Eli’s wishes for 2021. AFCON,COVID,more.

It’s the end of the year. For the new generation, this is the weirdest year in our lives. A pandemic struck and put everything to a halt. It has now been left to us to gather the spoils and make sense of the events of the year.

While some wishes on this list look to be a mere formality, others are understandably a Herculean task. However, if this year has thought me anything, it is to always have hope. The hope that things will get better and that sports as we know it, will return to normalcy.

1. Sports wins the battle against COVID. Having studied it for a year, FIFA, CAF, UEFA and the IOC should be well equipped with the needed knowledge and develop a strategy to work around the issues related to COVID 19. This should ensure the proper organisation of their various sporting events scheduled for 2021.

2. In addition to point 1, it is my hope in the end, this fight is won. Fans returning to the stadium was a good thing and a huge step. It is however crucial that we continue to understand the virus and in no time, be in a position to put the pandemic behind us and have everything return to normalcy.

3.The Ghana Premier League continues to improve. The events of 2020, particularly effects of COVID 19 led to the annulment of the 2019/2020 season. A big blow as the league, for the first time in a long time was beginning to build some kind of euphoria with the public becoming interested once again. The comeback from the FA and other organisers has been strong and the upward trajectory should continue in the coming year.

4.Asamoah Gyan gives us one last hurrah. His return to the Ghana Premier League with Accra based Legon Cities FC was met with a lot of buzz. However, things haven’t really kicked on for both the player and the club but with veteran regaining full fitness, 2021 looks promising and just maybe, we can have the very best of Gyan for one more season before he calls it a day. Some new dance moves won’t be bad,also.

Asamoah Gyan being unveiled by Legon Cities.

5. Ghana ends its AFCON drought in Cameroon. It was a disappointing tournament last time out in Egypt 2019 as the Black Stars were knocked out in the 1/8th stage of the competition. 2021 will be 39 years since Ghana last won the continental showcase and the tournament in Cameroon presents Ghana with yet another opportunity to end that drought.

6. Mikel Arteta and Edu clear up the mess at Arsenal. The FA Cup win in August was supposed to be the foundation on which Arsenal build and improve on. In a very open season where no side has particular been outstanding, Mikel Arteta’s men lie 13th with 20 points. 13 points off Liverpool in first place. A crucial January window lies ahead as Arsenal seek to correct the failings of the summer and improve the squad.

7.Steph Curry leads the Warriors to the playoffs,at least. With questions being asked on his greatness and ability to ‘carry a team’, Steph Curry has a point to prove in the 2020/2021 NBA season. With the injuries to Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, It all falls on Steph to lead the Warriors charge and shut his doubters once and for all.

8. Barcelona have a proper plan for Life after Messi. With the imminent departure of club captain and all time top scorer Lionel Messi looming, it is important for Barcelona to have in place, the perfect plan to be able to deal with the gap going to be left behind. They have a hint as to what not to do, having tried to replace Neymar three years ago.

9. Kylian Mbappe makes the right decision on his next move. The French star, in the last two years of his contract has a big decision to make on his next move. At age 22, the player tipped to be the biggest talent of his generation will not be short of suitors. However, previous cases show this decision, if not taken with all factors considered could have its own consequences.

10. Mohammed Kudus picks up from where he left off, before his injury. He was undoubtedly Ajax’s best player in the early stages of the season. But a meniscus injury, 9 minutes into his UEFA champions league debut at home to Liverpool meant the Ghanaian youngster had to spend a spell on the sidelines. As he resumes training, it is my hope that ‘the Kudus dream’ continues as it will be a big boost for both Ajax and Ghana, going into CAN 2021.

The past year has come with its own share of wins and losses. To the sporting greats such as Diego Maradona and Kobe Bryant,to name a few, who sadly passed on, we say may their souls rest in perfect peace.

But in all, we press on in the hope for a better 2021 and like my favourite Ghanaian music produce, Hammer, said of this year;

“This was the year microbes waged war on our way of life and failed terribly and the year health workers became the real heroes of our planet”

From everyone at TheGreenTurf, we wish you a Happy new year. Enjoy 2021.

Aftermath: United end Liverpool’s perfect run, Barcelona, Ronaldo, more

Lallana goal rescues point for Liverpool in difficult outing at Old Trafford.

It seemed like a sure win for Liverpool. Almost a mere formality considering the build up to this game.

United, shattered in confidence were experiencing their worst start to a league campaign in 30 years while Liverpool were on a 17-game winning streak which began as far back as March.

The thought of a humiliating defeat at the hands of the old enemy frightened the United faithful so much that even Ole Gunnar Solksjaer’s ‘this is the perfect game to bounce back’ declaration in his pre game presser was almost seen as a bad joke.

Fast forward to the 80th minute, United,against all odds were 10 minutes away from victory.

From a Liverpool point of view, Salah’s absence and Mane’s subsequent shift to the right -in order to accomodate Divock Origi- took some sting out of what is usually a very sharp attack.

The midfield shape also meant very little supply was reaching the front 3 and this limited the league leaders to only one clear chance in the first half that fell to Roberto Firmino. The Brazilian, usually clinical from that position could only hit it straight at David De Gea.

For much of the game, Liverpool were restricted to crosses from deep but the aerial prowess of Harry Maguire meant United were comfortable in that regard.

However, there is a reason why Liverpool have lost just one game in their last 47 and when Klopp switched things up with the introduction of Chamberlain, Keita and Lallana, the reds regained control of the game in search of an equaliser.

Mane was moved more central and playing in a sort of 4-2-4, Liverpool did eventually get the equaliser from an Adam Lallana tap in.

After the game, the German said, “United always set up to defend against Liverpool”. Even though he quickly went on to add that this was not a criticism, it did sound like it, from a position of frustration.

Ole did set up more defensively than usual, playing in a 3-4-1-2, anchoring the defence and putting bodies in midfield as a ploy to destruct Liverpool’s free flowing football.

In attack, United’s plan was to send balls into the channels and force the Liverpool back for into a foot race against the more fancied United attack of Rashford and James.

James put up a relentless and combative performance while Rashford’s was described by Ole as ‘his best since he took over as coach’.

The two combined perfectly for the United goal in the 40th minute when Rashford intelligently lost Joel Matip to get at the end of an inch perfect James’ cross.

All game, James’ tireless work ethic made him a thorn in the Liverpool defence and even after being knocked out twice, he kept going.

The result did not only take the heat off Ole,but also gave him an indication of maybe the direction to go.

For Liverpool, a draw at United turned out to be two huge points dropped in the title race last season. This time around, they will hope the effect of this would not be as detrimental to their title charge.

In the end, United needed a turnaround and even though they failed to hold on to their lead, the performance and result will calm down a few storms, if not all.

Messi -Griezmann-Suarez the new MSN?

It is no coincidence that Messi’s return to full fitness has pushed Barcelona higher up the La Liga table.

The FIFA Best player of the year was once again amongst the goals but this time, it was the performance of Antoine Griezmann who looked very good linking well with both Messi and Suarez.

With all 3 attackers involved in both the second the third goals, one cannot help but feel a sense of familiarity at what is brewing up in Barcelona.

CR701

Ronaldo, after scoring his 700th career goal emphatically said , ‘I don’t chase records, records chase me’.

Well, it looks like there is another record chasing him as CR700 quickly became CR701 with Ronaldo netting Juve’s opener in the 2-1 win against Bologna. He is now 104 goals away from equalling the all time record of 805 career goals by Bob Piscan.

Pick of the week: Black Stars B.

A week on, after losing out on a third consecutive WAFU championship, the Ghana Black Stars B have now failed to qualify for the African Nations Championship (CHAN).

This is Coach Maxwell Konadu’s third failed attempt at qualifying for the tournament. In an ideal world, the most honorable thing to do is to resign but as expected, Coach Konadu still clings onto the job.

Arsenal hand Ole first PL defeat, Sterling, more.

Arsenal outclass United

Defeat for Tottenham against Southampton on Saturday and Chelsea’s draw at home to Wolves earlier on Sunday raised the stakes of the clash at the Emirates. It was simple; a win for either side will have them not only in pole position to finish in the top 4,but also a step further in giving them belief of finishing third.

Both teams had different fortunes in France in midweek. United produced an outstanding comeback to beat PSG 3-1 and progress to the quarter final of the Champions League while Arsenal lost 3-1 to Rennes in the first leg of their Europa League Round of 16 tie. Unai Emery demanded a reaction from his boys in what could be a decisive week in the Gunners’ season. He got it.

Setting up in an ‘all or nothing’ attacking line up, Unai Emery and Arsenal set the tone in the early stages of the game, controlling possession with some brilliant movements and combinations . In the 12th minute, Granit Xhaka gave Arsenal the lead with a well structured shot from 35 yards out. Arsenal continued to work hard on and off the ball and showed a kind of dedication and passion totally different to what was seen on Thursday. Aaron Ramsey and Granit Xhaka were particularly solid in midfield for the gunners.

The second came in the 69th minute as Lacazette was brought down by Fred for an Arsenal penalty. Aubameyang, after missing infamously at Spurs last week made no mistake this time and sent David De Gea the wrong way. In the end, it was a resounding victory for the gunners, one that has the potential to set the tone for the run-in and remaining 8 games in the season.

For United, it wasn’t the perfect end to an amazing week for them. After a miracle in Paris, they succumbed to their first defeat in the PL under new manager Ole Gunnar Solksjaer. They sit 5th, 2 points off 4th and 3 off third. No denying the massive improvement he has made to this side.

Sterling Hattrick keeps City in pole position

Raheem Sterling’s sublime hattrick at the Etihad kept city in pole position in the title race. At halftime, City were struggling to find the opener amid several half chances being spurned. It took a bit of luck, coupled with some questionable officiating to give them the lead right after the break but once that went in, the flood gates opened. In 13 minutes, Raheem Sterling completed his hattrick and City were flying love again. Watford got a late consolation but that was all it was, as City remain top going into the last 8 games of the season.

Kotoko qualification made difficult

Kotoko have given themselves a mountain to climb after failing to beat Sudanese side Al Hilal in their final home game in this year’s CAF Confederations cup competition. They now have it all to do in their final game away to Zesco United in Zambia. It wasn’t the explosive start we have all come to be used to in Kotoko home games. All Hilal’s defensive structure and compactness made it difficult for Kotoko to break them down. They were very organised and fought really hard to limit Kotoko to mostly few chances. The best chance however, fell to Emmanuel Gyamfi who could not finish into an empty net from about 3 yards out after some good work by Sogne Yacouba in the build up to that. Hilal took the lead shortly before that after soem suspect defending by Kotoko. Kotoko huffed and puffed in the second half and finally got the equaliser in the dying minutes. All is not lost yet and as it stands, a win of any sort in Zambia might just be enough to see Kotoko go through.

Moise Kean Lights Up The Eyes of Many.

Friday night kick off and Juventus were up against Udinese at home in the Serie A. Having one eye on the crunch second leg tie against Atletico, Massimiliano Allegri rang the changes and the most notable one was the inclusion of 19-year old teenage sensation Moise Kean to lead the Juventus attack. The youngster returned the favour by scoring twice in the first half. The first of the goals came as early as the 11th after he finished smartly from close range after Alex Sandro’s cross. The second was an even smarter one as the ball fell kindly to him after a mishap in the Udinese defense and he ran through towards goal and toe poke the ball into the net. Juventus eventually won the game by 4 goals but the game was lit up by the teenager and given his immense talent he might( with proper coaching) become a star.

Let’s talk About AC Milan!

AC Milan are on the rise and that’s because Gattuso has done a fantastic job with these boys. Coupled with the arrival of former Genoa striker, Krzysztof Piatek who has 6 goals in his seven appearances since he moved to the Italian capital in the winter transfer window. His 6 goals makes him Milan’s top scorer and have helped Milan to win games. Milan have not lost a game since the Supercup loss to Juventus in January. They’ve beaten Napoli in the Supercup, beaten giant slayers Atalanta and have taken points from Lazio and Roma. Milan are on the rise and have hit some good form in good time and have overtaken fellow Milan club Inter to take the 3rd spot on the table. Clinching that spot and finishing there would be the next target since AC have not finished in the top four for the past few seasons.

Preview Special :

Champions League.

Juventus vs Atletico

Juventus have it all to do in their Tuesday encounter with Atletico at the Juventus Stadium in Turin. Atletico carry a 2 goal advantage to Italy with the hope of sealing qualification to the quarter final. In a week that has seen miraculous comebacks and surprising results, I wouldn’t put it beyond Juventus to put on a show. Buoyed with the one man you would want in your corner when in need of such a comeback. If there is any team in the world you can trust to play out a 0-0 draw to qualify, it has to be Atletico, but yet again, there are two players I would never bet against in football, that is Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.

Barcelona vs Lyon

Barcelona host Lyon at the Camp Nou for the second leg of the Round of 16 clash.Lyon had a magnificent game in the first leg in France and could have stolen the lead in that encounter. However, the French club could still advance in a Champions League round of 16 stage that seems to be going well for the underdogs after Ajax’s stunning win at the Bernabeau and United’s comeback in Paris. Barcelona go into the tie after beating Rayo Valecano by three goals after going down first. Lyon, however lost a two goal lead to Strasborg as they took only a point from the game. Could Lyon join the highly coveted list of underdogs who knock the big boys off their perch or Barcelona enjoy a fine night of football at the Camp Nou.

Manchester City vs. Schalke

Pep Guardiola would probably have sighed a big sigh of relief after Raheem Sterling came of the bench to equalize for the Cityzens in Gelsinkerchin. Two first half penalties from Nabil Bentaleb cancelled out Aguero’s opener in the first half. It was one of the games where City would acknowledge they didn’t play well but got something out of heading into the second leg at the Ettihad and Domenico Tedesco would have been proud of his Schalke boys on the day. However, City away for Schalke is a big ask and Schalke might rue that Sterling equaliser but yet again, the underdogs might have something to say about that.

Bayern Munich vs. Liverpool

Another really interesting encounter and as at the time of the draw was probably far too easy to predict. Liverpool were on top of the English premier league and Bayern we’re underwhelming in the Bundesliga trailing arch rivals Dortmund and playing catch up. Now things are slightly different; Liverpool dropped their level a bit in the English premier league and are now a point behind in the title race. Bayern on the other hand have seen a resurgence in form and after a 6nil drubbing of Wolfsburg over the weekend, are joint top of the league (aided by their higher goal difference and Dortmund’s loss of the form that allowed them to go ten points clear months ago). Both teams drew blanks in the first leg at Anfield and Bayern Munich would be delighted they’re taking that advantage into the 2nd leg tie at home. Two teams who have points to prove both in the CL and in their respective leagues clash in this epic encounter not only to earn qualification to the quarterfinals but to emphasize their strength and show local rivals how tough they can be. With all the talk about the Juventus versus Atletico game, this is also a must watch game and I’ll probably have an eye on this one.

City humiliate Chelsea, Madrid Derby, Black Satellites,more..

City 6:0 Chelsea

11 days ago, City lost to Newcastle and found themselves 4 points behind Liverpool, who were yet with a game in hand. The loss preceded what was to be a season defining week that threatened their ability to successfully defend their Premier league title. Two home ties against Arsenal and Chelsea, either side of an away trip to Merseyside Blue to face Everton was seen as the ultimate 9-point test for the champions. After wins against Arsenal and Everton, City faced what was perharps supposed to be the toughest test of the three games. To say they excelled with flying colors would be a huge understatement. They didn’t just beat Chelsea, they humiliated the club.

Sterling got the opener after just two minutes, as Kevin De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva took advantage of a sleeping Chelsea defence and caught them with a quickly-taken free kick. From then onwards, Chelsea looked distorted as City were all over them. Sergio Aguero got the second with a sublime effort from about 25 yards. Moments before, he had bizzarely missed an open goal from within 3 yards. Aguero then got another before Gundogan got the 4th with 25 minutes played. At this point, City didn’t look anything like a team that were playing their third game in 7 days. If anything at all, they looked like 11 football crazed men who have been starved of the ball for two weeks and woe betides anyone who even made the slightest attempt to take the ball away from them. Aguero completed his hattrick in the 54th minute, equalling Alan Shearer’s record of 11 Premier league hattricks. Sterling tapped in the 6th after a sublime pass from substitute David Silva found Oleksandr Zinchencko in behind the Chelsea defence.

City were dominant against Arsenal last week, but this was an extraordinary performance. They practically tore Chelsea apart. For the loyal followers of Pep Guardiola, this wasn’t a ‘3-1 versus Arsenal’ type of good, this is up there with the very best, more like the ‘5-0 Barcelona-Madrid’ type of good. In his own words, he described this performance as ‘special’ and the best in his time at Manchester City.

In the end, City passed the test and got all 9 points, but also, they made a big point; that they are still the best side in the league and it is going to take something extraordinary to knock them off their perch.

Sarri and Sarriball

Chelsea’s 6-0 lost to Manchester City was not only Theor worst defeat in 28 years. It was also a result that saw them drop to 6th on the table. A point behind Manchester United in 4th and behind Arsenal in 5th on a superior goal return. Questions once again have been raised on Sarri’s methods and the usual Jorginho/Kante debate rears it’s ugly heads once more.When asked about this, Pep Guardiola said:

“People don’t understand how difficult it is to do something. People expect a manager to arrive, or to buy players and immediately it comes. It needs time.”

Pep himself pointed out the fact that he struggled in his first season too and had to win the support and belief of his owners for City to get to where they are now. Sarri requires similar patience and belief from his superiors at Stamford Bridge and it might all come good in the end. However, he getting that belief would mean asking Roman Abramovic to do something he has never done before, which is have patience in a manager. Results like these are unacceptable at a club like Chelsea and as Sarri cast a despair figure in the dugout, with both hands in his tracksuit while nibbling on his cigarette stick, you cannot help but feel this is a man under immense pressure. We have seen this movie before and if past events is anything to go by, then Maurizio Sarri’s future at Chelsea is hanging by the thread.

Real Madrid turn the corner

It’s now five wins on the bounce in the league for Los Blancos. Saturday’s 3-1 win against Atleti at the Wanda Metropolitano saw them leapfrog their local rivals into second place. Madrid are now 6 points behind Barcelona (after they drew blanks at Bilbao later on Sunday) with a home El-Classico yet to come. Speaking after the game, Sergio Ramos spoke on the need to keep fighting in the league and try to make it difficult for Barcelona. The captain was on the score sheet once again with a well taken penalty to make it 2-1. This was after Casemiro’s brilliant overhead effort was cancelled out by Griezmann. Gareth Bale came of the bench and made the points safe with 16 minutes to go. After a terrible first few months in the season, Madrid look to have found some form once again in the business end of the season. With a Champions league tie up next against Ajax, this couldn’t be more than what the 13-time European champions need as they go for their 4th European title in as many years.

Spurs keep winning despite injuries.

When it was announced that Harry Kane and Delle Alli were both set for a spell on the sidelines, Spurs were expected to struggle. It’s been 4 wins out of 4 in the league, and though they may not have been at their fluent best, they have always found a way to get the job done. They may have rode their lunch for this one especially, as Jamie Vardy’s penalty miss, moments before Christian Eriksen scored the second for Spurs, turned out to be a key highlight in the game at Wembley. Vardy later pulled one back to test Spurs’ nerves but Spurs added another in injury time to seal all 3 points.

If anyone ever does question Mauricio Pocchetino’s ability as a top coach, do show him the results of the past four weeks.

Black Satellites

After missing out on the last editionof the World Youth Championship, the Black Satellites found themselves needing just a draw from their final group game against Mali to ensure qualification to the world cup. Guess what?, they lost.

The task was that simple ; avoid defeat and you are off to Poland in the summer, but even that proved a huge ask for coach Jimmy Coblah and his team. Speaking at a press conference after the defeat, the coach spoke about the lack of preparation before the tournament being the cause of this terrible performance. The painful truth is the team was just not good enough. The three games they played in this competition was very uncharacteristic of a Ghanaian youth team as this team lacked any pattern in their play and at huge moments, looked lost on the field. The only two goals they scored in the tournament could be said to be more as a result of poor defending in the part of the opposition than the brilliance of the team. Coach Cobblah is going to be heavily criticised and his abilities as a coach is going to be questioned and rightly so. Even from the start, eyebrows were raised as many believed his squad selection for the tournament was not a true representation of the best Ghanaian footballers under 20.

10 years ago, the streets of Accra was buzzing with joy as Ghana became the first African country to win the world cup at U-20 level. Today, the Black Satellites cannot even qualify for the tournament. The Aftermath of this result has led to many calling for a general overlook into the coaching levels in our country as a way to rectify this but the big lesson learned from this is that the arrogant sense of entitlement to success at the U-20 level is not enough to ensure real success at the youth level.

City Too Good For Arsenal, PSG, Kotoko and more…

City, a class above Arsenal.


It’s been six months since Unai Emery faced Pep Guardiola in his first official game as Arsenal manager. When asked whether his side was closer to Man City than they were at the start of the season, the manager admitted the gulf in quality between the two sides was huge and to some extent, the superiority of the City team to his was evident for all who cared to see. It’s been an on and off progress at Arsenal since he took over and the performance at the Etihad was one that confirmed the open secret ,that Arsenal are miles away from the Premier League’s top 2.
Sergio Aguero’s hattrick, all 3 goals coming in similar fashion- a ball across from the left, with a simple tap in to finish- was all that was required to tear this Arsenal side apart. To be fair to Arsenal, they did put up a fight after going behind in the first minute to equalise 11 minutes later. The next 30 minutes was Arsenal shutting down every City attack and taking the game to the champions but the killer punch came in the 42nd minute when Sterling’s ball across found Aguero unmarked at the far post to tap in for City’s second. The weakness in the Arsenal side was evident and anytime City went through the left with Raheem Sterling 1v1 with Stephan Lichsteiner, even the most optimistic Arsenal fans feared the worst as it was easier for Sterling to get past him than it is for Albert Einstein to solve a 5-year old’s math homework. City exploited that as much as they could and were duly rewarded.
The second half was more of a resemblance of this fixture 12 months ago when Arsenal got battered 3-0 in back to back games. City dominated for the entirety of the half with 13 shots to Arsenal’s 0 and should have got more than the 1 goal they got in the half. Arsenal’s Bernd Leno had to make 9 saves to keep the scoreline respectable.
For City, the win takes them to 59 points, 2 behind Liverpool who still have to play on Monday. With the title run in entering into the final third of the season, It also gives them a good start to what could be a very demanding week with a trip to Everton in midweek and Chelsea at home on Sunday on the cards for the defending champions.

Unai Emery’s Arsenal


Unai Emery when asked about the gap between his team and Manchester City said:
“The difference, for example, with City, Liverpool also is big. Tottenham, also, is keeping a lot of regularity in a lot of matches.”

He added,

“When you’re on the pitch and you are playing one team who in general are better, the players feel that”

These comments could be seen it two lights. On one hand, you could play the devil’s advocate and say this is a coach with a defeatist mentality who already lost the game before kick off or on the other hand, you could be a realist and admit there is some truth in what he says. In an ideal world, Emery wouldn’t have had Stephan Lichsteiner in his starting 11 versus City. 3 season ending injuries to his already limited squad hasn’t done him any favors and it would be very unfair to blame him for that. However, Arsenal started the game with Alex Iwobi as their only creative hub. The 22-year old Nigerian international was miserably poor and dissapointed badly. Unai had Ramsey, Ozil and newly signed Dennis Suarez on the bench(who later came on for his debut) but his rather weird obsession for playing all Defensive midfielders in his midfield regardless of the opposition meant no place in the starting 11 for these 3.
It is true that Unai Emery needs financial support and at least 3 transfer windows to get his team right but if he is failing to get the best out of the attacking players he has, then he has to take a long hard look at himself in the mirror.

Higuain off the mark for Chelsea


Gonzalo Higuain and Eden Hazard both got a brace in Chelsea’s comfortable 5-0 win at home to bottom of the table, Huddersfield town. It was a stark contrast to the debacle at Bournemouth in midweek as Chelsea lost 4-0 to suffer their worst marginal premier league defeat in 20 years. Higuain got the opener after a good pass from Ngolo Kante in behind the defence saw him 1v1 with the goalkeeper. His second of the day was a screamer into the top corner from 25 yards out. It was the response Maurizio Sarri expected from his boys after such a result and they will now take confidence in that ahead of their trip to the Manchester City next Sunday.

Kotoko Needs To Take Positives From Defeat.

Kumasi Asante Kotoko failed to get get their CAFCC campaign to a winning start as the porcupine warriors lost 1-0 to Sudanese side Al Hilal in Omdurman. The Sudanese side’s 40th minute effort was enough to secure all three points and ensure Kotoko return to Ghana with no point. They would however be encouraged by their second half performance as they raised their performance,hitting the post twice in an attempt to find the equaliser which was not to be. They face Zesco United next in Kumasi on February 13 in what is already a must win game.

Lyon defeat a lesson to PSG.


Paris St. Germain’s unbeaten run came to an end after a 2-1 defeat to Olimpique Lyonais on Sunday. Lyon themselves got a bit if redemption after they lost 5-0 in the reverse fixture early on in the season. Angel Di Maria’s 7th minute opener was cancelled in the 33rd minute by a brave Moussa Dembele header -another way to see it could be an Alphonse Areola howler- . Dembele then won a penalty right after the break and Nabil Fekir was on hand to score what will turn out to be the winner for Lyon. Lyon were relentless and fearless, taking advantage of the very visible absence of Marco Verrati in midfield as Marquinhos and Draxler did very little in providing the needed steel in midfield. On the wing, Memphis Depay gave Thomas Kherer a tough time and got past him too many a time. On the positive note, PSG created a whole lot of chances and maybe should have had something if not for the brilliance of Anthony Lopes who produced stunning save after save to keep Lyon in the lead. The good news; they won’t face Anthony Lopes every game but the worrying news is they face a goalkeeper more than capable of doing what Anthony Lopes did in a few days time in the person of David De Gea.


The lessons in this game were clear to be seen and with a UCL last 16 encounter against a resurgent Manchester United(whose manager was in attendance on Sunday at Lyon) drawing near, this loss should serve as a wake up call and enable Tuchel and PSG to regroup before the trip to Old Trafford in 9 days time.
Avot.

Chelsea’s Sarri problem, Kotoko, PSG, more.

Arsenal surge past toothless Chelsea

Unai Emery went into the game against Chelsea with two things in mind. First, a repeat of the debacle at West Ham and week ago would only add more numbers to the camp that aren’t so convinced by the gaffer’s qualities. Also, a loss meant the gunners will fall behind by 9 points to Chelsea, realistically ending Arsenal’s top 4 hopes. To say the team understood the magnitude of the game is an understatement.

Emery mixed things up once again, setting up this time in a 4-4-2 diamond with Xhaka at the base, Ramsey at the top and Torreira and Guendouzi at the laterals of the midfield diamond. This formation not only allowed Emery to realise his weird obsession of playing 3 Central Defensive midfielders effectively, but also for the first time, play Aubameyang and Lacazette much closer to each other in CF positions.

For the game itself, the effective press, particularly Ramsey on Jorginho and Guendouzi on Kante forced Chelsea into uncomfortable positions and limited their attacking play to the wings. Arsenal were happy to allow Chelsea cross the ball, with the knowledge that Eden Hazard vs Sokratis /Koscielny aerially was a total mismatch.

Arsenal’s goals however, were well taken after some exquisite close control from Lacazette preceded an accurate near post finish and a Koscielny header-cum-shoulder gave Arsenal the 2-0 lead which they held on to the end.

For Chelsea, the aftermath of the game, inevitably brought about more questions of the tactics of Maurizio Sarri ,particularly Eden Hazard aa a false 9 and the unavoidable Kante-Jorginho positional debate. On one side, you have the best defensive midfielder in the league, possibly the best in the world, playing out of position. On the other hand, you have a system that is simply not going to work without Jorginho in that role. So it’s either you support the manager through this and trust that he gets it right or you might as well get another manager in.

Hector Bellerin

The only negative in Arsenal’s win on Saturday was a devastating injury to Hector Bellerin. On his return to the Arsenal starting line up after being away for about a month, Hector Bellerin put up a brilliant performance but had to be stretched off with what looked like a season-ending injury. With all that is going on behind the scenes at Arsenal regarding transfers, it is to be seen if this forces their hand in the transfer market as the options available are just not good enough.

Kotoko seal Africa return

Kotoko beat Cotton Sport Garouha of Cameroon 2-1 at the Baba Yara stadium in Kumasi on Sunday to seal their return to the group stage of the CAF confederations cup. Amos Frimpong and Maxwell Baako scored on the day for Kotoko in a comfortable victory as the porcupine warriors made it a lot easier for themselves after that important victory a week ago in Yaounde. What struck me the most is the massive support and euphoria in Kumasi in the build up to the game. Reports of a reported 30,000+ attendance at the stadium- which could have beenore had there been more tickets- only go to show that indeed our local game isn’t dead and with the right measures in place, Ghana football will get back to the top.

PSG rout Guingamp

Kylian Mbappe and Edinson Cavani both got hattricks while Neymar got a brace as PSG defeated bottom of the table Guingamp 9-0 to stay top of league one. The hattrick took Mbappe to 17 goals in Ligue 1,only behind Lionel Messi (18) in Europe’s top 5 league’s. It is undeniably obvious how poor Guingamp were and this was a major factor in the result. However, it’s no ignoring how much Mbappe excelled partnering Edinson Cavani in his much preferred CF role, a role he excelled in during his breakthrough season in Monaco 2 years ago. With ligue 1 pretty comfortably in their hands, the next target will be to defeat their demons in Europe and make it past a revitalised Manchester United in the Round 16 tie.

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Kotoko take giant step, United, more.

Kotoko all but qualify

You will have to go back 17 years to the last time Asante Kotoko scored three goals in an away game of an African club competition. A 3-2 win in Brazzaville against AS Police saw Kotoko on their way to a 7-2 aggregate scoreline to win the tie. Kotoko reached the final of the then CAF Cup winners’ cup that year, losing to Wydad Casablanca. Those were the good old days. A different era.

17 years on, the porcupine warriors continued the trend of Ghanaian teams having good fortune on Cameroonian soil by putting up a very impressive display to beat Cotton Sport of Yaounde 3-2. The porcupine warriors were two goals up in the first 30 minutes through Emmanuel Gyamfi-for the first- and a superbly worked Maxwell Baako second. It was a very comfortable half for the porcupine warriors with the only stain in their performance being a soft penalty they gave away to let the hosts back into the game. That didn’t seem to dampen their spirit as they came back from the break and began the second half the way the did the first. They were later rewarded as Abdul Fatawu capitalised on some sloppy defending to help restore Kotoko’s two-goal advantage. Cotton Sport got a second later in the game but there was only to be one winner in this game. The porcupine warriors now carry a very good advantage back to Kumasi ahead of their return leg in a week’s time.

CK Akunnor

In a week where a rather weird minority of Kotoko fans have expressed their displeasure in the Kotoko boss and questioned his managerial nous, CK Akunnor and his team produced an outstanding display to take a massive step into qualification for the group stage of the CAF Confederations cup. The Ex- Black Stars Captain ignored the many threats and utterances(some unproffesional) and dealt with the pressure calmly to get a very brilliant result away. Surely it cannot go bad from here. Maybe now they will leave him to work.

United beat Spurs at Wembley

Life after Jose Mourinho couldn’t have been any better for Manchester United. It’s been 6 wins in as many games for the most in-form team in the last month. Their latest victim, Tottenham Hotspurs. Marcus Rashford’s brilliant strike, from a tight angle, made it into the back of the net via a fingertip from Hugo Lloris. The Frenchman at stretch couldn’t stop him from scoring. Spurs asked many questions of United in the first half, with Harry Kane and Heung-Min-Son at the centre of their attacking play. However, United stuck to their plan of catching Spurs on the break and exploiting the spaces left behind by their maurauding full backs. They looked the more threatening in the first half and were rewarded when a sublime baller over the top by Paul Pogba set Marcus Rashford on his way. The 21-year old’s strike was accurate enough to beat Hugo Lloris to hand United the lead going into the break.

If Rashford gave United the lead, then David De Gea certainly kept them in the league. In the second half, Spurs clearly showed their intent and pinned United back for almost all of the half. They did get past the defence, but there was no way past David De Gea. The Spaniard made save after save with his feet and his hands to deny Spurs. Harry Kane and Dele Alli will look back at the game not so proud of themselves for their finishing but all credit goes to David De Gea who made 11 saves in total in that second half to deny Spurs anything from this game. This is his second best tally in the league behind the 14 saves he made away to another North London team, Arsenal at the Emirates 15 months ago. In the end, the day belonged to David De Gea and Manchester United. Spurs were further left with more misery as a late injury to Kane adds to the worries of them losing Son, who joins South Korea for the Asia games for the next three weeks.

A new face at the helm

The impact of new managers in turning the fortunes of a team in poor form cannot be over emphasized. Since coming in, Ole Gunnar Solksjaer has won his first 6 games, the first ever Manchester United manager to do so and also along with Sir Matt Busby, the only ones to win their first 5 league games. This was the toughest test thus far, with a high flying spurs who had won 7 out of their last 8 games. He showed good tactical flexibility employing a false 9 system with Jesse Lingard, instead of the Marcus Rashford, who had been starting on that position since he took over. The latter’s pace was going to be influential in getting in behind the Spurs backline. United play with a sense of freedom now, as though the shackles have been broken. Paul Pogba has been at his best under the new regime with brilliant performances game after game. One reason for sacking Jose Mourinho was his failure to get the best out of the squad he had. It is fair to say the new man at the helm of affairs is certainly getting the most out of them.

Unai Emery’s Arsenal

It feels like a long time ago when Arsenal went in an amazing 22 game unbeaten streak. A streak that extended for 4 months, from August to December. A feel good factor had been restored at the Emirates and chants of ‘We’ve got our Arsenal back’ resonated throughout the stands. Have they really ‘got their Arsenal back?’ A 1-0 loss away at West Ham means after 22 games, Arsenal are on 41 points. The same tally as at this stage a season ago. A poor festive period, with 1 point from their last 4 away games and only 3 wins in the last 8 has threatened to undo and put some stain in all the good work Emery did earlier in the season. Saturday’s loss at West Ham was a perfect summary of the frustration at Arsenal. The ‘no money’ declaration at Arsenal was as shocking and disappointing as Emery’s decisions on the day. The coach set up in a rather shocking defensive shape and had no creativity whatsriver from the midfield. The 2 players to solve that, Aaron Ramsey and Mesut Ozil, who are also 2 of his assistant captains, didn’t make the starting 11. Ramsey was only good enough for the bench while Ozil couldn’t even make the Matchday squad. It was no surprise that Arsenal only looked a real threat when Ramsey came on in the 67th minute. The midfielder, who has all but agreed a move to Juventus in the summer was the only bright spark in the second half of a very drab Arsenal attacking display. Up next for Arsenal are home ties against Chelsea and United in the league and FA Cup respectively. The jury’s still out on Unai Emery’s performance at Arsenal so far. However,as much as the promises from the board has had their ears filled as though with an ear full of melted caramel, the performances of the team, Saturday for one, was an eyesore and the fans will demand better.

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Top football moments in 2018.

It was a year to celebrate for some, and not so much to celebrate for others. Then there were those summer moves that shook the market and those ones that were rather underwhelming. 2018 also saw the coming to an end of lifelong regimes for different reasons and a revival of a team hoping to defy recent odds and prove that , “that was then, and this is now”.Here is my pick of the top 11 moments that caught my eye in the year under review.

11.A swap deal that wasted everyone’s time

On 22nd January, 2018 , United announced they had signed Alexis Sanchez from Arsenal in a deal that saw Henrikh Mhkitaryan move the other way. With city rivals Man City leading the race in the weeks prior to the transfer, United stole a march on them and swooped in for the Chilean. In the end, City were unwilling to satisfy the outrageous wage demands of the player while United willingly made him the highest earner in the league. Alexis has since struggled to make any meaningful impact at Old Trafford. He has only four goals to his name with a ratio of about 400 minutes/goal. He has started just 5 of the 10 premier league games he’s played this season and has only one goal to his name. Sanchez’s time at Old Trafford has been disappointing at best and atrocious at worst. He has found form a hard thing to come by and looked a shadow of himself too many a time. Henrikh Mhkitaryan, on the other hand, hasn’t had it any better. The Armenian captain has been in and out of the Arsenal starting 11 and hasn’t made any meaningful impact in the gunners set up either. On January 22, United broke their wage structure and paid over the odds for one of the best players in the league. It’s safe to say that hasn’t gone as planned.

10.Davide Astori

On Sunday, March 4,2018 , the football world was shaken with the news of the passing of Fiorentina captain and Italian international defender Davide Astori. The 31 year old suffered a cardiac arrest late in the night and sadly died in his sleep. It was later revealed that his heart started beating fast and then stopped as a result of a condition called tachyarrhythmia. Serie A games were postponed on that day. The reaction of the football world to the news was remarkable as tributes poured in for the fallen hero. It was undoubtedly one of the lowest football moments in 2018. RIP Davide.

9. Jose Mourinho

On December 18,2018, Manchester United announced the decision to terminate the contract of manager Jose Mourinho. Jose Mourinho had reportedly fallen out with some top players at the club towards the end of his tenure. The decision came as a reaction to a poor start to the season -United’s worst start to a premier league season- that saw United sit 6th on the table with 26 points and a goal difference of 0. A 3-1 defeat to Liverpool at Anfield was the final straw that broke the camel’s back. United have since appointed former player Ole Gunnar Solksjaer as the interim manager till the end of the season. He has since won his first three games in charge with some impressive football on display. What next for the self proclaimed Special one? Many have predicted a move to national team management but I won’t rule out seeing him on the touchline any time soon.

8. That night in Rome.

Barcelona took a 4-1 lead to Rome for their return leg of their Champions league Quater final game versus Roma. It was expected to be a routine qualification for Barcelona and Roma never stood a chance. In what turned out to be Andres Iniesta’s final game for the Blaugrana, Roma pulled off one of the most memorable comebacks in the history of the tournament to knock Barcelona out of the competition. Edin Dzeko got the opener in the early stages, De Rossi got the second in the early stages of the second half and then Manolas headed a Cengiz Under corner past Ter Stegen in the 85th minute to seal qualification for AS Roma. That goal would forever be remembered for the brilliant commentary ace commentator Peter Drury run that day.

7. Khun Vichai Srivaddanaprabha

On October 27,2018, Leicester City owner Vichai Srivaddanaprabha and 4 others died in a horrific helicopter crash outside the King Power stadium. He had just watched his side play West Ham United in the league and was on his way to London to see to see to some business before he met his untimely death. The people of Leicester will always remember him for the massive improvement in the local team , developmental projects and his numerous donations to the city of Leicester. He would be fondly remembered in the footballing world as the man who caused the biggest upset in footballing history as his 2015/16 Leicester City team defied a 5000/1 odd to clinch the Premier League title. He left behind a wife, Simon and 4 children, Voramas, Apichet, Arunroong and Aiyawatt “Top” ( who has since taken over as chairman of Leicester City Football Club).

6. Ronaldo leaves Real Madrid

After 9 seasons, 438 games and 450 goals, Cristiano Ronaldo said “Nada mas”. The Portuguese captain and 5 time Ballon d’or winner ended his stay at the Bernabeu and joined Italian giants Juventus. In his time at Madrid, he won the La Liga and Copa Del Rey title twice. However, his major achievements would come in the UEFA Champions League, which he helped Madrid in ending their 12-year wait for ‘la Decima’. That was the first of 4 UCL titles he would go on to win with Real Madrid. Ronaldo joined Madrid in 2009 for a then world record fee of £80m and was sold to Juventus for a staggering fee of £105m. The most paid for any player above the age of 30. Whereas Madrid may see this as a business well done, the effect of the move can be seen clearly at both ends of the transfer.

5. Wenger leaves Arsenal after 22 years.

On April 20, 2018, Arsenal released a club statement stating the decision of long serving manager Arsene Wenger to leave at the end of the season. Wenger joined the club in 1996 and is credited to be the man who revolutionised Arsenal and English football. He was the pioneer for foreign managers moving into England and became an instant hit, winning the domestic double in his first full season at Arsenal. He matched that feat in the 2001/02 season by winning another double. However, his greatest achievement came in 2003/04 when his Arsenal side went an entire season without losing a single game. In the second half of his tenure, Arsenal moved from the old highbury to a new 60,000 capacity Emirates stadium. While the board and Wenger continued to reassure the fans of the supposed bright future ahead, the results on the pitch continued to go south.A 9-year trophyless drought accompanied with years of underachievement and numerous disappointing results led to fan agitations and several calls for him to be sacked. The term “Wenger out” continued to steadily increase in decibels and as he finished his last season with his lowest ever tally in the league, a decision was taken and the man who was once adored by the red half of North London became the villain I’m the kingdom he built himself.

4.Modric is named Best Player in 2018

After 10 years of the Ronaldo-Messi dominance, Real Madrid and Croatia midfielder Luka Modric was named the FIFA Best player of the year. The midfielder won the the UEFA Champions League with Real Madrid and was an instrumental figure in Croatia’s run to their first ever world cup final in Moscow. As winner of the golden ball at the tournament, he became the first player to win both the World cup Golden ball, European player of the year and FIFA World player of the year in the same year. He later on added the coveted ‘Ballon d’or’ to his list of awards later in the year. Luka Modric was undeniably the king of football in 2018.

3.Madrid win 3rd consecutive Champions League trophy

Real Madrid secured their third consecutive UEFA Champions League title on 26th May, 2018 in Kiev as they beat Liverpool 3-1. The road to the final was not an easy one as Madrid finished second in the group stages behind Tottenham Hotspur. They had to go past the French Champions PSG, Italian Champions Juventus and German Champions Bayern Munich in the knock out stages before facing Liverpool in the final. In the end, Gareth Bale’s double, helped with some woeful goalkeeping from Liverpool goalkeeper Loris Karius was enough to seal the title and earn Madrid their 13th title.

2. France win Second World Title

Les Blues put their Euro 2016 disappointment behind them to go all the way in the Russia 2018 edition of the FIFA World Cup. With a wealth of talent at their disposal, France dazzled and lived up to expectation in a tournament that wasn’t short of excitement. They beat Croatia in the final on June 16. The Croats themselves, were making their first appearance at the World cup final. Belgium, who boasted an equally impressive crop of talent and buoyed by the magic of their ever reliable captain, Eden Hazard, finished in third place as they beat England 2-0 in the third place play off game. It was also the tournament that saw the introduction of a Video Assistant Referee for the first time in the competition’s history and after a generally impressive outing, it is fair to say that the VAR has come to stay. In the end, Les Blues were the last team left standing and duly deserved their title.

1. Number 12

“It is for these poor folks,the duped and long suffering fans, Journalist’s who get to work at the crack of dawn and stay late to bring up-to-date news to the public, that I have undertaken this Number 12 assignment. It is for the sake of more sanity and transparency that I have decide to scrape clean this tainted football system for a fresh start” –Anas Aremeyaw Anas.

On June 6, the much anticipated number 12 exposè premiered. The documentary was expected to expose the corruption that has been holding Ghana football back for years. The commentary and hype before the airing of the expose gave the indication that the exposè was not only going for the peripheral figures but also the very highest offices in our football. In the aftermath, Over 70 referees recieved bans, the Ghana Football Association offices was declared a crime scene and the GFA president was given 90 and 45 day suspensions before finally being banned from all football related activities and given a hefty fine of $500,000.

Anas Aremeyaw Anas promised that the number 12 was going to lead to the collapse of the very foundation of our football. He never lied. It is now left to the honest football people remaining and the sports journalists who love the game to rebuild it.

2018 was nevertheless a revealing and exciting footballing year. Cheers to a much better 2019.

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Sarri out-smarts Pep, Isaac Dogboe , Salah, more…

City finally beaten

Even though it wasn’t impossible, it seemed improbable before Saturday 5:30 that Manchester City would come out of the game at Stamford Bridge without even a point. Even the most loyal Chelsea fan feared the worst having considered how underwhelming they had been in the last few games coupled with City’s red hot form. The absence of Kevin De Bruyne and Sergio Aguero was not enough to neither dampen the spirit of the Champions nor increase the confidence of the former champions. There was only one expected winner here. Chelsea though, had a different script in hand.

Make no mistake, this win wasn’t about ‘What city did wrong’ but most definitely had a lot to do with ‘What Chelsea did right’. Maurizio Sarri set his side up in a similar shape to his friend and opponent Guardiola. Both managers opting for the ‘extra man in midfield’. City enjoyed the lion’s share of possession in the first half -as expected- and outplayed Chelsea for large portions of the half but were limited to scrappy chances and not many clear cut chances. City have, in the absence of Kevin De Bruyne -who normally plays in the hole- resorted in many games to creating from out wide and it had worked to some effect. However, the absence of an orthodox centre forward caused City to struggle without any focal point in the box. Sarri’s men were more than happy to allow City have the ball without really ‘hurting’ them and limiting the number of times they got in behind. When they did get behind, Chelsea’s defence were up to task to recover and complicate the situation. Moreover, City’s high line in defence left them susceptible to a counter attack if the press could be broken. One of such situations was in the 44th minute, when a long cross field ball went over the city midfield. Suddenly, they were caught in a very uncomfortable position and Chelsea made them pay the full price. When facing a team that keeps the ball as well as Pep Guardiola’s men do, chances are you are going to be limited to these ‘odd’ openings. What you have to do is to grasp it with all you’ve got and in that moment, Chelsea did just that. They had their moment and made the most out of it. Guardiola’s men were behind for only the second time this season and had gone into half time on the losing end for the first time in over a year.

City struggled to control the second half as well as they did in the first as Chelsea grew more confident and dealt with whatever they threw at them. Pep brought on Jesus for Sane, to switch things up a bit but Chelsea did not flinch. In the 78th minute, with their first corner of the game, David Luiz scored Chelsea’s second with a looping header to make the points safe.

Sarri

In the build up to the game, Maurizio Sarri had come under immense pressure having lost 2 of his last 3 games with an awful performance against Spurs a fortnight ago. Questions were being asked as to whether the famous ‘Sarriball’ system was the way to go. In probably the biggest test he could ever face as a Chelsea manager, he aced it with some distinction. He took a page out of his tactical book and stunned the champions with a masterclass. People might still question some of his decisions but for a man who claimed to ‘not know how he was going to beat City’, his team didn’t perform badly at all.

Dogboe learns the hard way

There were genuine fears ahead of the fight and many worried about Dogboe and whether he would be able to once again defend his WBO Bantamweight title. On Sunday morning, Ghana’s solitary world champion, Isaac Dogboe lost his WBO Bantamweight title bout by a unanimous decision to Mexican Emmanuel Naverrete. The “Royal Storm” was out boxed and outsmarted throughout the bout and at times looked really out of his depth. In an interview after the bout, he admitted to not have the best preparation and training camps ahead of the fight. He also admitted to underestimating his opponent, a big mistake, as it turned out to be. In all this, the lessons are clear for the young boxer to learn. He had no respect for his opponent and was shocked on Sunday. He had no answers to the prying questions Naverrete asked and couldn’t stop his strong jabs. If he ever needed a wake up call or an eye opener, it doesn’t come bigger than this. Dogboe was beaten and down, but a true champion’s character is tested by how he recovers from situations like these and it is left to be seen of how Dogboe gets back up.

Mohammed Salah

Mohammed Salah bagged a hattrick against Bournemouth in the early kick off on Saturday. Salah is now joint top scorer in 10 goals in the league. The PFA player once again proved his importance to this Liverpool set up. He has scored the opening goal in 7 of Liverpool’s games this season, the most in the league. His third goal yesterday was one the greats of the game would be proud of as he showed composure to beat the goalkeeper twice before slotting home. As the season enters the all decisive festive period, his form is going to be very crucial to Liverpool’s title challenge.

Dortmund edge Schalke in Review derby.

Jadon Sancho scored with a cool finish in the 74th minute to see Dortmund win the derby. The youngster scored his 5th of the season and was once again the hero for BVB as they extend their unbeaten run in the league to 14 games. Thomas Delaney gave the league leaders the lead in the 7th minute before Daniel Caliguri’s penalty levelled it for the hosts. Jadon Sancho’s winner came in the 74th minute as he slotted home with the cooly past the goalkeeper. It’s been a dream start to the season for the young English time as he continues to impress in the Bundesliga. Dortmund lead their bitter rivals Bayern by 9 points and are in a good position to end the latter’s 6-year dominance of the Bundesliga.

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Derby Day, PSG,Wilder vs Fury, more…

North London is red

If the 03/04 golden Premier league trophy stands out in the Arsenal cabinet, then this win in the 19-game unbeaten streak surely has the same effect. Don’t get me wrong, every one of the 19 games was important in its own right. However, the 19th silences the little whispers of “Who have they faced in that run?” and “Can they do it against the big 6?”.

It was a derby that had it all. 6 goals, 2 penalties, comebacks, a red card and even a brawl at some point (After Stephan Lichsteiner had a go at Eric Dier for his celebration of Spurs’ equaliser). Before that, Jan Verthonghen had bizzarely handled the ball in the box for a penalty which Pierre Emerick Aubameyang slotted home. The goal was the least Arsenal deserved after a long period of sustained pressure. Arsenal were in control for the large part of the game except for a 5- minute spell which saw Spurs score two and turn the game on the head. At halftime, Unai Emery made a brave decision of bringing on Alexandre Lacazette and Aaron Ramsey for Alex Iwobi and Henrikh Mhkitaryan. That proved to be a masterstroke as Arsenal took the initiative once again. Arsenal got the equaliser shortly after Aubameyang’s first time shot took everyone including Hugo Lloris by surprise and the momentum shift was once again in Arsenal’s favor. This time, it wasn’t to be blown, Ramsey set up Lacazette for the third and then Torreira got clear in on goal and calmly slotted for his first in an Arsenal shirt. What a game to get that in!. The Uruguayan international- who failed to make almost all the combined 11s in the preview to this game-picked up his third consecutive MOTM award after the game. A deserved reward for a fantastic display.

This was another game where the naysayers predicted a defeat and yet again, the Gunners showed resilience and character to comeback and win in emphatic fashion. If you wanted a team that could comeback after being down in the first half, there it was. If you wanted a signature win, it came against the fiercest of rivals. Next up is a trip to Old Trafford to face a very uninspiring Manchester United. History doesn’t do the away side any favours in this fixture but this Arsenal team have a niche for answering their critics in the most remarkable ways and overcome every challenge thrown at them.

Blunt Liverpool attack find a way

Everton haven’t won a game at Anfield since Kevin Campbell’s winner in 1999. Perharps this was their best performance since that famous victory. Everton had the better chances and Liverpool had to call on some huge saves from Allison and some brilliant defending from Joe Gomez to keep the toffees at bay. Marco Silva’s men were brave, they were disciplined but in the end a howler from Jordan Pickford -who until then was brilliant- cost them at least a point in a game they come out feeling they could have had all 3

For Liverpool, Divock Origi’s header sealed all three points and they remain two points and in touching distance of Champions Man City at the summit of the table. However, major concerns of the lack of sharpness in their attack are due to arise. The link up play and blitz and fierceness associated with the now famous front three of the reds seems to be missing a bit of spark. What has improved though is Liverpool’s strong resilient backline and with 9 clean sheets now, that is proving to be the difference for the reds.

PSG drop points

Bordeaux came from behind twice to earn a well deserved draw at home to PSG. Neymar scored first after cushioning a Dani Alves cross (Alves making his first start since returning from a long lay off that saw him miss the world cup in the summer) Jimmy Briand equalised for Bordeaux before Kylian Mbappe put PSG ahead for the second time in the game but Andreas Cornelius’ 84th minute header was enough to steal a point for Bordeaux. Maybe it was a hangover from the Champions League in midweek but the draw still leaves PSG 14 points clear on top of Ligue 1 and in a good place to progress in the UEFA Champions League.

Wilder-Fury ends in a draw

Tyson Fury put up a very relentless and resilient performance against WBC heavyweight champion, Deontay Wilder. Prior to the bout, his first major one since he announced his comeback, many doubts were raised over his physical condition but the gypsian King rose to the occasion. The undefeated British boxer out-boxed his American opponent and dominated most of the 12 rounds despite being knocked down twice. In the end, both boxers had to settle for a draw but the Fury camp will have every right to believe they deserve more from the bout.

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