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Arsenal Beat Luton To Top Premier League Table

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Arsenal coasted to a 2-0 win over struggling Luton on Wednesday to dislodge Liverpool from the top of the Premier League table, once again edging ahead in a thrilling three-way title tussle.

Gunners captain Martin Odegaard opened the scoring midway through the first half and an own goal just before the break gave the home side a cushion.

The result lifts Arsenal to 68 points – one ahead of Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool, who host Sheffield United on Thursday.

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Defending champions Manchester City, playing fourth-placed Aston Villa on Wednesday, started the evening in third place, a point behind Arsenal.

READ ALSO: Liverpool Stage Late Show To Stun Arsenal In FA Cup Third Round

Mikel Arteta’s men dominated possession in the opening stages at the Emirates but created few clear-cut openings in front of an expectant crowd.

But they broke the deadlock in the 24th minute, courtesy of a sweet left-footed strike by Odegaard.

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Emile Smith-Rowe, a peripheral figure this season, stole possession and fed Odegaard, who played a one-two with Kai Havertz before stroking the ball home.

Arsenal doubled their lead in the 44th minute thanks to an own goal from Luton defender Daiki Hashioka, who turned into his own net following more good work down the left by Smith-Rowe.

The home side, playing in second gear, had just three shots on target in the first half but were well worth their lead.

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The bulk of the second half was largely flat, although Luton came into the game more, probing for an opening to haul themselves back into the contest.

Arteta brought on midfielder Declan Rice and forward Eddie Nketiah, adding Gabriel Martinelli with 15 minutes to play.

Arsenal substitute Takehiro Tomiyasu went close, bending one just wide, and Nketiah forced a save from the scrambling Thomas Kaminski in the closing minutes.

They were unable to score a third but saw the game out with few alarms.

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The Gunners, who have not been crowned English champions since 2004, set the pace for the bulk of last season before flagging as the finishing line approached.

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But, adding steel to their style, they have now won nine of their past 10 league games, with the only blip in that sequence a goalless draw against City on Sunday.

Arsenal, who have conceded just four goals in the league in 2024, travel to Brighton on Saturday before hosting Villa on April 14.

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Defeat for depleted Luton leaves Rob Edwards’ side third from bottom of the English top flight, three points from safety, and facing an immediate return to the Championship.

In the other 1830 GMT kick-off on Wednesday, Brentford drew 0-0 with Brighton.

On Sunday, Manchester City failed to break down Arsenal as a highly-anticipated clash at the top of the Premier League failed to live up to the hype in a 0-0 draw at the Etihad.

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Top 10 Coaches With Most Trophies In Football

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A team’s success in terms of winning a trophy does not hinge on the players alone; there’s also a coaching factor. Football coaches determine what tactics and formations a team will play and also what players can perfectly play them.

In light of the foregoing, some coaches have enjoyed significant club successes. They have thus amassed a plethora of trophies, thus making them rank as successful gaffers, as it is the biggest measure of good coaches.

Let’s take a look at them.

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10. Giovanni Trapattoni – 23 titles

Top 10 coaches with most trophies in football
The Italian managed Juventus under separate stints but won every trophy possible, except the Super Italia Cup. With 23 titles to his name, Trapattoni’s trophy successes included six Serie A titles, the European Cup, the UEFA Cup, and the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup.

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9. Ottmar Hitzfeld – 25 titles

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Top 10 coaches with most trophies in football
Hitzfield was coach at clubs such as Bayern and Borussia Dortmund, where he enjoyed most of his managerial successes, despite starring for a while in Switzerland. The German won seven (7) Bundesliga titles and two (2) UEFA Champions Leagues with both Bayern Munchen and Borussia Dortmund.

8. Jock Stein – 26 titles

Top 10 coaches with most trophies in football
Jock Stein passed away in 1985, but as a fulfilled coach and manager in the history of football. The Scottish man won all titles available for Celtic within 13 years.

7. Luiz Felipe Scolari – 26 titles

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Scolari’s successes happened during his stints at clubs like Palmeira, Gremio, ,and the Brazil national team. The Brazilian has a total of 26 trophies, which include a World Cup triumph with Brazil in

The 70-year-old is currently coaching Athletico Mineiro after coming out of retirement.

6. Jose Mourinho – 26 titles

Top 10 coaches with most trophies in football
The Special One, as he called him, Jose Mourinho’s name on this list is no surprise. He has enjoyed successful spells at Porto, Chelsea, Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Inter Milan, and recently at Roma, where he won the maiden UEFA Conference League, making him the only coach to have won all European cups. Jose Mourinho currently manages Turkish side Fenerbahce.

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5. Carlo Ancelotti – 28 trophies

Only a few modern coaches can boast of the profile of Ancelotti in terms of the number of trophies he has won. The Italian has a big record—he is the only coach to have won a league title or more in Europe’s top five leagues. He has also won European Championships, including a record 5 Champions League titles.

4. Valeriy Lobanovskyi – 29 titles

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Top 10 coaches with most trophies in football
The Ukrainian talisman managed Dynamo Kyiv and won the league title thirteen (13) times. He orchestrated a lot of tactical innovation during his stint there, including the ‘Total Football’, and made Kiev one of the best teams on the continent where they always reached the last eight (8) or further.

3. Mircea Lucescu – 32 titles

Top 10 coaches with most trophies in football
Lucescu currently coaches Dynamo Kiev in Ukraine. He was coach for clubs like Shakhtar Donetsk, Galatasaray, Besiktas, Zenit St. Petersburg, and even Brescia, which he guided to a Serie B title in 1991/1992. He has also enjoyed significant successes in continental competitions, including a 2000 Super Cup trophy, which was wrestled from Real Madrid.

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2. Pep Guardiola – 40 trophies

Top 10 coaches with most trophies in football
Who else but Pep Guardiola in the second position? The Spaniard has won 40 trophies, which included three UEFA Champions League and numerous league titles across Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and Manchester City, where he transformed the team into a trophy-possessed entity.

Last season, Guardiola’s Manchester City won a record four consecutive league titles, surpassing Alex Ferguson’s three between 1998/99, 1999/00, and 2000/01.

1. Alex Ferguson

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Top 10 coaches with most trophies in football
Alex Ferguson is a legend of the job. He is also a leading figure who every coach looks up to. The Scottish manager was in charge of Manchester United for 27 years, winning 37 titles, including 13 Premier League titles and two UEFA Champions League trophies.

Before this stint, Ferguson had won five Scottish league titles with Aberdeen.

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Mikel Arteta Agrees New Arsenal Deal

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Mikel Arteta has agreed to commit his long-term future to Arsenal and is about to sign a new contract that runs until 2027.

Arteta’s previous deal was set to expire at the end of the current season but the Gunners have secured the Spaniard’s future until 2027.

Since taking over at Arsenal during a turbulent period, Arteta has overseen an impressive transformation.

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READ ALSO: Arsenal Sign Italy Euro 2024 Star From Bologna

Over the last two seasons, the north London club has consistently challenged Manchester City for the Premier League title, falling short both times, but earning widespread recognition for their progress.

Arteta, who previously served as Pep Guardiola’s assistant at Man City and played a key role in their success, is now aiming to guide Arsenal to their first league title in over two decades, hoping to outpace his former mentor.

The 42-year-old manager brought immediate success to Arsenal by winning the FA Cup in his debut season, but he is still chasing more silverware. With a young, dynamic squad now in place, Arteta’s team is poised to be a serious contender for major trophies in the coming years.

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FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup: 4 Countries Qualify For Quarter-Final Stage

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The FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Colombia has reached its quarter-final stage with four countries booking their spots.

The four countries are Colombia, United States, Spain and Brazil.

This follows the conclusion of some of the Round of 16 fixtures played on Wednesday and the early hours of Thursday morning.

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READ ALSO: FULL LIST: Nigeria, Host Nation In Group A Of FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup Draw

Recall that Spain defeated Canada 2-1, while Brazil won 3-1 against Cameroon.

Colombia also defeated South Korea 1-0, and the United States won 3-2 against Mexico.

Meanwhile, in the other Round of 16 fixtures that will be played later today, North Korea will face Austria and Germany will tackle Argentina.

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