FA Cup
FA CUP WINNER AND HERO, AUBAMEYANG HAILED AS ‘GOAT’
Expectedly, it was celebration galore at the camp of FA Cup winning Arsenal on Saturday night.
Cup winner and skipper, Pierre-Emerick Aubamenyang once again stepped up the fore for Mikel Arteta’s men with a match-winning brace, and the talisman was soon christened the club’s Greatest Of All Time (GOAT) by his team-mates.
Nicolas Pepe will avoid a post-party hangover, however, after being caught on camera enjoying a Fanta while the rest of the Gunners stars basked in their Wembley success.
The squad will unsurprisingly enjoy the victory for many hours to come after securing Arsenal’s 14th FA Cup triumph.
Their trophy lift was arguably an underwhelming affair without the presence of supporters inside the national stadium, but each and every player appeared determined to mark the moment in a series of hilarious social media posts.
Alexandre Lacazette was even filmed celebrating with his shirt only partly on, but didn’t appear to mind as those around him continued to bounce around and sing on their journey.
But it was his strike partner Aubameyang who appeared the heart and soul of the jamboree.
The 31-year-old frontman, whose future at the club remains unclear, handed fans a glimpse at how their idols were celebrating on Instagram.
A series of lengthy posts to his story showed boisterous players packed into the aisle of their coach while others cracked open bottles of champagne around them.
After the game, boss Arteta once again called on his star striker to remain at the club, hoping that the FA Cup win would tempt him to stay to try and win more silverware.
Arteta seemed confident, however, Aubameyang remained silent on the matter after the game, instead preferring to enjoy the victorious moment with his team-mates.
Former Gunner Ian Wright was hopeful on the BBC that Aubameyang would be staying after Arteta’s assertions, while over on BT Sport, Rio Ferdinand thought the opposite, saying: ‘I think he’s gone.’
The raucous stars belted out songs and danced the night away after leaving Wembley with the coveted FA Cup trophy safely in tow.
The actual piece of silverware, Arteta’s first at the helm of the club, was later spotted on the team bus, wisely with a seat-belt on, amid the boisterous celebrations.
And the tight bond between the head coach and his players was shown once again shortly after the cup had been hoisted into the air.
Arteta, who is no stranger to success after a three-year spell as Pep Guardiola’s right-hand man at Manchester City, was filmed heading down the tunnel and into the dressing room while clutching the trophy.
His arrival was greeted with a shower of champagne and the then-soaked Arteta joyously let loose by hopping around in the centre of the room.
The manager later tweeted: ‘Thank you everyone for being so supportive. We knew that there were expectations and this trophy is for you. There is still a long way to go of improving on many things, but I’m very proud of the fantastic players and the staff. Again, thank you so much for the support and belief.’
Emiliano Martinez, who had an emotional day, bursting into tears during his post-match interview, was pictured hugging the trophy tightly on the journey home.
The goalkeeper has been at the club for 10 years, but has only recently been given the nod for a starting position.
However, Chelsea fans were fuming as they believe he had handled the ball outside the penalty area in the second half. It appeared to be a very close call, and he was given the benefit of the doubt by the referees.
Arsenal players will have a few weeks off now to prepare for the new season, and it seems they are already making the most of not having to train every day, as Lucas Torreira and Martinez were spotted grabbing a late-night McDonalds takeaway.
Despite the all-London showdown taking place behind closed doors, it transpired to be one certain to live long in the memory.
Christian Pulisic had opened the scoring after just five minutes with a clever dink, but Aubameyang once again underlined his importance to Arsenal with two goals.
His first came from the penalty spot after Cesar Azpilicueta’s foul inside the box, and the effort that handed Arteta’s side the silverware was breathtaking.
Pepe picked out his team-mate on the left-hand side of the box, and Aubameyang duly chipped over Willy Caballero and into the far corner.
Despite the sublime goals, VAR came under fire again amidst Mateo Kovacic’s red card drama. Frank Lampard was extremely unhappy with the soft second yellow card, however it could not be checked as VAR is only used in straight red card incidents.
‘What kind of rule is that? There’s always been this one that you couldn’t challenge two yellows,’ the Chelsea boss fumed in an interview with beIN Sports. ‘Someone’s sitting there really stubbornly sticking to their guns on that one.’
Chelsea’s day went from bad to worse, as injuries plagued the team as well. Cesar Azpilicueta went off in tears, Christian Pulisic had to be carried down the tunnel, and Pedro departed on oxygen after injuring his shoulder.
It will make Chelsea’s upcoming Champions League fixture against Bayern Munich all the more hard, as the Blues try to brush off their bitter defeat.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola admitted he was surprised that Norwegian striker Erling Haaland declined to take a penalty for his side in Saturday’s FA Cup final against Crystal Palace with the kick subsequently being missed by Omar Marmoush.
Trailing 1-0 to Eberechi Eze’s goal, City were awarded a penalty in the first half when Palace defender Tyrick Mitchell tripped Bernardo Silva who had burst into the area.
Haaland, who had failed to score in his first five Wembley appearances for City, looked poised to break that duck, but handed the ball to Marmoush whose first-ever penalty for City was superbly saved by Dean Henderson.
“I thought he would want to take it but they didn’t speak,” said Guardiola. “That moment for the penalty, it’s the feeling and how they feel. They decided Omar was ready to take it.
“Omar took a lot of time when the ball was stopped, so it put more pressure on him, and Henderson made a good save.”
Former Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney, working as a TV pundit for the BBC, said he felt the occasion might have got to Haaland.
“He’s a world-class forward, but when we are talking about Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, there is no way they are giving that ball away,” Rooney said.
“That is what separates them two players from Erling Haaland or Kylian Mbappe and these players. They are selfish and they want to score every game.
“When (Haaland) misses chances I think you can see it gets to him and it does affect him. Maybe the thought of taking a penalty at Wembley might have been too much for him. You never know, he is a human being.”
Haaland has scored 30 goals for City this season in all competitions but has missed three of his seven penalties.
-Reuters
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
Crystal Palace face Manchester City at Wembley on Saturday hoping to lift the FA Cup for the first time and it is guaranteed that high on the pre-match agenda will be the club’s extraordinary and eventually heartbreaking 1990 campaign.
The semi-finals and final(s) that year were arguably the most dramatic in the competition’s long and storied history and remain the emotional high and low point of every Palace fan who watched them.
Palace were struggling in the top flight after promotion and had been humiliated 9-0 by Liverpool early in the season.
In the Cup they were hardly pulling up trees either, beating lower league Portsmouth, Huddersfield Town, Rochdale and Cambridge United to reach the semi-finals for the first time since they lost to Southampton as a third division team in 1976.
Facing runaway champions-elect and FA Cup holders Liverpool again in the semis look an insurmountable barrier and an Ian Rush goal had the Reds ahead at halftime at Villa Park.
Things then went crazy as Mark Bright and Gary O’Reilly gave Palace a shock lead. Two goals in two minutes put Liverpool back in front, only for Andy Gray to stun the odds-on favourites in the 88th minute to force extra time.
Amazingly, it was Palace who snatched victory in the 109th minute via Alan Pardew, who would later manage the club.
It was the first year that both semi-finals were live on TV and barely had the excitement abated when similarly unfancied Oldham ran out to face Manchester United at Maine Road.
The second division team had not beaten top-flight opposition in 66 years but accounted for four that season in a double cup run that caught the nation’s imagination.
Playing vibrant, attacking football under Joe Royle, Oldham twice came from behind to draw 3-3 after extra time – meaning a remarkable 13 goals had been scored on a day of unimaginable drama. United ended Oldham’s dream when they snatched a 2-1 victory six minutes from the end of extra time in the replay.
ALL-ENGLISH TEAM
The Palace side who lined up at Wembley were the last all-English team to play in the final while United’s were the last all-UK lineup to win it.
United manager Alex Ferguson was under huge pressure to deliver a trophy four years after arriving at Old Trafford, but Palace struck first through O’Reilly.
Bryan Robson and Mark Hughes turned it round and United seemed on course for victory, only for Ian Wright to come off the bench for the most wonderful 20 minutes of his life.
The former non-league striker had been sidelined for much of the season with a twice-broken leg, but exploded into action to equalise with virtually his first touch and then put the Londoners ahead early in extra time.
“It’s still the greatest moment I’ve had in my career – easily – simply because of everything that it had entailed up to that point,” Wright told the Palace website on Friday.
“My emergence at Palace, and to reach the biggest stage in English football, and all of a sudden I’m on the Wembley pitch.
“And then what happened after that was the stuff of fairytales. It really, really was.”
However, as the Palace fans sang in dreamland, Hughes broke their hearts with a late equaliser.
The replay five days later could not live up to everything that had gone before and though Palace battled gamely, United won it 1-0 with a goal by Lee Martin.
It was a victory that launched Ferguson and United on their dizzying journey of success – that included another extra-time FA Cup final win over Palace in 2016 after the Scot had retired – but one that left a gaping hole in the hearts of the losers.
“I would have loved to have won that FA Cup, and we were only seven minutes away,” said Wright, who went on to win multiple trophies, including two FA Cups with Arsenal. “Seven minutes. Honestly, I still can’t take it.”
-Reuters
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
The first weekend of semi-automated offside decisions in English soccer descended into confusion on Saturday as Bournemouth had a goal ruled out after a record eight-minute VAR check.
Bournemouth, who eventually beat Premier League rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers on penalties in the FA Cup fifth round after a 1-1 draw, thought they had doubled their lead when defender Milos Kerkez scored in the 35th-minute goal.
However, new technology could not be used because the six-yard area was too crowded and VAR officials had to revert to manually drawing lines before disallowing the goal.
Fellow defender Dean Huijsen was adjudged to have been in an offside position as Kerkez’s effort brushed his shoulder before going in to the net.
The VAR check was further complicated as VAR officials Timothy Wood and Darren England also had to also examine the possibility of hand balls prior to the tight offside call.
Both sets of fans voiced their disapproval at the interminable wait, chanting “it’s not football any more” and “this is embarrassing”.
Referee Sam Barrott, who eventually announced the decision to the crowd via a microphone, had to explain to the respective managers and players what was happening during the delay.
-Reuters
Follow the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
- OBITUARY2 days ago
BREAKING: Nigerian Goalkeeping Legend Peter Rufai is dead
- Nigerian Football2 days ago
Football Agent John Shittu Demands Retraction and ₦250 Million Damages from Samson Siasia Over Bribery Allegation
- WAFCON1 week ago
Super Falcons Land in Morocco, Eye Historic ‘La Decima’ Women’s AFCON Title
- FEDERATION CUP1 week ago
Kwara United Clinch Historic First Title as President Federation Cup Final Goes to Penalties for the 18th time
- FEDERATION CUP1 week ago
Rivers Angels Crowned 2025 Female Federation Cup Champions After Penalty Shootout Thriller
- OBITUARY2 days ago
Peter Rufai looked lean when I last saw him, says mourning NFF President, Gusau
- OBITUARY2 days ago
Family issues statement on Peter Rufai
- IMMEMORIAL1 day ago
Peter Rufai’s Death Adds to Long List of July Tragedies in Nigerian Football