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      Arsenal face FA rap after wild celebrations against Liverpool… but Mikel Arteta is set to escape punishment

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      MIKEL Arteta will avoid any FA action for his stoppage-time goal celebrations against Liverpool.But Arsenal will be hit with the “standard” £25,000 fine after six of Arteta’s players were cautioned in their 3-1 win.
      Emirates chief Mikel Arteta will not be sanctioned as match officials did not report his behaviour during Sunday’s winCredit: Rex
      Arsenal’s celebrations after beating Liverpool, including Martin Odegaard’s happy snapping, sparked some criticismCredit: Reuters
      Arteta infuriated some TV Liverpool fans as he reacted to Leandro Trossard’s added-time clincher.
      The Spaniard leapt wildly before sprinting through and out of his technical area, potentially leaving himself open to a charge.
      But FA rules, reinforced this term, leave policing of touchline behaviour to the match officials.
      As neither referee Anthony Taylor nor any of his colleagues made any mention of Arteta’s behaviour that is considered the end of the matter by FA beaks, who have no intention of even contacting the Arsenal boss.
      READ MORE ARSENAL NEWS
      But the yellow cards picked up by Ben White, Gabriel, Jakob Kiwior and, in stoppage time, William Saliba, Declan Rice and  Kai Havertz, will see a fine levied against the Gunners.
      Liverpool had defender Ibrahima Konate sent off following his second yellow card soon before Gunners’ sub Trossard finished them off.
      But Arsenal’s players came under fire from some quarters for their victory celebrations soon after.
      Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher said: “Just get down the tunnel. You’ve won a game. It’s three points. They’re back in the title race, get down the tunnel. I’m serious, honestly.”
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      And his fellow Sky Sports pundit, ex-Manchester United defender Gary Neville, argued: “I have gone past the idea of having a go at players for celebrating, I just still think there is a little bit of immaturity in their celebrations.”
      But Arsenal skipper Martin Odegaard insisted his team had every right to react as they did – after rising to second place, two points behind Liverpool.
      Carragher in war of words with ex-Premier League star Fjortoft over Odegaard’s Arsenal celebrations against Liverpool
      The midfielder said: “Everyone who loves football, who understands football, they know how much it means to win this game.
      “And if you’re not allowed to celebrate when you win a game, when are you allowed to celebrate? We’re happy with the win and we’ll stay humble.
       “Everyone who loves football, who understands football, they know how much it means to win this game.
      “And if you’re not allowed to celebrate when you win a game, when are you allowed to celebrate? We’re happy with the win and we’ll stay humble.”
      Odegaard took pics with Gunners’ club photographer Stuart MacFarlane More

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      Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder facing FA charge after being left raging at a linesman eating a SANDWICH

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      CHRIS WILDER faces an FA charge over his astonishing Sandwichgate rant at “biased” referees.The Sheffield United boss — whose side are ten points adrift of safety after last night’s 5-0 home defeat to Aston Villa — is in hot water for accusing officials of being prejudiced against his team.
      Chirs Wilder is facing an FA chargeCredit: Getty
      Wilder branded ref Tony Harrington’s performance in the Blades’ 3-2 midweek defeat at Crystal Palace “ridiculous”.
      He also slammed a linesman’s “complete lack of respect” for munching a sarnie while he was complaining to Harrington after the match.
      The FA are investigating and Wilder could face charges of bringing the game into disrepute.
      Wilder was fuming Palace forward Jean-Philippe Mateta escaped a booking for a clash that saw Blades keeper Ivo Grbic go off with concussion.
      He stormed: “It’s yet another ridiculous performance from the referee.
      “I was told by a Premier League referee,  who’s as honest as the day is long, ‘Get ready, because every tight decision will go against you, every 50-50 will go against you’.
      “Their boy takes our keeper out, we had to change keepers. It makes no odds if it’s an accident or not, it’s a yellow card.
      “Every tight decision goes against us.
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      “I’m not looking back over the last ten games, it’s over a longer period, before I was here as well.
      “Maybe the thought process is that, ‘They won’t be long in this division and I might be refereeing the other team next year, so I don’t want to upset too many people’.”
      It is not clear whether Dan Cook or Mark Scholes was the assistant targeted in his sandwich blast.
      Wilder has threatened to complain about the perceived bias to PGMOL chief Howard Webb.
      He added: “It’s happened too many times for me not to say anything.”
      Wilder is the latest manager to slam the standard of refereeing in the Prem this season.
      Former PGMOL boss Keith Hackett has accused Webb’s body of being “a  £26million business run by a bunch of amateurs who operate like a Mayfair Gentleman’s Club”. More

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      Alan Shearer feared he’d be sacked by BBC if cameras caught what he was doing in Newcastle away end for FA Cup clash

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      ENGLAND legend Alan Shearer feared he would be sacked by the BBC while supporting former club Newcastle last week.Shearer was in the away end at Craven Cottage on Saturday to support the Magpies against Fulham.
      Alan Shearer was spotted in the crowd at Craven Cottage during Fulham vs NewcastleCredit: Rex
      The Newcastle legend feared he would be sacked by the BBC if he was caught swearing on cameraCredit: Getty
      The ex-striker was swarmed by fans after taking to his seat, with some even chanting his name throughout the match.
      Although he now regularly watches games from a TV studio, Shearer, a pundit for BBC Sport and Match of the Day, admitted he loved being among the crowd.
      The 53-year-old even revealed that he got so caught up in the action that he began swearing at the referee at one point during the game.
      Speaking on The Rest is Football podcast, Shearer said: “You know when the ref makes a poor decision, and you can hear all the fans go, ‘That’s f*****g useless’.
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      “Well I found myself doing the same to the referee!
      “I was thinking, ‘If the cameras are on me now…’ Honestly, I had to think, ‘Calm down, Alan, or you might get yourself sacked here for shouting at the referee!'”
      Discussing his matchday experience, Shearer added: “My son said to me, ‘Dad, I’ve got a spare ticket. You always said you’re going to come to an away game with me. Why don’t you come to the game?’ And I was like, ‘Are you mad?’
      “He said, ‘Come on, you’ll love it. It’ll be amazing!’ Then I thought, ‘Actually, it’s not a bad idea’. Then the more I thought about it, the more I thought, ‘I’m gonna do it, why not’.
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      “He persuaded me and I went, and I’m definitely going to do it again. I absolutely loved it. It was everything – chaos, madness, excitement. It was just brilliant.”
      Newcastle went on to win the match 2-0 thanks to goals from Sean Longstaff and Dan Burn.
      They will now face Blackburn Rovers in the FA Cup fifth round. More

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      Marcus Rashford drunkenly dropped huge wads of cash on floor after 12-hour bender, waitress says

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      MARCUS Rashford dropped huge wads of cash on a booze fuelled 12-hour bender, a waitress has claimed.The Manchester United striker, 26, was axed for last Sunday’s FA Cup tie at Newport County after missing training following two days of partying in Belfast.
      The striker was axed from last Sunday’s FA Cup tie at Newport County after missing training
      Sarah Adair, 30, served the football ace and later joined him on his night out
      Rashford went for drinks at Lavery’s after arriving in Belfast on Wednesday evening
      After a rapid rise to be one of Utd’s most bankable stars and a campaigner off the pitch, there are fears he’s struggling and needs support.
      A waitress who joined the Manchester United ace on his booze bender told how he was “on a mission to get drunk”.
      Sarah Adair, 30, said the sloshed striker downed tequila shots and cocktails before collapsing on a hotel bed fully clothed just before 3am.
      “He was so drunk at this point that he picked up his own bag and dropped it and all this cash fell out. It was all £20 notes and big wads of it. I reckon there was between £8,000 and £10,000 cash,” she said.

      “Then he falls back into the wall and I have to kind of scoop him up and on to the bed.
      “He was fully dressed and I reckon he just passed out like that. He didn’t even get under the covers.”
      A source close to Rashford claimed the star returned to the hotel at 1.15am, did not drink cocktails and had less than £1,000 in cash.
      It comes after Rashford had spent two days partying on a visit to Belfast to see a pal, and got a 7am private jet back to Manchester on Friday.
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      Rashford posed with a restaurant worker on Thursday at 4:22pm
      The player was pictured inside the club on Friday at 00:55am as the session continued
      Rashford walked towards the club door with his entourage on Friday at 00:31am
      But, he then rang in sick for training and was later fined £650,000 — two weeks’ wages — and dropped from the FA Cup tie at Newport County last Sunday.
      He was pictured yesterday morning arriving at training ahead of showdown talks with United bosses.
      Waitress Sarah added: “I’m not surprised he missed training the next day given how late he got to bed and how much he’d had to drink. He must’ve known he wasn’t going to be in any fit state to play football.”
      The mum of one was working on Thursday afternoon when a two-man security team came in and asked for a discreet table for a “high-profile” VIP party.
      At first Sarah thought it could be a famous actor such as James Nesbitt or Jamie Dornan because the city is a hotbed for filming.
      When Rashford walked in, she did not recognise him and only realised he was a footballer when her United-mad manager told her.
      She said: “He was with two men and two women. One was clearly a friend and the other girl was French and very beautiful.
      “She seemed to be with Marcus because of how they interacted. She was touching his knee and he was touching her arm, but you could tell from the conversation they didn’t know each other that well. It was like he’d just met her.”
      Earlier Rashford had visited Larne FC after his footballer pal Ro-Shaun Williams signed for the Northern Irish club.
      As Sarah served the group, Rashford also told how he had visited the Dirty Onion bar and Lavery’s pub the night before after flying into the city.
      He ordered sea bass then asked her where was good to go out, adding: “You should come out with us and show us around.”

      It comes as…

      She claimed Rashford had “no plans to go home that night” after asking which clubs stayed open past 3am.
      Sarah also said the footballer “was clearly on a mission to get drunk” as he passed bottles of booze around at the Villa Italia restaurant later in the evening.
      The group then headed to a private area called The Attic after finishing up with their meal.
      Last night a source close to Rashford insisted the striker left the club at 1.15am.
      But Sarah says the group partied until shortly after 2am when Rashford’s pals and security decided the footballer was too drunk and needed to go to bed.
      They then headed back to the five-star Fitzwilliam Hotel where Rashford was staying in the £1,500-a-night residence suite.
      Yesterday Rashford and his agent brother Dwaine met with manager Erik ten Hag and United’s director of football John Murtough for showdown talks.
      READ MORE SUN STORIES
      A source added: “Marcus accepts his standards have fallen well short of what is expected.”
      Last night the club said: “Marcus has taken responsibility for his actions. This has been dealt with as an internal disciplinary matter, which is now closed.”
      ACE RASH’S TIPPLES TIMELINE
      WEDNESDAY JAN 24
      9.55am: Rashford arrives for Man United training.4.21pm: Private jet leaves Manchester.5.17pm: Plane lands at Belfast International airport. Rashford checks into the Fitzwilliam Hotel and visits the Dirty Onion and Lavery’s bar.
      THURSDAY JAN 25
      1.06pm: Picture posted online of Rashford at Larne FC.2pm: Arrives at Sarah’s restaurant.4.30pm: Leaves restaurant.9.40pm: Rashford sends a driver to bring Sarah to Villa Italia restaurant.
      FRIDAY JAN 26
      00.30am: Rashford filmed going into Thompson’s Garage nightclub.2am: Rashford leaves and the group go back to his hotel — although a source close to the player insists it was at 1.15am.2.50am: The star passes out fully dressed.5am: Rashford and his minders leave hotel.7am: Private jet leaves Belfast airport.8am: Plane touches down at Manchester airport.
      SUNDAY JAN 28
      Rashford is dropped from FA Cup game against Newport County. United boss Erik ten Hag says Rashford’s behaviour is an “internal matter” and he will “deal” with it.
      MONDAY JAN 298.45am: Rashford arrives for training.

      The footie ace headed to a nightclub on Friday at 00:30am following an afternoon session
      Rashford arrives at Manchester United training on Monday morning More

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      Arsenal fans worried on-loan keeper Arthur Okonkwo has ‘lost the plot’ after calamitous mistake in FA Cup for Wrexham

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      ARSENAL fans are worried their on-loan goalkeeper has “lost the plot” after a calamitous mistake in the FA Cup.Arthur Okonkwo, 22, is spending this season on loan at Wrexham as Ben Foster’s replacement at the League Two club.
      Arthur Okonkwo was caught in no man’s land for Blackburn’s second goalCredit: BBC
      He was outside the area when Sam Gallagher shot towards goalCredit: AFP

      And, after a brief return to Arsenal for jaw surgery in December, he started in between the sticks for the Welsh outfit in the FA Cup fourth-round clash away at Blackburn.
      However, the young goalkeeper showed his inexperience with a nightmare moment in the first half at Ewood Park.
      Wrexham had taken a shock early lead before Sam Szmodics’ equaliser just after the half-hour mark.
      And then just two minutes later, Rovers were gifted the lead by Okonkwo.
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      Sam Gallagher did well to flick the ball down the left channel and was in a race with a Wrexham defender to get to the ball first.
      But Okonkwo rushed far out of his box and was beaten to the ball by Gallagher who simply rolled an easy finish past the helpless goalkeeper and into the unguarded net.
      The BBC Sport commentator said: “Okonkwo again dithers and Gallagher punishes him.
      “Two goals in two minutes and a night to forget for Arthur Okonkwo in goal for Wrexham.
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      “It was easy for Gallagher, the goalkeeper made his mind up for him. It’s almost an open goal.”
      To make things force for Okonkwo, he took a whack from his own defender trying to get back and cover for his blunder.
      The co-commentator added: “Okonkwo has looked nervy, he’s looked casual.
      “There’s absolutely no need for him to come out as early as he does. It’s not like he comes out and commits.”
      And Gunners fans watched through their fingers at their England youth international stopper, who previously had loan spells with Crewe and SK Sturm Graz.
      One tweeted: “Okonkwo has lost the plot.”
      Another wrote: “What on Earth was Okonkwo doing? I mean just what????”
      ‘YIKES’
      A third added: “Big fan of the kid, but that’s poor from Okonkwo, far too easy.”
      A fourth replied: “What on Earth is Okonkwo doing there? He ends up OUTSIDE of the box come time for the shot. So even if he miraculously got a hand to it, he would have been off! A keeper that has been quality this season and has bags of potential, too. Yikes…”
      And a final user brutally commented: “Arthur Okonkwo has lettuce hands. Goodnight.”
      But other supporters tried to remain positive.
      One said: “One bad game doesn’t define a player. Arthur Okonkwo is still a top keeper.”
      Another responded: “The best keepers in the world have bad games. Okonkwo is a kid in goalkeeping terms. He’ll be better for making and learning from the mistakes. The guy is a class act.”
      READ MORE SUN STORIES
      Okonkwo’s evening got even worse when Szmodics made it 3-1 on the stroke of half-time before Sondre Tronsade wrapped up the victory for Blackburn after the break – with Okonkwo coming out wearing a protective face mask for the second half.
      Rovers will be at home again in round five as they welcome Newcastle to Ewood Park.
      Gallagher’s goal turned the tie on its headCredit: BBC
      Okonkwo did not get much support from his team-mates
      The on-loan Arsenal goalkeeper wore a protective mask in the second halfCredit: Getty More

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      Laura Woods jokes she’s considering Premier League manager job as eagle-eyed fans spot her in dugout at FA Cup match

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      LAURA WOODS joked she is preparing to take over as Liverpool manager after being spotted in the Anfield dugout.The ITV presenter was on hosting duty for Liverpool’s FA Cup win over Norwich.
      Laura Woods joked that she is considering a career changeCredit: Instagram / @laurawoodsy
      The presenter was at Anfield covering Liverpool’s win over NorwichCredit: ITV
      But while she was not on screen presenting she took a seat behind the Reds dugout.
      The TV cameras spotted Woods looking pensive behind Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp.
      One eagle-eyed fan spotted her and questioned whether she is planning to take over from Klopp, who announced he is stepping down at the end of the season.
      She responded jokingly: “Considering my next move 😂”
      READ MORE ON LAURA WOODS
      Woods is not the first presenter to take to the Anfield dugout after TNT Sports’ Jules Breach was spotted sitting behind Klopp during the Merseyside derby in October.
      Woods, 36, also caught the eye thanks to her fancy outfit.
      She dressed in a lavish black coat with gold buttons and brown leather lapels.
      The presenter wore black leather fingerless gloves to match her coat.
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      Woods was on duty for ITVCredit: Instagram
      The presenter also covers the Champions League for TNT SportsCredit: Instragram
      Woods boasts 765,000 Instagram followers
      While colleague Ian Wright got fans talking after showing off the latest addition to his quirky hat collection.
      The pundit also dressed in a leather jacket and a woolly beanie hat. More

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      Wrexham owner Rob McElhenney writes incredible sick note for fan who doesn’t want to miss FA Cup clash vs Blackburn

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      WREXHAM co-owner Rob McElhenney wrote an incredible sick note so a fan can watch Monday’s FA Cup clash against Blackburn.The actor has found his latest new role as a doctor to make sure one of the club’s supporters gets some much-needed time off work.
      Wrexham co-owner Rob McElhenney (R) wrote a sick note for a fan to watch Monday’s FA Cup clash against BlackburnCredit: Getty
      Wrexham are just two wins from reaching the quarter-final in the FA Cup – matching their club record from 27-years-ago.
      And McElhenney felt it was his duty to make sure one fan did not miss out on the game.
      A Canadian fan account reached out to the 46-year-old to “provide a sick note” so he could tune into Wrexham’s FA Cup draw.
      The It’s Always Sunny Philadelphia actor wrote a note that said: “To whom it may concern, @WrexhamCanada is hereby excused from work on Monday, January 29, 2024.
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      “They have a weird cough or something. If that’s not enough of an excuse, let’s go with the flu.
      “Wouldn’t you hate to catch it if they showed up to work in that condition?
      “They are cleared to come back on Tuesday, January 30, 2024. Oh, I think that happens to be the day after the Wrexham match. Weird timing. Best wishes, Dr. McElhenney.”
      McEIhenney jokingly ended the note with: “Don’t Google my credentials, just trust me. I’m a real doctor.”
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      Monday night’s FA Cup fourth-round clash is set to kick off at 7:30pm at Ewood Park.
      But for the fan, if he or she lives in the bustling cities of Toronto or Montreal this would be 2:30pm.
      However, if @WrexhamCanada lives further on the West Coast, like in Vancouver, the kick-off time will be even earlier for them. More

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      Wolves star Jose Sa is stunned after spotting team-mate on tunnel wall of hated rivals

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      WOLVES players were shocked to see a photo of their team-mate Craig Dawson on the wall at bitter rivals West Brom.Yesterday’s Black Country derby saw the Premier League side win 2-0 in a match marred by crowd trouble.
      Wolves players laughed as they saw a picture of Craig Dawson in a West Brom shitCredit: Reddit
      Jose Sa stopped to take a picture of itCredit: Reddit
      As Wolves players entered the Hawthorns ahead of kick-off, Matheus Cunha and Jose Sa were left in hysterics.
      The Brazilian forward pointed out to the goalkeeper that there was a huge picture of Dawson on the tunnel wall.
      Sa was left startled as he stopped to take a photo of it on his phone.
      Fans found it hilarious, one said: “That’s going straight to the WhatsApp group.”
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      Another added: “Just know Dawson is getting terrorised later by Sa.”
      A third laughed: “Great s***housery.”
      Wolves centre-back Dawson was on the other side of the rivalry from 2010 to 2019.
      He played 225 times for the Baggies prior to his spells at Watford and West Ham.
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      Fan violence
      Wolves had not played West Brom in front of supporters since 2012 and a hostile atmosphere was expected at the Hawthorns.
      Tempers flared throughout the game but it boiled over after Matheus Cunha made it 2-0 after 78 minutes, allegedly due to Wolves fans in the home end.
      Fights kicked off in the corner of the West Stand and Birmingham Road, while objects were thrown in other areas of the ground.
      Fans spilled onto the pitch and the police rushed over to the main incident.
      Players remained on the pitch for some time with a handful of Baggies players helping their families sat nearby move away from the violence.
      The referee eventually sent both teams into the dressing rooms before they reappeared to finish the game 38 minutes after the violence begun.
      Police said six arrests were made and a man is in hospital with head injuries.
      West Brom have vowed to work with cops and the FA to find the yobs and they said, “any individual involved in the disorder will be subject to a club ban”.
      Wolves added: “Safety and security are of the utmost importance, and the behaviour of those involved is dangerous and inexcusable.
      “We will be investigating these serious incidents and appropriate action will be taken.”
      West Brom boss Carlos Coberan said: “Unfortunately the game was interrupted by this incident and now we are unable to talk about the atmosphere our fans created, we can’t talk about this aspect.
      “Everything before the incident was unbelievable, between both clubs it was very special. Incidents like that we need to avoid.”
      Wolves gaffer Gary O’Neil said: “Obviously it’s really disappointing. Anybody that wants to come to watch a football match should feel safe.
      “Young children or elderly people could be in that area and we shouldn’t have to discuss incidents like this.
      “They shouldn’t happen and I hope everyone’s safe and there are no serious injuries and there are no lasting effects.”

      In an old gold shirt yesterday, Dawson put in a solid performance as Wolves kept a clean sheet in a feisty derby.
      Gary O’Neil’s side will now play at home against Brighton in the fifth round.
      Crowd trouble marred the Black Country derbyCredit: ITV
      One fan was taken to hospital due to his injuriesCredit: Rex
      Six arrests were madeCredit: REUTERS
      Violence spilled onto the pitch with the players taken into the dressing roomCredit: ITV
      Play was suspended for 38 minutesCredit: GETTY
      Wolves won 2-0 to book their place in the fifth roundCredit: Rex More