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Nigeria Premier League

Arsenal leave it late to sink Man Utd

For the second season running, Arsenal claimed a dramatic 3-1 victory over Manchester United as Declan Rice and Gabriel Jesus both scored in stoppage time at Emirates Stadium.

With the score levels at 1-1 in the sixth minute of time added on and the match seemingly heading for a draw, Rice, the £105million summer signing from West Ham United, controlled a corner at the back of the area before swivelling to put a fierce deflected shot past Andre Onana in the Man Utd goal.

It emulated Eddie Nketiah’s stoppage-time winner in this fixture last year, except this one was the latest winning goal in this fixture at 95 minutes and 43 seconds.

The scoring was not over as, with Man Utd chasing an equaliser, Arsenal broke and Fabio Vieira set up fellow substitute Gabriel Jesus to score his first goal against the Red Devils.

It had been a match that ebbed and flowed between the two heavyweights.

Kai Havertz had spurned a great chance to open his Arsenal account in the 13th minute, when a defensive mix-up put the ball at his feet, eight metres out, but the summer signing from Chelsea miskicked badly.

As he did in this fixture last season, Marcus Rashford put United in front after 27 minutes with their first shot. Christian Eriksen intercepted a Havertz pass in his own half and advanced before threading a great through-ball to Rashford, who cut in from the left to beat Aaron Ramsdale at his far post with a brilliant curling strike.

It was Rashford’s sixth goal against the Gunners and he scored for the third fixture in a row against them, matching a feat only Robin van Persie had done for United.

Arsenal had dominated proceedings until that point and responded less than two minutes later, with a sweeping move that ended with Martin Odegaard firing the ball home from the edge of the area.

After half-time, Man Utd had a couple of chances to retake the lead in the 54th minute, but Ramsdale first denied Anthony Martial and Rashford’s follow-up was blocked.

Arsenal were awarded a penalty on the hour when Anthony Taylor adjudged Aaron Wan-Bissaka to have fouled Havertz, but the referee overturned his decision after a VAR review.

Gabriel Martinelli came close to putting Arsenal ahead with a curling shot before Erik ten Hag brought on Rasmus Hojlund for his Man Utd debut.

The Danish striker immediately provided United with an outlet up front but Arsenal had the next chance, but Bukayo Saka shot straight at Onana from seven yards.

United thought they had claimed a late winner when they broke on 88 minutes and substitute Alejandro Garnacho was put through and scored but the goal was overturned for a narrow offside.

The drama was to come much later, as it did last season when Nketiah struck in stoppage time to give Arsenal a 3-2 win.

The goals from Rice and Jesus send Arsenal to fifth place with 10 points. Man Utd are 11th with six points.

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Nigeria Premier League

Kano Pillars Chairman praises players despite loss to Remo Stars

Kano Pillars

Kano Pillars chairman Alhaji Ali Muhammad Umar has commended his team despite their 2-1 defeat to Remo Stars in Ikenne on Sunday.

Speaking to the club’s media, Umar expressed pride in the players’ performance and praised their dominance throughout the match.

“I must commend the players and the technical crew for the way they approached the game. From the first whistle to the end of regulation time, they played with passion and dominated the match,” Umar stated.

He acknowledged the unpredictable nature of football, attributing the loss to bad luck.

“Sometimes, football can be cruel, and we were just unlucky not to secure all three points. We must build on this performance. The season is still ongoing, and I believe with more effort, we will achieve our objectives,” he added.

Kano Pillars are set to face rivals Katsina United in a rescheduled matchday 20 encounter at the Sani Abacha Stadium on Wednesday.

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Nigeria Premier League

Brown Ideye Set to Return for Enyimba After Injury Layoff

Brown Ideye

Former Super Eagles forward, Brown Ideye, is set to make his return for Enyimba in their upcoming league game following a brief injury layoff.

The 36-year-old striker has missed Enyimba’s last two league matches due to a minor injury. Enyimba’s media officer, David Orji, confirmed that Ideye has resumed personal training in preparation for his return to action.

“Ideye is back in training after sustaining a minor injury and should be fully fit soon,” Orji stated.

Ideye has made four league appearances for Enyimba, scoring once. Enyimba will host league leaders Remo Stars in a week 24 fixture in Aba on Sunday, as they aim to improve their standing from the eighth position in the league table, where they currently have 31 points.

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Nigeria Premier League

Mangut Blames Pitch Condition for Plateau United’s Draw Against Niger Tornadoes

Plateau United

Plateau United’s technical adviser, Mbwas Mangut, has pointed to the poor condition of the playing surface at Ahmadu Bello Stadium in Kaduna as a factor in his team’s 1-1 draw with Niger Tornadoes.

In a post-match interview, Mangut acknowledged the impact of the pitch on his team’s performance, though he expressed satisfaction with the result.

“We are happy with the one point; we came with the mindset to see if we can get the maximum points,” he said.

“You could see the condition of the ground; it didn’t allow us to express ourselves the way we used to play.”

Mangut reassured fans, saying, “With what we are doing, every fan should be patient. I believe that at the end of the day, this team will definitely be where they belong. There are so many factors that will take us to that level, and we are working on that.”

With the draw, Plateau United moved up to 15th position on the table.

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