The winless run stretched to four games with defeat to Borussia Monchengladbach, much to the frustration of the German champions’ manager

Niko Kovac has cited Bayern Munich’s failure to play as a team as the reason for their shock 3-0 home defeat to Borussia Monchengladbach on Saturday.

After winning his first seven matches in charge of the club, Kovac has now failed to guide his side to victory in three domestic games on the spin – a run that leaves them four points behind early Bundesliga leaders Borussia Dortmund.

Kovac’s men looked sluggish from the outset and found themselves two down after just 16 minutes, Alassane Plea and Lars Stindl – making his first appearance of the season – finishing emphatically past Manuel Neuer.

Robert Lewandowski had a goal ruled out for offside in the second period, but any dramatic comeback from Bayern would have been harsh on the visitors, who were deserving winners and added gloss to the scoreline late on through Patrick Herrmann.

The pressure on Kovac will intensify after such a humbling defeat and the coach has identified the lack of unity in the team as something he will address in a bid to reverse their fortunes.

“I think everyone tried, but right now we’re not trying as a team, you have to act as a unit,” he told Sky Sport.

“At the moment, we are making too many individual mistakes, which brings a certain amount of uncertainty to the team. Sometimes you have good times and you have bad times.

“I’m responsible for it and I’m up to the task, we have to improve as soon as possible.”

Thomas Muller – who was substituted at half-time along with Arjen Robben – has described the Bundesliga champions’ plight as “brutal” and believes the impending international break has come at the perfect time.

“The situation is brutal for us, because we are already making some effort, but we are not doing the right things,” he said.

“The international break may be quite good, and then we need points.”

Bayern are back in action next on October 20 for a visit to Wolfsburg before returning to Champions League play three days later against AEK.

The Blues legend will take his Rams side to Stamford Bridge in the next round of the cup, though the two loan signings will play no part in the tie

Chelsea will not allow Frank Lampard permission to select loanees Mason Mount and Fikayo Tomori for Derby’s trip to Stamford Bridge in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup, Goal understands.

The Blues legend returns to the capital as manager of the Championship club in what will be a special occasion for him personally, having spent 13 years of his playing career in west London.

Lampard’s Chelsea connection will no doubt have helped him seal loan deals for the pair, two of the London club’s brightest academy products, but EFL rules restrict the use of loanees against parent clubs without written consent.

Chelsea have declined use of loanees against them by Championship clubs in the past, with Hull City being denied when they were beaten 4-0 in the FA Cup by the Blues last season.

Hull had Tomori on loan at the club, as well as Michael Hector and Ola Aina ineligible to play at Stamford Bridge, which left them short in defensive positions. This situation was slightly different, however, as FA rules prohibit their use, while EFL ones leave the doors open for the clubs to decide.

The EFL rules state that “players registered on a temporary basis will not be eligible to play unless the Club holding his full registration gives written consent (also subject to any restrictions on the number of loan players prescribed by applicable Premier League rules or League Regulations)”.

Mount has been pivotal for Derby so far this season, netting five goals and getting an assist from midfield, while he scored his penalty as Lampard’s side knocked Manchester United out of the cup by winning 8-7 on penalties after a 2-2 draw in normal time.

Tomori has also been impressive for the Rams this season, playing 11 times as a centre-back for the team that sit eighth in the Championship table.

Derby’s Chelsea connection runs deeper than Lampard, too, with Under-18s boss Jody Morris and first-team coach Chris Jones arriving from the west Londoners over the summer.

The Brazilian put in another strong display, helping Barcelona dictate play despite an early hole and the hostile conditions of the Mestalla

As disappointed as Barcelona were to go for a fourth La Liga game without winning, their 1-1 draw against Valencia at Mestalla on Sunday was no disaster.

On paper taking just three points from 12 is a shoddy run for the defending champions, but in a hostile atmosphere Barcelona weathered an early storm to claim a point and control the game.

The result takes the Catalans above third place Atletico and fourth place Real Madrid, which will keep Barca fans calm even though they trail new league leaders Sevilla by a point.

Lionel Messi’s powerful low drive dug Barcelona out of another hole after poor defending allowed Ezequiel Garay to open the scoring after just two minutes, but this game will be remembered as another stepping stone in the development of young centre midfielder Arthur Melo.

Thrown into the thick of it at Wembley against Tottenham in the Champions League on Wednesday, Arthur impressed as Barcelona earned a 4-2 win and Ernesto Valverde doubled down on his bet for this game.

The coach picked the same starting line-up, bar Thomas Vermaelen coming in for Clement Lenglet in defence, which meant Arthur was trusted to link the play in the middle again.

At age 22 he has slotted into the side with little fuss after his summer switch from Brazilian side Gremio, adapting to European football at a speed rarely seen for South American players.

Calm and controlled in possession, it is too soon to classify Arthur as a player who will become a Barcelona great but there are some hugely encouraging signs in his general play.

The midfielder’s willingness to circulate the ball quickly without complicating the play has drawn comparisons to Xavi Hernandez, while the way he moves with the ball stuck to his foot is reminiscent of Andres Iniesta’s dribbling technique.

Those are two players whom Barcelona have lost in the past few seasons who may never be replaced, so Arthur’s arrival and similarities to their game is welcome at a club where the fear of losing their playing style is increasingly prominent.

The midfielder’s presence helps Barcelona dominate possession as they did at Mestalla after a rocky opening period where Valencia scored and threatened Marc-Andre ter Stegen’s goal regularly.

Once the ship steadied, Arthur took the reins and consistently made himself available for his team-mates to pass to, giving them options instead of leaving them surrounded with no outs.

Arthur attempted 142 passes, more than any player at an away ground since Xavi’s 148 at Levante in November 2012, and 135 of them were on target – a record for anybody this season in the division.

On a couple of occasions he lost the ball and it led to dangerous Valencia counter-attacks, but rough edges were always likely and should not take long to smooth.

Arthur showed a good connection with Messi, always important for hopeful new Barcelona players, with the Argentine happy to connect with a player willing and able to send him the ball and take it back.

It may take years for Arthur to reach his potential but his instant impact on the team’s play is a ray of light for Barcelona even during a complicated start to their title defence.

The Belgian striker was relieved to see the Red Devils get back to winning ways against Newcastle, but is aware that there are more tests to come

Romelu Lukaku has admitted to anxiety at Manchester United and being a “bad loser”, but insists Jose Mourinho’s side remain “a really tight group”.

The Belgium international was as relieved as anybody to see the Red Devils get back to winning ways on Saturday during a dramatic clash with Newcastle.

United headed into that game without a victory in four outings across all competitions and having failed to give a loyal fan base something to shout about on home soil since the opening weekend.

Pressure had built on Mourinho throughout an inconsistent opening to the campaign, but he can breathe a little easier after overseeing a stirring fight back from two goals down against the Magpies.

Lukaku is pleased to have seen the feel-good factor returned to Old Trafford heading into the international break, telling MUTV: “I can go to Belgium with a cool feeling [after winning].

“But at the end of the day, we are not where I want us [United] to be, so I’m going to go to Belgium, hopefully do well for my country, but knowing that I have two important games for my team coming back.

“I’m a really bad loser, so coming into the game [against Newcastle], I really was anxious, because I wanted to win. 

“Thank God we won the game and now the important thing with the international break is that nobody gets injured. When we come back, we have two important games where, if we have good results, we can move forward.”

The big games keep on coming for United, with their next two set to see them face Chelsea in the Premier League and Juventus in the Champions League.

They also have a return date with Cristiano Ronaldo and the Bianconeri to come over the next few weeks, along with matches against Everton, Bournemouth and Manchester City.

Team spirit will be crucial during a testing run, with Lukaku adamant that everyone at Old Trafford is pulling in the same direction regardless of what reports to the contrary may suggest.

He added: “Our team is great, we do a lot of stuff together. We always are a really tight group.

“Every time there is a new player coming in we try and make him feel comfortable and that’s the key. The dressing room has always been good and that’s always been the case at Manchester United and we did what we had to do.

“We won the game [against Newcastle] and we have to be positive and look forward to the next games.”

The former Red Devils midfielder feels that the club’s current manager needs to adapt to the modern game to turn things around at Old Trafford

Manchester United legend Paul Ince thinks that his former club must keep faith in Jose Mourinho, but believes that the under-fire boss needs to change his ‘dinosaur’ approach.

Mourinho’s job is in jeopardy after a disappointing start to the season, but the Portuguese helped his chances of being retained as United came from two goals down to defeat Newcastle United on Saturday.

Ince feels that the comeback win could be the catalyst for improved performances from the Red Devils and also proved that Mourinho had not lost the dressing room.

“I’ve always thought that results can change things,” Ince told Radio 5 Live. “Everyone was saying the players don’t want to play, they don’t want to fight. After the second half against Newcastle people might think differently.

“We all know one swallow doesn’t make a summer, so are we papering over the cracks because they came back? To some extent, yeah, we are but it was an important result because they had to win after all the reports of Mourinho leaving.

“After the game I’d like to think that’s a game to push Manchester United on. I’m not saying they will start challenging City and Liverpool for the title but it gives them some respite after everything that has been going on.”

Despite the positive result, the former England international believes that Mourinho must change his ways at Old Trafford in order to return the club to the glory days experienced during Ince’s own playing days under Alex Ferguson.

Ince wants Mourinho to change his tactics on the field but also how he interacts with his players, with the former Chelsea boss regularly singling out his underperforming stars for criticism in the media.

“Players have changed,” Ince continued. “We’re not in the era where Sir Alex Ferguson could come in and slaughter me or Roy Keane or Mark Hughes and we’ll respond to what he’s saying.

“Players are a little more fragile to a certain extent and they need an arm around the shoulder, they need a lift, they need someone to say they are good players for them to respond.

“I hope [he stays] because Manchester United had Sir Alex Ferguson for so long and I don’t want us to become a yo-yo club with managers sacked every two years.

“What Mourinho has to understand is the game has evolved. It’s not like when he was at Inter Milan in the Champions League and he could park the bus defensively.

“The philosophy he’s had at Chelsea and Real Madrid has been different to what it should be at Manchester United.

“Manchester United has a tradition of playing attacking football. Yes they want to win trophies but you don’t need to win a trophy every week. They want to see entertaining football.

“Hopefully Mourinho stays, I’d like him to stay but he has to start changing his methods from those he’s used for years and understand the game’s gone forward.

“Don’t be a dinosaur, and start attacking teams like we did over the years.”

The young defender has told Goal that he rates the Brazilian on a purely defensive basis higher than the likes of Virgil van Dijk

Mainz star Moussa Niakhate has hailed Paris Saint-Germain’s Thiago Silva as the best defender in the world.

Niakhate spent last season in Ligue 1 with Metz, discovering France’s top flight for the first time since graduating from Valenciennes’ youth academy and turning professional in 2014.

The 22-year-old has since moved on to the Bundesliga, but says that the world’s best defender remains in France.

“Even if we ask defenders to score goals, to be decisive more and more, the most important thing is to defend well. And for me, the one who defends best is Thiago Silva,” he told Goal. “In one against one, defensively, he is monstrous.”

He would not, however, say that he models his game on the Brazilian, but studies all of football’s top players.

“I am a football lover – I watch a lot of football on TV,” he admitted. “But I will not replay moments to see how he does things. I save the replays for my own matches. 

“I watch the games as a spectator even though I have a closer look at the top players. Whether it’s Thiago Silva in France, the defenders of Juventus in Italy, Virgil van Dijk at Liverpool or Cesar Azpilicueta at Chelsea, I look at all the players, I am inspired by everything, but I focus on myself first.”

He believes moving to Germany has been a positive step for him, while he says that young French players have a terrific reputation in the Bundesliga.

“They consider the French young players as diamonds,” he said. “Whenever a Frenchman arrives, there is very little chance that he will be a flop. That’s what people here told me, and I think the World Cup win accentuated that.

“And if you look closely, there are many young players in the France squad: Ousmane Dembele, Kylian Mbappe, Florian Thauvin, Samuel Umtiti, Paul Pogba – for the most part, they still played with the youth teams not so long ago.”

He arrived as a replacement for Abdou Diallo, another young Frenchman, who moved to Borussia Dortmund in the summer, although Niakhate did not discuss his transfer in depth with his former France youth team colleague.

“We only spoke after I signed my deal,” he said. “I wanted to make the decision for myself.

“He said that the stadiums are incredible, that there are shows everywhere and that people live for football. I knew it already, but it confirmed what I thought. 

“He also told me about the club. He explained to me the rules of life. He told me that people were very reliable there. All we said was more like advice from friends. He gave me some tips. We talked about our life. But we did not go further on Mainz.” 

Niakhate has been an ever present in a defence that has not conceded more than a single goal in a game so far this season.

The Liverpool manager insists the champions remain the best team in England ahead of their showdown on Sunday

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp insisted Manchester City are still the “biggest force” in the Premier League as the Reds attempt to dethrone the champions.

Klopp’s Liverpool will host Premier League titleholders City in a blockbuster top-of-the-table clash at Anfield on Sunday – both teams level atop the standings following unbeaten starts to the season.

City enjoyed a record-breaking campaign last term as they won the trophy by 19 points and 25 points ahead of fourth-placed Liverpool, who loom as the biggest threat to Pep Guardiola’s bid for back-to-back crowns in 2018-19.

Klopp, however, believes Guardiola’s City remain the team to beat in England ahead of their showdown on Merseyside.

“They are so strong,” said Klopp. “This team together with the club, the money they have and this manager is exceptional.

“It is a good match, a good combination. It makes them the biggest force, at the moment, together with PSG in world football. We have to battle and fight with them for different things in the league and maybe in the Champions League at one point if it comes to that again. That is it.

“They are really good. We have to prove that we are as good as we can be and we have shown that in a few moments. We face a very strong team again and it will be very difficult again, that is all. In this moment, there is no pressure. If this was match-day 30 we’d have to see who can deal with it.”

“I can say it again, I really think the most important thing for football – the most important job of football – is entertaining the people,” Klopp continued.

“It’s only football, it’s nothing else. We don’t save lives, we don’t create anything, we are not good in surgeries, we are only good in football.

“If we would not entertain the people, why would we play it then? It’s not always possible unfortunately and it’s always hard work, even if we’re entertaining people, it’s especially hard work. Pep’s teams are best in that and I can admit that easily because it’s so obvious.

“But we are not bad in a few other things and that’s why we are not the most comfortable opponent for City in the past. But that means nothing for Sunday, we need to be at 100 per cent, if not 110 per cent, to deal with the quality of City.”

The Leicester midfielder has been called up to Gareth Southgate’s Nations League squad to face Croatia and Spain with Mason Mount and Jadon Sancho

James Maddison is determined to give England manager Gareth Southgate no reason to send him back to the Under-21s.

The Leicester City midfielder has been called into the Three Lions’ senior ranks for the first time for the UEFA Nations League games against Croatia and Spain.

And the attack-minded 21-year-old, who models himself on David Silva and Philippe Coutinho, intends to grab his opportunity.

Maddison, promoted along with Derby’s Mason Mount and Borussia Dortmund starlet Jadon Sancho, told The Guardian: “We have been given this opportunity to show what we are about in the seniors; me, Mason and Jadon.

“If it was up to me I’d never go back to the Under-21s because this is where every young boy dreams of being. Aidy [Boothroyd, the Under-21s manager] is saying: ‘Give Gareth a choice where he doesn’t put you back down and wants you here constantly in the squad’, and that is what we are all aiming to achieve.”

Leicester signed Maddison, who started his career with hometown team Coventry, from Norwich for £25million in the summer – and his eight Premier League appearances have already produced three goals.

Those statistics illustrate why he caught Southgate’s eye and the youngster is confident he can make his presence felt.

“The No.10 position is my favourite role,” he added. “I am a player who likes to play in between the lines and try to break that midfield line whether it’s when I receive a pass or can go and show everyone what I am about.

“I was always smaller than the rest coming up at Coventry and I developed physically more in the later stages. In the academies people develop differently and going into that No.10 role helped me because central midfield was always packed with big, strong boys. 

“The No.10 helped take that edge out of it and, when I caught up physically, I had grown to love that role and made it my own at Coventry, so I went from there.”

England face Croatia behind closed doors in Rijeka on Friday and meet Spain in Seville on Monday.

The youngster has not been overawed by his elevation to one of the world’s leading players, according to his France team-mate

France goalkeeper Hugo Lloris believes Paris Saint-Germain sensation Kylian Mbappe is coping well with his status as one of the world’s best players.

The 19-year-old was instrumental in France’s 2018 World Cup triumph and he has carried that stunning form into the new season, scoring eight goals in just five Ligue 1 games – four of which came in a blistering 13-minute spell against Lyon on Sunday.

He was also named on the 30-man shortlist for the Ballon d’Or this week, and Lloris has been impressed with how the PSG forward is seemingly taking it all in his stride.

“Obviously Kylian has a brand new status now,” he said at a media conference ahead of France’s friendly against Iceland on Thursday and Nations League game against Germany five days later.

“Even though he has done great things in Ligue 1 and the Champions League, the World Cup gave him a new dimension in the world’s eyes.

“He is adjusting just fine to this new status; we all know his great potential.

“He proved that in the second half against Lyon. I have not seen the first half, just the second one.

“It is not easy to score four goals in Ligue 1. I’m sure he can repeat these kinds of performances all over again.”

Lloris has also been named on the Ballon d’Or shortlist – along with fellow World Cup winners Paul Pogba, Raphael Varane, N’Golo Kante and Antoine Griezmann – and hopes one of Didier Deschamps’ triumphant players can break the stranglehold of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, who have shared the last 10 awards.

“It is always a token of appreciation,” he added.

“I am really pleased to be in the list of 30 personally and for my team-mates. We all hope that a French player will win, however we are not the ones choosing so we’ll just watch.”

Bob Bradley’s expansion side earned their place in the playoffs with dominant win, while Philly and SKC both locked up spots as well

A trio of teams booked their spots in the MLS playoffs on Saturday as LAFC, the Philadelphia Union and Sporting KC picked up victories to lock up postseason berths.

LAFC became the fifth expansion team to seal postseason soccer thanks to a 3-0 victory over the lowly Colorado Rapids. The match was headlined by a brace from Adama Diomande, who followed up on a goal from Walker Zimmerman to officially clinch a spot in the postseason.

The victory has LAFC sitting third in the Western Conference, ahead of the Portland Timbers, who picked up a 3-1 win over Real Salt Lake to move closer to clinching their own spot. The Timbers’ win keeps the team in fourth place.

Sporting KC, meanwhile, sealed their spot in the postseason once again thanks to a 1-1 draw with the LA Galaxy. Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored from the penalty spot in the 25th minute, but the Galaxy could not hold on as Johnny Russell scored with seven minutes remaining to earn Sporting KC a point.

Peter Vermes’ team has now made the playoffs in seven consecutive seasons while the Galaxy are currently miss out for the second year running as they chase Real Salt Lake, the Seattle Sounders and the Portland Timbers for the final three spots.

In the Eastern Conference, the Union will be a part of the playoffs for the third time in club history thanks to a 5-1 beatdown of Minnesota United.

The Union battered the Loons early and often with Corey Burke opening the scoring eight minutes in.

Alejandro Bedoya added a second in the 23rd minute before Fafa Picault, recently added to the U.S. national team roster, scored a brace before halftime. Darwin Quintero pulled one back for the visiting Loons, but Ilsinho put an exclamation point on the win for the hosts.

While three teams confirmed playoff soccer, the reigning champion, Toronto FC, was eliminated from postseason contention following a 2-1 loss to the Vancouver Whitecaps. A fourth-minute goal from Russell Teibert put TFC in an early hole, but Jozy Altidore brought the Canadian side back from the penalty spot in the 73rd. Five minutes later, the Whitecaps were back in the lead for good on a finish from Kei Kamara.

Eastern Conference leader Atlanta United kept rolling with a 2-1 win over the struggling New England Revolution. However, it may have come at a price as Miguel Almiron suffered an injury that could keep him out of action through the last few weeks of the regular season.

FC Dallas also kept it rolling via a win over struggling opposition in a 2-0 victory over Orlando City behind goals from Santiago Mosquera and Victor Ulloa. FC Dallas remains atop the West, four points ahead of Sporting KC, while Orlando City has collected just six points since May 6.

The Montreal Impact took a step towards a playoff berth of their own with a 3-0 win over the Columbus Crew. The win keeps the Impact in sixth-place, good for the final playoff spot, although they remain five points behind the Crew and five points ahead of D.C. United, who have three matches in hand.

In the final match of the evening, the New York Red Bulls stayed on Atlanta’s heels with a 3-1 win over the San Jose Earthquakes, who remain dead last in the West. Alex Muyl and Bradley Wright-Phillips provided the first half goals while Aaron Long scored after halftime as the Red Bulls collected a third consecutive win.

There was a bit of silver lining for the Quakes, though, as Chris Wondolowski pulled one goal closer to Landon Donovan’s all-time recor with an 83rd minute consolation finish.

The strike was Wondolowski’s 144th career MLS goal, and leaves him just one shy of Donovan’s all-time mark. 

The 35-year-old will have two more matches this season to catch Donovan, with the Earthquakes set to take on the Colorado Rapids and the Seattle Sounders to close out the campaign.