Sports

Arsenal deliver 2-0 statement win over Aston Villa

Published

2 years ago

August 24, 2024

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Leandro Trossard scored with his first touch to help Arsenal secure a hard-fought victory over Aston Villa in the Premier League.

Arsenal were beaten home and away by Villa last season in matches that proved crucial to their failed title attempt, but there was no repeat of their struggles this time around as Trossard made Ollie Watkins pay for missing two huge opportunities.

Emi Martinez tipped Bukayo Saka’s shot around the post to keep Villa level before Watkins scuffed a glorious chance wide at the other end. The England striker had another brilliant opportunity to open the scoring, but David Raya produced a stunning reaction save to keep out his diving header.

Saka wasted a one-on-one chance with Martinez, although he was likely offside, before Trossard clinically slotted into the bottom corner when a loose ball broke his way in the box. The Belgian was instrumental in the build-up for the second goal, too, as Saka teed up Thomas Partey to beat Martinez from the edge of the box and make it 2-0.

Watkins has an excellent record against Arsenal – the club he grew up supporting – and would have been hoping to impress interim England manager Lee Carsley, who was in the house at Villa Park. And he got the perfect chance to make his mark 25 minutes in when Morgan Rogers teed him up.

It was his first shot of the season and it was a shocker. Watkins never looked confident and scuffed his effort wide with David Raya already committed in the other direction. Villa need their England striker to come to the party this season, with a Champions League campaign added to the mix.

It wasn’t a promising start and a huge groan from the crowd after a trampoline touch early in the second half summed up his performance. It got even worse for the Villa striker, too, with his diving header clawed out by Raya. He was hauled off for Jhon Duran in the 65th minute, leaving him lots of time to think about his misses.

Merino to add depth
As they did in their opening game of the season against Wolves, Arsenal started with Partey in holding midfield, with Jorginho on the bench as the only alternative. The Gunners will soon also be able to call upon Mikel Merino in central midfield.

Partey is an out-and-out ball-winner – a safety blanket who sits in front of the back four and keeps things simple after gaining possession. The potential problem Arsenal have is that Arteta demands more from his players; Declan Rice showed last season that he is the full package, capable of impacting the game at both ends of the pitch, but it’s a hard role to do for the entire season.

Partey’s goal was a rare one: he now has six goals and four assists in 117 games for Arsenal. Merino, by contrast, is a true No.8 with 27 goals and 30 assists in 242 games for Real Sociedad. His arrival for £27m plus £4.25m add-ons will add useful strength and depth.

It’s not often that a save stops you in your tracks. David Raya’s flying save from Watkins’ header in the second half was one of those moments. Watkins should have buried it by placing his effort in the corner, but Raya’s reflexes were such that he didn’t even think he needed to be accurate.

Arteta deserves credit in such moments. The Arsenal boss made the big call to bring Raya in on loan from Brentford last season – and to then put him ahead of Aaron Ramsdale in the pecking order. It wasn’t a popular decision at the time, but it has proven to be a shrewd one. Ramsdale was on the bench at Villa Park, yet a transfer could be brewing before the window closes.

His save was to prove absolutely crucial to Arsenal’s victory – and he was named player of the match by Gary Neville on Sky Sports.

Arteta has often sung the praises of Trossard, who has been a reliable performer since joining the club from Brighton. The Belgian offers something different to Gabriel Martinelli, who was ineffective in this game, and Trossard’s introduction swung the game.

He has that happy knack for being in the right place at the right time and that is exactly what happened here, with Morgan Rogers’ attempt to tackle Kai Havertz landing right at Trossard’s feet. He didn’t think – he instinctively slotted the ball into the bottom corner.

There was more to come, too, with Trossard getting in behind from a diagonal pass in the build-up to Partey’s goal and teeing up Odegaard for what should have been a third goal. You can see why Arteta is so fond of the little Belgian. He now has five goals as a sub since the start of last season – the joint-most of any Premier League player.

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.