Sports

Pep Guardiola has hit out at criticism of Manchester City’s celebrations following Sunday’s victory over Arsenal, describing such comments as “stupid things." At the final whistle of the 2-1 win at the Etihad Stadium, one that took City to within three points of the Premier League leaders with a game in hand, goalie Gianluigi Donnarumma jumped into the crowd behind his goal while many of City’s other players also celebrated in emphatic fashion. Among those to question this were Wayne Rooney and Danny Murphy in their capacity as pundits on Sunday night’s Match of the Day. Rooney described the celebrations…

By Stephen Gbadamosi, Ibadan The Olubadan of Ibadanland, His Imperial Majesty, Oba (Dr.) Rasidi Adewolu Ladoja (Arusa1), has endorsed the establishment of a sports school in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital. The endorsement was given during a courtesy visit paid to the paramount ruler at his palace, Oke Aremo, Ibadan, on Monday. A press release issued and signed by the Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to the Olubadan, Chief Ayoade Solomon Olugbemiga, noted that the Chairman of Ex-Ibadan Footballers Association (EIPFA), Mr. Temitope Obideyi, who led the visit, presented an Award of Recognition to the Olubadan “for his exemplary and unwavering…

Money Has Not Bought Happiness for Chelsea FC. The London club is enduring another inconsistent season after being eliminated in the Champions League Round of 16, falling out of the Premier League title race, and putting its chances of qualifying for next season’s Champions League in serious doubt. All of that comes after spending €1.75 billion on transfers over the last three years. After Todd Boehly took control of Chelsea FC in 2023 in a £2.5 billion (€2.87 billion) deal, the American businessman began investing heavily in an attempt to restore the English club to the top level. While Chelsea…

Donnarumma Breathes A Sigh Of Relief For Manchester City, Gianluigi Donnarumma has always been a case of risk and reward. Perhaps only Thibaut Courtois is as fine a shot-stopper as Italy’s Euro 2020 hero, though many goalkeepers are better with the ball at their feet. Claudio Bravo, let alone Ederson, would be unlikely to dither in the fashion that alerted Kai Havertz to the possibility of pressing City’s keeper as close as possible for Arsenal’s goal. Donnarumma was the signing who bucked the Pep Guardiola doctrines, and his goalkeeping has been crucial to City’s revival but such mistakes have always…

*Bayern Win Bundesliga For 35th Time The margins were always likely to be tight. In the event, with so much on the line, namely the possible destination of the Premier League title, they were excruciatingly so on Sunday. It was a day when the division’s two heavyweights went toe-to-toe and served up a thriller, a contest to absorb the nation and many more around the world. When it was over, it was Manchester City who had landed what could prove to be the telling blow. Because once they are ahead on the count in these situations everybody knows how it…

…Full report coming soon.

Palmer Can Test Stricken Man U No Harry Maguire, no Lisandro Martínez, no Matthijs de Ligt. Manchester United’s defence is in a tricky spot before Saturday night’s trip to Chelsea. The absence of Martínez, sent off for his hair pull against Leeds, the injured De Ligt and Maguire, who was given an additional one-game ban for his reaction to his red card against Bournemouth last month, has left Michael Carrick with a big decision to make. He could bring Ayden Heaven in as Leny Yoro’s partner but another option is to move Luke Shaw inside from left-back. Either way, a…

By Oliver Hopkins Last weekend was nightmarish for Arsenal. They lost at home to Bournemouth on Saturday with a flat, disjointed performance, and matters deteriorated further the following day when Manchester City beat Chelsea convincingly at Stamford Bridge. Arsenal’s lead at the Premier League summit has narrowed from nine points to six, and City still have a game in hand. The two sides meet at the Etihad on Sunday for a match that could define the title race. The narrative pretty much writes itself: City win that game, then win their game in hand, and the title is surely theirs…

*Semi-Final Four: Atletico Madrid, Arsenal, PSG, Bayern Munich *We're Really Very Angry -Arbeloa When the dust kicked up by an utterly scintillating two-legged struggle had settled, Bayern Munich could bathe in the glow of a win for the ages and linger dreamily on the prospect of a semi-final against Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). It is the tie most neutrals wanted but the bar for entertainment has been raised sky high now. Real Madrid should curse themselves, and one of their number in particular, for letting things career out of their control at the death; the sadness for those with no skin…

22:Erling Haaland (Manchester City) 21:Igor Thiago (Brentford) 15:Antoine Semenyo (Manchester City) 14:João Pedro (Chelsea) 12:Viktor Gyökeres (Arsenal) Danny Welbeck (Brighton) 11:Hugo Ekitiké (Liverpool) 10:Junior Kroupi (Bournemouth) Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Leeds United) Harry Wilson (Fulham) Jean-Philippe Mateta (Crystal Palace) 9:Morgan Gibbs-White (Nottingham Forest) Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa) Bruno Guimarães (Newcastle United) Bryan Mbeumo (Manchester United) Cole Palmer (Chelsea) Richarlison (Tottenham) Benjamin Sesko (Manchester United) Raul Jiménez (Fulham) 8:Jarrod Bowen (West Ham United) Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United) Enzo Fernández (Chelsea) Zian Flemming (Burnley) Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa) 7:Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall (Everton) Beto (Everton) Jaidon Anthony (Burnley) Casemiro (Manchester United) Matheus Cunha (Manchester United) Phil…