Soccer

CRUZEIRO striker Rafa Silva was sent off for elbowing an opponent after just THREE SECONDS.The 32-year-old charged at Athletico-PR after they kicked off in their Brazilian Serie A clash on Saturday.Cruzeiro striker Rafa Silva was sent off for a challenge he made after just three secondsHe clearly planted an elbow into the neck of Athletico-PR man Kaique RochaThe referee had no choice but to brandish the immediate red cardAs he stormed towards the man in possession, he shrugged off one Athletico player and then planted an elbow on another, Kaique Rocha.The referee stopped play and showed Silva a straight red card – one of the quickest in football history.And it proved costly for Cruzeiro – who are battling in the top half of Brazil’s premier division.Athletico, who are fighting relegation, capitalised on their man advantage to claim a 3-0 win.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLThe result lifts them out of the drop zone, while the red card remained the main talking point.And fans on social media could not get enough of the ludicrousness that was a three-second dismissal.One said: “Rafa Silva not being arrested is crazy.”Another added: “Rafa Silva, never play again. Go away!”Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERSA third replied: “Plenty of highlights in this derby-weekend, but nothing beats this.”While a fourth simply responded: “Bizarre.” More

THERE were enough hard-luck stories to fill a library for Arsenal as Mo Salah stole a point. The bullet-ridden Gunners ended up with a completely makeshift back four, having seen Liverpool skipper Virgil Van Dijk escape an early yellow card only to equalise Bukayo Saka’s early opener. Bukayo Saka put Arsenal ahead with a thunderous strikeCredit: GettyHe was a fitness doubt before the game but burst into life after just nine minutesCredit: GettyVirgil van Dijk levelled with a header from a cornerCredit: ReutersLiverpool trailed for just nine minutes as they silenced the EmiratesCredit: GettyBoth teams had their periods of dominance in the gameSaka was sensational for Arsenal as he scored and provided a constant threatThrough in a decent penalty shout against Ibrahima Konate and it was no wonder Mikel Arteta was left with a feeling of intense frustration on a day when his team were passionate and the Emirates throbbed with sound.  The result left Arsenal five points adrift of leaders Manchester City, who are a point ahead of Arne Slot’s men.  Saka, who was outstanding on his return from injury, and Mikel Merino twice put Arsenal in front – but they were pegged back both times by a Liverpool side who rode their luck and kept their heads in this hostile environment. By the time Salah struck on the break ten minutes from time that Arsenal backline read Thomas Partey, Ben White, Jakub Kiwior and Myles Lewis-Skelly. READ MORE IN FOOTBALLGabriel and Jurrien Timber both limped off injured as Arteta’s sicklist grew longer. With William Saliba banned and Martin Odegaard still out injured, there was relief that Saka was passed fit after a hamstring injury.And there were clearly no after-effects as Saka opened the scoring with an outstanding ninth-minute strike. From Ben White’s lofted through-ball, Saka made haggis meat out of Andy Robertson, first out-pacing the Liverpool left-back then cutting inside him with a nutmeg.Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERSMikel Merino put Arsenal back in front with a bullet headerCredit: ReutersIt is the Spaniard’s first goal for Arsenal since joining in the summerCredit: GettyMo Salah tucked home Liverpool’s equaliser late onCredit: ReutersIt is a huge goal in the title race as Liverpool maintain a four-point lead over ArsenalCredit: GettyWith Robertson flailing on the ground, Saka walloped a vicious shot into the roof of the net, beating Caoimhim Kelleher at his near post and sending the Emirates into rapture.    Saka became the youngest Gunner to reach 50 Premier League goals. And this after Liverpool should have been reduced to 10 men, captain Virgil Van Dijk first pushing, then twice kicking out at Kai Havertz off the ball.Somehow, VAR Michael Salisbury is said to have deemed the offence ‘petulant not reckless’ – if Arsenal were enraged by that, their tempers were not improved when the Dutchman equalised in the 18th minute. A Mikel Merino error had just given Mo Salah a clear sight of goal, the Egyptian blazing wide. But from a Trent Alexander-Arnold corner, Luis Diaz nodded on at the near post and Van Dijk stooped to head home, nipping between Gabriel and Thomas Partey.    Merino missed an excellent close-range chance and Salah, full of sauce and sorcery, cut inside again to shoot narrowly over. It was one of those belting, breathless matches where all the Super Sunday hype and ‘best league in the world’ chat seemed entirely justified.   Arsenal thought they should have had a penalty when Ibrahima Konate made a clumsy lunge at Gabriel Martinelli but Salisbury decided he won the ball. With Saka irresistible, Alexis Mac Allister was booked for hauling down the Arsenal skipper. Slot’s men had been pinned back for a lengthy stretch before Arsenal seized back the lead late in the first half. Declan Rice delivered a fizzing free-kick from the right and Merino headed past Kelleher. The VAR delay to check on offside was lengthy and tense.Salisbury probably averted a riot by deeming Merino marginally onside – Van Dijk, ironically providing the decisive toenail. After the break, Diaz nutmegged Partey and slipped past White but converged Raya at the near post, the ball cannoning off the woodwork.Gabriel, who had just gone down for treatment after a foul by Darwin Nunez, was forced to limp off soon after – Arteta now without both of his first-choice centre-backs as Jakub Kiwior was sent on.Slot made a triple change – sending on Cody Gakpo, Dominik Szoboszlai and Kostas Tsimikas – and the visitors were beginning to exert some pressure on Arsenal’s makeshift back four. That backline was depleted even further when Jurrien Timber – who had passed a late test to start – pulled up lame and was replaced by youngster Myles Lewis-Skelly.Arsenal had been showing an insatiable appetite for hard graft and seemed back in control, just as they were suddenly caught with their pants down. Alexander-Arnold delivered the killer through-ball which released Nunez and Salah, both hurtling down the left. With speed, movement and intelligence, Nunez picked out the cut-back for Salah to side-foot home and celebrate with the gleeful Scousers in the corner of the Clock End. READ MORE SUN STORIESSaka and Martinelli were withdrawn in favour of Gabriel Jesus and Ethan Nwaneri and everything about Arsenal was looking threadbare and open to exploitation. But on 90 minutes, Havertz had the ball in the net just as ref Anthony Taylor had blown up for a foul by Kiwior.Liverpool impressed at Arsenal, but it was a match Jurgen Klopp probably would’ve wonBy Jordan DaviesON the face of it, Liverpool continue to go from strength to strength with Arne Slot’s tenure still in its infancy.Away at Arsenal as title contenders — with a formidable record at the Emirates having won four of their last six there — the Reds fought back, not once, but twice to earn an impressive point to remain four clear of the Gunners.Nine games in, Liverpool have seven wins, 22 points collected and sit in second in what is one of the club’s best ever starts to a Prem campaign.Nothing to sniff at there, and that is without mentioning three straight wins in the Champions League and a 5-1 Carabao Cup third-round thumping of fellow top-flight side West Ham.So to even attempt to pick flaws in Slot’s start with a run that solid would come across needlessly pedantic, deliberately nit-picky.But, and there is a but, given the standards Liverpool have set in these early months, it needs to be said: this draw in North London was a massive missed opportunity.And to go one step further, maybe this is a game Jurgen Klopp would have found a way to win?It has been a long time since Arsenal have gone into a game feeling so vulnerable defensively with world-class centre-back William Saliba missing through suspension.Full-back Riccardo Calafiori was also out injured, usual right-back Ben White began the game at centre-half and midfielder Thomas Partey started on the far right side of the defence.And then, in a chaotic second half, both Jurrien Timber and Gabriel limped off, forcing Gunners boss Mikel Arteta to swap around his back line THREE times by the 76th minute.And yet, despite all of that, a Liverpool side boasting attacking talents like Mo Salah, Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez and Cody Gakpo were hardly making the home fans sweat with a peppering of the Arsenal goal.It was not until a Klopp-style counter-attack from back to front in the 81st minute did the visitors properly test the home defence.But even that finish was a tame one — Salah tapping in past David Raya into an almost empty net.And with nine minutes left plus seven minutes injury time, the expected onslaught for another, to nick all three points — the tally-ho approach — never came.Not Klopp’s heavy metal style, more pleasant folk music with a ukulele in a country pub.You get the impression that Slot was delighted with this outcome.For large parts, Liverpool were defensively sound, gave very little away and snuck away back to Merseyside with a point tucked under their arm and a bloody nose avoided.Yet it was in these sorts big blockbuster matches that Klopp and Liverpool thrived over their nine-year romance, full of excitement, thrills and last-gasp wins that earned them a Prem trophy in 2019-20 and plenty more down-to-the-wire chases with Manchester City.And with Arteta’s Arsenal on their knees — quite literally in some cases — and hanging on for dear life, these are the moments in title races that require a bit of crazy, not caution.A Klopp team of the past would have gone completely and totally Kloppy, throwing men forward at will, blasting their opponents away and forcing the ball into the net through passion and thunder alone, regardless of how open it left them at the back.Slot is not this sort of coach.He is measured, considerate, calm. Good qualities, but not always needed in do-or-die matches that ultimately determine where you finish in May.It is hard to say if this will come back to haunt Slot, who still insists on avoiding any use of the phrase ‘title contenders’ despite clearly being title contenders.With Aston Villa and Manchester City visiting Anfield over their next five Prem outings, we will see whether the Dutchman can loosen the leash and let his team grab games by the scruff of the neck instead of playing it safe.Because as we have seen in this league, going for broke often rewards you — just ask the likes of Sir Alex Ferguson, Arsene Wenger and Pep Guardiola.Fortune favours the brave.Slot needs to discover his own version of that if he is to truly emulate Klopp and transform this Liverpool side into one capable of seizing moments when they matter most. More

MANCHESTER UNITED fumed after conceding a controversial late penalty against West Ham but they should have wrapped up the match by half-time.In the end they lost 2-1 at the London Stadium.Erik ten Hag was made to rue his side’s missed chancesCredit: GettyDiogo Dalot missed an open goal after rounding Alphonse AreolaCredit: GettyMatthijs de Ligt conceded a controversial penalty late onCredit: PAAlejandro Garnacho was among Manchester United’s lively strikers – but he couldn’t find the back of the netErik ten Hag’s side missed several opportunities to take the lead and somehow the match remained goalless at half-time.Diogo Dalot even missed an open goal after poking the ball past Lukasz Fabianski before firing over the bar.United managed eight shots in the first half but just two of those were on target.It saw them go into the break with an xG of 1.48, compared to West Ham’s awful 0.04.READ MORE ON MAN UTDBut the home side came out firing after half-time and looked a completely different side, putting pressure on the Red Devils.They found a breakthrough with 15 minutes to go through Cryscenio Summerville, before United finally found the net thanks to a Casemiro header six minutes later.West Ham pushed for a winner and ended the match with 2.98 xG, so perhaps deserved a touch of fortune when Mattijs de Ligt was judged to have fouled Danny Ings for a late penalty, which Jarrod Bowen put away.But United finished the game with an xG of 2.12, so if not for poor finishing could have had a point or more from their visit to East London.Most read in FootballBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERSMan Utd could have been out of sight by half-timeThis stat from Opta shows the xG in the first half for both teams. West Ham’s line (red) hardly moves. But Manchester United (purple) see their expected goals fly up over the course of the matchIt is a familiar tale for Ten Hag’s strugglers, who are perhaps the worst finishers in the league.No team has a bigger negative differential between expected goals and goals scored in the Premier League, with United producing just eight goals from an xG of 14.6, per Opta.Roy Keane blasts ‘don’t bloody say it you fool’ in furious rant at Eriksen after Man Utd star’s controversial comment Ten Hag is now under considerable pressure having won just three of his nine Prem games this season.He bemoaned the missed chances after the game and when asked about Dalot’s clanger, he said: “I can also say Alejandro Garnacho twice, Rasmus Hojlund one time, Rashford and Bruno.”It is not fair to pick one of the players out who missed chances. There were so many who missed chances.”It was clear and obvious that the best team didn’t win. We created so many chances, played such good football. So dominant. I collected six or seven 100 per cent chances we should have scored.”I believe in my players that they are capable of doing this, I trust them and will encourage them to keep going, keep doing the same things we did in this game and others.”Finally it will go in the net and kill and we win more games. We need better conversion, we are looking to creating more chances because both will give you a higher opportunity to win the game.”What my players and I always do is look in the mirror, what did we do wrong. The only thing I can criticise my team for is missing the chances – that was the main factor.” More

ARSENAL showed their set-piece prowess once more with a stunning free-kick routine in their 2-2 draw with Liverpool.Declan Rice delivered the perfect ball for Mikel Merino to power a header home at the Emirates on Sunday evening.Declan Rice swung in a sumptuous free-kickCredit: Sky SportsIt curved past the Liverpool defenders and back in for Mikel MerinoCredit: GettyThe Spaniard powered a brilliant header into the back of the netCredit: ReutersThe goal ensured Arsenal went into half-time leading 2-1 over their title rivalsCredit: GettyIt was the Spanish midfielder’s first goal for the club as Arsenal regained the lead to go into half-time 2-1 in front.It came as a result of the Arsenal players positioning themselves late in the box after arriving from wide on the left of the area.Rice had also threatened with his delivery beforehand, troubling Liverpool’s back line with wicked dead-ball crosses as the Arsenal attackers took up similar positions.Fans hailed the set piece details – which are the work of designated coach, Nicolas Jover – Mikel Arteta’s secret weapon.READ MORE IN FOOTBALL One social media user said: “Rice’s free-kicks have been devilish.”Another added: “That free-kick routine was a goal coming. We were warned before.”A third replied: “Deep how insane that is. Showed the set-piece coach for like a minute and then we go on to score the free kick. Love it 🤩🤩”While a fourth responded: “Forget any player, if I could make one signing in world football it would be Arsenal’s set-piece coach.Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERSNicolas Jover, left, has been praised for his role as Arsenal’s set-piece coachCredit: Getty”Every corner and free-kick they get is just as dangerous as a penalty.”Arsenal’s set-piece coach Jover joined Arteta in North London from Manchester City in 2021.Arsenal legend Ian Wright in wheelchair after surgery as Roy Keane helps him out after filming Stick to Football They have now scored 24 set-piece goals in the Premier League since the start of last season, more than any other club.Seven of those have come in just nine league games at the beginning of the 2024/25 campaign.Bukayo Saka had given Arsenal the lead with a brilliant strike, before Virgil van Dijk levelled with a header.Merino’s header put the hosts back in control, but Mo Salah struck late on to salvage a point for Arne Slot’s men.Arsenal ratings vs LiverpoolARSENAL lost further ground in the title race with a 2-2 draw with Liverpool.Arne Slot’s side are a top team, but it will still frustrate Mikel Arteta that his team couldn’t clinch all three points having twice led the match.Here’s how SunSport’s Jordan Davies rated the Arsenal players…DAVID RAYA – 6/10Very little he could do for Liverpool’s equaliser, forced to stay on his line from the flicked-on corner, and the same goes for Mohamed Salah’s tap in from a speedy counter.JURRIEN TIMBER – 7Kept Salah quiet for the majority and proved his worth with ball at feet, but starting him was clearly a risk as he hobbled off late on.BEN WHITE – 7He may have been at centre back but his telepathy with Saka remained, curling a peach of a ball over the top for the opener and remained solid even when those around him chopped and changed.GABRIEL – 7Missed his centre-back partner but did well until he worryingly limped off. No surprise that Salah and Darwin Nunez found space when he was absent.THOMAS PARTEY – 8Was targeted in his unnatural position within the first 30 seconds but held his ground for the most part. One of Arsenal’s best players.MIKEL MERINO – 8A stray touch gifted Salah a great chance to score before getting a bang to the same shoulder that kept him out at the start of the season. And then, after a so-so performance, he steps up with a thumping header just before the break to regain the lead.DECLAN RICE – 8Did the nitty-gritty very well in the middle of the pitch with some crucial interceptions and timely tackles. Carried on covering every blade of grass until the very last.LEANDRO TROSSARD – 6Drifted in and out of the game as a floating 10 and striker but got stuck in when needed and pressed like a rabid dog. Still, was quiet given his recent form.GABRIEL MARTINELLI – 7Lively enough without creating too many clear-cut chances in the first half. Unlucky not to win a penalty after being hauled down by Ibrahima Konate.BUKAYO SAKA – 9Injury? What injury? His hamstring seemed right as rain as he cruised in behind Andy Robertson, cutting it back through the full-back’s legs and firing into the roof of the net.Was understandably taken off in the second half with a need to protect him going into a hectic period of the season.KAI HAVERTZ – 7Given freedom to roam and drop deep. Missed a sitter in the box after Martinelli’s penalty shout but lacked the service via crosses to really be effective in the first half.Remained a physical nuisance after the break but never had that one golden opportunity.SUBS:JAKUB KIWIOR (GABRIEL, 54) – 6Impressive to come in out of the cold to stay firm, but again, his work with the ball at his feet left a lot to be desired.MYLES LEWIS-SKELLY (TIMBER, 76) – 6Caught out of position for Liverpool’s late leveller but showed signs of real maturity too.GABRIEL JESUS (SAKA, 85) – N/AETHAN NWANERI (MARTINELLI, 85) – N/AClick here for more Arsenal news. More