Arsenal returned to the top of the Premier League as Eberechi Eze’s rocket sealed a tense but vital 1-0 win against Newcastle on Saturday.

For the first time since October, Arsenal had started a league game out of pole position after Manchester City’s 1-0 win at Burnley on Wednesday sent them to the summit.

But Eze lifted the Gunners back into first place with his sublime strike in the first half at the Emirates Stadium.

Eze’s 10th goal this season opened up a three-point lead over second-placed City, who were booking their place in the FA Cup final with a 2-1 win against Southampton, while Arsenal were in league action.

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It was an essential victory for Arsenal, whose 2-1 defeat at City last weekend was a huge blow to their title hopes.

After losing just three of their first 49 matches in all competitions this season, Arsenal had been beaten in four of the previous six, suffering successive league defeats for the first time since 2023.

Having blown substantial leads in the title race in 2023 and 2024, allowing City to pip them in the trophy, the north Londoners’ recent slump has left them in danger of squandering another golden opportunity to win their first English crown since 2004.

City have a game in hand on Arsenal, keeping the destiny of the title in their hands.

However, they do not play their next league game until May 4 when they visit Everton, giving Arsenal the chance to move six points clear when they host Fulham next weekend.

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Before that, Arsenal visit Atletico Madrid in the Champions League semi-final first leg on Wednesday.

City’s win against Burnley had ended Arsenal’s 209-day run as leaders due to their superior goals scored tally.

While Arsenal are back on top with a one-goal better goal difference than City, their failure to run up the score on toothless Newcastle could come back to haunt them.

Newcastle have been in even worse form than Arsenal, and this was their ninth defeat in 12 league games, adding to the pressure on under-fire boss Eddie Howe.

Eze drilled narrowly wide from the edge of the area, a warning that Newcastle failed to heed as the England midfielder put Arsenal ahead in the ninth minute.

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Once again, Arsenal’s set-piece mastery paid dividends, but Newcastle were guilty of woeful defending.

Martin Odegaard found Kai Havertz inside the area, and he teed up Eze — left unmarked in virtually the same position as his shot moments earlier — to smash a superb curler into the top corner from 18 yards.

Arsenal’s 17th goal from a corner this season set a new Premier League record for a single campaign.

After playing just six short corners in the league all season prior to facing Newcastle, Arteta’s men deployed three in the first half alone to exploit a vulnerability in the visitors’ defence.

Arsenal were far from flawless themselves, and keeper David Raya was almost caught out by Sandro Tonali’s dipping drive from distance.

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Havertz limped off in the 34th minute to extend his injury-plagued season.

And there was more bad news for Arteta on the injury front when Eze was forced off early in the second half.

Arsenal lost their rhythm after the injuries, and Yoane Wissa should have made them pay when he volleyed over from eight yards.

Arsenal’s anxiety was palpable in the stands and on the pitch as Dan Burn’s header was clutched by Raya in the closing stages.

Shaking his head on the touchline, Arteta breathed a sigh of relief as a gripping title race took another twist.

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Journalists and other guests, were forced to dock under their tables, fended by security operatives after sounds of gunshots were heard within the precinct of the venue where Donald Trump, President of the United States was hosting media personalities to a dinner on Saturday.

The POTUS and his wife Melania, were declared unhurt after the incident, in which one person was arrested and taken away and is said to be currently in custordy, as a result.

The incident took place at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington, D.C., on Saturday night, with the United States Secret Service confirming that a suspect was been taken into custody, adding that investigations were ongoing in collaboration with local law enforcement.

The shooting occurred near the main security screening area at the event venue, the Washington Hilton, where hundreds of journalists, politicians, and guests had gathered, reports say, quoting the statement as saying: “The President and first lady are safe along with all protectees.”

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The report maintained that the condition of those involved in the incident was still being assessed, while witnesses said they heard what sounded like gunshots shortly after 8:30 p.m., triggering panic as attendees fled the ballroom.

Security operatives were seen swiftly evacuating top officials, including Vice President J.D. Vance and members of the cabinet with a video footage from the scene showing Secret Service agents clearing the stage and ushering the President and other dignitaries to safety, while voices were heard urging people to “stay down.”

Trump, who spoke shortly after the incident, praised security agencies for their swift response, saying via a post on social media: “Secret Service and law enforcement did a fantastic job. They acted quickly and bravely. The shooter has been apprehended.”

He added that while he initially suggested the event continue, final decisions would be made by security authorities, noting that the evening’s programme had been significantly disrupted.

Organisers later confirmed that the president would address the press, with plans to possibly reschedule the event within 30 days.

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The White House Correspondents’ Dinner is an annual gathering that brings together journalists, political leaders, and public figures, and is often seen as a key moment celebrating press freedom in the United States.

Olusegun Obasanjo, former Nigerian President is playing a major role in tinkering opposition politicians in Nigeria into one platform, leading to their decision on Saturday to produce a common candidate to square up against President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.

The former President is said to be the rallying point for the massive initiative, believed to have foreign components, including supports coming from as far as the United States and the United Kingdom, where Nigerians with influence are persuading authorities to help dislodge Tinubu and members of the All Progressive Congress (APC).

The initiative is coming as lobbyists are intensifying efforts to press it on London and Washington about the need for a regime change in Nigerian, a project said to be getting traction, based on manifest anti-democratic credentials already manifesting within the government in Nigeria.

A current video circulating in recent days, showed one of the efforts being championed by Mike Arnold, former Republican Mayor of Blanco, Texas, and founder of Africa Arise International, a nonprofit focused on humanitarian work and missionary efforts in Nigeria.

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The former mayor was seen in the video, not only pushing authorities in Washington to act fast to change the APC government of Tinubu, which he accused of doing little to prevent the massive killings in Nigeria, by ensuring a free and fair election in 2027.

An insider privy to the move, told WhirlwindNews: “What you saw today, is a foretaste of what is coming. You know these politicians are coming from every angle. Baba, is making sure that politicians get it right. That is why he is throwing his weight behind the initiative. He is doing everything to ensure that what Tinubu is planning for Nigeria doesn’t succeed.

“How can Nigeria descend into a one-party state where nobody will act outside the confines of the Tinubu influence. Is that not autocracy. That is what Obasanjo is trying to prevent. Such a thing is not going to happen under his watch, it is not going to happen before his nose. That is what he wants to prevent even if it is the last thing he does while alive.

He also spoke of the foreign arrangement, confirming the push to secure help from outside Nigeria, saying: “These people have captured all institutions in Nigeria – INEC (Independent National Electoral Commission), the security agencies and the judiciary – so, what is left, is the determination of Nigerians not to allow it.

“You know what will result if Tinubu manages to capture Nigeria in the manner it is going. It is not going to stop there. Where we are headed is to make Nigeria like Cameroun under Paul Biya, Uganda under Yoweri Museveni and the likes. Of course these countries are watching known that what is at stake is democracy and the consequences will be great if Nigerian democracy fails.

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Political leaders at a National Summit of Opposition Political Leaders held on Saturday in Ibadan, Oyo State, after weighing in on the current challenges facing the country, warned that democracy in the country was under increasing strain and required urgent collective action to safeguard it.

The summit, themed: Safeguarding Nigeria’s Democracy: A National Dialogue” brought together key opposition figures across party lines, culminating in the adoption of a joint communiqué known as the Ibadan Declaration.

Leaders at the event said the decision to rally behind a single candidate was driven by the need to avoid fragmentation of votes and strengthen the opposition’s chances at the polls.

Seyi Makinde, who hosted the delegation, while warning of not only a steady erosion of democratic competition, but that the concentration of political power under one party threatened pluralism, reminded the ruling party that the ‘wet e’ era in the defunct Western Nigeria, started from Ibadan, which he said must not be allowed to repeat itself.

“Democracy without opposition is not democracy, it is a slow drift toward a one-party state,” he said.

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National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Taminu Turaki, described the move as both strategic and necessary, warning that disunity has historically weakened opposition efforts.

“A single stick can be broken easily, but a bundle of sticks is far more difficult to break,” he said, urging political actors to prioritise national interest over individual ambition.

Turaki maintained that Nigeria is currently experiencing what he termed “progressive regression,” citing worsening insecurity, economic challenges, and declining confidence in democratic institutions.

“This is not a moment for silence or division; it is a moment for decisive action,” he said.

Former Senate President David Mark described the moment as a “national rescue mission,” stressing that no single opposition party could confront the current political structure alone.

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“We cannot confront the future as fragmented entities. This is the time to rewrite the story of coalition building in Nigeria,” Mark said.

In the communiqué issued at the end of the summit, opposition parties reaffirmed their commitment to contest the 2027 elections at all levels, rejecting what they described as attempts to impose a one-party state.

They also resolved to resist any move to make the election a one-candidate race, insisting that Nigerians must be presented with credible alternatives.

Beyond the consensus candidacy plan, the declaration raised concerns over the credibility of the electoral process.

They passed a vote of no confidence in the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Joash Amupitan.

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The opposition leaders alleged bias and called for his removal from overseeing the 2027 elections.

The summit further urged the National Assembly to review contentious provisions of the Electoral Act 2026, and demanded an extension of deadlines for party primaries to the end of July 2026.

Participants also called for the release of political actors allegedly detained on bailable offences, stressing the need for inclusivity and respect for fundamental rights.

Speakers at the summit, in their separate remarks, repeatedly stressed that Nigeria stands at a critical juncture, urging leaders to act decisively to preserve democratic institutions.

The summit ended with the declaration of a shared commitment among opposition parties to deepen collaboration, rebuild public trust, and present a united challenge in 2027.

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The Ibadan meeting attracted several prominent political figures from different political parties, including the PDP and the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

Among them were former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Labour Party 2023 presidential candidate Peter Obi, former Kano State governor Rabiu Kwankwaso, former Osun State governor Rauf Aregbesola, former Rivers State governor Rotimi Amaechi, political economist Pat Utomi, and elder statesman Jerry Gana, among other notable political leaders.

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