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North London is red: Arsenal beat Tottenham at their own game in stunning display

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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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