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Chelsea delivered a stunning performance at Stamford Bridge, beating Aston Villa 3-0 to move level on points with Arsenal.
Goals from Nicolas Jackson, Enzo Fernandez, and Cole Palmer sealed the Blues’ fourth consecutive league victory, while extending Villa’s winless run to eight games.
Jackson opened the scoring in the 11th minute. Marc Cucurella’s strong challenge on Jaden Philogene led to a cross for Jackson, who calmly finished off the post.
Chelsea doubled their lead in the Premier League clash just before halftime when Fernandez struck a sublime half-volley after a clever one-two with Palmer.
Aston Villa, struggling to replicate last season’s form, had a rare chance through Ollie Watkins, but the striker was denied by Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez.
Things worsened for Villa as Emiliano Martinez suffered an arm injury following a collision with Jackson, forcing the Argentine off at halftime.
In the second half, Chelsea continued their dominance, with Palmer adding a late stunner.
The 21-year-old curled a brilliant shot into the top corner from outside the box, capping off an impressive team display.
Substitute Joao Felix nearly added a fourth, but his header was saved by Robin Olsen.
Unai Emery’s side offered little resistance, with only John McGinn’s stoppage-time shot troubling Chelsea.
Chelsea, although third in the league table, are now level on points (25}, with Arsenal, who are second.
Mamelodi Sundowns moved level with Orlando Pirates at the top of the Betway Premiership standings after beating Sekhukhune United 3-0 at Loftus on Saturday.
The defending champions took the lead when Sekhukhune defender Tresor Tshibwabwa turned the ball into his own net while Arthur Sales netted his first goal for Masandawana before Iqraam Rayners found the back of the net late on.
It took Sundowns 22 minutes to open the scoring when they found space down the left and Aubrey Modiba sent in a low cross that saw Tshibwabwa score an own goal going for sliding clearance. The visitors were a threat on attack in the first half and Keletso Makgalwa had their best opportunity but was denied by Ronwen Williams.
The hosts were then awarded a penalty early in the second half when goalkeeper Badra Ali Sangare was adjudged to have brought down Rayners inside the box with the contact looking minimal. Brazilian forward Sales was given the responsibility and made no mistake from the spot to give Sundowns a two-goal cushion.
Williams was again called into action, making brilliant save from Vuyo Letlapa’s effort that looked destined for the back of the net. Sundowns then completed the scoring for the contest in the 89th minute when Rayners remained composed just inside the box and curled a beauty into the top corner.
The victory moved Masandawana level on 21 points with the Buccaneers but the Soweto giants can take the outright lead again with a win or draw against Stellenbosch on Sunday.
- Additional information by SABC Online.
Bitcoin’s correlation with gold prices has fallen to its lowest level in nearly a year following Donald Trump’s recent election victory on Nov. 5.
According to K33 Research, the 30-day correlation between Bitcoin and gold stands at -0.36, its lowest level since December 2023. In correlation terms, a value of 1 signifies a perfect positive relationship, where both assets move in tandem, while -1 reflects a perfect negative correlation, indicating they move in opposite directions.
Historically, Bitcoin and gold have often moved independently. This lack of consistent alignment is evident in recent price movements, with BTC reaching new highs toward $90,000 as gold prices declined.
This trend suggests that investors favor BTC over traditional safe-haven assets like gold. A key driver of this shift is the belief that a second term for Trump could provide regulatory clarity, fueling growth for Bitcoin and the broader crypto market.
So, as BTC gains recognition as “digital gold,” its appeal as a hedge against inflation and economic uncertainty continues to attract institutional and retail investors. Gold, meanwhile, may be losing traction as some investors reallocate funds to BTC, drawn by the prospect of higher returns in the burgeoning digital asset space.
Ademola Lookman was in action as Atalanta bounced back from a goal to defeat Maduka Okoye’s Udinese in Sunday Serie A game.
Lookman played full time while Okoye also was in action throughout as Atalanta moved level with Serie A leaders Napoli.
Mario Pasalic’s first-time strike 11 minutes after the break and an unfortunate own goal from Isaak Toure moments later gave Atalanta their sixth straight league win.
Gian Piero Gasperini’s side are second, joined on 25 points with Napoli who take on Inter Milan later on Sunday.
Atalanta trail Napoli despite having a significantly better goal difference as they have played a game more and in any case cannot finish the day in top spot.
Inter are a point behind the leading pair in third place so whatever happens at the San Siro either the champions or Napoli will lead the pack come Sunday night.
Regardless Atalanta have won eight in their all-competitions unbeaten run of 10 matches and have deserved to be considered contenders for what would be their first ever Serie A title.
Under Gasperini and the guidance of the Percassi family, who are from Bergamo, Atalanta have slowly worked their way up from provincal also-rans to become one of Italy’s top teams and last season’s Europa League winners.
Gasperini has admitted in recent weeks that his team can be considered Scudetto hopefuls and they showed resilience to battle back from going behind on the stroke of halftime to a thunderous strike from Hassane Kamara.
Udinese, who fully deserved to lead at the break following a brilliant first-half display, sit eighth on 16 points after their third straight defeat.
Fiorentina and Lazio can move back level on points with Atalanta later in their respective matches against Verona and Monza.
Crisis club Roma host Bologna with Italian media reporting that coach Ivan Juric will be sacked regardless of the result at the Stadio Olimpico, with Roberto Mancini the leading candidate to take over.
Yobe State Governor, Mai Mala Buni, has reaffirmed the government’s dedication to combating HIV/AIDS and reducing its prevalence to zero in the state.
This was during a meeting with the Zonal Director of the National Agency for the Control of HIV/AIDS, Mr. John Tobias, where the Governor, represented by his Deputy, Idi Barde Gubana, directed the Commissioner for Health and Human Services to develop a plan for an awareness campaign to address behaviors that promote the spread of the virus and stigma.
Additionally, the Governor instructed all healthcare centers to provide testing kits and encourage individuals to get tested.
He also urged medical practitioners to collaborate with traditional healers to combat the disease and called for a close partnership between the two institutions to explore the efficacy of traditional medicine in fighting HIV/AIDS.
Buni commended the National Agency for the Control of Aids and the State Agency for combating the HIV/AIDS scourge.
The Zonal Director, Mr. John Tobias, appealed to the state government to engage religious leaders in sensitizing the public on the importance of regular testing and reducing stigma.
Meanwhile, the Executive Director of the State Agency for the Control of Aids, Dr. Jibrin Adamu Damazai, expressed concern over advertisements promoting unscientifically proven herbal cures for HIV, a development he said was leading to silent deaths across the state.
The governorship candidate of the Labour Party, Olumide Akpata has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to provide a level playing field for the election.
Akpata, who voted at about 10:30 am, stressed that nobody should be given any undue advantage.
The Labour Party candidate said, “I am calling on INEC that the playing field should remain level, nobody should be given any undue advantage, all of our agents should be allowed into collation centres, the agent of all parties, nobody should be hindered, prevented from going into the collation centre, so that we can all witness the process and be able to confirm that it was done in the manner as provided by law, the Electoral Act and the Constitution.
“All eyes are on INEC, the entire country is focused on INEC and we are hoping that they will do a good job.
“It is left to be seen if the heavy deployment of security personnel to Edo are for the people or for the certain individual.
“All party agents should be allowed into our collation centres, so that we can all witness the process.
“Edo election is an off cycle election so INEC should have the luxury of deploying its resources to show the world that they can do it well.
“‘The playing field should be totally levelled to allow the best man or women to win.
“I am hearing some concerning feedback from around the state but I cannot make any statement until I verify the source of my information.
“We have crossed one hurdle, I have voted and my supporters should be allowed to vote.”
Vice President Kashim Shettima, has said that the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Senator Monday Okpebholo, is the right man to take Edo State to the next level.
According to report Vice President Shettima made the remarks in Benin City at the grand finale campaign rally in support of the party’s candidate ahead of next Saturday’s governorship election.
He assured the people of the state of the Federal Government’s commitment to supporting the incoming government’s efforts to develop the state.
The vice president, who described the APC candidate as a seasoned leader with a proven track record of excellence, assured that the Federal Government would work tirelessly to ensure that Edo State receives the support it deserves.
While stressing the importance of unity and peace in achieving progress, he noted that the signing of the peace accord by the party without hesitation shows its dedication to putting the interests of Edo above all else.
He noted that with the increase in allocation to states, the incoming government would have the resources to bankroll developmental projects in the state.
According to him, “I am a man who feels it all and has a story to tell. I understand the struggles of Edo State, and I am committed to being part of the solution.”
In his remarks, the National Chairman of the party, Alhaji Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, urged the electorate to vote en masse for the APC candidate on Sept 21.
“The clouds of intimidation have lifted, and the ground is fertile for our party’s vision to flourish. Edo has become a symbol of literary and economic resurgence,” he stated.
He also praised the state’s party leadership, adding that their commitment to the party is unwavering, and acknowledged their tireless efforts.
In his address, shortly after receiving the party’s flag, Okpebholo promised to revive the economy of the state, describing the eight years of Governor Godwin Obaseki’s government as a failure.
Okpebholo said Edo people had suffered for long and voting out the PDP remained the only way to stop it.
“Our mumu don do, and by voting for the APC, we are voting for education, security, social infrastructure, good healthcare services, and agriculture.”
“Under agriculture, we are going to provide loans for our farmers and soft loans for our market women,” he added.
He promised to employ 10,000 teachers, half of whom, he said, would be employed within the first 100 days in office.
The APC candidate described the state of basic education in the state as dire, saying there were no teachers in basic schools.
He also promised to declare a state of emergency on infrastructure, decrying the deplorable state of roads in the state.
Other APC stalwarts who canvassed votes for the party’s candidate at the rally included the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, Senator Adams Oshiomhole, and Governor Bassey Otu of Cross River, who is the chairman of the national governorship campaign council for the state election.
The rally was attended by a massive crowd of APC supporters, state governors from across the six geopolitical zones of the country, among others.
Apparently baffled by the figure of 133 million Nigerians living below extreme poverty lines, coupled with records from International Rescue Committee (IRC) which also pointed out that in the first three quarters of 2024, about 32 million Nigerians were exposed to acute hunger, the leadership of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), has made urgent call on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to halt the planned nationwide protest with immediate solution by preventing hunger in the land.
NLC President, Comrade Joe Ajaero, who made the call, in a message sent to LEADERSHIP on Monday, cited the frightening statistics as reason for his call urgent call.
Similarly, Ajaero pointed out that as more people are joining the Labour market on daily basis, the risk of angry and hungry mouths in the country could increase level of insecurity. “The truth is that Nigerians have been hard pushed and super pressed right against the walls of deep deprivation and acute want.”
Thus, as the date for the widely reported national protest looms, NLC again calls on Tinubu to invite the leadership of the protest movement for discussions on their grievances.
Ajaero reiterating his call, said it became imperative in order to forestall the repeat of EndSARs experience that left very bitter and unforgettable experience in many homes.
Claiming that indeed millions of Nigerians are angry based on the state of the national economy, Ajaero noted that “in a situation where most Nigerian families are forced to eat one miserable meal a day and eating from the dustbin is now seen as luxury, beckons for serious intervention by government.
“It is very difficult to tell a Nigerian who has lost his or her job due to the current economic downturn to maintain their cool. It is very tough to advise a nursing mother who is unsure where the next meal for her suckling child is coming from to be at ease. It is a herculean task to demand patience from a youth who has been out of school for the past six years without a job and is burdened with aged parents to cater for.
“During this very difficult times, the right of Nigerians to complain must be fully respected. The Organised Labour movement led by the NLC has had cause in recent times to protest against the crushing suffering in the land brought about by the harsh economic policies of government including the astronomical hike in the price of refined petroleum products,” he said.