Sports

London is Red: Arsenal reclaim top spot with Chelsea win as Aubameyang struggles

Published

3 years ago

November 6, 2022

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Arsenal reclaimed top spot in the Premier League as they beat Chelsea and denied Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang a dream reunion with his former side.

The Gunners had fallen behind Manchester City following their dramatic win over Fulham on Saturday but underlined their title credentials with a mature display at Stamford Bridge. Brazilian defender Gabriel Magalhaes gave the Gunners a deserved second-half lead as he converted from close range following Bukayo Saka’s cross.

Heading into the showdown at Stamford Bridge, there was of course plenty of talk surrounding Aubameyang’s reunion with his former club. The Gabonese attempted to stir the tension ahead of the clash with a few choice words. That – coupled with his somewhat acrimonious exit from the Emirates Stadium – saw him receive loud boos from the away end.

Unfortunately for Aubameyang, he really struggled to have an impact on the game and display the lethal goalscoring instincts that were regularly on dissplay across the capital. He was eventually withdrawn midway through the second-half in place of Armando Broja.

Loser Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang endured a miserable time of things against Arsenal ( Image: Getty Images)
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Whilst Arsenal boss Arteta assured reporters that he only wanted to focus on his side instead of Aubameyang ahead of the game, he had no choice but to put his focus on the Gabonese midway during the first-half. The former Barcelona striker produced a crunching tackled on Gunners’ defender Ben White – leaving him sprawled on the floor.

Referee Michael Oliver very quickly brandished a yellow card for Aubameyang but that did nothing to cool Arteta’s mood as he was left apopleptic at the tackle.

The Spaniard continued to cut a stormy figure throughout the game and remonstrated with the fourth official after Bukayo Saka was booked for a foul on Marc Cucurella. His mood will no doubt have improved after seeing his side hit the front after the break and hold onto what could be a vital three points.

In all honesty, there was a real lack of goal-mouth action throughout the game but that does not mean there was a lack of competitiveness.

During the 90 minutes, a vast number of heavy challenges were flying in from both sides – potentially indicating how much of an evenkeel both sides are currently on. Throughout the match, there was 31 free-kicks awarded with all of Cesar Azpilicueta, Trevoh Chalobah, Saka and Aubameyang all receiving bookings.

The stop-start nature of the game certainly made it tough for each side to build momentum so Arsenal must be credited for finding a route through to goal in an extremely bitty affair.

Chelsea are currently in the doldrums of a defensive injury crisis with the likes of Reece James, Ben Chilwell and Wesley Fofana all restricted to the sidelines – and that appears to be a major reason behind their struggles.

After shipping four at Brighton last time out, the Blues’ backline did not cover itself in glory for Gabriel’s opener. Saka’s cross somehow managed to find its way through a clutch of Chelsea players before finding its way to the unmarked Brazilian – who had the simple task of firing home unchallenged.

Graham Potter certainly has his work cut out in tightening up a defence that has looked lost at sea for weeks.

Sports

WrestleMania 42: Nigerian wrestler Oba Femi beats 10-time WWE Champion Brock Lesnar

Published

5 days ago

April 20, 2026

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Nigerian professional wrestler, Isaac Odugbesan, popularly known as Oba Femi, defeated 10-time WWE Champion, Brock Lesnar, on his WrestleMania debut on Sunday.

The clash, one of the headline matches at WrestleMania 42, ended on a dramatic note as the 27-year-old Nigerian overpowered the veteran.

Lesnar left his wrestling gear in the ring after the match — a gesture widely regarded in professional wrestling as a sign of retirement.

Oba Femi, also known as “The Ruler,” is a former NXT champion and has spent just three months on WWE’s main roster.

The contest began with both wrestlers testing each other’s strength before Lesnar briefly seized control with a series of offensive moves.

However, Femi absorbed the pressure and responded with a dominant display, shifting momentum in his favour.

Lesnar delivered an F5, but Femi quickly recovered, hitting a chokeslam before finishing the contest with his “Fall From Grace” sit-out powerbomb for the pinfall victory.

The bout quickly became a major talking point on social media, with fans reacting to the upset win.

Femi, a former shot put athlete, is a two-time NXT Champion and a one-time NXT North American Champion.

Born in Lagos, Odugbesan competed in track and field during his school years before signing with WWE in 2021 through its NIL programme.

He went on to win the 2023 NXT Men’s Breakout Tournament and the 2024 Men’s Iron Survivor Challenge.

During the WrestleMania Sunday post-show, Femi sent a message to Roman Reigns, popularly known as the “Original Tribal Chief,” drawing a loud reaction from fans as he hinted at a possible title challenge before the end of the year.

Sports

BREAKING: CAF overturns Afcon final result, declares Morocco winner

Published

1 month ago

March 17, 2026

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The Confederation of African Football (Caf) has overturned the result of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations finals and declare MOROCCO the winner of the title.

Senegal beat Morocco 1-0 in the final on 18 January in a match which was overshadowed when the Senegalese players refused to play after the hosts were awarded a stoppage-time penalty with the match goalless.

Following a delay of around 17 minutes, the players did eventually return and Brahim Diaz’s penalty was saved before Senegal’s Pape Gueye scored an extra-time winner.

However, that result has now been overturned by CAF.

A statement by the African Football’s Governing Body said that Senegal are “declared to have forfeited the final match” with the “result of the match being recorded as 3-0 in favour” of Morocco.

Sports

FG fulfils promises as D’Tigress receive national honours, house documents

Published

1 month ago

March 17, 2026

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The Federal Government has fulfilled its outstanding promises to the senior women’s national basketball team, D’Tigress, delivering National Honour certificates and title documents for houses in Abuja.

The presentation took place in Lyon, where the African Champions are currently participating at the FIBA Women’s World Cup Qualifying Tournament.

The move follows a directive from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu aimed at clearing a backlog of promises made to the team following their 2023 Afrobasket victory in Kigali, Rwanda.

The Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Mallam Shehu Dikko, led the delegation alongside the Director General, Hon. Bukola Olopade. Speaking during the handover, Dikko characterized the prompt delivery as a “clear departure” from previous administrations, where state-promised rewards often faced multi-year delays.

“This is a prompt fulfilment of promises made by a President who leads with action,” Dikko stated. “Mr. President is giving every Nigerian athlete a renewed confidence that sports is a serious business capable of changing lives.”

While the physical assets (housing and honours) have been delivered, the NSC Chairman confirmed that the cash rewards promised to the squad are currently in the final stages of administrative processing. He assured the players that disbursement into their respective bank accounts is imminent.

The Director General, Hon. Bukola Olopade, noted that the current administration of President Tinubu is institutionalizing a “reward system” modelled after developed sporting nations to ensure high-performance outcomes.

President of Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF), Engr. Musa Kida, credited the Presidency for prioritizing athlete welfare, citing it as a “legacy of a lifetime” for the sports sector.

Head Coach Rena Wakama and Captain Amy Okonkwo formally accepted the documents, affirming that the timely delivery of these incentives would serve as a catalyst for the team’s upcoming international qualifiers.