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

Ex-Super Eagles Coach, Monday Sinclair, Is Dead

Published

22 hours ago

July 17, 2025

Editor

Former Super Eagles interim head coach, Monday Sinclair, is dead.

Sinclair died at the age of 88.

His death was confirmed on Wednesday by former Super Eagles goalkeeper Peterside Idah, who played under him at Sharks FC and considered him a mentor.

Peterside wrote in a tribute shared via Facebook on Wednesday, “Our daddy is gone. What a man.

“He signed me to play for Sharks. Gave me my first match against Niger Tornadoes of Minna.

“The first day he saw me come to train with Sharks, he said, ‘My friend, are you a boxer?’

“He said I was built like Tyson. From that day, I found me a football father. I became very close to him and his family, with Puppa K as a very close brother.”

Sinclair, who featured for the Green Eagles in the 1960s, was widely respected for his sharp eye for talent and enduring contribution to football development in Nigeria.

He began his coaching career with the now-defunct Sharks FC of Rivers State, before going on to handle Niger Tornadoes, Enugu Rangers, and Bayelsa United.

In 1997, he was appointed interim coach of the Super Eagles and later served as head coach of the Equatorial Guinea national team.

Sinclair was credited with mentoring some of Nigeria’s most iconic footballers, including Peter Rufai, Taribo West, Finidi George, and Peterside himself.

His grassroots influence left an enduring legacy on Nigerian football.

His passing comes just days after the death of another football legend, Peter Rufai, who battled a long-term illness.

Sports

Messi’s Multi-goal Streak Ends As Cincinnati Beats Miami 3-0

Published

1 day ago

July 17, 2025

Editor

Lionel Messi’s Major League Soccer-record streak of multi-goal games ended at five on Wednesday as his Inter Miami squad was blanked 3-0 at FC Cincinnati.

The 38-year-old Argentine star forward had scored a brace, two goals, in five consecutive matches for Miami, giving him 16 goals on the season as Inter managed four wins and a draw in the run.

Not since 2012 when he played for Barcelona had Messi netted a brace or more in five consecutive matches.

But Cincinnati kept Miami to only two shots on goal in the contest.

“Clearly today we were outplayed from the beginning of the match,” Inter Miami head coach Javier Mascherano said through a translator.

“It was very difficult for us to win the individual duels. Maybe one of the reasons is that physically we come with a very big hustle and bustle and in the long run we end up paying.

“Leo suffered a knock at the end but it ended well.”

US 20-year-old midfielder Gerardo Valenzuela opened the scoring for Cincinnati in the 16th minute.

Brazilian striker Evander followed with a goal in the 50th minute and struck again in the 70th to provide all the scoring the hosts needed.

“We didn’t play the game we wanted. They put us under pressure all the time, we weren’t fresh or lucid and they beat us very well,” Mascherano said.

Miami fell to 11-4 with five drawn for 38 points, fifth in the Eastern Conference and eight points adrift of first-place Philadelphia, the overall MLS leader which beat Montreal to stay one point ahead of Cincinnati in the overall MLS standings.

Inter Miami has three games in hand on both clubs but would need to win them all to overtake their rivals for the overall league lead.

“The opponent outplayed us from start to finish,” Mascherano said. “The result and the way they beat us obviously worries us. Now we have to rest and think about the next game.”

That will come on Saturday when Miami will visit the New York Red Bulls, who got two goals each from Cameroon’s Eric Choupo-Moting and Sweden’s Emil Forsberg in a 5-3 home win over New England on Wednesday.

– De Paul to join Miami –

A source close to negotiations told AFP on Wednesday that Inter Miami has agreed on terms with Argentine international Rodrigo De Paul, a midfielder for Atletico Madrid.

The deal is for the next four seasons with De Paul to play the remainder of 2025 in Miami on loan from Atletico Madrid with a subsequent purchase option for Inter worth more than $12 million.

De Paul could play for Miami for the first time on July 30 against Mexican side Atlas in Inter’s debut match in the Leagues Cup, a tournament between MLS and Mexican League clubs.

He will leave Europe after four seasons in Madrid to join countryman Messi 11 months before the World Cup to be hosted by the US, Canada and Mexico.

Messi has not said if he will play in the World Cup.

De Paul and Messi were teammates on Argentina’s 2022 World Cup champions and reuniting them could help entice Messi to sign a new contract with Inter, whose deal with the superstar expires at the end of this year.

The club wants Messi to stay for the 2026 season, in which Inter will open a new stadium in Miami.

DePaul, 31, joins a Miami core that includes Messi, Uruguayan Luis Suarez and Spaniards Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets.

Charlotte was named host city for the 2026 MLS All-Star Game on Wednesday. This year’s all-star matchup will be in Austin, Texas, next Wednesday with the MLS All-Stars facing the Mexican League All-Stars.

Sports

Nigeria Crash Out Of FIBA U19 World Cup

Published

1 day ago

July 17, 2025

Editor

The Hungary basketball team on Wednesday defeated Junior D’Tigress, 77-51, to send Nigeria packing from the ongoing FIBA U19 Women’s Basketball World Cup in Czechia.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Nigerian girls were completely overwhelmed by their opponents as they struggled throughout the encounter.

They started on a good note, recording a 9-9 scoreline in the first quarter of the game, but fell apart in the second quarter, losing 12-30.

The team fought back in the third quarter but could only make 15-16 points, which was not good enough to pressure the European team.

Hungary took the 4th quarter more seriously and recorded a 16-15 score to keep their lead and eventually coasted home to victory.

Hungary’s Kinga Jisepovits led the floor for her team with 19 points, while her teammate Eliza Farbas recorded 13 rebounds.

Nigeria’s Tobenna Nweke led the floor with 12 points as Francis Chukwu recorded 9 rebounds to their credit.

The Nigerian girls crashed out of the competition but became the first African team to win a match in the history of the competition and also play in the round of 16.
(NAN)