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Arsenal Edge Chelsea To Stay 12 Behind

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Mikel Merino scored the only goal of the game as Arsenal beat Chelsea to move 12 points behind Premier League leaders Liverpool.
Both of these sides came into the match without their first-choice striker, with Kai Havertz ruled out for the season with a hamstring injury for Arsenal and Nicolas Jackson missing for Chelsea.
Chelsea were also without their most important player in Cole Palmer, who was out of the squad with an injury, and it was the first time the Blues have to had to play without him since they lost 5-0 to Arsenal in April last season.
Arsenal, again naming Merino as a makeshift striker, dominated the game early on and Leandro Trossard, Gabriel Martinelli and Declan Rice all went close.
Merino’s winner came in the 20th minute when he flicked on a curling corner from Martin Odegaard past a stretching Robert Sanchez.
Chelsea’s best opportunity to take something from the game came when Marc Cucurella’s powerful effort slipped through David Raya’s hands but the ball rolled just past the post.
Robert Sanchez, recently restored as Chelsea’s first-choice keeper, had some shaky moments as the Blues were put under pressure with a number of crosses into the area and he was jeered by the home crowd when he had the ball at his feet.
Sanchez produced an excellent save to deny Merino in the second half, but Chelsea could not find the goal to get something from the game.

Brentford Rebound To Beat Bournemouth
Brentford came from a goal down to beat Bournemouth at Vitality Stadium and register a fifth successive Premier League away win.
The hosts went in front when a Milos Kerkez cross went in off the shoulder of Brentford midfielder Vitaly Janelt.
However, Bournemouth’s lead lasted for only 13 minutes as Yoane Wissa headed in his 14th Premier League goal of the season from Bryan Mbeumo’s corner.
Brentford captain Christian Norgaard swept home the visitors’ winner when Bournemouth failed to clear a second-half long throw into their penalty area.
With Carabao Cup finalists Newcastle not in Premier League action and Manchester City drawing against Brighton earlier on Saturday, a Bournemouth win would have lifted them to sixth in the table.
However, their prospects of qualifying for Europe were dented as their winless Premier League run was extended to four matches.
Bournemouth stay ninth in the table, three points above 11th-placed Brentford, who remain on the fringes of the race for Europe.

Fulham Strengthen Bid For Europe
Fulham strengthened their bid for a European place by beating Tottenham at home for a second consecutive season, the first time they have achieved that in 19 years.
Rodrigo Muniz and Ryan Sessegnon scored in the closing 15 minutes to breathe life into what had been a largely drab Premier League London derby.
Fulham’s Timothy Castagne was the only player to send a shot on target in the first half and the next such attempt came via Tottenham’s Ben Davies in the 65th minute.
Spurs looked the most likely to break the deadlock as the second half progressed, with Dominic Solanke spurning three opportunities that included one at an open goal from five yards.
However, substitute Muniz, who scored twice when Fulham beat Tottenham 3-0 at Craven Cottage last season, put the hosts in front in the 75th minute with a cool side-footed finish.
Victory moves Fulham up to eighth in the standings and just four points adrift of fourth-placed Chelsea, while Tottenham remain 13th after another grim weekend for Ange Postecoglou.

City Stumble, Again
Manchester City stumbled again in the battle to secure a return to the Champions League as they were pegged back twice by fellow top-five challengers Brighton in an entertaining encounter at Etihad Stadium.
Erling Haaland became the first player to reach 100 Premier League goal involvements in fewer than 100 games when he marked his 94th appearance in the competition with his 84th goal by sending Brighton keeper Bart Verbruggen the wrong way with his 11th-minute penalty.
In a game of superb goals, Pervis Estupinan levelled with a curling free-kick that bounced in off a post, although City keeper Stefan Ortega, in for injured first-choice Ederson, did not cover himself in glory as he initially moved to his right before changing direction and eventually watching the ball go in with a shocked look on his face.
Forest Boost Top Four Chances
Nottingham Forest underlined their top-four credentials with a comfortable Premier League win over relegation-threatened Ipswich at Portman Road.
The result had moved Forest just a point behind second-placed Arsenal, who later beat Chelsea, and ever closer to Champions League football next term.
On an afternoon when Nuno Espirito Santo celebrated his 50th top-flight match in charge of Forest, his side ruthlessly exposed Ipswich’s defensive frailties in a devastating seven-minute period during the first half.
Nikola Milenkovic opened the scoring for the visitors with a rising shot from eight yards after home forward Liam Delap had inadvertently nodded the ball into the Serbia defender’s path.
And just over two minutes later Forest doubled their lead, as the Tractor Boys imploded.
However, George Hirst’s late goal at least allowed the home side to end the contest on a positive note.
Kieran McKenna’s Ipswich remain 18th – and are the only club in the top four divisions of English football without a league win in 2025.

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SWAN Rivers Set-up Five Functional Committees

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The Sports Writers Association of Nigeria ( SWAN) Rivers State Chapter has set up five standing working committees on Tuesday, in its general congress.

The  Chairman of the association, Cyril Dum Wite, while setting up the committees said the reason was to ensure that SWAN in Rivers chapter is active and to carry every member along.
According to him, his administration is an all inclusive and open door policy, adding that only executive members cannot achieve the desired achievements and want every member to be involved.
“We set up these committees to ensure the association is active and carry every member along so that we can achieve our desired goal.
“You are aware only executive members cannot make real success, that is why we must involve every member.
“Besides, my administration is all inclusive and open door policy”, Dum Wite said.
The Secretary of SWAN Rivers chapter, Comrade Tonye Orabere, while inaugurating the committees urge members of various committees to take their responsibilities serious.
He further advised them to put in their best so that the association in the State will vibrant, active and achieve set goals.
“I urge every committee member to take the responsibilities of your committee seriously, you know SWAN Rivers is one of the most vibrant chapters in Nigeria, so please let us maintain that” Com. Orabere said.
Responding on behalf the committees members, the Chairman of SWAN WEEK/AWARD Committee and National Ex-officio, China Acheru, assured members that they will not fail the association, as they will carry out their functions adequately and deligently.
The committees and members are; SWAN WEEK/AWARD COMMITTEE
China Acheru – Chairman
Emeka Dennar- Secretary
Ufuoma Idasirue – member
Martins Giadom – Member
Florence Ibisiki – Member
MENTORSHIP COMMITTEE
Vice Chairman – Evang . Obum Akawor- Chairman
Com. Tonye Orabere – Secretary
Amb. Didi Phina Ojogwu
Member
Francis Edookor – member
Emeka Dennar – member
WORKSHOP/ SEMINAR COMMITTEE
Carl Orakwue – Chairman
Ufuoma Egbamuno- secretary
Amb. Jim Opiki – member
Christian Osakwe.            – member
Pst. Ibikari Kala Ogolo – member
SPORTS/RECREATION COMMITTEE
Viura Lezigha – Chairman
Faith Oluchi.  – secretary
Kalu Mba – member
Kwame Victor Sampong- member
Williams Birai – member
WELFARE COMMITTEE
Amb. Didi Phina Ojogwu  – Chairman
Sotonye Jamaica- Secretary
Kalu Mba- member
Tonye Orabere
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‘NTF Will Build On Davis Cup Success For Brighter Future’

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NIGERIA had one of its brightest days in international tennis on Sunday, February 8, 2026, when its team defeated Uzbekistan 3-1 to qualify for the Davis Cup World Group 11.

At the playoff held at the Lagos Lawn Tennis Club, Onikan, the team of Canice Abua, Michael Emmanuel, Daniel Adeleye, and Abubakar Yusuf was majestic as they restored Nigeria’s hope in a sport that once gave the country so much joy.

Speaking after the final game, Nigeria Tennis Federation (NTF) President, Victor Ochei, said the Davis Cup feat is the stepping stone to better days in the sport, adding that the federation has set up programmes that will help the budding talents across the country play at the same level as their counterparts in other tennis-developed countries.

Ochei said: “The whole aim of having this new board is to lift the sport to the level we used to be. I tell you, tennis is taking a new shape in Nigeria. We are putting everything and anything to make that work happen.”

Ochei said that the NTF has looked at sponsorships and how to get the emerging players compete at the same level with their peers elsewhere, adding that the federation is working on organising local competitions and helping the players to compete in international championships.

“We believe that with what we are doing now, sponsors will come to us to organise new competitions. But beyond that, there’s a strategic growth development plan, a 10-year development plan, which the board is working on.

“The programme will ensure that we catch them young. This is because we believe that to create champions, we must start grooming them early. The champions you are seeing today were those groomed yesterday.”

“The process of building new champions will include building the coaches, the players, the infrastructure and sensitising the parents so that we can start catching them as young as age five to six.

“By the time that we groom them through 10 years of training, at age 15, 16, you will see fantastic professional players.”

To achieve the federation’s plans, Ochei admits that the NTF needs a lot of investment, adding that the board is working at realising the funds quietly and tenaciously.

The NTF president acknowledged the contributions of former international stars like Nduka Odizor and Sadiq Abdullahi to the bid to rejuvenate Nigerian tennis, adding that NTF is open to collaborating with former players who know what it takes to play at the highest level of the sport.

He said, “Nduka Odizor is around as one of our VIP personalities. He has been psyching up the boys in the battle with Uzbekistan. He will not enter the court to play, but his mere presence is enough motivation to the boys, who will want to be like him in the future.

“You see, the type of support the Odizors, the Imonities and the Abdullahis got in their time is no longer there, but we are revamping it with the support of our stakeholders in the Diaspora.

“It will appear to take us some time, but I can tell you that the Diaspora support is massive.”

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NSC Disburses N200m Training Grants To 26 Athletes

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In its bid to get good results in this year’s Commonwealth Games, the National Sports Commission (NSC) has disbursed N200 million as training grants to 26 athletes.

The 2026 Commonwealth Games will be held in Glasgow, Scotland.

The NSC stated that the grants were disbursed through its Elite and Podium Board, noting that N200 million was allocated to select top-performing athletes.

The beneficiaries are both foreign-based and home-based, the NSC said, adding that it will cater for their training and preparation expenses.

According to the NSC, the recipients span several sports, including athletics, wrestling, weightlifting, and para-sports, in line with the Commission’s mandate to prioritise athletes’ welfare and high-performance development.

The Commission added that the disbursement follows the establishment of the Elite and Podium Board, created to implement a scientific and institutionalised support system aimed at sustaining peak performances by Nigerian athletes at major international competitions.

NSC Director General, Bukola Olopade, said the Commission, under the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, was established to restore confidence and provide renewed hope for Nigerian sportsmen and women by placing strong emphasis on athlete welfare.

“The training grants disbursed to 26 athletes across different sports followed a careful and professional selection process by the Yusuf Ali-led Elite and Podium Board. This is our way of reassuring our athletes that their welfare remains our utmost priority,” he said.

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