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Premier League leaders Arsenal needed two own goals, the second deep in stoppage time, to scrape a 2-1 home win over bottom club Wolverhampton Wanderers and open a five-point gap while earlier on Saturday Mohamed Salah put aside a tumultuous week to help Liverpool beat Brighton and Hove Albion 2-0, Reuters reported. 

The table will show that Wolves remain cast adrift with two points from their opening 16 games, but they played well above their lowly standing and when Tolu Arokodare headed them level in the 90th minute Arsenal were stunned.

After defeat by Aston Villa last weekend, failure to beat Wolves at home would have blown the title race wide open, but when Bukayo Saka swung in a cross towards substitute Gabriel Jesus in the fourth minute of stoppage time, it flew in off the head of the unfortunate Yerson Mosquera, according to Reuters. 

Lumbini Lions are crowned champions of the second edition of the Nepal Premier League (NPL) after a comprehensive six-wicket victory over Sudurpaschim Royals in the final at the Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground, Kirtipur, on Saturday.

Chasing a low target of 86, Lumbini reached 86/4 in just nine overs, with 66 balls to spare. Dinesh Adhikari led the charge with a blistering 42 off just 13 balls, while D’Arcy Short added 14. Captain Rohit Paudel contributed 16 to ensure a swift finish.

Earlier, Sudurpaschim were bundled out for 85 in 19.1 overs after opting to bat first. Ishan Pandey top-scored with 33, but the innings never gained momentum as Lumbini’s bowlers kept things tight. Ruben Trumpelmann and Sher Malla claimed three wickets each, while Rohit Paudel also picked up a hattrick as Sudurpaschim collapsed from 44/4 to 85 all out.

The title marks a remarkable turnaround for Lumbini, who finished at the bottom of the table in the inaugural edition of the NPL last year, managing just one league win.

For Sudurpaschim, the defeat extended their wait for a title despite consistent performances. They finished as table-toppers in consecutive seasons and reached back-to-back finals, but fell short again. In the previous edition, Sudurpaschim had lost the final to Janakpur, and this year they were outplayed by a resurgent Lumbini side.

MLS Cup champion Inter Miami CF announced a new contract with defender Ian Fray on Thursday, Reuters reported. 

The 23-year-old homegrown player is signed through the 2028-29 season.

Overcoming ACL injuries in 2021, 2022 and 2023, Fray enjoyed a strong season in 2025 with one goal and four assists in 35 matches across all competitions.

Fray was in the starting 11 for Miami's 3-1 win against the Vancouver Whitecaps on Dec. 6 to claim the franchise's first championship, according to Reuters. 

Aston Villa secured a 2-1 victory at Basel on Thursday, with goals from Evann Guessand and Youri Tielemans keeping their Europa League campaign on a strong footing, Reuters reported. 

The result lifted Villa to 15 points, level with Olympique Lyonnais and Midtjylland at the top of the group after six matches. Basel remain below the play-off section with six points.

Villa settled quickly and struck first when a loose ball from a corner fell kindly for Guessand, who finished from close range after 12 minutes, according to Reuters.