Sports
Just in: Arsenal regain confidence slam Fulham 3-0
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Arsenal finally found their rhythm on Saturday as the Arteta lads thrashed Fulham 3-0 at the Emirates.
Without Bukayo Saka in their starting XI, Arsenal have stayed in the Premier League title race and are one game away from the Champions League final, but everyone at the Emirates could agree on this afternoon that life is much easier when their famous No 7 is starting games.
The prodigal son started his first match since his Achilles injury in the Carabao Cup final on March 22 and he needed just 45 minutes to take care of the afternoon’s business. A cross swept on to the toes of Viktor Gyokeres for the first goal, a shot whipped inside the near post of Bernd Leno’s goal for the second. Saka’s work was done. For once, Mikel Arteta and 60,000 anxious home fans could relax at three goals up at half-time, during which Saka was withdrawn to conserve his energy levels.
For Gyokeres it was a triumphant afternoon, featuring a return to the team in the Premier League – having lost his place to Kai Havertz – and two first-half goals. His was the assist for Saka, and everyone in a home shirt just looked the better for having the club’s best attacking player back on the right wing. Fulham’s players, suffering from a virus that had ruled out of contention Sander Berge, and slowed down many others, were blown away in the first half. They did at least get it together after the break.
Arsenal’s 23rd Premier League win of the season took them to 76 points, six better than Manchester City with their two games in hand.
Arteta could save Saka’s legs and also substitute Declan Rice, Eberechi Eze and Ben White long before the end, with Tuesday’s Champions League semi-final second leg against Atlético Madrid in mind. Martín Zubimendi ended the game as Rice’s replacement. Myles Lewis-Skelly had a very decent 90-plus minutes – originally in midfield in Zubimendi’s place. Finally, a little rotation from Arteta, although still not a single minute for poor old Christian Norgaard. If not in a second half cruise like this one, when will he ever get a game?
A big first half for Arteta and his players, lifted by the third in the fourth minute of time added on when Gyokeres pulled away from Calvin Bassey and made himself a good target for Leandro Trossard’s cross.
This had been a very rewarding half for the Swedish forward. He has struggled this season, but against a Fulham team that was hemmed in and a pairing of Bassey and Joachim Andersen who were having a very bad afternoon, Gyokeres took his chances. Not all of it was perfect from the No 14 but if every game had been this straightforward he would not be wondering about his place in the team. It was his assist for the Saka goal too, a moment of good sensible running into the channel and waiting long enough for Saka to make the run.
Arsenal were excellent before the break. They played with intensity and their opposition were simply unable to get out of their own half for much of it. Marco Silva’s players did not register a single touch in the Arsenal penalty box before half-time. If this was indeed a team suffering a collective virus it seemed to be one that recreated the days of their abject away form. They were made to look ponderous at times, lightweight at others. Silva’s players can play a lot better.
Myles Lewis-Skelly started his first Arsenal senior game in midfield, in the absence of Martin Zubimendi and brought the necessary robustness as well as the energy. Back in the XI, Saka was a menace. Everything hit up to him stuck, including one cross field ball aimed at his neck just before half-time which he somehow controlled with one foot in touch and a defender all over him. His finish for the second Arsenal goal was clever – whipped in at Bernd Leno’s near post from the left side. He only needed to play a single half – Noni Madueke was on in his place at half-time.
Saka had made the first for Gyokeres, benefiting from Raul Jimenez’s slip. Saka might just have beaten him anyway but as it turned out he had time and space to pick out Gyokeres with Andersen having totally lost his man in the box. Arsenal would have five shots on target in the first half and the question was chiefly whether they would get a decent return on their dominance. Riccardo Calafiori’s header from Trossard’s cross was nicely placed but the full-back was well offside.
No such problems deep into injury time when Fulham were caught on the counter and Trossard took Timothy Castagne for a long run down the left. Castagne never got close and by the time Trossard looked up, Gyokeres had made some space for himself.
Gyokeres’s second goal took him to 21 for the season, the first Arsenal player to score more than 20 in all competitions in their debut season since Alexis Sanchez in 2014-2015. Fulham came back into the game after the break, or at least held their own. Calafiori hit the bar with a header. In the 72nd minute, Castagne registered a shot on target – the first for Fulham. Trossard’s performance indicated he will be in contention to start on Tuesday on the left of the attackers, and no question who will start on the opposite flank.
Sports
Nigerians Are Bitter About Super Eagles’ World Cup Absence, Wike Tells Ex-Super Eagles Captain,Yobo
As the 2026 World Cup gathers momentum in North America, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has expressed frustration over Nigeria’s absence from the tournament.
Wike, who spoke at the commissioning of the Gwagwalada-Kuje Road project on Wednesday, where ex-Super Eagles’ captain, Joseph Yobo, was among dignitaries, expressed sadness over Nigeria’s failure to feature at the World Cup.
The minister said that despite Nigeria’s credentials and the number of players of Nigerian heritage featuring at the World Cup, not seeing the Super Eagles play on the biggest stage is hard to accept.
“Yes, we have congratulated one of our stars, Joseph Yobo.
“But let me use this medium through you to tell the Super Eagles: we are not happy,” the minister said while addressing Yobo at the event.
“If nobody else will tell you that—because I saw people clapping for you the moment they saw the Super Eagles—I said, ‘I won’t clap.’ I won’t clap because I watch the World Cup. I see countries I have never heard of before qualifying to play in the World Cup, and I am sitting down for hours watching countries that are completely unknown.
“In this contest, we have no less than 13 top Nigerian players playing all over the world, but here we are; we did not qualify. Yobo, go and tell them. We are not happy.”
Nigeria failed to reach a second consecutive World Cup tournament after losing to DR Congo in the African playoff tournament last year.
The Super Eagles, who first featured in the competition in 1994, made the play-offs after losing the direct ticket to South Africa despite beating neighbours Benin Republic 4-0 in the final match of the qualification series.
Despite that, Nigeria got a lifeline via the African playoffs after finishing as one of the four second-best-placed teams in the qualification race.
They won their first match against Gabon but agonisingly fell on penalties to the Leopards of DR Congo. That meant the Central Africans represented the continent in the intercontinental playoffs, where they eventually picked one of the two tickets to the World Cup.
Cristiano Ronaldo delivered a timely response to his critics on Tuesday, scoring twice as Portugal cruised to a commanding 5-0 victory over Uzbekistan in their Group K clash at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Houston.
The emphatic win revived Portugal’s World Cup campaign after their opening draw against DR Congo and moved Roberto Martínez’s side into a strong position in the race for a place in the Round of 32.
Ronaldo wasted little time making his mark. The 41-year-old forward opened the scoring in the sixth minute, finishing from a João Cancelo assist to give Portugal an early advantage.
The goal saw him become the first player in football history to score in six different FIFA World Cups, further extending his remarkable international legacy.
Portugal doubled their lead in the 17th minute through Nuno Mendes, whose attacking run and clinical finish exposed Uzbekistan’s defensive frailties.
The Europeans continued to dominate possession and territory, pinning their opponents deep inside their own half.
Ronaldo struck again six minutes before the break, converting after being picked out by Bruno Fernandes.
The goal handed Portugal a comfortable 3-0 lead at half-time and underlined the veteran forward’s enduring influence on the international stage.
Any hopes of an Uzbek comeback disappeared shortly after the restart when goalkeeper Abduvokhid Nematov inadvertently turned the ball into his own net in the 60th minute, extending Portugal’s lead to four.
With the contest effectively settled, Portugal controlled proceedings and continued to create chances against a tiring Uzbek defence.
Rafael Leão completed the rout in the 87th minute, finishing brilliantly after a well-worked move involving Nelson Semedo to cap a dominant display from the 2016 European champions.
The victory leaves Portugal firmly back in contention for qualification ahead of their final group match, while Uzbekistan face a must-win encounter against DR Congo to keep their World Cup hopes alive.
For Ronaldo, however, the night belonged to him. Having faced growing questions about his role in the national team, the Portuguese captain answered in the most emphatic manner possible with goals, records and a performance that reminded the football world why he remains one of the game’s defining figures.
Super Eagles head coach Éric Chelle has reached agreement on a new contract with the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF.
Chelle entered the new agreement with NFF during a meeting at the National Sports Commission, NSC, headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday.
NSC Chairman Shehu Dikko, NSC Director-General Bukola Olopade, NFF President Ibrahim Gusau, NFF General Secretary Dr. Mohammed Sanusi, and Chelle attended the meeting.
Chelle will now earn $100,000 monthly, in place of his earlier $45,000 salary, following the new agreement.
The Malian’s assistants will also now be paid by the NFF.
The 48-year-old, who was appointed Super Eagles head coach in January 2025, guided the Super Eagles to third position at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
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