Sports
Arsenal Overpower Aston Villa, Regain EPL Top Spot
Arsenal moved back to the top of the Premier League in dramatic fashion as an own goal from Aston Villa keeper Emiliano Martinez in stoppage time handed the Gunners a crucial 4-2 victory on Saturday.
With just minutes left at Villa Park, Mikel Arteta’s side were in danger of stumbling again in their bid to win the title for the first time since 2004.
Arsenal had twice trailed to goals from Ollie Watkins and Philippe Coutinho, only for Bukayo Saka and then Oleksandr Zinchenko to haul them level.
A draw would have taken Arsenal above Manchester City but hardly enhanced their hopes of holding off the champions in a thrilling title race.
But they received a helping hand from their former keeper as Martinez inadvertently deflected Jorginho’s shot into his own net after it hit the bar in stoppage time.
Gabriel Martinelli capped Arsenal’s remarkable escape with a goal in the final seconds to lift the north Londoners three points clear of second placed City.
Pep Guardiola’s men would go back above Arsenal on goal difference if they win at Nottingham Forest later on Saturday.
For the first time since August 20, the Gunners were not starting a round of fixtures on top of the Premier League table after losing 3-1 to City on Wednesday.
Arsenal were without a win in their previous three top-flight games and last four in all competitions, but this spirited victory will give them the renewed belief they can pip City to the title.
Tom Hanks, a self-confessed Villa fan, was watching from the stands and Arsenal scripted a Hollywood ending in front of the superstar actor
Arteta had bemoaned the “very difficult” fixture schedule that saw Arsenal back in action just 63 hours after the final whistle in their defeat against City on Wednesday.
And Arteta’s fears about Arsenal struggling to cope with the quick turnaround came true after just five minutes.
Caught with too many players pushed upfield, Arsenal were exposed by Matt Cash’s superb lofted pass towards Watkins, who showed nimble footwork to skip past William Saliba before drilling a fine finish into the bottom corner.
Arsenal hit back with a 16th-minute equaliser when Mings could only clear Ben White’s cross as far as Saka and the England forward smashed a ferocious strike past Martinez from 12 yards.
Coutinho restored Villa’s lead in the 31st minute.
Alex Moreno got behind White down the right flank and crossed towards Emiliano Buendia, whose clever dummy wrong-footed the Arsenal defence as Coutinho applied the finishing touch with a clinical strike from just inside the area.
Arteta’s men had to dig deep after Coutinho’s first goal this season and they were up to the task.
Zinchenko put Arsenal back on level terms in the 61st minute, drilling a blistering strike past Martinez from the edge of the area for his first Gunners goal since signing from Manchester City.
Leon Bailey almost won it for Villa in the closing stages when his stinging strike was pushed onto the bar by Aaron Ramsdale.
But Arsenal held their nerve and snatched the points in an astonishing finale.
In stoppage-time, Jorginho’s first-time effort from the edge of the area hit the bar, bounced down, and struck Martinez on the head before rebounding into the net.
Martinez was crestfallen and the Argentine World Cup winner was involved again when the Gunners wrapped up the points with virtually the last kick.
Martinez went up for a Villa corner but when Arsenal cleared Martinelli was able to run half the length of the pitch before slotting into the empty net as Arteta and his staff celebrated wildly on the touchline.
By Israel Bulus
The Kaduna State Government has assured that it will revive scholarships for young sports enthusiasts as part of efforts to promote talent development and youth engagement.
The State Commissioner for Sports, Professor Benjamin Gugwong, gave this assurance on behalf of the government on Sunday during the kickoff of a unity football competition organized by Kamrum Integrated Farms in Zango Kataf Local Government Area.
Gugwong emphasized the government’s commitment to nurturing sports talents, stating that reviving the scholarship scheme will provide young athletes with opportunities to further their education while excelling in their chosen sports.
He commended Kamrum Integrated Farms for organizing the competition, describing it as a vital initiative that fosters unity and peace among youths in the state.
Earlier, the Chief Executive Officer of Kamrum Integrated Farms, Mr. Rijo Shekari, explained that the competition was conceived to promote peace and youth development within the area.
” Sports has a unique way of bringing people together, and through this tournament, he hopes to encourage youth participation in productive activities while identifying and nurturing football talents.
In their show of support, the Chairman of the Kaduna Internal Revenue Service (KADIRS), Mr. Jerry Adams, announced a donation of ₦500,000, and the Chairman of Kaura Local Government Area, Mr. Sankye Obadiah also gave ₦200,000 towards the competition, promising continued support for initiatives that promote youth empowerment and community engagement.
Delivering a goodwill message on behalf of the Chairman of Zango Kataf Local Government, the Vice Chairman, Mr. Godwin Ishaya Dandaura, commended Mr. Shekari for organizing the tournament.
He urged all participating teams to play with the spirit of sportsmanship, stressing that the competition should not be seen as a do-or-die affair but as a platform to build friendships and unity.
Also speaking, the Chairman, organising committee of the tournament, Mr. Gunners James, said the winner of the competition will receive one million naira cash price aside from the trophy, while the first runner up will get five hundred thousand naira.
ELANZA NEWS reports that a total of twenty-three football teams have registered to participate in the competition.
Newcastle United on Sunday defeated Liverpool 2-1, securing their first major trophy since 1955.
The Magpies in a historic Carabao Cup final at Wembley Stadium defeated the Reds to clinch the first silverware of the 2024/25 football season, ELANZANEWS reports.
The EFL match began with both teams displaying cautious play.
Newcastle broke the deadlock just before halftime when defender Dan Burn headed in a goal from a corner in first-half stoppage time.
In the second half, Newcastle continued their dominance.
Alexander Isak doubled their lead in the 52nd minute, capitalizing on a defensive lapse by Liverpool.
Liverpool struggled to respond effectively, with manager Arne Slot making several substitutions, including introducing Curtis Jones and Darwin Núñez, but they failed to penetrate Newcastle’s resolute defense.
However, Federico Chiesa pulled one back in th injury time (90+4) with all hopes high but to no avail to the Premier League table toppers.
The final whistle confirmed Newcastle’s 2-1 victory, ending their 70-year wait for a major trophy, The Guardian reports.
The win is also Eddie How’s first cup win as a manager.
Newcastle manager Eddie Howe praised his team’s performance, saying, “This is a dream come true for the club and the fans. The players showed incredible heart and determination to achieve this historic win.”
Liverpool manager Arne Slot, visibly disappointed, admitted, “We weren’t good enough in the critical moments. Newcastle deserved the win; they were the better team on the day.”
Burn, van Dijk comments
Dan Burn, who opened the scoring for Newcastle, expressed his emotions post-match, saying, “To score in a final and help the club end this long wait is beyond words.
“This is for the fans who have stood by us all these years.”
On the other hand, Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk, despite the disappointment, demonstrated great sportsmanship, congratulating Newcastle players and acknowledging their impressive performance.
Sky Sports analyst Gary Neville, known for his emotional commentary, was visibly moved during the match, stating, “I’m almost crying seeing what this means to Newcastle fans. This is what football is all about—moments like these.”
Former Newcastle striker and club legend Alan Shearer joined in the celebrations at Wembley, expressing his joy.
“This is the moment we’ve all been waiting for. It’s been a long journey, but this victory shows the strength and passion of this club,” he said during a post-match interview.
Fans around the world echoed similar sentiments, flooding social media with tributes to the players and the manager, celebrating the end of a 70-year wait for silverware.
Manchester United co-owner Jim Ratcliffe said he will walk away from the club should the abuse he has received reach the same level endured by the Glazer family.
Ratcliffe bought a minority stake in United a year ago but has drawn the ire of fans as fortunes have continued to fade on the field, while he has raised ticket prices and made swingeing cuts to the club’s staffing.
The British billionaire has not yet received the same level of backlash as the Glazer family, who have owned the club since a controversial leveraged takeover in 2005.
Protests against the Americans are commonplace at Old Trafford and Ratcliffe said he had barely seen the Glazers since buying a 29 percent stake in United for a reported £1.3 billion ($1.7 billion).
“I can put up with it for a while,” Ratcliffe told the Sunday Times.
“I don’t mind being unpopular because I get that nobody likes seeing Manchester United down where they are, and nobody likes the decisions we’re having to make at the moment.
“If I draw a bit of the ire, I can put up with that. But I’m no different to the average person. It’s not nice, particularly for friends and family.
“So, eventually, if it reached the extent that the Glazer family have been abused, then I’d have to say, look, enough’s enough guys, let somebody else do this.”
Hopes that Ratcliffe’s arrival could herald a new era of success for United have so far been unfulfilled.
The decision to hand former manager Erik ten Hag a new contract at the end of the last season before sacking the Dutchman in October and the swift departure of sporting director Dan Ashworth have proved expensive mistakes.
Ruben Amorim has struggled to make any tangible improvements since replacing Ten Hag, with United languishing in the lower reaches of the Premier League table.
Ratcliffe also riled United players this week with comments that some of them are “overpaid” and “not good enough”.
The club unveiled plans for a new 100,000-capacity stadium earlier this week at a reported cost of £2 billion.
An ambitious project hopes to complete the stadium build within five years, but Ratcliffe said he would not hang around if the abuse coming his way got worse over a prolonged period.
“They can’t really come to a match, the Glazers. They’ve retreated into the shadows a bit now, so I’m getting all the stick,” he added.
“We bought in and I haven’t seen them since. It’s, ‘thank you, Jim, you’re doing a really good job’.
“At the moment, I don’t have security, I don’t have to walk around like that. But it would defeat the object, wouldn’t it? You couldn’t tolerate it at that level, it just wouldn’t be fun.”