Football

Altrincham made most of the running through the early parts of the game and the first chance fell to Justin Amaluzor in the 18th minute but saw his strike slam into the side-netting.

The away side opened the scoring after 31 minutes when Amaluzor found Alex Newby who fired home to make it 1-0.

Altrincham almost doubled their lead just after the hour but Regan Linney’s curling strike was well saved by Nick Hayes.

Solihull went in search of an equaliser and almost had one when a strike deflected off Elliot Osborne and into the path of Matthew Gould as Altrincham held on for all three points.

The hosts opened the scoring just before half-time when Rochdale goalkeeper Tiernan Brooks reacted well to deny Eddy Jones, but managed only to push the ball into the path of Justin Amaluzor to apply the finish.

Altrincham then took complete control with two goals in as many minutes midway through the second half.

Chris Conn-Clarke played in Regan Linney to get the first, and the Northern Irishman then got on the scoresheet himself seconds later, set up by Isaac Marriott.

Charlie Barker opened the scoring just after the half-hour mark, tapping the ball home following Aaron Henry’s corner for his second goal of the season.

Altrincham equalised through Alex Newby just four minutes later and the former Rochdale midfielder almost put the hosts ahead before half-time.

Summer recruit George Wilson fired the Robins ahead for the first time two minutes after the break with a powerful shot from the edge of the 18-yard box and on the hour, Lewis Banks made it 3-1 when he picked out the top corner.

Regan Linney rounded off the win with 18 minutes remaining with his 10th goal of the season as Altrincham recorded their third win from their last four games to move up to sixth, while their opponents sit three points above the relegation zone.

The Robins started to get on top after a quiet opening and were rewarded in the 32nd minute as Regan Linney burst through on goal before selflessly squaring for Lewis Banks to slot home from close range.

The provider then turned goalscorer in first-half added-on time, although he had a bit of fortune as his strike took a wicked deflection before beating Joe McDonnell and nestling in the bottom corner.

Eastleigh goalkeeper McDonnell made a hash of gathering Chris Conn-Clarke’s shot and Alex Newby tucked away the rebound six minutes after the resumption.

Conn-Clarke then added gloss to the scoreline in the 87th minute after bundling past McDonnell.

The Robins went close when Chris Conn-Clarke forced a fine save from Shrimpers’ goalkeeper David Martin at full stretch.

Southend, who had been unbeaten in their last seven league games, almost broke the deadlock just before half-time when Harry Cardwell headed wide from Jack Bridge’s cross.

Altrincham took the lead just before the hour when Justin Amaluzor fired the ball in from close range.

Southend forward Daniel Kanu saw a late effort saved, before Altrincham made sure of the points to keep them in the top six when substitute Justin Donawa scored a second with two minutes left.

Kidderminster had taken a second-minute lead when a long throw was turned goalwards first by Krystian Pearce, and then by Reiss McNally who was eventually credited with the goal despite Pearce’s best attempts to claim it.

Altrincham were level just before the half-hour as Justin Amaluzor found Lewis Banks on the edge of the box and his left-footed strike found the bottom corner.

Promotion-chasing Altrincham created a string of second-half chances but they could not find the winner they needed to close the gap on the top two.

Alex Newby scored just four minutes into his Altrincham debut and Lewis Baines doubled their lead inside the first quarter-hour.

Mark Cousins brilliantly saved Chris Conn-Clarke’s free-kick but the hosts soon had a third as Justin Donawa went through and fired past Cousins.

Nathan Odokonyero pulled one back but Conn-Clarke slotted home to make it 4-1 at half-time.

Ebbsfleet improved after the break, with substitute Ben Chapman clipping the crossbar while Ethan Ross saved Craig Tanner’s penalty, but second goals for Conn-Clarke and Baines in seven minutes of added time rubbed salt into their wounds.

Alty started off the better side, with Marcus Dackers netting a debut goal 14 minutes in. Justin Amaluzor then doubled their lead by driving the ball home after a corner.

The home team’s domination continued as Chris Conn-Clarke tucked one away to make it three on the verge of half-time. Alex Newby then made it four for the Robins after finishing off some strong build-up play. Amaluzor then grabbed his brace, capping off an excellent team display with a fifth goal.

Kade Craig gave Solihull a late consolation in the 88th minute and Regan Linney then joined in with the fun, making it a sensational six for Alty.

Promotion-chasing Altrincham did the damage in the first half with Alex Newby scoring in the 35th minute before Regan Linney added another from the penalty spot four minutes later.

It helped Altrincham leapfrog Solihull Moors, who lost 3-0 at play-off rivals Bromley.

The deadlock was broken when a shot by Mitch Hancox deflected into the path of Newby, who fired in from close-range.

It was 2-0 with 39 minutes on the clock when Altrincham won a spot-kick, which Linney dispatched to put the visitors in control.

Ebbsfleet pushed for a way back into the contest but away goalkeeper Ethan Ross produced a string of excellent saves to preserve a clean sheet and earn his team all three points.

It means the relegation worries of 20th-placed Fleet are not over going into the final week of the campaign.

With City long since relegated, Alty knew it was the perfect chance to set up their post-season and they did so thanks to Regan Linney’s first-half goal.

Elliot Newby had already gone close when the opener came, with Newby tripped in the box allowing Linney to convert three minutes before half-time.

Chris Conn-Clarke almost added a second after the break but Altrincham had done enough.

Alex Newby picked his spot to put Altrincham in front in only the second minute before there was a lengthy hold up due to an injury to referee James Durkin.

The hosts doubled their lead in the sixth of 10 minutes added on at the end of the first half, when Lewis Baines turned the ball home from a corner, and they were cruising when Chris Conn-Clarke’s shot deflected off Jerome Okimo to make it 3-0 early in the second half.

But Barnet pulled a goal back through Harry Pritchard with 16 minutes left before Idris Kanu put a fright into the home fans with a goal in the first minute of stoppage time.

Alty put themselves a goal to the good half an hour into the contest when Regan Linney unleashed an effort into the bottom corner.

The visitors were on level terms just after the hour mark after Femi Ilesanmi put it on a plate for Lee Ndlovu who tapped in from close range.

Boreham Wood almost turned the game around with 10 minutes to go when Ndlovu’s cross found Tyrone Marsh but his volley flew marginally wide of the target.

The hosts could have snatched a winner late on when Matty Kosylo cut in from the right and smashed an effort towards goal but Nathan Ashmore’s save ensured both sides took a share of the spoils.

Alvarez is currently representing Argentina at the Paris Olympics after helping his country win the Copa America last month, has voiced his frustration at a lack of playing time in big games.

The striker has been a useful member of Guardiola's squad but has often been used in an attacking midfield role as injury cover, especially with Erling Haaland as the clear first-choice forward.

In a press conference while in Paris, Alvarez said he would take the time to think about his future at the Etihad Stadium after the Games were finished, with Arsenal and Chelsea also reportedly interested in his signature along with Atletico.

Asked about the chance of the 24-year-old moving to Madrid, Guardiola deflected by giving away few details.

"He's absolutely our player. No news. I don't have anything to say. He will come back," Guardiola said.

"I count on him, but he said in the news that decisions will be made all together. Now he has to rest and when he feels ready to come back, he will come back.

"I'm sure when he comes back, I'll hug and congratulate him for the Copa America, for the Olympics, and we will start to work together. This is the reality.

"What happens in the meantime, I have a thousand million things to think about the team.

"Next week we play for the first trophy of the season [the Community Shield against Manchester United at Wembley]. [In] two weeks, we play at Stamford Bridge again. That's my only concern."

Alvarez scored 19 goals for City in all competitions last season, outperforming his 17.5 expected goals (xG), while also contributing 13 assists, second only to Kevin De Bruyne (17).

He is set to enjoy an extended break when the Olympics finishes and will miss City's trip to Wembley to face Manchester United in the Community Shield on Saturday.

Atletico claimed their third Champions League win of the season in style on Tuesday, and Alvarez's brilliant free-kick opened the scoring after just 15 minutes.

The Argentine doubled his tally just before the hour, with Marcos Llorente and substitute Antoine Griezmann - on his 100th Champions League appearance - also scoring before Angel Correa got in on the act with a brace of his own late on.

The dominant performance, which saw Atletico rack up an expected goals (xG) total of 3.15, moved them up to 13th in the standings.

Alvarez was certainly happy with Atletico's biggest-ever away winning margin in a major European competition, surpassing a 5-0 win over Kayseri Erciyesspor in the UEFA Cup in October 2007.

"A great game, lots of goals, so I'm very happy. We needed it," Alvarez told Movistar Plus.

"I was confident that I was going to score with that free-kick, I think it was a great goal that opened the game and helped us to keep on winning.

"It was a matter of time and minutes to fit all the pieces together. Little by little the whole team is feeling better. We have to continue on this path and keep working. The group is doing very well so we're going for more."

Alvarez scored what was only the fourth direct free-kick goal by an Atletico player in the Champions League, and the first since Sergio Aguero netted against Chelsea in November 2009.

Having lost two of their previous four matches in the competition, the resounding victory also provided reason for coach Diego Simeone to celebrate.

"Anything that means winning makes me happy. If the team has the chance to keep playing like this and scoring goals, so much the better," he said.

"We kept taking the game where we wanted it to go, we accumulated chances and Julian's goal from a free kick was a great goal."

Alvarez made a slow start to life at Atletico following his move from Manchester City, but has picked up form since the end of September and is now on nine goals in all competitions.

"Julian is a player with the highest level, who has played for River Plate, Manchester City and Argentina," Simeone added.

"He is going from strength to strength since joining us, and we expect the best from him.

"He is young, there is good hope for the present and the future. Hopefully, we can accompany him so that he can continue to grow."

The Argentina forward secured a narrow 2-1 victory at Craven Cottage, sweeping a wonderful 25-yard strike into the top corner ensuring an eighth-straight league win.

City leapfrogged Arsenal to the top of the table – with a game in hand on the Gunners – while they remain well on course for a potential treble, with a Champions League semi-final against Real Madrid and FA Cup final with Manchester United also on the horizon.

And the World Cup winner encouraged his team-mates to keep pushing in pursuit of their aspirations for the campaign.

"It was a very important win for us today," he told BBC Match of the Day. "We need to keep this going.

"We knew it would never be easy coming here because of the pitch, because of how good Fulham are as a team. We were very happy to withstand the pressure and hold out.

"[Top of the table] is where we wanted to be at the start of the season. Everyone's put in really good work, and now we've reached the top, we need to defend it.

"Every game is a final for us and everyone's going to pull together to make that final effort."

Kyle Walker also acknowledged City cannot afford to relent in their charge, but the England defender dismissed treble talk as he is instead focused on the upcoming showdowns with West Ham and Leeds United.

"[Fulham] was always going to be a tough game after the emotions of Wednesday [against Arsenal]," Walker told BBC Radio 5 Live.

"I think the form is so important. It has been good over the recent couple of months, but we have so much football to be played, and this form needs to continue.

"This is what you live for as a footballer – to be competing at the highest level. I'm not even concentrating on the treble. It's just the next game and getting ready to face West Ham. We need to get another three points at the Etihad and then move on to Leeds."

It's a new year, and while the one changing to a two literally overnight may seem arbitrary, it gives us an excuse to look ahead and what's on the horizon.

Of course, we're now into a World Cup year – 12 months from now, we'll have newly crowned world champions and, who knows, maybe a new superstar or two will have emerged.

While there's no guarantee about a player's trajectory, Stats Perform have at least put together a list of 22 under-22 players who could be worth keeping an eye out for in 2022.

GOALKEEPERS

Etienne Green, 21, English – Saint-Etienne

Honestly, he's not included just because of the perfection of a player called Etienne Green playing for Les Verts, Saint-Etienne – though that certainly warrants a mention. Colchester-born Green has played 23 times in Ligue 1 for the club, making Leeds United's Ilan Meslier the only goalkeeper born after 2000 to play more often (53) across the top five leagues. In April he became the fourth Ligue 1 keeper since Opta records began (2006-07) to save a penalty on his debut and he's since gone on to nail down a starting spot. Having recently declared for England over France, Green could be an outside bet for Gareth Southgate's squad at Qatar 2022.

Maarten Vandevoordt, 19, Belgian – Genk

In 2019, Vandevoordt became the Champions League's youngest ever goalkeeper at 17 years and 287 days old – it proved to be a bit of a nightmare as Genk lost 4-0, with youngster at fault for two goals. It would've been enough to shatter the confidence of most young players, but Vandevoordt's since gone on to become first-choice, playing 16 league games in 2020-21 and all 21 this term.

DEFENDERS

Kaiky, 17, Brazilian – Santos

If there's any area of the pitch that one might consider to be the hardest to establish yourself in as a young player, most would say centre-back. Yet, despite not turning 18 until January 12, Kaiky has racked up an impressive number of appearances there for Santos. He played more minutes in the 2021 Brasileirao (1,334 minutes) and the Libertadores (495) than any other under-19 player and has impressed with his comfort in possession, aerial ability and demonstrable appetite for defending. He has a long way to go, but he sure has made a promising start.

Becir Omeragic, 19, Swiss – FC Zurich

Omeragic is among the most highly rated young centre-backs in Europe and was in Switzerland's Euro 2020 squad – despite still being only 19, he's already played 71 Swiss Super League games for Zurich. This season he ranks highly in numerous metrics among defenders, such as tackle attempts (29, fifth-highest), interceptions (26, seventh-highest) and possession won (105, fifth-highest), while he offers good progression on the ball, his carry progress of 1,796.6m upfield being the fourth-best among all defenders – two of those are full-backs. Expect to see him in one of Europe's biggest leagues fairly soon.

Ilya Zabarnyi, 19, Ukrainian – Dynamo Kiev

Previously linked with Chelsea, among other major clubs, Zabarnyi caught the eye at Euro 2020 with some mature displays. Despite being the joint-youngest player in the squad, Zabarnyi was one of the five players to play every minute for Ukraine, and among those to feature for at least 100 minutes, he ranked in the top three for touches (72.8) and passes (60.6) on a per-90 basis. Similarly, only four played more passes into the final third than him (4.7), and three of those were midfielders. A move to a bigger league will give us a better idea of just how good Zabarnyi is, but the promise is there.

Ethan Laird, 20, English – Swansea City (on loan from Manchester United)

Manchester United have rated right-back Laird highly for a while – he actually made his senior debut for them as far back as November 2019 in the Europa League. Since then, he showed great promise at Milton Keynes Dons and then followed coach Russell Martin in making the jump to the Championship with Swansea City, where he's continued to impress. Only three defenders in the division have created more chances than him in open play (23), while his five big chances created is the second-most in the Swans squad. With Aaron Wan-Bissaka seemingly unable to kick on at United, Laird's opportunity may arrive in 2022.

Alex Balde, 18, Spanish – Barcelona

Barcelona have seemingly once again become great trusters of youth – not that their situation has given them much of a choice. Balde's not yet one of those to become a regular, and you'd think he will struggle to dislodge Jordi Alba at left-back, but in his four LaLiga appearances the 18-year-old has shown real promise with his ability on the ball and pace. Given his skillset and Xavi's desire to play with classic wingers, he may find himself used further up the pitch – either way, he's definitely one to watch.

George Bello, 19, American – Atlanta United

Nigeria-born Bello may not be 20 until late January, but he's already made a strong impression in MLS, so much so that he became a regular part of the USA's senior side in 2021. Added to that, his 2,433 minutes played was the most of any MLS player to end the season as a teenager. An attack-minded left-back, Bello is excellent on the ball and possesses great pace, and he may well be on the move soon given his contract expires at the end of 2022. If anyone takes a punt, they could be rewarded handsomely.

MIDFIELDERS

Yacine Adli, 21, French – Bordeaux (on loan from Milan)

Milan fans have every reason to be excited about Adli. The kind of silky playmaker that makes almost everything look effortless, he has created more chances after a carry (11) than any other midfielder in Ligue 1 this term. He may not be a great goal threat himself, but his six assists is the second-most among the same group of players (Dimitri Payet has seven) – all of Adli's were from open play, however, which is the most the league's midfielders. Whether he can keep that up at Milan is unclear, but if he can, they'll have a real asset on their hands.

Unai Vencedor, 21, Spanish – Athletic Bilbao

Athletic are one of LaLiga's stranger teams in that they don't win, lose, score or concede very often, yet that's not stopping Vencedor from thriving. A controlling presence with satisfying calmness on the ball in centre midfield, Vencedor is mature for his age and already has significant influence over Athletic's play. Just Iker Muniain and Inaki Williams have been involved in more open-play shot-ending sequences than Vencedor (47) among Athletic players, while the former (eight) is the only one with more instances of being involved in build-up and taking the shot (five) at the end, highlighting his importance to not only keeping them on the ball but also posing an attacking threat.

Nicolo Rovella, 20, Italian – Genoa (on loan from Juventus)

Granted, Rovella's hardly a hidden gem given Juve signed him in a deal potentially worth €20m last January, but he's still not quite a household name. Nevertheless, he looks a real prospect. A deep-lying midfielder, Rovella is elegant on the ball, hard-working without it and excellent at set-pieces. For struggling Genoa this season, his 4.0 possession wins every 90 minutes in the middle third is the 15th highest among Serie A midfielders (min. 500 minutes played), as is his 1.4 successful tackles – though only four players from the same group who have attempted at least 20 boast a better success rate than him (71.4). There's talk he could be recalled by Juve in January, which highlights the impression he's making.

Caden Clark, 18, American – RB Leipzig

With goals against Atlanta United and then Toronto four days later in October 2020, Clark became the youngest player MLS history to score in each of his first two games – the second was an absolute scorcher as well. The 18-year-old agreed a move from New York Red Bulls to RB Leipzig in 2021 and he officially makes the switch in January, with no return loan planned. The technically gifted midfielder has his chance to make it in the big-time, and the Bundesliga has previously been a good next step for MLS stars.

Hannibal Mejbri, 18, Tunisian – Manchester United

Some United fans are disappointed Hannibal didn't get more opportunities under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, and he's been restricted with Ralf Rangnick because of his involvement in the Arab Cup and the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations. But when he returns, there's every indication he may get more chances, or at least that's what Rangnick recently intimated. A silky and creative midfielder, but one who has a tendency to lose his head, Hannibal might be able to provide the extra injection of craft often missing from United's midfield.

WINGERS

Kayky, 18, Brazilian – Manchester City

There's every chance Kayky and Angelo could be challenging each other for a spot in the senior Brazil team one day. Now at Manchester City after joining from Fluminense in a deal apparently worth an initial £8.4million, Kayky's development is going to be fascinating to watch. With Flu, the talented winger became the club's youngest player and goalscorer in the Libertadores before making the switch to England in pre-season. He was on the bench for the Boxing Day win over Leicester City, and with COVID-19 cases proving an issue across the Premier League, there's every chance we may see a bit more of Kayky in the near future.

Angelo Gabriel, 17, Brazilian – Santos

Every year it seems there's a new Brazilian teenager causing a stir and subsequently being linked with a big move to Europe – the latest is Angelo Gabriel. The newest 'new Neymar', Angelo is actually a left-footed right winger but the similarities in style of play are at least comparable in that he's a good dribbler, skilful and likes to cut inside off the flank. Angelo's made the jump up to the first team a little earlier than Neymar, though – he only turned 17 in December but already has 51 first-team appearances to his name. In April, he became the Copa Libertadores' youngest-ever scorer (16 years, 105 days old) and was also the only under-17 player to feature in the 2021 Brasileirao.

Alan Velasco, 19, Argentinian – Independiente

Showing quality in Argentina's domestic league isn't always a guarantee of future greatness, but doing well as a tricky youngster does speak to a certain degree of bravery and resilience given the brutal reputation of the top flight. Velasco is among the league's most-promising young players, a skilful, quick and dangerous left winger. His 62 chances created this season is the fifth most in the division, while no player can better his 198 dribbles completed. Could he be a wildcard choice for Argentina at the World Cup? Don't rule it out.

Rayan Cherki, 18, French – Lyon

It feels like 2022 could be a massive year for Cherki. The versatile attacker is still nowhere near being a regular at Lyon, despite many feeling Peter Bosz's appointment might prove a boost to the teenager – after all, he played an important role in developing Kai Havertz and Florian Wirtz. Yet, the raw ability is undoubtedly there for Cherki – whether he'll be able to harness that properly at Lyon remains to be seen, with suggestions growing that he might seek a move away in the next year.

FORWARDS

Yuri Alberto, 20, Brazilian – Internacional

Yuri Alberto looks likely to be 'one who got away' for Santos. He left for Internacional in 2020 after initially showing promise at Vila Belmiro and has been a shrewd acquisition, scoring 22 times in 56 Brasileirao appearances, the most of any player currently 24 or younger. His 12 in the 2021 season was only bettered by four players and he scored more hat-tricks than anyone else (three) during the calendar year – one of those being netted in the late-finishing 2020 campaign.

Mohamed-Ali Cho, 17, French – Angers

A dynamic, exciting forward who is most comfortable out wide at the moment, Cho may only be 17 but he already has 39 Ligue 1 appearances under his belt. Where France seem to have lost out to England with Green, Les Bleus look to be winning the battle for Cho, who spent five years at Everton until 2020. Now a France Under-21 international, Cho is the youngest player to have scored in Ligue 1 this season having netted against Rennes back in August when he was aged 17 years and 222 days.

Ricardo Pepi, 18, American – FC Dallas

Yes, another American. While Clark may not make it into the United States' World Cup squad, Pepi almost certainly will. A very well-rounded striker who is tall, agile and hard-working, Pepi has also – perhaps most importantly – proven an able finisher, with his 13 MLS goals in the 2021 season being the joint-most ever managed by a teenager in the competition. Similarly, he's also the youngest player to ever score in consecutive World Cup qualifiers for the USA. He has a long-term contract at Dallas, but no one would be surprised to see him leave for Europe in 2022, with Germany a likely destination. Expect him to fetch the largest ever fee for an American leaving MLS.

Matias Arezo, 19, Uruguayan – River Plate (URU)

Uruguay has produced some truly great strikers down the years. After more of a barren spell in that regard since Edinson Cavani and Luis Suarez came through, there is once again a cause for optimism with Darwin Nunez, Agustin Alvarez and, arguably chief among them, Arezo. He scored 13 times in 35 Uruguayan Primera appearances last term – he surpassed that haul with 15 from six fewer appearances in 2021. For comparison's sake, Suarez got 10 in 27 in his first full season in the division with Nacional, while Cavani recorded nine in 25 appearances for Danubio before moving to Europe. A well-built striker, he's definitely one to watch ahead of the World Cup – assuming Uruguay get there.

Julian Alvarez, 21, Argentinian – River Plate

A sensational last couple of months in 2021 elevated Alvarez to a new level, one which has seen him mentioned regularly in transfer gossip columns – United are apparently especially keen. The striker, now an Argentina international, scored a total of 24 club goals across 2021, while also setting up a further 12 in the league, showing both his ability to finish chances and create them. A move abroad seems highly probable – where that takes him and how he does will be intriguing to watch, particularly ahead of the World Cup.

Hume’s 63rd-minute effort secured a 2-1 first leg victory at a packed Stadium of Light after on-loan Manchester United midfielder Amad Diallo had cancelled out Elijah Adebayo’s early opener with a stunning strike.

It was no more than Tony Mowbray’s men deserved from a game for which they once again lined up without a recognised central defender, yet kept alive their hopes of a second successive promotion via the play-offs.

Luton, who finished 11 points better off than the Black Cats at the end of the regular season, will nevertheless feel confident they can overturn the narrowest of deficits at Kenilworth Road on Tuesday night – although they will have to do so against opponents who won 11 of their 23 fixtures on the road.

Early blows were traded as Hatters frontman Carlton Morris headed tamely into Anthony Patterson’s arms before Jack Clarke rifled a shot into the side-netting at the other end in an open start.

The visitors, who lost in the semi-finals 12 months ago, were fortunate to escape unscathed when keeper Ethan Horvath palmed Patrick Roberts’ curling attempt into the path of Joe Gelhardt, who was unable to adjust his feet quickly enough to convert the rebound.

The Hatters took advantage of the escape almost immediately.

Sunderland failed to deal with an 11th-minute corner and, after Patterson had bravely blocked Alfie Doughty’s shot at the back post, Adebayo pounced on the loose ball to score.

Momentum shifted with the goal and Adebayo might have doubled his tally with 24 minutes gone had Hume not thrown himself into the path of his goal-bound effort, and Patterson had to be alert to field Doughty’s near-post free-kick.

But Sunderland were back in it six minutes before the break when, after Pelly Mpanzu had been booked for a crude challenge on Roberts, Alex Pritchard rolled the resulting free-kick to Amad, who curled an unstoppable shot past Horvath.

Gelhardt steered Pritchard’s cross wide under pressure from Gabe Osho as the Black Cats resumed in determined fashion, although the game became increasingly scrappy with both teams guilty of turning over possession cheaply.

It was the home side who finally summoned up the quality to make a difference when Hume met Clarke’s 63-minute cross with a firm header and steered the ball into the bottom corner to spark delirious celebrations among a crowd of 46,060.

Both teams had their fair share of chances, and Bailey Hobson threatened to give Harriers the lead after 21 minutes only for his shot to be blocked.

Wealdstone them came close to taking the lead five minutes into the second half but Tarryn Allarakhia’s effort from the corner of the box was pushed away by home keeper Christian Dibble, who followed up with another fine save to deny Tahvon Campbell’s shot.

A draw seemed the most likely result but in the third minute of stoppage time, Morgan-Smith turned home a free-kick from Sammy Robinson to steal the win.

Beto played for Sevilla as they won three consecutive Europa Leagues under Emery, featuring in the first two title runs, including starring in a penalty shoot-out triumph against Benfica in the 2014 final.

And despite going on to endure slightly more testing spells in charge of Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal, Emery has continued to deliver on the European stage.

He guided Villarreal to another Europa League win, before returning Villa to European football and then the Champions League. Villa beat Young Boys 3-0 in their league phase opener on Tuesday.

Emery's success comes as no surprise to former Portugal international Beto, who explained the brilliance of his old boss while speaking at the Thinking Football Summit organised by Liga Portugal.

"Unai has many things that make him different," Beto told Stats Perform. "The passion that he has for football makes him different.

"The way that he studies every detail, not only in the opponent but in his team. He knows every player. He knows how to get the best out of each player in his team.

"For us, it was amazing, he knew what was going to happen in the 45th minute of the game. This is going to happen.

"If the picture is this one, we will act this way. If the game is like in another way, we're going to act this way.

"So, he had everything planned; every scenario, every situation he had planned. And for us, the players, we had all the information, we had everything. We just had to be ourselves and put our talent at the service of the team.

"And for us, it was so easy to play being coached by Unai. He was an amazing person.

"He respects football. And I think it's one of the secrets of Unai, he respects football. He gives everything for football.

"So, not only in Sevilla, I know he had some bad moments in Arsenal, but he came back in Villarreal. He won another Europa League in Villarreal.

"He brought back Aston Villa to the top. I have too much credit for Unai because I love him, respect him and he will be forever one of my best coaches and my best friends."

The French government's decision to ban all sporting events until September because of the spread of coronavirus resulted in the Ligue 1 season being finished with most teams having 10 games still to play.

Last week the Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) announced the final standings had been decided on a points-per-game basis, with Amiens having 0.14 fewer points than Nimes meaning they, along with bottom side Toulouse, were relegated to Ligue 2.

The club revealed they were considering an appeal against their relegation and they have now tried to enlist fans' support with an online petition.

A statement on their website read: "Following the decision to demote Amiens SC to Ligue 2 after only 28 games played out of 38, Amiens SC is launching a petition to seek justice in the face of this decision fraught with consequences that goes against fairness in sport. 

"Amiens SC is asking the Ligue de Football to review its position and make the fairest choice: A Ligue 1 with 22 clubs for the 2020-2021 season. 

"Supporters from Amiens and football lovers, support our initiative that would make football and sport grow."

Seven hours after launching the petition, 3,000 supporters had signed it.