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Arsenal Closes in on Premier League Leader Liverpool after 2-1 Win over Tottenham

15 January 2025, United Kingdom, London: Arsenal players celebrate following the English Premier League soccer match between Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur at Emirates Stadium. Photo: Bradley Collyer/PA Wire/dpa
15 January 2025, United Kingdom, London: Arsenal players celebrate following the English Premier League soccer match between Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur at Emirates Stadium. Photo: Bradley Collyer/PA Wire/dpa
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Arsenal Closes in on Premier League Leader Liverpool after 2-1 Win over Tottenham

15 January 2025, United Kingdom, London: Arsenal players celebrate following the English Premier League soccer match between Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur at Emirates Stadium. Photo: Bradley Collyer/PA Wire/dpa
15 January 2025, United Kingdom, London: Arsenal players celebrate following the English Premier League soccer match between Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur at Emirates Stadium. Photo: Bradley Collyer/PA Wire/dpa

Arsenal closed the gap on Premier League leader Liverpool to four points after a 2-1 victory over Tottenham on Wednesday.
Mikel Arteta’s team took advantage of Liverpool’s draw with Nottingham Forest on Tuesday, with Leandro Trossard firing the winner in the north London derby at the Emirates Stadium.
“Everybody knows you need to win these games, the fans are buzzing and it’s a great night for us,” Trossard said. “It’s an amazing feeling, especially to get the winner as well, it had to come and now we need to look forward.”
Arsenal was runner-up to Manchester City in the last two seasons and is in contention for the title again this year. But it was given a fright by Spurs when Son Heung-min opened the scoring for the visitors in the 25th minute.
A Dominic Solanke own goal when trying to defend a corner leveled the game in the 40th and Trossard struck low from just inside the box four minutes later to put Arsenal ahead.
Liverpool still has a game in hand on second-place Arsenal but has dropped points by drawing its last two league matches and is on a run of just one win in four in all competitions. That was against fourth-division Accrington Stanley in the FA Cup, The Associated Press reported.
Arsenal bounced back quickly after the disappointment of being knocked out of the FA Cup by Manchester United on penalties and opened up a two-point lead over Forest in third.
“Less than 72 hours ago we played 120 minutes in another competition that we went out of — that is not easy psychologically. So the way we performed and played today was exceptional,” Arteta said.
Tottenham has won just one of its last nine games in the league.
“The losses hurt me but they aren’t acceptable. We have had too many losses this year and too many games that have got away from us. That needs to stop,” head coach Ange Postecoglou said.
Isak on target again Alexander Isak scored for the eighth straight league game to propel Newcastle into the top four.
The Sweden international struck twice in a 3-0 victory over Wolverhampton to take his season total to 17 in all competitions. He became the fourth player to score in eight consecutive games in the Premier League, following Ruud van Nistelrooy, Jamie Vardy and Daniel Sturridge.
Vardy scored a league record 11-straight games.
“Like most strikers, Isak wants to practice his finishing. It is an art form. He is there after training every day trying to do more,” Newcastle manager Eddie Howe said.
Isak's form has pushed Newcastle into Champions League contention. He's scored 12 in his last 10 games in all competitions and Newcastle is on a nine-match winning streak.
Isak opened the scoring in the 34th against relegation-threatened Wolverhampton at St James' Park. He got his second in the 57th and Anthony maintained his own scoring form with his fourth goal in successive games.
Howe's team is now one point ahead of fifth-place Chelsea.
Unhappy homecoming for Moyes David Moyes' return to Everton didn't get off to the start he wanted after a 1-0 loss to Aston Villa.
In his second spell at the Merseyside club, Moyes took charge of his 519th game as Everton manager and was welcomed by the Goodison Park crowd.
But he couldn't inspire his relegation-threatened team to victory as Ollie Watkins' goal six minutes into the second half sealed Villa's win.
Everton is 16th in the standings and a point above the bottom three.
Moyes' immediate priority is to find goals from somewhere. Everton has failed to score in nine of its last 11 league games.
Leicester slumping The hiring of Ruud van Nistelrooy hasn't paid off for Leicester yet.
A 2-0 loss at home to Crystal Palace leaves the 2016 champion second from bottom of the standings and without a league win since Van Nistelrooy's first game in charge at the start of December.
It's now six straight defeats in the league, with Jean-Philippe Mateta and Marc Guehi scoring for Palace in the second half at the King Power Stadium.
“Six without a win is not good enough. You can’t keep talking about performances. We need to win and that needs to happen soon,” Van Nistelrooy said.
United drops Manchester United doesn't play until Thursday, but Palace's win saw the record 20-time champion slip to 15th in the standings.
Ruben Amorim's team plays last-place Southampton at Old Trafford.

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IOC Boss Coventry Hails Milano Cortina Games a Success

20 February 2026, Italy, Milan: President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Kirsty Coventry holds a press conference. (dpa)
20 February 2026, Italy, Milan: President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Kirsty Coventry holds a press conference. (dpa)
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IOC Boss Coventry Hails Milano Cortina Games a Success

20 February 2026, Italy, Milan: President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Kirsty Coventry holds a press conference. (dpa)
20 February 2026, Italy, Milan: President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Kirsty Coventry holds a press conference. (dpa)

The Milano Cortina Olympics exceeded expectations despite a shaky build-up, IOC President Kirsty Coventry said on Friday, hailing the first spread-out Winter Games a success.

"These Games are truly ... successful in a new way of doing things, in a sustainable way of doing things, in a way that I think many people thought maybe we couldn't do, or couldn't be done well, and it's been done extremely well, and it's surpassed everyone's expectations," Coventry told a press conference.

It was the International Olympic Committee chief's clearest endorsement yet of a format that split events across several Alpine clusters rather than concentrating them in one host city.

Her assessment came after two weeks in which organizers sought to prove that a geographically dispersed Games could still deliver a consistent athlete experience.

The smooth delivery ‌comes after years ‌of logistical and political challenges, including construction delays at Milan’s Santagiulia Arena ‌and ⁠controversy over building ⁠a new sliding center in Cortina against IOC advice.

Organizers have also faced isolated disruptions during the Games, such as suspected sabotage on rail lines and protests in Milan over housing and environmental issues.

Transport concerns across the dispersed venues have been mitigated by limited cross-regional travel among spectators, though some competitors had to walk to the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium in heavy snowfall that stopped traffic.

Central to the success of the Games, Coventry argued, was the effort to standardize conditions across multiple athlete villages despite the distances separating venues from Cortina d’Ampezzo to ⁠Livigno and Bormio.

Italian athletes’ performances also helped ticket sales, which amounted to ‌about 1.4 million.

"And the athletes are extremely happy. And they're happy ‌because the experiences that the MiCo (Milano Cortina) team and my team delivered to them have been the same," she ‌said.

Mixed relay silver medalist Tommaso Giacomel did, however, lament the fact there was no Olympic village near ‌the Antholz-Anterselva Biathlon Arena and that competitors were dotted around different hotels near the venue instead of in one place.

TWO OPENING CEREMONIES

Two opening ceremonies were held - the main one at Milan’s San Siro stadium and a more low-key parade on Cortina d’Ampezzo's Corso Italia, where athletes and spectators were within touching distance.

Feedback from competitors suggested the more intimate ‌settings had in some cases enhanced the Olympic atmosphere, Coventry said, taking the Cortina opening ceremony as an example.

The Zimbabwean, presiding over her first Games ⁠as IOC chief after elections in ⁠2025, framed Milano Cortina as proof of concept for future hosts grappling with rising costs and climate constraints, while acknowledging adjustments would follow.

"It allows us to really look at ourselves and look at the things that we have in place and how we're then going to make certain adjustments for the future," she said.

Beyond logistics, Coventry pointed to the broader impact of the Games, highlighting gender balance - with women making up 47% of competitors - and global engagement as marks of progress.

"But it's been an incredible experience and we're all very proud to have gender equity playing a big role in the delivery of the Games," she said, describing a "tremendous Games" in which athletes have "come together and shared in their passion".

With the closing ceremony in Verona approaching, Coventry said the focus would soon shift to a formal evaluation process, but insisted the headline conclusion was already clear.

"So we look forward to doing that and to learning from all the incredible experiences that I think all of the stakeholders have had across these Games, across these past two weeks," she said.

Sports

‘A Huge Mistake.’ Kompany Hits Out at Mourinho for Vinícius Júnior Comments

14 February 2026, Bremen: Bayern Munich coach Vincent Kompany gestures during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Werder Bremen and Bayern Munich at Weserstation. (dpa)
14 February 2026, Bremen: Bayern Munich coach Vincent Kompany gestures during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Werder Bremen and Bayern Munich at Weserstation. (dpa)
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‘A Huge Mistake.’ Kompany Hits Out at Mourinho for Vinícius Júnior Comments

14 February 2026, Bremen: Bayern Munich coach Vincent Kompany gestures during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Werder Bremen and Bayern Munich at Weserstation. (dpa)
14 February 2026, Bremen: Bayern Munich coach Vincent Kompany gestures during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Werder Bremen and Bayern Munich at Weserstation. (dpa)

Bayern Munich coach Vincent Kompany has criticized José Mourinho for attacking the character of Vinícius Júnior after the Real Madrid star accused an opponent of racially insulting him during a Champions League match.

Benfica coach Mourinho suggested that Brazil forward Vinícius had incited Benfica's players with his celebrations after scoring the only goal in Tuesday's playoff match.

Vinícius accused Benfica's Gianluca Prestianni of calling him "monkey" during a confrontation after his goal.

Mourinho also questioned why Vinícius, who is Black and has been subjected to repeated racist insults in Spain, was so frequently targeted.

"There is something wrong because it happens in every stadium," Mourinho said. "The stadium where Vinícius played something happened. Always."

Speaking on Friday, Kompany condemned Mourinho's comments.

"So after the game you have the leader of an organization, José Mourinho, who attacks the character of Vinícius Júnior by bringing in the type of celebration to discredit what Vinícius is doing in this moment," Kompany said. "And for me in terms of leadership, it’s a huge mistake and it’s something that we should not accept."

Mourinho’s celebrations

UEFA appointed a special investigator on Wednesday to gather evidence about what happened in Lisbon in Madrid’s 1-0 win in the first leg of the Champions League playoffs. Madrid said it had sent "all available evidence" of the alleged incident to European soccer's governing body.

Referring to Vinícius' celebrations after curling a shot into the top corner, Mourinho said he should "celebrate in a respectful way."

Kompany pointed out Mourinho's own history of exuberant celebrations — such as when he ran down the sideline to cheer when his Porto team beat Manchester United in the Champions League.

Kompany said Mourinho's former players "love him" and added "I know he’s a good person."

"I don’t need to judge him as a person, but I know what I’ve heard. I understand maybe what he’s done, but he’s made a mistake and it’s something that hopefully in the future won’t happen like this again," he said.

Prestianni denied racially insulting Vinícius. Benfica said the Argentine player was the victim of a "defamation campaign."

‘Right thing to do’

Kompany said Vinícius' reaction "cannot be faked."

"You can see it — his reaction is an emotional reaction. I don’t see any benefit for him to go to the referee and put all this misery on his shoulders," he said. "There is absolutely no reason for Vini Junior to go and do this.

"I think in his mind he’s doing it more because it’s the right thing to do in that moment."

Kompany added: "You have a player who’s complaining. You have a player who says he didn’t do it. And I think unless the player himself comes forward, it’s difficult. It’s a difficult case."

Sports

FIFA to Lead $75m Palestinian Soccer Rebuilding Fund

President of FIFA Gianni Infantino attended the inaugural meeting of US President Donald Trump's 'Board of Peace'. CHIP SOMODEVILLA / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP
President of FIFA Gianni Infantino attended the inaugural meeting of US President Donald Trump's 'Board of Peace'. CHIP SOMODEVILLA / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP
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FIFA to Lead $75m Palestinian Soccer Rebuilding Fund

President of FIFA Gianni Infantino attended the inaugural meeting of US President Donald Trump's 'Board of Peace'. CHIP SOMODEVILLA / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP
President of FIFA Gianni Infantino attended the inaugural meeting of US President Donald Trump's 'Board of Peace'. CHIP SOMODEVILLA / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP

FIFA will spearhead a $75 million fund to rebuild soccer facilities in Gaza that were destroyed by the war between Israel and Hamas, President Donald Trump and the sport's governing body said Thursday.

Trump made the announcement in Washington at the first meeting of his "Board of Peace," an amorphous institution that features two dozen of the US president's close allies and is initially focused on rebuilding the Gaza strip, said AFP.

"I'm also pleased to announce that FIFA will be helping to raise a total of $75 million for projects in Gaza," said Trump.

"And I think they're soccer related, where you're doing fields and you're getting the greatest stars in the world to go there -- people that are bigger stars than you and I, Gianni," he added, referring to FIFA president Gianni Infantino, who was present at the event.

"So it's really something. We'll soon be detailing the announcement, and if I can do I'll get over there with you," Trump said.

Later Thursday, FIFA issued a statement providing more details, including plans to construct a football academy, a new 20,000-seat national stadium and dozens of pitches.

The FIFA communique did not mention Trump's $75 million figure, and said funds would be raised "from international leaders and institutions."

Infantino has fostered close ties with Trump, awarding him an inaugural FIFA "Peace Prize" at the World Cup draw in December.

At Thursday's meeting, the FIFA president donned a red baseball cap emblazoned with "USA" and "45-47," the latter a reference to Trump's two terms in the White House.

In FIFA's statement, Infantino hailed "a landmark partnership agreement that will foster investment into football for the purpose of helping the recovery process in post conflict areas."

The "Board of Peace" came together after the Trump administration, teaming up with Qatar and Egypt, negotiated a ceasefire in October to halt two years of devastating war in Gaza.

The United States says it is now focused on disarming Hamas -- the Palestinian group whose unprecedented October 7, 2023, attack on Israel triggered the massive offensive.