Pep Guardiola said he preferred Manchester City's win over Brentford as opposed to a more comfortable scoreline, confirming he is a big fan of Bees head coach Thomas Frank. 

Erling Haaland's first-half brace ensured Guardiola's side maintained their perfect start to the season, but they had to come from behind to win 2-1 at the Etihad.

Yoane Wissa's goal after 22 seconds handed Brentford a shock lead, with his strike the fastest ever scored in the Premier League against the reigning champions. 

It was also the first time that City had ever conceded in the opening minute at home in the competition. 

Frank's side were also the last to beat Guardiola's men on home soil in any competition, winning 2-1 in November 2022, with the Citizens now unbeaten in 46 at the Etihad in all competitions since (W39 D7). 

"I am a big fan of Thomas Frank. I don't remember in eight or nine years having a team playing the way they played," Guardiola said.

"We were lucky with the deflection because they deserved 1-0.

"We struggled a lot to read when to shoot and press. We were lucky to find the goals, but in the second half we were better and probably deserved to score more goals.

"We needed that to feel how difficult everything is, how difficult the Premier League is every game.

"People say City are so strong, but the Premier League is so difficult. Today was the real proof.

"I am a big fan of Brentford. They play long balls, but they have the ability to play as well.

"I give a lot of credit to my players, from where we come from in the past, but to still be able to suffer. I prefer to win that way rather than four or five nil. We need that."

City have now won back-to-back home games in the Premier League after conceding the opening goal for the first time since November 2019, while they are now unbeaten in their last eight matches (home and away) when conceding first in the competition (W7 D1).

Brentford, meanwhile, have lost five of their seven meetings with City in the top flight - the joint-most defeats they have suffered against an opponent in the competition (alongside Liverpool & Newcastle).

The Bees have now lost more Premier League away games (14) than any other side currently in the competition since the start of last season but provided the Citizens with a stern test of their title credentials. 

While only managing an expected goals (xG) tally of 0.92 from their eight shots, Frank leaves the Etihad disappointed in the result, but proud of his side's performance.

"Standing here I am a combination of extremely disappointed we didn't get something out of this game but on the other hand very proud," Frank said. 

"The first 25 minutes was world class, we were better than Manchester City. Second half they were more on top and made it difficult.

"A point would have been fair and not often teams can come here and say that.

"You could say if we need to win here we needed to take more of the chances we had in the first half.

"I respect Pep Guardiola very much and a lot of the reasons I do is because he made tactical changes at half-time, and then he is not too proud to put the ball down in the corner because they need to win. We must have done something right today.

"This is a fantastic group to work with and we need to keep doing this."

Marco Silva conceded Fulham "cannot switch off for one second" in the Premier League, after Danny Ings' last-gasp equaliser denied the Cottagers all three points against West Ham.

The hosts appeared on course to take the spoils in the London derby at Craven Cottage, where Raul Jimenez put them in front after 24 minutes.

However, the visitors snatched a dramatic equaliser in the fifth minute of stoppage time, when substitute Ings fired past Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno.

And Silva acknowledged his side's brief lapse in concentration proved costly.

"It just shows that in this Premier League, you cannot switch off for one second," he told BBC Sport. "We are aware of the quick throws, and we have to keep focus and concentration.

"A big frustration for us because, before that, it was a good performance. It was clear we were the best team on the pitch. They did not have one shot [on target] in the first half.

"We should have won this game. It was not a game where West Ham pushed us back. The goal came after we switched off. It just shows you have to keep focus until the last second."

Silva also felt Fulham should have been awarded a first-half penalty when Adama Traore was challenged by Max Kilman.

"It was a clear, clear, penalty in my opinion," he added. "It's difficult to understand why it was not a penalty in that situation. I don't even want to say anything more about it."

Meanwhile, West Ham boss paid tribute to Ings, who was making only his second Premier League appearance of the season - with both coming as a late substitute.

"It was a very 'Danny Ings' goal!", Lopetegui told West Ham's official website. "He is always agile in those kinds of actions, and he took his chance very well.

"I'm really happy for him, because he hasn't played much up until now, but he is always ready to go. He is a really good example to all of his team-mates, and it's great to see his work pay off.

"As a player, it can be hard when you don't know when the coach is going to call you. The important thing is to try and always be ready, because you are going to be needed at some point.

"Scoring in the last minute today is important, because he's shown everyone that you have to believe until the end. Even though there were things we could do better today, we kept going, and we got something out of the game."

Chelsea forward Aggie Beever-Jones believes the Blues are in "great hands" under new coach Sonia Bompastor as she looks to build on Emma Hayes' legacy.

Hayes ended her glittering 12-year reign in West London in May, having overseen her seventh Women's Super League title success, five of which have come in the last five seasons.

Hayes departed to take up an offer to manage the United States' national team, and she immediately led them to a record-extending fifth gold medal at the Paris Olympic Games.

Chelsea moved swiftly to replace Hayes with former Lyon boss Bompastor, who won three league titles and the 2021-22 Champions League crown in three years with the French giants.

The 2024-25 WSL season begins on Friday, September 20, with Bompastor's team playing host to Aston Villa in the first match of the campaign, and Beever-Jones is excited to get going.

Speaking at the Barclays WSL's 2024-25 season launch media day, Beever-Jones told Stats Perform: "I think with Emma, the legacy she created at Chelsea speaks for itself. 

"She transformed it into one of the best clubs in the world and I think she's obviously left it in great hands with Sonia now. 

"It's up to Sonia and Cami to put their own flair on the Chelsea way. I think it's going to be an exciting year for sure, change is good, and we'll be losing Emma, but we've got Sonia now, and we're just so excited for the season to start." 

Hayes also won five FA Cups and two League Cups during her time with Chelsea, but the Champions League trophy eluded her, coming closest when they were runners-up to Barcelona in 2020-21.

Bompastor is something of a European specialist, winning the Champions League twice as a player and once as a coach, and Beever-Jones hopes her know-how can get the Blues over the line.

"That is the aim," she said. "Chelsea haven't done it before and to have Sonia, who has won it many times, bringing that freshness and, obviously, players like Lucy Bronze giving her experience...

"To be fighting for four competitions again, that's what we want to be doing this year. 

"I feel Chelsea are the club that can do it and yeah hopefully this time next year I'll be sitting here with a Champions League medal.

"I think with Sonia, her history of what she's won as a player and a coach speaks for itself. 

"She was the first player to win it as a Champions League and then do it as a coach. It's a big hole to fill, but I think Sonia and everyone she's brought in are the right people to fill that hole. 

"It's absolute credit to what Emma did for Chelsea and I think it was the right time for her to leave. We're delighted for her to go and win a gold medal for America, and we're obviously still in contact.

"I'm super excited for this new era of Chelsea and to avoid that drop-off, I think we're in the right hands to do that, and I'm sure that drop-off won't happen."

Joe Edwards netted a dramatic 93rd-minute winner as Wayne Rooney's Plymouth Argyle stunned Championship leaders Sunderland 3-2 on Saturday.

Argyle were still waiting for their first league win under Rooney heading into this match against the early pace-setters, who had recorded four wins from four.

It looked like being more of the same when Patrick Roberts netted a first-half penalty for Sunderland, but Plymouth turned the game on its head after the restart at Home Park.

Dan Ballard's own goal got the home side level, then Ryan Hardie converted an Argyle spot-kick.

Sunderland fans had made the longest trip in the EFL this season to see their side and looked to be rewarded with a hard-earned point when Romaine Mundle equalised four minutes from time.

But Plymouth were not done and rallied again to sensationally snatch victory in stoppage time as Edwards reacted fastest to a rebound and blasted past Anthony Patterson.

Watford had been Sunderland's nearest challengers but could not capitalise as they drew 1-1 at home to Coventry City.

That result allowed Blackburn Rovers to move up to second on 11 points, one behind Sunderland, as they eased to a 3-0 victory over Bristol City.

Yuki Ohashi scored twice at Ewood Park to see Blackburn nudge back ahead of rivals Burnley, winners earlier in the day at Leeds United.

West Brom subsequently ended Saturday in fifth but could now take top spot on Sunday when they take on Portsmouth.

Pompey are in the bottom three until then, a place and a point below Preston North End, who earned a 1-1 draw on the road against Middlesbrough.

Cardiff City are bottom and still with just one point after losing 1-0 at Derby County. 

Arne Slot slammed Liverpool's performance after their perfect start to his reign came crashing to a halt with Saturday's surprise 1-0 defeat at home to Nottingham Forest.

Callum Hudson-Odoi's deflected second-half strike proved decisive as Forest earned their first league victory at Anfield in 55 years, having last triumphed on the ground against Bill Shankly's Reds in 1969.

Liverpool's 14 shots throughout the game gave them a total expected goals (xG) figure of just 0.87, with only five of those attempts forcing Matz Sels into action.

The Reds boasted a 69.6% possession share but only marginally beat Forest's 56 final-third entries with 70 of their own, leaving Slot to bemoan their lethargic play in possession.

"The result frustrates me the most and we cannot be happy about how the game went. It was a stop-start game and we hardly created any chances," Slot told BBC Sport.

"We only have to look at ourselves, we have to be better. Far too many times we lost the ball around the area, it was not good enough. We have to be better with the ball.

"Our decisions and execution weren't good enough. 

"In general, we defended quite well but the two fast players came on and made it difficult for us. We took a lot of risks and in the end it was a very good goal."

Liverpool have now lost two of their last five Premier League matches at Anfield (three wins), having only lost one of their previous 58 before this run.

Forest, meanwhile, have won four straight away Premier League matches for the first time since 1995, and they sit just one point behind Liverpool in the early-season standings.

Boss Nuno Espirito Santo was delighted with their defensive work, telling BBC Radio 5 Live: "Liverpool are such a good team, it required a lot of effort from the players... the organisation, tackling and the covering.

"The only way to achieve anything here is if you are organised and do everything that you can.

"When you start the way we started with our wingers, Nico Dominguez and Elliot Anderson – all the effort of them tracking Liverpool's full-backs, it is a lot of energy.

"We are working hard and it is about building and believing in this idea that you can develop."

Callum Hudson-Odoi's goal gave Nottingham Forest their first league victory at Anfield in 55 years and ended Liverpool's perfect start to life under Arne Slot on Saturday.

Substitute Hudson-Odoi scored the only goal of the game after 72 minutes, capping a lightning Forest counterattack with a curling strike that deflected in off Ibrahima Konate.

Liverpool had earlier gone close through Luis Diaz as he struck the base of the post in the first half, but they struggled to pose Nuno Espirito Santo's men too many problems in a flat display.

The defeat, which comes after impressive shutout victories over Ipswich Town, Brentford and Manchester United, means Liverpool have lost early ground on Manchester City, who now boast a three-point lead at the top of the Premier League table.

Forest, meanwhile, remain unbeaten in 2024/25 and move up into fourth place with eight points, just one behind Saturday's opponents, who stay second.

Luis Diaz had the first real chance of the match when he rattled the post after 16 minutes, dispossessing Ryan Yates at the byline before cutting inside from the left and seeing his shot bounce clear off the woodwork.

Matz Sels almost caused Forest's undoing just before half-time as he spilled Diaz's looping header, but it was his team-mate Hudson-Odoi who got the eventual winner. 

Cutting inside from the left, he bent an effort towards the far corner, with a deflection off Konate carrying it out of Alisson's reach to condemn Liverpool to defeat.

Data Debrief: Forest end Anfield hoodoo

It is the first time Nottingham Forest have won away at Liverpool in the league since winning 2-0 against Bill Shankly's side in 1969.

It is also the first time Forest manager Nuno has achieved Premier League victory against Liverpool, having lost his previous seven meetings with them.

Since the start of last season, meanwhile, winning goalscorer Hudson-Odoi (four) is third only to Phil Foden (six) and Eberechi Eze (five) for goals scored from outside the box in the top flight. 

Brighton's unbeaten start to the Premier League season continued, but they were held to a frustrating goalless draw by Ipswich Town and inspired goalkeeper Arijanet Muric.

The Seagulls could not make their dominance count as their newly promoted opponents showed spirit and resilience to earn their first away point back in the Premier League on Saturday.

Muric kept Ipswich in the contest with a series of excellent saves to deny Brighton in a one-sided first half.

Ipswich carried more of a counter-attacking threat after half-time, and Liam Delap nearly shocked the Amex Stadium when his strike hit the post following a powerful run.

Brighton kept pushing for a breakthrough goal at the other end, but Ipswich held on and are just outside of the relegation zone, with their hosts staying third behind Manchester City and Liverpool.

Data Debrief: You shall not pass

This was Brighton’s 27th goalless draw in the Premier League, three more than any other side since they were promoted to the division in 2017.

The Seagulls had 21 shots against Ipswich, their most without scoring in a single Premier League home game since February 2023 against Fulham (also 21).

Fabian Hurzeler's side managed six shots on target, all of which were met with the gloves of Muric, who made six saves to hand the Tractor Boys their second point of the season. 

But there will be cause for concern at the top end of the pitch. Ipswich didn’t register a single shot in the first half – it’s the first time they’ve not had a shot in the opening 45 minutes of a league match since March 2020 against Fleetwood Town in League One.

Danny Ings' stoppage-time strike rescued a point for West Ham as they drew 1-1 with Fulham at Craven Cottage.

Ings cancelled out Raul Jimenez's first-half goal as local bragging rights were shared in this London derby.

Fulham should have broken the deadlock in the 23rd minute, but Adama Traore headed Alex Iwobi's inviting cross wide from six yards out.

But the hosts were not to be denied just 60 seconds later. Smith Rowe beat the offside trap to latch onto Andreas Pereira's throughball, before crossing for Jimenez to tuck away.

West Ham went close to equalising on the hour mark when Jarrod Bowen brilliantly controlled Mohammed Kudus' cross, but was thwarted by Bernd Leno's smart reflex save.

The Hammers looked set to leave the Cottage empty-handed until the fourth minute of stoppage time, when substitute Ings took Bowen's centre into his stride before Leno could only help the fierce drive into the net.

Data Debrief: Jimenez continues to be scourge of Hammers

Jimenez continued his impressive scoring record against West Ham. The Mexican found the net against them in the Premier League for the sixth time; more than he has managed against any other side.

However, his efforts ultimately proved in vain. Despite an xG of just 0.53 - compared to Fulham's 1.61 - the Hammers struck with one of the last kicks of the game to prevent a third defeat in four matches.

It was Ings' first Premier League away goal since November 2022, while it was the latest West Ham have scored that gained points in the Premier League.

Jean-Philippe Mateta's brace, including a stoppage-time penalty, denied Leicester City their first win since returning to the Premier League as Crystal Palace came from behind to draw 2-2.

Jamie Vardy gave the Foxes a first-half lead with a neat finish and just seconds after the restart, Stephy Mavididi capitalised on some poor defending to double the away side's advantage.

Mateta dragged Palace back into the match with his first goal moments later, but Leicester looked set to hang on despite being put under heavy pressure in the second half.

However, Conor Coady fouled Ismaila Sarr in the box and Mateta coolly dispatched his penalty kick to deny Steve Cooper a first league victory as Leicester manager.

Both sides are still searching for their first win after the four opening matches, with Leicester 15th and Palace 16th in the table.

Data Debrief: Foxes continue wretched run in London

After being denied victory in injury time, Leicester have now won just two of their 17 Premier League games in London (D4 L11), conceding 42 goals during that run.

Wilfried Ndidi performed well for Leicester in a more advanced role, and registered two assists. He is now up to three for the season, more than any of his team-mates.

Erling Haaland continued his sensational start to the new Premier League season with a brace that helped Manchester City come from behind to beat Brentford 2-1 on Saturday.

Haaland, the Premier League Player of the Month, had netted hat-tricks in his prior two appearances but had to settle for just the two goals at the Etihad Stadium, moving to 99 in City colours in all competitions.

Yoane Wissa had stunned City in the first minute after capitalising on a defensive mix-up, but Haaland was not kept quiet for long.

City’s master marksman had Pep Guardiola’s side back on terms in the 19th minute, before scoring what proved to be the winner before half-time.

Haaland came close to completing another treble and bringing up his City ton, but the champions had to survive a nervy finish to preserve the Premier League’s only 100% record at the top of the table, with Brentford back in seventh place.

Data Debrief: Haaland closing in City ton

While the combination of the post and the palms of Mark Flekken stopped Haaland from netting his 100th City goal and a third consecutive hat-trick, you feel it is only a matter of time before the Norwegian achieves his landmark moment. 

Haaland has now taken his tally to nine goals in the first four league games this season, the most of any player in the opening four matches of a Premier League campaign (overtaking Wayne Rooney in 2011-12 - eight in first four).

It was also the Norwegian's 50th appearance for City at the Etihad. The striker has been directly involved in more home goals than any other Premier League player across all competitions since his home debut in August 2022 (70 – 59 goals and 11 assists).

But Guardiola's side had to come from behind to secure the triumph, with Wissa's goal after 22 seconds was the fastest ever scored in the Premier League against the reigning champions, while it was the first time that City have ever conceded in the opening minute at home in the competition.

Trinidad and Tobago’s interim head coach Derek King and captain Aubrey David were left ruing the Soca Warriors’s sub-par performances in the September window, which has their Concacaf Nations League, League A survival in the balance.

The Soca Warriors, who lost their opening contest 0-4 away to Honduras, were heavily favoured to take three points off French Guiana in the following encounter at home, but they were instead held to a goalless stalemate.

This was much to the disappointment of King, David, and the many spectators that flocked the Dwight Yorke Stadium, as that result left the Twin Island Republic sitting at the foot of Group B on a point. Jamaica (four points), Nicaragua (four points), Honduras (three points), Cuba (two points), and French Guiana (one point) complete the group.

The Soca Warriors now face a must-win scenario in their next two fixtures against Cuba on October 10 and 14 to have a slim chance at making the top two for a quarterfinal berth, but more importantly to avoid relegation to League B.

Having made the quarterfinal in the previous edition of the Concacaf Nations League, David believes there is a need for individual and collective introspection as they need to raise the standard of their game.

"It was a sad result for us. It's a draw, but it feels like a loss for us because three points would have put us in a good position in the group once again. Unfortunately, we didn't get going. We need to reset again because we have two important games coming up,” David said as he reflected on the outcome of their contest against French Guiana.

"I think we as a team have to look at ourselves in the mirror and go back to the drawing board and look at the things that brought us success in the last campaign. I think we need to be humble and have that hunger to get good results,” he added.

Alvin Jones echoed similar sentiments.

"I think each and everyone has to look in the mirror and decide what they want—whether we want to play big football or we just want to compete. I think we have a lot of work to do mentally and physically. Each and every player,” he noted.

Meanwhile, King, who was appointed ahead of the tournament following the dismissal of Angus Eve, felt his team could have done more to secure the three points against French Guiana.

"I think the performance was a bit disappointing. We didn't get three points. We went out there, and we analysed the team. Our ball movement was a little slow, but we still created chances. I think to take us to the next level, we need to raise our intensity, and our ball speed has to be much better to compete with the top teams in Concacaf,” King declared.

Though it is left to be seen if he will still be on the sidelines for the Cuba encounters next month, King backed the players to make the necessary adjustments to secure the desired result.

"The players we selected, I thought it was the best mix for these two games...the important thing is to look ahead as a team. We saw some good things (against French Guiana), so we have to sit as a staff and analyse those two games and continue building from this,” King stated.

Champions Bayer Leverkusen cruised to a 4-1 victory at Hoffenheim on Saturday thanks to a dazzling performance by Victor Boniface.

The Nigerian scored two goals and laid on an assist, ensuring Leverkusen got back to winning ways in their first game since the international break.

The visitors struck twice in the first half an hour for a 2-0 lead, with Boniface setting up Martin Terrier for a tap-in in the 17th minute before turning scorer with a clever finish.

Mergim Berisha, making his first appearances since a knee ligament tear last November, cut the deficit for Hoffenheim just before the break from close range.

Leverkusen restored their two-goal lead courtesy of a penalty, buried by Florian Wirtz in the 72nd minute, after Dennis Geiger fouled Alex Grimaldo in the box.

Boniface then single-handedly dismantled the Hoffenheim defence with a strong run down the left, powering a shot past keeper Oliver Baumann three minutes later to lift Leverkusen to fourth place on six points.

Data Debrief: Normal business resumed

It came as quite a shock before the international break when Leverkusen's 35-game unbeaten streak in the Bundesliga ended, with RB Leipzig handing them their first defeat in 462 days.

But Xabi Alonso's side quickly shook that result off, and extended their impressive unbeaten run on the road - they are now unbeaten in 19 such matches (W16 D3). It is also the first time they have won their first two away games in a Bundesliga season.

Meanwhile, Baumann made his 464th Bundesliga appearance in this match, drawing him level with Toni Schumacher and Lothar Matthaus. This was his 92nd consecutive game in the competition.

Leeds United suffered their first defeat of the Championship season as they were beaten 1-0 at home by fellow promotion hopefuls Burnley.

Daniel Farke’s side came into Saturday's encounter having won back-to-back matches against Sheffield Wednesday and Hull City, but their momentum was halted by their clinical visitors.

Burnley forward Luca Koleosho scored the only goal of the game the day before his 20th birthday.

Koleosho took advantage of a slip from Manor Solomon after 18 minutes, before sprinting 70 yards and drilling a shot past Leeds goalkeeper Ilan Meslier.

That proved to be enough to inflict on Leeds a third home league defeat in six matches going back to last season, despite the hosts applying plenty of pressure as they sought an equaliser.

Burnley's Bashir Humphreys was sent off eight minutes into stoppage time at the end of the match, but Leeds were unable to find a way through.

Elsewhere in Saturday's early Championship kick-offs, Luton Town claimed their first win since relegation from the Premier League.

Teden Mengi's fine early effort from the edge of the penalty area was enough to beat Millwall 1-0 away from home.

While Luton have ground to make up in the promotion race, Oxford United's surprise challenge continues on the back of their 100% home record.

That was maintained with a deserved 1-0 victory over Stoke City, with Idris El Mizouni netting the winner three minutes into the second half.

Wolmer’s Boys secured their second win in as many games when they topped Denham Town High 2-0 in their Zone E Inter-secondary Schools Sports Association/Digicel Manning Cup encounter at Bumper Hall on Friday.

Captain Daquan Duhaney and substitute Addon Daye made the points safe for Jerome Waite’s side, which now moves to six points, same as leaders Tivoli Gardens but with a slightly inferior goal difference.

St Mary’s College (one point), Edith Dalton James (one point), St Jago, and Denham Town, who are both without a point, complete the standings.

Though welcoming the win, Waite believes his Heroes Circle boys still have much to learn, particularly where their mental game is concerned. It is an area he is hoping to improve on as the season progresses.

“It’s a work in progress, and it’s also a learning process for them because we have seen a lot of weakness in that area, so that’s something I’ll have to spend time working on. But we’ll analyse the game, sit down and discuss what we could have done better, where we still need to improve, and then we see how best we can get some more work done,” Waite said.

His counterpart Marvin Tate believes his boys are giving their best under the circumstances, as their preparation has been hindered by violence.

“We hardly got any time on the field to train because players live in adjoining communities which are actually at war. We took time out for a week to camp and it’s actually bringing some fruit because we’ve seen an improvement in the team and going forward we’ll see more improvements,” Tate shared.

Friday’s Results

Denham Town 0, Wolmer’s Boys 2

Camperdown 1, Haile Selassie 2

Kingston Technical 2, Vauxhall 3

Dunoon 3, Clan Carthy 2

Meadowbrook 0, Penwood 5

Ardenne 0, Eltham 10

Saturday’s Games

Kingston College vs Cumberland @ Stadium East

Jamaica College vs Ascot @ Jamaica College

STATHS vs Calabar @ Boys’ Town

Excelsior vs Bridgeport @ Excelsior

Holy Trinity vs St Catherine @ Alpha

Papine vs St George’s College @ Papine

*All games are scheduled for 3:30pm

Erik ten Hag believes Andre Onana's penalty save was the "turning point" as Manchester United got back to winning ways with a commanding 3-0 victory over 10-man Southampton.

The Red Devils arrived at St Mary's on a two-match losing streak and almost fell behind in the 33rd minute, but Onana guessed correctly to keep out Cameron Archer's tame spot-kick.

The visitors capitalised on their reprieve as goals from Matthijs de Ligt and Marcus Rashford put them 2-0 up at half-time, before Alejandro Garnacho wrapped up the points later on.

Ten Hag was pleased with his team's response and also saluted Rashford, who netted his first goal since March.

"The start was not easy," the United boss told BBC Match of the Day. 

"I think the penalty was the turning point in the game and, not so far after, we scored and that was very important. From that moment on, the game was all ours."

On Rashford's goal, he added: "It's very important. We spoke before the game. It is huge for him, for every striker.

"When the season starts, you want to be on the scoring list. Now he has his first, I'm sure more will come."

Onana was also pleased to see Rashford back on the scoresheet.

"We had a tough season last year, and he was not at his best," he told TNT Sports. "But today, he showed he's a great player - one of the best in the world.

"That's football, that's life. It's now how you fall, it's about how many times you stand up again. I'm really happy for him. Hopefully, he will score many more for the team.

On bouncing back with a win, he added: "Every game when you lose is like it's the end of the world. You have to stay strong, stay together and keep fighting.

"It was very good to save that penalty. It was an important moment for us.

"The most important thing for us is victory. We had a great game and a clean sheet. Hopefully, we will continue playing like this."