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      Man Utd and Arsenal set to battle it out for Celta Vigo star dazzling LaLiga alongside Liverpool flop

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      ARSENAL have reportedly joined Manchester United in the race to sign Celta Vigo youngster Gabri Veiga.Both Mikel Arteta and Erik ten Hag will be looking to improve the depth of their respective squads when the summer transfer window opens later this year.
      Arsenal and Man Utd are interested in signing VeigaCredit: Alamy
      And a new midfielder is understood to be the priority.
      According to Spanish outlet AS, both clubs are keen on signing Veiga from Celta Vigo.
      The 20-year-old is currently enjoying a breakthrough season in La Liga with six goals and two assists in 21 games.
      He has been highly regarded as Celta Vigo’s best player alongside former Liverpool star Iago Aspas.
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      Veiga became a permanent member of the first team in January after spending the first half of the season without a squad number.
      And many fans are already calling him ‘a revelation’.
      Celta Vigo are said to be reluctant to let Veiga go, however, club chiefs are confident that they will be able to sell him for a record fee should he decide to leave.
      While Arsenal and Man Utd remain interested, they will have to compete with the likes of Barcelona and Real Madrid for his signature.
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      The two La Liga giants are also keen on signing the young star.
      Veiga is expected to be handed his first senior cap for Spain within the next few months, so more clubs could begin to express an interest before the summer should he impress.
      The midfielder made his debut for Spain U-21’s in November, but he is yet to score an international goal at that level. More

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      Elland Road is better than the NOU CAMP which is full of tourists says Leeds star in brutal swipe at ex-club

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      LEEDS star Junior Firpo has criticised Barcelona by claiming Elland Road has a much better atmosphere than the Nou Camp.Firpo spent two years at Barcelona before joining Leeds in the summer of 2021.
      Junior Firpo claims Elland Road has a better atmosphere than the Nou CampCredit: Getty
      The defender criticised the number of tourists at BarcelonaCredit: Getty
      He has settled into life in Yorkshire and loves the “rocking” atmosphere at home games.
      The Nou Camp is more than double the size of Elland Road but Firpo believes it fails to generate as much noise because of the tourists in attendance.
      And he only had one answer when asked if he prefers a packed Elland Road or a packed Nou Camp in an interview with Sky Sports.
      He replied: “A packed Elland Road. Nou Camp is a really big stadium, it’s 90,00 people it’s unbelievable.
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      “But usually there is more tourists than fans. They go there to watch the best players play. They used to go there to watch Messi play, and just clap and say ‘wow’ when he did something.
      “But here it is totally different. It’s close to 40,000 people, it’s rocking all the time and this is what I love.”
      The Elland Road faithful roared their team on to a 1-0 win over relegation rivals Southampton today, with Firpo grabbing the winner.
      The Spanish full-back finally broke his Premier League duck, 19 months after his arrival, to clinch a vital three points.
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      New boss Javi Gracia has got off to a dream start with the Whites picking up their first win since Bonfire night.
      Victory lifts Leeds above Everton and out of the relegation zone by just one point. More

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      Leicester 0 Arsenal 1 LIVE RESULT: Martinelli fires table-toppers FIVE points clear at top of Premier League – latest

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      ARSENAL have gone five points clear at the top of the Premier League after beating Leicester 1-0.Gabriel Martinelli scored the only goal of the game with a clever finish early into the second half.
      The Gunners thought they were ahead in the first half but Leandro Trossard’s goal was chalked out after Ben White appeared to hold goalkeeper Danny Ward’s arm.
      And the Gunners made a touching gesture to give Oleksandr Zinchenko captaincy a year on from the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

      Result: Leicester 0-1 Arsenal
      Leicester XI: Ward; Castagne, Souttar, Faes, Kristiansen; Dewsbury-Hall, Ndidil; Tete, Praet, Barnes; Iheanacho
      Arsenal XI: Ramsdale, White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko; Odegaard, Jorginho, Xhaka; Saka, Trossard, Martinelli

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      Back to the promised land
      Aside from their title challenge, Arsenal now find themselves 16 points clear of Newcastle in fifth spot.
      This means that Champions League football is becoming a realistic outcome for The Gunners.
      For big sides, it is integral that you are competing in Europe’s elite competition and it makes a big difference in the calibre of players you can attract in the summer.
      Gunners in prime position at top
      After two big wins on the road, Arsenal fans will fancy their chances of extending their run in the upcoming fixtures.
      They welcome Everton and Bournemouth to The Emirates before tackling two London derbies away from home.
      Arteta’s side will head to Fulham and Crystal Palace and the hierarchy will fancy that four wins are possible from these games.
      Come Ukraine or shine
      Oleksandr Zinchenko has been a great signing for Mikel Arteta’s side in the summer.
      His commitment and willing to get forward to offer options as they attack, offers a different dimension to their game.
      There is no doubt that he could quite easily slot into a more attacking position for The Gunners.

      Rodgers looking over his shoulder
      With his side failing to create any chances today, the Leicester manager will be concerned.
      Leeds and West Ham both win today, shortening the gap between them and the likes of The Foxes.
      However, defeats for Everton and Southampton still leave a four-point gap between Leicester and the relegation zone.
      FT: Leicester 0-1 Arsenal
      A huge victory for table-topping Arsenal.
      As the stats show, over the course of the game The Gunners did enough to edge this game.
      Leicester failed to make Aaron Ramsdale make a single save and there will be worries for their safety.

      FT: Leicester 0-1 Arsenal
      The referee brings the game to an end to the huge cheers from the away end.
      Over to you Man City is the message from Arteta’s side.
      Arsenal are five points clear at the top of the table.
      Leicester 0-1 Arsenal
      90+4. Partey gets down the right and looks to cross but Souttar heads it behind for a corner.
      It gives the visitors the chance to see this game out as Saka comes over to take it.
      This will be a hard-fought three points for The Gunners.
      Leicester 0-1 Arsenal
      90+2. Partey is robbed in the middle of the park.
      Dewsbury-Hall does well down the left to beat his man but the cross is lacking.
      The home fans are getting behind their team now.
      Credit: Reuters
      Leicester 0-1 Arsenal
      90. The Belgian midfielder comes back on to give it a go.
      Arsenal are happy to just clear their lines at the moment.
      They could do with a goal to kill this game off.
      The fourth official lifts his board to show five additional minutes.
      Leicester 0-1 Arsenal
      88. Leicester could have to finish the game with ten players.
      Tielemans looks like he is unable to continue.
      This could help the visitors in seeing out the game.
      Leicester 0-1 Arsenal
      86. Tielemans and Xhaka are both down after a coming together.
      The Leicester man seemed to land awkwardly, walking gingerly on his ankle.
      Brendan Rodgers’ side have used all five subs now so he will be hoping he can continue.
      Leicester 0-1 Arsenal
      84. Jorginho’s role of best supporting actor looks set to continue as he makes another miracle recovery.
      As a result, Odegaard comes off for Partey.
      Mikel Arteta is looking to hold on to what they have now.
      Credit: Reuters
      Leicester 0-1 Arsenal
      82. Not sure about man of the match but Jorginho could be up for an Oscar nomination after this game.
      He is rolling around holding his head like Vardy tackled him with a baseball bat.
      Arteta looks set to bring Partey on, with Jorginho down once again, he could make way for him.
      Leicester 0-1 Arsenal
      80. Arteta is looking his usual animated self on the touchline.
      He spends very little time in that technical area nowadays.
      Maybe the league need to tie him to a bungee cord tethered to the dugout.
      Leicester 0-1 Arsenal
      78. Soumare and Daka come on for Praet and Ndidi.
      Brendan Rodgers switching to two strikers as they chase an equaliser.
      This will test the Arsenal back line more.
      Leicester 0-1 Arsenal
      76. These Arsenal players go down very easily.
      Any slight contact and it is like the beach scene from Saving Private Ryan.
      Fortunately for the visitors, the referee is buying it all of the time.
      Credit: Reuters
      Leicester 0-1 Arsenal
      74. Nketiah does well to control the ball but he loses it as he tries to run at the Leicester defence.
      The hosts counter but Praet’s cross is poor.
      He needs to realise they have Jamie Vardy up front and not Harry Potter.
      Leicester 0-1 Arsenal
      72. The visitors will be keen to get another goal to put a bit of daylight between the two sides.
      Otherwise it could make for a nervy end to the game.
      Leicester need to give Vardy more to work with.
      Dewsbury-Hall shoots from distance, not far away from Ramsdale’s post.
      Leicester 0-1 Arsenal
      70. Gabriel gathers the corner deep in the box, looking to cross it back into the danger area.
      The defender does enough as the ball goes out for a goal kick.
      Eddie Nketiah comes on for Leandro Trossard.
      Leicester 0-1 Arsenal
      68. Martinelli looks a different player in this half.
      Whatever Mikel Arteta said has worked a treat.
      Ndidi is fouled by Trossard, giving the home side a breather.
      Leicester 0-1 Arsenal
      66. Vardy is already giving Leicester more of an outlet up top.
      Dewsbury-Hall clips a cross into the near post and the striker almost gets on the end of it.
      Tielemans looks keen to make an impression today.
      Credit: Getty
      Leicester 0-1 Arsenal
      64. Vardy must hate that docu-soap about his wife.
      Opposing fans are rinsing him whenever he comes onto the pitch.
      Ironically, setting foot on the grass begins chants from the away end voicing the same topic.
      Leicester 0-1 Arsenal
      62. The home side are struggling to get out of their own defensive third.
      It looks like Tielemans and Vardy are about to join us.
      Jamie Vardy has a phenomenal scoring record against Arsenal.
      Iheanacho and Tete are replaced.
      Leicester 0-1 Arsenal
      60. Arsenal are looking more dangerous in the Leicester final third in this half already.
      This time it is Zinchenko who draws a full-stretch save from Ward.
      Trossard is fouled on the edge of the box.
      Leicester 0-1 Arsenal
      58. The VAR room agrees with the on-field decision.
      Barnes is seeing more of the ball in this second half.
      If Leicester can do anything to get back into this game, Barnes could be key for Rodgers’ side.
      Credit: Reuters
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      Arsenal ratings: Martinelli shines with crucial winning goal but Odegaard has an off-day

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      ARSENAL have extended their lead at the top of the Premier League table to five points thanks to a fantastic finish from Gabriel Martinelli.It was another impressive performance from the Gunners, who reserved their spot at the top for at least another week.
      Martinelli’s goal saw Arsenal win 1-0 over LeicesterCredit: Getty
      But, Leicester didn’t make it easy for them.
      Following another win for Mikel Arteta and his team, SunSport’s Emillia Hawkins rates Arsenal’s performance.
      Aaron Ramsdale – 7
      He wasn’t called upon too much throughout the game, but whenever he was he did well to maintain the clean sheet.
      Ben White – 6
      The full-back didn’t get off to the best start as his foul on Ward led to Trossard’s stunning goal being ruled out.
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      It was another relatively quiet afternoon, but he did contribute to the much-needed clean sheet.
      White’s foul on Ward led to Trossard’s opening goal being ruled outCredit: Getty
      William Saliba – 6
      Another solid performance from the Frenchman. He has established an excellent defensive relationship with Gabriel.
      Gabriel Magalhaes – 6
      Worked very well with Saliba in defence to break up any goalscoring opportunities from Leicester.
      Oleksandr Zinchenko – 6
      A leader’s performance. Zinchenko was handed the captain’s armband as a mark of respect ahead of the game, but he continues to lead by example on the pitch each week and this occasion was no different.
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      Granit Xhaka – 6
      Xhaka did well to break up play in midfield and helped to prevent a number of Leicester attacks.
      Jorginho – 6
      Worked well next to Xhaka in midfield when breaking up play.
      Martin Odegaard – 6
      It was by no means his best performance, but Odegaard put in another composed performance in midfield.
      He needed to play with more urgency and decisiveness at times when on the counter attack, especially with the likes of Martinelli and Saka providing a threat on each wing.
      Bukayo Saka – 7
      Saka’s goal was ruled out due to an offside in the build-upCredit: Getty
      Another excellent performance from the winger.
      He caused numerous problems for Leicester right-back Victor Kristiansen and almost wrote his name on the scoresheet in the second half, but his effort was ruled out for an offside in the build-up.
      Leandro Trossard – 7
      He started the game slightly out of position, replacing Eddie Nketiah as a striker. But, throughout the game he dropped slightly deeper on some occasions to link up with Odegaard as a false nine.
      Trossard has continued to impress Arsenal fans each week since his arrival from Brighton and this time was no different.
      He was unlucky not to get on the scoresheet within the first 30 minutes of the game after his stunning strike was ruled out following a foul on Ward, but he did claim the assist for Martinelli’s second-half goal.
      Trossard’s opening goal was ruled out due to an earlier foulCredit: AFP
      Gabriel Martinelli – 7
      Despite his recent dip in form, Martinelli was able to produce a moment of magic to put his team 1-0 up at the start of the second half.
      He was almost injured in the process after Wilfred Ndidi appeared to stamp on his knee, but he was able to play on for the remainder of the game.
      Substitutes
      Eddie Nketiah (for Trossard, 70) – 6
      Didn’t pose too much of an attacking threat when he came on, but it didn’t matter in the end as the Gunners took all three points.
      Read More on The Sun
      Thomas Partey (for Odegaard, 84) – 5
      He didn’t have too much time to make an impact, but showed glimpses of composure in midfield after replacing Odegaard.
      Takehiro Tomiyasu (for Zinchenko, 93) – 5
      Did not have enough time on the pitch to make an impact. More

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      Leicester 0 Arsenal 1: Martinelli’s goal keeps title bid on track as Gunners edge past Foxes but VAR is involved again

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      GABRIEL MARTINELLI delivered a perfect ten as Mikel Arteta’s away day specialists strengthened their grip on the title race.The Brazilian international’s 46th minute winner was enough to secure Arsenal’s tenth Premier League victory on the road.
      Martinelli proved to be the match-winner with this strike in the 46th minuteCredit: Getty
      Arsenal had to show some resolve on a tricky afternoon at the King Power StadiumCredit: Reuters
      That’s more than they managed on their travels in the whole of last season.
      And it means that victory at home to struggling Everton on Wednesday night will take them into the final three months of the campaign comfortably clear of second-placed Manchester City. 
      It wasn’t the most convincing of performances from the League leaders but at this stage of the campaign it’s all about results.
      And after briefly looking as if they were about to falter, back to back wins at Aston Villa and now Leicester have got them right back on track.
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      Even another VAR row wasn’t going to disturb their progress as toothless Leicester failed to deliver a single shot on target all afternoon.
      Yet they were made to work hard for their points after they dominated all the early possession without causing too many problems with their slick passing.
      Martin Odegaard and Oleskandr Zinchenko were popping up all over the pitch as they tried to drag their opponents out of position.
      But Leicester stuck gamely to their task and always managed to keep someone between the ball and their goal.
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      So it wasn’t until the 18th minute that Arsenal’s first meaningful attempt arrived when Bukayo Saka looked to capitalise on Wilfred Ndidi’s slip.
      But with England boss Gareth Southgate looking on from the directors’ box, Saka ‘s wayward shot from the edge of the area was never going to trouble keeper Danny Ward.
      Ward had suffered an absolute shocker when Leicester were beaten 4-2 at the Emirates back in August and must have been fearing another test of his nerves from the League leaders.
      And his heart was certainly in his mouth when Leandro Trossard curled one into his top corner after he had flapped tamely at Saka’s 27th minute corner.
      But ref Craig Pawson was advised by VAR Michael Salisbury to take a look at the pitchside TV screen and eventually ruled that Ben White was impeding Ward when the ball had been delivered into his six-yard area.
      It was a close call and one that certainly didn’t meet with the approval of Arteta.
      Limp Leicester struggled to get going throughout the afternoon
      Arsenal were in control for most of the game at the King Power
      And the Arsenal’s boss’ mood wasn’t helped five minutes later when Saka was bundled over from behind by Harry Souttar as he closed in on White’s cross.
      It certainly looked like a penalty on the TV replays as Souttar appeared to stumble before dragging his opponent to the ground 
      But the incident wasn’t even referred to Stockley Park as the travelling Gunners fans vented their anger at the officials.
      They hadn’t forgotten how refs’ chief Howard Webb had apologised to their club two weeks ago after Brentford’s offside equaliser had been allowed to stand.
      And this was doing nothing to dispel the paranoia of the online conspiracy theorists who are convinced that Arsenal are the victims of a referees’ conspiracy designed to stop them winning the league.
      Yet Leicester were unable to take advantage of those reprieves despite the acres of space behind Arsenal’s back four as they looked to compress the game.
      Arsenal fans were left frustrated after VAR judged Danny Ward to have been fouled by Ben White – and the on-field referee agreedCredit: Premier League
      Kelechi Iheanacho did put the ball into Aaron Ramsdale’s net but was clearly offside when he raced on to Tete’s through ball.
      And without the injured James Maddison to pull the strings, Brendan Rodgers’ team were sadly lacking in attacking ideas.
      Tomorrow is the fourth anniversary of Rodgers’ appointment as Leicester boss and one he won’t be celebrating with much enthusiasm when he looks at the League table.
      They have failed to keep a single Premier League clean sheet since returning to action after the World Cup and are still looking anxiously over their shoulders at the relegation zone. 
      And any ideas of buying themselves a bit of breathing space were dispelled right at the start of the second-half.
      It was a frustrating afternoon for Brendan Rodgers as he approaches four years as Leicester bossCredit: Rex
      Because whatever Arteta said to his players during the interval clearly worked and within 53 seconds of the restart they were ahead.
      Gabriel’s long punt forward picked out Trossard on the left wing and when he slipped the ball through Souttar’s legs Martinelli raced in to steer an unerring shot beyond Ward’s reach into the far corner
      It was the young Brazilian’s ninth goal of the season and well worth the pain of a whack on the ankle as he was caught by Ndidi’s follow through.
      Saka thought he had doubled Arsenal’s lead ten minutes later when he tapped in from close range, but once again VAR was not his friend as Martinelli was confirmed to have strayed marginally offside in the build-up.
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      Yet not even the injection of Jamie Vardy’s pace from the subs’ bench was going to spoil their day out as they comfortably saw the game out before hitting the M1 with the points in the bag. More

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      ‘It’s a phenomenal mistake’ – Arsenal legend Ian Wright slams ‘ridiculous’ no penalty decision for foul on Saka

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      IAN WRIGHT has slammed the “ridiculous” decision not to award Bukayo Saka a penalty against Leicester.A controversial first half saw Arsenal denied a spot-kick while VAR also chalked off Leandro Trossard’s goal.
      Bukayo Saka appeared to be bundled over by Harry SouttarCredit: beIN Sports
      Ian Wright did not hold back when criticising the decisionCredit: PA
      The Gunners also could have had a penalty after Saka was bundled over in the area under a challenge from Harry Souttar.
      Wright was outraged at the decision while former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher also felt the Gunners should have been given a penalty.
      Appearing on Premier League Productions, Wright fumed saying: “That was a ridiculous decision. A phenomenal mistake.”
      Fellow pundit Alan Shearer agreed, adding: “Yes definitely 100%, how can they not give?
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      “Yeah it was an accidental slip but that doesn’t matter.”
      Arsenal were also denied a first half goal after Ben White was judged to have impeded Leicester keeper Danny Ward as he went to punch the ball.
      Wright felt VAR made the right call to disallow the goal, but some Gooners felt the officials were inconsistent with how they dealt with the two incidents.
      One Arsenal fan wrote on Twitter: “I just want things to be consistent. If White’s hold is a foul why isn’t the hold called when Saka is held. Would be nice.”
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      Another added: “It’s outrageous how VAR keeps turning a blind eye to situations meant to favor us.”
      And a third said: “I’m tired of this man.”
      Martinelli’s second-half strike was enough to claim all three points and it guaranteed the Gunners’ spot at the top for at least another week. More

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      ‘Going to be a god’ – Watch Man Utd loanee score stunning goal as fans say he can challenge Antony

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      MANCHESTER UNITED fans were salivating at the thought of their options next year as Amad Diallo scored a stunning goal. The 20-year-old has been on loan at Championship side Sunderland throughout the season.

      Amad Diallo in action for SunderlandCredit: Getty
      And Diallo continued his strong vein of form today with a superb curling effort against Coventry City.
      United fans saw the effort from the right hand side of the penalty area and lavished praise on the winger.
      One fan said: “Lovely finish, little superstar 🤩.”
      A second wrote: “Quality finish 👏🏻,” while a third added: “This kid is some talent…”
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      Looking ahead, some have already envisioned a role for him in the Man Utd squad next season.
      One said: “Lovely competition with Antony, next season or maybe a season out on loan at a Premier League. Great future ahead.”
      A second declared: “United have a bit of a winger headache…”
      A third commented: “Antony, Amad as a right wing depth. Sancho, Rashford [and] Garnacho as left wing depth.”
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      A fourth wrote: “He’s coming to battle it [out] with Antony next season.”
      While a fifth added: “Unbelievable. Definitely playing a role for us next year along side Antony. Really exciting times ahead.”
      Diallo’s finish struck similarities with both Antony’s match-winner against Barcelona and a sensational effort from Man Utd flop Angel Di Maria, which both came on Thursday.
      Despite, Diallo’s strike, Sunderland were unable to get anything from the match as they fell to a 2-1 defeat to see them lose ground on the play-off places this season.
      Diallo has scored eight goals this season, though his latest goal ends a barren-run of five games. More

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      Fans horrified as West Ham keeper Fabianski is forced off with gruesome eye injury after knee to the head

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      WEST HAM fans have been left gobsmacked after keeper Lukasz Fabianski suffered a horrid eye injury against Nottingham Forest.The Hammers shot-stopper, 37, received a knee to the head from Felipe during his side’s clash at the London Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
      Lukasz Fabianski was forced off after suffering the eye injuryCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun
      Fabianski was left with a horribly swollen eye
      Alphonse Areola replaced Fabianski after the injuryCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun
      The incident meant he had to be replaced by back-up keeper Alphonse Areola.
      And fans were astonished by the damage to his face.
      Reacting on social media, one person said: “Fabianski got a right shiner”.
      While another replied: “Hope Fabianski is alright”.
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      Following the Pole’s departure, West Ham scored four times in 15 minutes.
      Danny Ings bagged a three-minute brace, before Declan Rice and Michail Antonio got in on the act.
      The victory takes the Hammers two points clear of the relegation zone as they bid to avoid a surprise battle at the bottom.
      David Moyes’ men are still competing on three fronts as they juggle the league, FA Cup and Europa Conference League.
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      West Ham face Manchester United in the fifth round of the FA Cup on Wednesday.
      They then travel to Brighton in the Premier League, before resuming their Europa Conference League campaign against Cypriot outfit AEK Larnaca.
      Meanwhile, Forest remain 13th in the table, four points above the drop. More