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      Why will Casemiro miss four games for Man Utd?

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      MANCHESTER UNITED drew 0-0 with Southampton earlier today in an uninspiring performance at Old Trafford.But Casemiro’s sending off midway through the first half certainly didn’t help their case.
      Caemiro was in tears following his sending off against SouthamptonCredit: AP
      United were looking to bounce back in the league following their 7-0 drubbing at the hands of Liverpool last week.
      But they were unable to as relegation-battling Southampton proved to be a sterner test than expected.
      Armel Bella-Kotchap in particular was brilliant for the Saints on a day where a point could prove vital come the end of the season.
      But the story of the day was Casemiro’s red card for his tackle on Carlos Alcaraz.
      Why will Casemiro be suspended for four games?
      In the 34th minute of the game between United and Southampton, Casemiro was sent off for his challenge on Alcaraz.
      The Brazilian midfielder went for the ball but his foot followed through and caught Alcaraz on the shin with his studs.
      Originally, Casemiro was given a yellow card, but after a VAR review, the colour was changed to red.
      The former Real Madrid man left the pitch inconsolable and in tears.
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      And now he will miss FOUR games rather than the usual three for a red card.
      Casemiro went studs up on Southampton star Carlos AlcarazCredit: AP
      That is because it is Casemiro’s second red card of the season, following his red against Crystal Palace earlier this year.
      Casemiro was sent off against the Eagles for grabbing Will Hughes’ throat during a scuffle, and he subsequently missed games against Leeds (two games) and Leicester.
      But because Casemiro has picked up his second of the season, the usual punishment will be extended by one game to four.
      The 31-year-old will now miss games against Fulham in the FA Cup and Newcastle, Brentford and Everton in the Premier League. More

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      Arsenal player ratings: Trossard shines with hat-trick of assists but Zinchenko plays lesser role against Fulham

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      LEANDRO TROSSARD starred with three assists as Arsenal beat Fulham to continue their title push.The Gunners fired in all their goals in the first half of the Premier League fixture at Craven Cottage.
      Leandro Trossard set up three goals against FulhamCredit: Getty
      Oleksandr Zinchenko had a quieter game with Arsena’s dominating the clashCredit: Reuters
      Gabriel Magalhaes netted the opener in the 21st minute before Gabriel Martinelli grabbed Arsenal’s second just five minutes later.
      Martin Odegaard wrapped up the result with a curling effort just before the end of the first half.
      Another bonus for Arsenal was the return of Gabriel Jesus from injury.
      Following the important win, SunSport’s Mark Irwin rates Arsenal’s performance.
      READ MORE ON ARSENAL
      AARON RAMSDALE
      He was fortunate to get away with a poor clearance straight to Perreira, but made amends with second-half saves from De Cordova-Reid and Tosin to preserve his team’s three-goal lead. 6
      BEN WHITE
      Another solid showing from the unflappable right-back, who must have been expecting more of a threat from the in-form Fulham winger Solomon. 7
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      WILLIAM SALIBA
      Had Mitrovic in his pocket all afternoon. So composed on the ball and always looking to play out from the back rather than just launching it forward. 7
      GABRIEL
      Scored the winner against Fulham back in August and was on target again to keep Arsenal five points clear with another simple header. 7
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      OLEKSANDR ZINCHENKO
      With Arsenal in complete control, there was no need for him to step into midfield as much as usual, and he was happy to focus on his defensive duties without getting too involved at the other end of the pitch. 6
      MARTIN ODEGAARD
      Ripped poor Fulham to shreds with the precision of his passing and was the coolest man in West London when he scored just before the break to put the game to bed. Booked. 8
      THOMAS PARTEY
      Such a huge player for Arsenal with the way he breaks up play. His physical presence is crucial to a young team who can be overpowered when he’s not playing. 7
      GRANIT XHAKA
      Took full advantage of the absence of the suspended Joao Palhinha to completely run the game from the middle of the park. Sold Fulham more dummies than Mothercare on the edge of their area. 8
      BUKAYO SAKA
      Like the Duracell bunny, he never seems to run out of power and kept asking questions of Fulham’s overworked back four until given a well-earned rest 20 minutes from the end.  7
      Leandro Trossard was the star of the show for ArsenalCredit: Getty
      LEANDRO TROSSARD
      Delivered the corner for Arsenal’s first goal and the crosses for their next two, the Belgian is proving to be an inspired January signing. 9
      GABRIEL MARTINELLI
      Here, there and everywhere, Fulham simply had no answer to the dynamic young Brazilian who was unfortunate to only finish the afternoon with only one goal to his credit. 8
      SUBS
      Reiss Nelson (for Saka 71 mins): No need for any last-gasp heroics from him this time. 6
      Kieran Tierney (for Zinchenko 71 mins): Brought on to see Arsenal over the line and did exactly what was asked of him. 6
      Fabio Vieira (for Trossard 76 mins): Sent on to give Saka a breather and almost teed up Jesus for a late comeback goal. 6
      Read More on The Sun
      Gabriel Jesus (for Martinelli 76 mins): First run-out since a December knee operation and he was straight back into the thick of the action. 6
      Takehiro Tomiyasu (for White 79 mins). Not much time for him to make his mark on a game which was already as good as over. 5
      Gabriel Jesus made his first appearance since his injuryCredit: Reuters More

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      Man Utd player ratings: Casemiro’s wild tackle costs United but Martinez superb against Southampton

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      MANCHESTER UNITED saw key player Casemiro sent off in a dismal draw against bottom-place Southampton.Neither side could hit the target in Sunday’s Old Trafford stalemate.
      Casemiro had a dreadful game as he was sent off in Man Utd’s draw with SouthamptonCredit: EPA
      And United will now lose Casemiro for the next FOUR matches after he received a red card earlier this season.
      But who was the best player for the Red Devils today?
      And did anyone apart from Casemiro have a game to forget?
      Here, SunSport’s Martin Blackburn delivers his Man Utd player ratings…
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      DAVID DE GEA – 7
      Good early save to tip Walcott point blank header over and denied the former England man again when he was clean through. The Spaniard’s kicking was much better than it was in midweek too.
      AARON WAN BISSAKA – 6
      Given the nod ahead of Dalot. Almost presented Saints with a goal with poor clearance while another loose pass saw Walcott race clear. Hooked one off the line to spare McTominay blushes.
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      LISANDRO MARTINEZ — 8
      Booked for hauling back Alcaraz. Did superbly to get back and put Walcott under pressure as he burst through on goal and showed his class with drag back under pressure from Sulemana.
      RAPHAEL VARANE – 7
      Great tackle to deny Sulemana in the first half. Volley at back post from Fernandes saved by Bazunu just before the interval. Calming influence who helped Martinez keep Saints forwards under control. 
      LUKE SHAW – 7
      One great cross onto the head of Weghorst from the former Saints man.  Shot blocked by Walker-Peters to deny him the chance to be the hero. Important late clearance denied his old club a possible winner.
      CASEMIRO – 4
      Wild tackle on Alcaraz just after the half hour saw him go over the ball. Thought he had got away with a yellow card but a VAR check saw him given a straight red instead. Brazilian was in tears but now faces a four match ban.
      Lisandro Martinez was United’s best player at Old TraffordCredit: AP
      ANTONY – 5
      Wasted one great opening because of his refusal to use his right foot. Nice work to create a chance for Shaw but he could have no complaints when he was replaced by Pellistri late on as United searched for a winner.
      BRUNO FERNANDES – 7
      Skipper showed both sides of his game as he spent too long arguing with the ref. Some class moments too such as one two with Rashford and his brilliant low shot that was pushed onto the inside of the post by Bazunu.
      JADON SANCHO – 5
      Rare league start and played a central role, tucked in behind Weghorst early on. Did not really affect the game as ten Hag would have hoped and no surprise when he was replaced by Garnacho.
      MARCUS RASHFORD – 6
      Low shot saved by Bazunu – may have been better to square it. Played a more central role after red card but did not get many chances. Let himself down with blatant dive as he went round the keeper late on.
      Marcus Rashford had a quiet day in front of goalCredit: Getty
      WOUT WEGHORST – 5
      Handed yet another start by ten Hag but his afternoon was cut short due to the Casemiro red card as Dutch striker was sacrificed for another midfielder. Earlier fluffed a decent chance when he met Shaw cross with a weak header.
      SUBS
      MCTOMINAY for Weghorst (44’) – 6
      Brought on after Casemiro red to stiffen up midfield. Almost scored an OG.
      GARNACHO for Sancho (73’) – 5
      Went down under challenge from Walker Peters and could not shake it off.
      PELLISTRI for Antony (73’) – 6
      Brought a bit more life to United’s attacks but could not engineer a breakthrough.
      FRED for Garnacho (90’) – 5
      Came on too late to make much of an impact.
      Read More on The Sun
      MAGUIRE for Martinez (90’) – 5
      Thrown on to give Martinez a breather late on. More

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      Man Utd 0 Southampton 0: Casemiro sent off for horror tackle as Red Devils drop points against bottom of the league

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      CASEMIRO SAW red for the second time in eight games as ten man Manchester United could only draw against Southampton.The Brazilian turned sinner against The Saints with a 32nd minute challenge on Carlos Alcaraz that saw him sent-off after referee Anthony Taylor reviewed the incident on the pitch-side screen.
      Casemiro looks on after being sent offCredit: AFP
      He will now miss four games with it being his second sending off of the season which is a major blow to the Red Devils.
      Despite being a man down for over an hour of play, including injury time, United still could have snatched this, as could the visitors.
      While it was a goalless draw it was a game full of action with the woodwork hit at either end, some fantastic goalkeeping and penalty appeals aplenty.
      Marcus Rashford had two early chances to break the deadlock.
      READ MORE ON MAN UTD
      After exchanging passes with Fernandes he was through on an angle but his shot to the far corner was saved.
      Wout Weghorst was furious that his teammate hadn’t squared to him, he probably thought he would miss anyway.
      From the very next attack Rashford had another chance when put through by Fernandes again, but his first touch was heavy allowing goalkeeper Gavin Bazuna to win the race to the ball.
      Southampton’s recent revival that had brought two wins from new boss Ruben Selles three games in charge had prompted Ten Hag to warn that this would be no easy game.
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      So it would prove and it was only the brilliance of David de Gea that denied them the lead in the 24th minute.
      Romain Perraud was looking dangerous down the left and his cross into the centre of the box was met by Theo Walcott with a bullet header that De Gea did brilliantly to tip over the bar.
      Weghorst would have a free header but perhaps not surprisingly steered it straight into the goalkeeper’s arms
      Then came the sending off as Casemiro slid in on Alcaraz.
      Referee Taylor initially showed a yellow card but the VAR told him to have another look on the pitch side monitor.
      The slow motion showed that Casemiro touched the ball first.
      He clipped the top of it but his foot continued on into the shin of Alcaraz.
      Taylor needed a few looks to make his mind up so it could have gone either way, but rarely do refs defy the VAR and he rescinded the yellow and showed red.
      Casemiro is consoled by team-mate AntonyCredit: EPA
      It almost proved more costly when from the resulting free kick James Ward-Prowse’s effort deflected of Rashford’s head in the wall and fell just wide of the far post.
      Weghorst would be the player sacrificed as Ten Hag reshuffled bringing on another midfielder to take Casemiro’s place in Scott McTominay.
      There were two penalty claims from United in quick succession before the break.
      The first was for a challenge by Kyle Walker-Peters on Fernandes but the Southampton player won the ball.
      Then when there were cries of handball the replay showed that Rashford’s cross had actually hit Armel Bella-Kotchap in the chest.
      Not surprisingly referee Taylor got a rough time from the crowd as he walked off at the break and on his return to get the second-half underway.
      Tern Hag reappeared and urged the Stretford End to up the volume but it was nearly the Saints fans celebrating just three minutes later.
      James Ward-Prowse is left looking on in frustrationCredit: AFP
      Kyle Walker-Peters ball into the box was deflected past his own goalkeeper by McTominay but Wan-Bissaka came to the rescue hooking the ball of the line.
      Ward-Prowse than shaved the cross bar with a free-kick and Walcott was denied one-on-one by another flying save from De Gea.
      It was all action with the post then rattled at either end.
      Bruno Fernandes low shot from outside the area looked to be heading in but Bazuno got a finger tip to it deflecting on to the woodwork.
      Then Walker-Peters thunderbolt beat De Gea but crashed off the far post.
      There was another penalty appeal when Rashford went through and caught the sliding Bazunu with his trailing leg as the ball was running out of play.
      Not enough for ref Taylor to award a kick.
      Despite being down to ten, Ten Hag was going for this bringing Alejandro Garnacho and Facundo Pellistri onto either wing to add some pace in attack.
      Read More on The Sun
      Their arrival seemed to reenergise Old Trafford too.
      But hopes of one of those last gasp victories for United at Old Trafford would be dashed.
      Bruno Fernandes has an effort on goalCredit: Reuters More

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      Fulham 0 Arsenal 3: Gabriel Jesus plays first game since November as Gunners maintain Premier League title push

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      GABRIEL JESUS made his long-awaited return after knee surgery – but knows he has a major fight to get into this team.Because on the day Arsenal took another small step towards winning the title, Leandro Trossard delivered his best performance for the club.
      Gabriel Jesus returned from injury to play his first game since NovemberCredit: AP
      Martin Odegaard scored on his return to the sideCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun
      Leandro Trossard produced a hat-trick of assistsCredit: AP
      Gabriel continued his fine goalscoring form against FulhamCredit: Getty
      And if Trossard keeps delivering scintillating performances like this as a false nine, Jesus will be happy to bide his time until he is 100 per cent match fit.
      Although the former Manchester City striker replaced Trossard in the 77th minute, much to the delight of the travelling fans, Arsenal had this game sorted after a brutal first-half demolition of Fulham.
      The Belgian delivered assists for all three of the goals and the only thing missing was one for himself.
      Defender Gabriel Magalhaes, Gabriel Martinelli and Martin Odegaard scored in a surprisingly-easy win for Arsenal.
      READ MORE ON ARSENAL
      And when Trossard started the season with a 2-1 win at Manchester United for Brighton, the Belgian could not have possibly hoped he would end up landing a big move before helping his new club on this potentially epic journey at the top.
      Trossard looks increasingly at home in this team and his clever, razor-sharp link-up play with Martinelli and Odegaard was superb to watch.
      Unusually, one of Arteta’s other attackers, Bukayo Saka, did not have one of his better games but it did not really matter.
      Fulham knew they were going to miss key man Joao Palhinha in central midfield although the gap he left was bigger than any of us could have expected.
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      His replacement, Sasa Lukic, struggled through although his nightmare was nothing compared to the shocker suffered by home defender Antonee Robinson.
      An early own goal was ruled out by VAR but he was still guilty of some woeful defending which saw him play a part in the second and third goals.
      The worst was certainly the second when he actually DUCKED for Martinelli to be handed an easy header for his 12th goal of an outstanding season.
      Yet you have to give enormous credit to Arsenal who showed some real guts to bounce back from the 3-1 home loss to Manchester City which was their third Premier League game without a win.
      But here was a fifth successive top-flight win and their easiest by some distance.
      An uneventful, almost boring match finally livened up when Arsenal thought they had scored only for a VAR decision to end those celebrations.
      And no-one was more relieved than Robinson who watched with horror as Leno saved a shot from Martinelli only for the ball to rebound off him and into the net.
      Martinelli was offside but the decision seemed to give Arsenal an extra bit of fire and they moved ahead thanks to Gabriel in their third corner in the space of a minute.
      Fulham defender Adarabioyo made it easy for the Arsenal defender who was able to meet Trossard’s corner unchallenged.
      But in terms of bad defending it was nothing compared to the second.
      The build-up play from Arsenal was excellent but even so, Fulham pressed the self-destruct button.
      Granit Xhaka had a laughable amount of time and space to jog forward, Trossard overcame a weak challenge from Kenny Tete to deliver a cross and Martinelli had a ludicrously easy header because Robinson – inexplicably – decided not to challenge.
      Aaron Ramsdale had an easy first half although got away with one just before the break when he passed the ball to Pereira but he then made a mess of the opportunity.
      Martinelli should have made it 3-0 but his half-hit volley was clawed away by Leno but even so, Arsenal still went in at the break leading by three.
      Fulham lost possession from Tete’s throw and Odegaard was given plenty of time to control Trossard’s cross before picking his spot with neither Robinson or Lukic covering themselves in glory.
      Here was a case of Fulham delivering the type of performance we expected for all of the season. So it is to Marco Silva’s credit that this was incredibly rare and his team still have a chance of scraping a European place and what a tremendous story that would be.
      Fulham showed some fight at the start of the second half but it was far too late
      Ramsdale made decent saves to keep efforts from Bobby De Cordova-Reid and Adarabioyo while Aleksandar Mitrovic, who was starved of service, sent a header smashing against the bar.
      Read More on The Sun
      With the game over long before the final whistle, Arteta would have been grateful for the chance to make early changes with a firm eye on the Europa League clash with Sporting on Thursday.
      This will be followed by a home clash with Crystal Palace and on current form, Arsenal will surely continue to move another step towards getting their hands on a trophy which for so long, has been beyond them. More

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      Arsenal legend Cesc Fabregas ‘likes’ Matt Lucas’ cheeky Instagram post poking fun at Arteta and Odegaard

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      CESC FABREGAS has ‘liked’ Matt Lucas’ cheeky joke at Mikel Arteta and Martin Odegaard.The comedian video – along with Ellis James – have poked fun of the Gunners’ recent celebrations.
      Matt Lucas as Martin Odegaard asked if Arsenal were over celebrating winsCredit: Instagram / @realmattlucas
      While Ellis James as Mikel Arteta said they did not over celebrateCredit: Instagram / @realmattlucas
      But they then celebrated a paper ball being thrown into a binCredit: Instagram / @realmattlucas
      Cesc Fabregas ‘liked’ the postCredit: Getty
      The North London side have recently been criticised for their passionate celebrations after winning games.
      After the win against Bournemouth, there was a probe from the FA as the club’s substitutes ran onto the pitch to celebrate Reiss Nelson’s late winner.
      This was the inspiration for the parody in which Lucas plays club captain Martin Odegaard, and James portrays manager Mikel Arteta.
      The Instagram video was captioned: “Arteta responds to the talk of Arsenal getting a little bit carried away.”
      READ MORE ON ARSENAL
      In the clip, Lucas goes to James to ask if he thought they were over-celebrating.
      James then replies in a Spanish accent, saying, “No, no, I don’t think so.”
      He then throws a scrap of paper into a bin which then leads the whole team to come running in and celebrate the shot.
      It was liked almost 20,000 times on Instagram, including one from Fabregas.
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      He spent eight years at Arsenal between 2003 and 2011 before leaving for boyhood club Barcelona.
      The 25-year-old returned to England as he joined Chelsea, where he won the Premier League twice and FA Cup in a five-year spell.
      The Spaniard now plays his football in Italy for Serie B side Como. More

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      Man Utd fans fume after being denied penalty for ‘clear handball’ against Southampton

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      MANCHESTER UNITED fans were left fuming after being denied a penalty for handball against Southampton. The sides were level at Old Trafford when Marcus Rashford put in a cross from the left wing.
      Man Utd fans fumed at being denied a penalty for handball against Southampton
      Defender Armel Bella-Kotchap was practically left on all fours as he blocked the incoming ball.
      Replays revealed it struck the top of the centre-back’s arm but referee Anthony Taylor waved play on.
      No penalty was awarded even after a VAR check – leaving United fans fuming online.
      One said: “Hi @Specsavers, think we might have a new client for you, goes by the name of Anthony Taylor.”
      READ MORE ON MAN UTD
      Another added: “If this was our player handling the ball in the box Anthony Taylor would have pointed to the spot without hesitation.”
      One posted: “How is that not a penalty to Manchester United? We’ve conceded penalties for FAR LESS this season.
      “It’s a clear handball that’s prevented Weghorst from having a chance to score. Yet no intervention from VAR. NONSENSE!”
      Another said: “What’s a handball nowadays?”
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      It added more misery to United’s day after Casemiro was sent off for a tackle on Carlos Alcaraz.
      The Brazilian initially won the ball but went in with his studs up and his momentum saw him follow through.
      Taylor gave a yellow at first but following a VAR check, Casemiro was shown straight red for the second time this season.
      Casemiro shown red against SouthamptonCredit: AFP More

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      Touching moment Sir Alex Ferguson meets lifelong Man Utd fan – and nobody can believe how old he is

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      SIR ALEX FERGUSON met a lifelong Manchester United fan – but nobody could quite believe how old he was. The legendary Red Devils manager was at Old Trafford preparing for Sunday’s clash with relegation-battling Southampton.
      Arthur Lilly charms Sir Alex Ferguson as they chat and the lifelong fan reveals his age
      The pair get a picture together before United kick off against Southampton

      And he had the chance to catch up with an elderly fan before the game on the Old Trafford touchline.
      Man Utd’s Instagram page uploaded the heart-warming interaction as Ferguson spoke to 100-year-old Arthur Lilly, who reached the milestone only last week.
      Ferguson, only 81 himself, said: “Is it your 100th today?”
      Arthur explained that his birthday instead was last Sunday, with events at Anfield likely spoiling his special day.
      READ MORE ON MAN UTD
      As he continues to chat with Ferguson, the retired Scotsman could not hide his surprise at Arthur’s age and said: “You look better than me!”
      The pair then took some pictures together before kick-off.
      Like Ferguson, fans in the comments could not believe that the gentleman’s age
      One said: “Looking great for 100.”
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      Another said: “How is he 100? Looks great for his age!”
      While another added: “100 years and still looking fresh.”
      Arthur was born in 1923, a year when Liverpool would be crowned league champions while United would only manage fourth in the second division.
      The Red Devils only had two league titles by the time of Arthur’s birth but, largely thanks to Ferguson, that number now sits at 20, one clear of Liverpool.
      Last week’s 7-0 thrashing was the final blow to any title ambitions United had this season.
      But the club remain in a strong position to secure a top four finish to gain entry to next season’s Champions League.
      They will also have eyes on winning the Europa League and FA Cup to add to the Carabao Cup they won last month. More