Welcome!!!

Premier League Has ‘Gone Up A Level’, Says Arsenal’s Arteta

The Spaniard, bidding to win Arsenal's first Premier League title since 2004, said the league was even tougher this year.

Mikel Arteta said the Premier League has “gone another level up” from last season as Arsenal seek to open up a five-point lead at the top of the table at lowly Luton on Tuesday.

The Gunners, who beat Wolves 2-1 on Saturday, are two points clear of second-placed Liverpool and three ahead of champions Manchester City after the weekend games, with neither of those teams in action until Wednesday.

Arteta’s men topped the table for much of last season but faltered down the home stretch and were overtaken by Pep Guardiola’s relentless City side.

The Spaniard, bidding to win Arsenal’s first Premier League title since 2004, said the league was even tougher this year.

“The level has gone another level up and you can see it,” he said at his pre-match press conference on Monday.

“I was watching a lot of games yesterday afternoon and it’s incredible how game state changes and momentum changes in games.

“The quality the opponents have, the quality of the managers — it’s a really, really tough league and we don’t know how it’s going to continue but at the moment we are in a good place and tomorrow we want to be in a better place. To do that, we’re going to have to play really well.”

Arteta said he did not know whether his team were better than they were at the same time last year.

“I think about how we’re going to play better tomorrow and be more consistent and more difficult to beat, the things that we have to tweak and how we can use our players in the best possible way to win,” he said. “It’s still a huge marathon ahead of us.”

And he denied taking encouragement from watching City draw three league matches in a row.

“Encouragement comes from watching my team play and watching how they behave every single day, how hungry and willing they are to play every single game, the way they approach every single training session,” he said.

“That’s what gives me encouragement. What the others do is something we cannot control.”

Arteta had warm words for “special guy” Bukayo Saka, on the brink of his 200th game for Arsenal, saying there was no limit to what the 22-year-old could achieve.

“He hasn’t got any limits and he wants more and the people around him want more,” he said.

“His teammates are having a better understanding of what he needs as well. He has coaches, staff and a club that wants to push him to become better. I think it’s a good context for him to keep growing.”

Kano Pillars Teenage Sensation Abdullahi Scores Five Goals In One Game

Welcome!!!

Kano Pillars Teenage Sensation Abdullahi Scores Five Goals In One Game

Abdullahi was one of the youth team players promoted to the senior team ahead of the 2023-2024 season after the club's temporary ban on signing new players.

Teenage Kano Pillars’ sensation, Yusuf Abdullahi, on Sunday, scored five goals in a Nigerian Premier Football League (NPFL) away game against Gombe United.

The Match Day 11 fixture of the NPFL 2023/2024 season, played at Pantami Township Stadium, Gombe, saw the 2019 Nigerian FA Champions thrash the home team 5-2, with 18-year-old Abdullahi scoring all five goals for the visitors.

Abdullahi was one of the youth team players promoted to the senior team ahead of the 2023-2024 season after the club’s temporary ban on signing new players.

After the youngster’s scintillating performance, the Technical Adviser of Kano Pillars, Abdullahi Maikaba, said Abdullahi’s performance deserves a call-up to the Nigerian youth team.

“My happiness is that one of the brilliant talents that is coming up in Nigeria has scored all the five goals. It is a wonderful day for Kano pillars, me, and my team,” Maikaba said.

“I have been telling him that the first goal is the key. If he can get his first goal, it will motivate him to score more. I am happy that his first goal geared him up to get four more in just one match.”

Guinea-Bissau Dissolves Parliament After Coup Bid

Welcome!!!

Guinea-Bissau Dissolves Parliament After Coup Bid

"The date of forthcoming legislative elections will be set at the opportune moment, in line with the constitution," President Umaro Sissoco Embalo said in a communique.

The president of Guinea-Bissau issued a decree on Monday dissolving the parliament after an attempted coup in the West African nation.

“The date of forthcoming legislative elections will be set at the opportune moment, in line with the constitution,” President Umaro Sissoco Embalo said in a communique.

Army Takes Responsibility For Air Strike In Kaduna

Welcome!!!

Army Takes Responsibility For Air Strike In Kaduna

Earlier reports had alleged that the operation in Kaduna was carried out by the Nigerian Air Force, a claim which the Service immediately refuted.

The Nigerian Army has taken responsibility for Sunday’s Air Strike that left many villager killed and several others injured at Tudun Biri village in Kaduna State.

This development was confirmed by Samuel Aruwan, the Kaduna State Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs at the end of an emergency security meeting on Monday.

10-Man Chelsea Edge Out Brighton 3-2

Welcome!!!

10-Man Chelsea Edge Out Brighton 3-2

Chelsea recorded just their second Premier League home win of the season against Brighton, despite being reduced to 10 men before half-time.

Ten-man Chelsea shrugged off a red card for captain Conor Gallagher to edge Brighton 3-2 while West Ham drew 1-1 with Crystal Palace.

Chelsea recorded just their second Premier League home win of the season against Brighton, despite being reduced to 10 men before half-time.

Mauricio Pochettino’s men were cruising midway through the first half after goals from Enzo Fernandez and Levi Colwill.

Facundo Buonanotte halved the deficit for the visitors shortly before half-time and there was still time for Gallagher to pick up a second yellow card, changing the complexion of the match.

Fernandez restored Chelsea’s two-goal cushion from the penalty spot, but Joao Pedro struck in stoppage time to heap the pressure on the home side.

Brighton were awarded a penalty for a handball by Colwill in the 101st minute but the referee reversed his on-field decision after reviewing the incident on the pitchside monitor and Chelsea held on.

“Crazy — it’s the most competitive league,” said Pochettino.

“The team is tired, we are all tired but overall happy,” he added. “After Newcastle (a 4-1 defeat), we needed to show a different face. That’s why I’m happy.”

Aston Villa striker Watkins headed home a cross from Moussa Diaby in the 90th minute to rescue a point Unai Emery’s team, which kept them in fourth place.

Earlier, Leon Bailey had cancelled out an opener from Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo before Dominic Solanke put the home side back ahead.

“It shows our resilience, but we are not starting games well away from home,” said Watkins.

“If we can iron that out it will help us. Every game we want to win, we are in good form. We fancy ourselves against anybody.”

At the London Stadium, Mohammed Kudus put West Ham ahead in the first half, before Odsonne Edouard equalised in the second period to earn a point for Crystal Palace.

‘Waste Of Resources Amid Hardship’, Obi Faults Number Of Nigeria’s Delegates At COP28

Welcome!!!

‘Waste Of Resources Amid Hardship’, Obi Faults Number Of Nigeria’s Delegates At COP28

Obi said majority of those in the Nigerian delegation to COP28 are either non-relevant civil servants or relations of high government officials.

The 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, on Sunday, faulted the number of Nigeria’s delegation at the COP28 Climate Summit in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

President Bola Tinubu had on November 29, 2023 departed Abuja for Dubai for the summit expected to end December 12, 2023.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the ex-governor of Anambra State, described sending over 1,000 persons to the summit as a waste of scarce resources by the Tinubu administration.

Obi lamented the “huge contingent” in Dubai at public expense at a time when most Nigerians can hardly afford food and basic needs.

“Nigeria’s contingent to COP28 totaled 1411, the same number as the Chinese contingents. While China’s budget for 2024 is about $4 trillion, about $2,860 per head; Nigeria’s budget is about $33 billion, about $165 per head,” Obi said.

“We need to de-emphasize unnecessary ceremony and showmanship as a mode of government behaviour. We need to tie spending to necessity and national Priority. A New Nigeria is possible. We only need to do the reasonable and the necessary.”

Meanwhile, a presidential aide, Temitope Ajayi, in a comment on Sunday, defended the delegation of the President to the summit, saying that “President Tinubu and other officials on the Federal government delegation are in Dubai for serious business not jamboree”.

Newcastle Shrug Off Injury Crisis, Beat Man United

Welcome!!!

Newcastle Shrug Off Injury Crisis, Beat Man United 

Victory takes Eddie Howe's men above United into fifth in the Premier League table and was the very least the home side deserved for a dominant display that should have been rewarded with more goals.

Newcastle shrugged off an injury crisis to beat Manchester United 1-0 on Saturday thanks to Anthony Gordon’s second-half winner.

Victory takes Eddie Howe’s men above United into fifth in the Premier League table and was the very least the home side deserved for a dominant display that should have been rewarded with more goals.

Gordon’s solitary strike proved enough as he slotted in Kieran Trippier’s cross on 55 minutes.

But the three points came at a cost for Newcastle as goalkeeper Nick Pope hobbled off late on to add to their injury woes.

The Magpies were without 11 first-team players yet were utterly dominant for the first hour against a United side that are still yet to register a win against a side in the top nine of the Premier League table this season.

Andre Onana was in the spotlight after his two glaring errors cost Erik ten Hag’s men in a 3-3 draw at Galatasaray in midweek that could prove fatal to their chances of progression in the Champions League.

But the Cameroonian made an important early save to deny Miguel Almiron finding the far corner.

Newcastle also suffered Champions League disappointment in midweek as a controversial stoppage-time penalty denied them a famous victory over Paris Saint-Germain.

Howe’s lack of options meant he was forced to name the same side for a third consecutive game with 17-year-old Lewis Miley starting in midfield.

But there was no sign of fatigue from the home side as United could not cope with Newcastle’s energy on and off the ball.

Alexander Isak’s effort was deflected inches wide by the excellent Harry Maguire.

Trippier’s free-kick then came back off the underside of the bar as Newcastle were unfortunate not to make their dominance count before half-time.

However, the deadlock was finally broken when Trippier was played in down the right and he picked out Gordon to tap home his sixth goal of the season at the far post.

Ten Hag finally responded only after falling behind as the ineffectual Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial were replaced by Rasmus Hojlund and Antony.

Yet those changes elicited little response from the visitors as United slumped to a sixth Premier League defeat of the season.

The closest United came to levelling was when Fabian Schar blocked Sergio Reguilon’s goalbound volley.

But that incident did not come without a cost for Newcastle as goalkeeper Pope jolted his shoulder in an attempt to save the Spaniard’s shot.

United finally showed some urgency for the closing stages plus nine minutes of added time for Pope’s injury and did have the ball in the net.

However, Maguire was clearly offside as he deflected in Antony’s effort and Newcastle held on to close to within two points of the top four.