LONDON: Arsenal worked their set-piece magic to beat Manchester United 2-0 on Wednesday, ending Ruben Amorim’s unbeaten start to life in the Old Trafford hotseat and closing the gap on Premier League leaders Liverpool.
United frustrated the home side and kept the crowd quiet at the Emirates in a cagey first half but Jurrien Timber broke the deadlock from a corner after the break and William Saliba repeated the feat.
The win leaves Arsenal in third place in the Premier League, behind Chelsea on goal difference and seven points adrift of leaders Liverpool, who were held to a 3-3 draw at Newcastle.
Amorim made six changes from the team that brushed Everton aside 4-0 at the weekend, dropping in-form Amad Diallo and Marcus Rashford from his starting line-up.
Gabriel was a significant absence from Arsenal’s defense, joining Ben White and Riccardo Calafiori on the injury list.
Amorim traveled to London with two wins and a draw from three matches in all competitions, keenly aware that Arsenal would be his biggest test yet.
The Gunners hogged possession in the opening moments and had the ball in the net in the fourth minute through Gabriel Martinelli, only for it to be ruled out for offside.
Mikel Arteta’s men should have been ahead just minutes later when Thomas Partey skewed his header wide from a corner.
Martinelli flashed just wide from another corner midway through the first half as Arsenal continued to look dangerous from set-pieces.
United were content to bide their time when they had the ball but they looked blunt in attack.
The visitors could have gone in ahead at half-time had Diogo Dalot not steered just wide with a right-footed shot in the 43rd minute.
The two teams, both in goalscoring form, produced a combined five shots in the opening 45 minutes, with none on target.
The game picked up tempo at the start of the second half, with Diallo replacing Tyrell Malacia for United.
Feeding off a more vocal crowd, a re-energised Arsenal put United under pressure, finally breaking the deadlock when Timber headed his first goal for the club from a Declan Rice corner.
Amorim reacted quickly, bringing on forward Rashford and Joshua Zirkzee and handing French teenage defender Leny Yoro his United debut.
Diallo won a free-kick after fine work on the right in the 66th minute and Arsenal were grateful to goalkeeper David Raya, who pushed away a powerful Matthijs de Ligt header from Bruno Fernandes’s free-kick.
Arsenal doubled their lead from a Bukayo Saka corner in the 73rd minute when Partey’s shot hit Saliba and beat Andre Onana.
Arsenal have scored more goals from corners — 21 — than any other side in the Premier League since the start of last season.
Onana got down well to save a Kai Havertz shot as Arsenal threatened to cut loose.
United just about managed to keep them out but Amorim will know that he has a big job on his hands.
Corner kings Arsenal beat Man Utd to close gap on Liverpool
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Corner kings Arsenal beat Man Utd to close gap on Liverpool
Osaka inspired by Agassi’s comeback as she embraces clay court grind
- “I’m okay playing on Court 16 if I have to anyways. The reason I came back wasn’t to play on center courts all the time, it’s because I really enjoy the game“
- Osaka beat Slovenia’s Kaja Juvan 6-1 7-5 last week in the final of the L’Open 35 de Saint-Malo
Osaka beat Slovenia’s Kaja Juvan 6-1 7-5 last week in the final of the L’Open 35 de Saint-Malo, a WTA 125 tournament, to win her first clay-court title at any level. It was also her first WTA title since becoming a mother in July 2023.
“I wanted to rack up experience on clay. I didn’t really have too much of an ego playing that tournament,” Osaka told reporters after defeating wild card Sara Errani 6-2 6-3 in the first round of the Italian Open on Wednesday.
“I’m okay playing on Court 16 if I have to anyways. The reason I came back wasn’t to play on center courts all the time, it’s because I really enjoy the game.”
Osaka said her decision to drop down to play in Saint-Malo was inspired by American great Andre Agassi, who rebuilt his career in the late 1990s by competing on the ATP Challenger Tour.
“I remember reading (Agassi’s) book. There was a moment where... he was saying he was flipping his own scoreboards. Someone came and yelled, ‘Image is everything!’ I would say that section of the book crossed my mind more,” she said.
The former world number one has often struggled on clay, having never gone past the third round at the French Open, where she is set to feature in the main draw later this month. Osaka plays ninth seed Paula Badosa in the Italian Open on Thursday.
“I feel like clay is very strength-reliant,” Osaka said.
“It’s something that I prioritized this year and I think it’s working. I’m going to keep pushing forward that way. I’ll let you know what happens in Roland Garros.”
Bayern’s Kompany ready to catch some z’s after Bundesliga title win
- The Belgian, in his first season at the club, said the constant preoccupation with the next match during the season did not really allow him to really enjoy the simple pleasures
BERLIN: Bayern Munich coach Vincent Kompany wants nothing more than a good night’s sleep after his team won the Bundesliga title last week with two matches left to play.
The Belgian, in his first season at the club, said the constant preoccupation with the next match during the season did not really allow him to really enjoy the simple pleasures.
“Sleep, really sleep,” Kompany said in a club interview when asked what he was most looking forward to after the title win.
“You constantly have the pressure of the next game. You achieve something but then you have to start building for the next achievement.”
It was by no means an easy domestic season for Bayern and Kompany, with the club facing stiff competition from last year’s champions Bayer Leverkusen, who also eliminated the Bavarians in the German Cup.
Bayern were also eliminated by Italy’s Inter Milan in the Champions League quarter-finals.
“Sometimes you have these moments with the family during the year, but then your head is somewhere else,” Kompany said.
“Now in the next few weeks I will leave some of that behind. But you can only do that after winning.”
FIFA picks 8 host cities for the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil
- Infantino: From stunning beaches to cosmopolitan cities, the world will experience the energy, color and warmth that only Brazil can offer
- The host city selection process started in August of last year
SAO PAULO: Football’s international governing body has confirmed eight host cities for the 2027 Women’s World Cup to be held in Brazil.
FIFA announced the venues for the month-long tournament on Wednesday but hasn’t decided yet where the opening match and the final will take place.
All eight sites were among the 12 used for the men’s World Cup in 2014: Rio de Janeiro (Maracana Stadium), Sao Paulo (NeoQuimica Arena), Belo Horizonte (Mineirao Stadium), Brasília (Nacional Stadium), Fortaleza (Arena Castelao), Porto Alegre (Beira-Rio Stadium), Recife (Arena Pernambuco), and Salvador (Arena Fonte Nova).
“From stunning beaches to cosmopolitan cities, the world will experience the energy, color and warmth that only Brazil can offer,” FIFA President Gianni Infantino said in a statement.
Some members of Brazil’s soccer confederation have said they want to hold the opening match at Sao Paulo and the final at the 78,000-seat Maracana, as it did in the 2014 World Cup.
Curitiba, Manaus and Natal, all venues for the men’s World Cup, were not included in the women’s tournament bid book. Belem was also left out.
The host city selection process started in August of last year. At the 2014 World Cup, players, fans and coaches criticized the choice of 12 host cities for a tournament that was widely spread across the country.
For this tournament, set for June 24-July 25, 2027, almost all host cities are either on the Brazilian coast or close to it, with the exception of the capital, Brasilia, and Belo Horizonte, two of the nation’s most populous cities.
Brazil will host the women’s tournament for the first time. Brazil is a five-time World Cup champion in men’s football but has never won the women’s global title.
PIF continues to transform women’s golf as title partner of revamped global series
- Renamed PIF Global Series comprises 5 tournaments
- $13m prize pool among highest outside of the Majors
RIYADH: Golf Saudi and the Public Investment Fund announced on Thursday a revamped global series that spans five women’s golf events on the Ladies European Tour, reinforcing the PIF’s long-term commitment to female sport.
The newly named PIF Global Series will feature the five tournaments across three continents in 2025, with each event having a novel format that features team and individual competitions.
There is a prize purse of $2 million for each of the four tournaments, among the highest in women’s golf.
The PIF Saudi Ladies International has been added to the 2025 roster of tournaments, strengthening the series’ position as a key fixture alongside the regular LET schedule and Major competitions.
The PIF Saudi Ladies International offers a prize purse of $5 million, one of the largest in women’s professional golf.
Alanoud Althonayan, head of events and sponsorships at the PIF, said the company “continues to be a catalyst for the growth of women’s sports, committed to delivering long-term transformative impact by inspiring and empowering female athletes at every level.
Noah Alireza, CEO of Golf Saudi, said: “We are humbled to have this partnership with PIF that aspires to grow the women’s game locally in Saudi Arabia and around the world.
“We have witnessed significant growth in local interest through hosting international tournaments, with over 6,000 individuals registering for our free ‘GoGolf’ lesson program.”
Alexandra Armas, CEO of the Ladies European Tour, said: “These tournaments are well-supported by our members through their end-to-end event experiences and competitive environments.
“This partnership with PIF continues to raise the level of competition and commitment to the women’s game, to ensure our players have the best possible opportunities to develop and succeed on the world stage.”
England’s Charley Hull, Golf Saudi ambassador, said: “Golf Saudi and PIF have proven to be real game changers for women’s golf, once again backing up their commitment to creating equal opportunities and raising the bar for the players.
“I love playing either as an individual or in a team, so I can’t wait to tee it up at series events throughout the year and hopefully inspire more and more young people into golf around the world.”
The five events comprising the PIF Global Series are:
PIF Saudi Ladies International: Riyadh Golf Club, Riyadh (Event was played in February and won by world No. 2 Jeeno Thitikul)
Aramco Korea Championship: New Korea Country Club, Seoul, South Korea (May 9-11)
PIF Championship: Centurion Club, London (Aug. 8-10)
Aramco Houston Championship: TBC, Houston (Sept. 5-7)
Aramco Shenzhen Championship: Mission Hills, Shenzhen, China (Nov. 6-8)
Thunder level series with 43-point rout of Nuggets
- The Thunder, who set a franchise single-game playoff scoring record, tied the best-of-seven series 1-1 ahead of Game 3 in Denver on Friday
- The Thunder tied the NBA playoff record for points in a half with 87, leading by as many as 35 before intermission
OKLAHOMA CITY: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 34 points to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 149-106 home blowout of the Denver Nuggets in Game 2 of their Western Conference semifinal series on Wednesday.
The Thunder, who set a franchise single-game playoff scoring record, tied the best-of-seven series 1-1 ahead of Game 3 in Denver on Friday.
After losing on a 3-pointer in the closing seconds of Game 1, the Thunder made sure the Nuggets wouldn’t have a chance to pull off another late shocker. Oklahoma City poured it on early, scoring 45 first-quarter points and stretching the lead to 24 just more than 10 minutes into the game.
The Thunder tied the NBA playoff record for points in a half with 87, leading by as many as 35 before intermission. The only other team to score 87 points in a half during the postseason was the Milwaukee Bucks in the second half of a second-round game in 1978 against the Nuggets.
Oklahoma City didn’t let up in the third quarter, stretching the advantage to 48 points heading into the fourth.
By that time, Denver star Nikola Jokic had fouled out, and the only question was how big the margin would be.
With Denver trailing by 41 points and just more than a minute remaining in the third quarter, Jokic was called for his second offensive foul in less than a minute to end his night.
After his 42-point, 22-rebound performance in Game 1, Jokic had just 17 points and eight rebounds in Game 2. He shot 6 of 16 from the field.
Gilgeous-Alexander had his night end soon after for another reason.
The Most Valuable Player favorite hit two free throws in the last second of the quarter before heading to the bench to watch the Thunder bench handle the fourth.
Gilgeous-Alexander finished 11 of 13 from the floor and hit all 11 of his free throws. He added eight assists and finished plus-51 in plus/minus.
Oklahoma City’s Jalen Williams added 17 points and Chet Holmgren, who missed a pair of critical free throws just before Aaron Gordon’s Game 1 winner, finished with 15 points and 11 rebounds. Holmgren was 7 of 7 from the free-throw line.
Russell Westbrook led the Nuggets with 19 points, and Jamal Murray contributed 14. Gordon, who had 22 points and 14 rebounds in the series opener, finished with just 10 points (on 3-of-12 shooting) and five boards.
