Newcastle inflict first defeat on Arsenal, Fernandes rescues Man Utd

Newcastle United's Anthony Gordon in action with Arsenal's David Raya during their Premier League football match on Saturday at St. James Park, Newcastle. (Reuters)
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Updated 05 November 2023
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Newcastle inflict first defeat on Arsenal, Fernandes rescues Man Utd

  • Anthony Gordon’s controversial winner 25 minutes from time survived a VAR check for three different offenses before it was finally awarded
  • Manchester City moved to the top of the table with a 6-1 demolition of Bournemouth, but victory came at a cost for the English champions as Erling Haaland limped off with a twisted ankle

MANCHESTER: Arsenal were beaten in the Premier League for the first time this season at Newcastle on Saturday as Bruno Fernandes’ stoppage time winner at Fulham eased the pressure on Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag.

Manchester City moved to the top of the table with a 6-1 demolition of Bournemouth, but victory came at a cost for the English champions as Erling Haaland limped off with a twisted ankle.

Newcastle shrugged off a mounting injury crisis to climb into the top six after winning a feisty encounter at St. James’ Park 1-0.

Anthony Gordon’s controversial winner 25 minutes from time survived a VAR check for three different offenses before it was finally awarded.

Gabriel Magalhaes claimed he was fouled by Brazilian international teammate Joelinton before the ball broke for Gordon to smash into an empty net.

A check for offside and whether the ball had gone out of play earlier in the move also proved inconclusive.

Arsenal’s lack of a world class No. 9 in the absence of the injured Gabriel Jesus was exposed as they failed to muster a response against a makeshift Newcastle defense.

Ten Hag’s future at Old Trafford had come into question over the past week after consecutive 3-0 home defeats to City and Newcastle.

United were again far from spectacular at Craven Cottage but got a much-needed three points thanks to captain Fernandes.

The Portuguese midfielder’s shot from the edge of the area had just too much power for Fulham ‘keeper Bernd Leno as it squirmed into the bottom corner to secure 1-0 win.

“He showed every time as a captain he is an example,” said Ten Hag. “You see today how he is working, how he is pressing and in the end he scored the goal.”

City, by contrast, cruised to their three points despite losing Haaland at half-time.

Jeremy Doku was the star of the show as the Belgian winger opened the scoring and played a major role in four more goals.

“He surprised all of us — he’s a great footballer,” said Pep Guardiola of Doku’s impact.

“It’s incredible how he changes the rhythm in five meters. After that when he’s not able to dribble, he takes good decisions and I’m impressed by that.”

Bournemouth held out for 30 minutes at the Etihad, but the floodgates opened once Doku prodded into the far corner after exchanging a one-two with Rodri.

Doku teed up Bernardo Silva to slot home and his shot then hit Manuel Akanji and flew past Andrei Radu in the Bournemouth goal.

Haaland was not moving freely for the closing stages of the first half and the Norwegian striker did not reappear for the second period.

His replacement Phil Foden got the fourth for Pep Guardiola’s men courtesy of another Doku assist 25 minutes from time.

Luis Sinisterra pulled a goal back for Bournemouth.

But City had the final say as Silva scooped home his second of the game with an audacious finish before Nathan Ake crashed in a diving header.

Brentford edged the game of the day as the Bees came from behind to beat West Ham 3-2.

Neal Maupay ended a 45-game goal drought to put Brentford in front early on, but West Ham hit back to lead through Mohammed Kudus and Jarrod Bowen.

Konstantinos Mavropanos’ own goal brought Thomas Frank’s men level once more before Nathan Collins’ towering header won the game 20 minutes from time.

Sheffield United secured their first win back in the Premier League in dramatic fashion as Oliver Norwood’s 100th minute penalty beat Wolves 2-1.

Victory is not enough to lift the Blades off the bottom of the table, but they move level on points with Burnley and within two points of safety.

Burnley became the first Premier League side to ever lose their first six home games of the season as Crystal Palace won 2-0 at Turf Moor thanks to goals from Jeffrey Schlupp and Tyrick Mitchell.

Everton were denied a third consecutive win for the first time since September 2021 as Ashley Young’s late own goal rescued a 1-1 draw for Brighton at Goodison Park.

Tottenham, who began the weekend on top, are not in action until Monday when they host Chelsea.


‘Winning mindset’: Yazeed Al-Rajhi ready to defend title at Dakar 2026

Updated 02 January 2026
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‘Winning mindset’: Yazeed Al-Rajhi ready to defend title at Dakar 2026

  • Race runs from Jan. 3-17, will start and conclude in Yanbu

YANBU: Saudi rally star Yazeed Al-Rajhi is gearing up to defend his Dakar Rally title as the 2026 edition of the race kicks off in Yanbu on Jan. 3.

Last year’s victory confirmed Al-Rajhi as the first Saudi driver to win the overall car category (Ultimate), the highest class in what is considered the world’s toughest rally.

Al-Rajhi said: “We are approaching Dakar 2026 with great determination and an even greater sense of responsibility after our achievement in 2025. Winning the title was a historic moment, but the real challenge now is defending it. The car is fully ready, the team is working as one, and our objective from the start is clear: to fight for victory and secure a strong opening to the W2RC season.”

He highlighted the complete readiness of co-driver Timo Gottschalk as the team looks to repeat last year’s success in their Overdrive Toyota Hilux.

Gottschalk said: “The preparation for this season has been intense and extremely precise. We focused on every aspect Dakar demands in terms of concentration and discipline. Our synergy is at its best, and we are ready to manage the rally stage by stage, intending to fight for victory from day one.”

The Dakar Rally 2026, set to run from Jan. 3-17, will cover 7,994 km, with 4,840 km of timed stages across Saudi Arabia’s diverse landscapes. It will consist of 13 competitive stages, in addition to a prologue stage, with a rest day in the capital city. The rally will start and conclude in Yanbu, featuring seven loop stages and two marathon stages, which significantly increase the level of difficulty and place greater physical and technical demands on crews and teams.

Al-Rajhi has also expressed his desire to compete for the title of the World Rally-Raid Championship W2RC. Since the championship’s launch in 2022, he has finished runner-up twice and third overall once, highlighting his consistency at the highest level. The Saudi star said that his clear objective this season is to claim the W2RC title, with Dakar serving as the opening round of the championship.

Al-Rajhi acknowledged that competition this year will be extremely intense, but added that the goal has been clear from the outset: to defend the Dakar title and move forward steadily toward winning the World Rally-Raid Championship.

“Early preparation and attention to the smallest technical and physical details give us strong confidence heading into the rally,” he added. “We know the competition will be tough, but we enter Dakar with a winning mindset, aiming to deliver a complete season that reflects the name of Saudi Arabia and matches our global ambitions.”

Al-Rajhi extended his sincere gratitude and appreciation to Jameel Motorsport, his official partner, for their unwavering support. He credited their backing as one of the key pillars behind his continued success and achievements in the Kingdom.