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Arteta encouraged as leaders Arsenal end Fulham jinx | The Express Tribune

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Arteta encouraged as leaders Arsenal end Fulham jinx | The Express Tribune


The Gunners are three points clear of second-placed Manchester City in the title race


LONDON:

Mikel Arteta said Arsenal’s 1-0 win against Fulham was an encouraging sign for the Premier League leaders as they ended their recent struggles at Craven Cottage.

Leandro Trossard’s close-range finish in the 58th minute secured Arsenal’s fifth successive victory in all competitions.

The Gunners are three points clear of second-placed Manchester City in the title race, with champions Liverpool four points behind prior to their clash with Manchester United on Sunday.

Arsenal took just one point in their away fixtures at Newcastle and Fulham, and at home to West Ham, last season.

This term they have already recorded nine points from nine in those matches and their victory at Craven Cottage was a first in three visits to the west London club.

Arteta believes that those wins are a significant statement of intent as Arsenal — runners-up for the last three seasons — look to win the title for the first time since 2004.

“The recent history wasn’t in our favour and we wanted to change that, like we did against Newcastle and West Ham at home,” Arteta said.

“And this is another step to having that mindset and that ability to win these kind of matches against a really good opposition, and a really difficult place to come.

“When the context is 0-0, and the game gets longer and longer, it becomes more difficult. But we showed a lot of maturity. We kept knocking on the door in various ways, and in the end we found a way, with the set-piece to do it, but we deserved it.”

In the moments after Trossard’s opener, Bukayo Saka looked to have earned a penalty when he was upended on the corner of the area by Fulham substitute Kevin.

Anthony Taylor pointed to the spot but VAR ruled that Kevin touched the ball before taking out Saka.

Arteta, who was visibly frustrated on the touchline, said: “I was getting animated because it was taking so long.

“I asked Anthony ‘why it was taking so long’. It was nothing to do with the process, it was just that the screen wasn’t working.

“It probably wasn’t a penalty so they made the right decision in the end, and I was just animated because of the process.”

The only sour note for Arteta was Sweden striker Viktor Gyokeres’s failure to find the net for a seventh consecutive game.

Signed from Sporting Lisbon in the close-season, Gyokeres is struggling to make an impact in the Premier League after his prolific form for the Portuguese club.

“He was very close again today. We were all begging for him to score,” Arteta said.

“The work rate he puts in for the team is phenomenal. We try to give him support and the love, and it will come.”



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Expected winter storm has some leagues reshuffling schedules

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Expected winter storm has some leagues reshuffling schedules


One year after a winter storm forced postponements across U.S. sports, another major weather system is prompting a reshuffling of games this week and threatened to wreak havoc on the weekend schedule.

A storm that meteorologists say could rival the damage of a major hurricane is expected to bring snow, ice and frigid temperatures from New Mexico to New England starting Friday.

The Sun Belt Conference preemptively shook up its women’s basketball schedule, moving around the start times on several games from Thursday through Saturday.

Tennessee’s swim meet at Georgia and the USC Upstate women’s basketball game at Longwood were moved up to Friday from Saturday because of the forecast.



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Arizona State unveils James Harden-inspired threads

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Arizona State unveils James Harden-inspired threads


Arizona State‘s on-court threads will look a bit different, courtesy of a program icon.

The Sun Devils unveiled a new uniform on Tuesday that blends elements from James Harden‘s time at Arizona State with his signature shoe deal.

On a black base, “Arizona State” appears in a blocky font in maroon and outlined with gold, with the jersey number sandwiched by the school’s name.

Arizona State’s “Sparky” mascot logo is featured on two locations — under the front collar of the jersey and on the sides of the shorts.

On the jersey’s maroon back collar is a cream-colored patch with No. 13 — Harden’s jersey number as a Sun Devil — in gold, a nod to the LA Clippers guard’s two seasons with the program.

Similar to Louisville‘s Donovan Mitchell uniform and Texas Tech football’s Patrick Mahomes threads, Arizona State will feature Harden’s signature logo — in this case on the right side of the jersey’s collar and the bottom left of the shorts.

Harden, a 16-season NBA veteran, played for the Sun Devils from 2007 to 2009 before being selected as the No. 3 pick in the 2009 NBA draft by the Oklahoma City Thunder. He averaged 19 points, 5.4 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.9 steals per game as a Sun Devil, leading the team to a 2009 NCAA tournament berth.

The Clippers guard first signed a 13-year deal with Adidas in August 2015, after Nike failed to match the shoe company’s $200 million offer.





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Bangladesh reiterates stance about India travel after ICC rejects request

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Bangladesh reiterates stance about India travel after ICC rejects request


India’s Axar Patel looks dejected after losing his wicket during their game against Bangladesh at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, UAE, February 20, 2025. — Reuters

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) reiterated its position against touring India for the T20 World Cup on Wednesday, following the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) rejection of its request to shift the side’s matches out of the country.

Bangladesh have refused to play their matches in India, citing concerns regarding players’ safety, and demanded to play their games in Sri Lanka, which is co-hosting the tournament alongside India.

Following the ICC’s rejection of the request, BCB president Aminul Islam said that he sought more time from the cricket-governing body to talk to his government “for one last time”.

“They [ICC] said it’s a valid point, and gave me 24 or 48 hours to get back to them. I don’t want to put pressure on the government. We know that India is not secure for us. We remain in the stance that we want to play in Sri Lanka,” he added.

Acknowledging the ICC’s decision to keep the tournament’s schedule unchanged, Islam said he would consult the government and convey its feedback to the ICC.

“I am hoping for a miracle from the ICC,” he said, adding that players and the government wanted Bangladesh to play the World Cup.

“But we don’t think India is safe for our players. A government doesn’t only consider the players, but they consider all, when it takes a decision,” the BCB president added.

The ICC announced its decision on Bangladesh’s request after a board meeting earlier in the day.

“The decision was taken after considering all security assessments conducted, including independent reviews, all of which indicated there was no threat to Bangladesh players, media persons, officials and fans at any of the tournament venues in India,” the ICC said in its statement.

The cricket-governing body maintained that it was “not feasible to make changes” so close to the tournament.

Further, the ICC stated that altering the schedule under the circumstances, in the absence of any credible security threat, could set a precedent that would jeopardise the sanctity of future ICC events.

As per the schedule, Bangladesh are drawn in Group C and scheduled to play their first three group matches in Kolkata — against West Indies on February 7, Italy on February 9 and England on February 14 — before concluding their group stage against Nepal in Mumbai on February 17.





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