Arsene Wenger Pep Guardiola backs Arsenal manager to silence critics

Arsene Wenger

Pep Guardiola backs Arsenal manager to silence critics

Pulse News Agency International By AFP | 20:08 | 31.03.2017

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola says it is not too late for Arsene Wenger to save his relationship with Arsenal's fans and remain in charge at the Emirates Stadium.

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  » moreArsenal manager Arsene Wenger (left) shakes hands with his Manchester City counterpart Pep Guardiola after a 2-1 defeat for the north London side at the Etihad Stadium in December 2016  (AFP)

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola says it is not too late for Arsene Wenger to save his relationship with Arsenal's fans and remain in charge at the Emirates Stadium.

Wenger has endured a miserable campaign and frustrated supporters have turned on the Gunners boss and called for him to resign.

The Frenchman has been offered a new two-year contract to prolong his 21-year reign and reports suggest he will eventually sign it.

"When he goes back to winning the fans will be happy again. I promise you, 100 percent," Guardiola said ahead of Sunday's clash at Arsenal.

"The Premier League is not easy to win but I'm pretty sure the fans respect a lot what Arsene Wenger has done and is doing.

"People should understand how difficult football is today, all the teams are more prepared."

A latest poll reflects how much work Wenger has to do to regain the support of Arsenal fans.

Some 78 percent of the Arsenal Supporters Trust want Wenger to go when his current deal expires at the end of the season.

Arsenal are languishing in sixth place in the league, six points outside the top four.

Although City could add to Wenger's woes, Guardiola feels his counterpart will eventually turn the tide back in his favour.

Earlier this season Guardiola described Wenger as the "commander-in-chief" and he is confident the Frenchman's reputation has not dwindled within football.

"I think a manager like Arsene, who has had a lot of years in one team, is so important," Guardiola said.

"Managers lose games. He's there a long time because he's good. If not, it cannot happen," he added.

'Good quality'

Wenger is said to have decided on his future but has not yet made it public and Guardiola added: "When the bosses decide, or Arsene decides, to stay and keep going he believes it is the best solution and the best for Arsenal.

"I'm not here to judge what they have to do and what is going to happen."

Nevertheless, the City boss will be out to pile more pressure on Wenger this weekend, although he is wary of a backlash from the Gunners.

"When you lose a lot of games it is a dangerous moment. I would prefer to take Arsenal after a lot of wins," he said.

"Everybody knows them -- good quality in the middle, good quality in the sides with Alexis (Sanchez) going inside, runs in behind with (Theo) Walcott, (Alex) Oxlade-Chamberlain. Good quality. Arsenal is a top team."

Guardiola will be without long-term casualties Ilkay Gundogan and Gabriel Jesus but expects Kevin De Bruyne and Pablo Zabaleta to be involved.

"They are not top, perfect (fitness) but yes," he said when asked if De Bruyne and Zabaleta would feature.

As a further boost, Jesus is expected to return to the squad before the end of the season.

"The crutches are gone. He has started to walk and hopefully he can come back to the pitches and start to run and make some exercises," he said.

"Hopefully he can help us in the last games of the season and come back for us in the pre-season."

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Pulse News Agency International By AFP
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COMMENTS

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Kelechi Nwakali Youngster reveals Kanu convinced him to join Arsenal

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FIFA Football governing body sends internal graft probe to Swiss prosecutors

FIFA said on Friday that it had sent a 1,300-page internal report to Swiss authorities investigating corruption and that Bern will share the findings with US officials also probing graft in football.

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  » moreFIFA's disgraced former president Sepp Blatter -- still in office when the probe was launched -- is currently the target of an investigation by the Swiss attorney general into criminal mismanagement  (AFP/File)

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Death Toll Rises To Six in FCT Meningitis Outbreak

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Domestic, Health

March 30, 2017

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Mustapha Sumaila(NAN): The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Primary Health Care Development Board on Thursday confirmed the death of yet another person due to Cerebrospinal Meningitis in the territory.

The board recorded four deaths on Tuesday in Durumi area of Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC).

The Executive Secretary of the board, Dr Rilwanu Mohammed, told NAN in an interview in Abuja that another death from the disease occurred in Dakwa, a border village of Bwari Area Council and Niger state on Wednesday.

“The four suspected cases we have were all in Durumi I and II in AMAC while one confirmed a case of a child that just happened yesterday (Wednesday) in Dakwa of Bwari area council.

“The four that died in Durumi showed all signs of meningitis but there was an autopsy carried out in the one at Dakwa and was confirmed to be meningitis at the University of Abuja Teaching hospital, Gwagwalada.

“We have so far immunised all residents of Durumi that are between the ages of 1 years and 29 years and we are going to condone off Dakwa area today (Thursday) for a similar vaccination,” he said.

According to him, the board had so far immunised 65,000 residents as against 70,000 targeted for vaccination against meningitis in FCT.

He said that since the disease broke out in Zamfara, Sokoto and Niger states, the board intensified effort to curtail its spread in the territory.

The Secretary disclosed that the board focused on Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and Barracks for the vaccination exercise because of their vulnerability.

Mohammed advised residents to avoid crowded places and ensure crossed ventilation in their homes to prevent the spread of the disease.Mustapha Sumaila

The FCT Primary Health Care Development Board on Thursday began the immunisation of 3,000 residents of Dakwa village against Cerebrospinal Meningitis (CSM).

The Executive Secretary of the board, Dr Rilwanu Mohammed, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja that the measure was in quick response to the death of two persons from an outbreak of the disease in the area.

One Abigail Tumo, 22, and a six-year-old child were reported to have died of complications from the disease last Friday in Dakwa village, Bwari Area Council of the FCT.

Mohammed said the two deaths in Dakwa had brought the death toll from the outbreak to six in FCT.

According to him, the board is doing everything possible to prevent further spread of the disease in the village and other parts of the FCT.

He urged residents of Abuja not to panic over the development as the board was adequately equipped to immunise residents and prevent further loss of lives.

“So far we have five deaths from suspected cases and one confirmed case of meningitis in Abuja.

“There were four deaths recorded from suspected cases in Durumi, Abuja Municipal Area Council, and out of two recorded in Dakwa, one was confirmed while the other one was merely a suspected case,” he said.

Earlier at the palace of Sarkin Dakwa, Alhaji Alhassan Babachukuri, the traditional ruler described the outbreak that claimed the lives of two people in his domain as unfortunate.

Babachukuri appealed to his subjects to come out en-mass for the ongoing vaccination against CSM.

Officials of the FCT Primary Health Care Development Board, Bwari Area Council and the World Health Organisation (WHO) visited the deceased (Abigail Tumo)’s house to condole with the family.

The father of the deceased, Mr Sunday Tumo, described the death of his daughter as sad, saying the bereaved members of the family had taken it in good faith as Christians.

However, Tumo, a retired Deputy Director of the National Orientation Agency, expressed happiness over the awareness the death of his daughter from the disease had created in the area and other parts of FCT.

He commended the government for the immediate response to prevent the spread of the disease to other parts of the FCT and the country at large.

Curry sparks Warriors, triple-king Westbrook sets record

Pulse News Agency International By AFP | 2017-03-30 10:11:00.0 | 2017-03-30 10:11:00.0

The win saw Golden State tighten their grip on the top seed position in the conference standings.

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  » moreStephen Curry scored 29 points as the Golden State Warriors fought back from a 22-point deficit to land a psychological blow against the San Antonio Spurs, 110-98, at AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas, on March 29, 2017  (Getty/AFP/File)

Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson led the Golden State Warriors to a magnificent come-from-behind victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday on a record-breaking night for Oklahoma City's Russell Westbrook.

Curry and Thompson -- the fabled "Splash Brothers" of the Warriors offense -- combined for 52 points as the Dubs overturned a 29-7 deficit to secure a 110-98 win over their Western Conference rivals.

The win saw Golden State tighten their grip on the top seed position in the conference standings, improving to 61-14 as second-placed San Antonioslipped to 57-17.

The Warriors victory hands the Oaklandfranchise a psychological boost as they head into the playoffs next month, where they could ultimately face San Antonio for a place in the NBA Finals.

"We're on the right track," Curry said.

"We don't win a championship in this game but we understand we're getting better as we get to the playoffs and that's really the only focus right now. We want to keep it up."

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  » moreRussell Westbrook conjured a spectacular 57-point triple double to edge closer to history as the Oklahoma City Thunder scored a thrilling overtime victory over the Orlando Magic, at Amway Center in Orlando, Florida, on March 29, 2017  (Getty/AFP/File)

Curry finished with 29 points while Thompson weighed in with 23. Andre Iguodala (14) and David West (15) also posted double figure tallies for the Dubs.

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich was blunt in his assessment of the game, describing the Warriors as the best team in the NBA.

"They played great, they all played great," Popovich said. "They just played better. Curry, Thompson -- they all made shots. That's why they're the best team in the league."

In Orlando meanwhile, Oklahoma star Westbrook was feted with loud chants of"MVP, MVP" by Orlando Magic fans after an electrifying performance.

Westbrook finished with 57 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists as the Thunder rolled to a 114-106 win in overtime at Orlando's Amway Center.

It was Westbrook's fourth consecutive triple-double and his 38th of an incredible season. It also set a new record as the highest-scoring triple-double in NBA history.

Closing in on history

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  » moreGiannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks takes a shot against Jae Crowder of the Boston Celtics during the first quarter, at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts, on March 29, 2017  (Getty/AFP)

The 28-year-old is now just three shy of equalling Oscar Robertson's longstanding NBA record for triple-doubles in a single season.

The win helped the Thunder improve to 43-31 while the Magic are now at 27-48 after a second consecutive defeat.

Westbrook said his hunger to scale new heights had inspired him.

"You just got to want it more than other people," Westbrook said. "I don't think about getting tired. I just keep going and going. I don't think about it. I just think about making the next play, making winning basketball plays. I'm blessed."

The highlight of Westbrook's masterclass was a devastating late burst of scoring which saw him net 19 points in the final six minutes of regulation time, draining a three-pointer with seven seconds remaining to send the game into overtime.

"Russell was spectacular coming down the stretch and the way he closed the game," Thunder coach Billy Donovan said. "Overall, it's just incredible what he's doing now. He played an exceptional second half again. He just has an incredible competitive spirit."

Magic coach Frank Vogel ranked Westbrook's display as one of the greatest in history.

"That (Westbrook's performance) was one of the best," Magic coach Frank Vogel said. "It's tough to rank those over the years, but it's right up there with the best. Give him credit."

In the Eastern Conference, Boston were knocked off top spot after slipping to a 103-100 win against the Milwaukee Bucks.

Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 22 points as the Bucks dug in for an important win.

"They're really good," Celtics coachBrad Stevens said. "They've been one of the best teams in the East over the past month and a half. I'm not surprised at their level, and their level is really high."

Do you ever witness anything interesting or exciting? Just take out your phone and send us the exclusive pictures or video and we will pay you cash. More information here or just e-mail to eyewitness@pulse.ng or What's App to 09098947580. Please include what, who, when, where, why.

Pulse News Agency International By AFP
Brings you the latest news from Africa, covering breaking news in business, politics, entertainment, technology, and more.