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Mad for Madueke

Mauricio Pochettino praised Noni Madueke's mentality after the winger came off the bench to secure a 2-1 win for Chelsea over Crystal Palace.

Madueke, 21, won a late penalty for his side after being tripped by Eberechi Eze and then stepped up to emphatically dispatch the spot kick.

The English forward has struggled for game time in recent weeks but Blues boss Pochettino complimented him for channelling his frustration in the correct manner.

He said: "He [Madueke] played free. He did what we needed in this moment.

"I liked it because he showed he was upset with me, disappointed with me because he didn't play too much. [He thought] 'Now I’m going to show the coach he can trust in me'.

"We are not a charity, we are a football club. We need to perform. We are here to try and help the players to perform. Sometimes we need to be tough. We need to show the reality.

"Sometimes we need to put [the players] in front of the mirror and say, 'Come on, that is not the player that is going to perform'.

"We have an amazing group, but they need to realise that to compete at Chelsea is not [the same] as to compete at another club."

Isco signs

Real Betis have confirmed midfield maestro Isco has extended his contract until 2027.

The ex-Real Madrid playmaker, 31, joined Los Verdiblancos for free in the summer on a one-year deal following a short, unsuccessful stint at rivals Sevilla.

Isco has looked back to his best since signing for Betis, scoring three goals and providing four assists in 24 appearances across all competitions.

He also leads the way in LaLiga for chances created with 55, while ranking inside the division's top 10 for both take-ons completed (32) and final third passes completed (286).

Injury updates

Pep Guardiola provided updates on Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne as the superstar pair step up their recoveries from injury.

Haaland has not featured for Manchester City since their 1-0 defeat to Aston Villa at the start of the month after picking up a foot issue and is set to miss Saturday's match against Sheffield United.

Guardiola said: "Still he’s not with the team. He feels better but he hasn’t made one training session with us. Hopefully in January he can come back with us."

De Bruyne has been absent since suffering a serious hamstring injury in the season opener against Burnley but the Belgian playmaker is close to re-entering his manager's plans.

Guardiola added: "Last week he trained with us. Today he had a little bit of fatigue because he's training hard."

Cameroon comeback

Andre Onana has been named in Cameroon's squad for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations.

The Manchester United goalkeeper was sent home from last winter's World Cup in Qatar after a fall-out with manager Rigobert Song and Cameroonian Football Federation president Samuel Eto'o.

But the 27-year-old will represent the Indomitable Lions at another major tournament and it means the Red Devils will soon have to call upon back-up stopper Altay Bayindir.

The latest edition of AFCON is taking place in the Ivory Coast, starting on January 13 and finishing on February 11.

Frank's got your back

Brentford boss Thomas Frank issued words of support for defender Nathan Collins after a horror show in the 4-1 loss against former club Wolves.

The 22-year-old centre-back left Molineux this summer and endured a nightmare 90 minutes against Gary O'Neil's side, handing them two goals with misplaced passes as the Bees slipped to a fourth straight defeat.

But Frank is adamant the Republic of Ireland international will brush off the criticism ahead of Saturday's trip to Crystal Palace.

The Danish manager said: "I told him it will never be worse than this, with a smile on my face.

"He's been a very positive player for us this season, he's performed very well for us. It happens.

"Tonight he will be down but tomorrow it's a fact that the sun will rise again. I expect him to walk into training with his head held high."