31 January, 2014

Real seek revenue boost with stadium revamp

Bernabeu Stadium © Gallo Images

Real Madrid unveiled an eye-catching design for revamping their Bernabeu Stadium on Friday that the world's richest club by income hopes will boost revenue from matchdays and naming rights.
Led by German architect GMP, the project would add an undulating, silver shell to the existing structure, which was completed in the 1950s and reworked for the 1982 World Cup.
The design incorporates a shopping centre and luxury hotel, additional VIP facilities and a giant 360-degree video screen just below a retractable roof that can be opened and closed in 15 minutes.
Real president Florentino Perez, a construction magnate, said the work carried an estimated price tag of €400 million but did not say when it would begin, how long it would take to complete or how it would be financed.

City have had a lot of luck - Mourinho


Jose Mourinho © Action Images


Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho cranked up the mind games ahead of Monday's heavyweight clash at Manchester City by suggesting that Lady Luck had been smiling on the Premier League leaders in recent weeks.
"Their players are obviously very good and their manager (Manuel Pellegrini) is also doing a good job," Mourinho told a news conference on Friday.
"On top of that, and this is just pure coincidence, the reality is they have had many crucial decisions in their favour.
"They were lucky against Liverpool, against Newcastle and against Tottenham. But I repeat this is just pure coincidence."
Fortune certainly favoured City on Wednesday when they romped to a 5-1 league win at White Hart Lane after Tottenham defender Danny Rose was sent off for a clean tackle early in the second half that prompted the referee to award a penalty.
Rose has since had his red card rescinded by the Football Association.

Karim Benzema And Franck Ribery Cleared Of Having Sex With Underage Prostitute



Franck Ribery and Karim Benzema have escaped jail term after charges of paying for sex with prostitute Zahia Dehar when she was under 18 were dropped, the two players had denied knowingly paying for sex with Dehar when she was underage, though paying for sex in France is legal but that is only when the parties involved are more than 18 years, Dehar was only 17 when she was paid in 2009 to fly from Paris to Munich, where Ribery plays for European Champions Bayern Munich, to sleep with him as a 26th ‘birthday treat’.

Gbogbo Biz Girl Funke Akindele’s Ikeja Property Taken Over By…



Actress Funke Akindele of the “Jenifa” fame is a major actress on our screen. With her outstanding roles in several movies, the actress is no doubt a professional in her endeavor – Nollywood. Recruiting her protégé from the South through the East to the far North, Funke Akindele currently stands as an actress to beat in Nollywood.

27 January, 2014

Arsenal CEO says Wenger to stay at club

Arsene Wenger © Reuters Images


Manager Arsene Wenger is set to sign a new contract to extend his 18-year stay with the English Premier League leaders, the club's chief executive said on Monday.
Wenger will have more money to spend on players this summer after the club signed a new kit supply deal with German company Puma that begins on July 1.
Chief Executive Ivan Gazidis gave the clearest indication yet that Frenchman Wenger would remain at Arsenal, indicating that finalising a new contract was just a matter of time.
"We've always supported Arsene, the board has always been completely behind him as has (owner) Stan Kroenke," Gazidis told a news conference when asked about the future of the manager whose contract runs out at the end of the season.
"We are comfortable in the position, relaxed about it. As I've said before, Arsene will be extending with us and at the right time we'll make that announcement," he added.

Juan Mata © Reuters Images BPL Fantasy League Guess the scores and win great prizes! Video Highlights Alex Ferguson - My Autobiography Gerrard Football - Bloody Hell! (The Story of Alex Ferguson) Mata could make debut against Cardiff

 

Record signing Juan Mata could feature for Manchester United when the champions try to get their floundering Premier League campaign back on track against Cardiff City at Old Trafford on Tuesday.
The 25-year-old Spain playmaker held his first news conference on Monday as a United player since his 37.1 million pounds ($61.22 million) move from Chelsea at the weekend and it was announced he would wear the No 8 shirt.
Mata's signing has raised hopes of a turnaround at United who are down in seventh spot, 14 points behind leaders Arsenal and six off the Champions League places.
Manager David Moyes said Mata had trained with his new teammates and that he would decide on Tuesday whether to pick the midfielder against bottom club Cardiff.
Moyes added that injured trio Wayne Rooney, Robin van Persie and Marouane Fellaini were back in training, raising the prospect of a four-way boost for the club.

Mata hopes move secures WC spot


Juan Mata with David Moyes © MUFC


Juan Mata hopes his move from Chelsea to Premier League rivals Manchester United will help secure his place in champions Spain's squad for the World Cup in Brazil in June.
Playmaker Mata spoke to the media for the first time on Monday following Saturday's 37.1 million pounds ($61.22 million) move.
The club revealed he would wear the number eight shirt rather than the number seven used by former greats David Beckham, Cristiano Ronaldo and Eric Cantona.
The 25-year-old Mata struggled for game time this season under Jose Mourinho, with Chelsea's manager preferring an attacking midfield trio comprising Brazilian internationals Oscar and Willian and Belgium winger Eden Hazard.

Dirty Details Of Lizzy Anjorin’s Recent Sex Escapades



Towards the end of last year, Lizzy Anjorin changed her religion from Christianity to Muslim… she had one thing in mind. Re-branding and letting go of the old ways. And now, the Lagos born Abeokuta breed actress seem to have fallen deeper and gone too far into why she was rebranding. Talk of jumping from one man’s bed to the other to get roles and make money, Lizzy is known for that. Most especially within her domain in the industry, Ogun and Lagos.

Boyz II Men Wants Movie Producer To Change Their Movie Name


 
This is not a happy time for Boyz II Men, the American R&B vocal group best known for emotional ballads and acappella harmonies, are trying to stop a movie producer from making use of their name in an upcoming movie, this name issue is becoming a nagging problem from Nigeria where Iyabo Ojo and Fathia Balogun have fought their ex-hubbies who will not want them to use their surname, now to Boys II Men, who are on bended knees begging but the producer is not willing to listen to them.

22 January, 2014

Trouble! Holy Mallam Marriage Heading For The Rocks…


 
Holy Mallam is one of the most brilliant comedian that has graced our stage in the last few years. The comedian has remain relevant and has carve a nitch for herself in gospel comedy… And now, the comedian who has remain scandal free for the better part of his career we heard is in trouble. Gist has it that the comedians marriage is in trouble and at the moment, he is running from right to left to keep his marriage.

Chichi Neblett Says She will Choose Her Career Over Marriage

 

Chichi Neblett will not trade her career for a man again, not after she got heartbroken from her ex-hubby, Roger Quartey, who was unable to keep his zips up and married another lady, while celebrities like OAP Toke Makinwa are getting married even if it means secret marriage, others hooking up with old enemies like Genevieve Nnaji and the rest fighting dirty with men like Huddah Monroe and Prezzo in Kenya, the mother of one is happy with her new life

21 January, 2014

Ramsey Noah Says He Never Had Feelings For Genevieve Nnaji


Ramsey Noah has been associated with Genevieve Nnaji as a romantic mate when Nollywood was still in its primitive stage, they were even rumoured to get married, until we started spotting Genevieve with D’banj who has taken the front row in her love affair, Ramsey is married but some crazy fans have given him a run in his beautiful marriage that he sometimes make use of the police to send some of them away…He is a handsome guy with a huge fan base and also lots of females who have crush on him, double trouble he is living with.

The Rock Surprises His Housekeeper, Esperanza With New Ford Edge


 
While everybody is trying to keep up with their New Year’s resolutions, home cleaning service is becoming lucrative, well former WWE wrestler turned actor, Dwayne Johnson, famously known as The Rock has proven you can be rich if you are his housekeeper, he surprised Esperanza who has been taking of his home for 10 years with a new ride, a Ford Edge… The Rock posted a picture of him and his housekeeper next to the new car on Twitter, “10 years she’s looked after our home like a loving mama. Just surprised Esperanza with a new ride! #WeLoveU”

Swansea confirm Flores-Monk bust-up


Garry Monk © Gallo Images

 


Swansea City confirmed on Tuesday that police were called to the club's training ground last week following a training-ground row involving defenders Garry Monk and Chico Flores.
The pair clashed on Friday, a day before Swansea's 3-1 loss at home to Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League.
Reports in the British media claimed Spanish centre-back Flores had threatened Monk with a brick during the incident, but Swansea denied the allegation.
"Chico Flores and Garry Monk had an exchange of words, which is not uncommon between players in training grounds across the country, but no threats or altercations took place between the players in question," said a club spokesman.

Keshi never in doubt


Keshii and Amokachi © Backpagepics
 

Head coach of the Nigeria national team, Stephen Keshi insists he was never worried about the Super Eagles’ chances of progressing to the knockout rounds of the 2014 African Nations Championship (Chan) in South Africa despite their slow start to the tournament.
Nigeria were mediocre in their opening game - a 1-2 defeat to Mali on January 11 - but Keshi says he was certain his charges would bounce back later in the tournament.
“The boys did not play well in the first game because they were nervous. The stage fright they encountered made it difficult for them to express themselves,” Keshi said.
Nigeria’s domestic league is currently on a three-month hiatus and players of the Nigeria squad were seriously lacking in match practice before the Chan.
A series of tune-up games against local sides were lined up for the Eagles but Keshi explained that only one of such games really gave him the chance to assess the level of his wards before the commencement of the Chan.

Photos Of P-Square’s Multi Million Naira Mansions In Atlanta – United States

 P-Square
2014 might seem like just another year for most of us, but not for most of our Naija celebs.
The superstar twins — P-Square, have just announced the purchase of an apartment in Atlanta Georgia, United States.
Peter Okoye shared the good news as he shared photos of them on his Instagram page.
And no, they didn’t buy one apartment, they bought TWO.
P Square Georgia House 36NG 8
.P Square Georgia House 36NG 1 P Square Georgia House 36NG 2    
P Square Georgia House 36NG 7

PHOTOS: Ashanti Poses Half unclad In Hot New Bikini Shots

 
 
Ashanti is one hottie that can keep you glued to your screen any day, not just with her soothing voice but also that cute face and a banging body to go with it.
ashantibraveheart
The gorgeous singer is bringing sexy on with BraveHeart in Miami, working on the shooting of a music video for her single “I Got It” featuring Rick Ross and finding time to give her fans some eye candy while she’s at it.
While we wait in anticipation for her video to drop, Miss Ashanti has given us something to keep our mind busy.
Here are the recent bikini shots of her she posted with the caption “There’s just something about a woman who’s comfortable in her own skin.. #braveheart2014#igotit#miaminights!”
What do you think?
ashanti1 ashanti22

18 January, 2014

Comedian I Go Dye Now A UN Millennium Ambassador

 igodye-award
South-South comedian — Francis Agoda aka I go dye, has officially been made a United Nations millennium development goal Ambassador.
The Global Educators for all initiative has bestowed a United Nations millennium development goal ambassadorial post on one of African’s best stand-up comedians.
This honor is in recognition and mandate to continue to facilitate the realization of the United Nations (MDGs)
Well, this Initiative is a Global recognition to individuals who have championed and enhanced through their work the overall development of humanity, based on selfless services, creativity and compassion towards human development.

Phyno Denies Rumors Claiming He Impregnated Rita Edmond

 Phyno
Remember my report earlier on how fast rising rapper – Phyno impregnated an upcoming actress — Rita Edmond?!?
The rumors went rampant earlier this week that the Enugu born and bred rapper Phyno is has impregnated his hush-hush girlfriend of over 5 years.
Phyno came forward in an interview with Punch and denied that anything of such happened: -
 “Believe it or not, I’ve never met or spoken to anyone by that name. I haven’t made any woman pregnant either. If people need three seconds of fame I’m glad that my name could help.”
Punch however gathered that the two musicians dated for a while on and off for about 5 years.

Keshi worried over Bafana's 'dangerous three'


Keshi © Action Images


Nigeria’s head coach, Stephen Keshi believes the Super Eagles will have themselves to blame if they allow Itumeleng Khune, Siphiwe Tshabalala and Bernard Parker have a field day on Sunday.
Nigeria and South Africa meet in a decisive preliminary game at the 2014 African Nations Championship (Chan) on Sunday and Keshi believes the three men hold the key to a Bafana Bafana victory over the Super Eagles in Cape Town.
“South Africa is a very good team. Khune, Tshabalala and Parker are very experienced players who can change the game at any moment,” he said to reporters.

Lille title blow with second successive defeat


Florent Balmont © Gallo Images


Lille suffered a second successive defeat and squandered vital ground in the French title race when St Etienne grabbed a 2-0 Ligue 1 victory on Friday.
The result left Lille, who ended the game with 10 men after a red card for midfielder Florent Balmont, in third place in the table, seven points behind leaders Paris Saint-Germain and having played a game more.
St Etienne remain fourth, three points behind Lille, thanks to a timely win which followed a midweek French Cup exit at the hands of fourth division Cannes.
Lille had lost 2-1 to Reims last weekend and fell behind after 55 minutes on Friday when Brazilian striker Brandao headed in at the far post from a cross by Algerian defender Faouzi Ghoulam.

16 January, 2014

Ancelotti lauds Pepe and Ramos


Carlo Ancelotti © Action Images


Coach Carlo Ancelotti has singled out centre halves Sergio Ramos and Pepe for special praise after lauding Real Madrid's improved defensive performances since the turn of the year.
While leading teams Barcelona and Atletico Madrid have been consistent all season, third-placed Real have been erratic away from home but are only three points off the top as they prepare to visit bottom club Real Betis on Saturday (1500 GMT).
"The year has started well for us but we need to keep battling because at any moment problems can surface. The defence has been doing well and is looking strong," Ancelotti told a news conference.

Zidane collects sports management diploma


Zinedine Zidane © Action Images

France legend Zinedine Zidane, currently working as an assistant to coach Carlo Ancelotti at Real Madrid, on Thursday graduated with a diploma in sports management at the Centre for the Law and Economics of Sport in Limoges.
Zidane did not announce the news himself but Olivier Dacourt - a fellow former French international midfielder and a classmate - posted a picture on Twitter with the ex-Ballon d'Or, both holding their diplomas.
"Finally GRADUATES..." said Dacourt, whose career included spells in England and Italy.
When asked about the prospect of Zidane becoming a coach in the future, Real Madrid president Florentino Perez told French television on Monday: "Zinedine is part of the history of Real and I think we would be proud if he could become coach one day.

Beverly Osu Blames Nigerians For Her Break-Up With BBA Lover Angelo


BeverlyOsu-Angelo
Nigerian model and representative at the last BBA reality show — Beverly Osu in a recent interview with HipHop World Magazine opened up on certain personal issues and explained that Nigerians were to blame for her break-up with Angelo.

Michelle Obama Won’t Rule Out Using Plastic surgery And Botox


The first lady, Michelle Obama has given us the shock of our lives by saying she may try plastic surgery or Botox procedure on her body soon, Michelle who turned 50 this week wants to live her life to the fullest, it is reported that Beyonce and Diana Ross will be performing at her grand reception, it is not that she is advocating for women to start making use of cosmetic surgery, she is only expressing herself not like

Iyanya Confessed! It Requires A Lot Of Money To Remain In Stardom



Staying as a success comes with a price and everyone should know that. And to be honest, been there for quite some artistes takes a lot from them to get it right. …risk. And to some entertainer’s, money and fame comes with time. For an artiste and his or her music to remain trendy, it is expensive. Iyanya is one act that believe in that school of though.

Rita Ora And Calvin Harris Splits After Nine Months


 
It looks like it is splitsville for Rita Ora and superstar DJ Calvin Harris as the couple are rumoured to have gone their separate ways after nine months of making us all jealous with their romantic outings these past months, we never saw this coming, Rita was so happy and had even packed into Harris house this New Year, rumours started flying that all wasn’t well between the lovebirds after she stopped following him on Instagram earlier this week, and posted a cryptic message.

15 January, 2014

Keshi defends Agbim, Eagles face Mozambique


Super Eagles coach Stephen Keshi
Under-fire Nigeria goalkeeper Chigozie Agbim has got  the full backing of Super Eagles coach Stephen Keshi as the Nigerians prepare to face Mozambique on Wednesday in a match they must win. Agbim was highly criticised following Nigeria’s  2-1 loss to Mali on Saturday at the African Nations Championship holding in South Africa.
The goalkeeper, who has also served with the Eagles ‘A’ team, was blamed for the two goals scored by Mali even though he later made several saves to deny the fellow West Africans more goals.
Keshi picked Agbim and defenders Azubuike Egwuekwe and Kunle Odunlami as the only players who did well against Mali at the weekend.
Goalkeeper trainer Ike Shorunmu has also passed a vote of confidence on the Enugu Rangers shot stopper.
“He made several saves if not, we would have conceded five or six goals in that game,” Shorunmu told MTNfootball.com.

Ronaldo deserved top award —Messi

 
Ronaldo
Former Ballon d’Or champion Lionel Messi says Cristiano Ronaldo deserved to win the 2013 prize in Zurich on Monday.
Messi had won FIFA’s player of the year award for the past four years but the 26-year-old Argentine forward conceded injuries meant he was not up to his usual standards in 2013.
The Barcelona striker missed a chunk of games towards the end of the 2012-13 La Liga season with a hamstring injury, with a similar problem leaving him on the sidelines through November and December.
“It (2013) was not a really good year for me,” Messi was quoted as saying on soccerway.com.
“It was very complicated not just for the injuries but also for many other things surrounding my family and what people said about me.

How Nigerians Broke My Relationship With Angelo – Beverly Osu Opens Up

 Beverly Osu, one of Nigeria’s representative at Big Brother Africa The Chase has being in the news lately, from breaking up with former housemate Angelo to being in a relationship with Bimp.
beverly_osuIn a recent interview, she opened up about her relationship with Bimp and blamed Nigerians for her break-up with Angelo.
See excerpts from the interview:
What is your relationship with Bimp?
We are close, everybody knows this right from the house. People think we are dating because he is always in Nigeria but we are good friends. Can’t I have a friend that is a boy?

Didier Drogba Buys Massive $74M Stake In Ivorian Gold Mine

 didier
Ivorian superstar soccer player and Galatasaray FC striker – Didier Drogba has reportedly bought a 5 per cent stake in his country’s largest mining company.
According to reports from African Review, the former Chelsea forward paid $74 Million to acquire part of the state’s shares in the company
Drogba had expressed interest in purchasing the stakes at the state owned mine last March but encountered difficulties sealing the deal.
It took the intervention of the country’s president Alassane Ouattara before the deal was concluded last Friday.

Femi Kuti, Weird MC Head To The Studio For “Palava” Remix



Just few days ago, Femi Kuti  told the world that he is not ready to get married again, and will not be going for the Grammy Awards were he has been nominated. And now, Femi Kuti is in the news again. We overheard Femi has returned to the studio with Weird MC to record the remix to the song “Palava”. Weird MC has not been lucky with music. She has gone underground since three years ago when it was obvious that her songs is no more fashionable. We heard she is on hibernation to reinvent her career.

Jennifer Lopez Not Sure She Will Marry Clasper Smart


Jennifer Lopez and Madonna shares something in common, dating very young men after their divorce with their husbands, Madonna is currently dating Timor Steffans, after splitting with Brahim Zaibat while Lopez who we thought may get married to Casper Smart after two years of dating is not so sure she will accept Casper’s proposal if he ever thinks about getting married to her.

Lopez is not comfortable planning her fourth wedding but she is not conclusive about this, she said: “I don’t know. We’ll see. I don’t know. You know, I’ve always believed in that institution. I believe in it, but it is difficult. I’ve had my challenges, but at the same time I believe in love, and I think that is the main thing.”
Jennifer Lopez Not Sure She Will Marry Clasper Smart
She continued : “That was such a transformative year for me in so many ways. I had just divorced, I went on tour with the kids [five-year-old twins Max and Emme], and I left ‘Idol’. All my security blankets were gone, and I was out there doing something I had never done before. [But] I was surrounded by love and family. I really grew. My goal was not to come out the other side and just survive it but grow as a human being as well as an artist, and I felt I did. I learned a lot.”

However, reports of the couple going their separate ways have been hovering around for a while now, and we are wondering if this is a way of telling us that she is no longer dating Clasper.

14 January, 2014

Beyonce Pens Open Feminist Essay… Read “Gender Equality Is A Myth!”



Beyonce has put down the microphone and picked up a biro to write an essay she has tagged ‘The Shriver Report’ which is a national research paper dedicated to issues faced by American women, addressing income inequality between genders. Beyonce has always stand out for equally gender, remember she featured Nigerian New York based model, Joan Caven and Chimamanda Adichie in her track, Flawless which talked about such issue last year.
 
 “Feminist: a person who believes in the social, political and economic equality of the sexes,” proclaims Adichie in Flawless,” a track on her new self-titled album. It seems that Queen B has taken Adichie’s message to heart. She has argued that the income gap between genders won’t go away without cooperation from both men and women.
 
 At a little over 200 words, the essay probably isn’t the most eloquent piece of prose, but it’s notable a great one. We should be aware that Beyonce really angered NASA with her track, ‘XO”. It has been a heated argument in NASA, and the agency has issued a statement “The Challenger accident is an important part of our history; a tragic reminder that space exploration is risky and should never be trivialised,” said the statement from Lauren Worley, Nasa’s press secretary.”
Beyonce Pens Open Feminist Essay... Read “Gender Equality Is A Myth!”
However, she apologized to the victims of Challenger, “XO” begins with sound from mission control in 1986, the spaceship blew up and the 7 crew members careening to the ground. The space agency essentially said she dishonored the memories of the crew.
 
 On Saturday, the attention of Beyonce and Jay Z were aimed at Beyonce’s mother, on her 60th birthday with a masquerade bash at Muriel’s Jackson Square in New Orleans, Louisiana. Kris Jenner was around but there was no sight of Kim Kardashian, maybe the rumour of a beef between Beyonce and Kim is true…

Rihanna Indirectly Talks About Chris Brown In Her Single, ‘Can’t Remember to Forget You’



Who else could Rihanna be talking about in her new single, ‘Can’t Remember to Forget You,’ with Shakira if not troubled Chris Brown, the newly released song talks about a lot of mistakes that the singer made over and over again, the beef is felt hanging around her lyrics and we are wondering if Brown will equally do his single about her too, not that she made a specific note on Brown but the lyrics cannot lie to us. We know Brown got her heart broken twice and made her sort of a fool with his ranting before they went their separate ways.

STYLISH KING: Meet the Billionaire Oba Who Possesses $1M Wristwatch

 The Olugbo of Ugboland in Ondo, billionaire and the Chairman of Obat Oil, Oba Obateru Akinruntan, has recently spoken of his love for the good things of life. He also narrated how he loves to be the first in acquiring such things.
The ruler has also referred to himself as a ‘stylish king’. Check out the abstracts of the interview with City People below:
oba_billionaire
“First and foremost I am very creative and secondly, I emulate the style of our forefathers, wearing royal beads as an old style.
“You know these days, if you want to become a popular and flamboyant king, you have to use diamonds. Diamond chains, diamond wrist watches, diamond shoes, diamond ring and my muffler is also made of diamond or gold.


Davido And Don Jazzy Join D’Prince On Set For His New Video Titled “Gentleman”

 DPrince-Gentleman
You know, I kind of saw this coming. After K-Switch dropped his latest single and video — Obimo; I knew D’Prince would quickly drop something to keep their secret rivalry going.
The Mavin artist, D’Prince shot the video to his yet to be released single featuring Davido and Mavin boss, Don Jazzy.
Video was directed by Clarence Peters.

HELL NO: Beyonce Refuses To Be Kim Kardashian’s Bridesmaid

 hvh
Nobody should bite my head off yet ooh, this is still an unconfirmed report.
The gist is that according to the latest issue of Star Magazine, Kim asked Beyonce a bridesmaid at her wedding to Kanye West and she said Hell no.
Read the report below: -
“Beyonce is saying “I don’t” to Kim Kardashian’s invite to be a bridesmaid, leaving Kim humiliated. “Kim Kardashian has been boasting to pals that Bey wants to be a bridesmaid, but Beyonce turned her down flat,” while Beyonce plays nice with Kim, she finds her family unbearable.” Beyonce doesn’t really care for the Kardashian family and she barely even talks to Kim, so she was shocked when she got a voicemail asking to be a bridesmaid. “Beyonce doesn’t even take Kim’s calls, so she was shocked when she got a voicemail begging her to be a bridesmaid. This is a woman who doesn’t care how close a friend you are, all she cares about are big names.”

Arsenal survive late scare to go top


Jack Wilshere © Action Images


Arsenal survived a late scare to regain top spot in the Premier League with a 2-1 victory at Aston Villa on Monday, both their goals arriving in the space of a minute in the first half.
England midfielder Jack Wilshere opened the scoring after 34 minutes with an accurate left-foot finish and Villa self-destructed, conceding possession straight from the re-start and allowing Olivier Giroud to double the visitors' lead.
Christian Benteke's stooping header raised hopes of an unlikely comeback and the Belgian striker came close to an equaliser but Arsenal hung on to continue their fine record at Villa where they have not lost since 1998.
Arsenal began the evening in third place after wins for title rivals Chelsea and Manchester City at the weekend but responded in style to move a point clear at the top.

Barca want transfer lawsuit dismissed

Neymar © Action Images


Barcelona said they have asked a Madrid court to dismiss a legal case over the transfer of Neymar.
Barcelona said on Monday that "there are no illegal actions in the events originally described." The case pertains to the €57-million transfer of the Brazil striker from Santos to Barcelona last summer.
A club member presented the lawsuit demanding clarification over where the remaining money went after Santos received only €17 million.
On Friday, the state prosecutor called on the judge overseeing the case to open criminal proceedings against club president Sandro Rosell.

Ronaldo back as world's best


Cristiano Ronaldo © Action Images


It has taken Cristiano Ronaldo a long time to be back on top of the world.
Since winning the Ballon d'Or for the first time after leading Manchester United to Champions League glory in 2008, he has been relegated into second place in three of the last four years as Barcelona rival Lionel Messi won the award for an unprecedented four consecutive times.
On Monday, however, he was finally crowned World Player of the Year for a second time as he beat Messi and Bayern Munich's treble-winning playmaker Franck Ribery to football's highest individual award.
By swapping Manchester for Real Madrid in the summer of 2009, Ronaldo accepted the challenge of constant comparisons with Messi.
Unfortunately for the Portuguese, though, his marriage with the world's richest club initially wasn't as perfect as he had envisaged.

13 January, 2014

Mikel thanks Nigerians for support


Mikel Obi
Super Eagles and Chelsea midfielder, Mikel Obi, has expressed his gratitude to his fans for supporting him after being nominated for the 2013 GLO-CAF Africa Player of the Year award.
Ivory Coast international and Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure eventually won the award.
Mikel was the first runner-up ahead of Ivory Coast’s Didier Drogba. The Chelsea player thanked telecommunications firm, Globacom, for putting up a spectacular ceremony that was entertaining and fun-filled.
In a statement signed by Mikel’s manager and agent, John Shittu, the player said, “I am overwhelmed by the support of Nigerians at home and abroad, and others who voted for me and supported me in my quest to be crowned the African Player of the Year.

City's Nasri out for eight weeks


Samir Nasri © Gallo Images


Manchester City midfielder Samir Nasri expects to be out for around eight weeks after suffering a serious knee injury in Sunday's 2-0 Premier League win at Newcastle United.
The 26-year-old was carried off the pitch on a stretcher following a tackle by Newcastle defender Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa towards the end of the match at St James' Park.
"Thank you everyone for your kind words and overwhelming support, I suppose it's kind of good news that I will be out around eight weeks," the French international said on his official Twitter account on Monday.