Sports

Three Talking Points From The Premier League’s Opening Weekend

Published

2 years ago

August 14, 2023

Manchester City showed why they remain the team to beat on the Premier League’s return this weekend as the English champions cruised to a 3-0 win at Burnley.

Arsenal got their title challenge off to a winning start, but had to survive a nervy finish in beating Nottingham Forest 2-1.

The game of the weekend ended in a 1-1 draw between Chelsea and Liverpool, while Tottenham were also held 2-2 at Brentford in their first taste of life without Harry Kane.

AFP Sport looks at three talking points from the opening weekend of the season:

Caicedo chase explained

Moises Caicedo of Brighton & Hove Albion looks on during the Premier League Summer Series match between Brighton & Hove Albion and Newcastle United at Red Bull Arena on July 28, 2023 in Harrison, New Jersey. (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)

Chelsea and Liverpool took their battle in the transfer market for the signature of Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo onto the pitch at Stamford Bridge.

But both sides showed why they are willing to break the Premier League transfer record by spending at least £110 million ($140 million) for the Ecuadorian.

Liverpool started without a recognised defensive midfielder and an attack-minded front six looked slick early on as Luis Diaz gave the visitors the lead.

Chelsea, though, were soon able to pick the Reds’ defence apart with ease and could easily have given Mauricio Pochettino a dream start as Blues boss.

Pochettino’s midfield options have been decimated by a clearout to trim down a bloated squad.

And they appear the front-runners to land Caicedo with Stamford Bridge the 21-year-old’s preferred destination.

Mind over matter for City

man-city-burnley

Manchester City’s Spanish manager Pep Guardiola (R) speaks to his players during the English Premier League football match between Burnley and Manchester City at Turf Moor in Burnley, north-west England on August 11, 2023. (Photo by Darren Staples / AFP) /

City ended last season over a month after Burnley had concluded their Championship campaign, but a lack of preparation time for the new season did not show on opening night.

Pep Guardiola insisted the champions are far from their physical best.

“We are still away from our best form but we have to try to not drop points in this period with this amount of games,” said Guardiola.

“How you solve this lack of preparation is a question of mentality.”

But Erling Haaland’s finishing was as sharp as ever to ensure there was no slip-up from City.

The Norwegian took just over three minutes of the new season to find the net before smashing home a sumptuous second off the underside of the bar.

Newcastle flex strength in depth

newcastle-

Newcastle United’s Swedish striker #14 Alexander Isak (C) celebrates with teammates after scoring their third goal during the English Premier League football match between Newcastle United and Aston Villa at St James’ Park in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, north east England on August 12, 2023. (Photo by Ian Hodgson / AFP)

As many of the game’s biggest names chased the riches on offer in the Gulf in recent months, Saudi-backed Newcastle have again resisted the temptation to splash out on stars.

However, Sandro Tonali and Harvey Barnes enjoyed dream debuts in a 5-1 demolition of Aston Villa that exemplified the new-found strength in depth on offer to Eddie Howe.

Tonali smashed home just six minutes into his St James’ Park bow after a cross from Anthony Gordon, who had started ahead of Barnes.

Howe’s decision to select Alexander Isak over Callum Wilson was also rewarded with two goals by the Swede.

But Barnes made a stunning impact off the bench as he teed up Wilson for Newcastle’s fourth before rounding off the scoring in stoppage time.

The Magpies will need a stronger squad as the demands of a first Champions League campaign for 20 years kick in.

On this evidence, though, their rise since the Saudi Public Investment Fund took charge under two years ago shows no sign of stopping.

AFP

Sports

Edo Female Cricket League 2025 Takes Off Amid Applause From Sports Commission Boss

Published

2 days ago

October 13, 2025

Editor

The 2025 edition of the Edo State Female Cricket League bowled off at the weekend in Benin City, drawing commendation from the Executive Chairman of the Edo State Sports Commission, Hon. Amadin Desmond Enabulele.

In a statement released through his Media Officer, Mr. Edoko Wilson Edoko, Enabulele hailed the tournament as another major step in grassroots sports development, describing it as the true foundation of Edo’s growing sporting excellence.

He praised Governor Monday Okpebholo for sustaining a conducive environment for sports to thrive, noting that Edo has now become “a sporting hub in Nigeria, hosting viable tournaments that nurture young talents for national and international glory.”

The Sports Commission boss highlighted cricket’s steady rise in the state, recalling Edo’s strong performances in national competitions such as the Sports Festival and the National Youth Games, where state athletes bagged gold medals.

“We’re deliberately investing in sports beyond football. Cricket is one of those with huge potential, and we’re determined to keep catching them young,” Enabulele said.

The weekend fixtures lived up to expectations, producing some thrilling moments across two venues in Benin City. Adolor Amazons and Emotan Queens recorded early wins in the opening round of matches.

At the Centre of Excellence for Women’s Cricket, Iyoba Girls College, Ekpoma Supernova CC beat Idia Royals CC by two runs in a nail-biting finish. The Supernova team, who had scored 47 runs all out in 18 overs, fought back dramatically to bowl out their opponents for 45 after initially trailing.

Coach Emmanuel Eromosele, still thrilled by the result, said he had “almost given up,” but credited his players’ resilience and fighting spirit. Team captain Peculiar Agboya added, “We had a lot of young players out there today, but we believed in ourselves and it paid off.”

At the High-Performance Centre, Edo Boys High School, Emotan Queens CC crushed Adolor Amazons CC in a low-scoring affair, chasing down 20 runs in just three overs. Their coach, Osamudiamen Ikpomwen, described the result as “a good day for us—two games, two wins. But we know we can always do better.”

The league continues on Saturday, October 18, with Emotan Queens CC facing Ekpoma Supernova CC at Iyoba Girls College, while Adolor Amazons CC take on Idia Royals CC at Edo Boys High School. The top two teams will meet in the grand finale on Sunday, October 19.

Sports

WCQ: Haaland Scores Hat-trick As Norway Thrash Israel 5-0

Published

4 days ago

October 11, 2025

Editor

Erling Haaland scored a hat-trick to pass 50 international goals in record time as Norway cruised to a 5-0 thrashing of Israel on Saturday, edging closer to qualifying for a first World Cup since 1998.

Norway, who have not played at a major tournament since Euro 2000, now lead Group I with nine points more than second-placed Italy, who have two games in hand and play in Estonia later Saturday.

The Scandinavians will secure a place at next year’s finals in the United States, Canada, and Mexico with a win over the Estonians on Tuesday if Italy fails to defeat either Estonia or Israel in their next two matches.

Manchester City striker Haaland is the leading scorer in European qualifying with 12 goals so far.

He also became the fastest player in men’s international football to reach 50 goals for his country and now boasts 51 goals for Norway in just 46 games.

England captain Harry Kane held the previous record, bringing up his half-century in 71 appearances.

Ahead of kick-off, hundreds of people attended a pro-Palestinian demonstration, chanting “Free Palestine” to protest against Israel’s “genocide” in Gaza, AFP journalists reported.

The head of the Norwegian football association, Lise Klaveness, recently said she was pushing “for Israel to be sanctioned”.

In early action, Haaland surprised the Norwegian fans in the Ullevaal Stadium when his penalty was saved by Israeli goalkeeper Daniel Peretz.

The spot-kick was ordered to be retaken for encroachment inside the area and Haaland struck his second effort in the opposite direction, only for it to be parried away again by Peretz.

But Norway did forge ahead in the 18th minute through an Anan Khalaili own goal, before Haaland raced clear to score in a ninth successive international appearance.

The hosts grabbed their third just seconds after Israel kicked off again in the 28th minute, as Peretz kicked the ball off Idan Nachmias, who was under pressure from Haaland, and into the net for another own goal.

Nachmias also had to go off injured after colliding with the post.

Haaland added his second in the 63rd minute, powering home a header from Antonio Nusa’s cross, before nodding in to complete his hat-trick with 18 minutes left.

Elsewhere, Hungary beat Armenia 2-0 in Group F, meaning Portugal could qualify with back-to-back wins over the Republic of Ireland, who they were facing at home later Saturday, and then Hungary on Tuesday.

Sports

Just Like Football Clubs, Let’s Sign Foreign President To Fix Nigeria – Actor Okele [VIDEO]

Published

5 days ago

October 10, 2025

Editor

Popular Nigerian actor, Tunde Usman, professionally known as Okele, has proposed ‘signing’ of foreign Presidents to fix the country.

The actor made the suggestion while reacting to Nigeria’s current economic hardship.

Reacting to the increase in price of cooking gas across the nation, Okele in a now trending video shared on his Instagram page proposed a football method of removing a non performing coaches to address Nigeria’s challenges.

Speaking in Yoruba, the actor argued that adoption of the football method might solve constant disappointment with elected leaders.

“Greetings to all Nigerians home and abroad. May God help us soften this hardship. I just thought of something about gas, fuel and the way things are expensive in Nigeria.

“If you are a lover of football you would know that every club has a coach, assistant coach, and those that train the keepers. So, instead of campaigning for different political parties with some looting our money, why can’t Nigeria look around the world and sign any ex-president that has proven himself in another country to fix Nigeria.

“Even many football nations signed coaches from different countries. Maybe we should adopt the signing of the President method to end different political parties campaigns. Let’s come together and sign our President the same way we signed the coach and we can sack the non performing President and sign a new one.”