Six Nations Rugby Special pundits Ugo Monye, Simon Zebo &, Jonathan Davies discuss the citing commissioner’s decision to take no further action after France captain Antoine Dupont ruptured cruciate ligaments in his knee during Les Bleus ‘ Six Nations win over Ireland.
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Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim says his side “cannot play like that” in the future but praises how “competitive” The Red Devils were in their hard-fought draw with Premier League title chasers Arsenal.
MATCH REPORT: Manchester United 1-1 Arsenal
The Gunners sit 15 points behind runaway leaders Liverpool, now with just one game in hand, with their focus beginning to turn to holding off the chasing pack for a place in next season’s Champions League.
Bruno Fernandes’s stunning free kick put United ahead in first-half stoppage time on Sunday.
The Red Devils, though, could not hold on for just a sixth Premier League win in 16 games under Amorim as Rice swept home 16 minutes from time. A point leaves United down in 14th.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta was taking charge of his 200th Premier League match.
The Spaniard’s 118 wins in that time place him only behind a stellar cast of Pep Guardiola, Jose Mourinho, Jurgen Klopp and Alex Ferguson in the English top flight.
But his wait for a league title looks set to continue, with Arsenal on course to finish second for the third consecutive season.
United have had three permanent managers and an interim during Arteta’s five years in charge of Arsenal.
Amorim said he knows he will not get the time Arteta did to turn around a sinking ship at Old Trafford.
The discontent among the home support could be seen around the stands, with many taking part in a protest by wearing black in response to what they perceive as “the death” of their club.
Arsenal had failed to score in either of their previous two league games to realistically wave goodbye to their hopes of a first title in 21 years.
Despite still missing the attacking quartet of Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus, Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli, the Gunners hit back in stunning fashion to thrash PSV Eindhoven 7-1 in the Champions League on Tuesday.
Infused with fresh confidence, Arsenal started on the front foot, but again missed the focal point of a natural centre forward.
Midfielder Mikel Merino has been forced to deputise up front in recent weeks and fired wide from the edge of the area with an early opening.
United have struggled for goals all season, but their skipper has remained a source of inspiration and Fernandes produced once more with a sumptuous free kick just before half-time.
Questions will be asked over Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya’s starting position, but Fernandes still had to whip the ball over an imposing wall and back down into the visitors ‘ net.
If Raya was at fault for the opener, he made amends with a string of saves in the second period.
Noussair Mazraoui and Joshua Zirkzee were the first to be denied as United threatened a second on the counter-attack.
Arteta was able to play Martinelli on his return from a hamstring injury in the hunt for an equaliser.
Instead, it was Rice who matched Fernandes’s fine finish by arrowing a shot beyond Andre Onana from Jurrien Timber’s pass.
Amorim had dropped Rasmus Hojlund to the bench after a run of 19 games without a goal.
The Dane twice had chances to snap that streak, only to be foiled by desperate Arsenal defending.
More Raya heroics followed to stop Fernandes from snatching a winner as the match entered stoppage time.
However, a draw did little for Arsenal’s title challenge.
Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior were both on target for Real Madrid as they beat Rayo Vallecano 2-1 on Sunday to pull level with La Liga leaders Barcelona.
Real Madrid rose one point above Atletico Madrid after their surprise 2-1 defeat by Getafe earlier on, while Barca’s match on Saturday was postponed because of the death of a club doctor.
Carlo Ancelotti’s side produced a solid, if not spectacular, performance to get the better of their local rivals, ahead of the huge Champions League derby clash against Atletico beckoning on Wednesday.
“Vinicius and Mbappe scored two spectacular goals, and they had chances for the third”, said Ancelotti.
“The first half was very good, when you get to the 70th, 75th minute with a 2-1 lead, you have to do one thing well, which is to defend it, so you don’t have problems”.
The Italian coach brought Jude Bellingham back into the starting line-up after suspension but left Thibaut Courtois and Antonio Rudiger out entirely because of a knee issue and illness respectively.
However, the duo are expected to return to face Atletico in the last 16-second leg.
With one eye on that game, Ancelotti also began with Fede Valverde on the bench after he recovered from a minor fitness issue, but started star forwards Mbappe, Vinicius and Rodrygo Goes.
Rayo Vallecano, seventh, were without several key players, including Jorge de Frutos, Abdul Mumin, Randy Nteka and Isi Palazon, but still gave a strong account of themselves.
Vinicius hit the post with Madrid’s first significant attack, after his Brazilian compatriot Rodrygo teed him up with a surge down the right.
Rayo Vallecano, enjoying a good season, threatened themselves when Andrei Ratiu’s drive was saved by Andriy Lunin and Raul Asencio blocked well from Gerard Gumbau’s follow-up.
Los Blancos took the lead after half an hour at the Santiago Bernabeu when Vinicius played Mbappe in down the left.
The French superstar, who failed to score in flat outings in his two previous appearances, causing concern in the Spanish capital, took on Florian Lejeune before firing home.
Four minutes later Madrid doubled their advantage through Vinicius, who also fired blanks against Atletico in midweek. The winger produced two stepovers to keep Ratiu guessing before finishing lethally at the post.
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Mbappe should have netted the third or passed to the open Vinicius to score, but his shot was well saved by Augusto Batalla.
Rayo pulled back a goal in first-half stoppage time, with Diaz netting his first for the club from the edge of the box.
The midfielder’s shot crashed beyond Lunin down off the crossbar, over the line, then back up against the bar and out, with the goal given after a VAR review.
Madrid threatened in the second half with both Mbappe and Vinicius guilty of some dubious decision making in the final third, perhaps more interested in fattening their goal tallies than feeding each other.
Ancelotti took off Rodrygo and Mbappe, to rest them ahead of the Champions League clash, with Bellingham also making way in the final stages as Madrid banked only their second win from their last six league matches.
“I took minutes away from Mbappe and Rodrygo and that will suit them well for Wednesday”, said Ancelotti.
Manager Ange Postecoglou praised Tottenham’s spirit after his side’s comeback draw with Bournemouth – and hopes they carry that momentum into Thursday’s Europa League tie against AZ Alkmaar.
Tottenham will welcome the Dutch outfit to north London, looking to overturn a one-goal first-leg deficit.
But it will come on the back of a morale-boosting end to their Premier League encounter with the Cherries on Saturday – coming from two goals down to draw 2-2.
“At 2-0 we had a bit of a mountain to climb”, Postecoglou told Sky Sports.
“It was a chaotic game today and the boys showed a real mentality. It would have been really easy at 2-0, with the atmosphere in the stadium, to let it slip away from us but they fought hard and got themselves back in the game.
” It was a different kind of struggle for us today. Bournemouth pressed really well and we were really sloppy with the ball at times which allowed them to pin us back. It wasn’t anything like Thursday but we hung in there. “
Sunday’s draw halted a two-game losing streak across all competitions, having suffered defeat at Alkmaar after a 1-0 league loss against Manchester City.
As well as having the positives of a fightback, Postecoglou also had three senior figures back from long-term injury at a crucial point in their campaign.
The Australian has been staunch in defending Tottenham’s below-par performances, which have them 13th in the table, pointing to the fact that he has been working with restricted options.
And the light at the end of the tunnel in terms of injuries is starting to draw ever closer.
Striker Dominic Solanke and defender Cristian Romero were both named in the starting line-up for the first time in a Premier League game since early January.
Centre-back Micky van de Ven, who has also been sidelined for the past two months, was among the substitutes and roared on to the field by Tottenham fans when introduced in the second half.
Solanke has scored 11 goals in 27 appearances since joining from Bournemouth in the summer, but struggled to get up to speed against his former employer.
Romero got an important 61 minutes under his belt but looked rusty, especially in the opening moments when he almost gifted the visitors a goal with an errant pass.
” There is definitely a sense of nervousness there “Postecoglou added.
” We are getting players back who have been out quite a while. We’ve been keen to get]Cristian] Romero back and his first pass shows he’s not played for three months. Some of it is just anxiety and nervousness which we need to get under control.
Positivity has been in scarce supply at Spurs this season but they could still win European silverware.
In September, after losing 1-0 against Arsenal in the north London derby, Postecoglou said “I always win things in my second year”.
Tottenham have since crashed out of the Carabao Cup and FA Cup, while they are 36 points adrift of Premier League leaders Liverpool.
The Europa League offers Postecoglou one final chance to deliver on that statement as the club seeks a first trophy since 2008.
Spurs cruised through the group phase of the revamped Europa League, finishing fourth, but have work to do to reach the quarter-finals after a flat performance when losing 1-0 at AZ Alkmaar.
They registered just a single shot on target in the Netherlands and will need a vastly improved performance to get through.
However, Tottenham boast a strong home record in the competition this campaign, winning three and drawing one, while they have kept three clean sheets.
“I don’t preach from the altar, people are allowed to feel the way they do”, said Postecoglou.
Manager Ange Postecoglou praised Tottenham’s spirit after his side’s comeback draw with Bournemouth – and hopes they carry that momentum into Thursday’s Europa League tie against AZ Alkmaar.
Tottenham will welcome the Dutch outfit to north London, looking to overturn a one-goal first-leg deficit.
But it will come on the back of a morale-boosting end to their Premier League encounter with the Cherries on Saturday – coming from two goals down to draw 2-2.
“At 2-0 we had a bit of a mountain to climb”, Postecoglou told Sky Sports.
“It was a chaotic game today and the boys showed a real mentality. It would have been really easy at 2-0, with the atmosphere in the stadium, to let it slip away from us but they fought hard and got themselves back in the game.
” It was a different kind of struggle for us today. Bournemouth pressed really well and we were really sloppy with the ball at times which allowed them to pin us back. It wasn’t anything like Thursday but we hung in there. “
Sunday’s draw halted a two-game losing streak across all competitions, having suffered defeat at Alkmaar after a 1-0 league loss against Manchester City.
As well as having the positives of a fightback, Postecoglou also had three senior figures back from long-term injury at a crucial point in their campaign.
The Australian has been staunch in defending Tottenham’s below-par performances, which have them 13th in the table, pointing to the fact that he has been working with restricted options.
And the light at the end of the tunnel in terms of injuries is starting to draw ever closer.
Striker Dominic Solanke and defender Cristian Romero were both named in the starting line-up for the first time in a Premier League game since early January.
Centre-back Micky van de Ven, who has also been sidelined for the past two months, was among the substitutes and roared on to the field by Tottenham fans when introduced in the second half.
Solanke has scored 11 goals in 27 appearances since joining from Bournemouth in the summer, but struggled to get up to speed against his former employer.
Romero got an important 61 minutes under his belt but looked rusty, especially in the opening moments when he almost gifted the visitors a goal with an errant pass.
” There is definitely a sense of nervousness there “Postecoglou added.
” We are getting players back who have been out quite a while. We’ve been keen to get]Cristian] Romero back and his first pass shows he’s not played for three months. Some of it is just anxiety and nervousness which we need to get under control.
Positivity has been in scarce supply at Spurs this season but they could still win European silverware.
In September, after losing 1-0 against Arsenal in the north London derby, Postecoglou said “I always win things in my second year”.
Tottenham have since crashed out of the Carabao Cup and FA Cup, while they are 36 points adrift of Premier League leaders Liverpool.
The Europa League offers Postecoglou one final chance to deliver on that statement as the club seeks a first trophy since 2008.
Spurs cruised through the group phase of the revamped Europa League, finishing fourth, but have work to do to reach the quarter-finals after a flat performance when losing 1-0 at AZ Alkmaar.
They registered just a single shot on target in the Netherlands and will need a vastly improved performance to get through.
However, Tottenham boast a strong home record in the competition this campaign, winning three and drawing one, while they have kept three clean sheets.
“I don’t preach from the altar, people are allowed to feel the way they do”, said Postecoglou.