Sports

Arsenal keeps title hope alive after defeating Tottenham 3-2

Published

12 months ago

April 28, 2024

ADMIN

Arsenal survived a late scare to battle past fierce rivals Tottenham Hotspur 3-2 and move four points clear at the Premier League (PL) summit. The result extends Mikel Arteta’s side’s impressive record in H2Hs to just one defeat in the last seven meetings (W5, D1).

Fresh from a thumping win over Chelsea in midweek, Arsenal made the short journey to their North London rivals with a slender one-point lead at the top of the PL. The opening stages of the contest were closely fought, as both sides looked to stamp their authority on proceedings in a high-octane start. Clear-cut chances came at a premium, but it was the Gunners who stunned the home crowd with a breakthrough in the 16th minute when Bukayo Saka’s inswinging corner was inadvertently headed into his own net by Pierre-Emile Højbjerg.

Determined to find a swift response, Tottenham showed plenty of intent in the final third, as Cristian Romero directed a close-range header against the woodwork and Micky van de Ven saw a well-taken finish ruled out for a marginal offside. Grateful for those reprieves, Arteta’s men doubled their lead shortly before the half-hour mark, with Kai Havertz lifting an accurate ball over the top for Saka, who cut inside Ben Davies before curling a clinical effort into the far corner. Armed with all the momentum, Arsenal continued to press home their advantage and the Gunners duly added a third before HT, as Havertz rose highest in the six-yard box to convert Declan Rice’s delivery beyond Guglielmo Vicario.

Now faced with a daunting three-goal deficit, Tottenham knew a positive start was needed in the second half, but it was the visitors who soon threatened a fourth when Saka’s close-range effort was superbly thwarted by the legs of Vicario. The hosts looked devoid of ideas in the final third, but they were gifted a route back into the contest with 25 minutes remaining, as David Raya inexplicably passed the ball straight to Romero, who held his nerve to finish confidently into the bottom corner.

Despite that moment of madness from Raya, Arsenal looked to have regained their composure with time ticking into the final half-hour. However, a reckless challenge from Rice on Davies in the box allowed Son Heung-min to fire home from the spot, setting up a fascinating finale. Determined to derail the Gunners’ title charge, the hosts went in pursuit of a dramatic equaliser, but the Arsenal rearguard held firm under pressure to secure a crucial victory and move four points clear at the top of the PL ahead of Manchester City’s match against Nottingham Forest later on Sunday.

Sports

Just in: Chelsea maintains top 4 position after thrashing Everton 1-0

Published

12 hours ago

April 26, 2025

ADMIN

Chelsea on Saturday maintained its top four position in the Premier league after thrashing Everton 1-0 at home.

A lone goal was put behind Everton’s goal keeper at the 27th minute of the second half by M.Jackson of Chelsea, his first goal in the Premiership.

Details….

Sports

Weightlifting Heroes Lift Nigeria’s Spirits with Record-Breaking Gold Medals

Published

22 hours ago

April 26, 2025

Admin

Team Nigeria has wrapped up its participation at the 2025 African Senior Weightlifting Championship in Moka, Mauritius, with a stunning haul of 18 medals—13 gold, 4 silver, and 1 bronze—cementing its status as a continental powerhouse in the sport.

Nigeria’s final day of competition saw Sarah Ovayioza deliver a show-stopping performance in the women’s 76kg weight class, lifting a combined total of 237kg in the snatch, clean, and jerk. Her flawless execution earned the nation three more gold medals and drew roaring applause from the crowd as she closed out Nigeria’s campaign in style.

Earlier in the tournament, Ruth Imoleayo Ayodele dazzled in the women’s 64kg category, completing a clean sweep of the three gold medals in her weight class.

Following suit, Onome Omolola Didih was the star of the 55kg division with another triple-gold performance, dominating her weight class from start to finish (three gold medals).

Two-time African Games gold medallist and reigning Commonwealth Games champion, Rafiatu Folashade Lawal , continued her golden streak in the 59kg category. Her lifts of 95kg (snatch) and 118kg (clean and jerk) for a total of 213kg secured yet another hat-trick of gold medals for Team Nigeria.

In the men’s events, Umoafia Joseph Edidiong powered through the 73kg category with a 147kg snatch to win gold, while narrowly missing out on a gold rush with two silvers in the clean and jerk.

Without minding what day of the week it was, Tuesday Emmanuel contributed to the medal count in the 67kg category, bagging two silver medals and a bronze after a combined lift of 276kg (130kg snatch, 146kg clean & jerk).

Although the championship continues until April 28, Nigeria’s contingent has concluded its events, proudly leaving the stage with one of the most impressive medal tallies recorded in recent history. The team’s performance yet again showcases Nigeria’s continued dominance and rising momentum in international weightlifting.

Sports

Teams that have qualified for the 2025-2026 Champions League

Published

5 days ago

April 22, 2025

Austin Ojomah

Today we dive into some of the clubs that have already qualified for the 2025-26 Champions League group stage based on the current standings in some of the top European leagues and teams that have mathematically secured a top finish as of today, April 22, 2025:

Liverpool: They have mathematically secured a top-five finish in the Premier League, guaranteeing their Champions League spot due to England’s strong UEFA coefficient ranking.

Arsenal: They are highly likely to qualify, holding a significant point advantage over sixth place.

Bayer Leverkusen: They have secured a top-four finish in the Bundesliga.

Bayern Munich: They have also secured a top-four finish in the Bundesliga.

Barcelona: They are currently in a position to qualify through their league standing.

Real Madrid: They are also in a strong position to qualify through their league standing.

Paris Saint-Germain: They are in a qualifying position in Ligue 1.

Now, those are the usual suspects. There are several other teams that have qualified as league champions in their respective countries, though their entry point, i.e., group stage or qualifying rounds, depends on their league’s UEFA coefficient ranking. Some are familiar; others, not so familiar. They are:

Qarabag (Azerbaijan)

Differdange 03 (Luxembourg)

Crvena Zvezda (Serbia)

Malmö FF (Sweden)

Kairat (Kazakhstan)

KuPS (Finland)

Shelbourne (Ireland)

RFS (Latvia)

Víkingur (Faroe Islands)

Breiðablik (Iceland)

Linfield (Northern Ireland)

The New Saints (Wales)

Virtus (San Marino)

Slavia Prague (Czech Republic)

Galatasaray (Türkiye)

Ajax (Netherlands)

Sporting CP (Portugal)

Genk (Belgium)

As the current season winds down, the number of qualified teams will increase. Follow the league standings in the major European leagues and the results of the current Champions League and Europa League to stay updated.