Sports

Arsenal beat Bournemouth to go four points clear at top of table

Published

2 years ago

May 4, 2024

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Arsenal cruised past Bournemouth to go four points clear at the top of the Premier League before Saturday’s later games.

With the win, Arsenal ensured they kept the pressure on Manchester City in the title race.

Bukayo Saka opened the scoring with a first-half penalty, with the Gunners totally dominant for much of the game. They had an astonishing 16 shots in the first-half alone, with the Cherries managing just one and even that was not on target.

Saka’s penalty came on the stroke of half-time after Kai Havertz trailed his leg to ensure he was brought down by Bournemouth keeper Mark Travers. While the Cherries were resurgent after the break, they struggled to create clear-cut chances.

Arsenal keeper David Raya barely had a save to make, with Leandro Trossard wrapping up the three points when he swept the ball past Travers with 20 minutes to go before Declan Rice topped the win off with an injury-time goal. Here, Mirror Football looks at the biggest talking points from Arsenal’s win.

Arsenal are continuing to do their job in the title race, with this win moving them four points clear of Manchester City. The reigning champions play Wolves on Saturday evening, with their other game in hand coming a week on Tuesday.

The Gunners have a superior goal difference over their title rivals, which means City have to win both of their games in hand to overtake them. Mikel Arteta’s side have just two games left, against Manchester United and Everton.

That appears to be a slightly more difficult run-in compared to City, who after playing Wolves will face Fulham, Tottenham and West Ham. It means Arsenal appear to be relying on their bitter rivals Spurs to help them win the title.

It was honestly a mystery how Bukayo Saka’s penalty was the only difference between the teams come half-time. Arsenal had an astonishing 16 shots in the opening 45 minutes as they also dominated possession.

But as has happened so often this season, the Gunners struggled to convert that dominance into clear-cut chances. Just five of their shots were on target, highlighting what is likely to be Arsenal’s biggest focus in the transfer window.

Boss Arteta looks likely to target a new striker in the summer, with Kai Havertz playing through the middle against the Cherries. A proven goalscorer will be at the top of his list, given his side’s struggles to convert their chances.

Saka stepped up to score his sixth penalty of the season ( Image: Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
Bukayo Saka has now scored six penalties this season, his highest-ever total from the spot in one campaign. In fact, the last time he missed a penalty was over a year ago, with his last four spot-kicks coming in wins for his side.

Saka is now clearly in second in the Premier League scoring charts for penalties, a good sign for England ahead of Euro 2024. His style against Bournemouth keeper Mark Travers was typically cool and confident.

After waiting for several seconds following the referee’s whistle, Saka stuttered his run-up to allow Travers to dive before rolling the ball into the opposite corner. Saka is now clearly Arsenal’s man from the spot.

Bournemouth have been safe of relegation for some time and it showed in their trip to Arsenal. The visitors struggled to make much of an impact on the game in the first-half, with the Cherries failing to have any chances of note.

They were better after the break and were perhaps unlucky not to be awarded a penalty or a goal in the second period. But with the Cherries now 22 points clear of the relegation zone, this was a typical end of season performance from a side ready for their holidays.

Three minutes after Trossard scored Arsenal’s second, Bournemouth had the ball in the back of the net themselves. But referee David Coote ruled it out for foul on David Raya, though replays suggested the Arsenal keeper was barely touched.

Instead, it looked like the Cherries should have been awarded a penalty for a shirt pull, though VAR Peter Bankes ultimately sided with Coote. That decision allowed Raya to keep hold of his clean sheet, one which ensured has won the golden glove award.

Sports

Lionel Messi retires from international football

Published

3 weeks ago

August 31, 2026

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Argentina football legend, Lionel Messi, has drawn the curtain on his international football with Argentina after an illustrious career with the South American nation.

The 39-year-old made a total of 207 appearances, announced his retirement on Monday.

He won the World Cup in 2022, and was a runner-up in 2026 and 2014. He also secured two Copa América titles.

Messi wrote in a statement, “It was a decision that hurt – and still hurts deep down – but I understand that the time has come. I swear to you that I always gave it my all – not just in these last few years when we won everything, but before that too; I always fought and left everything on the field for this jersey, to bring you joy and make you feel proud to be Argentine through football.

“Time is running short, chapters come to a close, and this is one that hurts me deeply. I love, have loved, and will always love being part of the national team. I’ve given everything I had; I have nothing left to give, and besides, there are some great young players coming up who deserve to be here.”

Messi, who made 207 appearances and reached three World Cup finals, is widely regarded by fans worldwide as the greatest footballer ever.

Sports

Tinubu orders comprehensive reform of Nigerian football after resignation of NFF board

Published

3 weeks ago

August 27, 2026

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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has ordered a comprehensive reform of Nigerian football to ensure the national football team overcome repeated failures to qualify for major regional, continental and world tournaments.

“The reform must respond to a longstanding need to strengthen governance, administration, stakeholder representation, development pathways, domestic competitions and accountability across Nigerian football,” he said.

Tinubu, according to a statement on Thursday by Bayo Onanuga, the presidential spokesperson, made the decision to help the country “overcome repeated failures to qualify for major regional, continental and world tournaments”.

“Football, Nigeria’s most popular sport and the greatest beneficiary of public support, investment and national attention, has continued to struggle basically due to structural deficits within the system,” the president said.

The President noted that while other sports had recorded meaningful progress since the reset of the sports sector under the re-established National Sports Commission, football has continued to struggle because of structural weaknesses within the system.

He stressed that Nigerian football must begin to match the country’s exceptional talent, passion and resources with stronger institutions and sustained performance.

President Tinubu directed the Chairman of the National Sports Commission to work with the NFF Secretariat and relevant football stakeholders to ensure continuity in essential football administration and facilitate a broad, consultative reform process.

The process will include appropriate engagement with FIFA and CAF while safeguarding Nigeria’s obligations within the international football framework.

The President called on football stakeholders and Nigerians to support the transition and work together to build a stronger, more accountable and successful football system.

Sports

Ibrahim Gusau confirms resignation as NFF president, Mohammed Sanusi steps down as general secretary

Published

3 weeks ago

August 27, 2026

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Ibrahim Gusau has confirmed his resignation as the president of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).

The former chairman officially announced his resignation at a press conference held in Abuja on Thursday.

He said: “After consultation with family, friends and stakeholders, I just want to tell you that I have decided to resign from my position.

“As Nigerians, nobody is greater than this country. We all love our country and its progress. And as people who have been in football and managing football, we need to look at ourselves and ask, ‘What next?’ so we made a lot of consultations.”

Gusau added that he also advised members of the NFF board to follow his footsteps. He clarified, however, that he cannot say whether they would heed his advice.

A few minutes after Gusau’s announcement, the NFF, on its X page, confirmed the resignation of Mohammed Sanusi as the federation’s general secretary.

The mass resignation comes a few weeks after the Super Falcons failed to qualify for the women’s World Cup for the first time since the competition’s inception. The disappointment triggered backlash for the NFF board members.

According to rumours, the NFF leadership was pressured to step down after intervention from top brass of the Federal Government, from the National Sports Commission (NSC) to the presidency.

Gusau was elected NFF president in 2022, and his tenure was supposed to end next month, with an elective congress scheduled for September 27.

The fate of the congress is uncertain as reports claim that a normalisation committee will be set up to oversee the federation’s affairs until further notice.

Under Gusau’s leadership, the Super Eagles, like the Falcons, also failed to qualify for the men’s 2026 World Cup, despite Africa getting 10 slots for the first time. The failure also extended to age-grade football, with the men’s U-17 and U-20 teams missing out on World Cups.