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Arsenal Crush Man City 5-1 To Keep Premier League Title Hopes Alive Title

Published

7 months ago

February 2, 2025

Arsenal beat Man City 5-1 to keep their Premier League title hopes alive on Sunday, while Manchester United slumped to another meek 2-0 home defeat to Crystal Palace.

In the battle between the sides that have finished in the top for the past two seasons, the Gunners prevailed to move within six points of leaders Liverpool, who have a game in hand.

Arsenal were gifted the perfect start inside two minutes as Manuel Akanji lost possession and Kai Havertz squared for Martin Odegaard to open the scoring.

That could have proved costly when Erling Haaland headed in his 250th career club goal early in the second half to bring Man City level.

But the defending champions are a pale shadow of their former selves this season and conceded within 105 seconds of the restart when Thomas Partey’s shot deflected in off John Stones.

Myles Lewis-Skelly would have been suspended if his controversial red card in a 1-0 win at Wolves last weekend had not been overturned.

The 18-year-old made the most of that reprieve by curling in Arsenal’s third for his first goal for the club.

Haaland had told Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta to “stay humble” after a bad-tempered clash between the sides ended 2-2 in September.

And Lewis-Skelly celebrated his big moment by mimicking Haaland’s trademark meditation celebration.

Havertz fired low and hard into the far corner with City cut open at will by the Arsenal counter-attack.

And another Arsenal teenager rounded off the rout when Ethan Nwaneri curled home in stoppage time.

Defeat leaves Man City still in fourth but now 15 points off the top and realistically dethroned after four consecutive seasons as champions.

– Meek Man Utd –

Jean Philippe-Mateta was Palace’s hero with both goals in the second half as United suffered a fifth defeat in their last six home league games.

Victory takes the Eagles above the Red Devils in the table as Oliver Glasner’s side climb to 12th.

Three consecutive wins for United had lifted the mood around Old Trafford but it was back to square one for Ruben Amorim after another home display lacking in creativity and riddled with defensive lapses.

Kobbie Mainoo, who started as a makeshift centre-forward, hit the post with United’s best effort of a bright opening before their attacking threat fizzled out.

Palace have lost just one of their last seven league games to recover from a miserable start to the season.

The visitors missed the creative spark offered by Eberechi Eze for the first hour as an injury meant he was only fit enough for a cameo appearance off the bench.

But Eze made an instant impact as from his free-kick Maxence Lacroix’s header came back off the bar and into Mateta’s path to fire home.

Worse was to follow for United as Lisandro Martinez had to be stretchered off with what appeared a serious knee injury.

Palace showed no mercy to secure the three points when Daniel Munoz charged through the middle of the home side’s defence and unselfishly squared for Mateta to knock in his sixth goal in five games.

– Spurs ease relegation fears –

Tottenham eased the pressure on under-fire manager Ange Postecoglou and fears they could be dragged into a relegation battle with a 2-0 win at Brentford.

The Bees were left to rue a number of missed chances against an injury-ravaged Tottenham defence.

Brentford also lent the visitors a helping hand with the opening goal as Vitaly Janelt headed Son Heung-min’s corner into his own net on 29 minutes.

Yoane Wissa’s header came off the bar as Brentford pushed for an equaliser.

But Spurs picked them off on the counter-attack when Pape Sarr prodded through Valdimarsson’s legs from Son’s pass.

Victory lifts Tottenham to 14th and 10 points clear of the relegation zone.

Related Topics:#man city Arsenal Premier league

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Sports

AC Milan Scrap Victor Boniface Transfer Over Failed Medical Tests

Published

9 hours ago

August 24, 2025

Editor

AC Milan has called off its proposed transfer of Nigerian striker Victor Boniface from Bayer Leverkusen, claiming the player failed to pass mandatory medical examinations.

The deal, which had been verbally agreed upon with a €5 million loan fee and a €24 million buy option, fell through despite Boniface’s arrival in Milan within the last 48 hours.

The decision was confirmed by transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, on Sunday.

“AC Milan call Victor Boniface deal off as Nigerian striker did not pass the medical tests,” Romano posted.

“Despite verbal agreement for €5m loan fee and €24m buy clause with player in Milano in the last 48h, deal called off due to medical. Boniface, returning in Germany today.”

According to reports, the 24-year-old Nigerian international had two anterior cruciate ligament operations and recurring groin problems that have affected his availability in recent seasons.

Milan are not the first Serie A club to have reservations about the striker’s fitness, with reports suggesting that Roma rejected a swap proposal involving Boniface and Ukrainian forward Artem Dovbyk several weeks ago due to similar concerns over the Nigerian’s condition.

Sports

Why I’ll Never Advise My Son To Visit Nigeria – Taribo West

Published

3 days ago

August 22, 2025

Editor

A former Super Eagles defender, Taribo West, on Friday, berated the Nigeria Football Federation and Lagos State Government for allegedly abandoning the family of late goalkeeper, Peter Rufai.

Speaking at Rufai’s burial in a video posted by News Central on Friday, the ex-Inter Milan star expressed disappointment over what he described as the neglect of Nigerian football heroes after their death.

“It’s disheartening that you have Lagos State, you have the Nigerian Football Association. They drop the bulk on the family. I felt in my spirit that there is nothing to put your life for. That’s why I say I have to shift back so that I will not implode. It’s grieving.

“My mother passed on. I never shed tears. My father passed on in my hands. I never shed tears. When Rufai passed on, I had goose pimples on my body. And every individual I’m speaking to, there were tears rolling down my cheeks. What kind of nation is this?” he said

The former international recalled similar situations with late football icons such as Stephen Keshi, Rashidi Yekini, and Thompson Oliha, stressing that the treatment of ex-players discouraged him from encouraging his children to serve the country through football.

“With this kind of example, I will never advise even my son to put his feet for this country. Send me out! Do we have a Football Federation or do we have a Football Association in this Lagos State? That this hero, this soldier, this football evangelist, has to be treated this way in his family.

“Could you imagine that the family would be crying just to solicit in within our groups to ask for money? That is madness. Look, please let me go. I don’t want to pour my heart,” he stated.

Rufai, fondly called “Dodo Mayana,” was Nigeria’s first-choice goalkeeper during the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations triumph and the country’s debut at the FIFA World Cup the same year.

He passed away in July 2025.

Sports

CHAN 2024: Top Scorers Ahead Of Quarter-final Fixtures

Published

5 days ago

August 20, 2025

Editor

Uganda’s Allan Okello and South Africa’s Thabiso Kutumela are currently joint top scorers at the 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN), with three goals each as the tournament heads into the quarter-final stage.

The group stage concluded on Tuesday, with Sudan holding Senegal to a 0-0 draw to finish top of Group D, while Nigeria defeated Congo 2-0.

Here are the top scorers going into the CHAN quarter-finals:

Allan Okello (Uganda) – 3 goals
Thabiso Kutumela (South Africa) – 3 goals
Abdelrazig Omer (Sudan) – 2 goals
Kaporal (Angola) – 2 goals
Austin Odhiambo (Kenya) – 2 goals
Clement Mzize (Tanzania) – 2 goals
The quarter-final fixtures are scheduled for Friday and Saturday.