Premier League
Arsenal stay top with derby win as 10-man Tottenham self-destruct
Arsenal meted out their usual punishment to north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur at The Emirates with Thomas Partey, Gabriel Jesus and Granit Xhaka all on target in a 3-1 win to stay top of the Premier League on Saturday.
Spurs’ Emerson Royal only added to the visitors’ misery when he was sent off in the second half for a reckless tackle on Gabriel Martinelli.
Harry Kane’s first-half equaliser for Tottenham saw him set yet more scoring records, but his side self-destructed after halftime as their 12-year wait for a league win in the fixture continued.
Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal have now won seven of their opening eight games and lead the standings by four points with second-placed Manchester City facing Man Utd on Sunday.
An absorbing derby with top-spot up for grabs was evenly poised after Partey’s sublime 20th minute opener was cancelled out by Kane’s penalty just past the half-hour mark — making him the first player to score 100 away goals in the Premier League.
But Arsenal were gifted back the lead in the 49th minute when a dreadful mix-up between Spurs keeper Hugo Lloris and defender Cristian Romero allowed Jesus the easiest of tap-ins.
Royal was then red-carded in the 62nd minute for a needless kick out at Martinelli deep in Arsenal’s half, and five minutes later Xhaka swept in Arsenal’s third to leave Tottenham reeling.
There was a celebratory mood around the stadium after that as Arsenal moved to 21 points.
Previously unbeaten Tottenham could have gone top with a win but have now managed only one victory in their last 30 league visits to Arsenal. They are third with 17 points.
Tottenham will complain about the harsh decision to send off Royal, but they can have no complaints about the result as they again underperformed away at their fierce rivals.
They have lost five of their last six league matches away to Arsenal despite finishing above them for the past six seasons.
“From the first second I think we were the better team,” Xhaka said. “After we conceded we were struggling a little bit, but in the second half we were much better, and I am so happy to score my first derby goal and help the team to win.”
A typically frantic start to the game saw Gabriel Martinelli hit the outside of the post for Arsenal while at the other end fellow Brazilian Richarlison was denied by Aaron Ramsdale.
Partey was an injury doubt ahead of the game but produced a moment of stunning quality to put his side in front.
Ben White rolled the ball across to him outside the area and the Ghana midfielder curled a right-footer beyond Lloris’s dive.
Tottenham looked dangerous on the counter-attack and Ivan Perisic lashed a good chance wide shortly before Richarlison was fouled in the area by Gabriel.
From the penalty spot, Kane calmly beat Ramsdale down the middle for a record-extending 15th goal in the north London derby and 44th in London derbies overall, taking him past Thierry Henry’s record of 43.
For a while Arsenal were rattled and Tottenham looked increasingly confident, but everything changed after the interval.
Tottenham began the second half in sloppy fashion, and when Bukayo Saka fired in a shot, Lloris parried it out to Romero who bundled the ball back towards his keeper, only for it to squirm out of the Frenchman’s grasp just enough for Jesus to convert.
It was a sweet moment for the Brazilian, whose fifth goal of the season sent a reminder to his national side’s manager Tite, who left him out of the squad last month.
Tottenham then imploded after Royal’s sending off, and Arsenal’s Xhaka, back in his home crowd’s favour again, beat Lloris with a low shot after a Martinelli dribble, persuading a trickle of Tottenham fans to begin heading home early.
-Reuters
Premier League
Manchester United tighten hold on third in the Premier League with win over Aston Villa
Manchester United’s Matheus Cunha buried a second‑half strike off a pinpoint through ball from Bruno Fernandes for a club-record 16th Premier League assist in a season to lift the hosts to a 3-1 victory over Aston Villa on Sunday.
Casemiro and substitute Benjamin Sesko scored United’s other goals in a result that tightened United’s grip on third place in the standings on 54 points after 30 games, while fourth-placed Villa have 51 points.
United, who were playing their first game in 11 days, were keen for a victory after interim boss Michael Carrick’s seven-game unbeaten run ended in a 2-1 loss to 10-man Newcastle United on March 4.
With 22 points from a possible 27 under Carrick’s leadership, Sunday’s win will invariably lead to more questions about his chances of becoming United’s permanent manager.
“It was a slightly different game today going into it being so close in the league and making the small jump we could if we won, off the back of a defeat,” Carrick said. “It was a small test and we haven’t really had that.
“The boys dealt with it really well, had a really good week and applied themselves well. Everything is so so encouraging. We’ve got a lot to play for.”
The game looked headed for a draw before Cunha scored from the left side of the box in the 71st minute, with Fernandes recording his 100th assist for the club across all competitions.
With eight games left, Fernandes is also four shy of matching the Premier League record for assists in one season of 20 held by Thierry Henry (2002-03) and Kevin de Bruyne (2019-20).
“He’s had so many big moments, to score a goal, to make a pass,” Carrick said of Fernandes. “Training or games, he’s always there. Really good with the corner. The pass to Matheus was fantastic to cap off a good performance all around.”
Sesko put the game out of reach 10 minutes later with a blistering shot from the centre of the box.
Casemiro put United ahead in the 53rd minute with a glancing header from a Fernandes corner.
Ross Barkley levelled in the 64th with a shot from the middle of the area. After a lengthy VAR check to determine whether the ball glanced off an offside Amadou Onana, the goal stood.
A better second half salvaged a decent game after a dreary first 45 minutes plagued by errant passes and slipping players.
United did have some decent first-half chances including a header from Amad Diallo that goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez stretched backwards to keep out of the net. Diogo Dalot had a terrific chance inside the box that he launched over the bar.
Leny Yoro’s block spoiled one of Villa’s best chances and led to a long-range shot from Fernandes at the other end that he sent just wide of the post.
Villa have not won a league game since February 11, and an animated manager Unai Emery spent much of the afternoon stomping his feet and waving his arms in frustration.
“How we are progressing after we did fantastic months in October, November, December, the last two months we are struggling,” Emery said. “It’s Manchester United here at home, and they are now in good moment. And of course, they played a very intelligent match.
“I think we can get better. The result at the end was a bad result for us. We must accept it and try to analyse now to get better for the next challenge.”
-Reuters
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England and Manchester United defender Harry Maguire has been handed a 15-month suspended prison sentence by a Greek court over a 2020 incident in Mykonos, Sky Sports reported on Wednesday.
In 2020, Maguire was found guilty of repeated bodily harm, attempted bribery and violence against public employees after his arrest in a brawl in which two police officers were assaulted.
Maguire, who was detained for two days following the incident and denied any wrongdoing, was handed a suspended prison sentence of 21 months and 10 days but was granted a full retrial after appealing against Greek court convictions on multiple charges.
In accordance with the Greek judicial process, the filing nullified Maguire’s conviction before a full retrial in a more senior court. His retrial was postponed many times.
Maguire faced allegations of non-serious assault, resisting arrest and attempted bribery. The 32-year-old was convicted on all three counts but will face no prison time. His legal team will appeal against the guilty verdict, Sky Sports reported.
Maguire’s brother Joe and friend Christopher Sharman were also found guilty of offences related to the incident and received suspended prison sentences in 2020. They also denied any wrongdoing.
-Reuters
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Arsenal maintained control of the Premier League title race as they chiselled out a nervy 2-1 win over London rivals Chelsea to open up a five-point lead at the top of the table on Sunday.
Jurrien Timber’s 66th-minute header from a Declan Rice corner ensured Arsenal took three precious points, but it was a nervy afternoon in north London.
Mikel Arteta’s side moved to 64 points from 29 games, with Manchester City, who have played a game fewer, on 59.
Arsenal’s Jurrien Timber celebrates scoring their second goal with Gabriel Magalhaes REUTERS/Jaimi Joy
Defender William Saliba had given Arsenal the lead in the 21st minute from a trademark corner routine.
But it had looked as though an own goal by Piero Hincapie just before halftime would prove costly for the hosts until Timber came to their rescue.
Chelsea, whose six-match unbeaten league sequence under new manager Liam Rosenior was halted, ended the match with 10 men after Pedro Neto was sent off for a second yellow card.
-Reuters
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