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Every Monday, Pulse Sports team of reporters and editors go tête-à-tête over the top sports stories from the weekend. We call this, the Pundits Corner.
The weekend left us with lots of exciting moments to savour, as well as a lot of talking points.
From Nigeria, where newcomers Bendel Insurance continue to fly higher than every other experienced team in the NPFL, to the world stage, where Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman and Novak Djokovic continue to own the spotlight, there is much to talk about.
Djokovic #22: Do the next-gen have what it takes to stop this 36-year-old?
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On Sunday, Djokovic treated the sports world to yet another masterclass, beating Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-3, 7-6(4), 7-6(5) to match Rafael Nadal's record of 22 Grand Slam titles and reclaim the world No. 1 spot.
According to our Tennis and Athletics reporter Funmilayo Fameso, the 10-time Australian Open winner is just too good for the present generation of ATP players. She added that getting another as him in the meantime would be a long shot.
"Novak Djokovic tying Rafael Nadal's record of 22 Grand Slam titles shows he is just too good for this present generation of players. It will take someone special or extremely talented as he is to put an end to his Slam winnings in a final.
"Players like Djokovic are generational talents, which means they are only produced once or a few times in a generation.
"Roger Federer and Nadal also belong in this category. Hence why they are referred to as the greatest of all time because of their impacts on the sport.
"He (Djokovic) still has it in him to win at least three more Grand Slams before retiring," Funmilayo added.
While Senior Editor Solace Chukwu shared the same view as Funmilayo, he added that Djokovic dominating at 36 is an abnormality that needs to be curbed by the next-gen.
"By virtue of his greatness, Djokovic has a technical and psychological edge over the Next Gen; however, to see them struggle to match him even physically suggests that, like he did in order to compete with Nadal and Federer, changes need to be made.
"Older athletes need to be forced out by younger ones; that’s the way of things."
Caicedo to Arsenal: Can the Gunners get their man or this is simply a wild goose chase?
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While on-field football issues kept us on the edge of our seats, Brighton continued to play hardball with Arsenal in a bid to prevent Moises Caicedo from moving to London.
Although Brighton remain adamant that the Ecuadorian midfielder will not be sold, Arsenal are said to have put forward a new bid totalling €70 million for the 21-year-old, and members of our International Football desk think Arsenal might be splurging money they shouldn't at the moment.
"Firstly, I understand the need for reinforcements in the defensive-midfield position for Arsenal as a Thomas Partey injury could prove disastrous for their title race," Faruq Ibrahim said.
"However, I do not think it makes any sense to make that type of financial outlay for a player who is not coming in to be a starter - not now or even next season. It is the type of luxury that can be afforded by a team like Manchester City, but with Arsenal, it is just wasteful, especially for a January signing."
For Ayoola Kelechi, the money to be spent on bringing the Ecuadorian to London is money that Arsenal might not and should not be willing to pay. "It could place unwarranted pressure on his shoulders as well as that of Mikel Arteta," he said.
"Arsenal’s task is made even tougher because Brighton, although a selling club, do not need to sell right now after earning almost £200 million in transfer revenue in the last two seasons."
"Brighton are stubborn negotiators," Ifeanyi Ufomadu started, "Brighton's chairman Tony Bloom drives a hard bargain as seen most recently in the deal that took Marc Cucurella to Chelsea. I would expect this one to go down to the wire.
"Whether or not Arsenal are willing to pay over the odds to get their man remains to be seen. It is a close one to call but my verdict is Caicedo stays at Brighton until the summer."
Senior Betting Writer Kolawole Babatunde, who also happens to be an Arsenal supporter, in his reaction to the ongoing quagmire, shared similar sentiments as stated above, adding one important reason why Brighton being greedy, might be detrimental to their season.
"Caicedo’s social media posts clearly show that he thinks the money offered by Arsenal is great and he expects Brighton to sanction the sale. If they don’t, they will have a disgruntled player on their hands and might never get such an amount for him again in the summer," Kolawole said.
Lookman vs Osimhen: Is this brewing rivalry good or bad for Nigeria & the Super Eagles?
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Beyond Arsenal, Brighton and the Caicedo drama, Nigeria internationals Ademola Lookman and Victor Osimhen kept up with their scoring sprees in Serie A.
Mind-blowing goals against Sampdoria and AS Roma meant that the Nigerians have now extended their scoring in 2023 to five consecutive league matches, more than any other player in Europe's top five leagues this year.
With both players sitting at the top of Serie A's scorers' chart with 12 and 14 goals, respectively, Solace calls this rivalry, 'a good thing.'
"A bit of friendly rivalry will elevate both players, although realistically speaking Lookman would have to reach an even higher level than the stratospheric one he is currently operating in to catch up to Osimhen.
"Osimhen strikes me as the sort of player who thrives on adversity and pressure, and so this is definitely a good thing," he added.
According to our Entertainment and Gaming Reporter David Ben, Nigeria's prayers have finally been answered.
"We used to pray for times like this. First of all, they both don't even play in the same position for the national team, so it's actually healthy competition. This is an example of what Super Eagles stars playing for big clubs in Europe should be doing. Pushing each other hard to be better.
"Reaching double figures is one thing but doing so before the halfway stage of the season is truly impressive. My fear, however, would be how consistent they can be with the numbers. Regardless, their perceived rivalry should motivate their other Super Eagles colleagues playing in elite leagues who seriously need to step up their game."
Ayoola and Betting Writer Stephen Oladehinde, also weighed in on the 'healthy competition' angle, adding that their form could play a huge part in Nigeria's national team setup.
Ayoola: "If Osimhen and Lookman can be coached to get along where it matters most: on the field of play, then having two of the most in-form players in the world on the same team is a huge benefit to the country, something that Super Eagles coach Jose Peseiro has already mentioned recently."
"Having two attackers in the form of their lives playing for the national team is a big boost for the Super Eagles going forward. If these players can bring their form to the Super Eagles, our attack will be one of the most feared attacks in the world," Stephen concluded.
Bendel Insurance: An NPFL season for the underdogs?
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Back in Nigeria, newcomers Bendel Insurance continued their fine form to maintain their standing at the top of their group's league table.
A 3-0 victory over second-placed Remo Stars not only saw the Benin-based club extend their winning streak to four matches, but also meant that they had now ended Remo Stars' dual streaks of wins and going without conceding.
As it stands, Bendel Insurance are the only club in 2023 NPFL to have won all their matches so far, and editor for our Domestic Sports desk Izuchukwu Akawor thinks the Benin Arsenals are unstoppable.
"You can forgive anyone for thinking that the Benin-based side are unstoppable at the moment, especially considering how they dispatched rivals Remo Stars in week four.
"The newly promoted side have made a great start to life following their return to the top league after a four-year absence, and at the moment, are the only team in the entire league with a hundred per cent record.
"With such performances led by the impressive top-scoring superstar Imade Osarenkhoe, one can say that Insurance are currently unstoppable, but the question is, for how long?" Izuchukwu asked.
- All views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the pundits and do not necessarily reflect the official position of Pulse Sports.
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