Arsenal secured a comfortable home victory over Everton, moving level on points with Manchester City at the top of the Premier League table. Defenders Ezri Konsa and Gabriel Magalhaes scored the goals, lifting Arsenal to 21 points. The opening goal came in the seventh minute after early Arsenal pressure helped them win three corners in a row, with Konsa bundling in his first goal for the club at the back post.
The Gunners were the dominant side in the opening 45 minutes, registering 13 shots and winning 10 corners. James Garner and Tyrique George both had efforts at goal as Everton chased an equaliser, but they could not find a way past home keeper David Raya. The visitors' attempts to level the score were thwarted by Arsenal's solid defense.
Arsenal picked up where they left off after the break, and it was no surprise that Gabriel Magalhaes joined his centre-back partner on the scoresheet when he headed in Ben White's cross in the 68th minute. Everton almost pulled one back late in the game when Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall flicked a header just wide, but Arsenal's defense held firm.
In another Premier League match, Nicolas Jackson's well-taken double for Aston Villa ended Manchester City's 100% winning start to the season. City had taken maximum points from their first seven league games but fell to their first defeat against a Villa side who have an exceptional recent record against them.
The victory was Villa's fifth in their past seven meetings against City, a fourth successive win against them at Villa Park and came on the fourth anniversary of Unai Emery's appointment as manager. Villa captain John McGinn pounced on a poor touch by City defender Marc Guehi to play in Jackson, who turned inside Elliot Anderson and finished high into the net past Gianluigi Donnarumma for the hosts' opener.
Meanwhile, in golf, Governor of Rivers State, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has declared open the 2026 Port Harcourt Amateur Open Golf Championship. The event, which brings together over 250 golfers from across Nigeria, is being held in Port Harcourt. Fubara, represented by his Chief of Staff, Barr. Sunny Ewule, renewed his administration's commitment to supporting initiatives that promote youth development and the wellbeing of Rivers people.
In basketball, Nigerian clubs MFM Basketball Club and First Bank Basketball Club will battle for places in the African Women's Basketball League finals when they compete in the FIBA Africa Zone 3 qualifiers in Monrovia, Liberia, from November 2 to 9. The top two teams will earn qualification for the continental finals in Cairo, Egypt, scheduled for December 11 to 19.
Key points
- Arsenal moved level on points with Manchester City at the top of the Premier League table with a comfortable home victory over Everton.
- Nicolas Jackson's double for Aston Villa ended Manchester City's 100% winning start to the Premier League season.
- MFM Basketball Club and First Bank Basketball Club will compete in the FIBA Africa Zone 3 qualifiers in Monrovia, Liberia, from November 2 to 9.
