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Vincent Kompany leads Blues to Carabao Cup glory at Wembley

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Manchester City hammered Arsenal at Wembley to lift the Carabao Cup.

Goals from Sergio Aguero, Vincent Kompany and David Silva fired City to the first trophy of the Pep Guardiola era in a one-sided Wembley final.

Aguero pounced on some poor defending from Shkodran Mustafi to lob City into an 18th minute lead.

And captain Kompany all but sealed City’s win when he diverted in Ilkay Gundogan’ scuffed shot in the 58th minute to make it 2-0.

But City weren’t finished and grabbed a third seven minutes later when Silva spun onto Danilo’s pass and smashed the ball past David Ospina to make it 3-0.

Kompany celebrates wildly (Image: REX/Shutterstock)
Aguero wheels away in delight (Image: Action Images via Reuters)
David Silva celebrates the third City goal (Image: Action Images via Reuters)
Arsenal look on dejected (Image: Action Images via Reuters)
Wenger and Guardiola take in the game from the touchline (Image: REUTERS)

1.Route one to silverware

Think of all the goals Manchester City have scored this season – there have now been 116 of them – and all the fantasy football they have played.

And it was the most un-City like goal that set them on their way to the first piece of silverware of the Pep Guardiola era.

A simple punt through the middle from Claudio Bravo, Sergio Aguero exploited some weak defending from Shkodran Mustafi and raced through to lob City into the lead.

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City outclassed Arsenal after that and the cleverly worked second goal from a short corner routine and third strike from David Silva had more of the sort of craft and invention we have become used to seeing from City under Guardiola.

But for all the stunning strikes his side have produced one of their simplest will forever be etched in the Spaniard’s memory.

Ospina is lobbed by Aguero (Image: REUTERS)
Sane and Aguero celebrate the opener (Image: REUTERS)

2. Wenger’s drought goes on

Maybe it is just not meant to be in this competition for Arsene Wenger.

Another final and another defeat. For the third time he has led Arsenal to the final and the third time he has left Wembley beaten.

It is the one domestic trophy Wenger has failed to win.

And with the Gunners potentially ending the season empty handed and outside the top four it is not impossible that this was his last chance to complete the set.

Bravo celebrates Aguero’s goal (Image: AFP)
Aguero takes it past Koscielny (Image: AFP)

3. Vincent Kompany leads by example

His body might no longer be what it once was. But Vincent Kompany showed his ability to slot seamlessly back into the Manchester City team when called upon and produce the goods once more against Arsenal.

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Pep Guardiola has handled Kompany’s fitness and his reduced role expertly and he was rewarded with an imperious display in the final from the inspirational Belgian defender.

Kompany was the platform on which a devastating City performance was built.

He was a rock at the back and showed his endearing class countless times, not by effortlessly winning a foot race with the lightning Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang before easing the Arsenal striker off the ball.

His crucial second goal was just the icing on the cake.

Danilo and Walker join Bravo to celebrate (Image: Action Images via Reuters)
Bellerin challenges Sane (Image: Action Images via Reuters)

4. Big buys make costly errors

Arsenal spent £35m on Shkodran Mustafi and the same on Granit Xhaka.

It was the errors in their performances against City that were more costly at Wembley.

Mustafi’s was easy to analyse. He simply should have been stronger in dealing with Claudio Bravo’s long kick and the presence of Sergio Aguero for the opener.

As for Xhaka, his failure to track midfield runners has been a regular cause of frustration.

But at least he had his passing, one of the qualities that earned him a move to Arsenal from Borussia Monchengladbach.

Well, it was noticeably poor against City and at crucial times stopped the Gunners gaining or building momentum.

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De Bruyne goes down under pressure (Image: Action Images via Reuters)
Walker makes a vital tackle to deny Aubameyang (Image: Action Images via Reuters)

5. Wilshere cares

Jack Wilshere might be “probably the most overrated player on the planet” according to Roy Keane but there was no hiding from the Arsenal midfielder.

Wilshere was at the heart of Arsenal’s attempts to get back in the game, demanding the ball to try and spark them into life and refused to go down without a fight despite the Gunners being outclassed by City.

Fernandinho noticed Wilshere’s importance and seemed determined to stop him.

The Brazilian was perhaps fortunate to avoid a second yellow for a late foul on the Arsenal man having picked up an earlier caution for wiping him out.

All eyes were on Calum Chambers too after he got the nod for the final after his nightmare against Ostersunds in the Europa League he too didn’t let his side down.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Osimhen Crowned 2023 CAF Footballer of the Year

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Victor Osimhen has been named the 2023 African Footballer of the Year, cementing his status as one of the world’s top players.

Osimhen surpassed competition from Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi and Egyptian forward Mohamed Salah for the prestigious award.

The Super Eagles forward concluded a remarkable year in the imperial Moroccan city of Marakesh, ending Nigeria’s 24-year wait for Africa’s top individual prize, last won by legendary Kanu Nwankwo in 1999.

During the event, Osimhen expressed gratitude, acknowledging the impact of Nigerian legend Emmanuel Amuneke, who coached him at the U-17 level, and the support from fans and fellow players.

“It’s a dream come true for me. I want to thank everyone who has seen me through life’s journey, in achieving my dreams and goals. I appreciate Nigerians and Africa for their unwavering support and encouragement,” he said.

Osimhen recognised the influence of Emmanuel Adebayo, Solomon Kalu, and other African legends, expressing gratitude to his role model, Didier Drogba.

The award reflects Osimhen’s outstanding performances with Napoli, where he played a pivotal role in their Serie A title run, scoring 26 league goals and becoming the first African to win the top scorer award, breaking George Weah’s record in the Italian top-flight.”

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Lionel Messi Secures Historic 8th Ballon d’Or Triumph

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Lionel Messi, the renowned Argentine football icon, clinched the coveted 2023 Ballon d’Or, setting a new record for the 2022 World Cup champion.

In a glamorous event held in Paris, Messi, who now plays for Inter Miami, received the prestigious award on Monday night. This achievement is widely seen as a well-deserved recognition for his pivotal role in guiding the Abiscelete to World Cup victory in the previous year.

Aged 36, Messi succeeded Karim Benzema as the recipient of this award, which acknowledges his exceptional performances during the last season when he inspired Argentina to triumph at the World Cup.

His remarkable displays in Qatar, where he led his nation to a historic victory, enabled him to surpass strong competition, notably from Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland. Haaland secured the second spot in the final voting, with Mbappe finishing third and Kevin De Bruyne taking fourth place.

Messi, a former Barcelona superstar, left an indelible mark at the World Cup, scoring seven crucial goals. His exceptional performance led to him being named the tournament’s best player, especially after Argentina’s victory over France in the final.

While Messi’s World Cup heroics were undeniable, his final season with Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) was relatively lackluster. Subsequently, he made a move to Inter Miami in Major League Soccer.

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His former PSG teammate, Mbappe, made a strong case for the Ballon d’Or with his outstanding World Cup performance, finishing as the tournament’s top scorer with eight goals, including a memorable hat-trick in the final for France.

Norwegian striker Erling Haaland had a remarkable season, scoring an incredible 52 goals in 53 games for Manchester City. This stellar performance played a pivotal role in helping Pep Guardiola’s team secure a historic treble in the English Premier League, FA Cup, and Champions League.

Both Haaland and De Bruyne were nominated for the Ballon d’Or from their exceptional contributions to the success of Manchester City.

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“B Sample Reveals Presence of Testosterone in Pogba’s Test Results”

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Juventus and France midfielder Paul Pogba’s ‘B’ sample has confirmed the presence of testosterone, a source close to the case told AFP on Friday.

The 30-year-old former Manchester United player, a World Cup winner in 2018, faces a ban of up to four years.

The original test by the Italian anti-doping agency (Nado) showed the presence of testosterone metabolites.

On Friday, Pogba learned that the analysis of his B sample, carried out on the previous day, had produced the same result.

The player’s entourage declined to comment.

Under the World Anti-Doping Code, Pogba is liable to a four-year suspension, which could be halved if he proves that he was not at fault.

The ban could even be limited to a few months if the use of the substance took place “out of competition and is not related to his level of performance”.

Pogba’s representatives said last month that the testosterone came from a food supplement prescribed by a doctor he consulted in the United States.

Testosterone promotes muscle development.

Contacted by AFP, Nado was unable to confirm this information “due to a decision by the Italian privacy authority”.

Pogba has seven days to submit his defence to Italy’s National Anti-Doping Tribunal, which will investigate his case and request a sanction, a process that could take several weeks.

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In addition to the proceedings of the Italian sports justice system, a judicial investigation will be opened by the Turin public prosecutor’s office, as doping is a criminal offence in Italy.

Since the announcement of his positive test, Pogba has been unable to train with Juventus, the club to which he returned in July 2022 after six seasons with United.

The announcement came shortly before Juve coach Massimiliano Allegri’s press conference on the eve of the Turin derby against Torino, at which he simply said he was “sorry for Paul”.

Contacted by AFP, the club, which has also suspended payment of his estimated annual salary of 8 million euros (8.4 million dollars), did not respond.

Pogba started the season attempting to bounce back from string of injuries last season and from summer surgery.

His sample was reportedly taken at his club’s opening match of the Serie A season, a win at Udinese on August 20, during which he was an unused substitute.

After the first sample tested positive on September 11,  Pogba’s agent Rafaela Pimenta said she was “awaiting the second sample and cannot have an opinion before the results”.

“What is certain is that Paul Pogba never wanted to break a rule,” she added.

 

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