A howler by goalkeeper Tim Krul helped set Arsenal on their way to a win that lifts them up to seventh as bottom club Norwich City’s hopes of staying in the Premier League faded further.
Dutchman Krul lost possession to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang on the edge of his own penalty area for Arsenal’s opener, the Gabon forward whipping the ball from his feet to score his 18th top-flight goal of the season.
Aubameyang then turned provider for Swiss midfielder Granit Xhaka to sweep home his first club goal since March 2019 before Aubameyang added another after a mistake by Josip Drmic.
Substitute Cedric Soares completed the rout, the substitute scoring from outside the penalty area four minutes after coming on for his Gunners debut.
Norwich, six points from safety with six games left, hit the woodwork through Ben Godfrey when the game was goalless, while Emiliano Martinez produced a fine save to keep out Kenny McLean’s free-kick.
Aubameyang inspires Gunners
This was a highly satisfactory return to the Emirates Stadium for Mikel Arteta’s side as they marked their first competitive home match since 7 March with an easy win.
Having lost their first two matches since the restart, the Gunners have now won their past three, have an FA Cup semi-final to look forward to, while Aubameyang is level on 19 goals with Leicester’s Jamie Vardy at the top of the Premier League scoring charts.
His first was a gift, Krul easily dispossessed after a back pass by Godfrey as Aubameyang steamed in to score before laying on the pass for Xhaka to double the lead before half-time.
Another mistake, this time by Josip Drmic, allowed Aubameyang to pounce for the third, with Soares scoring the goal of the night from distance to complete an emphatic win.
Aubameyang, the fastest Arsenal player to 50 Premier League goals, is yet to pledge his long-term future to the Gunners, with his current contract due to expire in 2021.
The Gunners will hope he can be persuaded to stay after another inspirational performance by the forward, who has 51 league goals for Arsenal in 79 games.
Hope fading for Norwich
With three successive games against fellow strugglers Brighton (home), Watford (away) and West Ham (home) to come, Norwich will still believe they can turn it around.
But it looks increasingly likely the Canaries will be making a quick return to the Championship, which they won last season.
This was their fourth straight defeat since the re-start, while they have not scored a top-flight goal for more than six hours.
League defeat number 21 of the season was self-inflicted as mistakes by Krul and Drmic contributed to their latest downfall.
Boss Daniel Farke made a triple change at half-time and there was a brief period when Norwich looked like they might respond, but it was the same old story for the Canaries.
They are a team short of confidence while their leading scorer Teemu Pukki, one of the three players replaced at half-time, has not scored in his last 10 outings, playing 657 minutes, attempting 15 shots, with just five hitting the target.
Man of the match – Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Arsenal)
Dream debut – the stats
- Soares netted 229 seconds into his debut for the Gunners, his strike meaning he as many Premier League goals for Arsenal as he managed in 120 appearances while at Southampton (10,090 minutes).
- Since losing to Chelsea in Arteta’s first game in charge at the Emirates, Arsenal have won five of their past six Premier League games at home (D1), including winning four in a row for the first time since April 2019.
- Norwich’s defeat at the Emirates was their 100th Premier League loss in their 174th match away from home.
- Since joining Arsenal in 2018, Aubameyang has scored 14 goals in 14 games against sides starting the day in the Premier League relegation zone, netting twice both home and away versus Norwich this season.
- Norwich have lost six of their last seven Premier League games and not scored in each of those defeats, with the Canaries suffering four straight league defeats without a goal for the first time since May 2016.
What’s next?
While Arsenal are away at in-form Wolves on Saturday (17:30 BST), Norwich host Brighton in a huge game at Carrow Road in the day’s early kick-off (12:30 BST).
Josh2Funny’s Album Has Fans Talking — But Should He Stick To Music Or Skits? 😂🎶
Nigerian comedian and content creator Josh2Funny has taken his comedy game into music, and Nigerians are definitely having something to say about it.
The comedian released his 15-track album, “On Behalf of Josh,” on July 10, 2026, but instead of fading away after release, the project has continued to generate conversations on X.
And the big question now is:
Should Josh2Funny continue with music or go back to skits? 😂
Fans have been divided. While some listeners openly criticized the album and told him to return to comedy, others found songs they genuinely enjoyed.
One X user joked:
“Josh2Funny stopped doing skits and started music, Everybody wan chop this music money 😂”
Another simply said:
“This Josh2Funny Album no enter make he just go back skit abeg 😂”
But then came “Lembe.” 🔥
The track caught fire on X and eventually became a trending topic in Nigeria. The #LembeChallenge also gained momentum as creators began jumping on the song.
Josh2Funny later announced ₦1 million for winners of the challenge, giving the song another major push.
And it didn’t stop there.
‘INTERNATIONAL’ FT. ICE PRINCE ALSO TRENDED
On another day, “International” featuring Ice Prince generated its own buzz on X.
One fan even called it their favourite song from the album, while praising the collaboration. The post itself pulled thousands of views, showing that people weren’t only talking about Lembe.
From album criticism to trending songs and challenges, “On Behalf of Josh” has kept Josh2Funny’s name in the conversation.
Whether you love the album or think he should return to skits, one thing is clear:
Josh2Funny has succeeded in getting Nigerians talking. 😂🔥
So, let’s settle this once and for all:
Should Josh2Funny continue with MUSIC 🎶 or return to SKITS 😂?
Music or Skits? Drop your answer! 👇
RUAN-Badkid.96 is a Nigerian recording artist whose music refuses to live inside a single genre. Blending Afrobeat, Afrofusion, trap, hip-hop, melodic rap, R&B, and global influences, he creates records that move effortlessly between raw street energy, soulful storytelling, and infectious melodies. Whether delivering hard-hitting bars, emotional love songs, or rhythm-driven African records, his sound is defined by authenticity rather than limitation.
Inspired by both African culture and international music, RUAN-Badkid.96 embraces the confidence and ambition of global hip-hop while staying deeply connected to his roots. His lyrics explore love, heartbreak, betrayal, friendship, social injustice, hope, and the everyday realities of life. He doesn’t create music to follow trends, he creates music to reflect truth, emotion, and human experience.
Behind his fearless image is an artist who believes in kindness, equality, justice, and genuine human connection. His appearance may be intimidating, but his message is rooted in compassion and authenticity. Every record carries a piece of his journey, proving that strength and vulnerability can exist in the same voice.
For RUAN-Badkid.96, music is more than entertainment, it’s a language, a testimony, and a lifelong mission to connect with people through honesty, versatility, and unforgettable sound.
Entertainment Gists
Meet the Man Who Turned Hype Into a Science: Emmy Blaq, Nigeria’s G.O.A.T. of Hype
If you have ever been at a Nigerian event and found yourself on your feet before the main act even stepped on stage, there is a good chance a hype man was responsible. But not just any hype man. Emmy Blaq, born Ikechukwu Emmanuel Chima and raised in Auchi, Edo State, has spent the last few years quietly becoming the most talked-about name in that profession, and the Nigerian press has taken notice. Punch, Vanguard, The Guardian Nigeria, The Nation, and Independent Newspaper have all sat down with him, and every conversation leads back to the same thing: this man does not just make noise; he makes moments.
What makes Emmy Blaq different is the journey behind the energy. Before the stages, the collaborations with Waje on her “Waje 2.0” album, DJ Consequence, and DJ Kaywise on the massively streamed “Joor Party Mix” series, he was repairing generators, cutting hair, and sewing clothes in Auchi. His first professional hype gig happened at a local fast food spot called Valchi, and the crowd response that night changed everything. He told The Nation directly: “My passion for entertainment and desire to make people happy led me into the craft.” Punch also captured his bigger mission when he said that hype men deserve more than what they currently earn, a statement that sparked a real conversation across Nigerian entertainment circles.
With over 1.7 million TikTok followers, 23.6 million TikTok likes, a viral “Wife Material” challenge that landed on Pulse Nigeria’s top ten social media moments of 2021, and an international performance at the Cameroon International Music Festival that Cameroonian media described as electrifying, Emmy Blaq is not building toward something. He is already there. The G.O.A.T. of Hype is not a title he gave himself and hoped would stick. It is one the rooms keep confirming every single time he grabs the mic.
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