Premier League

Arsenal revive title bid with last-gasp 4-2 win at Villa

Published

2 years ago

February 18, 2023

Arsenal reinvigorated their push for a first Premier League title in two decades and retook top spot on Saturday with a thrilling 4-2 win at Aston Villa thanks to two late goals.

With a high-quality attacking game going into added time at 2-2, Arsenal midfielder Jorginho saw a looping shot come off the bar and bounce off the head of Villa’s Argentina World Cup-winning goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez for a cruel own goal.

Minutes later, with the final whistle about to go and Villa piling forward – Martinez included – Arsenal broke forward again for Gabriel Martinelli to stroke into an empty net for the Londoners’ fourth in front of their delirious fans.

The result put the Gunners back on top with 54 points after 23 games, three points above Manchester City who go to Nottingham Forest later on Saturday for their 24th match

It was Arsenal’s first win in four Premier League games and followed a dispiriting midweek loss at home to Manchester City who had pared back an eight-point gap from a month ago.

“From this game, we took an unbelievable lesson for all of us. We just need to believe until the very end that we can achieve everything,” said Oleksandr Zinchenko, who had made it 2-2 with his first ever Premier League goal earlier in the game.

At a packed and raucous Villa Park in the Midlands, Ollie Watkins had fired home the hosts’ opener – and his fourth goal in as many games – in the fifth minute after a scintillating run into the box and jink past defender William Saliba.

Bukayo Saka struck back for Arsenal with a fine left foot drive from inside the area in the 16th minute, before Philippe Coutinho restored Villa’s lead with a low shot in the 31st following a clever dummy from Emiliano Buendia.

Zinchenko then levelled for Arsenal in the 62nd minute with a low drive past former Arsenal keeper Martinez.

‘MAGIC MOMENT’

Ahead of the thrilling finale both sides missed gilt-edged chances, Martin Odegaard pulling wide for Arsenal when he looked certain to score and Villa’s Leon Bailey seeing a shot tipped onto the crossbar, before Arsenal struck to claim the points.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said he demanded higher standards from his team during a halftime chat.

“In the second half, we outplayed them, we created chance after chance, we dominated absolutely the game. We needed a magic moment and Jorginho produced it,” he said.

Villa striker Watkins was left scratching his head after the defeat left his side 11th with 28 points from 23 matches.

“It’s one of those games where you have to look back and go over it but in the moment you don’t really know what happened. A good team like Arsenal punished us at the end of the day. I don’t know really what went wrong,” he said.

The game, watched by Hollywood star Tom Hanks, was a disappointment for Villa manager Unai Emery who had appeared to get his tactics right in the first half and would dearly have loved to secure victory over the team he once managed.

“I am frustrated, it’s not good,” he said, chiding keeper Martinez for throwing caution to the wind and going forward at the end.

-Reuters

Premier League

Ten Hag’s Man United future not my call, Ratcliffe says

Published

7 hours ago

October 4, 2024

Kunle Solaja

FA Cup - Final - Manchester City v Manchester United - Wembley Stadium, London, Britain - May 25, 2024 Manchester United co owner Jim Ratcliffe is pictured in the stands before the match Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Couldridge/File Photo

Manchester United co-owner Jim Ratcliffe said a decision about under-fire manager Erik ten Hag is not his call, and was reticent about whether he still has faith in the team’s boss amid their worst start to the Premier League season since 1986-87.

“I don’t want to answer that question,” Ratcliffe told the BBC. “I like Erik. I think he’s a very good coach but at the end of the day it’s not my call, it’s the management team that’s running Manchester United that have to decide how we best run the team in many different respects.

“That team that’s running Manchester United has only been together since June or July. They weren’t there in January, February, March or April — Omar (Berrada, CEO), (Sporting Director) Dan Ashworth — they only arrived in July.

“They’ve only been there . . . you can count it in weeks almost — they’ve not been there a long time so they need to take stock and make some sensible decisions.”

Ten Hag’s job was the subject of speculation for much of last season en route to the team’s lowest Premier League finish of eighth. After an FA Cup final victory over Manchester City and an end-of-season review, however, Ten Hag signed a new contract to extend his stay at Old Trafford until 2026.

“Our objective is very clear, we want to take Manchester United back to where it should be, and it’s not there yet, obviously, that’s very clear,” Ratcliffe said.

Ten Hag continues to plead for patience from fans with the team languishing 13th in the Premier League table, having lost three of their six opening games. They were headed towards defeat by Porto in the Europa League on Thursday before Harry Maguire scored a last-gasp goal to salvage a 3-3 draw.

-Reuters

Premier League

Saka says this is Arsenal’s year after back-to-back Premier League misses

Published

3 days ago

October 2, 2024

Kunle Solaja

Champions League - Arsenal v Paris St Germain - Emirates Stadium, London, Britain - October 1, 2024 Paris St Germain's Nuno Mendes in action with Arsenal's Bukayo Saka REUTERS/Hannah Mckay

Arsenal can go all the way and end their 21-year wait for a Premier League title this season, winger Bukayo Saka said after his side beat Ligue 1 champions Paris St Germain 2-0 in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Arsenal finished runners-up in 2022-23 and took the Premier League title race to the final day last season before once again finishing second behind Manchester City.

The north London side are in the mix this season, sitting third in the league standings, and their impressive victory over French heavyweights PSG underlined their title credentials, with Kai Havertz and Saka scoring in the match.

“I don’t want to put too much pressure on us but I do think that this is the year (that we can win the title),” Saka told CBS Sports.

“I think we’ve been close the last two years and we’re getting closer but this hopefully will be the year.”

Saka, who has established himself as a key player at Arsenal and was their top-scorer in the Premier League last season, said the club’s near misses had left him hungry for success.

“Previous years, I’ve come runners-up a lot. It’s just that spirit in me that I want to win this season and of course, I believe in myself a lot,” the 23-year-old told Amazon Prime.

“With those two things, it helps. We believe in ourselves, we believe we’re a top team. We showed that tonight (against PSG). I did tell the boys we have to make a statement when big teams are coming to the Emirates.”

Arsenal next host 19th-placed Southampton in a league match on Saturday.

-Reuters

Premier League

In ‘Battle of Four Super Eagles’ Aina and Awoniyi are lost in the Forest as Bassey and Iwobi triumph

Published

6 days ago

September 28, 2024

Kunle Solaja

Four Super Eagles players were in a contest Saturday night in an English Premier League battle that paired two on both sides.

Calvin Bassey and Alex Iwobi were in the Fulham side that raided Nottingham Forest who paraded the duo of Ola Aina and Taiwo Awoniyi.

It was one of the late Premier League matches of the day. Iwobi and Bassey were in the winning side as Nottingham lost 1-0 at home.

Awoniyi had a good chance to score in the 19th minute after getting on the end of a nice pass. Unfortunately for him, he smashed his volley just wide.

The first half did not see many chances and it ended goalless. Awoniyi had just one shot on goal and by the break, coach Nuno Espirito Santo decided to take him off for Anthony Elanga.

However, that did not give Forest the attacking edge they were looking for.

Rather, just three minutes into the second half, they conceded a penalty. Fulham striker Raul Jimenez made no mistake as he converted with aplomb to make it 1-0 to his side.

Iwobi had a good chance to score in the 61st minute after a nice build-up from the midfield.

But his strike was blocked by a defender. Despite the fact that they were searching for goals, Nottingham Forest failed to create much in the final third.

Aina was decent, but could not do much in the attacking third. On the other hand, Bassey was sturdy at the back for Fulham. After 90 minutes, the game ended 1-0 to Fulham.