cement his spot in the starting XI in the ongoing campaign.

As per the latest L'Equipe report as quoted by The Sun, Draxler is desperate to leave the French club in January transfer window in order to get more first-team football which have put the likes of Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea on high alert who were all linked with the creative midfielder in the past.

However, the Reds’ chances of making a move for Draxler in the mid-season transfer window aren’t great as they’ve already signed Takumi Minamino from Red Bull Salzburg.

The 26-year-old has been with PSG since the summer of 2017 when he moved from Bundesliga outfit VfL Wolfsburg for a reported transfer fee of €36million.

Since then, the former FC Schalke 04 midfielder has represented Les Parisiens in 126 matches in all competitions where he has managed to score 20 goals along with providing 27 assists.

Rafael Nadal insists he is not treating this month's ATP Cup as preparation for the Australian Open and will give everything to lead Spain to further tennis glory.

The world number one was in inspirational form when Spain triumphed in the inaugural Davis Cup Finals on home soil in November, winning all eight of his rubbers across singles and doubles.

Another team competition, the ATP Cup, now sees 24 countries do battle in Sydney, Perth and Brisbane.

The event takes place a fortnight before the first grand slam of the year in Melbourne, but for Nadal there is clear separation between the two Australian events.

"We are not taking this competition like preparation for another one, even if the Australian Open is around the corner," Nadal told reporters.

"It's a tournament that we want to compete well in, and then we'll have a week before the Australian Open for me personally to practice and for some of the others to play in Auckland or Adelaide.

"So we are very focused on trying to be ready for this competition. We are a team that gives the maximum. But there are other teams that are also prepared for that."

The presence of a fellow top-10 player in Roberto Bautista Agut has Spain rated as favourites for the new tournament, but there are other threats around.

Novak Djokovic plays for Serbia, while Daniil Medvedev, Dominic Thiem, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Alexander Zverev are also involved, meaning there is plenty of star power despite the absence of Roger Federer.

After previously discussing continuing his "love affair" with a country where he has won a record seven Australian Open titles, Djokovic feels energised ahead of the ATP Cup.

"The concept of ATP Cup does give us an opportunity to represent your country and be part of a team, which is not something we experience during the year very often," said Djokovic, who unlike at the Davis Cup has Dusan Lajovic as a Serbia team-mate this time around.

"It does feed you with energy and motivation. It's a lot of intensity on the court but also a lot of fun and relaxation off it."

Djokovic feels it will stand him in good stead for the Australian Open, adding: "I think so. I haven't been playing any Aussie opening-week-of-the-season tournament for a while.

"I have been playing mostly in Qatar. I think [starting the year in Brisbane] can help [my Australian Open chances]. I am here earlier than most years. I get acclimatised.

"I love being here - it feeds me with positive energy. I am still getting acclimatised. Back in Europe where I reside it is not as warm, it takes a bit of time, that is why I came here earlier."

Andy Robertson says it would be a "massive" achievement if Liverpool go a full year unbeaten in the Premier League.

If Liverpool avoid defeat at home to Sheffield United on Thursday, it will ensure they have not suffered a top-flight defeat for 12 months.

Their last loss came against Manchester City on January 3, 2019 and, after playing Sheffield United, the Reds' next league game comes against Tottenham on January 11, 2020.

Robertson believes the feat would say more about the character of the Liverpool players than their obvious talents, but he also knows even if they achieve it the focus would soon move to an FA Cup third-round tie against Everton.

"It would say a lot," the defender told Liverpool's official website.

"I think it says more about our mentality than it maybe does about our skill or how good we are, because to be able to do it when on a lot of occasions it's been Saturday, Tuesday, Saturday, Tuesday - we've had a lot of games.

"And obviously going far in the Champions League last season, we went right to the end, but to still not lose your focus in the Premier League is so important.

"So that has to be our aim and hopefully we can get the result that we need on January 2 to do that [go a year unbeaten].

"It would be massive for us to go a whole calendar year [unbeaten], but I'd rather a whole season than a whole calendar year because I think that would mean we would be champions.

"But we'll let other people talk about that and we'll just move on because we've got no time to waste with a massive FA Cup game in the coming days."

They also won the Champions League and Club World Cup in 2019, but Robertson is hoping the Reds can achieve even more in the next 12 months.

"Of course, there's not much point in us standing still," said the 25-year-old.

"Look, it’s going to be a tough year to top in terms of winning the Champions League and the tally in the Premier League and stuff like that, but that has to be our aim.

"We're going into 2020 and we've put ourselves in a good position – we're obviously in the last 16 of the Champions League and we're in a good position in the Premier League.

"It's up to us to continue that and to not let 2019 be the only year they talk about with this group of boys.

"That's our determination and hopefully I'm sitting here this time next year and we'll go 'what a year it's been again' and then we'll move on to 2021.

"That has to be the aim, that's the determination for all of the boys and now it's up to us to fulfil it."

The England international is one of the hottest young properties in European football at the moment, and he has also been attracting interest from a number of clubs in the continent including the likes of Premier League outfits Manchester United and Liverpool and Spanish La Liga giants Real Madrid.

As per the latest report, Chelsea have emerged as the frontrunner to sign Sancho in the upcoming transfer windows as they look to overhaul the squad under manager Frank Lampard.

The 19-year-old has been linked with a move away from the German club after recent incidents where reportedly he felt that he was treated badly by the top-tier management in Dortmund.

Sancho has been with the BVB since the summer of 2017 when he moved from Premier League giants Manchester City’s U18 team for a reported transfer fee of €7.8million.

Since then, the versatile winger has represent his current club in 79 matches in all competitions, managing to score 26 goals along with providing 36 assists.

In the ongoing campaign, Sancho has managed to score 12 goals along with providing 13 assists in just 24 appearances in all competitions.

Menurut laporan Stadium Astro, ketua jurulatihnya, Abu Bakar Fadzim berkata penting untuk skuadnya memiliki pemain import untuk bersaing bersama pasukan-pasukan lain dan mengelakkan daripada tersingkir ke saingan Liga M3.

"Pemain import perlu ada dalam pasukan agar kami boleh bersaing dengan pasukan lain. 

"Kami akan mengambil pemain mengikut kemampuan kewangan," katanya seperti dilaporkan oleh Stadium Astro.

Selain itu, beliau dikhabarkan turut berbincang bersama ketua jurulatih skuad senior Perak, Mehmed Durakovic dalam menentukan pemain-pemain import untuk dibawa masuk ke dalam skuadnya sekaligus membolehkan pemain-pemain tersebut diserap ke skuad senior sekiranya diperlukan.

[caption id="attachment_47245" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Foto: FA Kedah[/caption]

Antara perkembangan lain, usaha Perak II untuk mendapatkan bekas penyerang skuad kebangsaan B-23, N. Thanabalan secara pinjaman daripada Persatuan Bolasepak Kedah (KFA) tampak positif.

"Kami mungkin akan mendapatkan khidmat Thanabalan daripada Kedah secara pinjaman. Kehadirannya pastinya memanfaat Perak II daripada segi pengalaman, kematangan dan dapat membimbing pemain muda.

"Kedua-dua pihak telah mendapatkan persetujuan secara lisan. Jika semuanya diselesaikan, Thanabalan akan bersama pasukan kami mulai esok,” ujarnya.

Walaupun sekadar beraksi di Liga Premier, ia bakal memberikan Thanabalan peluang untuk bermula dalam kesebelasan utama dengan lebih kerap berbanding di Kedah yang kini sudah memiliki dua penyerang yang berkaliber iaitu Kpah Sherman dan Tchetche Kipre yang jelas menjadi taruhan ketua jurulatih Kedah, Aidil Sharin Sahak untuk musim 2020.

Foto: PKNP FC

Bagaimanapun menurut laporan The Star, ketua jurulatih Pahang, Dollah Salleh akhirnya buka mulut mengenai persiapan mereka menjelang sepak mula Liga Super pada 28 februari kelak.

Mengakui beberapa tonggak utama kalangan pemain import dan tempatan telah dilepaskan oleh skuad Tok Gajah, jurulatih berusia 56 tahun itu tidak gusar kerana Persatuan Bolasepak Negeri Pahang (PBNP) bakal membawa pemain lebih berkualiti untuk beraksi di posisi-posisi tersebut.

[caption id="attachment_13055" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Foto: Pahang FA[/caption]

“Kami telah lepaskan beberapa pemain tetapi pemain-pemain ini (yang dilepaskan) merupakan posisi yang kami rasakan perlukan peningkatan… Saya merasakan kami sukar untuk mendapatkan pengganti bagi pemain seperti Safuwan dan Kaimbi tetapi untuk posisi lain kami mempunyai pilihan,”

Antara pemain-pemain yang dilepaskan selain daripada dinyatakan oleh Dollah ialah Saddil Ramdani, Wan Zaharulnizam, Norshahrul Idlan Talaha, Zubir Azmi, R. Kogileswaran dan beberapa lagi.

Disebalik pelepasan beramai-ramai pemain tonggak, Pahang masih mengekalkan tonggak skuad kebangsaan bersama pasukan mereka. Dollah juga memberi bayangan untuk menaikkan pangkat kepada beberapa pemain muda ke dalam skuad senior.

Bekas jurulatih skuad Harimau Malaya ini dilihat bakal membina skuad baharu berpaksikan tiga pemain ini bersama-sama pemain-pemain muda dan baharu kelak.

[caption id="attachment_127804" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Foto: Pahang FA[/caption]

“Kami masih mempunyai pemain seperti Matthew (Davies), Mohamadou Sumareh dan Nor Azam Azih yang merupakan pemain skuad kebangsaan… Kami juga mempunyai beberapa pemain muda yang mencuri tumpuan pada musim lalu.”

“Sukar untuk membina kembali pasukan tetapi kami telah memulakan proses itu sekarang supaya kami boleh menjadi lebih baik pada masa depan,” ujar Dollah seperti dipetik daripada The Star.

Bercakap mengenai pemain import, pertahanan tinggi lampai yang cemerlang bersama Tok Gajah musim lepas, Herold Goulon menjadi satu-satunya pemain import yang disahkan kekal bersama Pahang untuk musim ini.

Empat kuota pemain import Pahang masih kosong sehingga ke hari ini. Status penyerang prolifik mereka, Dickson Nwakaeme masih menjadi tanda tanya walaupun pemain Nigeria itu memberi bayangan untuk kekal sekiranya khidmatnya masih diperlukan.

Bagaimanapun, Dollah menegaskan Pahang sedikit berhati-hati dalam membuat keputusan untuk merekrut  pemain-pemain import bagi musim 2020.

[caption id="attachment_57291" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Foto: MFL[/caption]

Pengalaman sejak dua musim lalu dijadikan pengajaran berguna buat Pahang apabila beberapa pemain import mereka seperti Chan Vathanaka dan Ze Love gagal mencapai tahap yang dijangkakan sekaligus menyebabkan terpaksa mencari pengganti pada jendela perpindahan pertengahan musim. 

”Musim hanya akan bermula pada 28 Februari, jadi kami mempunyai dua bulan untuk melakukan persiapan. Saya tidak mahu menandatangani pemain secara tergesa-gesa dan kemudiannya menyesal terutamanya (melibatkan) pemain import. Kemudiannya terpaksa lagi mengeluarkan perbelanjaan untuk menukar pemain pada jendela perpindahan kedua.” tambahnya lagi.

Foto: Pahang FA