Sports
North London is red: Arsenal beat Tottenham at their own game in stunning display
Incredible intensity, shirt-drenching work rate and relentless pressing: so often the hallmarks of Mauricio Pochettino’s Tottenham, but on Saturday in the north London derby it was Arsenal who looked like the exciting, energetic team upon whom so much praise has been lavished.
Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez proved amid the uncertainty over their futures that they remain Arsenal’s star performers with match-winning displays in Saturday’s 2-0 victory over rivals Tottenham.
The build-up to the derby clash had focused largely on the supposed power shift in north London as Mauricio Pochettino has turned Spurs into Premier League title challengers, but their ability to take the fight to Manchester City may have been ended following a tame reverse at the Emirates Stadium.
Ozil was at his creative best, delivering a teasing free-kick for Shkodran Mustafi to head in the opener, before his link-up play helped set up Sanchez’s strike just before half-time.
Both Ozil and Sanchez have been linked with January departures, with Arsenal facing losing them on a free in June, but their desire could not be questioned in a contest that they dominated between them.
Pochettino had Harry Kane, Dele Alli and Hugo Lloris at his disposal after the trio missed international duty over the break, but Spurs’ chances were few and far between as Kane especially delivered a sluggish performance.
A first north London derby defeat for Pochettino further dents his side’s hopes of catching runaway league leaders City, with Arsenal’s deserved triumph helping them make ground in the race for Champions League qualification, moving them to within just one point of their visitors.
Arsenal fans had grown frustrated at Wenger leaving Alexandre Lacazette on the bench after his goalscoring cameo against Pep Guardiola’s side last time out and the France striker blazed the first chance over, before Kane drilled straight at Petr Cech following Laurent Koscielny’s wayward clearance.
The hosts were making inroads behind Ben Davies, with Hector Bellerin and Ozil flashing crosses into the box that were not converted, while Christian Eriksen hit the post and Kane’s header was saved to keep Arsenal on their toes.
But the hosts suddenly seized control with two goals in quick succession.
Davinson Sanchez was penalised for holding namesake Alexis’ shirt in a challenge and Ozil’s ball was guided brilliantly by Mustafi into the net via a kiss off the post, although the defender appeared offside.
The Gunners returned to a previous source of joy to double their lead, Ozil threading a ball through the right channel, between Davies and Jan Vertonghen to Lacazette and his pull-back found Sanchez, who controlled and blasted high into the net from point-blank range.
Kane’s frustrations threatened to boil over when he lunged in on Granit Xhaka and Mustafi blocked the striker’s shot as Arsenal continued to hold Spurs at arm’s length.
Howls of derision met Wenger’s decision to replace Lacazette with Francis Coquelin in the 73rd minute, but the ineffective Kane, who failed to score in this derby for the first time, and Alli were withdrawn two minutes later to bring a cheer again.
Cech clawed away an Eric Dier header, with Davies awaiting a tap-in, and Alli’s replacement Son Heung-min hooked over the crossbar in a late Spurs flurry, but there was little doubt of Wenger securing a derby win for the first time in seven outings to breathe new life into Arsenal’s campaign.
Key Opta stats:
– Arsenal ended a run of six Premier League games without a win against Spurs (D4 L2), picking up their first victory since March 2014.
– The Gunners have won 11 home Premier League games in a row, their best run since winning 13 consecutively at Highbury between February and November 2005.
– Mauricio Pochettino has lost four of his last six London derbies as Spurs boss in all competitions (W2), as many as he’d lost in his previous 18.
– Spurs have lost three of their opening 12 Premier League games, only one fewer than they lost in the entirety of last season.
– Since his Premier League debut in September 2013, Mesut Ozil has provided 45 assists, more than any other player in the competition and 21 more than any other Arsenal player in that time.
– Hugo Lloris has never kept an away Premier League clean sheet against the ‘big six’, conceding 56 goals in 24 games at an average of 2.3 per game.
– Alexis Sanchez ended a run of 11 Premier League matches without scoring against the ‘big six’ – his previous goal came against Chelsea in September 2016.
– Arsenal have never finished lower than 4th at the end of every Premier League season in which they’ve beaten Spurs at home.
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has confirmed the appointment of German tactician Bruno Labbadia as the new Head Coach of Nigeria’s Senior Men’s National Team, the Super Eagles.
This development was announced by the NFF General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi, in the early hours of Tuesday, following the approval of the NFF Executive Committee based on a recommendation from its Technical and Development Sub-Committee. Labbadia’s appointment takes immediate effect.
Born on 8th February 1966 in Darmstadt, Germany, Labbadia enjoyed a distinguished playing career, earning two caps for the German national team. His club career included stints at prominent clubs such as Darmstadt 98, Hamburger SV, FC Kaiserslautern, Bayern Munich, FC Cologne, Werder Bremen, Arminia Bielefeld, and Karlsruher SC. Notably, he won the Bundesliga title with Bayern Munich in 1994.
Labbadia’s coaching career has seen him manage top-tier clubs such as Hertha Berlin, VfB Stuttgart, VfL Wolfsburg, Hamburger SV, and Bayer Leverkusen, among others. He holds a UEFA Pro License and is well-regarded for his tactical acumen.
With his appointment, Labbadia becomes the sixth German to lead the Super Eagles, following in the footsteps of Karl-Heinz Marotzke, Gottlieb Göller, Manfred Höner, Berti Vogts, and Gernot Rohr. Höner notably guided the Super Eagles to a runner-up finish at the 1988 Africa Cup of Nations, while Rohr qualified Nigeria for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.
Labbadia’s immediate task is to prepare the Super Eagles for their upcoming 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying matches.
Nigeria will face Benin Republic on Saturday, 7th September in Uyo, and Rwanda on Tuesday, 10th September in Kigali. The team will also play four additional qualifying matches in October and November as they aim to secure a spot in the 2025 AFCON, scheduled to be held from December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026.
The Super Eagles, placed in Group D, will face familiar foes Benin Republic, who recently defeated Nigeria in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. The draw for the AFCON qualifiers, held in Johannesburg, South Africa, last month, also sees Nigeria taking on Libya and Rwanda, both of whom are also part of the Super Eagles’ group for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers set to be hosted in the USA, Canada, and Mexico.
Labbadia’s appointment comes at a crucial time as the Super Eagles look to regain their dominance on the African continent and secure qualification for both the AFCON and the World Cup.
Finidi George has stepped into a new role as the technical manager for NPFL side, Rivers United, following his resignation as coach of the Super Eagles.
During his brief tenure with the Eagles, George’s 1-1 draw against South Africa in Uyo and a 2-1 loss to Benin Republic in Abidjan cast doubts on Nigeria’s World Cup qualification, prompting calls from fans for his dismissal.
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Nevertheless, Rivers United, the 2021-22 champions, expressed optimism in a statement on Wednesday via their official handle about having the former Eagles international manage their team.
“Finidi brings a wealth of experience and expertise to our team, having had a distinguished playing career spanning over fifteen years,” the statement read.
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Dr. Okey Kpalukwu, General Manager of Rivers United FC, welcomed George, stating, “We are delighted to have Finidi George join our team. His appointment marks a new chapter in our club’s history, and we are committed to working together to achieve success.”
Expressing his gratitude to the club, an elated George remarked, “I am honored to have this opportunity, and I thank the Sports Commissioner, the General Manager, and the supporters for their confidence in me. I am committed to working hard and making the team win.”
Inter Milan were taken over by US fund Oaktree on Wednesday after the Serie A champions’ outgoing owners Suning missed a deadline to repay a debt worth hundred of millions of euros.
In a statement, Oaktree announced they had “assumed control” of Inter after the non-repayment of a “three-year loan to Inter Milan’s holding companies that matured on 21 May 2024 with a total balance due of approximately 395 million euros ($428 million)”.
Chinese conglomerate Suning have relinquished control of Inter to Oaktree three days after the team were officially crowned Italian champions for the 20th time.
Suning borrowed 275 million euros at over 12 percent interest three years ago to pay staff and players as the Covid-19 pandemic ravaged the finances of clubs across Europe, putting up their controlling stake in the club as collateral.
“Oaktree is dedicated to achieving the best outcome for the long-term prosperity of Inter Milan, with an initial focus on operational and financial stability for the Club and its stakeholders,” Oaktree continued.
Inter became a powerful force at home and abroad after Suning acquired the club in 2016, with seven trophies including two Serie A titles and two European finals.
Simone Inzaghi’s team cruised to this year’s championship, winning the Scudetto with five matches remaining by beating AC Milan in a thrilling local derby.
Oaktree, which manages $192 billion in assets, said they are “committed to working closely with Inter Milan’s current management team, partners, the league and governing bodies to ensure the Club is positioned for success on and off the pitch”.
Inter ended up in the hands of Oaktree in a manner similar to the way another US fund, Elliott Management, took control of their local rivals Milan in 2018.
Elliott became Milan’s owners when Chinese businessman Li Yonghong was unable to repay a loan he had taken out when he bought the club from the late Silvio Berlusconi’s Fininvest the previous year.
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