Category sport-news

Omar Marmoush scored his first Manchester City goals with a first-half hat-trick to beat Newcastle 4-0 and fire Pep Guardiola’s men back into the Premier League’s top four on Saturday.

The Egyptian was in scintillating form as City recovered from their late Champions League collapse to lose to Real Madrid 3-2 at home in midweek.

The English champions have a mountain to climb when they visit Madrid on Wednesday if they are to reach the last 16 of Europe’s elite competition for the 12th consecutive season.

But Marmoush’s explosion gives some cause for optimism as Newcastle were blown away inside the opening 33 minutes.

The match had been billed as a clash between the Premier League’s two top strikers as Golden Boot rivals Erling Haaland and Alexander Isak went head-to-head.

However, they were both overshadowed as Marmoush announced his arrival to the English game.

The 26-year-old scored 20 goals for Eintracht Frankfurt this season before making a £59 million ($72.6 million) move to Manchester in January.

READ ALSO: Super-Sub Merino Strikes Late As Arsenal Sink Leicester

City were keen to add more goalscoring threats to support Haaland and the early signs are promising that the Norwegian and Marmoush can dovetail effectively.

Guardiola made six changes to freshen up his side between the Madrid double header with Marmoush one of those to come into the side.

Ederson was at fault for City’s late collapse from 2-1 to 3-2 down against the European champions on Tuesday, but made amends with his third assist of the season.

Kieran Trippier was caught underneath the Brazilian goalkeeper’s booming kick upfield and Marmoush had the simple task to lob the stranded Martin Dubravka.

That goal continued City’s run of scoring in their last 33 Premier League games against the Magpies.

Five minutes later, it was 2-0 when Ilkay Gundogan fed Marmoush inside the area, who cut inside before his deflected effort found the bottom corner.

Savinho’s pace and trickery down the right was another major positive for Guardiola and he created the third by skipping past Lewis Hall and squaring for Marmoush to fire home from close range.

City’s fragility at defending leads this season was never seriously tested as the visitors suffered another damaging defeat to their chances of a return to the Champions League next season.

Either side of reaching next month’s League Cup final, Eddie Howe’s men have lost three of their last four Premier League games to slip to seventh.

City, on the other hand, climb back into pole position for Champions League qualification despite their drastic dip in standards this season that will see an unprecedented run of four consecutive league titles almost certainly come to an end.

James McAtee came off the bench to add the fourth six minutes from time when the midfielder turned in Haaland’s flick on from a Gundogan corner.

But there was a worrying scene for City as Haaland had to be replaced in the closing stages after receiving treatment on a knee injury.

Arsenal ignored their injury woes to close the gap on Premier League leaders Liverpool to four points as Mikel Merino came off the bench to clinch a 2-0 win against Leicester on Saturday.

Mikel Arteta’s side were in danger of wasting a chance to put pressure on Liverpool in the title race as they laboured to make the breakthrough at the King Power Stadium.

But, with his attacking options limited by a host of injuries, Arteta sent on Spain midfielder Merino to act as a makeshift striker in the closing stages.

It proved an inspired move as Merino netted twice in the last nine minutes to extend Arsenal’s unbeaten run in the league to 15 games.

Having lost 2-0 at Newcastle in the League Cup semi-final second leg before an extended break due to their early FA Cup exit, the Gunners returned to action with a vital victory that keeps them hot on the heels of Liverpool.

Liverpool, who stumbled with a draw at Everton in their game in hand on Wednesday, can increase their lead back to seven points if they beat lowly Wolves at Anfield on Sunday.

With Kai Havertz ruled out for the season after suffering a hamstring injury while blocking a shot during Arsenal’s recent training trip to Dubai, Arteta was left with a threadbare attack.

Havertz’s injury blow came just weeks after Arsenal failed to sign Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins during the January transfer window.

Gabriel Jesus, Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli were already sidelined, so Arteta was forced to use Belgian winger Leandro Trossard as his central striker.

Underling the paucity of Arteta’s forward options, 17-year-old Ethan Nwaneri and the out of form Raheem Sterling filled in on the flanks either side of Trossard.

READ ALSO: Kenya, Ethiopia Runners Win Lagos City Marathon Again

Protest Songs 

Fortunately for Arteta, third-bottom Leicester were ideal opponents for his weakened team.

Underlying the gloom around Leicester’s relegation battle, fans staging a vocal protest against the club’s Thai owners and Foxes director of football Jon Rudkin after 14 minutes.

With the protest songs still ringing around the King Power Stadium, Declan Rice headed wastefully wide when Nwaneri’s cross teed up Arsenal’s first sight of goal.

Arteta tried to rouse Arsenal from their lethargic start with an animated team-talk during a break in play.

Sterling’s lack of confidence was clear to see in an ill-timed fall that allowed another chance to slip away.

Ndidi was close to breaking the deadlock on the stroke of half-time when his header skidded off the rain-soaked surface and flashed just wide of the far post.

Nwaneri was one of Arsenal’s few bright sparks on a murky day in the east midlands.

The teenager surged onto Martin Odegaard’s pass and curled just wide from 20 yards in a rare Arsenal threat.

Nwaneri was a constant menace, unloading a stinging strike that Leicester keeper Mads Hermansen tipped onto the post.

Leicester couldn’t stem the tide as Arteta’s gamble paid off in the 81st minute.

Nwaneri swung a pin-point cross into the Leicester area and Merino found space to thump his header past Hermansen from six yards.

Merino celebrated by dancing a jig around the corner flag, but he wasn’t finished yet.

Seven minutes later, Trossard whipped a cross into the six-yard box and Merino’s well-timed run eluded the Leicester defence as he slotted home to keep Arsenal firmly in the title chase.

The 2025 edition of the annual 42km 2024 Access Bank Lagos City Marathon has been once again dominated by East African runners from Kenya and Ethiopia.

Kenya’s Edwin Kibet on Saturday emerged winner in the men category, clocking a time of 2:14:06 to win the $50,000 price money.

Kibet came third last year behind his compatriot Bernard Sang who won it with a time of 02:16:49 and another Kenyan Cheprot who came second.

READ ALSO: Mitoma Gem Inspires Brighton’s Defeat Of Toothless Chelsea

It is Kibet’s second win in the competition following his first victory in the 2023 edition.

2hours 14 minutes 6seconds. Kibet has won it again! #RunForMore #RunLagosWithAccess #ABLCM2025

In the women’s category, Ethiopia’s Guta Meseret Hirpa emerged victorious clocking a time of 2:37:04 for her first win in the competition.

First Nigerian to finish the race, Nyango Gyang Boyi, made history by finishing in the top 10 positions.

He finished the race in 8th place, clocking a time 2:25:41.58 which will earn him a prize award of $4,000. As the first Nigerian to finish the race, Boyi also won the N2million top prize in the Nigerian category.

The governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, was also one of the participants in this year’s Lagos City Marathon.

The Lagos State Governor, Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu crossing the finish line. #RunAccessWithLagos#RunForMore #ABLCM2025 pic.twitter.com/vkboFBLpkX

The 42km race commenced at Western Avenue, in front of the National Stadium Surulere, and finished in front of Eko Atlantic City, Victoria Island.

This year’s edition of Access Bank Lagos City Marathon had thousands of runners competing for the top prize.

Brighton defeated hapless Chelsea 3-0 as Japan forward Kaoru Mitoma produced a contender for Premier League goal of the season and Yankuba Minteh bagged a brace on Friday.

Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea side delivered one of their worst performances of the season in their second defeat in the space of seven days at the Amex Stadium.

Mitoma scored the winner when Brighton knocked Chelsea out of the FA Cup fourth round with a 2-1 victory last weekend.

He tormented the Blues again with a breathtaking piece of skill in the first half before Gambia winger Minteh netted either side of the interval.

Maresca, in his first season in charge after arriving from Leicester, said this week that Chelsea “belong” in the Champions League, with the club setting him the target of qualifying within two years.

But Chelsea’s third defeat in their last four games in all competitions was another blow to their hopes of finishing in the top four.

Maresca will have to find a solution to Chelsea’s chronically error-prone defence if the fourth-placed Blues, two points ahead of Manchester City and Newcastle, are to achieve their target this term.

Thrashed 7-0 at Nottingham Forest in their previous league game, Brighton had won only two of their previous 12 top-flight matches.

The Seagulls have got back on track at Chelsea’s expense with a pair of impressive wins.

Christopher Nkunku made only his sixth league start since arriving at Chelsea in 2023, featuring in the absence of Nicolas Jackson, who is out for up to eight weeks with a hamstring injury.

Maresca had considered altering Chelsea’s style of play in a bid to get the best out of the misfiring Nkunku and deployed him on the flanks rather than in the central striker’s role occupied by Cole Palmer.

READ ALSO: Liverpool Held 2-2 By Everton In Last Merseyside Derby At Goodison Park

Palmer out of sorts 

After beginning the season with six goals in his first seven league games, Palmer had netted eight times, two from the penalty spot, in the following 17 matches in the competition.

Chelsea had slipped from early title contenders to top four hopefuls since Palmer’s red-hot start turned colder.

Palmer again looked out of sorts on the south-coast as he blazed over from the edge of the area, then scuffed wide from Noni Madueke’s cross.

Madueke limped off injured moments later to add to Chelsea’s growing injury woes.

There was worse to come for Maresca in the 27th minute as Brighton took the lead in eye-catching fashion.

Bart Verbruggen’s long goal-kick was superbly controlled by Mitoma with a remarkably deft touch as it dropped over his shoulder.

That was just the start of Mitoma’s magical moment as he adroitly rolled the ball away from Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah and planted a fine low finish into the far corner from the edge of the area.

Chelsea threatened an immediate equaliser but Enzo Fernandez’s header from Malo Gusto’s cross was ruled out for the midfielder’s blatant push.

Even that near miss was a false dawn for Chelsea as Brighton struck again in the 38th minute.

Conceding possession deep into their own half, sloppy Chelsea were unable to recover as Danny Welbeck teed up Minteh, who evaded Marc Cucurella before drilling home from close-range.

Maresca’s men were in disarray at the back and Brighton made it three in the 63rd minute.

After Chelsea appealed in vain for a foul on Levi Colwill by Welbeck, the forward found Minteh and he danced past Cucurella to score with a fierce strike from eight yards.

Liverpool boss Arne Slot has been charged with being abusive to match officials during Wednesday’s stormy Merseyside derby at Everton.

Slot was shown a red card after approaching referee Michael Oliver in a heated scene on the pitch at the final whistle after the 2-2 draw.

Liverpool were furious that James Tarkowski’s stoppage-time equaliser was not disallowed because of an alleged push by Toffees striker Beto on Reds defender Ibrahima Konate.

Slot’s assistant Sipke Hulshoff was also dismissed during the row with Oliver in the last Merseyside derby at Goodison Park before Everton move to a new stadium next season.

According to the Football Association, Slot allegedly acted in “an improper manner and/or used insulting and/or abusive words and/or behaviour towards both the match referee and an assistant referee after the match had finished”.

Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones and Everton’s Abdoulaye Doucoure were also sent off after the final whistle, with Jones angrily pushing Doucoure after he celebrated in front of Reds fans.

READ ALSO: Liverpool Held 2-2 By Everton In Last Merseyside Derby At Goodison Park

Both clubs have also been charged with “their players and/or technical area occupants behaving in an improper and/or provocative way following the final whistle”.

Slot, Hulshoff, Liverpool and Everton have until Wednesday to provide their respective responses, which means the Reds boss will be available to sit on the bench for the Premier League leaders’ game against Wolves at Anfield on Sunday.

Earlier on Friday, Slot accepted he made a mistake with his behaviour because he got caught up in the hostile atmosphere at Goodison Park.

“Emotions got the better of me. If I could do that differently, if I look back I would love to do that differently and I hope to do that differently next time,” he told reporters.

“I should have acted differently after the game but it’s an emotional sport and sometimes individuals make wrong decisions and that’s definitely what I did.”

Everton manager David Moyes said on Friday he had respect for Slot’s fiery actions as he was fighting to protect his team.

“I feel a bit for Arne Slot. When I was a younger manager I was always getting involved in heated things,” he said.

“And it also tells me that he cares a lot about his club and he’s fighting for his players. I think when you get a bit older you stand back and you say, ‘What was I doing there?’

“I’ve had plenty of moments and lots that I’m not proud of. But we all have to fight our own corner.”