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Edo State Governor and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has called on voters to come out en masse on September 19, 2020, to exercise their franchise without fear of harassment or intimidation, saying that President Muhammadu Buhari has assured him of a free, credible and peaceful election in the state. Obaseki gave the assurance weekend while addressing party faithful during his reelection campaign rally in Ovia Southwest Local Government Area (LGA) of the state. According to the governor, “President Buhari has assured me that the Edo election will be peaceful. There will be peace in Edo; don’t be intimidated by the opposition, before, during and after the election. “They are not more than us in number; vote and make sure your vote counts. Stay back in your polling units to ensure they count your vote in your presence. “To start with, after my reelection, I will construct the Udo access road, the Ofunama Road and the Nikorogha Road. The construction

 Sadio Mane couldn't watch as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored the winning penalty. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang played a key role as Arsenal beat Liverpool on penalties to lift the Community Shield at the weekend. Scoring the decisive penalty was a great moment for him, his teammates and head coach Mikel Arteta, but the moment leading up to the spot-kick was too much to handle for one Reds star in particular. The Gunners captain, who scored twice in the FA Cup final win over Chelsea at the beginning of the month to set up a meeting with the Premier League champions at Wembley Stadium, broke the deadlock with a stunning strike in the 12th minute. However, Takumi Minamino levelled matters late in the second half to ensure the tie would be settled via a penalty shootout. After Reiss Nelson, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Cedric, David Luiz had successfully converted their spot-kicks, as did Mohamed Salah, Fabinho, Minamino, and Curtis Jones. But the Reds were playing catch-up from the moment w

Mikel Arteta has aid that he wants to keep the England under-21 international, and now the club are having a re-think after Maitland-Niles produced a man of the match display against Liverpool in the Community Shield on Sunday. Arsenal are set for a dramatic change of heart about Ainsley Maitland-Niles. Last week he was the subject of a £15 million bid from Wolves which was rejected, amidst reports that he would be sold to generate funds to help the summer squad rebuild at the Emirates. So good was his performance that it immediately earned him a call-up to Gareth Southgate’s England squad for the first time. Maitland-Niles has three years left on his current Arsenal contract and has been with them since he was six years old. One of the advantages that he offers is his versatility – he can play in midfield, on the wing or at wing back, the role where he has excelled in recent games under Mikel Arteta. 

Saturday's opener in the Community Shield made the Gabonese forward match a club record set by the former Gunners attacker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's opener against Liverpool in the FA Community Shield made him Arsenal's joint top scorer at Wembley Stadium with Alexis Sanchez. The strike was his fifth goal at Wembley in 42 days and it made him the club’s highest-scoring player in the stadium with Sanchez. The Chilean star also scored five goals for the Gunners in the London stadium before departing for Manchester United in 2018. Aubameyang got Mikel Arteta's men off to a flying start in London on Saturday with his fine strike from just outside of the penalty area in the 12th minute. Back in July, the 2015 African Footballer of the Year scored a brace against Manchester City at Wembley in a FA Cup semi-final contest and he also notched a double against Chelsea at the same venue to secure the Gunners' record FA Cup title earlier this month. 5 - Pierre-Emerick Aubamey

Arsenal have won the Community Shield through penalty shootout (5-4)! Aubameyang with the double 💪 READ ALSO:   Former Arsenal Star, Paul Merson, Has Urged Arsenal To Complete The Signing Of Gabriel Magalhaes From French  

Former Arsenal star, Paul Merson, has urged Arsenal to complete the signing of Gabriel Magalhaes from French Ligue 1 side, Lille. Magalhaes had drawn the interest of Arsenal in the past few days. The Brazilian defender reportedly agreed to a five-year contract with the Gunners. But Merson believes it will be a “big statement” from Arsenal if they complete a deal for Magalhaes because a number of teams from across Europe have expressed interest in signing the defender. “If Arsenal sign Gabriel Magalhaes I think it’s a big statement because of all the other clubs that were after him,” Merson told Starsport. “If Arsenal have managed to get him in without having Champions League football to offer, I think that is huge. “I like what Mikel Arteta is doing. But there are plenty of teams around them getting better as well. “Chelsea have bought amazingly well. They’re going to close the gap on Liverpool next season. “It could be one of the tightest league title races in a long time. But Arsenal

Newcastle are leading the race to sign Arsenal defender Rob Holding on loan for the season. The 24-year-old had a number of clubs eyeing his services for the year, but the Magpies look to have won out. Holding is yet to agree personal terms with the north east outfit and a deal with the Gunners still needs to be thrashed out. Arsenal are currently short of defensive options meaning the former Bolton man is likely to be included in their Community Shield squad. Mikel Arteta is currently without David Luiz and Sokratis, who are quarantining, and Shkodran Mustafi, Pablo Mari and Calum Chambers who are all absent with injury. It means Holding is likely to play for the Gunners again before they sanction a loan move elsewhere, reports the Athletic. Injuries have blighted his career at the Emirates having made the move four years ago. Holding has been able to make just 18 Premier League appearances in the last two seasons. Newcastle are also interested in a man who once donned Arsenal colours

Arsenal will be looking to kick-off the new season in style at Wembley Stadium this afternoon. The Gunners are back in action, just three weeks after their 2019/20 campaign ended, as they take on Premier League champions Liverpool for the right to claim the Community Shield trophy. Mikel Arteta's side go into the game on the back of a comfortable 4-1 pre-season friendly win over MK Dons on Tuesday evening, with Reiss Nelson and Eddie Nketiah among the scorers. However, Jurgen Klopp's side will represent a much sterner test and they will be out to avenge the 2-1 loss they suffered when the teams met at the Emirates Stadium last month. The Merseyside giants are slightly ahead when it comes to preparations having been in Austria where they have played two matches vs Stuttgart, winning 3-0 and RB Salzburg, drawing 2-2. It promises to be an exciting game between two of the three domestic trophy winners from last season. Ahead of this afternoon's clash against the Reds, the Gunne

Arsenal will reportedly have to fork out “something close” to £27 million for transfer target Danilo Pereira. Gunners manager Mikel Arteta is lining up a swoop for the Porto midfielder this summer. Portuguese news outlet O Jogo claim that Pereira will be available to depart. Porto haven’t yet received an offer for the player that meets their valuation. Various reports have stated the Gunners are only willing to spend around £18 million but according to the latest talk, that sum would be instantly snubbed. Porto rejected an offer of £27m for the 28-year-old Portugal international last year. Now the management believe that figure is a fair price for the ace. That could cause a problem for Arsenal, who have a restricted transfer budget due to the financial effects of the COVID-19. Arsenal are desperately aiming to raise funds by offloading outcasted duo Mesut Ozil and Matteo Guendouzi. Meantime, Emiliano Martinez has acknowledged that he has no willingness to remain as backup goalkeeper a

Arsenal face Liverpool in the traditional new season curtain-raiser on Saturday afternoon. The Gunners' reward for winning the FA Cup is a meeting with last season's Premier League champions and the two rivals will do battle at Wembley Stadium with the Community Shield trophy on the line. For head coach Mikel Arteta, it's another chance to get a look at his side in a game that comes 28 days after beating Chelsea in the FA Cup final. Although, the Spaniard has dismissed concerns regarding it being mentally tough to start a season three weeks after the end of the last one. "It's not hard because we really like our job and we have the privilege to work in this industry but we needed time to reflect on what we did," Arteta said during his pre-match press conference on Thursday. "As well to put our minds a little bit away from football. "I think we have the chance to do it not as we normally do, but enough, and the players seem in good condition mentally

Houssem Aouar has refused to be drawn over his future. The Lyon midfielder has been heavily linked with a move to Arsenal, with Mikel Arteta keen to strengthen his midfield this summer. Attacking-midfielder Aouar has recently won a first call-up to France's senior squad and starred in Lyon's Champions League campaign. It has led to plenty of transfer speculation yet the 22-year-old has played it coy when asked about his future. In an interview with L'Equipe, via Get Football News France, Auoar was involved in an exchange where he was continually asked about links away from Lyon. Aouar was initially asked whether it would be difficult to leave Lyon without being given the chance to say goodbye to the fans, with supporters not allowed into stadia due to the coronavirus pandemic. The midfielder batted this question back, however. He said: "I haven't left yet. So I haven't asked this question." Next, the interviewer asked if he felt it was a bad time to leave

Dani Ceballos wants to join Arsenal on a permanent basis, claims Mikel Arteta, but any decision on the midfielder’s future now rests in the hands of Real Madrid. The 24-year-old playmaker spent the 2019-20 campaign on loan at Emirates Stadium. Life in England did not always run smooth for the Spain international, with a bright start under Unai Emery making way for a mid-season dip. Ceballos was, however, to play his way back into favour under Arteta and finished with two goals, two assists and an FA Cup winners’ medal to his name. Arsenal believe there is more to come from a man who has struggled to nail down a regular role in Madrid. They continue to explore the option of putting another agreement in place, but are waiting on Real to make decisions regarding the futures of those on the fringes of the fold at Santiago Bernabeu. Arteta told reporters when asked about his plans for Ceballos: “Well, we have had some talks and Dani knows really well what I think about him. “He was pretty c

Chelsea's Brazilian midfielder Willian vies with Lille defender Gabriel Magalhaes Arsenal are just days away from returning to competitive action with a Community Shield date with Liverpool on Saturday. But behind the scenes, the Gunners are plugging away as they look to wrap up new signings ahead of the new Premier League season, which begins on September 12. It looks as though Arsenal might have got one of their men with Lille star Gabriel Magalhaes looking set to make the move to North London. We have more on that in our Arsenal rumour round-up below. Gabriel a done deal Arsenal will announce the signing of Gabriel Magalhaes this week. According to Fabrizio Romano, the Gunners have won the race for the Lille defender and contracts have 'already been signed'. It's claimed Gabriel has penned a five-year deal with the Gunners with the fee reported elsewhere as between £25-£30m. "Arsenal are planning to announce Gabriel Magalhães signing on this week," Romano w

Mikel Arteta knows he needs to overhaul the squad he inherited from Unai Emery and we’ve already snapped-up winger Willian on a free transfer while centre-back Gabriel is reportedly due to arrive from Lille. However, central midfield is a troublesome area for Arsenal that needs sorted as Matteo Guendouzi is set to leave after falling out with Arteta and Lucas Torreira is being tipped to head back to Italy after struggling to hold down a regular spot. Arsenal have also not yet reached an agreement to re-sign Dani Ceballos from Real Madrid so we’re going to be desperately short of quality in the middle of the park unless we bring in a couple of midfielders this summer. Partey has been widely touted as Arteta’s prime target as Arsenal have been strongly linked with him in recent months but we’re struggling to get a deal agreed with Atletico Madrid for his signature. As per The Sun, Madrid want the full value of Partey’s £45m release clause and Arsenal are struggling to afford that fee on

Jordi Osei-Tutu is to join Cardiff City on loan for the 2020-21 season, report Wales Online. The 21 year old has undergone a medical this morning, and will spend the duration of the upcoming campaign with the Championship side. It’s a second season out on loan for the defender who spent last season in Germany with VfL Bochum. It was a move which began in unpleasant fashion, as he was subjected to racist abuse in a pre-season friendly, and it took him some time to find his feet with the Bundesliga 2 side. However, as the season went on, he played more often, and tellingly was moved further forward – often being used as a right winger. He impressed Vfl fans, and end the season with 5 goals and 3 assists. Osei-Tutu signed a contract extension before his loan move last summer, so likely has a couple of years to go on his current Arsenal deal. He follows Matt Smith, Zech Medley and Trae Coyle as loan departures from Steve Bould’s Academy squad this summer. Best of luck to him at Cardiff.  

Lille defender Gabriel Magalhaes has undergone his medical ahead of a move to Arsenal. The Brazilian, 22, visited the club’s London Colney training base on Tuesday afternoon under strict medical supervision following his arrival from France. Gabriel will have to quarantine for 14 days after travelling from a country now on the UK’s quarantine list but it is believed he was able to take his medical at a London location that was not the training ground. While Gabriel has arrived in the UK and then travelled for his medical and then on to London Colney, it is understood the club are following the protocols in place. Having played in 24 of Lille’s 28 matches in a curtailed 2019-20 Ligue 1 campaign, Gabriel was highly sought after and Arsenal are set to pay a fee of £22million rising to £27m. He has also been linked with the likes of Manchester United, Paris St Germain and Napoli but now looks set to move to the Emirates Stadium.  

  Wolves are reportedly in ‘advanced’ negotiations with Arsenal over a four-year deal for Ainsley Maitland-Niles.  The 22-year-old was dropped by Mikel Arteta early on in his reign as Gunners boss – urging the defender to ‘put his head down and work hard’ – but he fought back to become a vital player in the latter stages of the season. Maitland-Niles starred in victories over Manchester City and Chelsea to help fire his side to their record 14th FA Cup win. Sky Sports claim that Maitland-Niles has been deemed surplus to requirements in Arteta’s squad overhaul and talks between Arsenal and Wolves over a transfer are in the advanced stages. Nuno Espirito Santo wants to bolster his midfield and wing-back options, which are both positions that the versatile Gunners academy graduate can fill. The long-term injury to first-choice full-back Jonny Otto has further increased their need for backup, and Maitland-Niles could be available for around the £20 million mark. The Athletic’s David Ornste

Arsenal fans are convinced Gabriel Magalhaes is in north London and could sign for the club today. It is believed that the Gunners could complete a deal to sign Lille defender Gabriel Magalhaes today, despite a late bid from Manchester United. That’s according to multiple reports on Saturday morning, that claim the Gunners have made an “intriguing offer” to Lille. United made a late move for the Brazilian centre-back, but Arsenal matched Napoli’s offer of €26m plus €4m add-ons, according to the reports. This means Magalhaes is now very close to joining the Gunners, and bar a late bid from United, the deal could be completed over the weekend. And now Arsenal fans are convinced Gabriel’s transfer is imminent following his latest Instagram post. One supporter posted a tongue-in-cheek picture with joke annotations to signify why Gabriel could be in London. Lille's president Gerard Lopez confirmed last weekend that several clubs had met their asking price for the Brazilian. "He [Ga

  Arsenal are set to win the race for in-demand defender Gabriel Magalhaes with Mikel Arteta playing a key role. Magalhaes was reportedly in contact with Manchester United but never held concrete talks with the Red Devils. Instead, his decision came down to a choice between the Gunners and Napoli after both clubs had offers accepted for the Lille centre-back. The Times have reported that Magalhaes has completed his medical with Arsenal and is poised to sign a five-year deal at the Emirates in a deal worth up to £27million. And reports in Italy claim Napoli have resigned themselves to losing out to Arsenal in the race. Corriere dello Sport claim Arsenal have maintained ‘constant contact’ with Magalhaes in recent weeks to convince him to head to the Premier League. Lille president Gerard Lopez this week confirmed Magalhaes was making a decision between two clubs with Arsenal now appearing likely to get the nod. Lopez told talkSPORT on Thursday: "That and a couple of more clubs. I th

Arsenal could take advantage of a firesale at Lyon during the summer transfer window. Having finished the 2019/20 Ligue 1 season in seventh place as well as losing in the Champions League semi-final against Bayern Munich, Les Gones will not be in Europe next season. As a result, some of the club's most prized possessions are likely to move on before deadline day at the beginning of October. The aim now is to continue working, immediately with Ligue 1," Juninho Pernambucano, the club's sporting director, told RMC Sport. "There are no presents. We will have to work. If we continue like this, we will be back in this competition. "When you are well paid, you need motivation every day, we are going to concentrate on Ligue 1. There are the basics. There will be departures, but I am not worried. When you have players who play very well in a competition like this, like Moussa and Houssem... "We will have to show the same spirit to be back in the Champions League nex

Willian has stressed that Arsenal have to keep hold of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, and that the striker's continued presence at Emirates Stadium is "very important" to him. Aubameyang has enhanced his reputation as one of Europe's most prolific frontmen since swapping Borussia Dortmund for Arsenal in January 2018. The Gabon international has scored an impressive 70 goals in 109 appearances for the Gunners, 29 of which were recorded during the 2019-20 campaign. His latest double helped Mikel Arteta's men beat Chelsea 2-1 in the FA Cup final, but he refused to be drawn on speculation over his future after the final whistle at Wembley. Aubameyang only has one year left to run on his current contract, and has been linked with a potential move to either Barcelona or Manchester United in recent months. Goal has reported that Arsenal have reached an agreement with the centre-forward over an extension, but a final announcement over his future is unlikely to be forthcoming

Napoli have made a last-ditch attempt to sign Lille defender Gabriel after making the player an increased offer, described as “a big salary deal”. Arsenal remain favourites to land the 22-year-old Brazilian but the Serie A side have made an 11th-hour bid to entice the player to choose Italy. Everton, who were ahead of all interested parties in March before the lockdown, are now out of the running to sign the highly-rated central defender and it appears his future lies in either Naples or London. Gabriel favours a move to the Premier League but Napoli’s late offer is being seriously considered. Lille have told Sky Sports News three clubs have met their asking price for Gabriel, with those sides believed to be Arsenal, Everton and Napoli. The French club say the player will decide his future this week.  

  New Arsenal signing, Willian, has disclosed that defender, David Luiz, was one of the players that convinced him to join the Gunners from Chelsea. Willian said that Luiz urged him to sign for Arsenal, adding that he was happy to be with his fellow compatriot again. We had reported that Willian officially joined Arsenal from Chelsea last week. “David Luiz is very happy,” Willian told Arsenal Digital. “We played together in the national team, we played together at Chelsea, and now again at Arsenal. “I think we can do great things together, I hope so, but I am very happy to be with him again. “He said, “Come to Arsenal, come to Arsenal. I want you to come!” So that was the conversation. “He’s a very nice guy, a top player and I am very excited to play with him again. “Of course [he helped in the past], many times. Many times when I had difficult times at Chelsea, he was helping me a lot. “He’s this kind of person that wants to help, especially young players without experience. He is the

  Arsenal has completed the signing of Norwegian winger, George Lewis as reported on the official website. The Rwandan Born winger was on trial at Arsenal before covid19 struck and he impressed the club’s coaches with his skills and on his return, they kept in touch with him. After getting a clearer picture of how their team and plans will look like in the coming season, they have decided to hand him a professional contract. The 20-year-old moved to Norway as a child and he has been honing his skills in the Scandinavian country. He started his youth career as a player for Tromso IL and after graduating from their youth team, he made a handful of appearances for the Tromso first team before moving to second division sides, Tromsdalen and Fram Larvik. He played at the latter until the end of last season before making his long-awaited move to Arsenal. The developing winger will be playing for the club’s under-23s for now and he will hope that he can force his way into Mikel Arteta’s team

Few European clubs can rival Lille when it comes to identifying future stars and nurturing their talents. Eden Hazard and Nicolas Pepe blossomed into elite wingers with Les Dogues while Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Divock Origi, Lucas Digne, Dimitri Payet and Idrissa Gueye also enjoyed spells in northern France. It’s a production line of talent and Gabriel is the latest off the conveyor belt. The Brazilian is relatively inexperienced - he only has 40 Ligue 1 and six Champions League appearances to his name - yet his performances alongside Jose Fonte last season were composed and commanding. Gabriel joined Lille in January 2017 from Brazilian second division club Avai and his first 18 months at the club were far from settled. There was an unsuccessful loan spell at Troyes and a six-month switch to Dinamo Zagreb for whom he played just once. Lille decided to keep the young centre-back at the club for the 2018/19 campaign and it was a decision which paid off, eventually. He played just one

 Arsenal have completed their fifth permanent signing of the summer in the shape of former Huddersfield Town youngster Tim Akinola, according to a report by The Athletic. The 19-year-old has joined the Gunners' Under-23s side after being released by Championship club Huddersfield last month. The Gunners have made the decision to sign the teenager because of the club's desire to add "development players" to their ranks, to not only strengthen the club's academy but to potentially one day blossom into a first-team player at the Emirates Stadium. The addition of Akinola is similar to that of George Lewis, who joined the club earlier this summer from Norwegian club Fram Larvik. But why would Arsenal, who agreed to sign Akinola without even taking him on trial, be so keen to sign a player that has just been released by a club that was flirting with relegation in the Championship for the majority of the 2019/20 campaign? Here, football.london has taken a close look at a

The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) board has accused Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed of amending the country’s broadcasting code alone without due consultation. Ikra Aliyu Bilbis, chairman of National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) board who addressed a press conference in Abuja on Thursday, August 13 over the amendments which include an increase of hate speech fine from N500,000 to N5 million and the provision for sub-licensing of all broadcast contents among others, said he received over 50 position papers for the sixth amendment of the code but none of the input was considered. Bilbis said; “Following the 2019 national elections, some members of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) made observations to the Honourable Minister of Information at a FEC meeting about the divisive broadcasts engaged in by some broadcast media before, during and after the elections and the need to strengthen the operations of the NBC to avert such future occurrence. “This noble obs