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Gab and Juls talk about what could happen if Lyon finish in the Ligue 1 relegation play-offs as their home game coincides with a Taylor Swift concert. (1:13)
Manchester United and Chelsea were on the receiving end of unexpected defeats in the Premier League this weekend, with Dominic Solanke and Abdoulaye Doucouré respectively, influential in their downfalls.
Victor Osimhen, recently crowned African Footballer of the Year, endured a gruelling Serie A match as he regains his full form, although one of his predecessors has had no problems in the form of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang who maintained his perfect form for Marseille.
Eight years ago, Gabon’s Aubameyang was crowned African Footballer of the Year. Although the striker has enjoyed some memorable triumphs in the years since, his score has plummeted in recent times.
However, there are signs that one of Osimhen’s predecessors, Auba, one of four former winners still active, is enjoying an Indian summer as he enters the latter stages of his career.
In midweek, the Arsenal captain scored a goal and provided two assists as Olympique Lyonnais went all out. On Sunday he was again in sensational form, scoring two goals and completing another in Olympique de Marseille’s 4-2 win over FC Lorient. .
Auba has now had a hand in 10 goals (seven strikes, three assists) in his last four matches across all competitions, helping OM embark on a three-game winning streak in Ligue 1.
It didn’t take long for the Catalan media to notice the Barcelona striker’s magnificent form – some media regretted his departure from the Camp Nou – while those closest to him talk about Marseille’s prospects.
For former Marseille defender Basile Boli, the return to fitness of the player’s father, Pierre Aubameyang, after a long illness, has had a direct effect on Auba’s form.
“When his father came back, he started to gain a little bit of confidence,” Boli told RMC. “When you sign for OM, there’s exceptional pressure on the grassroots.
“You have to communicate to the players and let them know that they are in an explosive environment, but that can also make you one of the greats in Europe. “
Is there still time for Aubameyang to write one more remarkable chapter in his glittering career?
Naturally, Manchester United’s latest catastrophic setback under Eric ten Hag was at the centre of Premier League action this week, but Dominic Solanke and his remarkable performance against the Red Devils do not go unnoticed.
True, United were atrocious that day, but it was Solanke, so sure of himself and obviously enjoying life with Andoni Iraola, who made the decision to run the festival and send the Cherries to a remarkable victory.
Never before had Bournemouth won a Premier League game at Old Trafford — not in 10 previous trips to the Theatre of Dreams — but it was Solanke, only five minutes in, who proved decisive in changing the narrative.
Julien Laurens points the finger directly at Erik ten Hag for Manchester United’s home defeat to Bournemouth.
Receiving a cross from Lewis Cook, the 26-year-old read the space, measured the distance and, calmly and nonchalantly, backheeled the ball at the perfect time, past the unfortunate André Onana. There’s something of an allusion to Wayne Rooney in his chutzpah. His innovation, the way he seemed to have more time (and still see things spread faster) than the statues around him.
It was Solanke’s eighth goal this season. It’s been a tough road for the former Chelsea prodigy; leaving Cobham, not up to the task at Liverpool, struggling in his first season at Bournemouth. However, he has already broken his previous record of six goals in the Premier League in the 22-23 season and increasingly represents a real focal point for this talented emerging Bournemouth team.
Philip Billing and Marcos Senesi added more goals in the second half, while Burkina Faso’s Dango Ouattara, included in the shortlist for the CAF Young Player of the Year award, added a quarter later, but VAR intervened and denied it. in handball.
With just one England cap under his belt, Solanke is still eligible for Nigeria, but with performances like this, he is looking at options for England’s European Championship projects. The Super Eagles might be forced to repent of someone else who got away.
Solanke wasn’t the only Nigerian player to score in the weekend’s Premier League match, as Tosin Adarabioyo, not known for his goalscoring skills, scored in Fulham’s 5-0 win over West Ham United.
It was another standout result on a dramatic weekend, and while Tosin opened his account for the crusade on his return from injury with a header against Lukasz Fabianski, it was arguably his work on the ball that caught the eye.
He was comfortable in possession, with clever spin and helping Marco Silva’s side take the lead in the competition. The former Manchester City player made a total of 111 passes (no one on the pitch attempted more) while his compatriot Alex Iwobi created two goals. opportunities and signed up to lend a hand as he continues his rich form.
Tosin and Solanke have been named in the BBC Team of the Week, and Fulham will now have to (if they haven’t already) step up their intentions to force the defender to sign a new deal.
Luton Town’s Elijah Adebayo opened the scoring on the ladder against Manchester City but the hosts failed to hold off the defending champions and won 2-1, while Jordan Ayew and CAF Player of the Year candidate Mohamed Salah, they scored for Liverpool. Palace 2-1.
In London, Destiny Udogie broke his promise to Tottenham Hotspur when they beat Newcastle United, there weren’t as many African performances in the Prem this weekend as Everton’s Abdoulaye Doucouré against Chelsea on Sunday.
It was, of course, Doucouré who scored the decisive goal for Everton as they beat Leeds United to stay in the Premier League on the final day of last season, and after being unwanted and underused by Frank Lampard, the Mali foreigner has become a cult following. Heroes at Goodison Park.
On Sunday, he will play his 100th team in the Premier League. The midfielder swapped the relegation battle with Watford for an even tougher mission with Everton, who have gone from crisis to crisis in recent years.
However, Doucouré, his tough build, ease of handling and determination to step in when Everton want a hero, have made him precisely the talisman Everton craves as they continue their war to start a 10-point deduction imposed through the Premier League.
Against Chelsea, he marked his century with a sixth goal of the season – not bad for a central midfielder – opening the scoring as Everton heaped further woe on Mauricio Pochettino, registering a 2-0 victory in front of their buoyant supporters.
No one benefited more from Sean Dyche’s arrival at Goodison Park than Doucouré (he averaged almost a goal every three games under Everton) and Chelsea may not escape the danger as he finished from inside the area after Robert Sánchez will score. stopped Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s effort in its tracks.
Osimhen may have been named African Footballer of the Year on Monday – the first Nigerian to clinch the award this century – but his return to fitness is yet to translate to points or goals in the Italian top flight.
At the weekend, he played a frustrating 90 minutes in Napoli’s 1-0 loss to Juventus, and Osimhen now has three games without a win after coming back as a substitute in the 2-1 win at Atalanta.
A rarity for the reigning Serie A Golden Boot holder, Osimhen failed to have a single shot on target during the course of the encounter, with his most notable contribution being a yellow card following a coming together with Juve’s Manuel Locatelli.
Will Monday’s good luck at the CAF awards propel the 24-year-old back to the form that made him one of the world’s players last season?