Premier League

RIO FERDINAND believes that Arsenal are still the favourites to win the Premier League despite their loss to Everton.The Gunners suffered a shock defeat to the relegation candidates at Goodison Park after James Tarkowski’s winning header.
Rio Ferdinand has revealed who he is backing to win the Premier League after Arsenal’s defeat to EvertonCredit: Getty
He is still backing the GunnersCredit: Rex
The goal gave new manager Sean Dyche the perfect start to his tenure as Toffees boss, but put a dent in Arsenal’s title bid.
Their lead of five points could now be slashed to just two should Manchester City beat Tottenham Hotspur tomorrow.
But despite this potential momentum swing, Ferdinand is still backing Arsenal to go all the way.
He told BT Sports: “Arsenal, we have been sitting here all of us believing they can win this league and I put them as favourites and I still put them as favourites and edge them slightly.
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“It’s a real psychological test for them now though, how do they handle this bump in the road?
“It’s a big learning curve for them.
“I think they’ve come up against that type of low block quite often but the aggression I saw today, teams haven’t been able to get close enough to Arsenal to play like this.
“They play so slick and play through teams.
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“These are the moments and times where you want your star man and game changer to turn up and produce and that can sometimes override the system.”
Mikel Arteta’s side will have the chance to recover from the defeat when they host Brentford at the Emirates Stadium next Saturday.
Ferdinand added: “It’s important how you react. When we played, you don’t lose two games on the spin.
“You’ve got to find results by any means you can’t always play perfect football.
“There will be big long spells where it’s not going your way. Can you come out of those moments?
“It’s going to be the experienced players, even like Jorginho who has just come in, to be with the youngsters when you’ve dropped points and let them know it’s not the end of the world.
“You have to find positives in this performance to maintain that momentum and confidence.” More

MARCUS RASHFORD continued his fine form in front of goal to net the winner in the 2-1 win over Crystal Palace but star man Casemiro’s silly red card will see him miss THREE games.Manchester United came into the Premier League clash on a high off the back of reaching the Carabao Cup final.
Marcus Rashford scored the winner for Man UtdCredit: Getty
Casemiro was sent off for putting his hands around Will Hughes’ neckCredit: Getty
And it took the Red Devils just seven minutes to get the ball rolling.
United were awarded a penalty-kick for handball, and captain Bruno Fernandes made no mistake from 12 yards.
Rashford then got in on the act with half-an-hour to go.
The England international tapped home Luke Shaw’s cross from close range.
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Casemiro saw red just eight minutes after Rashford doubled United’s lead.
A rash challenge on Antony sparked a mass brawl.
The Brazilian then put his hands around Palace’s Will Hughes’ neck, resulting in a red card following a VAR review.
Casemiro will miss United’s next three Prem fixtures, including a Leeds double header and a home clash against Leicester.
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Marcus Rashford’s game by numbers
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He WILL be back in time for the Carabao Cup final against Newcastle on February 26.
Here’s how SunSport’s Neil Custis rated the Red Devils’ performance.
David de Gea – 6
The visitors lack of ambition meant it was a quiet first half for the Spaniard.
Produced great save from Marc Guehi header in the second-half but could do nothing about goal second later from the resulting corner.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka – 7
Continues with his high standard of performances since returning to the first team.
Shown particular improvement in getting involved in play further up field.
Lisandro Martinez – 7
Another typically tenacious performance from the Argentine.
Nobody seems to mention his height anymore.
Raphael Varane -7
News that he was retiring from international football may not be good news for France but will be for United in the long term as they are always better when he plays.
Luke Shaw – 7
Another consistent performance from the England international who has fought off the challenge of Tyrell Malacia at left-back.
Provided the assist for Rashford’s goal. 
Casemiro – 5
Silly red card as he got involved in a scuffle between both sets of players and grabbed Will Hughes round the neck.
Will be a big miss for the next three league games.
Fred – 6
While he cannot replicate the passing prowess of the injured Christian Eriksen he offers something different in his endless box to box running and involvement.
Bruno Fernandes – 7
With a hop, skip and jump, he sent Vicente Guaita the wrong way and gave United the early lead from the spot.
It was the 22nd penalty converted by him for United to go with just three misses.
Antony – 5
Good, but still not good enough.
Needs to offer much more from his attacking position wide on the right.
Understandably subbed when United were trying to hang on.
Marcus Rashford – 7
Celebrated being named Player of the Month for January by carrying on his good form into February slotting home the second goal, his 19th of the season.
Wout Weghorst – 5
Simply not the answer up front for United.
With Anthony Martial sidelined again, United would be better off with Rashford through the middle as they were when he shifted there and scored after Weghorst went off.
Subs
Alejandro Garnacho (for Weghorst, 59 min) – 6
Brought on to try and take the game back to Palace but subbed himself when they threatened to equalise against the ten men.
Marcel Sabitzer (for Antony, 81 min) – 6
On loan Bayern Munich midfielder came on to help United see the game out after Palace got back into it. 
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Harry Maguire (for Garnacho, 87 min) – 6
Brought on for sub Garnacho when United needed extra defensive bodies late on.
Victor Lindelof (for Wan-Bissaka, 87 min) – 6
Sent on for Wan Bissaka, at the same time as Maguire, in the right defensive position as United reverted to five at the back in the closing minutes.
Saturday’s match stats More

IN the land of small mercies, at least Casemiro will be fit and fresh for the Carabao Cup final and the Euro clashes with Barcelona.Yet it was hardly the way Erik ten Hag wanted Manchester United to prove that they can get by without their brilliant string-pulling Brazilian.
United goal heroes Fernandes and Rashford share their joyCredit: Getty
Rashford rounds off a classy team move to double United’s leadCredit: EPA
Fernandes slots in his 14th successful Prem penalty for United, with only Wayne Rooney (20) and Ruud van Nistelrooy (18) having moreCredit: Reuters
For the best part of 70 minutes all had gone pretty much to plan for United and their manager.
Two goals up, rarely having to break out of a canter, and cruising to a sixth consecutive Premier home win, a feat not achieved in 2017
Then in the space of one madcap minute suddenly a very dark cloud had wrapped itself around the silver lining.
Jeff Schlupp started it with a cheap and, to be honest, pretty cowardly shot in shoving Antony down the touchline banking and into the hoardings.
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Needless to say the Brazilian took offence and bounced back up to confront the Palace pusher…and, as ever with these things, everyone else piled in.
As the finger pointing, accusations and calm-it-down-lads subsided, referee Andre Marriner flashed a yellow card at both protagonists. But worse was to come for United.
Casemiro chose the hands-around-the-throat approach to keep Will Hughes away from the affray. As soon as VAR official Tony Harrington asked Marriner to take a look, you feared the worst.
Sure enough, out came the red, and United faced a final 20 minutes without the man who so many reckon holds the whole thing together here.
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Well we’ll soon see how much, as he now faces sitting out the Prem double-header against Leeds, and a clash with Leicester.
Bearing in mind the last time United were without him – that suspension at Arsenal after a booking at Palace of all places – the ten-game unbeaten run came to an abrupt halt.
At least he will be available to face Newcastle at Wembley. And at least United have another man who is not far behind in the how-vital-is-he stakes, with Bruno Fernandes.
The Portuguese midfielder has been at Old Trafford for three years and one week now, after his £47 million arrival from Sporting Lisbon in January 2020.
In all that time he has missed just ONE game through illness or injury – barring the ones when his various managers have rested him. Talk about Mr Dependable.
He has certainly been that of late, with a goal or assist in all five League matches this year.
Yesterday’s came after only four minutes – his 22nd successful spot kick against just three misses – to get United on the way to what initially looked like a pretty standard three points.
This time VAR ref Harrington was United’s pal, spotting Hughes’ left arm had turned Marcus Rashford’s cross away.
Up stepped Bruno and after a staccato stutter and couple of hops, he sent the ball left, keeper Vicente Guaita dived the other way and United were ahead.  
Jeffrey Schlupp, left, set up a tense final 20 minutes with this Palace goalCredit: AP
Bruno Fernandes celebrates his early penalty opener for Man UtdCredit: Rex
Chris Richards rises fort a rare first-half chance for PalaceCredit: PA
For long periods after that it was nigh on a training ground game of attack versus defence. Palace were pitiful, United merely wasteful.
Guaita clawed out a Wout Weghorst header that was dropping in the top corner and Rashford strung the keeper’s palms with his tight-angled strike.
Then Anthony showed his right leg is, indeed, good for more than standing on with a strike that the Palace keeper batted down, before a Fred side foot found the side netting.
At times United would have met more resistance from a set of training ground cones, so poor were Patrick Vieira’s team.
It was dads v lads, fantasy versus flappers, hopefuls against hopeless, and a chance for the home side to go through their full bag of tricks.
We had Rashford nutmegging Nathanial Clyne, immediately trumped by Casemiro’s spinning one of his own to leave Cheick Doucoure red-faced.
And when Rashford poked in his tenth goal in 12 matches in all competitions since the World Cup – more than any other Prem player – it all seemed pretty run of the mill.
It came when Casemiro found Alejandro Garnacho, and the substitute’s cross was prodded home as Rashford got between Marc Guehi and Chris Richards.
Palace boss Patrick Vieira and Man Utd counterpart Erik ten Hag take part in a minute’s silence on the anniversary of the Munich Air DisasterCredit: Getty
But if ten Hag was hoping his side would see it out with minimum fuss, he couldn’t have been more wrong.
Ten minutes after Rashford’s steered-in second, came the flashpoint that now threatens to derail everything.
For a while yesterday it looked like derailing them immediately, as suddenly Palace had a shot in the arm their own performance hadn’t come close to producing.
The fact it came from Schlupp, turning Doucoure’s miss-hit strike past David de Gea from close range, merely heightened frustration and fury in equal measure among Red ranks.
From easy street to backs-to-the-wall in one deflected second, and suddenly it was United who were fighting not to survive exactly, but certainly to preserve their advantage.
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Fortunately for them Palace still couldn’t muster enough menace to repeat last month’s last-gasp equaliser.
This time United were able to hang on and see it out…although at what cost remains to be seen. More

BRIGHTON’s man from Japan proved as sharp as a Samurai to keep the Seagulls in the hunt for European football.Kaoru Mitoma headed home his fifth goal in his last seven games in a match that was otherwise lacking in clinical finishing.
Brighton beat Bournemouth thanks to Kaoru Mitoma’s winnerCredit: Reuters
Chances were squandered at both ends and just when this south coast derby looked to be heading for a stalemate, up popped Mitoma at the death.
Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi said: “He did not play the best game of his life, but he can always score and I felt in this game he would, that’s why I never take him off.”
The winger, signed for just £2.5million from Japanese side Kawasaki Frontale, again impressed as Brighton looked to have unearthed another gem.
All the pre-match talk was about Moises Caicedo, who came on as a substitute to cheers, despite his openness in trying to force through a move to Arsenal in the transfer window.
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The midfielder was the subject of a £60m bid from the Gunners, with Brighton rejecting the offer for the talented 21-year-old in the transfer window.
Brighton chairman Paul Barber made it clear in his programme notes that they simply were not interested in seeing another star tempted away.
Hardly surprising, having lost Marc Cucurella, Yves Bissouma, Leandro Trossard – plus boss Graham Potter – already this season.
“We have also always been very clear that January is not a window in which we like to do much, if any, business,” said Barber.
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“It’s typically a seller’s market so buying is always difficult for anyone, but it is only a seller’s market if the seller is willing . In the case with Moises, we were not.”
De Zerbi said it was “an easy decision” to drop Caicedo to the bench at the expense of Billy Gilmour, but it is likely the Ecuadorian will be back in the starting XI to face Crystal Palace.
He added: “I am really happy with the reaction from our fans. He is not a problem and we are stronger with Moises.”
Bournemouth were given a couple of early let offs as the home side made a cracking start.
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Brighton left it late to beat Bournemouth in a dramatic Premier League matchCredit: Reuters
Inside the opening 90 seconds, Neto dropped the ball under pressure from Danny Welbeck while the keeper redeemed himself with a tackle on Deniz Undav, who was bearing down on goal.
But in their next exchange, it was difficult to figure out which player was worst. Neto’s clearance proved to be a 20-yard pass straight to the German.
Maybe he could not believe his luck, as he squandered THREE chances. His first effort was blocked by Chris Mepham, his second was saved by Neto while his third attempt struck the post.
At the other end, Jefferson Lerma fired wide and Bournemouth boss Gary O’Neil felt his side had two penalty appeals turned down.
With the score level, boss De Zerbi turned to Caicedo and he nearly set up fellow sub Jeremy Sarmiento with his first touch.
Antoine Semenyo and Dango Ouattara had Bouremouth’s best chances before Sarmiento then crossed for Mitoma to head home.
Brighton star Moises Caicedo returned after his transfer dramaCredit: Reuters
The defeat shoved the Cherries closer to the Championship as they failed to take their chances, while boss O’Neil said he felt his side should have been awarded two spot kicks.
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He said: “We should have got something from the game. The performance was good and I was disappointed not to take any points.
“We kept Brighton at bay and we were a threat. The only criticism is we have to score one goal from situations we have created and we didn’t manage it and got caught with a late goal.” More

LEICESTER CITY celebrated their first win since the World Cup to burst Unai Emery’s bubble as they came out on top of a bonkers six-goal encounter.Brendan Rodgers’ men dug deep, coming from behind twice, to stun the home side and ease the pressure on themselves as they moved away from the danger zone.
Leicester City came out on top in a thrilling game against Aston VillaCredit: Reuters
Tete netted a vital goal on his Leicester debutCredit: Getty
In a sensational Midlands derby, which seemed more like a basketball match at times, the Foxes proved Rodgers’ was right when he claimed he needed new blood to perk up his tired squad.
He handed Premier League debuts to three of his players and was rewarded when one of them, Brazilian winger Tete gave them a crucial half-time lead on his debut, before Dennis Praet finished off Villa near the end.
It was only Emery’s second Premier defeat since replacing Steven Gerrard and the Spaniard will look back in horror at some suicidal defending by his team.
If you were a faint-hearted fan then this probably wasn’t a very pleasant way to spend your afternoon!
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There were more scrapes and close shaves than you’ll find at your local Turkish barbers as both defences diced with disaster in front of a couple of very concerned ‘keepers.
For the rest of us though, it was quite simply magical.
Those fortunate enough to be at Villa Park here witnessed 90 minutes full of delightful mayhem as play raged from one end to the other from first whistle to last.
However Unai Emery and Brendan Rodgers must have been watching much of the action through the cracks in their fingers.
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The rival pair may be two of the most accomplished and decorated coaches in the Premier League, but their best-laid plans were ripped apart during a bonkers first-half. 
By the time spoilsport referee Darren England blew his whistle to end an incredible first 45 minutes we had been treated to FIVE goals, a couple of smacked crossbars and incredible near things
All spiced up by some suicidal defending from defenders who had taken leave of their senses at times. 
Villa raced out of the traps with the confidence of a team who had won five of their first seven games under new boss Emery.
Ollie Watkins netted the opener for Aston VillaCredit: Getty
Leon Bailey, who looked razor-sharp throughout, made a positive run at Leicester’s new Danish left-back Victor Kristiansen and sent in a low cross to pick out Jacob Ramsey.
However the ball skipped off Ollie Watkins en route to deny his teammate an early scoring opportunity.
Bailey then whipped in a wicked delivery from a short free-kick but this time it was Kristiansen who provided the clearing touch to deny Ramsey.
However, Villa have made a habit of scoring early goals under Emery and Bailey made sure they got off to a flyer here as they seized the lead after nine minutes.
 Bailey was involved again as he set up Emi Buendia at the edge of the bix.
The little Argentine swept in a curling shot which beat Danny Ward, only to crash off the underside of the crossbar.
However, like all good strikers, Ollie Watkins was following up. 
He gambled while Timothy Castagne ambled and it was the Villa man who cashed in to net the loose ball with the outside of his right boot.
Harry Souttar scored an own goal on his debutCredit: Getty
Leicester looked rattled and Wout Faes overhit a through ball to Iheanacho by a good 20 yards.
But it turned out to be a blessing in disguise for the Foxes as Aston Villa imploded at the goal-kick which followed to equalise within two minutes of going behind.
Emi Martinez took an unnecessary risk by rolling the ball into Bouboucar Kamara at the edge of his own box and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall spotted an opportunity and was on him in a flash.
He knocked the ball to Kelechi Iheanacho who fed James Maddison and the midfielder kept his cool under pressure from the sliding Ezri Konsa to tuck the ball into the net.
Talk about a self-inflicted wound.
Stung, Villa hit back and Lucas Digne flashed in a cross which Watkins just failed to get on the end of, before Ward pushed away a curling shot from Bailey at full stretch.
Leicester were hanging on and a typically brilliant Douglas Luiz corner picked out Bailey at the near post but the Jamaican’s flashing header bounced off the bar with Ward beaten.
But Villa regained their lead just beyond the half hour.
Buendia played in Digne whose low delivery found Watkins in the box and when the striker shot Leicester’s new £15million centre half Harry Souttar stuck out his right leg to deflect the ball into his own net.
Kelechi Iheanacho headed in Leicester’s second equaliserCredit: PA
The Aussie World Cup star looked utterly crestfallen as his debut turned sour.
But incredibly he was smiling by half-time as Leicester struck twice before the break to turn this game on it’s head.
Iheanacho started the comeback with his second important goal in a week.
Mings failed to clear the danger following a free kick and his weak clearance was picked up by Victor Kristiansen who fed Barnes.
His cross was inch perfect for Iheanacho to give Mings the slip and head home at the back stick.
Worse was to follow in first half stoppage time for Villa as the Foxes hit the front.
Kamara lost possession again in midfield and Iheanacho slid through to Tete who raced through to clip the ball beyond Martinez to score on his debut.
Emery sent on Alex Moreno and Philippe Coutinho for Digne and Ramsey at the break but it was Leicester who almost scored when Iheanacho ran on to a Tielemans ball, only to shoot into the side netting.
Dennis Praet sealed the win with his goal for the FoxesCredit: Reuters
It was frantic stuff with chances at both ends.
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Bailey had a shot cleared off the line by Faes, then Coutinho thought he had equalised, only to have his joy cut short when he was flagged offside.
But it was Leicester who had the final word when Moreno miscued Barnes’ through ball and Leicester sub Dennis Praet cashed in to round Martinez and slide the ball into the empty net. More