Sports

EPL: Saka, Tavares, Xhaka Lift Arsenal, Defeats Man United

Arsenal revived their hopes to finish in the Premier League top four with a 3-1 win over a laborious Manchester United to damage the Red Devils’ hopes of Champions League football next season.

Nuno Tavares, Bukayo Saka and Granit Xhaka were all on the scoresheet for Mikel Arteta’s men to move them three points clear of Tottenham, who face Brentford later on Saturday.

Sixth-placed United are six points adrift of the top four and could miss out on European football completely next season.

Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 22nd goal of the season and 100th in the Premier League for his club on his return to the side after missing Tuesday’s 4-0 thrashing at Liverpool due to the death of his newborn son.

United had a penalty appeal overruled after Cedric Soares inadvertently handled the ball inside the box which was deemed ball to hand and not deliberate.

Ronaldo will regret letting Bruno Fernandes take a second-half penalty with the game finely poised at 2-1 to the Gunners.

Arsenal had far more chances in the second half although Diogo Dalot struck the crossbar earlier in the first half.

Mikel Arteta handed Anglo-Nigeria youngster Miguel Azeez a, place on the substitutes bench which was the fourth Premier League game in a row that Azeez will be in the Matchday squad for Arsenal

Izuchukwu Okosi

Izuchukwu Okosi is a Nigerian sports and entertainment journalist with two decades of experience in the media industry having begun his media journey in 2002 as an intern at Mundial Sports International (MSI) and Africa Independent Television (AIT), owners of Daar Communications Plc. In October 2004, Okosi joined Complete Communications Limited, publishers of Complete Sports newspaper and Complete Football magazine as a reporter and later script writer for the Complete Sports studio. He worked there for 13 years until October 2017. Okosi also worked various times as Correspondent, Content creator and Editor at Sports Market International Magazine, Opera News, All Nigeria Soccer Media and Iconic Media Watch. He also undertook freelance writing gigs for some local and international organizations. Okosi is a member of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), Association of Movie Producers (AMP), Association of Voiceover Artistes of Nigeria (AVOA), Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) and Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ). He has been part of cast in some Nollywood movies and radio dramas including Blood Money 2, Scores To Settle, Dead End 2, Another Campus Tale and Battle Line. Aside mainstream media and the entertainment industry, he has interests in scouting/unearthing of talents in the sports and creative sectors, exports business and property development.