Substitute Martinelli fires Arsenal to late win over Manchester City – Newstrends
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Substitute Martinelli fires Arsenal to late win over Manchester City

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Substitute Martinelli fires Arsenal to late win over Manchester City

ARSENAL substitute Gabriel Martinelli fired a deflected last-gasp winner to earn a 1-0 win over Manchester City on Sunday.

It was a result that moved Mikel Arteta’s side level on points with North London rivals, Tottenham Hotspur, atop the Premier League.

The Gunners came into the match having not beaten Manchester City in the league since 2015, a run of 15 games – their longest winless streak against a single opponent in league history.

Ending such a barren run looked unlikely as Manchester City had the better of the chances in the first half, with Arsenal’s Declan Rice clearing off the line to keep the champions at bay.

The hosts did not have a single shot on target in the opening period, but upped the tempo after the break.

Even though Manchester City still created the better openings despite their Premier League top scorer Erling Haaland being kept quiet all afternoon.

The game appeared to be edging towards a stalemate before Martinelli struck four minutes from time, a deflection off City defender Nathan Ake’s head taking the ball past keeper Ederson.

The goal sparked wild celebrations at the Emirates, as Arsenal moved above City into second place on 20 points, two above the champions, and trailing Spurs only on goals scored.

“It is a great feeling. We have not beaten them for so long, but I am in no doubt we have beaten the best team in the world.

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“I am really proud to be part of this team. We have to keep believing in what we are doing,” Arteta said.

Arsenal were dealt a huge blow ahead of kickoff as it was confirmed the injured Bukayo Saka would miss a league game for the first time since May 2021.

This meant Saka ended a run of 87 consecutive appearances, the longest ongoing streak in the competition.

Without the flying forward, Arsenal looked sluggish early on, with City’s Croatia defender Josko Gvardiol denied by Rice’s intervention, while Julian Alvarez almost diverted Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya’s hesitant clearance into the net.

The crowd did try to rouse a response from Arsenal, cheering every flying tackle with gusto, and it seemed to help matters, with the hosts growing into the contest.

Promising openings fell flat, however, as Arsenal failed to have a shot on target in the opening half of a Premier League home game for the first time since March 2022.

Martinelli’s introduction livened things up though and he soon had the Gunners’ first effort on target in the match, a fierce strike straight at Ederson.

With the international break to follow, the life seemed to be sucked out of the game before Martinelli broke Manchester City hearts.

It was a timely strike, ensuring Arsenal have yet to lose a Premier League game this season, last going on a longer unbeaten run to start a campaign in 2007/2008.

While Manchester City slipped to back-to-back league defeats for the first time since December 2018.

“Congratulations to Arsenal. Now we have two defeats in a row and then we have the internationals.

“Hopefully they (the players) come back fit and then we go again.

“Maybe it’s a little bit better to be there (in the chasing pack) and see what we have to do to catch them and then (we will) when we come back,” Manchester coach Pep Guardiola said.

Substitute Martinelli fires Arsenal to late win over Manchester City

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Haaland four goals propel Man City to 5-1 victory against Wolves

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Erling Haaland

Haaland four goals propel Man City to 5-1 victory against Wolves

Erling Haaland showcased his goal-scoring prowess by netting four times as Manchester City secured a dominant 5-1 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers, keeping their hopes alive for a fourth consecutive Premier League title.

Responding to Arsenal’s earlier victory over Bournemouth, Pep Guardiola’s side delivered a commanding performance, closing the gap to just one point behind the league leaders with a game in hand.

Haaland’s goal-scoring exhibition began in the 12th minute when he calmly converted a penalty after a late challenge in the box. He then doubled City’s lead in the 35th minute with a towering header from Rodri’s cross.

Speaking after the match, Haaland expressed his delight, acknowledging his father’s legacy at the club and celebrating his remarkable tally of 25 goals for the season.

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The Norwegian striker added two more goals from the penalty spot, completing his first-ever four-goal haul and extinguishing any hopes of a Wolves comeback.

Guardiola praised Haaland’s performance, highlighting his journey back to form after a foot injury earlier in the season. Substitute Julian Alvarez sealed City’s victory with a late goal.

Despite a consolation goal from Wolves’ Hwang Hee-chan, the visitors struggled to match City’s clinical finishing and made too many errors, according to manager Gary O’Neil.

With the title race heating up, City now sits just one point behind Arsenal, with three games left to play. Guardiola remains focused on securing the necessary points to clinch the title, while Arsenal looks ahead to challenging fixtures against Manchester United and Everton in their final two games.

Haaland four goals propel Man City to 5-1 victory against Wolves

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Ronaldo’s hat-trick leads Al Nassr to 6-0 victory over Al Wehda

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Cristiano Ronaldo

Ronaldo’s hat-trick leads Al Nassr to 6-0 victory over Al Wehda

In a stunning display of dominance, Al Nassr secured a resounding 6-0 victory against Al Wehda in the Saudi Pro League 2023-24 clash on Wednesday at the Al-Awwal Stadium in Riyadh, with Cristiano Ronaldo stealing the spotlight by scoring a hat-trick.

The match started with Ronaldo narrowly missing an opportunity to open the scoring in the second minute, but he quickly made amends by capitalizing on a defensive error from the Al Wehda goalkeeper to give his team the lead.

Just seven minutes later, Ronaldo showcased his aerial prowess by nodding in a delightful cross from Brozovic, notching his 40th club goal of the season and doubling Al Nassr’s advantage.

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Although Al Wehda thought they had pulled one back through Odion Ighalo, the goal was disallowed for offside, maintaining Al Nassr’s lead. Otavio extended the lead further with a composed finish, courtesy of a precise through ball from Mane.

Mane himself got on the scoresheet just before halftime, courtesy of a clever assist from Otavio, rounding off a sensational first-half performance for Al Nassr.

The second half saw no respite for Al Wehda as Ronaldo completed his hat-trick with a clinical finish after being set up by Mane. Al Nassr’s dominance was further highlighted by substitute Al Fatil, who sealed the victory with a late goal, hammering the ball into an empty net.

With this emphatic win, Al Nassr maintains its position as the second-placed team in the league table, trailing leader Al Hilal by nine points. Meanwhile, Al Wehda finds themselves in 12th place, five points clear of the relegation zone.

Ronaldo’s hat-trick leads Al Nassr to 6-0 victory over Al Wehda

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Iheanacho eyes Aston Villa, turns down Leicester’s £65k weekly offer

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Kelechi Iheanacho

Iheanacho eyes Aston Villa, turns down Leicester’s £65k weekly offer

Kelechi Iheanacho, a Super Eagles and Leicester City striker, has rejected a new contract with the club despite interest from Unai Emery’s Aston Villa, Soccernet.ng reports.

The 27-year-old striker has made only ten league starts in the EFL Championships this season, with Enzo Maresca preferring Zambian Patson Daka to lead the line for the Foxes.

Iheanacho, along with Wilfred Ndidi, are nearing the end of their Leicester City careers, as their contracts expire in June 2024. While the defensive midfielder wants to join a Premier League top-six club, Iheanacho is not interested in staying at the King Power Stadium.

According to Football Insider, the highest-scoring African in the history of the FA Cup was offered an improved deal with a weekly wage of £65,000, but the Nigerian striker rejected the offer.

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‘‘He (Iheanacho) has been offered a new deal but not prepared to sign. But we will wait till the end of the season and see,’’ the report stated.

Several reasons might have sparked Iheanacho’s reaction, with the absence of playing time at the forefront. According to Football Fancast, Aston Villa are interested in bringing the 2021 FA Cup winner to Villa Park as a backup for Ollie Watkins.

The Villains have enjoyed a great season under Unai Emery and have their eyes locked on a place in the UEFA Champions League next season. Should Iheanacho join Villa, he would have the luxury of playing alongside skilled players like Douglas Luiz, Leon Bailey, Ollie Watkins and Moussa Diaby.

Aston Villa view Iheanacho as an experienced Premier League forward, representing a summer bargain that could make all the difference next season at Villa Park.

In 10 starts for Leicester, Iheanacho found the back of the net five times and created one goal, averaging a goal involvement every two games.

The Foxes have secured a return to the English Premier League after relegating on the last matchday in the previous season.

Iheanacho eyes Aston Villa, turns down Leicester’s £65k weekly offer

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