08/09/2026

TUESDAY | SEPT 8, 2026

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Glorious hattrick Kelantan’s Ahmad Shahmim Mohd Kadri poses with the gold medal he won in the men’s 72kg powerlifting event at the 2026 Shahmim Mohd Kadri d medal he won in the fting event at the 2026 Selangor Centre BERNAMAPIC Para Sukma at the Selangor International Trade Centre (SITC) yesterday. – BERNAMAPIC

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Arsenal raise the bar Arteta believes champions can improve further after comeback win exposes Chelsea’s defensive weaknesses A RSENAL MANAGER Mikel Arteta believes his side can reach an even higher level than the one that delivered their first Premier League title last sea son after they came from behind to beat Chelsea 2-1 in an absorbing London derby yesterday. “We are very happy and we need to continue to raise the bar and look to improve every single time. We need to enjoy the victory because it was a big one today.” The defeat was Alonso’s first in four games in all competitions and left Chelsea with seven goals conceded in three Premier League games.

MEDAL TALLY G S B STATE 2026 PARA SUKMA GAMES Ttl 1. Sabah 20 15 14 49 2. Selangor 19 11 14 44 3. Sarawak 14 10 14 38 4. Johor 8 6 7 21 5. F. Territories 5 5 4 14 6. Perlis 3 3 4 10 7. Kedah 3 1 4 8 8. Perak 2 9 5 16 9. Kelantan 2 6 3 8 10. Penang 2 6 1 9 11. Terengganu 2 4 3 9 12. Pahang 2 3 4 9 13. N. Sembilan 2 1 4 7 14. Melaka 1 5 1 7 15. Brunei 0 0 0 0

“I learnt about the game, about us, about what we are doing, what we are starting,” Alonso said. “This is a process. It’s still early days for us. We want to start having clean-sheets. They will come. “The players are committed to working hard, to knowing that we’re on the way to compete in each game. Not happy that we couldn’t get any thing but we need to keep calm and carry on.” Alonso was particularly frustrated by the period after Chelsea took the lead, when Arsenal seized control. “It hurts because a defeat has to hurt. It was a very intense game. We had chances to equalise,” he said. “After we scored, there were 15 or 20 minutes where we had to defend too much and we were struggling a bit to get control. Overall, it was a very tight, very intense game.” He also felt Chelsea could have defended Arsenal’s winning goal better. “We could do better with the second goal. You need to control the overloads on the right side,” Alonso said. Despite the disappointment, the Spaniard believes the experience of facing one of the league’s established powers will benefit his young team. “The players have this attitude, this desire to compete better game by game to create some thing we believe in,” he said. “It’s game three and this is going to be a long, long ride.” – AFP/Reuters

Odegaard, in particular, appears to have redis covered his best form after an injury-disrupted season. The Norway midfielder has three goals from four games, including the Community Shield. Arsenal’s attacking threat was strengthened by the return to form of several key players, while new signing Christos Tzolis again showed flashes of quality from the flank, giving Arteta more options in attack this season. “Odegaard has a point to prove from last sea son after missing so much football,” Arteta said. “When that happens, Kai the same, Bukayo the same, we miss so many attacking players last sea son for long, long periods. “I don’t know how many times they’ve played together those two in the last year or so, but probably not much, and when you start to feel the chemistry they have between them and what they can produce, it’s great.” “His personal life is settled, he is available, he is training, he has his routine and if he is intelligent, he can take a lot of benefits from the players around him. He was outstanding today,” Arteta said. For Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso, the defeat provided a sharp reminder of the work still required during his early rebuilding process. But Arsenal offered a far more demanding test and Chelsea were unable to sustain the momen tum created by Rogers’ early goal.

Morgan Rogers stunned the Emirates Stadium by putting Chelsea ahead after just 77 seconds, but Arsenal responded with a commanding dis play. Kai Havertz equalised before captain Martin Odegaard scored the winner after the interval, giving Arsenal a third victory from three League games and keeping them alongside Manchester City as the only teams with perfect records. “I think it was an exceptional performance. I enjoyed every minute of it from the beginning to the end, and the beginning was tough,” Arteta told reporters. “I enjoyed it because the team reacted in a spectacular way. The conviction, the determina tion, the quality of which I intend to have them constantly, it was beautiful. “It’s an indication for us of how capable we are to perform at an even higher level than last sea son, and it depends on how we maintain and sus tain that desire.” Arsenal ended a 22-year wait for the League title last season and Arteta believes lifting that burden could allow his players to approach the new campaign with greater freedom. “It wasn’t the right start but we certainly reacted in an amazing way. I enjoyed the way we competed. We took risks, it was a joy to watch,” he said.

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