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Haaland Breaks Premier League Scoring Record As City Move Top

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Erling Haaland set a new record of 35 goals in a Premier League season as Manchester City overcame West Ham 3-0 to move back to the top of the table on Wednesday as Liverpool edged out Fulham 1-0.

City were made to work by an under-manned Hammers to edge one point clear of Arsenal in the title race, with a game in hand still to come.

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The visitors were missing England international Declan Rice, Tomas Soucek and Nayef Aguerd through illness, while injuries meant David Moyes could only name five outfield substitutes.

But Moyes’ men held out for 50 minutes before succumbing at the Etihad to remain rooted in a relegation battle.

READ ALSO: EPL: Why I Dropped Haaland Against Liverpool – Guardiola

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Nathan Ake was the unlikely figure to break the deadlock as the Dutch defender rose highest to power home Riyad Mahrez’s free-kick.

But there was no surprise over the scorer of City’s second as Haaland raced onto Jack Grealish’s pass and deftly dinked the ball over the advancing Lukasz Fabianski.

The Norwegian moved past Alan Shearer and Andy Cole’s mark of 34 set for Blackburn and Newcastle respectively in the 1990s.

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Haaland was given a guard of honour by his teammates as he left the pitch after full-time.

However, he will still fall someway short of the all-time scoring record for a season in the English top flight of 60 set by Everton’s Dixie Dean in 1927/28.

READ ALSO: Man City Vs Leicester: Haaland Bags Another Brace To Equal Salah’s Record

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Phil Foden came off the bench to add the final flourish as his sweetly-struck volley deflected off Emerson Palmieri to leave Fabianski wrong-footed five minutes from time.

City’s 13th consecutive home win in 2023 edges Pep Guardiola’s men ever closer to a fifth Premier League title in six seasons.

The champions need just four wins from their remaining five games to ensure Arsenal are denied their first title in 19 years.

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Defeat leaves West Ham still four points above the relegation zone with four games to play.

At Anfield, Liverpool refused to give up the fight for a top-four finish by keeping the pressure on Newcastle and Manchester United for the final two places in next season’s Champions League behind City and Arsenal.

READ ALSO: EPL: Guardiola Gives Condition For Haaland To Play Against Liverpool

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Jurgen Klopp’s men have now won five league consecutive league games for the first time this season.

Mohamed Salah’s 29th goal of the season was the difference between the sides as the Egyptian shrugged off his recent struggles from the penalty spot to convert after Darwin Nunez had been fouled by Issa Diop six minutes before half-time.

Liverpool close to within four points of fourth-placed Manchester United, who have two games in hand.

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AC Milan Scrap Victor Boniface Transfer Over Failed Medical Tests

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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.

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

READ ALSO:Man City Agree Fee With AC Milan For Midfielder Reijnders

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

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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.

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

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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.

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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.

READ ALSO:JUST IN: Ex-Eagles Goalkeeper, Peter Rufai, Is Dead

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

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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.

READ ALSO:Ex-Super Eagles Coach, Monday Sinclair, Is Dead

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.

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“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.

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CHAN 2024: Top Scorers Ahead Of Quarter-final Fixtures

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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.

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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.

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