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    Arsenal hit with sickness bug before Brentford clash as Mikel Arteta explains squad selection

    MIKEL ARTETA confirmed several Arsenal stars missed the win over Brentford because of a sickness bug.The Gunners lined up with Declan Rice on the bench while Kai Havertz missed out altogether.Mikel Arteta confirmed a sickness bug in campKai Havertz missed his first game since joining ArsenalCredit: GettyCaptain Martin Odegaard was also rumoured to be struggling with illness but he was fit enough to start. Arteta was asked about the supposed bug ahead of kick-off and he confirmed the rumours were true.The Arsenal boss said: “Kai [Havertz] wasn’t feeling good, a few players were like this.”Hours before the match Havertz’s wife Sophia shared some photos of herself and the German on social media to see in the new year.READ MORE ON ARSENALShe wrote in the caption: “Starting the new year with you again and again and again.”Havertz’s absence was a big blow for Arsenal who were already without Bukayo Saka.The England star tore his hamstring in the win over Crystal Palace and could be out until March.Youngster Ethan Nwaneri started in attack at the same ground where he made history as a 15-year-old more than two years ago, when he became the youngest player to play in the Prem.Most read in FootballBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERSArteta also confirmed Rice is suffering with a niggle – the England midfielder was named on the bench after being taken off in the 1-0 win over Ipswich.Gabriel Jesus deputised for the missing Havertz and made the most of his chance as he headed in an equaliser after Thomas Partey’s shot was saved.Arsenal Invincible and cult hero reveals we’ve all been saying his name wrong for nearly 45 yearsThe Brazilian failed to score for ten months before netting a hat-trick against Crystal Palace in the Carabao Cup last month.He followed that up by scoring against the Eagles again before finding the back of the net at the G-tech Community Stadium.The Gunners then went on to win the match after making a fast start to the second half.Mikel Merino and Gabriel Martinelli both found the net within eight minutes of the restart.The victory took Arsenal second, six points behind league leaders Liverpool. More

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    Former Man Utd star sent off for STAMPING on opponent’s stomach in moment of madness during Championship clash

    EX-MANCHESTER UNITED starlet Hannibal Mejbri sparked outrage as fans demanded a season-long ban over a “disgusting stamp”.The Burnley midfielder saw red after catching Junior Tchamadeu in the STOMACH during a 0-0 Championship draw at home to Stoke.Hannibal Mejbri’s studs clearly caught Stoke’s Junior TchamadeuMejbri followed through, seemingly with no effort to avoid TchamadeuThe Tunisia star, 21, trod on the grounded Potters’ defender – rather than trying to jump over him.And some observers reckon trampling on the tummy of Tchamadeu was a deliberate act.The Stoke ace reacted to Mejbri’s wild loss of control by rolling around on the pitch.But Tchamadeu’s dramatic response didn’t appear to influence referee Gavin Ward – as the whistler had instantly sent Mejbri off.READ MORE ON MAN UTD”Rightly so because that is DISGUSTING,” one viewer posted.Another fan went further: “Ban him for the season. Absolutely disgusting.”A third demanded a suspension for a “long time”.One viewer slammed summer signing Mejbri for a “terrible foul” that another fan called “idiocy of the highest order”.Most read in ChampionshipMejbri joined Burnley after three years with UnitedCredit: Willie VassFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALSHowever, another observer claimed: “It’s not a stamp, he walks on the player intentionally, which is still probably a red card but more stupid and petulant than dangerous or violent.”The draw left Burnley in second place, three points behind Leeds.Nathan Aspinall recalls favourite Man Utd memories Meanwhile, Stoke’s sturdy defending helped them move three points clear of the drop zone in Ryan Shawcross’ final game as caretaker boss.Former Red Devils’ striker Mark Robins – now better known for his seven years managing Coventry City – will come in as the Potter’s permanent manager.It follows the sacking of Narcis Pelach after just three months in charge. More

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    Watch bizarre moment loose DOG is chased off pitch moments before kick-off in League One clash

    A DOG had to be chased off the pitch moments before kick-off at Bristol Rovers vs Leyton Orient.The League One clash was in danger of being delayed as the hosts tried to chase down the four-legged pitch invader.The dog entered the pitch from one corner and managed to sprint all the way across to the opposite corner flag, all while being chased by a hapless club official.The hound was cheered all the way and greeted to cries of: “Sign him up! Sign him up! Sign him up!”Fans found the bizarre incident rather amusing and joked in response.One said: “Give him a stadium ban.”READ MORE IN FOOTBALLAnother added: “Football is a game for all, nice to see the dogs getting involved too.”Unfortunately for Rovers the dog did not bring about a change of fortune as they extended their winless run at home to five matches.Orient raced into an early lead as Ethan Galbraith struck into the bottom corner from outside the box.Rovers equalised from the penalty spot before two more goals either side of the break put the visitors in control.Most read in EFLBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERSChris Martin pulled one back and the hosts thought they had an equaliser in bizarre circumstances as the ball twice bounced off the bar before being bundled in by Gatlin O’Donkor – only for the goal to be disallowed for offside.Rovers are now just one place and two points above the relegation zone, with the Os closing on the play-offs after winning six of their last seven league games.Inside Wayne Rooney’s woeful spell at Plymouth as Manchester United legend AXED More

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    Arsenal Invincible and cult hero reveals we’ve all been saying his name wrong for nearly 45 years

    ARSENAL legend Martin Keown has revealed that everybody has been saying his name wrong for nearly 45 years.The former England defender was speaking ahead of the Gunners’ Premier League trip to Brentford on New Years Day.Martin Keown has revealed that everyone has been saying his name wrong for nearly 45 yearsThe Highbury cult hero said his surname should be pronounced “Key-Owen”.Keown told Hayters: “Key-owen is the pronunciation.”My father worked hard (to tell others) and I kind of gave up on it because it was so difficult to get people to say the word.”The Irish just say it. It just rolls off the tongue as it’s part of their dialect.” READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWSKeown, now 58, was raised by Irish parents in a small community in Oxford during the 1970’s.The ex-defender joined the Arsenal as a schoolboy in the 1980s.However, he left the club in 1986 and signed for Aston Villa following a bitter row over wages.He would return in 1993 in a £2million deal from Everton.Most read in FootballHe waved goodbye to Arsenal after their Invincible season.FOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALSKeown played 10 games as the Gunners went unbeaten to clinch the title in 2004.He won three Prem titles and four FA Cups during his 11 year stint with the North London club.Amazon Prime Video presenter and John Legend give fans ‘second hand embarrassment’ after Arsenal’s win over IpswichHe now often covers Arsenal’s current side as a pundit for TNT Sports and talkSPORT.Mikel Arteta’s side sit third in the table and are nine points behind Prem leaders Liverpool.A win over Brentford will put the Gunners above Nottingham Forest and close the gap to six points on Arne Slot’s side.Arsenal ratings vs IpswichBy Katherine WalshARSENAL leapfrogged Chelsea back into second in the Premier League table with a 1-0 win over Ipswich.Kai Havertz’s close-range finish midway through the first half proved to be the difference between the title-chasing Gunners and relegation-threatened Tractor Boys. Here’s how SunSport’s Katherine Walsh rated the Arsenal players at the Emirates Stadium…David Raya – 5Cut a lonely figure and must have been cold standing on his goal-line for most of the first half as his team-mates enjoyed 84 per cent possession.Had his first touch on 31 minutes but was called upon more in the second half as Ipswich grew into the game.Jurrien Timber – 6Got the fans on their feet with a glorious run through the middle of the park inside 19 minutes, but his limp long range shot was easily kept out by Muric.Clearly had a licence to roam, cutting in from full-back and driving up the pitch.William Saliba – 7Joined Gabriel in the highest line set-up of the season. The pair of them were at the edge of Muric’s box for most of the first half.The Frenchman was solid in dealing with a boisterous Liam Delap.Gabriel – 8Great game for the Brazilian to ease back into 90 minutes after starting against Crystal Palace on Saturday.Caused his usual nuisance in the opposition area from corners but missed a sitter from a Rice set-piece in the 64th minute.Myles Lewis-Skelly – 7Getting more and more impressive each week. The way he moves with that low centre of gravity makes him so hard to dispossess.But a poor clearance saw Ipswich enjoy a first spell of possession before the hour mark.The 18-year-old was poked and prodded by Ipswich striker Delap and Kalvin Phillips at times but dealt with it well.Declan Rice – 7Rice was pushed into a defensive No6 role but didn’t have to stay there long.Energetic as always and added another level of attack he got his foot on the ball and won a dangerous free kick on the edge of the area.Kai Havertz – 8Officially back in midfield in Saka’s absence after having played most of the season up top.But the German was in the perfect elusive centre-forward’s position to tap home with a breakthrough opener inside 23 minutes.Rotated and exchanged the No9 role – perhaps Arteta has found a new partnership that may see them through this spell without Saka.Martin Odegaard – 6Rare off evening for the Arsenal captain but nothing too drastic. Uncharacteristic air ball inside six minutes and wasn’t as sharp in his passing.Perhaps missing the chemistry he has with Saka and lost the ball cheaply at times.Gabriel Martinelli – 6All eyes were on the winger as he filled in for Saka on the right-hand side.The Brazilian perhaps lacks the directness of the Gunners’ starboy, but he saw plenty of the ball and linked up well with Jesus.Whipped the first ball in for Havertz’s goal which came out to Trossard who provided the assist.Leandro Trossard – 7Started on the left and kept the ball alive to steal a yard on Ben Johnson and provide Havertz with a wicked cross and his 12th goal of the season.Troubled Ipswich’s Johnson with his direct running and tireless work rate throughout.Gabriel Jesus – 5Jesus clearly had the bit between his teeth at the moment after last week’s goal rush.Couldn’t quite hold his run well enough when breaking through after 34 minutes for his offside goal. Perhaps over eager at that moment.Looked disappointed when he was subbed off with 20 minutes remaining. More

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    Real Madrid ‘sound out William Saliba’s entourage over world record fee to sign Arsenal star’ in shock transfer

    ARSENAL defender William Saliba has reportedly emerged as a top transfer target for Real Madrid.The Frenchman has firmly established himself as one of Europe’s top defenders over the last two years.Real Madrid reportedly want to sign William SalibaCredit: GettyAnd his impressive form has attracted interest from some Champions League rivals.Spanish outlet SPORT claims Real Madrid could launch a bid to sign him at the end of the season.But they will likely have to fork out at least £83million for him – which would be a world record fee for a defender.The report also claims Real Madrid chiefs sounded out Saliba’s entourage and received a positive response.Read More in FootballSaliba currently has two-and-a-half years remaining on his Arsenal contract.But last month he gave Mikel Arteta a boost by pledging his long-term future to the Gunners.He insisted: “I feel at home here.”I signed for the club five years ago but it’s only my third season and I’m enjoying everything — the players, staff and fans.”Most read in FootballFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALSAsked if could envisage staying at the Emirates for a long time, the Frenchman replied: “Yeah, of course.”Saliba is not the only man on Real Madrid’s radar.Arteta looks back on his five years managing Arsenal Los Blancos are also pushing to sign Liverpool full-back Trent Alexander-Arnold.The Reds turned down an approach from the La Liga giants on Tuesday.But Alexander-Arnold is now free to speak to Real Madrid officials about a potential summer move because he is within the final six months of his contract.Earlier this week, reports in Spain suggested Real are confident he will join at the end of the season. More

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    Premier League team of 2024 revealed with no sign of Mo Salah or Erling Haaland… but three Arsenal stars included

    MO SALAH and Erling Haaland have been left out of the Premier League team of 2024.The pair were amongst the highest scorers in the previous calendar year, with Salah arguably the player of the season so far.Mo Salah was a surprise exclusion from the Prem team of 2024Credit: GettyBukayo Saka has the highest WhoScored rating of 2024Credit: GettyErling Haaland missed out to Kai HavertzCredit: GettyBut he was left out of a team of the year that contains just two players from league leaders Liverpool.There are also just two stars from 2023/24 Prem champions Manchester City – Rodri and Josko Gvardiol – and no Erling Haaland.The eleven compiled by stats website WhoScored includes some surprise names, including Brentford goalkeeper Mark Flekken.The Dutchman has been a brilliant buy for the Bees and recorded an average rating of 6.97 in 2024 – bettering the likes of Alisson, David Raya and Emi Martinez.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLThere is also a surprise entrance in central defence with James Tarkowski taking a place alongside Gabriel Magalhaes, despite many suggesting his Everton team-mate Jarrad Branthwaite was the better of the two last year.Gabriel also pips a team-mate in William Saliba despite an impressive year for the Frenchman.There is only one other player in the team that does not play for a Big Six club – Crystal Palace ace Eberechi Eze.Salah misses out on the right wing spot to Bukayo Saka, who has the best average rating in 2024, with Kai Havertz the third Arsenal player included in the centre-forward berth.Most read in FootballBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERSLiverpool are instead represented by Trent Alexander-Arnold and Luis Diaz, who hit form towards the end of the year with three goals and one assist in four games.There are four England players included with Cole Palmer earning a spot thanks to his sensational form throughout the year.’We are far away from that,’ says Mo Salah as Liverpool star sends club another contract warning More

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    Brentford vs Arsenal LIVE SCORE: Premier League updates as Gunners begin the new year with trip to London rivals

    ARSENAL begin 2025 with a short trip to London rivals Brentford TONIGHT.The Gunners go into the match at the Gtech Community Stadium fresh from back-to-back Premier League wins – with their most recent triumph being last Friday’s 1-0 win over Ipswich.Mikel Arteta’s men face a tricky test in their 2025 opener – as they head to a Brentford side with the second-best home record in the league.Kick off time: 5.30pm GMTTV channel: TNT Sports 1Live stream: discovery+Brentford team: To follow…Arsenal team: To follow…FOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALSFollow our live blog below…Welcome to Brentford vs ArsenalArsenal travel to Brentford this evening to kick off the new year, and we’ll be bringing you all of the updates right here on SunSport.The Gunners wrapped up a strong 2024 with victory over Ipswich, and will be looking to move up to second to keep alive hopes of a title challenge.While the Bees have slipped to 12th in the Premier League after having failed to win in their last three matches in the division.And although they lost 2-0 to Nottingham Forest last time out at the Gtech Community Stadium, their home form has been impressive this season joint top with league leaders Liverpool.Brentford have sealed 22 points at home in the Prem so far in this campaign, with an identical record of seven wins, one draw and one loss to Liverpool’s at Anfield.Copy linkCopied More

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    Jose Mourinho reveals his two biggest regrets from career in football… including brutal Chelsea swipe

    JOSE MOURINHO has revealed the two biggest regrets of his football career in a brutal swipe at former side Chelsea.The Special One is currently in charge of Turkish giants Fenerbahce after an incredible 25 years as a manager.Jose Mourinho aimed a dig at Chelsea as he revealed the biggest regrets of his careerCredit: GettyHis travels have seen him boss sides in Portugal, England, Italy and Spain.And Mourinho has a host of trophies in his cabinet, solidifying his legacy as one of the game’s greatest.However, the tactician admits there are two huge decisions he made in his career which still haunt him to this day.The first saw Mourinho take a dig at old side Chelsea, who he won three Premier League titles with during two glittering spells.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLMourinho rejoined the Blues in 2013 after enjoying success with Inter Milan and Real Madrid.But he admits he should not have returned to Stamford Bridge, revealing he regrets not accepting an offer to stay at Real.Mourinho told Corriere dello Sport: “The ‘no’ to Florentino Perez (is one regret). “He said to me, ‘Don’t leave, you’ve done the hard part and the best is yet to come’.Most read in FootballFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS“I knew it was true, but I wanted to return to Chelsea after three years of great challenges in Spain.”Mourinho’s time at the Bernabeu saw him win a LaLiga title while ending Real’s 20-year Copa del Rey drought.Fans call for Jose Mourinho to stick to his word with Millwall hunting for new manager But it was fraught with controversy amid an epic rivalry with Pep Guardiola and Barcelona.While Mourinho also reportedly fell out with several players in the Spanish capital.Upon his return to Chelsea, he won a Premier League title and League Cup before being sacked in December 2015.After staying in England with Manchester United and Spurs, Mourinho ended up back in Italy with Roma.He led them to Europa Conference League glory in 2022 before reaching the Europa League final a year later.Roma controversially lost the match to Sevilla on penalties, leading Mourinho to confront English ref Anthony Taylor in the car park afterwards.He branded the official a “f*****g disgrace”, with Taylor subjected to further abuse from Roma supporters.Mourinho was eventually hit with a four-game ban for his tirade.And he now admits he should have QUIT Roma after the Europa final defeat.READ MORE SUN STORIESMourinho, who remained at the club until he was sacked in January 2024, added: “I have to talk about Budapest, not because of the confusion with Anthony Taylor.“But because I didn’t leave straight away. I should have left Roma straight away, I didn’t, and it was a mistake.” More