Who would have thought that Liverpool would be an Arsenal win away from being unable to retain their Premier League title with seven games to go, especially after they kick-started the season with the same momentum that they left it last term? Unfortunately, the reality has been cruel to Arne Slot and his Liverpool team. They are in a desperate hunt for a place in next season’s Champions League and look vulnerable, occasionally struggling to overcome even the weakest teams in the league. From smashing the record for the biggest lead after five games to falling 21 points behind the…
Author: Kehinde-Hassan Afolabi
After three years away, Ben White is back in England’s squad for the upcoming games against Uruguay and Japan, taking the place of Jarell Quansah, which has again brought to light the unanswered questions from his last participation. The right-back, who earned four caps with the Three Lions following his first call-up in March 2021, had been absent from the national team since the 2022 winter World Cup in Qatar. Why Ben White vowed not to play for England Ben White surprisingly left the England training camp in Al Wakrah, Qatar, on November 30, with the FA officially citing personal…
The chalk and cheese nature of Arsenal’s tactical identity serves as a clinical football prescription, allowing them to alternate between defensive suffocation and offensive fluidity as they head into the business end of the season. In the span of four days, Mikel Arteta’s team played two distinct styles of football against Everton and Bayer Leverkusen, to keep their hopes of a climax finish to the season alive, and while critics may choose boring for the former, they can’t deny it’s the opposite for the latter. This is down to lessons learnt from past seasons and how different teams set up…
When Chelsea appointed Liam Rosenior as their new manager back in January, he emphasized the fact that the team is in the perfect condition to compete, and he doesn’t need any time to get going. Just over two months later, the world champions have exited the Carabao Cup while losing both legs of their semi-finals with Arsenal, a team they held to a draw while playing more than 60 minutes with 10 men under Enzo Maresca in October. They have also been dumped out of the Champions League by PSG in an 8-2 aggregate score, a team they beat by…
UEFA has confirmed that the planned La Finalissima match between Argentina and Spain will not take place. The fixture, which was set to bring together the Copa América champions and the European champions, was originally scheduled for Qatar. However, the ongoing political situation in the Middle East forced organizers to abandon the plan. The cancellation is a disappointment for fans worldwide, who had anticipated a rare showdown between two of football’s most decorated national teams. Subsequent attempts to secure a new venue failed, as the Argentine Football Association (AFA) and the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) could not reach an…
Max Dowman became the youngest goalscorer in Premier League history at 16 years and 73 days, but that wasn’t even the highlight of a cameo that will forever linger in the memory of fans around the world. “People will say in years to come that I was there in their stadium that day when that kid scored that goal in THAT context”, said Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta after his team beat Everton 2-0 to stretch their lead at the Premier League summit. It was a game Arsenal did not look like winning, after throwing all they had at Everton, who…
Former Barcelona coach Xavi Hernández has made striking revelations about the failed attempt to bring Lionel Messi back to Camp Nou in 2023, claiming that club president Joan Laporta was the decisive factor in halting the move. In an interview with La Vanguardia, Xavi explained that talks to re-sign Messi began soon after the Argentine superstar lifted the 2022 World Cup. He personally reached out to Messi in January 2023, and the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner expressed enthusiasm about returning to the club where he became a global icon. Negotiations reportedly advanced quickly, with Laporta even engaging Messi’s father and…
England defender Kyle Walker has announced his retirement from international football, bringing an end to a distinguished career with the Three Lions. The 35-year-old right-back earned 96 caps in 15 years, representing his country at five major tournaments, including the 2018 World Cup semifinal and the Euro 2021 final. Walker, who made his England debut in 2011, became a mainstay in Gareth Southgate’s squad thanks to his pace, versatility, and defensive consistency. His final appearance came in June 2025 in a friendly against Senegal, marking the close of an era for one of England’s most reliable defenders. At club level,…
Arsenal survived one of those nights at Brighton Probably one of the ugliest anyone has seen Arsenal played since they came off the bench under Mikel Arteta, but the fact that they came out unscathed is a testament to how much they’ve learnt from their past failures. Not every matchday do you see Arsenal complete 101 defensive actions. Brighton had them all night, but the defence would not be breached. Even when they had David Raya beaten thanks to an error of his own making, Gabriel was there so smother. The Brazilian, alongside Piero Hincapie and Jurrien Timber were just…
Michael Carrick finally suffered his first defeat as Manchester United interim coach in his 11th game in charge of the club as interim coach over two stints, following a 2-1 defeat at 10-man Newcastle United on Wednesday night. William Osula’s late solo goal condemned his team to a first defeat despite playing the whole of the second-half a man up, after Jacob Ramsey’s red card before half-time made it appear they could make it three straight wins. Anthony Gordon won and converted a penalty moments after the dismissal, but United fired back before halftime, as Casemiro headed home Bruno Fernandes’…