Sports
Everton defeat eases pressure on Mourinho
Manchester United eased the pressure on manager Jose Mourinho by seeing off Everton 2-1 at Old Trafford on Sunday, as Chelsea leapfrogged Manchester City into second with a 4-0 thrashing of Burnley.
Arsenal’s 11-game winning run was finally ended, though, as two Luka Milivojevic penalties earned Crystal Palace a much-needed point in a 2-2 draw at Selhurst Park.
Sunday’s action on the field was overshadowed by the ongoing investigation into the helicopter crash on Saturday evening that is feared to have killed Leicester City owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha.
A minute’s reflection both in honour of Remembrance Sunday and the crash was held before kick-off at all three matches.
There was an even more poignant scene at Old Trafford as the 12 Thai boys rescued from an underground cave in July were in attendance and given a rousing reception by supporters.
United’s fifth defeat of the season to Juventus in the Champions League on Tuesday had put Mourinho’s position in peril once more.
But he got the slice of luck he needed when Paul Pogba’s penalty was saved by England number one Jordan Pickford, but rolled kindly back into the Frenchman’s path to slot home the opener.
The United fans still weren’t happy with Pogba, though, as he received jeers for his laboured run-up to the spot-kick.
Pogba made some amends as it was from his pass Anthony Martial curled home a fine second four minutes into the second half.
However, another sloppy pass from Pogba helped get Everton back in the game as Gylfi Sigurdsson scored from the penalty spot after Chris Smalling chopped down Richarlison.
– Chelsea fill Hazard void –
Chelsea enjoyed a far more comfortable afternoon to close to within two points of Liverpool at the top of the table despite the absence of top scorer Eden Hazard with a back injury.
Alvaro Morata, Ross Barkley, Willian and Ruben Loftus-Cheek were all on target to ease concerns over who could carry the goalscoring burden without the Belgian for Maurizio Sarri’s side.
The Italian remains unbeaten since taking charge at Stamford Bridge, and Sarri was also happy with a better defensive display than in recent weeks.
“We were in trouble for the first 10 minutes because Burnley started very aggressively and we were in trouble,” said Sarri.
“Then we started to move the ball very well and we also defended better than in the last three matches so we’re very happy with the result.”
The Gunners’ winning run had raised hopes of an unexpected title challenge from Arsenal.
However, their defensive deficiencies were shown up in rash challenges by Shkodran Mustafi and Granit Xhaka to give Milivojevic the chance to earn Palace a share of the spoils.
In between the Serbian’s spot-kicks, a brilliant Xhaka free-kick and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s controversial ninth goal of the season, after he pounced on a knockdown from Alexandre Lacazette’s hand, had put Arsenal in front.
And Emery admitted his side still have plenty to learn if they are to compete with the Premier League elite.
“We can make mistakes on the pitch,” said the Spaniard. “Every day I am making mistakes in my decisions. Mistakes are to learn from.” (AFP)
Sports
Robinho To Serve A 9 Year Jail Term Over Gang Rape
Former Manchester City and Real Madrid striker Robinho will reportedly serve a nine-year jail sentence for gang rape – Imposed on him by an Italian court — in Brazil, judges in Brasilia has ruled.
The 40-year-old was found guilty in Italy in 2017 and according to Globo, Brazil’s Superior Court of Justice (BSCJ), made the ruling on Wednesday, March 20, 2024.
The former Premier League player, whose real name is Robson De Souza, was one of six men who were found guilty of a§§aulting an Albanian woman in an Italian nightclub in January 2013.
In January 2022, the Supreme Court in Rome dismissed his final appeal against the conviction, according to the report.
Robinho claims he is innocent and has been living in Brazil for the past seven years. It came after nine of the court’s 15 ministers had voted in favour of the decision to incarcerate the footballer in Brazil.
Globo also claims that the ex-footballer, who also spent time at AC Milan and Real Madrid, will now be arrested in Santos, where he currently resides.
Robinho, who was 28 and was playing for AC Milan at the time, admitted during his appeal to having ‘contact’ with the woman, but the Brazilian insisted it was consensual.
The Milan Court of Appeals found Robinho had ‘belittled’ and ‘br¥tally h¥miliated’ the victim as it upheld his original sentence in December 2020.
Intercepted phone calls between the Brazilian and those allegedly involved in the assault were used as key evidence in his initial conviction.
Sports
Former Tennis Champion, Tania Okpala Returns To Tennis After Rehabilitation
Anambra State Governor, Charles Soludo, has revealed that former tennis champion, Tania Okpala, has resumed playing on the courts.
This development follows Soludo’s assurance that she would undergo rehabilitation after a video surfaced online showing her in distress on the streets of Awka, pleading for assistance.
In an update on his social media handle on Thursday, Soludo expressed his satisfaction with Okpala’s return, stating, “Tania Okpala is back on the courts!
“A few months ago, social media was flooded with a viral video showing Ms. Tania in a distressing state on the streets of Awka. I am pleased to report that we have successfully restored Tania to her winning ways.”
Okpala, who hails from Anambra and has a Belarusian mother, represented Nigeria in the 1990s.
Here are pictures of her in the tennis court.
Sports
AFCON: Victor Osimhen Now Cleared To Join The Other Super Eagles Ahead Of Tomorrow’s Game
Good News has it that Victor Osimhen has finally joined the Super Eagles Nigeria team in Bouake, Ivory Coast.
He has been given the clear from the medical team on the abdominal discomfort issue. Earlier it was reported that the player could not join the rest of the team who flew to Ivory Coast ahead of Tomorrow’s football match against South Africa’s Bafana Bafana.
He’s fully fit and ready to play in the Semifinals against South Africa tomorrow.
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