Sports
Lacazette at the double as skipper Ozil finds the net
Mesut Ozil started the week by citing ‘racism and disrespect’ as he announced his retirement from international football with Germany.
And at the end of it he sent out a message that he means business this season as he led Arsenal to confidence-boosting pre-season victory over the French giants.
Ozil, given the captain’s armband by Unai Emery on his return to the team following a post-World Cup break, scored Arsenal’s first goal when he finished off a good move involving Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
And even though PSG pulled a goal back when Christopher Nkunku slotted home from the spot, substitutes Alex Lacazette, with two, Rob Holding and Eddie Nketiah gave Arsenal a deserved win.
Here are the key talking points.
1. Smith Rowe impresses again
Birthday boy Emile Smith Rowe has had a hell of a few days.
He celebrated turning 18 today and, even though he didn’t start against PSG, he made a fine contribution soon after coming on.
His cross was turned in by Alex Lacazette, making it one assist and one wonder goal on his first pre-season tour with the senior squad.
Smith Rowe will officially be allowed a drink on the flight home now and, boy, has he earned it this week.
2. Emery mixes it up
Arsene Wenger was oft beaten with the ‘No Plan B’ stick during his Arsenal days but it’s unlikely, on this evidence, that the same will be said about Unai Emery.
So fluid was the system that the Gunners looked be 4-3-3 at the start of the match but then switched to 4-2-3-1 with the ball and 4-4-2 without it during the first half alone.
Still, there were flashes of the sort of moves we grew used to fawning over when Wenger was in charge with one interchange between Mesut Ozil, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Henrikh Mkhitaryan in particular getting the locals off their seats.
Alex Iwobi got on the end of the move but Gianluigi Buffon saved.
3. Pre-season love-in
This was more a pre-season love-in than a pre-season friendly with referee Nathan Chan Rong De appearing to ask Mesut Ozil to autograph his yellow card in the tunnel before kick-off.
Maybe he just thought it’d save him a bit of time if he had to take the Arsenal star’s name later on.
Ozil’s team-mate Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang then made a beeline for PSG’s legendary Italy goalkeeper Gigi Buffon at half-time to ask to swap shirts.
The 40-year-old obliged and the pair were practically wrapped round each other as they headed for the tunnel.
4. New boys impress
Unai Emery paired new boy Sokratis Papastathopoulos with Shkodran Mustafi at the heart of his defence and, as he promised he would, the Greek looks to be a proper old-school defender.
He was vocal throughout, and even though they might not be the quickest pairing available you can be sure they won’t be taking any prisoners whenever they play together.
Ahead of them, Matteo Guendouzi impressed again, as he did against Atletico Madrid on Thursday.
The French teen will be behind Lucas Torreira in the pecking order at the Emirates but he looks a decent prospect.
5. Monreal to return?
Sead Kolasinac wasn’t a left-back but a left-sided central defender in a back three, according to former manager Arsene Wenger.
And had Wenger been in Singapore to watch the Bosnian in action he would have seen nothing to change his opinion.
Kolasinac was the guilty party when PSG drew level, giving away the penalty, with a clumsy-looking challenge.
Nacho Monreal, still on holiday following the World Cup, is a shoo-in to start ahead of him.
The Chairman of Agbele Sporting, Hon. Ponmile Omidiji, has rejoiced with and extended warm felicitations to the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Remo Stars Football Club, Hon. Kunle Soname, on the occasion of his birthday.
This was contained in a statement personally signed by Omidiji and made available to journalists in Ibadan on Sunday.
The statement reads: “It is my greatest pleasure to felicitate with you, the man of the masses and a philanthropist par excellence, on your day of birth.
“You are a morale booster and a great motivator to this generation. You always utilise any position you occupy for the benefit of others. Indubitably, you are a good man and worthy of emulation,” he added.
Omidiji also seized the opportunity to commend Hon. Soname’s contributions and tireless efforts towards the development of football in Nigeria and beyond, noting that such commitment is truly appreciated.
He offered heartfelt prayers for the celebrant, praying that Almighty God would continue to bless and protect him, that God’s grace would abound in his life, and that all his concerns would be firmly in God’s hands. He further wished that the world would always be kind to him.
Christian Chukwu, former captain and head coach of Nigeria’s national football team, the Super Eagles, has died at the age of 74.
The football icon passed away in the early hours of Saturday, though the exact circumstances surrounding his death remain unclear at the time of reporting.
The news of his demise was confirmed by his longtime friend and teammate, Chief Olusegun Odegbami, who spoke to Channels Television. Odegbami, who played alongside Chukwu in Nigeria’s triumphant 1980 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) squad, expressed deep sorrow over the loss.
“I just received the news that between 9:00 and 10:00 this morning, ‘Chairman’ Christian Chukwu, MFR, my bosom friend and teammate, one of the greatest football players in Nigeria’s history, has passed on,” said Odegbami.
“Babuje, Emmanuel Okala, MON, gave me the sad news a few minutes ago. May ‘Onyim’ find peace with Our Creator in Heaven and console his family,” he added.
Born on 4 January 1951 in Enugu, Chukwu carved a legendary career in Nigerian football, notably captaining Enugu Rangers to numerous domestic triumphs and leading them to continental glory in 1977 with victory in the now-defunct African Cup Winners’ Cup.
He made history in 1980 as the first Nigerian captain to lift the African Nations Cup trophy following a 3–0 win over Algeria in the final held in Lagos.
Chukwu went on to contribute to Nigeria’s football success off the pitch, serving as assistant to Dutch tactician Clemens Westerhof during the Super Eagles’ victorious 1994 AFCON campaign and their debut appearance at the FIFA World Cup the same year.
As head coach, Chukwu led the Super Eagles to a third-place finish at the 2004 Africa Cup of Nations in Tunisia. His tenure as national coach lasted from 2002 to 2005, ending during the qualification phase for the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany.
Nicknamed “Chairman” for his commanding presence on and off the pitch, Chukwu also played a role in Nigeria’s youth football development, working as assistant coach during the 1985 FIFA U-16 World Cup, which Nigeria won in China.
In 2019, he battled prostate cancer, which affected his mobility. A public appeal for support was launched, and Nigerian billionaire Femi Otedola stepped in to cover his overseas medical expenses, reportedly donating $50,000 for his treatment.
Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim believes Marcus Rashford was unable to see football “the way I see it” before the unwanted England striker was shipped out of Old Trafford.
The 27-year-old Rashford fell dramatically out of favour with the Portuguese boss and spent seven weeks on the sidelines until he was loaned to Premier League rivals Aston Villa during the transfer window.
“I couldn’t put Marcus to see the way you’re supposed to play football and to train the way I see it,” Amorim said on Thursday.
“And sometimes you have one player that is really good with one coach, and the same player with another coach is different.
“I just wish the best to Rashford and to (Aston Villa coach) Unai Emery, and they can connect because he’s a very good player.”
Amorim, whose team face Leicester in the FA Cup fourth round on Friday, said his focus now is on turning around a wretched season.
“Guys, in the summer… like we said before, we are fighting for our jobs until the summer,” he said.
“So, I am just focused on these games. Thankfully about Marcus he is in Birmingham now with Unai, so you can take these questions to another coach. We are just focused on our players at the moment.”
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