Premier League

ARSENAL and Manchester City have been charged by the FA following their feisty Premier League encounter on Wednesday.Both teams have been charged with allegedly failing to control their players.
Arsenal and Manchester City have been charged by the FACredit: Getty
City have been charged for two separate incidents, while Arsenal have been hit with one charge.
Both teams have been charged “after their players surrounded the match official” Anthony Taylor, who was in charge of the game, which City won 3-1.
They are also alleged to have “failed to ensure their players conducted themselves in an orderly fashion”.
An FA spokesperson said: “Arsenal and Manchester City have been charged after their players surrounded the match official at different times during the Premier League fixture on Wednesday 15 February.
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“It’s alleged that both clubs failed to ensure their players conducted themselves in an orderly fashion, with Arsenal’s players surrounding the match official during the 56th minute, and Manchester City’s doing so during the 42nd and 64th minutes.
“Both clubs have until Tuesday 21 February to provide their respective responses.”
It comes after Arsenal were previously charged by the FA following their meeting with Newcastle in January, and again after the FA Cup game against Oxford just days later.
And one fan joked on social media following the latest incident: “We might as well set up a direct debit at this point.”
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Another added: “Shall we set up a direct debit to make your job easier?”
A third said: “Presume this is gonna happen every game and to every team from now then?”
The game also saw Arsenal fans throw bottles at City ace Kevin De Bruyne from the stands.
The FA are investigating that incident.
City overtook Arsenal at the top of the Premier League table with three points at the Emirates.
Both teams are on 51 points, but City have a better goal difference.
However, Arsenal have played a game less than their title rivals. More

MARCUS RASHFORD is not world class despite his sensational form, according to pundit Simon Jordan.The Manchester United star scored against Barcelona on Thursday to take his tally to 14 goals in his last 16 games.
Marcus Rashford continued his brilliant form with a goal against BarcelonaCredit: Rex
But Simon Jordan claimed the striker is still not world class
He has been unplayable since the World Cup and now has 22 goals in all competitions, needing just one more to break his previous season’s best.
But Jordan believes Rashford is not world class, just experiencing a rich vein of form.
Jordan told talkSPORT: “Rashford is in a ridiculous vein of form.
“What I’ve always pushed back against is the characterisation that he is a world class player and he’s in an elite position.
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“You can see in a player that their confidence is brimming, but confidence and moments in time are one thing. A body of work and a constant level of containment puts you above everybody else.
“That’s the usage of the word ‘world class’ – we throw it around like confetti. There are very few world class players, you can name them on two hands.
“At this moment in time, while Marcus Rashford’s form is extraordinarily good, I think it’s a bit silly to call him world class. At this moment he’s on top of his game, that’s a fair enough assessment.”
Barcelona even had a plan of action to stop Rashford which involved Ronald Aruajo marking him out of the game, yet they could not stop him.
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The England star rifled home a shot at the near post before setting up United’s second goal moments later after brilliantly dribbling past Raphinha.
Rashford’s form coincided with Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure and Garth Crooks believes it is because he does not have to play second fiddle to the Portuguese.
Crooks said: ” I think it’s very telling that Manchester United’s results have continually improved since the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo and so has Rashford’s presence in the team.
“Rashford no longer has to play second fiddle to a player desperate to hang on to former glories, who has far more interest in himself than the team. The problem has been removed.” More

ERIK TEN HAG has told his players to be within striking distance of the title come April, then go for it.Manchester United are just five points off top spot, which is currently held by neighbours Manchester City on goal difference from early pace setters Arsenal.
The Red Devils are currently in fine formCredit: Getty
The Red Devils have barely been talked about in what was seen for a long time as a two-horse race.
But Arsenal have taken just one point from their last nine available while City have lost two of their last six – including in the derby to United.
Ten Hag said: “What we have to do is put ourselves in the right position in April.
“It’s about us doing things right and we have already been in this rhythm for many weeks.”
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United take on Leicester on Sunday after returning from another confidence boosting away performance.
Having beaten Leeds last Sunday in the Prem, they earned a creditable 2-2 draw against Barcelona in their Europa League play-off first leg in the Nou Camp as they aim to progress into the last 16.
But it is the Champions League where United want to be next season by sealing a top four place – even if eventually the title itself is eventually out of their grasp.
Ten Hag said: “We are going in the right direction but we have to fight for it.
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“There are two ways we can get back, one is through the Europa League the other is in the Premier League so we know what we have to do.
“We have to do it game by game and fight to get back into the Champions League.”
It certainly felt like a Champions League tie in the Nou Camp as United came from a goal down to lead 2-1 before Barcelona levelled it up to set up a cracking second leg at Old Trafford next Thursday.
The game came in the middle of a relentless run of fixtures with United the only team in the country still battling on four fronts, but Ten Hag says the players are thriving on it.
He said: “The players in our squad like it.
“They like to play big games and they know also as a team and individuals that you grow from such games.
“Now we are better players, a better team, we are going in the right direction so we have to keep this process.
“Sunday is the next game, the next big game.
“We have to collect the three points against Leicester and that demands a lot of energy and it demands high standards
“We are enjoying our togetherness at the moment. It’s really enjoyable to work.”
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While talk off the pitch is about a potential takeover with a deadline for bids on Friday, Ten Hag is concentrating on the football.
He said: “They informed me how the process will go. I focus on football.”
Man Utd face a packed schedule More