Sports

How Manchester City Defeated Arsenal To Win 2023/2024 Premier League Title

Published

7 months ago

May 20, 2024

Arsenal’s dreams of emerging first Premier League crown in 20 years were dashed as their 2-1 win against Everton was rendered irrelevant by Manchester City’s title-clinching victory over West Ham.

Mikel Arteta’s side had gone into the last day of the season needing to beat Everton at the Emirates Stadium and hope City drew or lost in Manchester if they were to steal the title in miraculous fashion.

But the Gunners were forced to settle for second place after relentless champions City beat West Ham 3-1.

Idrissa Gueye put Everton in front late in the first half before Takehiro Tomiyasu quickly equalised.

By the time Kai Havertz scored Arsenal’s winner in the 89th minute, City were already well on course to retain the title.

Arsenal had been almost flawless in 2024, with 16 wins and one draw, away to City, in their 18 league matches.

However, one costly slip-up in a 2-0 home defeat to Aston Villa last month proved decisive in denying them a first title since Arsene Wenger’s ‘Invincibles’ in 2004.

They finished two points behind City, who have won an unprecedented four successive titles and six in the last seven years.

Arsenal staff were seen rehearsing a mock title presentation at the Emirates on Saturday, complete with replicas of the trophy and medals, as well as signs emblazoned with the slogan ‘Premier League champions’.

But there would be no genuine title party in north London as the heartbroken players were forced to accept their fate.

Arsenal fans had strolled down the sun-baked Holloway Road towards the Emirates more in hope than expectation of seeing a title-winning team.

Some even wore West Ham shirts rather than their own clubs in a nod to the favour required from their London rivals 200 miles to the north.

A raucous rendition of the club’s ‘North London Forever’ anthem before kick-off took the atmosphere to a fever pitch.

Despite the absence of injured star Bukayo Saka, Arsenal should have been ahead in the opening moments when Tomiyasu nodded wide from close range.

However, at that exact second, the atmosphere went completely flat as news filtered through of Phil Foden’s second-minute opener for City.

A resigned hush settled over the sell-out 60,000 crowd, but Arsenal did their best to refocus.

Foden’s second goal in the 18th minute rendered the Arsenal faithful mute as Everton fans taunted them with chants of “You nearly won the league”.

Everton took the lead in the 40th minute when Gueye’s free-kick took a wicked deflection off Declan Rice’s head as he jumped to block the ball, looping past wrong-footed Arsenal keeper David Raya into the far corner.

To their credit, the Gunners refused to surrender, equalising just three minutes later when Tomiyasu met Martin Odegaard’s pass with a fine finish that whistled past Jordan Pickford from just inside the area.

Arsenal fans let out a defiant roar when they heard Mohammed Kudus had reduced the deficit for West Ham late in the first half.

They were briefly celebrating again after a false rumour spread that West Ham had equalised.

Dragged from despair to hope and back again within seconds, Arsenal were four points behind City in the ‘as it stands’ table at half-time.

Arsenal’s players gathered in a huddle as they prepared to make one final push in the second half, but Havertz wasted two chances to give them life, nodding wide and then heading against the bar.

Rodri’s 59th-minute goal for City was met with silence in the Emirates stands.

And when Havertz stabbed home in the closing stages, Arsenal had already come to terms with the end of their title hopes.

Sports

I Failed In Front of the World Four Years Ago — Lookman’s Touching Speech After Winning CAF Award

Published

14 hours ago

December 19, 2024

Kayode Sanni-Arewa

Super Eagles star, Ademola Lookman had delivered a touching speech after winning the 2024 CAF Men’s Player of the Year award.

According to him, he learned from his failure four years ago which made him a better player.

He said: “Just over four years ago I failed in front of the world. Fast forward four years, I’m the best player in Africa,” Lookman said after receiving the award.

“I want to say to the young children and people watching this: don’t let your failures weigh you down that they break your wings. Matter of fact, turn your pain into your power and continue to fight.

“Firstly. I want to thank the Almighty God for everything he has been doing in my life, and everything he has been blessing me with.

“I want to thank the president, I want to thank all my teammates- club and country. I want to thank them for all their support and love that they gave me.”

“This award today is a blessing to me, to my family, to my nation, and to be recognized as the best player in Africa. It’s something incredible and I’m extremely proud of.”

Sports

CAF Awards 2024: Full List of Winners

Published

2 days ago

December 18, 2024

Kayode Sanni-Arewa

Nigeria’s Ademola Lookman, South Africa’s Ronwen Williams, and Nigeria’s Chiamaka Nnadozie emerged as some of the standout winners at the 2024 Confederation of African Football (CAF) Awards.

Lookman, who plays for Atalanta, clinched the prestigious CAF Men’s Player of the Year title, beating contenders such as Simon Adingra, Achraf Hakimi, Ronwen Williams, and Serhou Guirassy.

South African goalkeeper Ronwen Williams dominated the night, bagging both the Men’s Interclub Player of the Year and the Men’s Goalkeeper of the Year awards.

Nigeria’s Chiamaka Nnadozie, known for her stellar performances, was named Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year.

Full List of CAF Awards 2024 Winners
CAF Men’s Player of the Year: Ademola Lookman (Nigeria)
Women’s Interclub Player of the Year: Sanaa Mssoudy
Men’s Interclub Player of the Year: Ronwen Williams (South Africa)
Women’s Club of the Year: TP Mazembe
Men’s Club of the Year: Al Ahly FC
Men’s National Team of the Year: Ivory Coast
Women’s National Team of the Year: Nigeria
Men’s Young Player of the Year: Lamine Camara
Women’s Young Player of the Year: Doha El Madani
Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year: Chiamaka Nnadozie (Nigeria)
Men’s Goalkeeper of the Year: Ronwen Williams (South Africa)
Women’s Coach of the Year: Lamia Boumehdi
Men’s Coach of the Year: Emerse Faé
Goal of the Year: Mabululu (Angola)

Sports

Ronaldo To Contest Brazilian Football Federation Presidency

Published

2 days ago

December 18, 2024

Kayode Sanni-Arewa

Brazil legend Ronaldo has confirmed he wants to become president of the country’s football governing body to address a “deep crisis” the sport is facing nationally.

“I have hundreds of motivations, but I think the biggest of them is really to restore international respect to Brazilian football,” he said in an interview on Monday with the Globoesporte website.

Ronaldo said he wanted to be an “alternative for significant change” as candidate for the job of running the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF).

“O Fenomeno” (“The Phenomenon”), as the 48-year-old became known over the course of his 1993-2011 career, said he wants to use the CBF presidency to help Brazil’s national team to regain its glory as five-time world champions.

“The Selecao has to recover its prestige. I’ll do everything so that the players understand the historic importance of playing for the national team,” he said.

Ronaldo scored both goals when Brazil beat Germany in the 2002 World Cup final in Japan, and was twice winner of the Ballon d’Or.

To lodge his CBF candidacy, he needs the support of Brazilian regional clubs and federations.

To get those, he promised to travel “all around Brazil” and share the “incredible plans” he has for the sport.

The date of the next CBF election has not yet been set, but should happen between March 2025 and March 2026, according to Brazilian media.

‘Much deeper problem’

Current CBF chief Ednaldo Rodrigues has been criticized for slotting in temporary coaches for the national team after Tite’s 2022 exit while waiting for Carlo Ancelotti to arrive — something that did not happen when the Italian decided late last year to extend his contract as manager of Real Madrid.

Currently coached by Dorival Junior, the Selecao are fifth in South America qualifying for the 2026 World Cup tournament, seven points behind leaders Argentina.

“My problem is not Ednaldo. The problem is much deeper. My goal is to bring the people closer to the Selecao. Today, the people are indifferent when the Selecao plays,” Ronaldo told Globoesporte.

“I am an alternative of significant change for Brazilian football, which is going through a deep crisis,” he said.

Ronaldo, a former star for Barcelona, Inter Milan and Real Madrid, already has leadership experience.

In 2018, he took majority control of Spain’s Real Valladolid, and in 2021 did the same for Cruzeiro, the Brazilian club where he started his career.

He sold his Cruzeiro stake in April this year.

In his interview, Ronaldo said he was in talks to “very soon” sell his Valladolid stake to avoid “any obstacle” to his CBF candidacy.

AFP