EUROPA LEAGUE
*PSV end Arsenal’s unbeaten run, miss Group A top spot
Duro Ikhazuagbe with agency report
Nigerian international winger, Samuel Chukwueze, scored to level scores at 1-1 as Spanish side Villarreal battled to share points with Israeli club, Hapoel Beer Sheva in a thrilling 2-2 draw result yesterday.
After Tomer Hemed had fired the visitors into the lead of Europa Conference League barely three minutes after the first half break via a penalty, Super Eagles winger Chukwueze wasted no time in cancelling out Hapoel’s advantage in the 54th minute.
Another Villarreal player with Nigerian ancestry, Amaut Danjuma, gave hope to fans of the home team when he extended their lead in the 70th minute. That too did not last as Hapoel fought back gamely in the 79th minute when Sagiv Yehezkel drew the Israeli side level two goals apiece.
Both sides fought hard to grab the winning goal so to smile away with the three goals at stake but did not materialize.
The match was Chukwueze’s fourth appearance in the UEFA second tier competition. He now have two goals and two assists to his name so far this season in the competition.
Meanwhile, Premier League leaders Arsenal missed a chance to seal top spot in Europa League Group A as they lost 2-0 to PSV Eindhoven in the Netherlands.
The Gunners only needed a point to go straight through to the last 16 next March. It also ended their unbeaten run since start of the new season.
But Joey Veerman’s first-time finish from 16 yards and a header by substitute Luuk de Jong – after a mistake by keeper Aaron Ramsdale on his European debut – saw Mikel Arteta’s side lose in Europe for the first time this season.
PSV, managed by former Manchester United forward Ruud van Nistelrooy, also had three goals ruled out for offside as Arsenal were well beaten.
The Gunners need to beat Zurich in their final group game next Thursday at Emirates Stadium (20:00 GMT) to guarantee a place in the last 16.
If they fail to win and PSV beat Bodo/Glimt in Norway, Arsenal will face two extra games in the knockout round playoffs, where teams that finish third in the Champions League group stage, including Barcelona, drop into.
RESULTS
Europa League
Man Utd 3-0 Sheriff
FC Zurich 2-1 Bodo/Glimt
PSV 2-0 Arsenal
Larnaca 3-3 D’Kyiv
Fenerbahce 3-3 Rennes
Ludogorets 0-1 Betis
Helsinki 1-2 Roma
Malmo 0-2 U’ St Gilloise
U’Berlin 1-0 Braga
Omonia 0-2 Sociedad
Lazio 2-1 Midtjylland
S’Graz 1-0 Feyenoord
Freiburg 1-1 Olympiacos
Nantes 2-1 Qarabag
Ferencvaros 1-1 Monaco
C’Zvezda 2-1 Trabzonspor
Europa Conference
Villarreal 2-2 Hapoel S’
