Sports

Arsenal fight back to earn precious 2-2 draw at Chelsea

Published

3 years ago

October 21, 2023

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Arsenal staged a stunning fightback from two goals down as Leandro Trossard’s late equaliser rescued a dramatic 2-2 draw at Chelsea on Saturday.

Mikel Arteta’s team were 13 minutes away from their first Premier League defeat this season after Cole Palmer’s early penalty and Mykhailo Mudryk’s second-half goal put Chelsea in control.

But a miscued pass from Chelsea keeper Robert Sanchez allowed Declan Rice to give Arsenal a lifeline and Trossard bundled home the leveller with six minutes left.

Arsenal’s gritty comeback extended their unbeaten start to the league season to nine games, leaving them in second place behind leaders Manchester City on goal difference.

It was another display of the character and spirit pulsing through Arsenal over the last 18 months, qualities that are underpinning their bid to finally win the club’s first title since 2004.

For Chelsea, it was a hammer blow after they were on the brink of delivering the first signficant statement victory of Mauricio Pochettino’s maiden season in charge.

The Blues have failed to beat Arsenal on home turf since 2018 and they will never get a better chance to inflict defeat on their London rivals.

Following a minute’s silence to mark the death of former Manchester United and England star Bobby Charlton earlier on Saturday, Chelsea had made a vibrant start in the torrential rain.

The Blues took the lead in the 15th minute after William Saliba’s out-stretched arm blocked Mudryk’s header.

Chelsea’s penalty appeal initially looked set to be ignored, but referee Chris Kavanagh eventually awarded it after being advised by VAR to consult the pitchside monitor.

Palmer calmly drilled the spot-kick past David Raya to claim his second goal since signing from Manchester City earlier this season.

Rice led the Arsenal response as the midfielder fired narrowly wide of the far post from an acute angle.

Late Surge

Palmer was inches away from scoring again with a low drive that fizzed wide from the edge of the area.

Pochettino told Arteta not to go into coaching when the pair played together at Paris Saint-Germain, advice the Arsenal boss will be pleased he ignored.

The pair, who this week described their relationship as “like brothers” shared a warm embrace before kick-off, but there was little love lost between their teams.

Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka was singled out for some crude challenges by Marc Cucurella, while three players were booked in a feisty half.

Raya gifted Chelsea their second goal in the 48th minute when the Arsenal keeper failed to follow the flight of Mudryk’s miscued cross from the left flank as it drifted over his head into the far corner.

Mudryk’s fortuitous strike was also a painful twist for Arsenal after he spurned them to sign for Chelsea last season.

Raya has been preferred to Arsenal’s former first choice keeper Aaron Ramsdale in recent weeks, but has looked far from comfortable at times.

Raya’s confidence was shaken by his latest mistake and he almost handed Chelsea another goal with a wayward pass that Palmer intercepted but was unable to convert from 12 yards.

It was a crucial miss as Sanchez returned the favour in the 77th minute with a woeful pass that was seized on by Rice, who gratefully lofted his shot into the empty net from 25 yards.

Suddenly, Chelsea looked riddled with nerves and Arteta’s side made them pay in the 84th minute.

Saka curled a cross to the far post and Trossard got in front of Malo Gusto to slot home from close range.

Eddie Nketiah should have capped Arsenal’s remarkable late surge, but the striker fired wide from a golden chance to steal all three points.

AFP

Sports

Nine African teams in World Cup last-32 round

Published

1 month ago

June 28, 2026

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Following the conclusion of the group stage, nine African countries have confirmed their places in round 32 of the 2026 World Cup.

Algeria and DR Congo are the latest teams from the continent to seal their last-32 ticket at the ongoing competition.

They join Morocco, South Africa, Cote d’Ivoire, Egypt, Cape Verde, Ghana and Senegal in the business end of the competition, breaking the previous record of just two African teams at a World Cup knockout round.

Tunisia is the only country on the continent to qualify for the World Cup, but failed to progress beyond the group stage.

DR Congo qualified after earning their first-ever World Cup victory, 3-1 over Uzbekistan, in their last group stage match on Saturday in Atlanta. Yoane Wissa’s brace and Fislon Mayele’s strike helped the Leopard turn around a game that started disastrously for them.

The victory takes DR Congo to the top of the eight best third-placed teams, and they will face England next on Wednesday.

Algeria also managed to squeeze into the last 32 through the best losers’ route. A 3-3 draw against Austria in their final group game ensured they displaced Iran for the final slot.

Ghana also clung to the third-placed ladder to advance despite their 2-1 loss to Croatia in their last Group game. The Black Stars will face Colombia in the next round on July 3.

ROUND OF 32 FIXTURES (All Nigerian time)

South Africa vs Canada — June 28 — 8 pm — Los Angeles Stadium

Brazil vs Japan — June 29 — 6 pm — Houston Stadium

Germany vs Paraguay — June 29 — 9:30 pm — Boston Stadium

Netherlands vs Morocco — June 30 — 2 am — Estadio Monterrey

Ivory Coast vs Norway — June 30 — 6 pm — Dallas Stadium

France vs Sweden — June 30 — 10 pm — New York New Jersey Stadium

Mexico vs Ecuador — July 1 — 2 am — Mexico City Stadium

England vs DR Congo — July 1 — 5 am — Atlanta Stadium

Belgium vs Senegal — July 1 — 9 pm — Seattle Stadium

United States vs Bosnia and Herzegovina — July 2 — 1 am — San Francisco Bay Area Stadium

Spain vs Austria — July 2 — 6 pm — Los Angeles Stadium

Portugal vs Croatia — July 3 — 12 am — Toronto Stadium

Switzerland vs Algeria — July 3 — 4 am — BC Place, Vancouver

Australia vs Egypt — July 3 — 7 pm — Dallas Stadium

Argentina vs Cape Verde — July 3 — 11 pm — Miami Stadium

Colombia vs Ghana — July 4 — 2:30 am — Kansas City Stadium

Sports

Athletics Open: Amusan wins gold, sets new record in Taiwan

Published

2 months ago

June 6, 2026

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Nigerian and world women’s 100m hurdles world record holder, Tobi Amusan,on Saturday won the women’s 100m hurdles gold at the New Taipei Athletics Open in Taiwan.

Amusan struck gold ahead of Taiwanese duo Bo Ya Zhang, who settled for second place in 13.17s, and Yi Po-an took third place in 13.37s.

The 29-year-old’s winning time of 12.72s is also a new meeting record, chalking off 0.08s off the previous mark of 12.80s held by Nia Ali, US Olympic silver medalist and former world champion.

Amusan was dominant in the qualifiers for the final, blowing away the field in Heat 2, and continued the form in the final to deliver a swashbuckling race that thrilled the crowd.

She took the lead outright after the fourth hurdle, leaving Zhang behind.

The three-time Senior Africa Athletics Championship winner crossed the finish line before the last competing athlete cleared the final hurdle, to the amazement of screaming spectators.

It is the second consecutive race Amusan will break a meeting record this athletics season, she also broke her meeting record in the women’s 100m hurdles event at the Rabat Diamond League.

She has won three of five races this season, and has not failed to claim a podium finish.

Sports

Arsenal win EPL title after 22 years

Published

3 months 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.