Sports
La Liga: Barca Beat Real Sociedad 2-1 As Yamal Returns

Lamine Yamal returned from injury to help Barcelona beat Real Sociedad 2-1 on Sunday and move to the top of La Liga by one point.
After Real Madrid were thrashed 5-2 by rivals Atletico Madrid in a derby on Saturday, Hansi Flick’s side had the chance to claim pole position above Xabi Alonso’s side.
Alvaro Odriozola gave Real Sociedad the lead against the run of play in the first half, but Jules Kounde headed the Spanish champions level.
Yamal, who missed the last four games with a groin injury, created the winner for Robert Lewandowski just moments after coming on as a second-half substitute.
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Barcelona held the game at the Olympic Stadium, where they have played for the last two seasons, after the city council refused them a permit to reopen their Camp Nou home earlier in the week.
Flick handed 17-year-old attacking midfielder Dro Fernandez his debut, also starting Roony Bardghji on the right wing and bringing in veteran Wojciech Szczesny for injured goalkeeper Joan Garcia.
Barcelona dominated the ball in the first half but found it hard to beat Real Sociedad goalkeeper Alex Remiro.
The Spain international made a fine save to deny Marcus Rashford in the early stages.
READ ALSO:LaLiga: Mourinho Speaks On Replacing Ancelotti At Real Madrid
On loan from Manchester United, Rashford is finding his footing at Barca and played a superb through ball for Robert Lewandowski, who fired across the face of goal from a tight angle.
Real Sociedad hit Barca with a sharp counter-attack to open the scoring after 31 minutes.
Former Real Madrid defender Alvaro Odriozola applied the finishing touch to Ander Barrenetxea’s cross.
Barcelona stepped up a gear and found Remiro in their way again, with the goalkeeper superbly palming away a Kounde cross which was deflected towards his goal.
Remiro also tipped a Bardghji effort away for a corner, which led to Barcelona’s equaliser.
READ ALSO:EPL: Arsenal Snatch Late 2-1 Win Against Newcastle
Rashford, who provided an assist from a corner against Real Oviedo in midweek, whipped it to the near post, where Kounde powered home a header.
Yamal’s return
Flick replaced Dro with Dani Olmo at half-time and also brought on Yamal before the hour mark, after the teenager recovered from his groin issue.
Voted second best player in the world at the Ballon d’Or gala on Monday, Yamal made an instant impact.
The 18-year-old burst into the box and crossed for Lewandowski to head home off the post, just over a minute after his introduction.
READ ALSO:LaLiga: Real Madrid Miss Chance To Go Top After Villarreal Defeat
Szczesny made a good save from Oyarzabal as La Real gave Barcelona a couple of scares, while Remiro denied Rashford and Olmo with two more good saves.
The game grew increasingly chaotic, and both sides hit the crossbar in quick succession.
Kounde, daydreaming in midfield, was robbed and Real Sociedad worked the ball to Takefusa Kubo, who crashed a shot against the woodwork.
Then Barcelona broke away and Ferran Torres teed up Lewandowski, who battered the crossbar when well placed to put the game to bed, but the hosts were not punished.
Barcelona host Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League on Wednesday, also at the Olympic Stadium.
AFP
Sports
EPL: Trossard Strike As Arsenal Beat Fulham 1-0

Arsenal edged past Fulham with a narrow 1-0 victory at Craven Cottage, climbing three points clear at the top of the Premier League table. The result marked another composed and professional display from Mikel Arteta’s side, who continue to show their title credentials.
The decisive moment came in the second half when Leandro Trossard calmly finished after a clever set-piece routine.
Bukayo Saka delivered a dangerous corner that was flicked on by Gabriel, setting up Trossard to slot home the winner.
READ ALSO:EPL: Nottingham Forest Sacks Postecoglou After 3-0 Defeat To Chelsea
Arteta’s side dominated possession throughout, limiting Fulham to very few chances in front of goal.
The hosts struggled to create any real threat, with Arsenal’s defence staying compact and composed.
With the victory, Arsenal overtake Manchester City to sit three points clear at the summit after another disciplined away performance.
More to follow…
Sports
EPL: Nottingham Forest Sacks Postecoglou After 3-0 Defeat To Chelsea

Nottingham Forest have sacked Ange Postecoglou barely minutes after their 3-0 defeat to Chelsea on Saturday.
A statement from the Premier league club, released 20 minutes after full-time at the City Ground, reads: “Nottingham Forest Football Club can confirm that after a series of disappointing results and performances, Ange Postecoglou has been relieved of his duties as head coach with immediate effect.
“The club will make no further comment at this time.”
READ ALSO: EPL: Paul Merson Predicts Chelsea vs Liverpool, Arsenal vs West Ham, Other Fixtures
Postecoglou was in charge for eight games and six of those ended in defeat.
It included an early Carabao Cup exit at Championship club Swansea City, when Forest led 2-1 in the 92nd minute before conceding two in four minutes to lose 3-2.
The other two games – away at Burnley (Premier League) and Real Betis (Europa League) ended in draws.
Sports
Edo Sports Commission Boss Charges New Armwrestling Board To Prioritize Accessibility, Sponsorship

Executive Chairman of the Edo State Sports Commission, Hon. Amadin Desmond Enabulele, has charged members of the newly inaugurated Edo State Armwrestling Association board to embrace openness, accessibility, and proactive engagement with athletes and stakeholders.
Enabulele gave the charge during the board’s inauguration held at the Media Centre of the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin City.
The event had in attendance Executive Directors, the Permanent Secretary, and other top officials of the Commission.
In a statement signed by his Media Officer, Mr. Edoko Wilson Edoko, the sports commission boss described the inauguration as “a new dawn in our collective journey to strengthen and elevate the standard of sports development in Edo State.”
READ ALSO:Enabulele Lauds Okpehbolo For Creating Enabling Environment For Football To Thrive
He urged the new executives to pursue sponsorships and partnerships that would drive growth and sustain the association’s programmes.
“Financial support is the lifeblood of sports,” Enabulele said.
“Through partnerships and sponsorships, we can provide the resources needed to nurture our athletes and expand our programmes.”
The Chairman also called for approachable leadership, encouraging the board to remain open to athletes, coaches, and stakeholders.
“Your guidance and presence will foster unity, strengthen teamwork, and create a culture of accountability and progress,” he added.
READ ALSO:Enabulele Hails Edo-born Athletes’ International Feats
Enabulele further announced plans to introduce quarterly appraisal sessions between the Commission and sports associations to ensure proper monitoring and measurable progress.
“These sessions will allow us to review achievements, address challenges, and design strategies for continued success,” he explained.
He urged the new board members to carry out their duties with dedication and vision, stressing that their collective efforts would transform Edo sports and inspire the next generation of champions.
In his response, the new Chairman of the Edo Armwrestling Association, Mr. Eromosele Albert, pledged to organize both national and international armwrestling competitions to boost the sport’s visibility and give Edo athletes more exposure.
Albert noted that armwrestling is gaining rapid popularity in the United States and Canada and promised to leverage global trends to enhance the sport’s profile and financial sustainability in Edo State.
He also expressed confidence that Team Edo would perform strongly at the next National Sports Festival, where the sport offers 34 gold medals.
The inauguration ceremony ended with exhibition matches featuring male and female athletes competing in both left and right-hand categories.
Those inaugurated into the board include: Mr. Eromosele Albert (Chairman), Divine Rosemary (Acting Secretary/Coach), Hon. Frank Ilaboya, Mr. Johnson Femi, Mr. Johnny Summers, Mr. Osagie Oghuma Peter, Dr. Benson Ogala, and Mr. Iraoya Olarenwaju.
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