Sports
EPL: The run is over as Arsenal fall into Man Utd trap
- Marcus Rashford brace condemn Gunners to first Premier League defeat of the season
Arsenal’s unbeaten start to the season came to an end as they fell to a 3-1 defeat at Manchester United on Sunday. The Gunners dominated for large periods at Old Trafford, but were picked off by three counterattacking goals – including two from Marcus Rashford.
There would have been much for Mikel Arteta to like about his team’s performance, with the visitors controlling things for the majority of the contest with some slick attacking play. But some wasteful finishing and slack defending cost them dear, with their lead at the top of the table now cut to just one point.
Arsenal were left infuriated early on when VAR ruled out Gabriel Martinelli’s early goal for a foul in the build up by Martin Odegaard.
And their frustration deepened when United’s new signing Antony was left all alone to open the scoring on his debut before the break.
Bukayo Saka deservedly hauled Arsenal level on the hour mark, but just as they looked likely to go on and win the match, a quick fire brace from Rashford earned the hosts a fourth win in a row.
He may well have been frustrated when his first-half goal was ruled out by VAR, but this was another excellent performance from Martinelli.
Up against a club that rejected him as a youngster, the Brazilian was a constant menace down the left-hand side and didn’t deserve to be on the losing team.
Martinelli has gone up a level with his performances so far this season and this was yet more evidence as to why he is viewed as one of the brightest young talents playing in Europe.
Saka desperately needed a goal just to get himself up and running this season.
It may not have been the best goal he will ever score, but it could be an important one in terms of his campaign as a whole.
His equaliser was his first goal in open play since the 1-0 win at Aston Villa on March 19.
No one was thinking Arsenal were going to suddenly run away with the Premier League after their bright start to the season, but the likes of Liverpool and Chelsea will have enjoyed this result.
A win for Arsenal would have taken them nine points clear of Liverpool and eight points clear of the Blues.
Even at this early stage of the season, that is quite a large gap – so a United victory certainly suited them and it bunches things up nicely ahead of next weekend’s round of fixtures.
For the football fans, it was another day, another VAR controversy.
There is certainly an argument that referee Paul Tierney and VAR official Lee Mason were correct to rule out Gabriel Martinelli’s first-half goal by the letter of the law, but it was no surprise to see Arsenal angered by the incident.
There was contact between Martin Odegaard and Christian Eriksen, but it’s hard for there not to be when two players are challenging for the ball in the middle of the pitch.
The fact that Tierney, who was just a few yards away on the pitch, didn’t give it in real time really should have been enough for the goal to have stood.
Of course, things are going to look worse when they are slowed down and watched over and over again on a replay.
It’s hard enough to score a goal at this level, that it just seems a real shame that fans are seeing some many goals being ruled out nowadays for the smallest little things which are spotted on a TV screen.
-Goal.com
Sports
Gabriel Jesus shines as Arsenal thrash Palace 5-1 in London derby
Gabriel Jesus shines as Arsenal thrash Palace 5-1 in London derby
Gabriel Jesus struck twice as Arsenal became the first side since Chelsea in 2005 to go a full calendar year unbeaten in Premier League London derbies, defeating Crystal Palace 5-1 to close the gap on league leaders Liverpool to three points for the time being.
A hat-trick against Palace in a 3-2 EFL Cup victory on Wednesday earned Jesus a starting berth here, and it took just six minutes for him to reward Mikel Arteta’s selection.
A first Premier League goal since January arrived when Bukayo Saka’s cross bounced off Gabriel Magalhães, allowing Jesus to stride towards the ball and side-foot home. A nervy moment for David Raya went unpunished moments later, but just five minutes after going ahead, the Gunners were pegged back as the red-hot Ismaïla Sarr bent an effort around William Saliba and inside the far post.
A breathless start to the contest continued with a third goal in the opening 15 minutes, and perhaps predictably, it came from an Arsenal corner. This time, Gabriel Martinelli’s delivery was partially cleared, but only as far as Jesus, whose controlled finish flew into the corner.
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Another defensive lapse from the visitors almost saw the scores levelled once more, only for Raya to bail out Saliba with a one-on-one stop to deny Jean-Philippe Mateta. At the other end, Gabriel went close from yet another Arsenal corner before the away side extended their advantage through Kai Havertz, who reacted first after Jesus had nodded onto the far post.
Needing a response, the hosts were inches from reducing the deficit straight after the restart when Raya was equal to Sarr’s diving header. The Arsenal shot-stopper was then called into action again, getting behind Mateta’s rifled long-range shot and catching Sarr’s follow-up header.
Those saves kept the Eagles at bay, and with an hour played, the points were all but wrapped up. A well-worked move should have ended with Jesus’ second hat-trick of the week, yet Henderson saved well with his foot only to see Martinelli turn in substitute Declan Rice’s resultant low strike.
Determined to get on the scoresheet, Rice guided in Arsenal’s fifth goal late on, sealing three vital points in an evening where the only major blemish was Saka’s first-half injury.
Despite conceding in a seventh consecutive away league match – their longest travelling run without a PL clean sheet in over five years – Arsenal now find themselves within touching distance of the league summit, albeit having played more games than the sides above them.
Meanwhile, Palace had lost just one of their last eight PL fixtures (W3, D4), but defeat here means they’re yet to add to their solitary home league victory (D4, L4), leaving the Eagles 15th in the table.
Gabriel Jesus shines as Arsenal thrash Palace 5-1 in London derby
Sports
Atletico grab late winner at Barcelona to go top of La Liga
Atletico grab late winner at Barcelona to go top of La Liga
Substitute Alexander Sorloth scored an injury-time winner as Atletico Madrid fought back against Barcelona to replace them at the top of La Liga.
Pedri opened the scoring for Barcelona in the 30th minute, linking up with fellow Spain midfielder Gavi before slotting a low strike past Jan Oblak.
Despite their dominance, the hosts couldn’t hold on and Rodrigo De Paul hammered home the equaliser on the hour mark after leaping on a mistake from Marc Casado.
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Barcelona were left to rue more missed chances when Sorloth slammed in Nahuel Molina’s cross in the sixth minute of injury time to give Atletico their 12th straight win in all competitions.
The victory means Atletico will end 2024 as the top team in Spain, three points above Barcelona, who have played a game more.
Hansi Flick’s Barca side could slip to third if Real Madrid beat Sevilla on Sunday.
Atletico grab late winner at Barcelona to go top of La Liga
Sports
Oleksandr Usyk beats Tyson Fury to retain heavyweight titles
Oleksandr Usyk beats Tyson Fury to retain heavyweight titles
Oleksandr Usyk defeated Tyson Fury to retain his unified heavyweight world titles and prove his status as a generational great with another close points win in their rematch in Saudi Arabia.
Having inflicted a first career defeat on Briton Fury by split decision in May, Usyk’s astuteness and will to win once again prevailed at Riyadh’s Kingdom Arena – and he retained his WBA (Super), WBC and WBO titles.
Fury, 36, found success in the first half of the fight. Some of the more eye-catching shots came from the Morecambe fighter, but the volume of punches and cleaner work were from Ukrainian Usyk.
All three judges scored it 116-112 to the 37-year-old champion.
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Usyk, an Olympic gold medallist and former undisputed cruiserweight champion, extended his undefeated record to 23 pro wins.
“He [Tyson Fury] is a great fighter, he is a great opponent. An unbelievable 24 rounds for my career. Thank you so much,” Usyk said.
Two-time world champion Fury has only ever lost to Usyk, his two defeats the major blemishes on a record also consisting of 34 wins and one draw.
Fury left the ring without conducting an interview, before IBF world champion Daniel Dubois climbed in and called for a rematch with Usyk.
A visibly frustrated figure in the moments after the scorecards were read out, Fury said backstage he was convinced he won the fight by “at least three rounds”.
Oleksandr Usyk beats Tyson Fury to retain heavyweight titles
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