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Man City thrashed Brighton 3 – 1, break Premier League record

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Manchester City have broken a Premier League record after beating Brighton & Hove Albion 3-1 at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday.

A first-half brace from goal machine Erling Braut Haaland put the Citizens in control at the break, and although Leandro Trossard pulled one back for the Seagulls early in the second half, a 25-yard wonder strike from Kevin De Bruyne helped the Citizens return to winning ways following last weekend’s loss against Liverpool.

Pep Guardiola’s side headed into Saturday’s clash with Brighton after winning each of their previous nine Premier League home fixtures, scoring a remarkable 40 goals and netting at least three in each match.

The Citizens’ began this run with a 3-0 win against Brighton in April last season, and their latest success over the Seagulls has seen them become the first team in Premier League history to win 10 successive home matches and score three or more goals in each game.

Guardiola’s men remain second in the Premier League table but they have moved to within one point of leaders Arsenal, who travel to St Mary’s to face Southampton on Sunday.

It took 22 minutes for City to open the scoring when Haaland ran on to a long-range pass from Ederson before outmuscling Brighton’s Adam Webster and rounding goalkeeper Robert Sanchez to roll the ball into the back of the net.

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Haaland’s opener saw him become the first City player to score in seven consecutive home matches since club legend Sergio Aguero in the 2017-18 season.

VAR then intervened two minutes before half time to award the Citizens a penalty after Bernardo Silva was fouled by Lewis Dunk. Haaland stepped up and smashed the ball beyond Sanchez to double the host’s lead and net his 17th Premier League goal of the season.

Indeed, Haaland second goal meant that Guardiola has now overseen 600 Premier League goals as Man City manager since joining the club in 2016; only Sir Alex Ferguson with Manchester United and Arsene Wenger with Arsenal have overseen at least 600 goals as a manager in the English top flight.

City’s two-goal lead was reduced eight minutes after the interval when Trossard unleashed a powerful right-footed strike from just outside the penalty area, providing the visitors with hope of a comeback.

However, the reigning champions restored their two-goal cushion and sealed the victory in the 75th minute courtesy of a brilliant bending strike into the top-right corner from De Bruyne.

Speaking after the game, Guardiola labelled Brighton as one of City’s “toughest” opponents so far this season, telling Match of the Day: “They decided to play a game man to man on the pitch and we were lucky to have the quality for the third goal.

“We struggled a bit, it’s one of the toughest games you could face at the moment but the three points after the defeat at Anfield.

“With the ball they have incredible quality and the two guys in the middle – they are a really good team.

“In those moments we have to be resilient and knew the game would be tough until the end. Kevin [De Bruyne] scored a goal that was magnificent but we would fight to the end to avoid the draw or defeat but sometimes it is important to understand the game we have to play.”

City will now turn their attention to next Tuesday’s Champions League trip to Borussia Dortmund, and a win over their German counterparts would see them secure top spot in Group G.

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Super Eagles suffer 2-0 loss to Mali in friendly match 

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Super Eagles suffer 2-0 loss to Mali in friendly match 

Nigeria’s Super Eagles on Tuesday night suffered a 2-0 defeat to Mali in a friendly match played in Marrakech, Morocco.

Mali, ranked 19th below the Super Eagles in the FIFA’s latest standings, opened scoring through Atalanta-based striker El Bilal Toure in the first half after Nigeria’s dreadful error resulting from a short goal kick.

Toure could barely believe his luck when defender Chidozie Awaziem tried to play a long square pass under pressure near the edge of the Nigeria box and succeeded only in crossing the ball straight to the Mali striker.

He controlled well on his chest before bundling a finish past goalkeeper Stanely Nwabali.

Nigeria lost Moses Simon to injury when the Nantes star collided with Mali keeper Mamadou Samassa and had to be substituted after appearing to suffer a painful knee injury.

Kamory Doumbia made it 2-0 for Mali with three minutes to normal regulation time.

Nigeria defeated Ghana 2-1 last Friday in a positive result for interim coach Finidi George, the former Ajax and Real Betis winger, who won the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations.

The defeat has left the Super Eagles with a lot of concerns before they resume World Cup qualifying in June.

This was the 12th meeting between Nigeria and Mali. Nigeria have the head-to-head advantage, with six wins and three defeats in those games.

Mali’s most recent previous win over the Super Eagles was a 4-1 friendly victory way back in 1975.

Some key stars missed the friendly match due to injury. They are Victor Osimhen, William Troost-Ekong, Victor Boniface, Ola Aina, and Zaidu Sanusi.

Midfielder Frank Onyeka has also withdrawn from the squad.

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Chelsea, Arsenal, PSG ready to pay €90m for Victor Osimhen

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Victor Osimhen

Chelsea, Arsenal, PSG ready to pay €90m for Victor Osimhen

Chelsea, Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain are ready to offer €90 million for Napoli star striker, Victor Osimhen, according to Italian newspaper, II Mattino.

Osimhen has a release clause of around €120 million in his contract but Napoli President Aurelio de Laurentiis could accept a bid below that, according to the publication.

Napoli are prepared to part company with the Nigerian at the end of the season despite the forward signing a new contract last December.

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Chelsea, Arsenal and PSG have been persistently linked with a move for the forward.

Intermediaries are reportedly working with the striker’s agent, Roberto Calenda to sort out his future.

Osimhen, who joined Napoli from Ligue 1 club, Lille in 2022, has scored 72 goals in 125 appearances for the Partenopei.

Chelsea, Arsenal, PSG ready to pay €90m for Victor Osimhen

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Finidi George aims for second victory as Super Eagles face Mali today

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Finidi George

Finidi George aims for second victory as Super Eagles face Mali today

Former World Cup star Finidi George is determined to secure a second consecutive win as he leads the Super Eagles in their clash against Mali today. Appointed as the interim coach for the Nigerian team, George aims to maintain the winning momentum after their recent victory over Ghana.

The encounter between the two West African teams is scheduled at the Grand Stade de Marrakech in Morocco, where the Super Eagles emerged triumphant in their previous match against arch-rivals Ghana with a 2-1 scoreline.

However, George faces challenges as key players such as defender Calvin Bassey and midfielder Frank Onyeka are sidelined due to injuries, adding to the absence of other notable names like Victor Osimhen, William Ekong, and Olaoluwa Aina.

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Despite these setbacks, George remains optimistic about the team’s prospects against Mali. He emphasizes the importance of maintaining a winning mentality and expresses confidence in the players’ ability to replicate their performance against Ghana and secure another victory.

Notably, George himself has a history with the Eagles of Mali, having played against them during the 2002 Africa Cup of Nations, where Nigeria emerged victorious.

In light of the absences and injuries, George may turn to players such as goalkeeper Olorunleke Ojo, defenders Kenneth Omeruo and Jamilu Collins, midfielder Alhassan Yusuf, and forwards Nathan Tella, Sadiq Umar, and Fisayo Dele-Bashiru to play prominent roles in the upcoming fixture.

Despite the challenges, Finidi George remains determined to guide the Super Eagles to another triumph as they prepare for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers in June.

Finidi George aims for second victory as Super Eagles face Mali today

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