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West Ham’s Bowen Questions VAR Consistency After Wilson’s Equalizer Rule Out

Football - Premier League - West Ham United v Arsenal - London Stadium, London, Britain - May 10, 2026 General view of the big screen after West Ham United's Callum Wilson goal that was later disallowed. (Action Images via Reuters)
Football - Premier League - West Ham United v Arsenal - London Stadium, London, Britain - May 10, 2026 General view of the big screen after West Ham United's Callum Wilson goal that was later disallowed. (Action Images via Reuters)
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West Ham’s Bowen Questions VAR Consistency After Wilson’s Equalizer Rule Out

Football - Premier League - West Ham United v Arsenal - London Stadium, London, Britain - May 10, 2026 General view of the big screen after West Ham United's Callum Wilson goal that was later disallowed. (Action Images via Reuters)
Football - Premier League - West Ham United v Arsenal - London Stadium, London, Britain - May 10, 2026 General view of the big screen after West Ham United's Callum Wilson goal that was later disallowed. (Action Images via Reuters)

West Ham United captain ‌Jarrod Bowen questioned the consistency of VAR reviews after Callum Wilson’s stoppage-time equalizer against Arsenal on Sunday was controversially ruled out.

Wilson fired home in a goalmouth scramble following a corner, but his effort was disallowed for a foul on Arsenal keeper David Raya after a lengthy VAR check.

"When you look at the screen for five minutes, you'll find something - a lot of grappling and a lot of holding," ‌Bowen told ‌the BBC. "I'm sure if you look ‌long ⁠enough, you'll find ⁠something. Do I think it's the right decision? No.

"Where's the consistency? As a fan you don't want to celebrate a goal and then wait eight minutes and it's taken off you."

Arsenal have previously faced criticism for crowding goalkeepers at corners, while Bowen ⁠also pointed to a decision earlier this ‌month when West Ham ‌were denied a penalty during a 3-0 loss at ‌Brentford after Tomas Soucek was held in the ‌box.

"Corners are physical. The Premier League is physical. That's why everyone loves it," Bowen added.

"You have to expect contact at corners. If you give that you have to ‌give all the holding calls in the world and that's not the way ⁠people want ⁠the game to go down."

The defeat left West Ham 18th in the league, one point from safety, while Arsenal extended their lead to five points over Manchester City.

VAR has come under intense scrutiny this season, with a survey by a football supporters group in March showing 75% of Premier League fans do not support the continued use of the system.

The Premier League says VAR has led to more accurate outcomes while remaining less disruptive than in other European competitions.

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Sports

Man City Boss Guardiola Backs Marmoush to Play Big Role in Run-in

Football - Premier League - Manchester City v Brentford - Etihad Stadium, Manchester, Britain - May 9, 2026 Manchester City's Omar Marmoush celebrates scoring their third goal. (Action Images via Reuters)
Football - Premier League - Manchester City v Brentford - Etihad Stadium, Manchester, Britain - May 9, 2026 Manchester City's Omar Marmoush celebrates scoring their third goal. (Action Images via Reuters)
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Man City Boss Guardiola Backs Marmoush to Play Big Role in Run-in

Football - Premier League - Manchester City v Brentford - Etihad Stadium, Manchester, Britain - May 9, 2026 Manchester City's Omar Marmoush celebrates scoring their third goal. (Action Images via Reuters)
Football - Premier League - Manchester City v Brentford - Etihad Stadium, Manchester, Britain - May 9, 2026 Manchester City's Omar Marmoush celebrates scoring their third goal. (Action Images via Reuters)

Pep Guardiola expects Manchester City striker Omar Marmoush to have a key role in the closing stages of the English season.

City have four games left this campaign, including the FA Cup final, in a busy 12-day spell that could yet see them finish with a domestic treble following their League Cup success.

Such is City's squad strength, Egypt forward Marmoush has made just seven Premier League starts this season, but he proved his worth with a goal off the bench in Saturday's 3-0 defeat of Brentford.

City manager Guardiola now hopes Marmoush and other fringe players can step up when called upon as his side, who have a game in hand, look to overhaul a five-point gap to Premier League leaders Arsenal with three matches to play.

"We've talked many times," said Guardiola. "I know it's not easy for them, but I'm pretty sure in the next games they're going to play.

"I want to rotate the team because otherwise we cannot arrive in the final or Bournemouth a little bit (fresh).

"Especially Omar. It's not easy because normally you just want one striker. He's a proper striker but Erling (Haaland) is there.

"Erling is so important for us but the contribution of Omar -- the amount of goals for the minutes played -- is so high."

The prolific form of Haaland has been largely responsible for Marmoush's prolonged spell on the sidelines, with the Norway international Haaland scoring his 50th goal of the season for club and country at the weekend.

"It's incredible, and there was a period when he was so tired in November when he came back from Norway qualification," said Guardiola.

"It was a struggle."

Sports

Argentine Plazas Buzz with World Cup Sticker Trading Fever

This photograph taken in Namur on May 6, 2026, shows Panini collectible stickers featuring Belgian football players for the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup hosted by the US, Canada and Mexico. (AFP)
This photograph taken in Namur on May 6, 2026, shows Panini collectible stickers featuring Belgian football players for the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup hosted by the US, Canada and Mexico. (AFP)
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Argentine Plazas Buzz with World Cup Sticker Trading Fever

This photograph taken in Namur on May 6, 2026, shows Panini collectible stickers featuring Belgian football players for the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup hosted by the US, Canada and Mexico. (AFP)
This photograph taken in Namur on May 6, 2026, shows Panini collectible stickers featuring Belgian football players for the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup hosted by the US, Canada and Mexico. (AFP)

With just under a month until the FIFA World Cup kicks off, thousands of people are filling Argentine plazas strategizing to win a different game that has become a beloved part of the quadrennial competition: collecting and trading stickers to complete the official World Cup stickerbook.

For more than half a century, Panini stickerbooks have been a treasured part of the World Cup experience, with schools, plazas and even offices becoming zones to barter for coveted rare stickers and duplicates laid out ready to be discarded.

In South America, swapping stickers is even more important than simply collecting them, with WhatsApp groups, apps and websites popping up to facilitate the trades.

On Sunday, throngs of people gathered in the heart of Buenos Aires exchanging multicolored decks of stickers with the faces of some of the world’s most famous football players.

Children cradle books where they carefully paste the stickers.

“This connects you with the world. Everyone does it,” said Juan Valora, a fan who was collecting stickers with his girlfriend. “And if this was virtual, you wouldn’t be face to face looking at the cards and trading them. I think you’d miss out a bit on the human touch.”

Panini launched its largest sticker collection ever for this World Cup, coinciding with the increase in participating countries from 32 to 48. Each pack contains seven stickers, and the price in both Argentina and Uruguay is around $1.50. The legendary stickerbooks, which can sell online for thousands of dollars, will come to an end after the 2030 World Cup when Fanatics takes over as FIFA’s exclusive sticker partner.

Some sticker collectors now avoid trading by buying boxes of up to 104 sticker packs for $180, payable in installments, and bundled packages with albums. Even the so-called “rare” stickers, like those of Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo or Kylian Mbappé, are available.

“It’s a way to avoid spending extra money to finally complete it,” said Matías Inglesi, a software developer and father of 9-year-old Lucas, who spends about $20 a week on the hobby.

For many children, completing the album is an even more cherished goal than their national team winning the World Cup, and parents, eager to please them, take over to help them meet their goal.

Child psychologist Agustina Zerbinatti says that more than just a fun challenge, the activity helps children develop fine motor skills and learn, “from geography, knowing which languages are spoken in each country, number sequencing and notions of cardinality and ordinality.”

Sports

African Players in Europe: Rare Marmoush Goal Clinches City Win

Omar Marmoush (C) of Manchester City celebrates his goal during the English Premier League match between Manchester City and Brentford FC, in Manchester, Britain, 09 May 2026. (EPA)
Omar Marmoush (C) of Manchester City celebrates his goal during the English Premier League match between Manchester City and Brentford FC, in Manchester, Britain, 09 May 2026. (EPA)
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African Players in Europe: Rare Marmoush Goal Clinches City Win

Omar Marmoush (C) of Manchester City celebrates his goal during the English Premier League match between Manchester City and Brentford FC, in Manchester, Britain, 09 May 2026. (EPA)
Omar Marmoush (C) of Manchester City celebrates his goal during the English Premier League match between Manchester City and Brentford FC, in Manchester, Britain, 09 May 2026. (EPA)

A rare Omar Marmoush goal sealed a 3-0 win for second-placed Manchester City over Brentford in the Premier League at the weekend.

It was only the second league goal this season for the 27-year-old Egypt striker, who ran on to an Erling Haaland pass and fired past goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher.

City trail Arsenal by five points with a game in hand. The Gunners edged West Ham United 1-0 and can clinch the title with victories at home to Burnley and away against Crystal Palace

AFP Sport highlights African headline-makers in the major European leagues:

ENGLAND

OMAR MARMOUSH (Manchester City)

The Egyptian was sent on to partner Haaland up front as Pep Guardiola chased goals at 0-0 early in the second half and the two combined as Marmoush produced a clinical finish from the Norwegian's pass.

YANKUBA MINTEH (Brighton)

Minteh helped fire in-form Brighton into the top six with the third goal in a 3-0 rout of already-relegated Wolves. The Gambia international started and finished a flowing team move before blasting in at the near post for his third goal of the season.

ISMAILA SARR (Crystal Palace)

Sarr took his tally for an impressive season to 20 goals as Palace secured survival in a 2-2 draw with Everton. The Senegal international blasted home at the second attempt after his initial effort was blocked.

BETO (Everton)

Beto was also on target at Selhurst Park with a brilliant individual run and finish past Dean Henderson. The Guinea-Bisseau international's 10th goal of the season put the Toffees in front, but they could not hold on as a draw dented their push for European qualification

SPAIN

EZ ABDE (Real Betis)

The Morocco winger scored with a superb finish into the top corner after bursting down the left and into the box as his Betis side drew 2-2 at Real Sociedad. Abde, 24, has been in brilliant form with five goals in his last six appearances for the Andalucian side.

AKOR ADAMS (Sevilla)

Nigeria striker Adams grabbed a vital goal in stoppage time to claim Sevilla a 2-1 win over Espanyol, which could help them avoid relegation. The 26-year-old has scored twice in his last four matches to help Sevilla climb away from danger.

GERMANY

BAZOUMANA TOURE (Hoffenheim)

Ivory Coast striker Toure scored the only goal in a crucial 1-0 win over Werder Bremen that saw Hoffenheim stay in the race for Champions League qualification. Toure curled in a smart finish on 25 minutes to score his third goal in five games and keep Hoffenheim level on points with fourth-place Stuttgart going into the final day of the season.

EDMOND TAPSOBA (Bayer Leverkusen)

Burkinabe defender Tapsoba conceded a decisive penalty in a 3-1 defeat to Stuttgart that dashed Leverkusen's hopes of Champions League qualification. Tapsoba tripped Ermedin Demirovic in the box shortly before half-time, allowing Maximilian Mittelstadt to put Stuttgart 2-1 up after Leverkusen had taken an early lead.

SERHOU GUIRASSY (Borussia Dortmund)

Guirassy scored the leveler as Dortmund came from a goal down to beat Eintracht Frankfurt 3-1 to lock in second spot. The Guinea international got just enough onto a Julian Ryerson assist to flick it into the corner of the goal for his 16th strike of the Bundesliga campaign.