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The Irish Sun
3 days ago
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Arsenal ratings: 15-year-old Max Dowman steals show against Newcastle but questions raised over David Raya
MIKEL ARTETA'S Arsenal maintained their pre-season momentum with a 3-2 victory over Newcastle United in Singapore - as new signing Viktor Gyokeres watched on. Goals from Mikel Merino and Martin Odegaard either side of a Newcastle own goal was enough for the win, but it was the performance of youngster Max Dowman that really shone. 10 Mikel Arteta continued his Arsenal pre-season campaign with a win against Newcastle United, after seeing off AC Milan earlier in the week. Credit: Getty 10 New striker signing Viktor Gyokeres was unveiled ahead of the match after moving from Portuguese club Sporting CP Credit: Getty The Gunners fought back and eventually equalised in the 33rd minute through Merino, before immediately snatching the lead through an own goal from Newcastle's Alex Murphy. A Murphy struck again to equalise, but this time it was Jacob, striking low into the bottom right from outside the box. But it was unlikely hero Dowman who would finally help his side put the game to bed, as the 15-year-old won a penalty in the final ten minutes, which was tucked away by Odegaard for the win. READ MORE IN FOOTBALL Here's how SunSport's Mitchell Hall rated the Gunners' second clash of their pre-season tour... David Raya: 4 Raya found himself completely wrong-footed by Elanga's unusual finish in the fifth minute, there really wasn't much he could have done. But he had no excuse for the long ball that he Maybe a hint of nerves creeping in for the keeper, whose position as Arsenal 's no.1 could be under threat from Kepa if he does not regain his composure. Most read in Football SUN VEGAS WELCOME OFFER: GET £50 BONUS WHEN YOU JOIN Myles Lewis-Skelly: 5 Gave Tonali too much time in open space in the build-up to Newcastle's opener. He found himself targeted by the relentless William Osula on the ball, but for the most part he remained calm, only rushing his passes when he got carried away on the counter. Arsenal CONFIRM £63.5million Viktor Gyokeres transfer as striker takes iconic No14 made famous by Thierry Henry Struggled to make decisions out of possession when tracking the runs of Newcastle's midfielders and Ricciardo Calafiori: 6 Calafiori continues to excel in forward areas, despite setting up as a central defender in a back four. He sprayed dangerous balls to the back post and even drifted into the box himself at times. Arteta is clearly keen to get the most of the defender's technical brilliance, but playing so advanced leaves an inevitable space in behind which his left-back can struggle to fully cover alone. Arsenal fans can only hope his injury is not serious as he was substituted soon after the start of the second half. William Saliba: 7 Did well to manage the physicality of Osula, who offered a very different threat from Dominant in the air and typically quick when defending the counters, though he was fortunate to receive a free kick when he tripped over himself as the last man. He almost got caught out by the run of Osula in the second half, but the Newcastle striker put his powerful header wide. 10 Riccardo Calafiori clears the ball against Newcastle Credit: AFP 10 William Saliba shouts at teammate Ben White Credit: Getty Ben White: 6 Put a good chance to equalise well over the bar in the opening 15 minutes. Given what we saw of his direct defending against wingers, it is for the best that White was rarely left isolated in defence. One suspects that Gordon would have had more joy had he been allowed to run at White one-on-one more often. Martin Zubimendi: 8 Very neat in the congested areas around the opponent's penalty area, and one of only a few Arsenal players who did not look harried under Newcastle's press. In fact, the 26-year-old looked almost unassailable on the ball, calmly gliding around the middle of the pitch until a pass presented itself. Despite it being just his second run out since arriving from Real Sociedad earlier in July, he clearly knows his positional duties, drifting across to cover for Calafiori when he pushed up the pitch. A very assured performance. Mikel Merino: 7 If we needed a reminder of Mikel Merino's versatility, we certainly got it today. The Spaniard won it back high in the 33rd minute before drifting towards the box, where he latched onto a Havertz flick and drilled it into the bottom left corner. His performance outside of the goal was not particularly impressive, especially on the few occasions where he ceded possession in his own half, but that is the trade off you make for his goal output. 10 Ethan Nwaneri drove forward with intent when he got on the ball, drawing as many as three opposition players at once to try and stop him Credit: Reuters Ethan Nwaneri: 7 The teenager was full of confidence in Arsenal's previous friendly against Milan earlier in the week. His link-up with Saka is surely to become a signature of Arsenal this season, clipping the same through ball between the centre-backs to the England international on a couple of occasions. Newcastle's willingness to commit two or three players to pressing the midfielder when he was on the ball is a testament to the damage that teams know he is capable of. Leandro Trossard: 6 His work rate out of possession continues to impress, dropping deep at times to collect the ball and launch attacks, using either his ball-carrying or by launching it into the channel for Saka to chase. His balls to the back post caused a nuisance for Newcastle, and eventually forced unfortunate youngster Alex Murphy into turning one into his own net. However, his play in general lacked the cutting edge provided by teammates such as Saka and Nwaneri. Trossard did not strike fear in the defence, but was a safe pair of hands out wide. Bukayo Saka: 8 Saka stole the show in the Milan game, with his boundless energy and scrappy finish being the difference maker in that match. He was fortunate to be matched up with the inexperienced Murphy, who blatantly could not keep up with the winger's trickery in wide areas. But you can only play against what is put in front of you, and Saka's willingness to take a man on and switch between cutting inside and taking to the goal-line made him extremely hard to handle. Only an excellent save denied Saka what would have been an incredible acrobatic goal. 10 Bukayo Saka's movement and silky touch drew long balls in like a magnet around the box Credit: Getty 10 The England international had the measure of Newcastle's 21-year-old defender Alex Murphy Credit: Getty Kai Havertz: 6 Great movement to earn a free header in the 8th minute, but his wayward header summed up his recent fortunes in front of goal. He found himself anonymous for large swathes of the first half other than his contributions to the press. His awareness to delicately flick the ball back into the path of Merino for Arsenal's first goal was a step in the right direction, however. SUBS Martin Odegaard (for Nwaneri 46): 7 Tested Played a gorgeous through ball to Havertz but his touch let him down before the offside flag was raised. He dispatched his 84th minute penalty calmly to hand his team the victory. Jakub Kiwior (for Calafiori 48): 6 Allowed Saliba to do the bulk of the physical defending on Osula while he covered wider areas. Could not do much to stop Newcastle's second goal, and was otherwise solid when defending Newcastle's late crosses. Max Dowman (for Saka) 60: 9 Full of energy and confidence as he tracked back to help win the ball outside Arsenal's box, before attempting an audacious roulette on Murphy and winning another foul. He forced a save from Pope after a brilliant run through the heart of Newcastle's midfield, weaving between three markers before drilling a shot towards the bottom left. He also tested Ruddy with a powerful shot to the far corner. His pace and trickery down the right side won his side a game-winning penalty. This 15-year-old stole the show, and might prove to be something special. 10 15-year-old Max Dowman is making waves for his performances in Arsenal's youth setup Credit: Getty 10 He passed today's trial with flying colours, becoming a massive thorn in the side of Newcastle's defence and even winning the game-deciding penalty Credit: Getty Kepa Arrizabalaga (for Raya 60): 6 It was not a particularly hard act to follow for Kepa, as he replaced an uncharacteristically shaky Raya in net. He added an air of composure to Arsenal's build-up that helped settle them after a spell on the back foot in the second half. But even he let himself get closed down under the press, and very nearly handed Lewis Miley an open goal. Gabriel Martinelli (for Havertz 60): 5 Largely anonymous, but that was in part due to the timing of his introduction coinciding with Newcastle's increase in possession. Tried to do too much when he did get on the ball and squandered a couple of chances. A disappointing display off the bench. Declan Rice (for Merino 69): 7 His urgency in midfield helped relieve the pressure that was building on his defence in the late stages of the game. Launched an attack with a quick throw that probably should have resulted in a goal, but Martinelli's cross could not find an Arsenal shirt. Christian Norgaard (for Zubimendi 77): 6 Did not have too much time to make an impact but was more porous in the midfield than Arteta would have hoped from his ball-winning midfielder. His box defending in the scrappy dying moments of the game was solid. Question marks remain over his pace in Arsenal's expansive style of play. 10 Marli Salmon (for Saliba 77): 6 Looked relaxed on the ball when knocking it around at the back. Held his own under an onslaught of late crosses into the area. Positioning was questionable at times when running towards his own goal. Josh Nichols (for White 77): 5 Looked a bit frantic - as he did in his appearance against Milan a few days ago. Was not suited to the physical battle he faced on the right side of defence, but his recovery pace meant that he could make up for any positional errors. Andre Harriman-Annous (for Trossard): 6 Showed off his speed and tenacity when he pressed John Ruddy in the Newcastle goal and blocked his clearance. Was eager to get play started again where possible and was hungry to get into the box as well, good early signs. Oleksandr Zinchenko (for Lewis-Skelly 77): 6 Became a leader towards the end of the game as the defence was replaced with younger players. Was not afraid to get forward while defending a lead and was not caught out, but failed to produce anything dangerous either.
Washington Post
04-07-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
Arson attack on a Ukrainian restaurant in Estonia was ordered by Russian intelligence, a court says
An arson attack on a restaurant and supermarket in Estonia this year were ordered by Russian intelligence, an Estonian court said Wednesday. The attack was one in a series across Europe tracked by The Associated Press and linked to Russia by Western officials. The goal, they asserted, is to sow division in Western societies and undermine support for Ukraine. The Harju County Court in Estonia said the perpetrators were two Moldovan men who are cousins, both named Ivan Chihaial. One was sentenced to 6 1/2 years in prison for the arson attack on the restaurant and supermarket, which the court said was carried out on behalf of Russia's security services. The other Ivan Chihaial was an accomplice and sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison. In a statement, the court said the first Chihaial was tasked with the operation by Russian military intelligence, known as the GRU. It said he carried out a trial operation on behalf of the GRU in January 2025, setting fire to a Co-op supermarket in the village of Osula in southeastern Estonia. The next day someone acting on behalf of the GRU tasked him with setting fire to the Slava Ukraina restaurant in the capital, Tallinn. Chihaial drove with his cousin to the restaurant on the night of Jan. 31, 2025, then they set fire to it and left Estonia. The court said Chihaial's cousin was unaware he was working for the GRU. The court said the defendants set fire to the supermarket and the restaurant by breaking a window, pouring in gasoline, placing a bag with a gasoline can inside and igniting it. Authorities in Latvia, Lithuania and Poland worked to detain the men who were apprehended in Italy before being sent to Estonia to face trial, said State Prosecutor Triinu Olev-Aas. The arson is the latest attack on Estonia since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. In prior cases, Estonia suffered cyberattacks and the windows of cars belonging to a politician and journalist were smashed. Previous attackers have been recruited inside Russia, which shares a border with Estonia. The Estonian Internal Security Service said the fact that Russia's intelligence agencies used Moldovans who were sent to the country showed they are finding it increasingly difficult to recruit, including among dual citizens. Russia has been accused of a widespread sabotage campaign by Western officials since its invasion of Ukraine. As well as cases of arson, the attacks across Europe range from stuffing car tailpipes with expanding foam in Germany to a plot to plant explosives on cargo planes , hacking that targeted politicians and critical infrastructure and spying by a ring convicted in the U.K. President Vladimir Putin's spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, has told the AP that the Kremlin has never been shown 'any proofs' supporting accusations of a broader sabotage campaign and said 'certainly we definitely reject any allegations.'
Associated Press
02-07-2025
- Politics
- Associated Press
Arson attack on a Ukrainian restaurant in Estonia was ordered by Russian intelligence, a court says
An arson attack on a restaurant and supermarket in Estonia last year were ordered by Russian intelligence, an Estonian court said Wednesday. The attack was one in a series across Europe tracked by The Associated Press and linked to Russia by Western officials. The goal, they asserted, is to sow division in Western societies and undermine support for Ukraine. The Harju County Court in Estonia said the perpetrators were two Moldovan men who are cousins, both named Ivan Chihaial. One was sentenced to 6 1/2 years in prison for the arson attack on the restaurant and supermarket, which the court said was carried out on behalf of Russia's security services. The other Ivan Chihaial was an accomplice and sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison. In a statement, the court said the first Chihaial was tasked with the operation by Russian military intelligence, known as the GRU. It said he carried out a trial operation on behalf of the GRU in January 2024, setting fire to a Co-op supermarket in the village of Osula in southeastern Estonia. The next day someone acting on behalf of the GRU tasked him with setting fire to the Slava Ukraina restaurant in the capital, Tallinn. Chihaial drove with his cousin to the restaurant on the night of Jan. 31, 2024, then they set fire to it and left Estonia. The court said Chihaial's cousin was unaware he was working for the GRU. The court said the defendants set fire to the supermarket and the restaurant by breaking a window, pouring in gasoline, placing a bag with a gasoline can inside and igniting it. Authorities in Latvia, Lithuania and Poland worked to detain the men who were apprehended in Italy before being sent to Estonia to face trial, said State Prosecutor Triinu Olev-Aas. The arson is the latest attack on Estonia since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. In prior cases, Estonia suffered cyberattacks and the windows of cars belonging to a politician and journalist were smashed. Previous attackers have been recruited inside Russia, which shares a border with Estonia. The Estonian Internal Security Service said the fact that Russia's intelligence agencies used Moldovans who were sent to the country showed they are finding it increasingly difficult to recruit, including among dual citizens. Russia has been accused of a widespread sabotage campaign by Western officials since its invasion of Ukraine. As well as cases of arson, the attacks across Europe range from stuffing car tailpipes with expanding foam in Germany to a plot to plant explosives on cargo planes, hacking that targeted politicians and critical infrastructure and spying by a ring convicted in the U.K. President Vladimir Putin's spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, has told the AP that the Kremlin has never been shown 'any proofs' supporting accusations of a broader sabotage campaign and said 'certainly we definitely reject any allegations.'
Scottish Sun
16-06-2025
- Sport
- Scottish Sun
Newcastle fans convinced Anthony Elanga is joining after cryptic nine-word reply to William Osula
TIME WILL EL Newcastle fans convinced Anthony Elanga is joining after cryptic nine-word reply to William Osula Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) NEWCASTLE fans reckon Anthony Elanga is on his way to St James' Park after spotting his cryptic nine-word message. Elanga fuelled the rumour mill while congratulating Toon star William Osula on his two goals for Denmark at the under-21 Euros. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 5 Anthony Elanga's social media activity has sparked rumours that he'll join Newcastle this summer Credit: Rex 5 Elanga commented on Newcastle star William Osula's post after he scored two goals for Denmark Credit: Getty 5 Newcastle target Elanga said he 'cannot say too much' on Sunday Osula was named in the starting XI and guided Denmark to a 2-1 comeback win over the Netherlands to advance to the quarter-finals. Alongside images from the win, Osula wrote on Sunday: 'Two goals. GODS work. Through to quarter final.' Osula received some interesting replies, with Toon teammate Joe Willock writing: 'This is what we spoke about .. Gods work.' But the most intriguing comment came from Newcastle target Elanga, who is close pals with Osula. READ MORE IN FOOTBALL 'BEYOND BLESSED' Maddison and Wag sensationally announce they're expecting twins AGAIN The former Manchester United winger wrote: 'Not gonna say too much … keep going ma boy.' Newcastle are interested in signing Elanga, as Eddie Howe aims to add a new right winger to his squad. But the 23-year-old's price tag could be an issue, with Newcastle valuing him at £35million, while Forest want more than £50million. Toon fans will hope that Elanga's relationship with Osula can tempt the Swede to Tyneside. 5 CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS Elanga also messaged Osula after his goal against Ukraine and now he has done it again following the 21-year-old's latest achievement. The two struck up a friendship after both being represented by talent agency CAA Stellar. Fans say 'I'm getting leg cramps just watching' as ex-Man Utd ace Anthony Elanga shows off insane workout workout That is the same company that represents Toon goalkeeper Nick Pope and other Newcastle transfer target James Trafford. Howe's side were linked with a move for Elanga last summer, after signing Osula from Sheffield United for £15million. Meanwhile, Newcastle are eyeing replacements on the other flank in case Anthony Gordon leaves this summer. SunSport exclusively revealed that Liverpool are weighing up a £100million move for the England star. Boyhood Liverpool fan Gordon moved to St James' Park from Everton for £45m in January 2024. He even signed a new contract last October, notching six goals and five assists in the Prem in the 2024/2025 season.
The Irish Sun
16-06-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Newcastle fans convinced Anthony Elanga is joining after cryptic nine-word reply to William Osula
NEWCASTLE fans reckon Anthony Elanga is on his way to St James' Park after spotting his cryptic nine-word message. Elanga fuelled the rumour mill while congratulating Toon star Euros . 5 Anthony Elanga's social media activity has sparked rumours that he'll join Newcastle this summer Credit: Rex 5 Elanga commented on Newcastle star William Osula's post after he scored two goals for Denmark Credit: Getty 5 Newcastle target Elanga said he 'cannot say too much' on Sunday Osula was named in the starting XI and guided Netherlands to advance to the quarter-finals. Alongside images from the win, Osula wrote on Sunday: 'Two goals. GODS work. Through to quarter final.' Osula received some interesting replies, with Toon teammate Joe Willock writing: 'This is what we spoke about .. Gods work.' But the most intriguing comment came from READ MORE IN FOOTBALL The former Newcastle are interested in signing Elanga , as But the 23-year-old's price tag could be an issue, with Newcastle valuing him at £35million , while Forest want more than £50million. Toon fans will hope that Elanga's relationship with Osula can tempt the Swede to Tyneside. Most read in Football 5 CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS Elanga also messaged Osula after his goal against Ukraine and now he has done it again following the 21-year-old's latest achievement. The two struck up a friendship after both being represented by talent agency CAA Stellar. Fans say 'I'm getting leg cramps just watching' as ex-Man Utd ace Anthony Elanga shows off insane workout workout That is the same company that represents Toon goalkeeper other Newcastle transfer target James Trafford . Howe's side were Meanwhile, Newcastle are eyeing replacements on the other flank in case Anthony Gordon leaves this summer. SunSport exclusively revealed that Boyhood fan moved to St James' Park from for £45m in January 2024. He even signed a new contract last October, notching six goals and five assists in the Prem in the 2024/2025 season. 5
