Sports

EPL: The run is over as Arsenal fall into Man Utd trap

Published

4 years ago

September 5, 2022

Marcus Rashford brace condemn Gunners to first Premier League defeat of the season

Arsenal’s unbeaten start to the season came to an end as they fell to a 3-1 defeat at Manchester United on Sunday. The Gunners dominated for large periods at Old Trafford, but were picked off by three counterattacking goals – including two from Marcus Rashford.

There would have been much for Mikel Arteta to like about his team’s performance, with the visitors controlling things for the majority of the contest with some slick attacking play. But some wasteful finishing and slack defending cost them dear, with their lead at the top of the table now cut to just one point.

Arsenal were left infuriated early on when VAR ruled out Gabriel Martinelli’s early goal for a foul in the build up by Martin Odegaard.

And their frustration deepened when United’s new signing Antony was left all alone to open the scoring on his debut before the break.

Bukayo Saka deservedly hauled Arsenal level on the hour mark, but just as they looked likely to go on and win the match, a quick fire brace from Rashford earned the hosts a fourth win in a row.

He may well have been frustrated when his first-half goal was ruled out by VAR, but this was another excellent performance from Martinelli.

Up against a club that rejected him as a youngster, the Brazilian was a constant menace down the left-hand side and didn’t deserve to be on the losing team.

Martinelli has gone up a level with his performances so far this season and this was yet more evidence as to why he is viewed as one of the brightest young talents playing in Europe.

Saka desperately needed a goal just to get himself up and running this season.

It may not have been the best goal he will ever score, but it could be an important one in terms of his campaign as a whole.

His equaliser was his first goal in open play since the 1-0 win at Aston Villa on March 19.

No one was thinking Arsenal were going to suddenly run away with the Premier League after their bright start to the season, but the likes of Liverpool and Chelsea will have enjoyed this result.

A win for Arsenal would have taken them nine points clear of Liverpool and eight points clear of the Blues.

Even at this early stage of the season, that is quite a large gap – so a United victory certainly suited them and it bunches things up nicely ahead of next weekend’s round of fixtures.

For the football fans, it was another day, another VAR controversy.

There is certainly an argument that referee Paul Tierney and VAR official Lee Mason were correct to rule out Gabriel Martinelli’s first-half goal by the letter of the law, but it was no surprise to see Arsenal angered by the incident.

There was contact between Martin Odegaard and Christian Eriksen, but it’s hard for there not to be when two players are challenging for the ball in the middle of the pitch.

The fact that Tierney, who was just a few yards away on the pitch, didn’t give it in real time really should have been enough for the goal to have stood.

Of course, things are going to look worse when they are slowed down and watched over and over again on a replay.

It’s hard enough to score a goal at this level, that it just seems a real shame that fans are seeing some many goals being ruled out nowadays for the smallest little things which are spotted on a TV screen.

-Goal.com

International

Asian Games Organisers Apologise After Blunder Broadcasts North Korean Anthem for South Korea

Published

2 hours ago

September 18, 2026

Hamdalat Bisiriyu

Asian Games Organisers Apologise After Blunder Broadcasts North Korean Anthem for South Korea

A mistaken stadium audio track following South Korea’s 5-0 hockey win over Bangladesh triggers protests amid wider logistical issues in Japan.

Organisers of the Asian Games in Japan issued a formal apology on Friday after mistakenly playing the North Korean national anthem for South Korea’s men’s hockey team.

The embarrassing mix-up occurred shortly after South Korea secured a commanding 5-0 victory over Bangladesh, leaving players standing perplexed on the pitch as the wrong national anthem echoed through the stadium speakers.

Following the initial blunder, venue operators played the national anthem of Bangladesh before finally broadcasting South Korea’s proper anthem, prompting a stadium announcer to issue an immediate apology over the public address system.

However, South Korea coach Min Tae-seok condemned the oversight as an inexcusable operational failure. Min stated that while tournament officials blamed an individual operator for selecting the wrong audio file, an international competition must never tolerate errors of such sensitive political magnitude.

Furthermore, the anthem blunder compounds wider operational difficulties facing Japanese host venues ahead of Saturday’s official opening ceremony. Several delegations have voiced strong frustration over logistical arrangements, with visiting teams reporting airport delays lasting up to six hours.

In addition, members of South Korea’s basketball squad published videos showing water pouring from broken pipes into their athlete village rooms, intensifying pressure on local organisers to resolve village infrastructure and technical coordination before mainstream competitions begin.

Asian Games Organisers Apologise After Blunder Broadcasts North Korean Anthem for South Korea

Sports

Osimhen Is ‘One of the Best Strikers in the World’ – Terim

Published

3 hours ago

September 18, 2026

Hamdalat Bisiriyu

Osimhen Is ‘One of the Best Strikers in the World’ – Terim

Victor Osimhen has received another major endorsement after former Galatasaray boss Fatih Terim described him as one of the best strikers in world football.

Terim said Osimhen’s combination of strength, finishing ability and movement makes him a difficult player for defenders to contain.

He particularly pointed to the striker’s ability to punish opponents immediately when they make mistakes.

“Even when there’s no scoring opportunity, he can score goals” Terim said. “He’s a striker who earns his own living the hard way.”

Terim, however, identified one area Osimhen needs to manage, advising the Nigerian to avoid unnecessary emotional reactions and psychological tension during matches.

Six Goals Before Injury

Osimhen had already made an impressive start to the new campaign before injury interrupted his run.

He recorded six goals and two assists across four Süper Lig appearances for Galatasaray.

His latest goal came in Galatasaray’s 3-2 win over Istanbul Basaksehir, although he was forced off in the 33rd minute with a groin problem. The club later confirmed a strain in his right adductor muscle.

He has nevertheless been included in Nigeria’s squad for the opening 2027 AFCON qualifiers against Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau.

Osimhen Is ‘One of the Best Strikers in the World’ – Terim

Sports

Mbappé Targets 2026 Ballon d’Or, Wants Trophy Back at Real Madrid

Published

6 hours ago

September 18, 2026

Trends Admin

Kylian Mbappé

Mbappé Targets 2026 Ballon d’Or, Wants Trophy Back at Real Madrid

Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappé has made clear his ambition to win the 2026 Ballon d’Or, saying he wants the prestigious individual award to return to the Santiago Bernabéu and give Real Madrid supporters another reason to celebrate.

The France captain stated this in an interview with Spanish sports newspaper AS, as preparations intensify for the presentation of the Ballon d’Or 2026 in London next month.

Mbappé said he wants the trophy back at the Bernabéu and with Madrid supporters, while also acknowledging the quality of other players competing for the award.

The comments came days after the 27-year-old said he believed he could win the award despite Real Madrid and France failing to secure major team trophies during the 2025/26 season.

Mbappé’s individual statistics form a major part of his case. He scored 25 goals in La Liga and 15 in the UEFA Champions League during the 2025/26 campaign. He also scored 10 goals at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, where he won the Golden Boot.

His World Cup campaign also produced a major individual milestone. Mbappé took his career tally at the tournament to 22 goals, moving past Lionel Messi to become the all-time leading scorer in World Cup history.

France, however, failed to reach the final after losing to Spain in the semi-final, while Real Madrid ended the season without a major trophy.

That has generated debate over the importance of team success in the Ballon d’Or selection, but Mbappé has maintained that the award recognises individual performance.

The French forward has pointed to his achievements in the Champions League, La Liga and World Cup as evidence of his individual contribution and has maintained that the absence of major team silverware should not automatically rule him out.