Sports

EPL: Arsenal Begin Season on Winning Note, Beat Palace 2-0

Published

3 years ago

August 5, 2022

Eric

Arsenal opened the Premier League season with a 2-0 win at Crystal Palace on Friday, thanks to Gabriel Martinelli’s first-half header and Marc Guehi own goal at Selhurst Park.

The Gunners avoided a repeat of their 2-0 defeat at Brentford on the opening night of last year’s season for a perfect start as they aim to reach the Champions League for the first time in seven years.

Arsenal ensured there was no repeat of their disastrous start to last season as Mikel Arteta’s men saw off Crystal Palace to open the 30th season of the Premier League.

The Gunners were beaten 2-0 at Brentford on the opening night of last year’s season, which triggered their worst start to a league campaign for 67 years.

But they backed up their blistering pre-season form as Gabriel Martinelli’s first-half header and a late Marc Guehi own goal made amends for a 3-0 defeat at Selhurst Park in April.

That defeat sparked a run of five defeats in the final 10 games of the season to cost Arsenal a place in the Premier League top four for a sixth straight year.

But the board has kept faith with Arteta and backed the Spaniard with over £100 million to spend in the transfer market.

Gabriel Jesus’ arrival to fill the need for a centre-forward has been Arsenal’s marquee signing of the summer and the Brazilian nearly marked his debut in style after just four minutes.

Jesus slalomed through the centre of the Palace defence and when his initial effort was blocked, Martinelli should have done better than slot the rebound wide of the target.

The visitors were utterly dominant in the opening quarter, but it took a set-piece to make the breakthrough.

Another debutant Oleksandr Zinchenko nodded a corner back across goal and Martinelli’s header had just enough power to beat Vicente Guaita.

Palace had suffered a far more problematic pre-season with a number of key players left at home during a tour of Australia due to their coronavirus vaccination status.

The Eagles took half an hour to find their feet, but will be disappointed not to have at least taken a point once they got to the tempo of the game.

Arsenal were guilty of causing their own problems in raising the Palace fans from their slumber as a clearance from Aaron Ramsdale was charged down and fortunately for the England goalkeeper rebounded to one of his own defenders.

Ramsdale made amends before the break with a fine stop to deny Odsonne Edouard’s header levelling before the French striker had another effort deflected inches over the bar.

Palace penned Arteta’s men back in the second period, but again failed to take their chances when they came along.

Eberechi Eze was the most guilty as he fired tamely into Ramsdale’s body with just the Arsenal number one to beat.

Arsenal had barely even threatened on the counter-attack in the second half, but got lucky to give themselves breathing space for the final five minutes.

Bukayo Saka’s driven cross caught his England teammate Guehi off guard as the Palace centre-back’s header flew into his own net.

Sports

CAF Acknowledges Akor Adams’ Goal Tribute to DR Congo Superfan

Published

12 hours ago

January 11, 2026

Eric

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has publicly acknowledged Super Eagles striker Akor Adams following his goal celebration in Nigeria’s 2-0 quarter-final win over Algeria at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.

Adams scored Nigeria’s second goal against the Desert Foxes, making amends for earlier missed chances and helping the Super Eagles secure a place in the semifinals.

However, it was his celebration, rather than the finish itself, that drew widespread attention across the continent.

Tribute to DR Congo superfan

After finding the net, the Sevilla forward marked the moment with a gesture inspired by DR Congo superfan Mboladinga ‘Lumumba’.

The Congolese supporter has become a familiar figure at the tournament for standing throughout all DR Congo matches as a tribute to the legacy of former prime minister Patrice Lumumba.

Adams’ celebration mirrored Mboladinga’s stance, a move widely interpreted as a sign of respect and solidarity beyond national lines. The moment resonated with fans and officials alike, quickly gaining traction on social media.

CAF Reaction and fan response

CAF highlighted the gesture on its official X account, sharing an image of Adams’ celebration alongside a brief but pointed message. “Standing still. Akor.,” the continental body wrote.

The post prompted a wave of reactions from football fans across Africa. A user identified as @MrChirenga commented, “Love the fact that Africans are becoming more and more united fam … Love from Zimbabwe.”

Another fan, @abuagoody, praised Adams’ qualities, writing, “Such an impressive player. The last players that played like him for Nigeria are John Utaka, Brown Ideye and Uche.”

Others focused on Adams’ technical ability, with @MouxCaa adding, “Akor Adams is a type of player you see touching the ball and you automatically know it’s a professional footballer.”

Sports

AFCON 2025: BUA Group Chair Rewards Super Eagles with $1.5m for Beating Algeria

Published

12 hours ago

January 11, 2026

Eric

Chairman of BUA Group, Abdulsamad Rabiu, has announced a substantial financial reward for the Super Eagles following their 2–0 win over Algeria in the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) quarter-final on Saturday.

In a congratulatory message to the team, Rabiu praised the players for their outstanding performance, saying the victory lifted the spirit of Nigerians and renewed national pride as the team advances in the tournament.

To spur the Super Eagles on ahead of the semi-finals, the BUA president pledged USD $500,000 to the players if they win the semi-final match, with an additional USD $50,000 bonus for every goal scored in that game.

Rabiu also announced an even larger incentive should Nigeria go on to win the tournament.

According to the pledge, the team will receive USD $1,000,000 for winning the final, alongside USD $100,000 for each goal scored in the title match.

He wished the players continued success as they carry Nigeria’s hopes into the latter stages of the competition, urging them to keep making the nation proud.

The Super Eagles will now focus on their AFCON semi-final clash as support and excitement continue to grow nationwide following their impressive victory over Algeria.

Sports

Renowned Boxer Anthony Joshua Survives Ghastly Road Accident

Published

2 weeks ago

December 29, 2025

Eric

World-renowned boxer Anthony Joshua on Monday survived a ghastly road accident in Makun, Ogun State.

Eyewitnesses report that the incident occurred along a busy highway of the Lagos-Ibadan expressway.

The vehicle carrying Joshua, a Lexus Jeep with the number plate, KRD 850 HN, reportedly collided with a stationary truck under circumstances that are still being investigated.

Joshua reportedly sustained minor injuries, while two persons were said to have died on the spot.