Category sport-news

Manchester City beat Sunderland 3-0 to close within two points of Premier League leaders Arsenal. 

City took full advantage of Arsenal’s loss to Aston Villa to close the gap at the top with a routine 3-0 win over Sunderland.

On a rare shot-shy day for Erling Haaland, City’s centre-backs lead the way as Ruben Dias blasted into the top corner from distance before Josko Gvardiol headed in a second before half-time.

Phil Foden scored for the fifth time in three games to round off the scoring in the second half.

READ ALSO: Arsenal Will Bounce Back From Aston Villa Blow, Says Arteta

Chelsea’s Title Hopes Fading

Chelsea’s title challenge is fading fast after three games without a win.

Cole Palmer’s return to the starting line-up for the first time since September could not inspire the Blues as they were held 0-0 at Bournemouth to sit eight points off the lead in fourth.

Tottenham eased the pressure on Thomas Frank with their first home league win since the opening day of the season, against his former club Brentford.

Spurs were winless in five games in all competitions, but moved back into the top half with a 2-0 win courtesy of first-half goals from Richarlison and Xavi Simons.

Newcastle continued their upward trajectory with a 2-1 win over 10-man Burnley to climb up to 10th.

Bruno Guimaraes opened the scoring directly from a corner before Anthony Gordon added a second from the penalty spot after Lucas Pires saw red for the visitors.

Sean Dyche’s return to Everton as Nottingham Forest boss ended in a 3-0 defeat.

Nikola Milenkovic’s own goal opened the scoring before Thierno Barry’s first Everton goal and a late third from Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall lifted the Toffees up to fifth.

Liverpool are aiming to halt their slide down the table later when they travel to Leeds, who beat Chelsea 3-1 in midweek to climb out of the relegation zone.

Mikel Arteta insisted Premier League leaders Arsenal will recover from the frustration of a dramatic 2-1 defeat at Aston Villa that blew the title race wide open on Saturday.

Emiliano Buendia fired Villa’s winner with the last kick of a pulsating game, ending the Gunners’ 18-match unbeaten run in all competitions in the process.

Arsenal’s Leandro Trossard had come off the bench to score a second half equaliser after Matty Cash’s first half opener at Villa park.

It was Arsenal’s first defeat since losing at Liverpool in August and only their second in the entire campaign.

The north Londoners’ rare setback moved Villa to within three points of first place, while Manchester City also had a chance to close the gap with a victory over Sunderland later on Saturday.

The Gunners have a history of collapsing after establishing strong leads in the title battle.

They have finished as runners-up for the last three seasons and haven’t been crowned champions since 2004.

But Arteta remains confident they will handle the mounting pressure.

“That is the league, you go to Old Trafford, you go to St James’ Park, you go to Chelsea, you come here, we have been in a lot of difficult grounds,” he said.

“The result could have been different, the reality is not. We went 18 games unbeaten and still we are there, close to each other.

“That is the level of the league, we know that. That is the opportunity that we have ahead of us and that’s it.

“Now it is time to bounce back, they have given me all the right reasons to think we are going to perform at the same level. We move on. We will learn from today and it will make us a better team.”

READ ALSO: Arsenal’s 18-Match Unbeaten Run Ends At Aston Villa

Villa in title hunt 

Arteta knows from bitter experience how many twists and turns are still to come in the fight for Premier League supremacy.

He has no intention of letting his frustration show following a performance marred by mistakes from his injury-hit defence, which is currently without three centre-backs.

“It’s five months into the competition and so far we have coped. We are going to have to prove we can cope again, again, again for another six months,” he said.

“People who think at this moment we are going to be 10 points clear live in a different world.”

Arsenal were dealt a further blow, with Arteta revealing centre-back Cristhian Mosquera’s ankle injury is worse than first feared.

“He is going to be out for weeks, unfortunately,” he said. “It is much more than we were expecting, so he is going to be out for weeks.”

Villa boss Unai Emery has lifted his team from the depths of despair when they fell into the relegation zone at the start of the season.

Emery’s men did not win in the opening five games, but nine victories from their last 10 matches have turned them into unexpected title contenders, even if the Spaniard won’t admit it.

“I am not thinking about the title, I know 38 matches is going to be very difficult, we are not contenders,” he said.

“If we were in game 35 like we are now, maybe I could speak different.

“In the table, of course, now we are feeling better than two months ago.

“But Arsenal are favourites to win this title, of course, we must get balance, because we got balance when we were in the bottom.”

Emiliano Buendia shattered Arsenal’s 18-match unbeaten run with the last-gasp strike that sealed Aston Villa’s dramatic 2-1 win over the Premier League leaders on Saturday.

Mikel Arteta’s side fell behind to Matty Cash’s first half goal at Villa Park before Leandro Trossard came off the bench to equalise for Arsenal after the interval.

A pulsating clash featured squandered chances for both teams before Argentine winger Buendia capitalised on sloppy Arsenal defending to bag the winner with virtually the last kick of the game.

It was Arsenal’s first loss in all competitions since they were beaten for the only other time this season in a 1-0 loss at Liverpool on August 31.

Villa have been a thorn in Arsenal’s side several times in recent seasons, taking points from them at crucial moments in the title race.

This was another frustrating encounter with Villa’s former Arsenal manager Unai Emery, whose team have emerged as unexpected title contenders following a flurry of seven successive victories in all competitions.

Arsenal are just three points above second-placed Villa, with third-placed Manchester City able to close the gap on the leaders to two points if they beat Sunderland at the Etihad Stadium later on Saturday.

Emery had dismissed any talk of his side being in the title race this week, calling Arsenal the strongest team in Europe.

But this was a significant statement of intent from Villa, who went toe to toe with Arsenal and delivered a painful blow to their title charge.

It was an ideal time to play the north Londoners, who are dealing with a crisis at centre-back with William Saliba, Gabriel and Cristhian Mosquera all sidelined.

Jurrien Timber moved from right-back to centre-back to fill the void alongside Piero Hincapie, but Arsenal never looked completely comfortable.

Arteta has said that Arsenal are “prepared” to do business in the January transfer window if there is an option to “improve” the squad.

Defensive reinforcements and additional attacking options may be needed if Arteta is to lead injury-prone Arsenal to their first English title since 2004.

READ ALSO: Trump Wins FIFA’s Inaugural Peace Prize

Frantic finale

David Raya almost gifted Villa the perfect start with a nervous, miscued clearance that forced Arsenal’s keeper to scramble back to save.

Ollie Watkins grew up as an Arsenal fan and the Villa striker nearly made his boyhood favourites suffer in the opening minutes.

Youri Tielemans’ flick gave Watkins a clear sight of goal, but Raya made a superb save to repel his strike.

Emiliano Martinez had to save from Bukayo Saka’s curler moments later before Eberechi Eze’s close-range finish was ruled out for offside.

Cash scored Villa’s winner against Manchester City earlier this season and he tormented another title contender in the 36th minute.

Ian Maatsen’s cross was flicked onto Cash at the far post and the defender slammed a fierce finish past Raya.

With Arsenal having won only one of their previous 15 Premier League games when trailing at half-time, Arteta responded by sending on Trossard and Viktor Gyokeres.

Belgian winger Trossard made an immediate impact, forcing a save from Martinez and then volleying inches wide from 10 yards.

Arsenal had the momentum and they drew level thanks to Trossard in the 52nd minute.

Martin Odegaard raced towards the Villa area and slipped in Saka, whose low cross reached Trossard for a clinical finish at the far post.

Trossard’s sixth goal this season took him to 50 in his Premier League career.

Arteta’s men were almost caught on the counter when Watkins broke free for a shot that Raya saved at full stretch.

Odegaard’s long-range rocket was brilliantly tipped over by Martinez, while Villa’s Donyell Malen fired just wide in a frantic finale.

Arsenal were seconds away from escaping with a draw but Buendia netted with a ferocious blast into the roof of the net from 12 yards after the Gunners made a hash of clearing.

It’s been a whirlwind week in the world of sports, both at home and abroad! Nigerian football dominated the headlines with Troost-Ekong’s retirement following the release of the Super Eagles’ provisional squad for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

The FIFA World Cup draw, Real Madrid’s renewed interest in Osimhen, and the disturbing assault on Terem Moffi by Nice fans also kept people talking.

On the domestic front, Edo State has been confirmed to host the next Niger Delta Games, while in the US, Lionel Messi reached yet another remarkable milestone as the sports action rolled on.

First 11 — the weekly recap of the biggest stories in sports— brings you the major talking points from the world of games this week. 

Troost-Ekong  retires

Topping the headlines in Nigerian football was defender Troost-Ekong’s retirement from international football, which took many fans by surprise. The former Watford man leaves the Super Eagles just three weeks ahead of the 2025 AFCON. He had 83 caps for the three-time African champions, having started playing for them in 2015. 

Super Eagles AFCON Provisional list

His sudden exit comes as Nigeria finalise their preparations for the AFCON, marked by the release of a provisional 54-man squad list for the competition. Regulars like Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman, Calvin Bassey, Alex Iwobi, Simon Moses, among others, were included. Some returnees included Kelechi Iheanacho, Francis Uzoho, and Taiwo Awoniyi. The Super Eagles will begin camp on December 10 ahead of the tournament, which starts 11 days later. 

AFCON: FIFA Gives Clubs More Time

As the AFCON draws closer, FIFA says it will give clubs until December 15 to release players for the competition. 

Top European clubs such as Mohamed Salah’s Liverpool, Bryan Mbeumo’s Manchester United, and Achraf  Hakimi’s Paris Saint-Germain, among others, face losing key players for up to five weeks for the 24-nation tournament in Morocco from December 21 to January 18. But they had feared it could be even longer until FIFA amended its rules to soften the blow for clubs by delaying the release date by a week.

READ ALSO: Brazil Have ‘Difficult’ World Cup Group With Morocco, Says Ancelotti

World Cup: Spain, Argentina Get Kind Draws

Though Nigerian stories dominated the headlines, the World Cup draw got global attention. The ceremony in Washington featured some intriguing matchups, setting the tone for an exciting tournament in the US, Canada, and Mexico. The opener will be South Africa and co-hosts Mexico. 

FIFA Mulls  New VAR Rule

During the competition, FIFA, the world football ruling body, said it will try VAR reviews for corner kicks.  The decision was made during an October meeting of the International Football Association Board (IFAB). It said VAR will now be expanded to cover wrongly issued second yellow cards that led to red cards.

Real Madrid Renews Interest in Osimhen

Meanwhile, Real Madrid has renewed interest in signing Nigerian forward Victor Osimhen to bolster their attack. 

Ex-Super Eagles coach and captain, Sunday Oliseh, sparked discussions about Osimhen’s potential move to the Spanish capital, citing credible sources in the Galacticos. According to him, the Galatasaray striker is seen as a possible replacement for Brazilian star Vinicius, who is expected to leave Real Madrid this summer. 

OGC Nice Fans Assault Moffi 

Osimhen’s compatriot and Super Eagles teammate, Terem Moffi, was on the receiving end of an assault by fans of French club Nice. The 26-year-old was reportedly beaten and spat on, alongside Ivorian star Jeremie Boga, following a 3-1 loss to FC Lorient, a defeat that added to their poor form this season. 

McGregor’s Sexual Assault Case Dropped

Away from football, a US woman who accused Conor McGregor of sexually assaulting her at an NBA basketball game has dropped her lawsuit against the Irish mixed martial arts fighter. The 37-year-old, one of Ultimate Fighting Championship’s most famous and bankable fighters, had denied the allegations of sexual battery following a 2023 Miami Heat game.

Messi Reaches Historic Milestone

Still in the US, Lionel Messi became the all-time assists leader after reaching 405 in Inter Miami’s win over New York City. He assisted Tadeo Allende to hit the milestone and surpassed the legendary Ferenc Puskas’s tally of 404. 

Edo To host Niger Delta Games

On the home front, Edo State has been confirmed as the host for the Niger Delta Games. The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) said the South-South state will host the event billed for next year. Akwa Ibom hosted the first edition in April. Nine states, including Edo, Imo, Cross River, Ondo, and Rivers, participated in the maiden edition. The rest were Abia, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, and Delta.

Nnadozie’s Super Save!

Nigerian women’s football continues its global rise as Super Falcons’ goalkeeper, Chiamaka Nnadozie, won the English Women’s Super League Save of the Month for November 2025. She got the recognition for her acrobatic save in her clubside Brighton and Hove’s 1-1 draw with Liverpool. The Nigerian tipped Fuka Ngano’s effort onto the crossbar before the ball went out of play. 

The path to glory at the 2026 World Cup has now been laid out after the contenders discovered their tournament fate at Friday’s draw ceremony in Washington, which Donald Trump dominated.

The US President received FIFA’s new peace prize on stage at the Kennedy Center before the draw for the first 48-team World Cup, which offered kind starts to the tournament for holders Argentina and, in particular, the much-fancied Spain.

While the make-up of the groups was revealed along with the potential path through the knockout rounds for all the potential winners, the precise schedule for the competition will only be confirmed later Saturday.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino will unveil the venues and kick-off times for all games from 1700 GMT, after which the teams will be able to focus on fine-tuning their preparations with barely six months left until the World Cup kicks off on June 11.

Lionel Messi’s Argentina begin their defense of the trophy they won in Qatar in 2022 by facing Algeria, and will also play Austria and debutants Jordan in Group J.

Reigning European champions Spain will kick off their campaign against first-time qualifiers Cape Verde before also taking on Uruguay and Saudi Arabia in Group H.

“We want to do something big at this World Cup, and that means making sure we do well in the group stage, then carrying on from there,” said Spain coach Luis de la Fuente.

Thomas Tuchel’s England, seeking to win a first World Cup since 1966, will be expected to top Group L ahead of 2018 finalists Croatia, Ghana, and Panama.

Two-time winners France face awkward tests against Senegal and Erling Haaland’s Norway in Group I, which will be completed by a play-off winner from either Iraq, Bolivia or Suriname.

For the first time, the draw was done in such a way as to ensure the four highest-ranked nations were kept apart — Spain, Argentina, France, and England cannot meet before the semi-finals, if all top their groups.

– ‘Can’t Get Carried Away’ –

However, the path to that stage — with an extra knockout round now following the group phase — looks perilous.

If the top seeds all win their groups, England could find themselves playing co-hosts Mexico in Mexico City in the last 16 and then Brazil in the quarter-finals, before a semi against Argentina.

Other possible match-ups include France and Germany being on a last-16 collision course and a potential meeting between Messi’s Argentina and Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal in the quarter-finals.

“You cannot get carried away with building your way with who you are going to meet if you win the group, if you are second, or whatever,” insisted Tuchel. “You just focus on the group, this is what you do.”

The tournament will be held across the USA, Mexico, and Canada from June 11 to July 19, with 16 more teams added to the global showpiece, up from the 32 nations involved in 2022.

While the US will host most matches, including the final at MetLife Stadium outside New York, three of the 16 venues will be in Mexico and two in Canada.

The opening game sees Mexico play South Africa at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City.

The host nations have experienced turbulent relations since Trump came to power, but he brushed that aside on Friday.

“We’ve worked closely with those two countries, and the coordination and friendship and relationship have been outstanding,” Trump said after receiving his peace prize from Infantino.

READ ALSO: Trump Wins FIFA’s Inaugural Peace Prize

– ‘Like 104 Super Bowls’ –

Carlo Ancelotti’s Brazil and surprise 2022 semi-finalists Morocco will meet in Group C, which also features Scotland and Haiti — Scotland and Brazil will meet for the fifth time at a World Cup.

Germany’s opponents in Group E will be Ivory Coast, Ecuador, and Caribbean minnows Curacao, while Portugal face Uzbekistan, Colombia, and a play-off winner.

The United States got a manageable draw, with Paraguay, Australia, and a European play-off winner in Group D.

“Our first game is the final of the World Cup. And the second needs to be the final of the World Cup. That is the mentality, the mindset that we want to build,” said USA coach Mauricio Pochettino.

The top two teams in each group advance to the last 32, joined by the eight best third-placed teams.

“It will be the greatest World Cup ever,” Infantino claimed. “This is like 104 Super Bowls in one month — this is the magnitude of what we are organizing.”

Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti reflected on a “difficult” group after being paired with surprise 2022 semi-finalists Morocco at the 2026 World Cup draw on Friday.

The five-time winners are in Group C with Scotland — playing at a World Cup for the first time in 28 years — and Haiti, whose only previous qualification was in 1974 when they lost all three of their matches.

“Morocco were very good during the last World Cup” in Qatar, Ancelotti told Brazilian television station Sportv.

“Scotland are a solid team, very solid, (it will be) pretty difficult,” the Italian added.

Brazil will start their campaign against Morocco on June 13 before playing Haiti six days later and rounding out the group stage against Scotland on June 24.

“We have to prepare well and try to win the group,” Ancelotti said.

READ ALSO: Trump Wins FIFA’s Inaugural Peace Prize

Brazil have been far from their best since the last World Cup and are already on their fourth coach since then.

In March, they suffered a chastening 4-1 defeat to reigning world champions Argentina in their World Cup qualifying group.

Brazil played both Scotland and Morocco in the group stage in 1998 where they reached the final before losing to hosts France 3-0.

They beat Morocco 3-0 and Scotland 2-1 back then.

Six years after that they played a historic match in Port-au-Prince, running away 6-0 winners against hosts Haiti having lined up with the likes of Ronaldo and Ronaldinho.