Arsenal recovered from Erik
Lamela’s astonishing Rabona opener to beat 10-man Tottenham 2-1 in a dramatic
north London derby despite the absence of exiled captain Pierre-Emerick
Aubameyang on Sunday.
Lamela scored one of the
greatest goals in Premier League history with an audacious strike in the first
half at the Emirates Stadium.
But the Tottenham forward
went from hero to villain when he was sent off for a second booking after Jose
Mourinho’s side blew the lead.
Martin Odegaard had
equalised with a deflected effort just before half-time and Alexandre Lacazette
sealed the points with a second half penalty.
Lamela’s moment of genius
was ruined by his red card and it was Arsenal’s day as they beat Tottenham for
the first time in six games.
Denting Tottenham’s bid to
qualify for the Champions League via a top four finish in the Premier League
was an added bonus for Arsenal, who hadn’t defeated their neighbours since
2018.
It was an even more impressive success given Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta caused a storm by dropping Aubameyang as punishment after he reportedly turned up late for a pre-match team meeting.
It is believed Arteta had
grown frustrated with Aubameyang for similar offences in the past.
“He is an incredible guy
and one of the most important players in the team. He is our captain and these
things happen,” Arteta said after leaving Aubameyang as an unused substitute
for the entire match.
“We have lots going on in
our lives and people finding it hard with the restrictions. I will never tell
anything that happens in the dressing room.
“I love the reaction of the
team. We stayed composed and in the end we won the game.”
After just a third loss
against the Gunners in Mourinho’s career, Tottenham remain without a win at
Arsenal since 2010 and are six points adrift of fourth-placed Chelsea, with
Arteta’s team a further four points behind.
Mourinho was furious with
the penalty decision, saying: “We played really bad in the first half. No
intensity or pressing. Some important players hiding. But no post-match
interviews for referees? That is a pity.
“My record with Michael
Oliver on penalties with Chelsea, United and Tottenham is unlucky.
“I did not complain but
when I watch back on the iPad it is what it is. If somebody has a different
opinion it has to be one of the big Arsenal fans with a season ticket.”
All eyes were on Aubameyang
when the teams emerged before kick-off.
The 31-year-old sat behind
the bench with his black face mask only partially disguising his gloomy
expression, but Arsenal ignored the drama.
– Derby drama –
After being out-played for the first 33 minutes, Tottenham took the lead in
outrageous style with their only shot of the half.
When Lucas Moura found
Lamela in the penalty area, the Argentine flicked his back foot behind his
standing front leg to guide an audacious finish through Thomas Partey’s legs
and past Bernd Leno into the far corner.
“This is one of the best
goals I’ve ever seen in the Premier League. We’ve never seen anything like
this,” former Tottenham midfielder Jamie Redknapp told Sky Sports.
The 29-year-old’s impudent
effort recalled a similar goal he unleashed against Asteras Tripolis in the
Europa League in 2014.
Arsenal hit back strongly
with their 44th minute equaliser.
Kieran Tierney’s cross
reached Odegaard and the on-loan Real Madrid midfielder swivelled for a low
shot that deflected off Tottenham’s Toby Alderweireld as it beat the
wrong-footed Hugo Lloris.
Arteta’s men took the lead
in the 64th minute when Nicolas Pepe’s pass gave Lacazette a sight of goal and
Davinson Sanchez made a despairing lunge that clattered into the French
striker.
Michael Oliver pointed to
the spot and Lacazette picked himself up to slot home the penalty.
Lamela saw red in the 76th
minute after crashing his arm into Tierney’s face.
Tottenham laid seige to
Lloris’s goal, but Harry Kane hit a post with his free-kick in the final
moments.
Juventus forward Cristiano Ronaldo has been ruled out of Sunday’s Serie A game against Champions League rivals Atalanta with a flexor muscle issue.
Coach Andrea Pirlo said the
36-year-old Portuguese striker, the top scorer in Serie A this season with 25
goals, would rest to avoid risking a more serious injury.
“We have an important
absentee. Unfortunately, Cristiano will not be taking part in the match due to
a problem with his flexor,” Pirlo told a pre-match press conference.
“Over these past few days, he
has not been able to recover from the problem sustained after last Sunday’s
match against Genoa.
“He hasn’t been able to push
himself this week. It would be too risky for us to bring him to Bergamo
tomorrow.
“We have decided to leave him
in Turin to rest and we will try to have him back for Wednesday’s match against
Parma.”
Champions Juventus are third,
12 points off leaders Inter Milan, with their nine-year reign looking set to
end.
They play fourth-placed
Atalanta who are just a point behind, with next week’s game at
relegation-threatened Parma.
Pirlo blamed the five-time
Ballon d’Or winner’s problem on fatigue.
“Cristiano has always been in
excellent condition,” said the Juventus coach.
“Unfortunately, the three
matches in the national team have led to an accumulation of fatigue which is a
problem for everyone.
“Cristiano also told me that
in the national team he should only have played two games, but then that goal
not given against Serbia led him to play the third as well, otherwise he would
have been back at Juve’s disposal before the third game.
“An accumulation of
everything, travel and games, can lead to fatigue. (Manchester City manager
Pep) Guardiola also said it, there have been too many matches and the squads
are too tight and these are the consequences.
“We also saw it in the
Champions League, with (Bayern Munich’s Robert) Lewandowski who was unable to
play the Champions League quarter-finals League due to an injury picked up in the
national team.”
Juventus can however count on
Argentina striker Paulo Dybala who will start for the first time in over three
months, after a long knee injury layoff, partnering Alvaro Morata upfront.
Italy defender Leonardo
Bonucci has recovered from Covid-19 contracted while with the national team but
will start on the bench.
The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, on Saturday morning, met with Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi, at the Government House, Oke Ayoba, Ado Ekiti, the state capital.
Speaking after the meeting, the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Yinka Oyebode, said the 79-year-old cleric paid a courtesy call on the governor.
The Yoruba self-determination rally organised by the Ilana Omo Oodua is underway in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
Hundreds of members of the
group whose leader is an 86-year-old Emeritus Professor of History, Banji
Akintoye, had initially scheduled the take-off of the rally for the ancient
Mapo Hall but the heavy presence of armed policemen forced them to change the
venue.
They are addressing people at
Mapo Roundabout but they were not disturbed by the police in any way.
The agitators are armed with banners and Yoruba nation flags while leaders of the group addressing the people are saying Yoruba people are tired of staying with Nigeria.
One of the leaders of the
group, Basorun Kunle Adesokan, said Yoruba were no longer part of Nigeria and
the people want to be an independent nation.
He condemned the insecurity in
Yorubaland, saying the people could no longer stand the injustice in Nigeria.
Adesojan said, “We are no
longer part of Nigeria. Yoruba people are determined to stand alone. We are
starting the rally here in Ibadan because this is the capital of the Yoruba
nation.
” Our brothers in Kwara,
Lagos, Kogi, Edo, Delta and other states are here. We are not going to use
violence, we want the Yoruba nation. No retreat no surrender. Let Hausa go
their way, let Fulani go their own way and Igbo people should also go.
“The rally has taken off, we
won’t stop until we achieve our aim.”
One of the leaders of Itsekiri
youths present at the rally, Isaac Ajatitan, said Itsekiri people were part of
Yoruba and would support them to achieve this aim.