Four Super Eagles players were in a contest Saturday night in an English Premier League battle that paired two on both sides.

Calvin Bassey and Alex Iwobi were in the Fulham side that raided Nottingham Forest who paraded the duo of  Ola Aina and Taiwo Awoniyi.

It was one of the late Premier League matches of the day. Iwobi and Bassey were in the winning side as Nottingham lost 1-0 at home.

Awoniyi had a good chance to score in the 19th minute after getting on the end of a nice pass. Unfortunately for him, he smashed his volley just wide.

The first half did not see many chances and it ended goalless. Awoniyi had just one shot on goal and by the break, coach Nuno Espirito Santo decided to take him off for Anthony Elanga.

However, that did not give Forest the attacking edge they were looking for.

Rather, just three minutes into the second half, they conceded a penalty. Fulham striker Raul Jimenez made no mistake as he converted with aplomb to make it 1-0 to his side.

Iwobi had a good chance to score in the 61st minute after a nice build-up from the midfield.

But his strike was blocked by a defender. Despite the fact that they were searching for goals, Nottingham Forest failed to create much in the final third.

Aina was decent, but could not do much in the attacking third. On the other hand, Bassey was sturdy at the back for Fulham. After 90 minutes, the game ended 1-0 to Fulham.

Leandro Trossard erased the memory of his red card last week as he played a crucial role in Arsenal’s 4-2 Premier League win over Leicester City after the Londoners had somehow squandered a two-goal lead on Saturday.

The Belgian had put Arsenal 2-0 ahead on the stroke of halftime and it was his back-post shot that deflected in off Leicester’s Wilfred Ndidi that restored Arsenal’s lead in the fourth minute of stoppage time.

Kai Havertz then made totally sure of the victory that lifted Arsenal level with leaders Manchester City on 14 points.

When Trossard’s cool finish doubled Arsenal’s lead it seemed the hosts would go on to win by a big enough margin to replace City as leaders on goal difference after Pep Guardiola’s side were held to a 1-1 draw at Newcastle United.

But James Justin’s double — his second a superb volley in the 63rd minute — stunned the hosts as Leicester, almost non-existent in the opening period, got themselves back to 2-2.

Arsenal peppered the visitors’ goal in search of the three points and winless Leicester’s rearguard eventually cracked as Trossard got on the end of Bukayo Saka’s corner and his goalbound shot bounced in off Ndidi.

The goal was initially given to Trossard but changed to an own goal, although Arsenal were questioning that decision.

While it was not the best Arsenal display it was the ideal statement after being denied victory at City by a last-gasp equaliser after playing the entire second half with 10 men following the red card for Trossard who served his one-match ban by missing his side’s League Cup victory this week.

Even better news for the Gunners was the sight of Gabriel Martinelli back in form after a lean spell.

His angled finish to put Arsenal in front after 20 minutes was his first goal for the club since March and he then set up Trossard’s goal just before halftime.

“I’m really happy with the performance, I think we deserved the win,” the Brazilian, who dispatched Jurrien Timber’s pull back past Leicester keeper Mads Hermansen, said.

“We played really well, we suffered a bit. We didn’t deserve to suffer that much but we won the game and this is the most important thing.”

Leicester will take some heart from the way they battled back into the game and looked like taking an unlikely point as Hermansen made several superb saves as Arsenal piled forward in response to frittering away their lead.

“It’s another loss and the results always write the narrative but there was so much to be positive about,” Leicester boss Steve Cooper, whose side are 16th with three points, said.

“We’ve got to try and keep going, keep capitalising on what is going okay and just improve.”

Bizarrely many Arsenal fans left early with their side straining for the winner but they should know better that Arteta’s side keep going all the way to the end.

“It got very emotional,” Arteta told reporters. “More than we wanted certainly. After 2-0 the result should have been bigger. This is the Premier League.

“They scored two goals. But I’m really pleased with the way we responded.”

-Reuters

Arsenal wanted to provoke Manchester City into a war during last weekend’s Premier League clash but the champions are ready for the challenge, City manager Pep Guardiola said on Friday.

A stoppage-time equaliser let hosts City hold 10-man Arsenal 2-2 on Sunday in a match where City midfielder Rodri suffered a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament which ruled him out for the season.

Nerves flared during the clash as City’s leading scorer Erling Haaland threw the ball at Arsenal defender Gabriel Magalhaes and directed heated words at Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta after the final whistle, asking him to “stay humble”.

Brazil’s Gabriel said Arsenal were waiting for City to visit them, with the rivalry between last season’s top two teams heating up.

“Gabriel said it perfectly in the press after the match: this is a war, we (are) here to provoke the opponent, push them,” Guardiola told reporters when asked about Haaland’s actions.

“And at the end, what can you do? You provoke me? OK, I’m there. You want a war? Now we war… The type of challenge that Arsenal challenges, I understand it.”

Leaders City, who visit Newcastle United on Saturday, are two points ahead of Arsenal with 13 points from five matches.

-Reuters