Arsene Wenger admitted it will be “very difficult” for Arsenal to finish in the top four after Monday’s 3-0 loss to Crystal Palace, but said it would be “inconvenient” to talk about his own future in the wake of such a disappointing result. The Gunners fell to their fourth straight away loss in the Premier League in dispiriting fashion, as Sam Allardyce’s team dominated throughout and had Arsenal’s away fans chanting “You’re not fit to wear the shirt” toward the end of the game. The loss leaves Arsenal in sixth place, seven points behind fourth-place Manchester City, and Wenger is…
Author: David Folami
The travelling Arsenal fans didn’t seem certain who was to blame. At various points they chanted their frustration toward manager Arsene Wenger, and then at the players. Perhaps manager and players alike deserve to have the finger pointed at them, but whoever is responsible for this latest embarrassment, a 3-0 defeat to Crystal Palace in which a vertebrae-deficient Arsenal were ruthlessly dispatched, it doesn’t bode well for their chances of salvaging some dignity from this most divisive of seasons. If Arsenal seemed aimless and devoid of guile, this was a Crystal Palace performance full of purpose and controlled aggression. The…
Morgan Schneiderlin has told L’Equipe that playing for Louis van Gaal’s Manchester United made him feel “like a robot.” Schneiderlin was signed from Southampton for £24 million by United in 2015 but was sold to Everton 18 months later by Jose Mourinho after failing to break into his XI on a regular basis. The midfielder has spoken negatively about his experience of playing at Old Trafford and said he “didn’t take any pleasure” from his time with the club. “That first year with Louis van Gaal sticks in my throat a bit,” he said. “I didn’t enjoy myself at all…
Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajia Aisha Alhasan, has alleged that members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Taraba had been neglected by the party’s leadership. Alhasan made the allegation on Thursday in Abuja when she led some members of the party from Taraba on a visit to its National Secretariat, Abuja. “I have come as a party member and a leader with my brothers from Taraba to air our problems; the APC people in Taraba are very worried. “No opposition party performed as well as we did since 1999, but unfortunately, apart from my appointment which…
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chairman, Ali Modu Sheriff has vowed to do without Governors who do not support his leadership. Sheriff also said that Governors Nyesom Wike and Ayo Fayose are free to leave the party. The PDP chairman, according to Daily Post, said the party will not collect stolen money from Governors. Sheriff also added that the party will not defend any Governor on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) probe list. He said “We are moving on with the determination to reposition the party. We are not interested in the funding of the party from the…
Antonio Conte has revealed he guided Eden Hazard back to his best by telling the Belgium midfielder to both play and act like a superstar. Hazard’s masterful finish helped Chelsea inch ever closer to the Premier League title with Saturday’s 3-1 win at Bournemouth. This time last year Hazard broke a 355-day Premier League scoring duck with a brace in Chelsea’s 4-1 win on the south coast as the Blues laboured towards a 10th-place finish. Fast forward a year and Hazard has 14 league goals while closing in on a second league title in three years — and Conte believes…
There is no stopping Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Just when you think that age is finally wearying him or that he’s becoming bogged down by a defence as modest as Sunderland’s, he makes a turn, creates some space and then unleashes something unstoppable into the back of the net. This was the story of his 28th strike, a phenomenal return given his advancing years. It opened the door to a morale-boosting victory for Manchester United, something they might not have achieved with him easing the nerves. He is remarkable. There’s not much that can stop Romelu Lukaku, either. His brace in Sunday’s…
Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho is giving “200 percent” for the club and is being let down by his underperforming players, according to top scorer Zlatan Ibrahimovic. United are unbeaten in 20 Premier League matches, but lay seven points off the Champions League places — albeit with two games in hand — in sixth place ahead of Sunday’s trip to Sunderland. “I think the coach is doing the absolute maximum with the team he has. Two hundred percent,” said Ibrahimovic, as quoted by several British newspapers on Sunday. “If we were good enough to be number one, we would be…
Mauricio Pochettino insists his Tottenham Hotspur side are building a winning mentality and will be ready to pounce if Chelsea stumble in the race for the Premier League title race. Spurs’ emphatic 4-0 victory over Watford kept the pressure on league leaders Chelsea. But the odds are still heavily stacked in favour of the championship trophy returning to Stamford Bridge after Saturday also saw the Blues beat Bournemouth 3-1 to stay seven points clear at the top. Spurs manager Pochettino, though, insists his side will not give up and are developing the winning mentality that will allow them to step…
Mesut Ozil wants Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger’s future to be cleared up before he commits himself to the club, the Germany playmaker indicated in a newspaper interview published on Sunday. Wenger, Arsenal’s manager for over 20 years, is out of contract at the end of the season and has pledged to make an announcement about his future “very soon”. Ozil is currently stalling over a new contract, with his existing deal due to expire in a year, and suggested he will not make a decision on his future until he knows what Wenger is doing. “It’s not just important for…
Chelsea manager Antonio Conte praised his team’s refusal to bend to the pressure of the title race after their 3-1 win at Bournemouth on Saturday. Before the Blues kicked off on the south coast, Tottenham Hotspur beat Watford 4-0 to move to within four points of leaders Chelsea. But Conte’s side were were seldom in danger as they restored their seven-point advantage. They went 2-0 up after 18 minutes through an Adam Smith own-goal and an Eden Hazard strike before conceding a goal to Bournemouth’s Joshua King. But man-of-the-match Marcos Alonso made the game safe with an exquisite free-kick and…
The Ace of Diamonds Los Angeles nightclub is blood-thirsty for Amber Rose. The famous adult venue has continued to fuel its e-beef with the curvy TV personality. A screenshot has surfaced of Ace going directly at Rose with a disturbing image. Earlier in the week, Ace of Diamonds Los Angeles went at Rose on Instagram over ownership speculation. Hours prior, Rose jumped on IG and promoted the popular adult night venue. Recently, Amber kept busy by linking up with hip-hop stud French Montana.
Frank Ocean had another treat for listeners of Blonded on Friday: “Biking.” The new track, featuring Jay Z and Tyler, the Creator, debuted on the third episode of Ocean’s Beats 1 radio show ahead of the full release. A portion of the song was also featured in a teaser video for Blonded, while Tyler, the Creator posted lyrics from his verse on social media. “Nobody f—ing with me / My accolades hang from my neck / Pedal I drown in the heat / My sapphires drown in my sweat/ White mags but I jet / Jackson I’m saving the streets…
BEYONCE can earn up to £800,000 for ONE post on social media, according to the experts. The Destiny’s Child singer’s announcement that she was pregnant with twins went on to become the most liked photo in Instagram’s history – with 10.9 million likes. The global superstar, who rarely does interviews and only uses social media sporadically, has total control over her image – meaning she can make a pretty penny from her posts. According to D’Marie Analytics, Beyonce is the most marketable person on social media – meaning she had an advertising value of £800,000 ($1m) for just one post.…
Immediate past governor of Ebonyi, Chief Martin Elechi on Sunday decamped to the All Progressive Congress (APC) from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Elechi, a two time governor of Ebonyi, registered for the APC at his country home in Echialike, Ikwo Local Government Area, in front of national party leaders. The party leaders were in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi capital, for a thanksgiving church service for the recovery of President Muhammadu Buhari from his ill-health, after which they moved to Ikwo. According to Elechi, he decided to join APC due to his love for Buhari and the current state of the…
The Senate Preisident, Bukola Saraki, has declared that he is loyal to President Buhari. The Senate President made the declaration during an interview with Daily Trust recently. The Senate President also said that it is in his political interest that Buhari’s government does not fail. Saraki also accused some powerful people of mis-informing the public. He said “There is a lot of misinformation out there. From Day One I took a position, and some very powerful people don’t like the position. “When you want to know who is loyal to you, it is during your trying moments. Go back two…
The Senate President, Bukola Saraki, during an interview recently, hinted that Senator Ali Ndume might be forgiven. Ndume was suspended by the Senate plenary for accusing Saraki falsely. The Governor of Borno, Kashim Shettima recently met with the Senate President to plead on Ndume’s behalf. According to Daily Trust, Saraki said “All I can say is that this Senate has a large heart. We used to have dissenting voices before but we are now back as one family. Sooner or later we may have a political solution somewhere and Ndume may be back in the fold.” Speaking on the legality…
Liverpool playmaker Philippe Coutinho insists there are plenty of goals still to come after he became the Premier League’s highest-scoring Brazilian. The 24-year-old came off the bench to score the important equaliser as his side recovered from going behind to win 2-1 at Stoke. It was his 30th top-flight goal and put him one clear of former Middlesbrough attacker Juninho. Teammate Roberto Firmino, who scored a brilliant winner at the bet365 Stadium, is only 10 goals behind after 61 matches compared to his compatriot’s 131, but Coutinho plans to add many more having already equalled his best Premier League season…
Paris Saint-Germain moved back into second place in Ligue 1 and narrowed the gap on league leaders Monaco to three points with a 4-0 victory over Guingamp at the Parc des Princes. Despite the comprehensive scoreline, Unai Emery’s team did not have it all their own way and were made to wait for the win with the goals not coming until after half-time, when Angel Di Maria and Edinson Cavani scored in quick succession. Cavani then got his name on the score sheet again midway through the second half and Blaise Matuidi put the icing on the cake with a…
Under a small green awning on a street outside the Stadium of Light, a middle-aged man scowls as he casts his eye over racks of bright, bold Sunderland-themed T-shirts. The merchandise of the popular club fanzine “A Love Supreme,” they celebrate men like Jermain Defoe. They celebrate the club’s history and their heritage. But the man finds nothing here to his liking. “If you had one that says, ‘David Moyes is a w—er,'” he grunts, “I’d buy that.” And then he strides away. Joe McFadden, working the stall, smiles politely and continues to lay out his wares. This is the…