Sports

Gunners go top with victory over Luton

Published

2 years ago

April 3, 2024

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Arsenal, on Wednesday night overcame the absence of Bukayo Saka to move back to the top of the Premier League table with victory over struggling Luton at Emirates Stadium.

Leading scorer Saka was missing after suffering a knock against Manchester City at the weekend, but Mikel Arteta’s much-changed side did enough to rout their hard-working opponents and move back above Liverpool at the summit.

Captain Martin Odegaard fired the hosts into the lead in the 24th minute after Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu was bundled off the ball by Emile Smith Rowe, before the Gunners doubled their advantage shortly before half-time.

Japan defender Daiki Hashioka inadvertently put past his own keeper Thomas Kaminski in the 44th minute while trying to stop Reiss Nelson after Smith Rowe was afforded too much space in the penalty area.

Luton were decimated by injuries to the extent that they had 16-year-old schoolboy defender Christian Chigozie on the substitutes bench.

They never allowed Arsenal to run away with it, while Gunners keeper David Raya was forced to keep out Ross Barkley’s free-kick on the stroke of half-time.

Arsenal, however, were largely untroubled as they moved on to 68 points – one point clear of Liverpool, who play bottom-of-the-table Sheffield United at Anfield on Thursday (19:30 BST kick-off).

Gunners get the job done
Having seen Arsenal at their defensive best to frustrate title rivals Manchester City in Sunday’s hard-fought goalless draw at Etihad Stadium, the Gunners returned to goalscoring form against Luton.

With just three points separating the top three at the start of the day, goal difference could play a vital role in this most enthralling of title races.

Arsenal’s 21st Premier League win of the season moved them on to plus-48, while Liverpool are on plus-40 and Manchester City, who were in action later on Wednesday against Aston Villa, started the day on plus-35.

Arteta made five changes for the visit of relegation-threatened Luton, with the likes of Declan Rice, Gabriel Jesus and Jorginho given a rest before a busy spell of games which includes two mouth-watering fixtures with Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

While Arsenal will hope Saka is back for Saturday’s game at Brighton, they got the job done against Luton without too much drama and with some of their fringe players getting a first outing for some time.

Nelson was handed his first Premier League start since 2020 while Partey and Smith Rowe both made rare starts.

Yet it is Kai Havertz who continues to impress.

The German showed why he has such an important role to play at the business end of the season with another assist to add to his eight Premier League goals when he teed-up Odegaard to set Arsenal on their way.

No disgrace but Luton must start winning again
Arsenal away was never going to be easy for Luton, whose ludicrous injury list left them without the services of 11 players, and a 2-0 defeat to a team chasing a Premier League and Champions League double is no disgrace.

Although the hosts were comfortable winners in the end, Rob Edwards’ patched-up side arrived with a plan and made the Gunners work hard for their win.

It is a credit to Edwards and his players that the team with the smallest budget in the Premier League still have a fighting chance of staying up with seven matches left.

But the Hatters, who are three points from safety, are now without a victory in 10 Premier League games and must find a way to start winning again.

This Saturday’s home match with in-form Bournemouth is crucial, as are the home games that follow against Brentford (20 April), Everton (4 May) and Fulham on the final day on 19 May.

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.