Sports

Arsenal down Man Utd in thrilling Emirates encounter

Published

3 years ago

January 22, 2023

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Eddie Nketiah’s 89th minute winner kept Arsenal on course for the Premier League title as they downed Manchester United late on.

The two sides both had to come from behind at different periods as the contest ebbed and flowed in north London, but ended with the Gunners firmly on top.

The Red Devils remain the only team to beat the Gunners this term – and threatened to do so again when the in-form Marcus Rashford scored a sublime opener from distance.

Erik ten Hag’s celebrations highlighted the importance of the clash, but their lead was short lived as Eddie Nketiah levelled proceedings. Arsenal were able to dominate the midfield and took the lead in the second-half when Bukayo Saka cut-in before scoring in impressive fashion.

The hosts’ lead was similarly short-lived as the bandaged Lisandro Martinez scored a clever header in front of the away following to level the contest once more. It looked as if the contest would end level, but Nketiah sent the Emirates in raptures, after a VAR check, as he flicked home late on.

The contest at the Emirates had a whiff of the Sir Alex Ferguson vs Arsene Wenger about it, such is the quality of these two teams, who are once again up at the top. Here are five talking points from north London.

It has probably been well over a decade since an Arsenal vs United clash involved two teams who were in a good moment, ready to compete and at ease with what they are. The contest, with all its history, has always attracted big audiences and been a game to look out for, but it lacked what we had today.

On Sunday it felt like we’d rewound the clock to a time when these two heavyweights were challenging for honours – and that is exactly what they look set to do. Arteta and Ten Hag have created teams that are befitting their club’s rich history.

At the Emirates we were treated to a 90 minutes that was full of quality, full of energy and full of optimism for both sides. Arsenal supports will have left the happier, but fans can’t have been anything but pleased with what they saw as both outfits showed why they are firmly on the rise.

No Jesus, no problem
The Brazilian was the marquee signing at the Emirates in the summer and quickly showed why in the early months of the season. Even when Gabriel Jesus wasn’t scoring, he was having a notable affect on the team and the fear was, were he to get injured, Arsenal would drop off.

That fear became a reality at the World Cup, but Nketiah has filled in seamlessly and continues to justify the new contract he penned in the summer. For much of the season he’s been Jesus’ understudy, but is proving he’s more than capable of leading the line for a side with title aspirations.

His header levelled the contest, and showed the predatory instincts he’s long been credited with. Jesus is set to be sidelined for several more weeks but his absence is certainly not being felt as Nketiah produced perhaps the moment of the season so far with the winner.

Casemiro’s absence felt
Ten Hag was keen to remind fans that when United beat Arsenal earlier this season, they did so without Casemiro. Much was made of the Brazilian’s absence in north London, which came as a result of his yellow card at Crystal Palace in midweek.

Scott McTominay stepped in to fill the void but he is not a five-time Champions League winner. Casemiro’s arrival has galvanised the United midfield, but without him Arsenal exploited and dominated the middle of the park. They were able to play through the visitors, which allowed them to feed their attacking stars.

You imagine, had Casemiro started, that we would’ve seen a different game, but it was the Gunners who were able to take advantage.

You have to remind yourself sometimes that the man wearing the United No 10 shirt is the same man from last season. Rashford was a player bereft of confidence and form and you wondered whether he would get back to the heights he once threatened to reach as a youngster.

Now though, after an impressive pre-season and a new manager giving him instructions, Rashford is leading United’s attack. His strike at the Emirates showed bags of quality, but could only have been scored by a man brimming with confidence in his own ability.

His strike was his ninth in all competitions since the end of the World Cup – a tally not bettered by anyone in Europe.

Sports

Arsenal win EPL title after 22 years

Published

2 weeks ago

May 19, 2026

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Arsenal are English Premier League (EPL) champions after Manchester City failed to win at Bournemouth.

Pep Guardiola’s Man City drew 1-1 with Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium to hand Arsenal an unassailable four-point lead with just one match remaining to the end of the season.

The Gunners win the EPL title for the first time in 22 years, since the legendary Invincible side won it in the 2003/04 season.

In the club’s 100th season without relegation from the EPL, the club will celebrate its centenary participation with a league title won on the back of a record 28 EPL wins that surpassed the 26 wins recorded by the Invincibles. The defence prevented opponents from registering a shot on target in six matches, equaling a 23-year league record, and also scored a record 17 goals from corner kicks.

Mikel Arteta’s tough side has led the table for most of the season before a late mini-collapse, and Man City’s late surge in form nearly threatened their title ambition for a second season in a row.

City’s late resurgence, however, was initially stunned by Everton in early May and completely collapsed against Bournemouth.

Guardiola’s side visited the Vitality Stadium aware that any result other than a victory would seal Arsenal’s title. But they lacked the execution for the mission after falling to a wonderful strike from Junior Kroupi in the first half.

City were only kept in the game by Bournemouth’s profligacy in front of goal. When Erling Haaland’s equaliser was squeezed home in the eleventh hour of the game, even the most faithful City supporter knew it was too little, too late.

Arsenal and Arteta secured the league earlier than they would have predicted, giving City a prodigious title run-in.

The league triumph is Arteta’s second major title with the North London club since joining in December 2019, adding to the English FA Cup trophy won within six months of his tenure in May 2020.

The 44-year-old Spaniard wins his fourth title overall and can win his fifth — and third major trophy — with victory over Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Champions League final next weekend.

Sports

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

Published

2 months 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

3 months 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.