Sports
Arsenal flog PSV Eindhoven 7-1 in Champions League last 16 first leg
Arsenal’s talented teenage duo Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri combined on Tuesday to help the Gunners to an imperious 7-1 Champions League last-16 first leg advantage over a shambolic PSV Eindhoven.
The Premiership side were on a different level to the struggling Dutch champions, who were condemned to their worst-ever defeat in European football.
Arsenal dominated from the outset. Declan Rice’s powerful shot into the PSV net on 11 minutes was chalked off for a narrow offside, but it was a taste of what was to come.
Against the run of play, PSV should have taken the lead after a quarter of an hour but Ismael Saibari somehow contrived to hit the bar from close range with the goalkeeper already beaten.
Arsenal made the hosts pay for their profligacy two minutes later. Rice was afforded far too much space in the PSV box, allowing him to chip a cross to the far post, gratefully headed home by Arsenal’s own flying Dutchman, Jurrien Timber.
The Premiership side doubled their lead shortly afterwards following more generous Dutch defending.
Lewis-Skelly, the 18-year-old English defender, found himself in acres of space in a dangerous area, squaring to fellow teenager Nwaneri, who smashed the cross into the top corner.
PSV’s shambolic defending turned to embarrassment as Arsenal made it three after just over half an hour played.
The defence squandered four chances to make an easy clearance, the ball eventually falling to makeshift striker Mikel Merino, who rolled past Walter Benitez.
The shellshocked fans in the Philips Stadion received a glimmer of hope however just before half time, PSV winning a penalty after Thomas Partey needlessly wrapped his arms around striker Luuk de Jong’s head.
Netherlands international winger Noa Lang made no mistake from the spot, smashing the ball into the top corner, giving David Raya no chance.
A lifeline for the Dutch champions, who went into half-time 3-1 down after a breathless first 45 minutes.
Lewis-Skelly meanwhile had been substituted, arguably fortunate to escape a second yellow card after a clumsy challenge on Richard Ledezma.
– Record defeat –
But any hope for the home fans was quickly snuffed out, as Arsenal scored twice in the first three minutes of the second half.
Nwaneri broke impressively down the right, squaring a cross that Benitez could only palm into the path of Martin Odegaard.
By now, it was all too easy for Arsenal. With 49 minutes gone, Riccardo Calafiori eased past the left side of the PSV defence, finding Belgium international striker Leandro Trossard, who lifted his shot effortlessly home.
Odegaard grabbed a second as PSV capitulated, the Norwegian running unchallenged at the defence before firing a shot that Benitez parried lamely into his own net.
Calafiori compounded the misery with a seventh on 86 minutes, beating the previous record for PSV goals conceded in Europe — they lost 6-0 to Saint-Etienne in the 1980 UEFA Cup.
It was a sad evening for the 1987 European Cup champions, whose fans streamed out of the stadium well before the final whistle.
Arsenal in contrast have the luxury of a comfortable lead, with the winner of the tie between Real or Atletico Madrid the next challenge.
Most popular ex-captain and head coach of the Super Eagles, Christian Chukwu, is dead.
He was 74.
The football legend reportedly passed away in the early hours of Saturday though the exact circumstances surrounding the situation remain unclear as of the time of filing this report.
His longtime teammate and friend, Dr. Olusegun Odegbami, confirmed the development.
Odegbami, who won the 1980 Africa Nation Cup with Chukwu, said: ‘I just received the news that between 9:00 and 10:00 this morning, “Chairman” Christian Chukwu, MFR, my bosom friend and teammate, one of the greatest football players in Nigeria’s history, has passed on’.
Born 4 January 1951, Chukwu had an illustrious career with Rangers captaining them to many laurels on the domestic football scene and led the Flying Antelopes to continental glory by winning the now rested African Cup Winners Cup in 1977.
Mikel Arteta had asked the Arsenal fans to arrive early to create an impressive atmosphere inside the stadium, and the team responded by starting the game quickly with a number of dangerous crosses into the Madrid penalty area.
It took until the 20th minute for Madrid to have their first real chance, when Vinicius Jr curled an effort wide.
But Rice took control of the tie for Arsenal in the second half.
Declan Rice stunned Real Madrid with two brilliant free kicks – the first scored in his career – as Arsenal took a commanding 3-0 first leg lead in their Champions League quarter-final.
The Gunners were the better side all evening and took the lead in the 58th minute, when Rice curled the first of two excellent free-kicks round the Real Madrid wall into the corner of the net past Thibaut Courtois.
Rice scored his second of the night with a free-kick of equal quality 12 minutes later, bending another long-range effort into the top right-hand corner to leave Madrid stunned.
Mikel Merino then made sure it was a memorable night for Arsenal when he curled a shot into the bottom corner from inside the area just five minutes later.
Things only got worse for Madrid when Eduardo Camavinga was sent off in stoppage time for picking up a second yellow card.
Arsenal have not reached the semi-finals stage of the Champions League since the 2008-09 season, but they have given themselves a huge chance of progressing to the last four with this result. [BBC]
Spanish giants Real Madrid are reportedly keeping tabs on Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen as they consider potential additions ahead of the summer transfer window.
The 26-year-old forward, currently enjoying a prolific loan spell at Galatasaray, has been in fine form this season, notching 28 goals and providing five assists in 32 matches across all competitions.
Although Osimhen remains under contract with Serie A side Napoli, his future appears uncertain, and a permanent departure from the Italian club is expected in the coming months.
While Manchester United have long been linked with the Super Eagles star, Spanish outlet Fichajes claims that Real Madrid are now exploring the option of bringing him to the Bernabéu. The club reportedly views him as a possible replacement should Vinicius Junior make a surprise move to Saudi Arabia, where he continues to attract interest.
Osimhen joined Napoli from Lille in 2020 and has since established himself as one of Europe’s top attacking talents, scoring 76 goals and assisting 12 times in 133 games for the Italian side. His blend of pace, power, and finishing ability has earned him admiration across top European leagues.
Real Madrid’s potential bid adds to growing interest from Premier League clubs and teams in Saudi Arabia, as Osimhen’s release clause — reportedly set at €75 million — puts his signature well within reach for Europe’s elite.
As the summer window approaches, the race to land the Nigerian marksman is expected to intensify.
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